Laugh of the Day: Snow Day Adventures

Snow??

Across the south today, snow was expected in Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama.  Last year it snowed in these southern states, Atlanta specifically, and the Snowpocalypse happened.  With that in mind, schools were cancelled and offices announced they would be closed due to the impending storm.  In Birmingham, when I woke up this morning, I figured that nothing would happen because it wasn't even cold enough for snow.  It rained all day.  Essentially, my little brother missed school and my parents skipped work due to rain.

Disrupted Plans

I was planning to use this Wednesday to search for part time job opportunities around the city, so the rain played no role in my day's activities.  However, my parents urged that today wouldn't be a good day to search for employment because of the lack of open businesses that were fearful of the storm.  This led me to sit around the house and harass my kid brother all day.  During a session of roughhousing in his room, an interesting thing happened.

Roughhousing

It's important to note that my kid brother is now in 7th grade, that age when he can somewhat fight back during our skirmishes.  While we wrestled and bounced around his room, he retaliated to my shenanigans, causing me to stumble backwards a few steps into the window.  We heard the breaking of glass and stopped.  My butt broke the window.

After discovering the extent of the damage we caused (and our subsequent laughter), we devised a plan to fix the situation.  Using the top of a Nike sneaker box and duct tape, we were able to seal up the hole.  In the end, we told the parents what happened because it would have made more sense to tell them then, rather than wait and cause more drama for trying to hide it.

In my defense, I blame Alabama schools for canceling the day's activities, because if he had been in school, none of this would have happened.  Snow Days are always full of adventures . . . Even if it doesn't snow.

Just Because

As a child, my favorite VHS tape was NBA Superstars 2.  It contained highlights of the NBA's top players of the day with a great song to complement the plays.  Featuring Magic Johnson, Centers of the NBA, Dominique Wilkins, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley and more, my brothers and I watched this tape religiously. I woke up this morning with Patti Labelle's song on the MJ vid stuck in my head.  So here it is . . .

Magic Johnson's video is pretty great too.  I still watch these if I want to get hype before going to play basketball.

Watch these inspiring videos and have a great day!
Peace.

Everyday is Black History

Here at Brothers, we've been slacking.  I have been meaning to post something about the month of February and its significance but there's one problem.  The reality is that we should be celebrating black history every day.  If you're a person who is truly black and proud, Black History permeates each and every single second of every day of your life.

Black History is something you have to live and understand your importance and position in culture.  In a country where black men are murdered and imprisoned at alarming rates, we must all remember our ancestors that were enslaved, tortured, persecuted, and humiliated in order to improve our own lives.  While shopping at Barnes & Noble, I discovered this gem of a book with hundreds of quotations from Black people.  I read from it every day.

The video below shares some enlightening sentiments from Detroit Red aka Malcolm X.  I leave you with some words of advice via the great El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz!

"In the ghettoes the white man has built for us, he has forced us not to aspire to greater things, but to view life as survival."

Peace and Love

K. Plattinum

Off The Top Freestyle w/KiD CuDi

Here at Brothers we are always fans of dope music and freestyles.  This vintage off the top Cudder freestyle over some unreleased 88 Keys production will certainly have you bobbing your head. Enjoy!

Top Five, Bruce Wayne, and Moses

Well I'll just make this quick.  When first hearing news of the new Chris Rock movie, Top Five, I knew I would go see it as soon as I got the chance.  I've always liked Chris Rock and the movie features a star studded cast of comedic geniuses.  The various interviews that he's participated in leading up to the film's release increased my anticipation to get a big bag of twizzlers, sit on my butt for a few hours, and get some hearty laughs.

I went to the nearest movie theater the week before Top Five came out to see The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (I read all the books and couldn't resist, it was okay).  However, this forced me to start planning my next trip to the movie theater and I realized there are no theaters near my home showing this film.  I live at the intersection of Pomona, La Verne, and Claremont, California.  Upon further research, I see that black people make up 7.5%, 3.4%, and 4.7% respectively in these cities.  I'm not really surprised by the figures but it helps understand why I won't be able to go see Chris Rock's new movie.


I'm just appalled that a movie that has garnered so much attention, wouldn't even make it to my local theater.  But it makes sense, during my daily adventures I rarely see black people unless it's on public transportation.  However, I wouldn't be telling the whole story without mentioning that all the nearby theaters are showing this Exodus bullshit with numerous time slots.  And that is America for you.  A place where a black man can't go see Chris Rock's new film at his local movie theater, but I have many opportunities watch some white people pretend that their Africans.  Never thought I'd see the day when Bruce Wayne and Moses were the same person.

If you don't understand white supremacy . . . Everything else will confuse you

A Day in the Life

Intro
Amidst the Eric Garners, Trayvon Martins, Mike Browns, and countless others, America still has no idea what the life of a black male consists of.  White supremacy has pervaded every level of society all over the world and it has systematically made us enemies in the subconscious of everyone, including our own people.  That being said, black males must learn and understand how the world views them in each and every possible situation that can occur in a given day.  Read on and I will detail the daily interactions I experience as a young, educated black male living in America.

Growing up with four older brothers, I have been conscious of how society views me for as long as I can remember.  I credit my parents, home life, personal experiences, and propensity for reading black literature, for helping me to see the world the way it is. Unfortunately, the bulk of young black men don't have a strong support system of brothers AND/OR a father figure to teach them how to navigate the proverbial cloud of white supremacy.  This causes a lack of knowledge that is essential to the SURVIVAL of black males in this country.

The Package
These days, I wear whatever clothes I want because I enjoy comfort while out running errands and whatnot.  Whether it's a tee shirt, polo shirt, jeans, khakis, or shorts, I make sure that my clothes fit properly and my pants aren't sagging. Why? Because if you look unkempt as a black male, people think you're a criminal.  Each day I have to be careful about the package that I present in public because otherwise, people will assume I'm just another "robbing, stealing, killing nigger."

I walk with a purpose, keep my head held high and I speak to all people using proper english because that's how I was raised.  I walk with my head up because I enjoy seeing the reactions of white folks and others when this skinny black guy is walking down the street.  Rarely do I see another black man during my ventures and if I do, they always get a hello or nod of recognition.  Others however, stare at the ground, clutch their purses tighter, walk faster, and my personal favorite, refuse to acknowledge your presence.  I see the looks and I know what they're thinking based on their facial and physical demeanor.  And these are just the cases of strangers whom I don't know and will never get to know.

These are just the little things that happen everyday that I notice.  There are always the store associates that follow me around the store, policeman shining their flashlights in my face whilst riding my bike home at night, the elementary school teacher that told me I'd never amount to anything, getting arrested and the cops letting my white friend go home free while me and two black dudes are sent off to jail, and the list goes on. . .

This is America
I don't let these things affect me anymore, because I expect it to happen.  This is America, a country founded on the backs of free labor and white supremacy.  They brought our ancestors here against their will, and now they don't want us here and will continue to kill and imprison us at every chance they get.  So black men, know that white supremacy exists and we are at the bottom of their hierarchy.

It's our job to survive and support our families, so don't even give them the opportunity to say they were "defending themselves" because as we know, it always ends with an acquittal or lack of indictment, and a dead black man.

Brothers
In order to get a better understanding of self, I urge my brothers to read the books of the past by black male authors.  Their stories are just as relevant today, if not more so.  We have to get an appreciation for what they went through in order to find your path and figure out how you can make a positive impact.  Some must reads include: Native Son by Richard Wright, Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, Soul on Ice by Eldridge Cleaver, and The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X & Alex Haley just to name a few.

It's not about hating white people, it's about loving yourself and your people.  We define the culture.  Know that you have worth!!  Black is Beautiful!!

"The price of hating other human beings is loving oneself less." - Eldridge Cleaver, Soul on Ice

Peace
K. Plattinum

Summer Reading List: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Welcome back, scholars!

"You must understand that love never keeps a man from pursuing his destiny. If he abandons that pursuit, it's because it wasn't true love..."

Equipped with a mug of my favorite green tea, I stretched out on my sofa and lost myself in the journey that is 'The Alchemist'. I finished this adventure in less than 24 hours...I promise you, it was that good! 

The main character, whose name we never learn, is a young shepherd from Spain who possesses a burning desire to see and do things no other shepherd had ever done.  Simply by having the faith and courage to travel to foreign lands the young shepherd is able to learn invaluable lessons about sacrifice and the freedom that accompanies true love. 

The author, Paulo Coelho, knows all about sacrifice. The son of an engineer, Coelho constantly battled the expectation that he would be a straight-laced carbon copy of his father in the professional world. While his parents expected him to be a doctor or a lawyer, Coelho knew his destiny was to become a writer. Coelho holds no ill-will towards his parents despite their having him committed to a mental home because of his rebellious ways. In 'The Alchemist' Coelho imparts wisdom about true love, fear, and the urgency of following one's dreams.  Below are a couple takeaways from 'The Alchemist' I plan to use in my personal adventure.

1) Love Without  Ownership

"He tried to deal with the concept of love as distinct from possession, and couldn't separate them"

One of the dopest parts of this book was the love displayed for the main character by his love interest, the beautiful Fatima. In layman's terms, Fatima is "Ride or Die" personified! In spite of her desire to be married to the main character Fatima explains to him that marriage cannot precede him following his dream.  This quote from Fatima sums it all up: "If I am really apart of your dream, you'll come back one day....I want my husband to wander as as the wind...". Fatima's selflessness is amazing to me. She wanted to be with the main character and knew that all she had to do was tell him to stay and he would have with no questions asked! However, she knew the importance of fulfilling a dream. She displayed a truly unselfish love.

2) Fear

My takeaway? Fear has no place in the hearts of those who truly wish to fulfill their dreams. The fear of losing Fatima would have caused the main character to stay in her city completely putting off his desire to see the pyramids..content upon being her husband. However, as the alchemist later points out, this could drive a wedge in their relationship, with an unfulfilled husband on one hand and Fatima secretly blaming herself for her husband deciding not to pursue his dreams on the other. Always follow your heart! Only a self-serving love would require you put your dream on hold for them.

Coelho believes our dreams die young because we realize them at an early age, life gets in the way, and the next thing you know you're settled and nowhere near where you wished to be. The lesson here is to start pursuing your dream today! It's never too late to begin. The Alchemist is the perfect book for the transition into the Fall and I HIGHLY recommend it! Happy reading...

Photo Credit: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/mar/17/paulo-coelho-manuscript-found-in-accra

You can follow myself and Paulo Coelho on Twitter at @Chief_Platt and @paulocoelho respectively

Yours Truly,

The Lonely Blogger 

Peace