Monday, June 30, 2014
Money On My Mind
Who was it that said that money can't buy happiness? I hate that we have phrases like "Money can't buy happiness" that we all seem to abide by, when we have mounds of evidence that points to the contrary.
I have a friend that has been having car trouble recently. She's only going to be living in the state for another month or so but she still needs something to go to work and back. Metro Atlanta has a notoriously bad public transit system because people that lived in the northern suburbs of the city were mortified at the thought of "urban" people being able to traverse the city at will so they never expanded on the MARTA system. MARTA literally takes you to 15 places in a city as large as Atlanta. It doesn't even take you directly to Turner Field, which is one of the reasons why the Braves will be moving to Cobb County in a few years. But I have digressed.
Her car troubles were making it to the point where she was nervous her car would go caput at any moment, so she took her car in to be serviced. She was told that the repair fees would be more than the car itself, so this past Saturday she decided that she needed to seriously start looking at new cars. After some online research, a few phone calls and emails, and a visit to a dealership, she has a new car. It's a great deal, and a huge upgrade from a car that threatened to die on her everytime she got on 400, and boy is she happier than ever now. Money allowed her to have happiness and peace of mind. Isn't that all people should be striving for?
There are some life moments that are free and can only occur in certain situations whether you have monetary wealth or not. The other 90% of life depends on having money, free time, and the appropriate fun social network. I'm constantly reminded of this as July 4th weekend will be here in a few days, and I stopped to realize just how blessed I am that I'm able to plan a trip and spend the holidays in a different city than the ones I live and go to work in. I'm gainfully employed, even though I'm not saving as much money as I could or should be saving, but I have marginal free time around my 50-hour work week and I have friends that I can kick it with. There's not much more that I could ask for. Could I have fun without money? Yes I could, but the lack of money would be offset by my lack of free time, as I would have to make some lifestyle changes in order to survive and getting a second job would probably be near the top of that list. I also don't have any children (that I know about) so that helps to boost my free time ratio as well. Children are great, and I love kids, but having kids is truly a life changing event and the two things they affect the most are free time and money.
The other part of that triumvirate of happiness is having an appropriate social network. There's no magic number of friends that you should have, as I know tons of people who lead very fulfilling lives with only one friend. It's all about surrounding yourself with people you enjoy being around who push you to become a better person. Whether that's through perfecting your crafts and hobbies or learning how to get thicker skin or learning how to bounce back from relationship issues, a strong social support system is important. Even introverts need human interaction, so why not make those seconds count to your benefit?
I have a friend that's moving down to Atlanta in a few weeks and I'm one of the few people that she knows. I will try my best to make sure she has an enjoyable experience and makes a lot of great memories down here as I know what it's like to move to a new city not knowing anyone. I told her I was going to allow her to join my social network and I hope she's able to maximize the other 2 parts of the happiness trifecta in order to make the most out of this experience.
Friday, June 27, 2014
Fuck 12
I feel like everytime I turn on the news there's a new story about someone who's case was overturned via DNA evidence. This week, I found this case. To summarize what happened, a Florida woman was raped and murdered and there were 2 suspects in the case. One was her boyfriend and one was another man. They found semen and blood on the crime scene and used that to convict a man. 22 years later, DNA evidence was like "Oops, our bad, got the wrong guy" but the Florida supreme court still voted not to overturn his conviction. 6 years later, he was finally freed, after spending almost 30 years on Death Row. I repeat, 30 years on Death Row for a crime he didn't commit. Because evidence at the crime scene stated that he 99.9% had to be the killer. This is getting absolutely absurd.
There are two issues that aren't ever covered by journalists whenever a person that was wrongfully convicted gets freed by DNA evidence. The first and most obvious is that THESE PEOPLE LOSE YEARS OF THEIR LIVES FOR SOMETHING THEY DIDN'T DO. In most of these instances, they can't file civil suits to get compensated for these lost years of their lives because of red tape. And most importantly, they've lost the time they could have spent being productive members of society and will undoubtedly have huge mental and emotional burdens to carry for the rest of their lives. The second issue is the sheer number of people who are wrongfully convicted. I was taught growing up that our justice system was here to protect me and put bad people behind bars to keep our country a nice place, but the older I get the more I realize that when push comes to shove they just have to lock someone up to close a case and keep it moving. In the above mentioned case, there were 2 suspects and they supposedly found his blood and DNA, which DNA proved they didn't. Which means they basically just took a 50/50 gamble and got it wrong. And I feel like this happens quite often and no one ever mentions it, which is a traveshamockery. Yes, I made that word up, but I've digressed.
We need to do a very hard rethink and ask ourselves why we allow so many people to get thrown behind bars, for such long periods of time. The private prison industry is fast becoming a billion dollar industry, and now that millions of African Americans are behind bars it won't be long before marijuana is legalized across the country. Maybe we need to ask who is the real beneficiary from a justice system set up this way. It's mathematics.
There are two issues that aren't ever covered by journalists whenever a person that was wrongfully convicted gets freed by DNA evidence. The first and most obvious is that THESE PEOPLE LOSE YEARS OF THEIR LIVES FOR SOMETHING THEY DIDN'T DO. In most of these instances, they can't file civil suits to get compensated for these lost years of their lives because of red tape. And most importantly, they've lost the time they could have spent being productive members of society and will undoubtedly have huge mental and emotional burdens to carry for the rest of their lives. The second issue is the sheer number of people who are wrongfully convicted. I was taught growing up that our justice system was here to protect me and put bad people behind bars to keep our country a nice place, but the older I get the more I realize that when push comes to shove they just have to lock someone up to close a case and keep it moving. In the above mentioned case, there were 2 suspects and they supposedly found his blood and DNA, which DNA proved they didn't. Which means they basically just took a 50/50 gamble and got it wrong. And I feel like this happens quite often and no one ever mentions it, which is a traveshamockery. Yes, I made that word up, but I've digressed.
We need to do a very hard rethink and ask ourselves why we allow so many people to get thrown behind bars, for such long periods of time. The private prison industry is fast becoming a billion dollar industry, and now that millions of African Americans are behind bars it won't be long before marijuana is legalized across the country. Maybe we need to ask who is the real beneficiary from a justice system set up this way. It's mathematics.
Handicap Match
How do you tell a girl that her friends suck? You don't.
No seriously, there is no way that telling your girl that you don't approve of her friends will ever end well for you. It may sound like a good idea at the time to tell her that her friends suck, but you can't ever utter that phrase. You can't even utter anything remotely close to that phrase. And here's why:
I know it may be hard for some of you to realize this, but your significant other's friends have way more influence in your relationship than they should. I'd even go as far as to say that your girlfriend's/wife's friends matter more to your relationship than you do. What I mean by that is that you must keep your girlfriend's friends happy at all times, and they have to be happy that she is with you at all times, or all hell will break loose figuratively and literally. Her friends will go from supporting you to undercutting you at every possible opportunity, to the breaking point where she usually has to make a decision between you and her friends. You never want to end up in this scenario, so again you can't ever say that her friends suck.
The most common way that your significant other's friends will try to intervene in your relationship is that they try to apply things from their dating and personal life into the way that you interact with their friend. That failed dinner date that your girl's friend just had will somehow become a topic of your relationship, and you will have to address whether you would have acted the same way or a different way. Regardless of what your answer is, you will be judged ruthlessly. This scenario is exponentially increased if this discussion occurs in the presence of both your girl and her friend, as they will try to dispute any instances of logic you may use to rationalize your argument. Reacting logically to a situation with a woman is like voluntarily drinking Clorox bleach. It never ends well.
I had a situation in my previous relationship where while hanging out with my girlfriend and other friends, one of her friends interjected that I couldn't have any single female friends because it's impossible for men and women to be platonic friends. Her reasoning for this was that every man who's ever claimed to be her friend has wanted to sleep with her, so therefore I must behave like every man she's come in contact with. The problem wasn't the interjection, or my defense of the contrary that men and women can be friends on a platonic level. No, the bigger issue was that someone with this level of close-minded world views was someone that my ex-girlfriend trusted for advice, and that this was negatively affecting her ability to think for herself in muddied situations such as these. Men and women can be platonic friends. It's very naive to think anything other than that, just like it's possible to be amicable to coworkers without being friends with them or trying to sleep with them. I don't have to have ulterior motives just to be nice to someone.
I won't even get into the resolution of this situation because like I said previously it involves my ex-girlfriend. I just want to state that sometimes it's best to see these scenarios occurring like a quarterback reading a defense and react accordingly. And be on the lookout for your significant other's friends rushing you from the blindside while you focus on reading the secondary.
No seriously, there is no way that telling your girl that you don't approve of her friends will ever end well for you. It may sound like a good idea at the time to tell her that her friends suck, but you can't ever utter that phrase. You can't even utter anything remotely close to that phrase. And here's why:
I know it may be hard for some of you to realize this, but your significant other's friends have way more influence in your relationship than they should. I'd even go as far as to say that your girlfriend's/wife's friends matter more to your relationship than you do. What I mean by that is that you must keep your girlfriend's friends happy at all times, and they have to be happy that she is with you at all times, or all hell will break loose figuratively and literally. Her friends will go from supporting you to undercutting you at every possible opportunity, to the breaking point where she usually has to make a decision between you and her friends. You never want to end up in this scenario, so again you can't ever say that her friends suck.
The most common way that your significant other's friends will try to intervene in your relationship is that they try to apply things from their dating and personal life into the way that you interact with their friend. That failed dinner date that your girl's friend just had will somehow become a topic of your relationship, and you will have to address whether you would have acted the same way or a different way. Regardless of what your answer is, you will be judged ruthlessly. This scenario is exponentially increased if this discussion occurs in the presence of both your girl and her friend, as they will try to dispute any instances of logic you may use to rationalize your argument. Reacting logically to a situation with a woman is like voluntarily drinking Clorox bleach. It never ends well.
I had a situation in my previous relationship where while hanging out with my girlfriend and other friends, one of her friends interjected that I couldn't have any single female friends because it's impossible for men and women to be platonic friends. Her reasoning for this was that every man who's ever claimed to be her friend has wanted to sleep with her, so therefore I must behave like every man she's come in contact with. The problem wasn't the interjection, or my defense of the contrary that men and women can be friends on a platonic level. No, the bigger issue was that someone with this level of close-minded world views was someone that my ex-girlfriend trusted for advice, and that this was negatively affecting her ability to think for herself in muddied situations such as these. Men and women can be platonic friends. It's very naive to think anything other than that, just like it's possible to be amicable to coworkers without being friends with them or trying to sleep with them. I don't have to have ulterior motives just to be nice to someone.
I won't even get into the resolution of this situation because like I said previously it involves my ex-girlfriend. I just want to state that sometimes it's best to see these scenarios occurring like a quarterback reading a defense and react accordingly. And be on the lookout for your significant other's friends rushing you from the blindside while you focus on reading the secondary.
The Perfect Storm
In sports I'm starting to hate the word "potential" just because of how many times I've seen can't miss prospects squander it. People from Freddy Adu to Jamarcus Russell to Anthony Randolph, the list just goes on and on in terms of how many players never truly end up in a league of their own. A lot of times we focus on that player's lack of work ethic, but I think a very large factor that goes into it is stability and ending up in the right situation. In American sports especially, our draft system makes it almost impossible for a top prospect to land with an organization with a good front office and coaching staff. We reward poorly run organizations with top draft picks, who face the burden of high head coach turnover and joining a locker room that most likely has a losing mentality. There are exceptions however.
Kawhi Leonard went from being a lottery pick of the San Antonio Spurs 3 years ago to being NBA Finals MVP from this year's past NBA Finals. He effectively went toe to toe with LeBron James, who is easily the best basketball player I've ever witnessed with my own eyes (I don't like comparing athletes who played before I was able to see them play. Can't accurately compare them but that's for another article). A lot of Leonard's improvement comes down to the fact that he landed with the best organization in the NBA and was coached by the best head coach to have ever been in the league. He was able to combine that perfect fit with work ethic and will to improve, and the results have been amazing to witness. The video below nicely chronicles how he was able to drastically improve his basketball skills, and it's a lesson that not all prospects fizzle out. I hope he continues this improvement and is able to entertain us all for years to come.
Kawhi Leonard went from being a lottery pick of the San Antonio Spurs 3 years ago to being NBA Finals MVP from this year's past NBA Finals. He effectively went toe to toe with LeBron James, who is easily the best basketball player I've ever witnessed with my own eyes (I don't like comparing athletes who played before I was able to see them play. Can't accurately compare them but that's for another article). A lot of Leonard's improvement comes down to the fact that he landed with the best organization in the NBA and was coached by the best head coach to have ever been in the league. He was able to combine that perfect fit with work ethic and will to improve, and the results have been amazing to witness. The video below nicely chronicles how he was able to drastically improve his basketball skills, and it's a lesson that not all prospects fizzle out. I hope he continues this improvement and is able to entertain us all for years to come.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Eye of the Beholder
The value of a naked woman diminishes everyday unless the woman monetizes it. Before you jump all down my throat let me explain myself. When I was a kid I remember having to put in legitimate effort to see a naked woman. I remember having to manipulate search engines to bypass restrictions and filters. I remember having to stay up late at night and watch scrambled softcore porn quietly so no one knew what I was doing. I remember when the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition was a big thing, because it didn’t carry the same stigma as Playboy or other magazines of that category. Nowadays the Swimsuit Edition comes and goes without as much as a peep, and that’s because the value of a naked woman has diminished so much.
I was listening to Raheem DeVaughn’s most recent album “A Place Called Love Land” and I was struggling trying to decide my thoughts on the album. It’s a pretty enjoyable album, but the music I was listening to felt so strange and I didn’t know why at first. Then I realized it: it was pure R&B music. There are no rap breakdowns. There are no songs about sipping lean with strippers. The only feature is legendary jazz musician Boney James. How did we get to the point where singing songs that didn’t degrade women became the exception and not the norm?
I’m sure all of you have heard of the social media platform Vine, but if not I’ll give a quick synopsis of it for you. Vine is basically a stop-motion camera app where users can upload videos that are 7 seconds or under. There are some pretty dumb vines, there are some ones that are absolutely hilarious, and now I’m realizing there are a lot of videos that feature a ton of nudity. I know that Instagram, YouTube and Facebook have rules in their terms and conditions that don’t allow anything graphic in nature, but apparently no such restriction exists for Vine. As a result in a matter of seconds you can find everything from young women (of possibly illegal ages) disrobing all the way to 7 second clips of people going to Pound Town. With so much nudity at your fingertips it loses the sacredness, the taboo nature, the redeeming factor of having to search for it.
I can’t help but wonder if somehow the decline of relationships is related to the diminishing value of a naked woman. This has nothing to do with strip clubs or prostitution either, as those two establishments have been in existence since the beginning of time. Even with those things at our disposal there wasn’t anywhere near the gender inequality that we have today, even with women being able to do more occupationally than ever before. I’m referring to the seemingly omnipresence of nudity everywhere I turn. It’s almost like with each celebrity sextape we’re less and less surprised. Miley Cyrus goes out of her way to be “ratchet” and it’s almost like we collectively yawn at her attempts to be risqué. Is the term risqué even viable anymore when shows like Teen Mom air on basic cable? How did it get this way? What happened in our society that led to this diminishing of value? How did it reach a point where sending SMS nude images became a requirement for all new relationships? How did it reach a point where it’s not enough to be intimate with someone? It’s almost a rite of passage to record the intimate encounter and share it with as many people as possible via the World Wide Web.
It seems that the diminishing value has coincided with a lack of privacy, decency and tact in regards to a number of topics. Is this from specific factors or just a byproduct of our society striving to become as open as possible? To be honest I don’t have an answer to any of the questions I posed in this article, and that’s the point. The answers can’t come from me and be passed down like the monarch of some kingdom. The answers must come from within our society. We have to take a reflective look at how we’ve allowed ourselves to reach this point of banality, and decide if we’re okay with the downward spiral that we’re currently on or whether we need to adjust course. That won’t happen in a day, in a week, in a month, in a year, but people will need to decide if it happens and then strive to restore the value of women in our society. That is of course unless you enjoy Basketball Wives of LA, then I apologize for wasting your time reading this.
I was listening to Raheem DeVaughn’s most recent album “A Place Called Love Land” and I was struggling trying to decide my thoughts on the album. It’s a pretty enjoyable album, but the music I was listening to felt so strange and I didn’t know why at first. Then I realized it: it was pure R&B music. There are no rap breakdowns. There are no songs about sipping lean with strippers. The only feature is legendary jazz musician Boney James. How did we get to the point where singing songs that didn’t degrade women became the exception and not the norm?
I’m sure all of you have heard of the social media platform Vine, but if not I’ll give a quick synopsis of it for you. Vine is basically a stop-motion camera app where users can upload videos that are 7 seconds or under. There are some pretty dumb vines, there are some ones that are absolutely hilarious, and now I’m realizing there are a lot of videos that feature a ton of nudity. I know that Instagram, YouTube and Facebook have rules in their terms and conditions that don’t allow anything graphic in nature, but apparently no such restriction exists for Vine. As a result in a matter of seconds you can find everything from young women (of possibly illegal ages) disrobing all the way to 7 second clips of people going to Pound Town. With so much nudity at your fingertips it loses the sacredness, the taboo nature, the redeeming factor of having to search for it.
I can’t help but wonder if somehow the decline of relationships is related to the diminishing value of a naked woman. This has nothing to do with strip clubs or prostitution either, as those two establishments have been in existence since the beginning of time. Even with those things at our disposal there wasn’t anywhere near the gender inequality that we have today, even with women being able to do more occupationally than ever before. I’m referring to the seemingly omnipresence of nudity everywhere I turn. It’s almost like with each celebrity sextape we’re less and less surprised. Miley Cyrus goes out of her way to be “ratchet” and it’s almost like we collectively yawn at her attempts to be risqué. Is the term risqué even viable anymore when shows like Teen Mom air on basic cable? How did it get this way? What happened in our society that led to this diminishing of value? How did it reach a point where sending SMS nude images became a requirement for all new relationships? How did it reach a point where it’s not enough to be intimate with someone? It’s almost a rite of passage to record the intimate encounter and share it with as many people as possible via the World Wide Web.
It seems that the diminishing value has coincided with a lack of privacy, decency and tact in regards to a number of topics. Is this from specific factors or just a byproduct of our society striving to become as open as possible? To be honest I don’t have an answer to any of the questions I posed in this article, and that’s the point. The answers can’t come from me and be passed down like the monarch of some kingdom. The answers must come from within our society. We have to take a reflective look at how we’ve allowed ourselves to reach this point of banality, and decide if we’re okay with the downward spiral that we’re currently on or whether we need to adjust course. That won’t happen in a day, in a week, in a month, in a year, but people will need to decide if it happens and then strive to restore the value of women in our society. That is of course unless you enjoy Basketball Wives of LA, then I apologize for wasting your time reading this.
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Pastor Disaster
I went to Game 6 of the Hawks/Pacers first round playoff series at Phillips Arena. It was a heartbreaking loss for us Hawks fans, as we were so close to pulling off a monumental upset of the then-in-pure-freefall-mode #1 seeded Pacers. As my friend and I were walking dejectedly back to the CNN Center Marta station, we see someone on the side of the sidewalk handing out CD's. I get one without looking at guy handing it to me and I look at the name on it and it says it's made by none other than Atlanta rap legend Pastor Troy. I go back in shock, wondering why someone would be handing out Pastor Troy CD's in 2014 outside Phillips Arena and I was shocked to find none other than the Pastor himself, even wearing his championship belt in all of it's glory. Of course I immediately went into fan mode and got my picture taken. Sadly I did not get the belt in the picture, but it was the least I could do and it made me forget all about the Game 6 loss.
About a day or so ago I saw this picture pop up on my news feed. It was none other than Pastor Troy, showing up at the Atlanta Falcons mini-camp seemingly just to hang out. My friend sent me the picture and this conversation ensued over text message. It was too amazing, and I felt it needed to be captured somewhere for posterity purposes.
Tyler: Do you think Pastor Troy coordinated that visit or just showed up and said "I'm Pastor Troy, look at my belt?"
Me: Pastor Troy took the picture not with the coaches or the players but just in a random end zone. He probably just showed up and Instagrammed it and the Falcons used the picture. No one coordinates visits with Pastor Troy in 2014. He's famous enough to where we know who he is but unfamous enough to be on Judge Alex
Ahahahaha. He literally doesn't leave home without that belt. "Wallet? Check. Cell phone? Yep. Belt? Oh shit, let me get that."
Wonder if he's ever got drunk or high and left it somewhere. Can you imagine going to a bar the next day like "Hey I left my wrestling belt here last night"
Hahahaha. Or had a one night stand and forgot it and had to go back and the girl's on-again/off-again boyfriend was there and it was highly awkward for all of them. "Just getting my belt cuz, chill."
How many you think he owns? Think he has more than one and rotates them like work pants?
He's got a closet for just the belts. His house is a total shit hole but the belt room has fine Berber carpet and velvet-lined shelves and it's own security system.
He has a gun safe for his belts. He probably got Downs to do it
Hahaha. How many belts can this hold? No, not pants belts, like the one I'm wearing now. Does he have to check it with security at airports? This topic needs to be discussed at your next stand-up
I wonder how much he spends on Brasso every year. He definitely has to check it in his luggage. I'm glad he hasn't upgraded to the new WWE belt. He's sticking with the tried and true WCW Booker T Harlem Heat belt
"I'm sorry sir but the metal detectors picked up something." And he's all "Yeah it's my gold belt, solid gold" and the security guard goes "Sir our equipment only detects steel and brass, not finer metals"
Hahahah. Why has no one challenged him to a rap battle and winner gets the belt?
Hahaha. He's like Floyd Mayweather. He picks his opponents and the rules. "No using any words with vowels or you're disqualified"
What is he champion of? What federation recognizes him as it's champion?
Hahahaha. Is that a sanctioned belt, Pastor Troy?
I've never talked this much about a wrestling belt, ever
I still got love for you though Pastor Troy.
About a day or so ago I saw this picture pop up on my news feed. It was none other than Pastor Troy, showing up at the Atlanta Falcons mini-camp seemingly just to hang out. My friend sent me the picture and this conversation ensued over text message. It was too amazing, and I felt it needed to be captured somewhere for posterity purposes.
Tyler: Do you think Pastor Troy coordinated that visit or just showed up and said "I'm Pastor Troy, look at my belt?"
Me: Pastor Troy took the picture not with the coaches or the players but just in a random end zone. He probably just showed up and Instagrammed it and the Falcons used the picture. No one coordinates visits with Pastor Troy in 2014. He's famous enough to where we know who he is but unfamous enough to be on Judge Alex
Ahahahaha. He literally doesn't leave home without that belt. "Wallet? Check. Cell phone? Yep. Belt? Oh shit, let me get that."
Wonder if he's ever got drunk or high and left it somewhere. Can you imagine going to a bar the next day like "Hey I left my wrestling belt here last night"
Hahahaha. Or had a one night stand and forgot it and had to go back and the girl's on-again/off-again boyfriend was there and it was highly awkward for all of them. "Just getting my belt cuz, chill."
How many you think he owns? Think he has more than one and rotates them like work pants?
He's got a closet for just the belts. His house is a total shit hole but the belt room has fine Berber carpet and velvet-lined shelves and it's own security system.
He has a gun safe for his belts. He probably got Downs to do it
Hahaha. How many belts can this hold? No, not pants belts, like the one I'm wearing now. Does he have to check it with security at airports? This topic needs to be discussed at your next stand-up
I wonder how much he spends on Brasso every year. He definitely has to check it in his luggage. I'm glad he hasn't upgraded to the new WWE belt. He's sticking with the tried and true WCW Booker T Harlem Heat belt
"I'm sorry sir but the metal detectors picked up something." And he's all "Yeah it's my gold belt, solid gold" and the security guard goes "Sir our equipment only detects steel and brass, not finer metals"
Hahahah. Why has no one challenged him to a rap battle and winner gets the belt?
Hahaha. He's like Floyd Mayweather. He picks his opponents and the rules. "No using any words with vowels or you're disqualified"
What is he champion of? What federation recognizes him as it's champion?
Hahahaha. Is that a sanctioned belt, Pastor Troy?
I've never talked this much about a wrestling belt, ever
I still got love for you though Pastor Troy.
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Terrible Rap Names: Yo Gotti Edition
One of my guilty pleasure songs out right now is Snootie Wild's "Stacking & Flipping It". My friend sent that to me, and I loved it instantly. I also couldn't help but wonder if the songs would be much much bigger if perhaps Future or Rich Homie Quan was singing it. Anyway, I looked up the song on Spotify and I was greeted by this album cover artwork.
Apparently Yo Gotti has made it a personal mission to sign 3 artists with some of the worst rap names I've ever seen. Snootie Wild, Zed Zilla and Wave Chappelle sound like characters from a Key & Peele skit. I would be embarassed to tell someone in public that I listened to a rapper named Zed Zilla. And I have to return to Wave Chappelle once again. This is what happens when people give themselves nickname. They all turn out shitty, just like Wave Chappelle. There's no way anyone told him "I think Wave Chappelle is a great rap name" and if they did then they are a part of the problem as well. Stop lying to your rapper friends.
I feel that this chronicling of terrible rapper names will be a recurring thing, as I feel this will happen until the end of time.
Non-Profit Billionaires
I haven't been so vehemently in agreement with a Youtube video in quite some time. This is my first time seeing a John Oliver video, but he seems like a British Jon Stewart. That's not a bad thing at all, because Stewart is hilarious. Oliver summarizes all the reasons why people should be up in arms about the FIFA organization, but instead we're all anticipating the first kick of the ball at this month's World Cup in Brazil. It mirrors a lot of my feelings held towards the NFL and NCAA athletics in this country, but I'll save those thoughts for another article.
My Free Will
I just discovered that I’ve been in love with Sam Smith songs for the past year, but I just didn’t know who Sam Smith was. Well, with the release of his debut album “In The Lonely Hour” I felt that I knew more about Smith, almost on a personal level as well. In this interview with Fader he spoke about the album coming from a very dark place where he was going through unrequited love with a man. Yes that’s correct: a man. Whereas Frank Ocean was very cryptic about maybe kinda sorta loving a man once during the buildup to the release of his “Channel Orange” album Smith almost takes pride in being open about his views on sexuality, and he’s correct in that this wouldn’t matter nearly as much if he was heterosexual.
Smith’s interviews and listening to the album, which I love by the way, made me come face to face with two things that I felt I needed to speak on. The first is that Smith’s album is the first time I’ve encountered an openly gay man struggling to find a partner. I have gay friends, and it seems they have a seemingly endless supply of new men whenever they want a relationship or just some physical sexual gratification. There are gay clubs, gay dating apps, gay associations, all seemingly with the purpose of pairing men looking for interactions with other men of a romantic nature. As a heterosexual male, the ease with which they are able to make these connections was always something I admired, and was envious of. If only going to a bar to find a woman was that simple for heterosexual men, I think the world would be an entirely different place. Smith seems to share what I’ve experienced personally, in terms of the dichotomy of having someone you want that you can’t have while having someone available that you don’t want, for various reasons.
Which brings me to the second item I needed to speak on: unrequited love fucking sucks. Point blank period. One of the lowest points in my life was when my ex-girlfriend told me “I will always love you but we’re too incompatible for us to continue in this relationship.” There’s a certain vulnerability that comes along with being in love, and opening yourself up to someone, and to have that be rejected by another human being is devastating. This has happened to me recently enough where I’m torn between missing my ex, missing human interaction, and simultaneously trying to recreate Ty$ songs. I feel as though my heart is in a pretzel with my mind in a sling. There are obvious voids in my life that will only fill with time and the appropriate changes in my routine. Whether these routine changes involve personal hobbies or meeting someone new, adaptation is a key part of any life and mine is no different. There’s no clear-cut solution to that feeling, and that’s what makes love so special. When you finally do meet that person that you want to spend the rest of forever with, you’ll know it.
And I’ve told you now.
Smith’s interviews and listening to the album, which I love by the way, made me come face to face with two things that I felt I needed to speak on. The first is that Smith’s album is the first time I’ve encountered an openly gay man struggling to find a partner. I have gay friends, and it seems they have a seemingly endless supply of new men whenever they want a relationship or just some physical sexual gratification. There are gay clubs, gay dating apps, gay associations, all seemingly with the purpose of pairing men looking for interactions with other men of a romantic nature. As a heterosexual male, the ease with which they are able to make these connections was always something I admired, and was envious of. If only going to a bar to find a woman was that simple for heterosexual men, I think the world would be an entirely different place. Smith seems to share what I’ve experienced personally, in terms of the dichotomy of having someone you want that you can’t have while having someone available that you don’t want, for various reasons.
Which brings me to the second item I needed to speak on: unrequited love fucking sucks. Point blank period. One of the lowest points in my life was when my ex-girlfriend told me “I will always love you but we’re too incompatible for us to continue in this relationship.” There’s a certain vulnerability that comes along with being in love, and opening yourself up to someone, and to have that be rejected by another human being is devastating. This has happened to me recently enough where I’m torn between missing my ex, missing human interaction, and simultaneously trying to recreate Ty$ songs. I feel as though my heart is in a pretzel with my mind in a sling. There are obvious voids in my life that will only fill with time and the appropriate changes in my routine. Whether these routine changes involve personal hobbies or meeting someone new, adaptation is a key part of any life and mine is no different. There’s no clear-cut solution to that feeling, and that’s what makes love so special. When you finally do meet that person that you want to spend the rest of forever with, you’ll know it.
And I’ve told you now.
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