Arab Money: noun.
The Money that is produced by Arabs which includes funds produced by lower income neighborhood corner stores. Often, stores allow citizens to solicit drugs in front of the store and in extreme cases, Arabs may even supply urban youth with drugs to sell. Stores usually attract alcoholics and therefore cheap beers (especially malt beverages) are sold profusely. Stores as such usually are placed in low income African-American neighborhoods whereas, Arabs produce income from the majority of African-Americans in the said demographics.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Low Income, Drug distribution, and the Excuses thereof
You remember Boyz in Da Hood, Menace to Society, New Jersey Drive...etc? Good, because you know that movies as such portrayed demographics, which demonstrated the trap of the inner city life. Often, urban youth are literally born into circumstances where selling drugs "seems" normal, common if you will. However, upon close scrutiny, excuses are made and lives are killed, communities are damaged (often times beyond repair), and generations are affected forever.
On the flip side, the psychology of the individuals who distribute drugs in our urban communities seem warped, even considering the rigorous circumstances. You can say, "I'm from the hood, this is all I know." But do they not make a choice in the matter? At some point, a man/women must evaluate-Is this right and if it's wrong, do I still want to continue doing this? With that said, the aforesaid quote seems like a well concocted excuse.
The mind is sharp. And my philosophy is only you can make it sharper. For instance, most inherently know right from wrong. Why? Empirically speaking, it seems to be a inner brand that comes along with the package of being a human being (unbeknown to us). So if you agree with me that that inner being or consciousness is there, how can we reason with those who default any criminal activity to an excuses (s) such as: This is where I'm from, This is all I know, This is who I am, This is how I was raised.
Now, in a court of law, do these excuses fly? Are they permissible? NO! Why? Because that dag on state attorney (whether crooked or not) and that judge expects you to know right from wrong! Something gave you those spidey senses, because you surely didn't give it to yourself. It's even hard for an atheist to argue that point (not necessarily saying that it comes from God).
So, when I see hip-hop that portrays this kind of mentality, I don't agree because we ALL can choose to do better for ourselves. We all can choose to let go of negativity, and we all can choose to help mankind to the best of our abilities. Anything else is uncivilized and history proves it.
.
On the flip side, the psychology of the individuals who distribute drugs in our urban communities seem warped, even considering the rigorous circumstances. You can say, "I'm from the hood, this is all I know." But do they not make a choice in the matter? At some point, a man/women must evaluate-Is this right and if it's wrong, do I still want to continue doing this? With that said, the aforesaid quote seems like a well concocted excuse.
The mind is sharp. And my philosophy is only you can make it sharper. For instance, most inherently know right from wrong. Why? Empirically speaking, it seems to be a inner brand that comes along with the package of being a human being (unbeknown to us). So if you agree with me that that inner being or consciousness is there, how can we reason with those who default any criminal activity to an excuses (s) such as: This is where I'm from, This is all I know, This is who I am, This is how I was raised.
Now, in a court of law, do these excuses fly? Are they permissible? NO! Why? Because that dag on state attorney (whether crooked or not) and that judge expects you to know right from wrong! Something gave you those spidey senses, because you surely didn't give it to yourself. It's even hard for an atheist to argue that point (not necessarily saying that it comes from God).
So, when I see hip-hop that portrays this kind of mentality, I don't agree because we ALL can choose to do better for ourselves. We all can choose to let go of negativity, and we all can choose to help mankind to the best of our abilities. Anything else is uncivilized and history proves it.
.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Give or Take: The Balance of Life
Life is truly about energy. More specifically, how we use our energy, what motives underly the use of that energy, and who we direct that energy towards. Moreso, there is an aspect of energy that remains within our own being. To much output without tapping into the input doesn't seem to make sense.
I'm at a point in my life where certain changes must be made. Those changes surely will free up energy for me. When I make the shift, there will be a surge of energy going out but no place to go! Humans must maintain a certain level of equilibrium. What is fair must be balanced. So when we make changes, especially character wise, we have to evaluate that former use of energy. Otherwise, we may be at the same point again since we don't no how to appropriate the energy elsewhere.
For me, I'm choosing martial arts. That's right. Oronde is going to be chopping it up with a dojo. I've looked into several forms of martial arts. None is better than the other. It's a matter of choice and application of the art and the science that grounds the art. The point is we as human beings have to find ways to channel our energy in more holistic fashion. Some people play ball, others play golf, some lift weights.
I, subjectively speaking, am going to take up martial arts. Why? Because, Martial arts shows one how to harness internal energy and also push it out peacefully. Furthermore, if I do need to defend myself, someone will be in for a treat.
So it looks like I will be practicing Tang Soo Do. After researching, I found out this form of martial arts is the original Taekwondo. Even more intriguing are the pillars to the art. Take a look:
"IN" -humanity, "UI"-righteousness, "YIE"-etiquette, "JI"-wisdom and "SHIN"-trust.
Not a bad way to channel unused energy at all hey?
I'm at a point in my life where certain changes must be made. Those changes surely will free up energy for me. When I make the shift, there will be a surge of energy going out but no place to go! Humans must maintain a certain level of equilibrium. What is fair must be balanced. So when we make changes, especially character wise, we have to evaluate that former use of energy. Otherwise, we may be at the same point again since we don't no how to appropriate the energy elsewhere.
For me, I'm choosing martial arts. That's right. Oronde is going to be chopping it up with a dojo. I've looked into several forms of martial arts. None is better than the other. It's a matter of choice and application of the art and the science that grounds the art. The point is we as human beings have to find ways to channel our energy in more holistic fashion. Some people play ball, others play golf, some lift weights.
I, subjectively speaking, am going to take up martial arts. Why? Because, Martial arts shows one how to harness internal energy and also push it out peacefully. Furthermore, if I do need to defend myself, someone will be in for a treat.
So it looks like I will be practicing Tang Soo Do. After researching, I found out this form of martial arts is the original Taekwondo. Even more intriguing are the pillars to the art. Take a look:
"IN" -humanity, "UI"-righteousness, "YIE"-etiquette, "JI"-wisdom and "SHIN"-trust.
Not a bad way to channel unused energy at all hey?
Monday, May 25, 2009
Quote of the Day from Marcus Garvey:
"The God you worship is a God that expects you to be the equal of other men."
-Marcus Garvey
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Can Allah be found before the Arabs? Survey says: Yup!
It is true that I'm highly considering converting to Islam. But, I don't want to become "Arabanized." Dig it? In other words, I am for the ideology of Islam, but I don't see the necessity in associating with the Arabic culture. Every man must have a sense of his forefather's legacy and mine can be traced back to Ethiopia and even Egypt. In those days, spirituality was not used for imperialism or political reasons. These were the ancient days of old where spirituality was authentic and it was a way of existence as opposed to a past time (like people treat religion today).
I've always had thoughts of if there are historical traces of the term "Allah" before Mohammed. Dr. Henrick Clarke, a late African Historian, and one of the best, states boldly: "If you talk about Islam before Mohammed, I don't know what you are talking about."
But who knows? The brother in this film asserts the term Allah did exist in pre-Islamic times. The only variable is that it was written on the walls of the tombs in Egypt, according to him. In other words, its language is encoded in hieroglyphics ( which he says is Wollof which derives from Kemet).
Now I won't accept it on face value but I'm open to the idea. After all, the concept of a creator can be found wherever man can be found. Moreover, Mohammed only referred to the same Creator that Abraham worshipped and it's no secret that the essence of Christianity comes from Egypt. So of course, now I have MORE research to do concerning this matter. Does it ever stop? Nope!
I've always had thoughts of if there are historical traces of the term "Allah" before Mohammed. Dr. Henrick Clarke, a late African Historian, and one of the best, states boldly: "If you talk about Islam before Mohammed, I don't know what you are talking about."
But who knows? The brother in this film asserts the term Allah did exist in pre-Islamic times. The only variable is that it was written on the walls of the tombs in Egypt, according to him. In other words, its language is encoded in hieroglyphics ( which he says is Wollof which derives from Kemet).
Now I won't accept it on face value but I'm open to the idea. After all, the concept of a creator can be found wherever man can be found. Moreover, Mohammed only referred to the same Creator that Abraham worshipped and it's no secret that the essence of Christianity comes from Egypt. So of course, now I have MORE research to do concerning this matter. Does it ever stop? Nope!
Saturday, May 23, 2009
The Life of a Musician: The Gift and the Curse
There are many advantages in having artistic talents. The inspiration of creating music is invaluable, and playing music in front of people who enjoy your tunes is priceless. But it does seem that there are disadvantages also. We often here of the life of a "rockstar" and several negative attributes can be attributed to this kind of lifestyle. For instance, drugs seem to come with the territory and being a musician often produces an incredible ego.
I speak from first hand experience. The rush of having an incredible show subsequently leads to free shots, groupies, afterparties, more beer, more women and the list goes on and on....
Moreover, it is very difficult to separate these musical "side effects" from the industry. In fact, the gifts and the curses seem very intrinsic. What is frustrating is it doesn't have to be that way for musicians. I estimate in the ethers of creativity, there must be some force that induces negative pitfalls that musicians often fall into.
Addictions often are just a price of being a musician. The wear and tear of gigging, the hard work that is put in practice, and the late nights in the studio often produces enough stress (even though it's fun) whereas one is more susceptible to substance abuse.
What I'm learning (a tough lesson indeed) is we as musicians have to run the music and not let the music run us. Perhaps it's our own thoughts that push us into these sticky situations and lifestyles. Furthermore, before we were musicians, we were humans and still are humans first.
If you really look at it, we choose what kind of lifestyle we want to live even if some occupations birth circumstances that may sway one to follow a said lifestyle. Musicians, please read the previous sentence again.
Finally, maybe we can learn from Eminem who stated in the Detroit Metro Times:
"I talk to Elton a lot. We became friends and I talk to him about things, career wise. And he had a substance abuse problem in the past. So when I first wanted to get sober, I called him and spoke to him about it because, you know, he's somebody who's in the business and can identify and relate to the lifestyle and how hectic things can be. He understands like the pressure and any other reasons that you wanna come up with for doing drugs, you know. Me and him have had similar lives and stuff. So I reached out to him and told him, "Look, I'm going through a problem and I need your advice."
Main point being, don't be afraid to get some help. As musicians, making music is what we do but at the end of the night, we decide who we are.
I speak from first hand experience. The rush of having an incredible show subsequently leads to free shots, groupies, afterparties, more beer, more women and the list goes on and on....
Moreover, it is very difficult to separate these musical "side effects" from the industry. In fact, the gifts and the curses seem very intrinsic. What is frustrating is it doesn't have to be that way for musicians. I estimate in the ethers of creativity, there must be some force that induces negative pitfalls that musicians often fall into.
Addictions often are just a price of being a musician. The wear and tear of gigging, the hard work that is put in practice, and the late nights in the studio often produces enough stress (even though it's fun) whereas one is more susceptible to substance abuse.
What I'm learning (a tough lesson indeed) is we as musicians have to run the music and not let the music run us. Perhaps it's our own thoughts that push us into these sticky situations and lifestyles. Furthermore, before we were musicians, we were humans and still are humans first.
If you really look at it, we choose what kind of lifestyle we want to live even if some occupations birth circumstances that may sway one to follow a said lifestyle. Musicians, please read the previous sentence again.
Finally, maybe we can learn from Eminem who stated in the Detroit Metro Times:
"I talk to Elton a lot. We became friends and I talk to him about things, career wise. And he had a substance abuse problem in the past. So when I first wanted to get sober, I called him and spoke to him about it because, you know, he's somebody who's in the business and can identify and relate to the lifestyle and how hectic things can be. He understands like the pressure and any other reasons that you wanna come up with for doing drugs, you know. Me and him have had similar lives and stuff. So I reached out to him and told him, "Look, I'm going through a problem and I need your advice."
Main point being, don't be afraid to get some help. As musicians, making music is what we do but at the end of the night, we decide who we are.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Knowledge, Wisdom, and Understanding: My take on it.
1. What is knowledge?
-Knowledge is all material that can be mentally absorbed empirically. Without knowledge, we would seek to learn nothing which the mind can't fathom because it is designed to seek and learn various forms of information.
2.What is wisdom?
-Wisdom is the minds ability to reason and apply knowledge in a manner that will uplift himself and others around him. Essentially, wisdom is knowing when, why and how to use the knowledge that has been acquired.
3. What is Understanding?
-Understanding is merely the mind's perception of knowledge as it is;therefore, being able to objectively and subjectively process information acutely and rationally.
-Knowledge is all material that can be mentally absorbed empirically. Without knowledge, we would seek to learn nothing which the mind can't fathom because it is designed to seek and learn various forms of information.
2.What is wisdom?
-Wisdom is the minds ability to reason and apply knowledge in a manner that will uplift himself and others around him. Essentially, wisdom is knowing when, why and how to use the knowledge that has been acquired.
3. What is Understanding?
-Understanding is merely the mind's perception of knowledge as it is;therefore, being able to objectively and subjectively process information acutely and rationally.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Cheney's Daughter Slams Obama
I couldn't help but speak out about Cheney's daughter who expressed her dissent against Obama releasing pictures of the U.S Militiary waterboarding (and any other deviant behavior they enacted). The article in today's CNN somehow equates Obama's actions as an equivalent to "siding" with the terrorists. What a joke.
The fact of the matter is we were wrong. And, inevitably, what is done in the dark must come to the light at some point anyway. So no Ms. Cheney, Obama merely is exposing folly that was intentionally done by our last administration. Perhaps viewing the video and pics of such atrocities can open our eyes to why this kind of behavior should never be condoned. Moreover, seeing is believing to a degree and upon me viewing the pics and videos, I was truly appalled. Even McCain asserted that waterboarding is inherently wrong. In addition, his experience of being tortured led him to the conclusion that you normally do not get accurate information from a detainee under such conditions.
Now, you want to get mad and say our president is siding with terrorists but the real terrorist was the govermental administration that allowed such actions to persist as well as the troops that committed such devilish acts.
If they were all for it then, we should be able to see it now. And that is exactly what is happening. I commend Obama for bringing to the light some of the horrors of of our last administration. Sometimes in order to correct things, you have to take a close look on what needs to be corrected. Wouldn't you agree?
The fact of the matter is we were wrong. And, inevitably, what is done in the dark must come to the light at some point anyway. So no Ms. Cheney, Obama merely is exposing folly that was intentionally done by our last administration. Perhaps viewing the video and pics of such atrocities can open our eyes to why this kind of behavior should never be condoned. Moreover, seeing is believing to a degree and upon me viewing the pics and videos, I was truly appalled. Even McCain asserted that waterboarding is inherently wrong. In addition, his experience of being tortured led him to the conclusion that you normally do not get accurate information from a detainee under such conditions.
Now, you want to get mad and say our president is siding with terrorists but the real terrorist was the govermental administration that allowed such actions to persist as well as the troops that committed such devilish acts.
If they were all for it then, we should be able to see it now. And that is exactly what is happening. I commend Obama for bringing to the light some of the horrors of of our last administration. Sometimes in order to correct things, you have to take a close look on what needs to be corrected. Wouldn't you agree?
Friday, May 8, 2009
An Unforgiving Punishment: The Struggle of Ex-Felons path in Today's Workplace.
"Reduce Crime Recidivism by Providing Ex-Offender Support: Obama will provide job training, substance abuse and mental health counseling to ex-offenders, so that they are successfully re-integrated into society."
I have a close friend that is undergoing hardships due to his record being blemished by a crime he committed several years ago. He simply can't find a job. Me, not being able to relate, was somewhat unsure on what advice to give him. But prison exists for two reasons as my former criminal law professor noted. The first reason is to deter. Meaning, the law smacks you on the hand, and locks you up for a brief time in the hopes that you will never be back. The other reason is to simply punish the victim for criminal activities.
However,
It does seem unfortunate that those who have excepted the deterrence, who have learned their lesson, and have repented still have to pay the price for their past actions. The truth of the matter is no legislation has truly addressed the "reintegration" process. And I agree, some businesses cannot afford the liability such as financial corporations or companies that process privileged material. But could not America create a reintegration program that could give employers some incentive to hire ex-felons?
It would seem fair to me. Again, I'm speaking because I know this individual and I know he's learned his lesson. A lifetime punishment just doesn't seem fair, just or balanced.
I have a close friend that is undergoing hardships due to his record being blemished by a crime he committed several years ago. He simply can't find a job. Me, not being able to relate, was somewhat unsure on what advice to give him. But prison exists for two reasons as my former criminal law professor noted. The first reason is to deter. Meaning, the law smacks you on the hand, and locks you up for a brief time in the hopes that you will never be back. The other reason is to simply punish the victim for criminal activities.
However,
It does seem unfortunate that those who have excepted the deterrence, who have learned their lesson, and have repented still have to pay the price for their past actions. The truth of the matter is no legislation has truly addressed the "reintegration" process. And I agree, some businesses cannot afford the liability such as financial corporations or companies that process privileged material. But could not America create a reintegration program that could give employers some incentive to hire ex-felons?
It would seem fair to me. Again, I'm speaking because I know this individual and I know he's learned his lesson. A lifetime punishment just doesn't seem fair, just or balanced.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
10 Reasons Why Watching Bootleg Movies Sucks
1. Normally, you cannot select different scenes-of course, it's just one long play.
2.Occasionally, you hear the baby cry out of the mere frustration that they shouldn't be in the theater anyway.
3.It makes stealing from Hollywood way to easy. No wonder the writers went on strike last year.
4.Just when you were really getting into the movie, whoops, it stops playing. (Leaf Qwembi from Planet Zoron had a seemingly flawless copy of Seven Pounds until the movie cut off in the last 30 minutes of the film)
5.Sadly, I saw Origins of Wolverine on bootleg (it wasn't mine-lol). What a leak-all the special effects weren't completed which made for an ill fated ending with buildings looking like CGI cubes and Cyclops looking stupid since all that red stuff from his eyes wasn't quit blasting right. Apparently, movies are being leaked before they're completed.
6.Your love meter with your partner crashes when you 1)take a risk and create a date off a bootleg movie 2)play the bootleg movie on the date & 3) the quality is horrible and you finally learn that your girl doesn't like your "cheap way out." (you should have taken her to the theater).
7.They feed into the t.v. dinner society. Can't we just wait and set twenty bucks aside for the real dvd?
8.They have created the infamous "Barbershop Salesman" who always comes in distracting your barber from keeping your dome tight. "Hey man, I got that Punisher, got that Dark Knight-2 for ten, 2 for ten!" When the clippers get turned off so your barber can see the deals, there's a problem.
9.Yeah, you were all excited about the purchase until the disc didn't play in your 5 year old dvd player.
10. Isn't it a federal felony to distribute those? .....hmm....be easy.
2.Occasionally, you hear the baby cry out of the mere frustration that they shouldn't be in the theater anyway.
3.It makes stealing from Hollywood way to easy. No wonder the writers went on strike last year.
4.Just when you were really getting into the movie, whoops, it stops playing. (Leaf Qwembi from Planet Zoron had a seemingly flawless copy of Seven Pounds until the movie cut off in the last 30 minutes of the film)
5.Sadly, I saw Origins of Wolverine on bootleg (it wasn't mine-lol). What a leak-all the special effects weren't completed which made for an ill fated ending with buildings looking like CGI cubes and Cyclops looking stupid since all that red stuff from his eyes wasn't quit blasting right. Apparently, movies are being leaked before they're completed.
6.Your love meter with your partner crashes when you 1)take a risk and create a date off a bootleg movie 2)play the bootleg movie on the date & 3) the quality is horrible and you finally learn that your girl doesn't like your "cheap way out." (you should have taken her to the theater).
7.They feed into the t.v. dinner society. Can't we just wait and set twenty bucks aside for the real dvd?
8.They have created the infamous "Barbershop Salesman" who always comes in distracting your barber from keeping your dome tight. "Hey man, I got that Punisher, got that Dark Knight-2 for ten, 2 for ten!" When the clippers get turned off so your barber can see the deals, there's a problem.
9.Yeah, you were all excited about the purchase until the disc didn't play in your 5 year old dvd player.
10. Isn't it a federal felony to distribute those? .....hmm....be easy.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Planet Zoron: We're on a Whole New Atmosphere
Just wanted to give a big shot out to my band, Planet Zoron. These guys kick but. Our weekend was an exciting one indeed! Friday night, we rocked the Engine Room in Tallahassee, Florida. The crowd was overwhelmingly pleased with our performance and we even created a virtual pit where people could do the b-boy dances of old. Classic indeed.
In addition, we rocked a house party Saturday night. Our strategy was to tap into the F.S.U scene and we did an excellent job of doing so. At the end of the night several disc were sold, and our email list was full of new fans. Cool-works for me.
Hard work pays off and in this business, your fans get the best reward out the deal. We work, while they dance and drink. Furthermore, it's awesome for musicians to see fans vibing to the beat. It's truly a mutual and reciprocal obligation between fans and musicians and the more fans we acquire, the more I know we are very close to accomplishing the dreams and goals we have set forth.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Two Things that Kanye and Wayne Have in Common.
I don't mean to be a piehole about the matter,after all, you know how I feel about Lil Wayne. And as it relates to his singing voice, it's evident that him and Kanye lack any degree of real vocal talent. This is the danger of the autotune software. It makes those that cannot sing posses a kind of "virtual" talent. I thought Kanye was bad (check my previous blog that shows Kanye without the autotune effect live). But Wayne takes the case. In addition, he sounded so horrible that I didn't even listen to the whole clip. See for yourself.
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