User blog posts with the category "Lifestyle"

So I think we all have heard about the contestant from California, Carrie Prejean, in the Miss USA pageant.  If you haven't see the above video in reference to her answering the question about Gay Marriage.  Ultimately, she received a 0 for the answer and lost the ultimate beauty contest.  Basically, if she would have gotten anything for the question/answer she would have won. 

Not only was she being honest, she was also speaking for her state of Califonia, which voted on Proposition 8 and legally banned Gay Marriage in California.  Since most of the country has not legalized gay marriage, she is in essence in the majority.  She was asked about her beliefs and effectively gave them to the judges.  However, she was penalized for saying what she felt, believed and what the majority of her state,California, believes. 

So now the beauty contest is a political forum and if you don't agree with the judges, you are going to lose.  It's completely ridiculous and for the board of pageants to allow this mockery just further reinforces how remedial these contests are for women.  The face that they still exist is another issue, but this is just stupid. 

Now, maybe you believe her answer was lacking eloquency and clarity, which I would totally agree, however, that doesn't justify a 0.  Clearly it was because Preez is an openly gay male and he wants all people to believe in what he believes.  Honestly, I could care less.  As only as gay marriage doesn't impose any restrictions on me getting married, I don't see the problem.  No one has really explained to me why gay marriage is BAD, other than religiously it's wrong, but I can name a million things that people do that religiously is wrong.  So other than that reason, I am waiting for someone to convince me it's WRONG. 

Okay, I completely digressed from the topic at hand.  When did keeping it real, telling the truth go so wrong.  Maybe you say she should have been politically correct, well correct with who.  She seems like she was being politically correct.  She said "no offense to anyone, but this is is how I feel."  Is it me, or is this just a mockery of so many things???

No responses yet | Make a commentBy Jason


Racism

February 20, 2009

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I have been going back and forth about this cartoon trying to determine the effects and affects of it on society and myself as an African American.I still do not believe I have formulated an concise opinion.

No responses yet | Make a commentBy Jason


A Sense of More

February 20, 2009

Everyday I take the train to work and look around to see the numerous people with faces that seem to have only despairing expression as they drag their kids to school, or unhappily head to work/school, or just commute from one place to another. It looks as if they are trying to just survive or get through to tomorrow. They're eating potato chips and drinking pop, snacking on cakes and every unhealthy quick food possible. The day just exists as time, not an opportunity. People need to want more and I don't mean more money or more stuff, but more happiness.

People who know me always describe me as happy and optimistic. It has nothing to do with my life being better than others; I am not the smartest, I am not the richest, I am not the most anything. I am just happy that I have another opportunity to do more everyday. My parents instilled in me a lot of important things growing up, but one of the greatest lessons was that I was capable of anything. Life is only what you make of it and you can make it anything you want of life.

Both parents are social workers, so its not like they made a ton of money and my father struggled with substance abuse issues until I was 2. However, they always gave me support, love, and encouragement. Through those three things they made sure I ate a breakfast; oatmeal, cereal, waffles, microwaveable pancakes, or fruit, but something to start my day off right. I could never begin my day with candy, chips, pop, or any other similar junk food. Their philosophy was that how I started will ultimately determine how I finish. As I write I do have to distinguish that my parents weren't together, but both had the same philosophy on raising this boy to become a MAN.

My mother wound up getting her Masters of Social Work after 7 years of night school in 1997. My father wound up getting his Bachelors of Arts in 1996 when I was in high school. Neither was an ideal situation, but nothing stopped them from obtaining more. Sure they had to make some sacrifices and sure they had to rearrange their schedule, but ultimately it was the best decision. They could have just accepted their current circumstances, but for them, it wasn't about the "today", rather the future. Even today, my aunt who is 52, is in school working towards her bachelor’s degree.

I have always been taught that there is more to life than today, right now, current circumstances and my real job is to savor, enjoy and get more out of everyday. I have never felt that there wasn't something I couldn't do, mind you there are things I don't want to do, but I have always felt that I am capable of anything. It is my chose how I live life and my choice to either wake up every morning and just wander through the day until the night or wake up every morning and rejoice in the fact that I will get more out of today than I did yesterday.

This has nothing to do with real problems that we all face everyday; from health, to housing, to employment, to security, to the thousand of other issues that will need my attention everyday. However I still have to want more. I can not let my today hold me back from my tomorrow and only I can decide what that tomorrow will bring. I hope more people begin to realize that they have the ability to obtain more. If you are going to start the day already discouraged, then you are going to finish that way. Wake up and know that you have the opportunity for more.

No responses yet | Make a commentBy Jason


 

I am many things.  I think everyday, every moment, I change my definition.  Through life experiences, more information, and growth I scrape and reshape myself to be a better person.  I doubt this process will ever end, as I know my friends and family will attest; I am light years away from being the best human being I could be, but every day I do strive to be better.  So I define myself by many words: Man, African American, husband, son, brother, cousin, friend, student, good, friendly, talkative, a people person, strong, weak, smart, intelligent, silly, quick to judgment, stubborn, positive, wishful, thankful, energetic, extravert, and the list continues.  I am always redefining myself and a variety of words can be used on any day at any given time.

Some days I am better than others, but I try to make sure I define myself with positive and progressive words.  However, there are those days where I am mean, ungrateful, negative, vengeful, and probably thousands more.  I do try everyday to remove those words and feelings from my soul and spirit, because those types of words have no benefits in my life.  At the end of the day I am what I am and that’s just a continuous work in progress.

Then I also remember that today we are more connected than ever before.  Through the use of the many social networks I find myself updated on what people are doing that I knew over 15 years ago and probably haven’t physically seen in over 10 years.  Through it all, I know that other people are also connected with me.  I only hope that they are seeing how I define myself.  Because I am also a combination of how they define me.  There is no way to separate myself from my connection to others, so my definition also comes from them.

If people define me as selfish, mean, nasty, hurtful, vengeful, negative, disrespectful, ungrateful, cruel, spiteful, and the many other harmful words that can describe someone’s character, then I have a problem.  No matter how I describe myself, if others see me in a negative light, I have a lot of work to do to change my personality.  I have to always be aware of how others are seeing me because it is only a reflection of me.  I can choose not to see or believe the reflection, but for the most part it has some truth to it.

I am not saying there won’t be days when people will be incorrect about me or have misjudgments.  However if I take a look at the macro rather than the micro, I am sure to see a trend, and that trend/pattern is important.  So I redefine myself everyday and so do others and I only hope that most of those definitions are positive because I am what I am and I am what you see.  What do you see?

No responses yet | Make a commentBy Jason


Proposition 8 and Civil Rights

November 17, 2008

I had said that after the election that I would educate myself more on the Proposition 8 amendment that passed in California and Utah (whcih I understand was a clear majority in that state).  From what I gather, in California in particular, over 75% of African Americans supported the proposition, which bans same sex marriage.  It is interesting that the term civil rights and African American, at least in my mind, are synonyms, but we are willing to infringe on the rights of a group that feels they should have the same kind of rights afforded to them.  Don't get me wrong, I am not sure myself how I feel about this issue.  I am not certain that I think that what you do in the bedroom, between consenting adults, should somehow translate into a civil rights issue, but I still find it curious that a majority of Blacks in a certain region object to the issue.  I don't know what to think. 

2 response(s) | Make a commentBy cbmw


Do they love the human being??

November 17, 2008

I have been very fortunate in my career.  Through hard work, dedication, intelligence, skill and a lot of luck, I have been able to move up the ladder quickly.  It has been exciting and afforded me the opportunity to interact with a lot of people who I have admired and dreamt about meeting.  Never did I think I would be able to sit in meetings and exchange ideas and give my opinions to these people.  It has also allowed me to come to know people who I respected from afar only to meet and learn that my respect wasn't earned and should have never been bestowed upon such repulsive people.

 

Meeting people who seemed highly successful, but were lacking in many human qualities has been a learning experience.  It has taught me that success is not about the quantity that a man has, but the quality of the man.  My position, wealth, accomplishments, and so forth all could contribute to a following or a level of respect, but the question is whether when all of those 'things' are stripped away will those people still be around, will they still respect?

 

To this day I still say thank you to people at work.  I know it’s their job.  I know it’s a part of their job description.  I know they are my subordinate.  I know they are my boss, but at the end of the day, I am still respectful of the people and know that we all juggle multiple things at work.  A simple thank you will go a long way to move my needs to the top of the list. 

 

It’s never about the position, the fear, or the money but rather it’s all about the person.  I want people to respect the human being, not the title.  If I am not respected because of the quality of my life and the character within, then I do not have true respect.  Ultimately if that's the case, I have failed as a person.  So my goal is to have respect as a human being and if I am not succeeding, I hope my friends and family take the time to inform me.  So my new addition to my goal list is to be loved as the human being.

No responses yet | Make a commentBy Jason


What's With The Haterade??

November 12, 2008

I have a question.  When did being a "fan" of something become sooooo taboo?  I am a fan of pretty much anything and everything.  I have a lot of passion towards a multitude of things and I take my interests very seriously - I mean I love Gossip Girl so of course I would support the show and announce to the world I love it by representing it in T-Shirt form.  I've always been like this.  I love me some merch of my favorite things!!

However, as I have gotten older being a fan is considered juvenile and pathetic.  I feel that is crap.  The passion, excitement and love I have for things is what keeps me youthful and happy in life rather than lame and miserable like many old folks become!  What's SO wrong about having a cup with your favorite TV characters or hanging a picture of your favorite band?  It's not hurting anyone is it??? (Ok, maybe my Michael Phelps shirtless pictures could be toned down a bit, but it motivates me each day to work out - phew, good save, I was NOT looking forward to taking those down!)

I work at a music label and you should see the looks and comments I hear about me loving an artist.  First of all, EVERYONE loves Justin Timberlake.  I don't care who you are, male/female, old/young, white/black, dead or alive, you love JT.  However, being a fan of him causes controversy!  Same goes for all the artists on my label.  What people don't realize is that my dream since I was very young was to work for a record label.  SOOOO if I get excited over hearing the newest track or see an exclusive image of one of my faves before it hits the web, I should be able to do so freely, but we always have to act like we don't care.  

We all started in this field because we loved music - whether it be playing it, listening, showing, etc.  I'd love for someone to tell me they got into the business for the "business" side.  As we grow older and see how NOT glamorous it is, we tend to be "over it" a lot quicker than we'd imagine.  Believe me, I can be just as much of a hater as an appreciator. 

This turned into a venting session that I wasn't planning, but bottom line, keepin it real, you have to love yourself, things and than money (Suze Orman style - JK got distracted)...You have to love things in order to have passion and I don't see myself changing nor would I want to.....

I want you all to go and put on your favorite record, wear your favorite fan T-shirt, buy some of your favorite merch and be PROUD of it!  Remember you're NOT famous, but you WANT to be, so be a FAN.  It's not a bad thing!!!

No responses yet | Make a commentBy EDub


Proposition 8 in California

November 1, 2008

I confess that I have been obsessed with the presidential campaign and know little about Proposition 8 that will be voted on by Californians next week.  From my understanding, a "yes" to the proposition means that you are in favor of banning same sex marriage.  it is also my understanding that the proposition will probably pass.  I am curious that California, of all places, would support a referendum.  Aren't they one of the most liberal staes in the U.S.?  The most tolerant?  What is going on there that the ban is supported?  Hopefully after Tuesday, I will get a better sense of what that was all about.  In the mean time...things that make you go huuummmm.

No responses yet | Make a commentBy cbmw


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