latinegro

black president, President Obama, racism, racist

Racism is Still Here…

Racism exists. Racism is systemic. Racism is mind numbing. It dulls the senses. It makes you think that it is not there. Witnessing so much of it makes you desensitized to the every day reality of it. Even as much as I think about it and see it, I will always need someone to remind me of it.

It is a sad reality when you realize that you have to work harder and longer than other people. It is a sad reality when the hard work you can put into something can be rendered meaningless because you have no real power. To come out and admit that you in a Racist environment is not an easy thing to do.

Many companies, while they offer extensive EAP benefits, do not have support groups for victims of Racism. These are victims you know! These are the people that are passed up for promotions while watching someone else get appointed to that very same position. These are the people that refuse to talk about their experience because it is too painful; they spend decades at one place only to be betrayed by the “system”.

I am angry. I know people like this and to be honest, I was one of these people. It hurts when someone can tell you that Racism is not as bad as it used to be. It hurts when someone can say that Racism is not a problem anymore. My answer to them is simply, wake up.

I have learned over the years that some people would rather employ a white person who is a complete idiot than a brown person who is a genius. Some may not believe it to be true, but I have seen and I even deal with it now. Someone asked me today, “what is worse a white idiot or a black one?” Shit, the black one is worse, of course. As a person of color you never want a brown idiot running around on the job. It makes us all look bad. But to white people a white idiot…is just an idiot. There is no remark like “Well you know how they are”.

So, don’t be fooled about the fact that we have a black president. Most white people may celebritize Obama like they have Lebron James. Larger than life…or rather, not really a ni**er like the rest of them. Don’t be fooled about the choices that are made during these “hard economic times”. Though I will say that the people of color have been in a recession since slavery ended. So while a lot people are out of jobs, they are just joining the rest of us…

Blogging, Stephen Colbert, Today Show, Twitter

Why I Joined Twitter…

I was reading a E. Payne’s blog about Twittering. I have been going back and forth about weather or not I should indeed be “tweeting”. I never realized how many people are actually talking about this thing. About a week or so ago I wrote about blog about my need to get more readership. In the end, I mentioned Twitter. Then I saw this, which was on E’s Blog:

After seeing this, I thought to myself. There is no way I am going to tweet. I am not a loser or anything like that. Then I realized that E is on Twitter and he is not a loser. So may be there is something to to this. I had to think about this further. What seemed to be the very next day after I saw this, I was watching the Today Show…

Wow…so needless to say I became very interested and saw the rest of the segment…

After watching this, I was still not entirely convinced. I am really not trying to follow any celebrities because, quite frankly, I don’t give a shit about them. I just want to do me. Sure, I guess I can see which of my friends are on there but that is what I have Facebook for. Really, why would I want to use Twitter just to put up a status message?

That is when a Yahoo! buddy of mine, who also has a blog, told me that she promotes her blog through Twitter. She was able to explain to me how she networks her blog through Twitter, with updates and conversations that she has had with her followers.

Readership! That was my thought. So I jumped on it. If I can use this to my out then so be it! Come check me out: http://twitter.com/Latinegro

So, yes, I have “twatted…”

Bill Maher, economy, Marijuana, President Obama

Legalize it?

Today I was watching an episode of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher (guest starring Mos Def). As every show, this was a pretty good one. I could pick out some of the more important issues talked on this show, there was one thing tha stuck a chord with me.

Some time in the past week President Obama had a town hall meeting shown via the Internet. There was a question about the possibility of legalizing Marijuana as a remedy to help with the economy. Clearly, Obama said no and joked about how ridiculous this was. I am not surprised at all about that. But, my question is… is that question really out of the ordinary?

Let me preface this by saying that I am not a weed smoker, nor do I have the desire to smoke. However, I know a lot of people who do. It is one of those things where it seems like everyone is doing it. Not to say that this makes it right, but Marijuana does not have the effects that tobacco smoking has.

Lets say it is legalized. Lets look at the positives. The police do not have to do all that work to find pot dealers. They can put their energy into other crimes or drugs. Just imagine the manpower taking just to stop the weed trafficking in this country. Has that stopped anyone from smoking? Don’t think that smoking weed is just something that Black & Latinos do, because White people smoke a lot more. In fact, I heard they get the better shit.

Think about how much money the economy would get if you can buy weed through distributers. How many jobs that would create? Do not think for a second that weed sales have dropped due to the economy. Marijuana is recession proof, just like alcohol. People want to either get drunk or get high, or sometimes both.

Legalizing Marijuana would cripple the economy of those nations smuggling this into our country. This is an import that the United States make no money on! Stop the smuggling and grow this in our country. Agriculture would go up the roof! Central and South America (yes, fucking Latinos)makes tons of cash just on weed.

What bothers me more than anything else when it come to politicians and the people who run this country is that there is this flakiness that suggests that they are all pure. We are all human! People in congress get just as horny and the next person, which is why so many of them get caught in scandals revolving sex. I am also very sure that they have kids who are hitting bongs on the campuses of Yale and Harvard (they are certainly doing it at Syracuse). Does that make people evil? Not at all.

Legalize the shit. How many black kids get arrested just trying to make paper? It helps with chemo-therapy and glaucoma. Legalize it so that the economy can get high…like the rest of America.

economy, money, value

Money

March is almost over. I am so very surprised by this. It has been a pretty long month. Usually, these months fly right by, but since I have blogged everyday, it makes me actually stop and look around. Otherwise, I might just say how fast this year is going.

The economy is still bad. Which makes me wonder how long it will before we start thinking this is the norm. One of the things I use to say in my old blogs was that the ghetto is expanding. While I meant it in the way of the Hip Hop culture taking over, I feel that now with more and more rich people being broke, well the ghetto is starting to expand.

What will the rich white people do? The ones who gained all that wealth on the backs of others? The ones who never worked a hard day, what will they do? I know they wont be picking grapes. They will be cleaning rooms in hotels. So what are they going to do? Perhaps they will make tent in a middle of big state park and call it Tent City.

Money is the root of all evil and we know this. While, it is unfair to point out every person who has lost jobs and money, you have to consider that for most people who live paycheck to paycheck and have riding the poverty line, not much has changed. Their economy has always sucked and life goes on.

I have been fortunate to still have my job and I know that. I hated working for corporate America and I may just add to the archives the blogs I wrote on how bad it was. While money can be good and used for good things, in corporate America, if you are not about making money then you are not valuable.

We are all valuable! Each and everyone has value. We are a part of the consumer market. So we have value. But the problem is that only a certain percentage of us have the power to control who puts value on us.

Citifeild, Major League Baseball, New York Mets, Shea Stadium

Saying Goodbye To Shea…

I was talking to Brooke the other night about Baseball and she told me something that really made me think. She told me that although the new Citifeild was nice…she will miss Shea Stadium. I had to think about this for a moment. I will miss that place too.

Now, I have been there probably close to 20 times within my life time. But it will always be the first ball park I have ever been too. I remember going to the Mets games at Shea Stadium when I was a boy. Of course, back then everything to me was bigger and grander. So walking though Shea for the first time was just awesome to me.

I consider myself lucky to have been able to have gone to some games last year with the boys. In fact, I am glad I was able to take my nephew you in 2007. That was a great treat for me. I think I had more fun taking him than he did.

I have set in several sections and have seen many games. I would say that the best seats I had was when I was behind 3rd base last year, which was cool because we right next to David Wright, but that does not compare to when I was a kid. I sat behind 1st base and saw Keith Hernandez close up. There was nothing better than that.

What will I miss the most? Besides the apple popping up out of center field (which I think they are moving to Citifield)? I am not sure. I want to say the Sausage Sandwiches or perhaps the long ramps one would have to walk up from level to level. Actually…the Diamond club area was nice.

So many memories! But, I know that I will be going to a lot more games in Citifeild and I cannot wait!

handball, stickball, summer, the bronx

Handball..I miss you!

On a hot summer day in New York City. The wall stands tall. In a park that is all fenced in. Concrete with yellow lines that connect to the wall. A blue rubber ball, the size of a baseball. The sound of it ricocheting of the wall and slap of a palm. The shuffling of feet on concrete. The sky so blue. I miss you handball.

On any given weekend, I would leave my house and walk down White Plains Road. I would get to Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club and make a right, which leads me to Stevenson Track. Normally you will see the New York Emperor’s Stickball League playing on Stickball Blvd. While entertaining, my focus was on the handball courts.

Often I would meet my cousin to play in single or in doubles. I was never a fan of paddle ball. I liked handball and how physical it was. No Paddle, No Gloves, just palm on ball. The ball would sting the hand, but I would always have the urge to hit that thing harder. I had to be accurate because I hate losing. By the end of the day, I had a very swollen hand. So swollen, that I could not put my ring on for the rest of the day

I miss it. The competition. The social activity of meeting other players who may be better or even worse. Not sure when I will play next. I may have to set a day for some time in the very never future.

Dolphy day, Lemoyne College

Why I Hate Le Moyne College…

I know hate is a strong word, but at times like these, I think it is very important. Although I work for Syracuse University, I live next to another college campus. Normally this area is really cool. It is quiet and I like my neighbors. It is a safe area and I feel completely comfortable in house. It is great feeling to have about 360 days a year.

There is, however, 4-5 days of the year that makes me want to burn down this campus. Let me start about 6 years ago. We moved into this house and everything was great during the winter and the following spring. This feeling changed when one day in April, we hear this late night commotion. There were the sounds of people screaming and car horns blaring. At first, I was thinking…oh my god, this is the “welcome wagon”.

This commotion scared us out of our sleep. I look up at the Cable Box and the time is 3:30. I run down the stairs and open the door…and I see cars of students….passing by….screaming…having fun. Are you kidding me? My wife calls to the campus police and they tell her that they will look into it…(yeah right). The one thing I notice…I am the only neighbor out here in disbelief! Not one of my neighbors are even up! No one is outside protesting this outrage! I have to work in the morning!

Come to find out that Le Moyne has a day called Dolphy Day (their mascot is a Dolphin). This is, apparently, a traditional event where students party and there are games and all this other crap. While, I realize I sound like an old man, please realize how anyone would sound when they are on less than 4 hours of good sleep. Better yet, imagine the feeling of young white college kids driving around looking like they about to lynch someone.

So, according to some people I know, Dolpy day is one day. However, there are fake Dolphy Days in which the Seniors trick the lower classmen into driving around and making noise. I am not sure how much this makes sense, but I know it makes me want to burn down the Friary (this is a Jesuit School).

Anyway, so last night was day 2. The first day was sometime last week. So now I have to be on alert. Most of the time, I can sleep through this. However, a certain little dog cannot. Any loud noises set him off. So if he can’t sleep…

Catholic Church, Jesus, Short Story

Are All of us Really Saved?

Looking at the short story that I posted yesterday, I had to sit back and really think about the themes that are in this story. I will first point out that this story came to me one night last October. I was literally in the shower thinking about this. When I came out, I need to find some paper and a pencil and write this down. I wrote down everything I imaged for about 20 minutes straight. This final product then took several hours before I was somewhat satisfied with it.

It made me think about what exactly am I trying to say with this story. I went to Catholic school for 12 years, so I very much believe in all the religious archetypes. What I find interesting is how I chose the main character, Margret, to be bi-sexual. I say that because she is the one that witnesses this “angel of death”. Of course, in being a Christian, we are taught that homosexuality is an aberration. This type of lifestyle goes against everything that is God and is course…a sin.

Being that we are all born with Original Sin, God sent his only son, Jesus to save us all. With him dying on the cross we would all be freed from sin. So, if indeed this is the case, wouldn’t that mean that Jesus (who loves all of us) also died for the sins of Homosexuals as well? I am not sure the answer to this question. But, I do know that we are quick to judge people.

I do not think that I am done with this particular story, so I am not sure that I even know what the story means. I will just say is the Margret does believe in God. Perhaps she was to bear witness as a part of feeling guilty that perhaps she is the aberration in society and not the homeless man…

Short Story

Short Story: Angel of Death

Today was a good day! I guest blogged on Brookey’s Cafe Blog today. I think you should check that out! So, because I have done so much writing over the last 24 hours I figured I would share with you a short story I wrote in October 2008. Let me know what you think. Enjoy!

*********

Margret didn’t sleep much. Her dreams terrified her. Her dreams were too vivid and way too real for her to deal with. What really gets her the most is that she has never starred in her own dreams. She’s never had a dream that she could remember that had anything to with her or anyone in her life. Margret sought explanations and interpretations of her dreams in books and on the internet, but has had no luck in explaining why her dreams were happening. She didn’t tell many people of her dream problem. In fact she told many of her co-workers that she suffered from insomnia. Margret could never share with anyone that in her dreams she witnesses people die.

Every night she would fight sleep. Every night she would fail. Margret felt that every night she was witness to the angle of death. Tonight was no different. She lay in her bed watching her medium sized color television. Margret would try to watch different things to keep herself awake. She was not a sports fan so that never worked. Movies were ok, but she had a limited DVD collection and cable was a little bit too expensive for her liking. Porn, however, seem to work the best. It would keep up her interest. Tonight’s feature was a girl on girl.

Margret has always been bi-curious and loves to watch women have sex with each other. While watching this turned her on so much, the exhaustion of not getting enough rest was getting to her. She would purposely not sleep naked on a hot day like today so that she would be uncomfortable. Wearing pajamas and having a blanket on the bed should be enough for not to fall asleep very easily. However, she was finding herself being too turned on by the movie. It has been a while since she has slept with anyone. So there is no surprise that she would slowly move her had down her pelvis and lightly grazing her pubic hair. Margret lightly massaged herself which gave her gave her sensations she longed someone else to give her. This made her relax so much that she never realized the exact moment she fell asleep.

She looks up and finds herself in a dark alley. It is a very damp and dingy place. The smell of Rat shit is overwhelming. Margret covers her mouth as she begins to look around. She is still in the same pajamas she fell asleep in. She notices garbage on the ground as she slowly approaches a dumpster. She looks to her left and she sees an old homeless man asleep in a small piece of cardboard. Behind him is a shopping cart filled with various things that she cannot make out. Margret can tell that old man is shivering. She begins to kneel down to see if he is ok when a flash of red light shine behind her. She stands up quickly almost frozen in fear. She already knows what is about to happen. She recognized the soft hum and feels a slight breeze. She turns around slowly to a figure that has been all too familiar to her. Her reaction is always the same. Fear.

The bright red light and the source of the low hum is coming from a sword of blazing fire. She is transfixed on just the sight of the sword alone. Margret can also feel the heat that it generates. Holding the sword is a being with jet black skin. A tall male figure with a pristine physique is looking down at the ground and she cannot see his face because his long brownish hair is covering it. She begins to also look and the ivory wings attached to the back of this angel. The sight of the sword and the angelic nature of the wings almost make him look beautiful. Then he lifts up his head quickly and opens his pupil less eyes. Margret shutters in fear to look in to his face that is a cold as a glacier.

Margret’s first reaction, as always, is to run for cover. She finds shelter behind the dumpster as the angel floats towards the old man. The man becomes restless in his sleep and she can hear the hum of the angelic weapon become louder. The angel then begins to speak a language that is not recognizable. The old man is jumps out of his sleep to see this being in front of him. He just stares at the sword and tries to back way but is frozen by the sheer horror of what is in front of him. The old man does the sign of the cross and in one swift move is picked by his neck by the winged being.

The old man begs for his life has he grabs on the arm that raised him. The Angel just looks at him and again says something in a foreign language that almost sounds chant like. Then he draws his sword back and split the old man in too. Margret watches in horror as the old man’s lower portion of his body hits the floor. The old man let out a shriek but it fade quickly as the old man dies instantly with a look of pure horror an pain on his face. The sword of fire is so hot that there is very little blog coming from the 2 halves. The angel lets go of the man and his torso drops to the pavement.

The winged being turns to Margret and smirks. She wakes up in a cold sweat, almost wanting to scream. It is morning and the television is still on with the screen being the color blue. She begins to cry as she does every morning when she has this dream. It is always the same dream. The only things that ever change are the location and the person getting the sword. Margret looks over at the clock to see her alarm is set to go off in 10 minutes. She wipes her tears away and turns the morning news on. She gets out of her clothes and heads toward the bathroom for a shower. Just as she closes the door, the news anchor reads a report about a body that was found in a ally just down the street.

Christmas Shopping, economy, HDTV, money, Tax Check

Bailout…

I need to get an HDTV! It has gotten to the point where too many people I know have one of these things, like my brother pictured above. We have talked about getting one but have always pulled back because of the prices. Now, with the economic downturn, I see these prices dropping rapidly. So, really it is just about what brand I want to pick.

Now, with all that being said. I still do not want to pull the trigger. I do not want to part with the money because I am always thinking about what if I may need this money later. The last thing I want to do is end up regretting making this type of purchase.

Buying stuff like this is not a show of success for me. If I want something I usually just get it, but this type of purchase just doesn’t sit well sometimes. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to play the wii on this thing. I would so much enjoy watching sports or movies on screen that is wide and crystal clear. Then, I think about what else I could use that money for.

Thinking about this sparks another thought, “Just what could I use my money for?” Well, besides the fact that I am going to Florida in July, I am not sure there is another purchase outside of bills and food that I absolutely need the money for. I do have hobbies, like comic books and music. Then there are clothes that I like to buy. So, I don’t really know.

The other problem I have is the need for me to use my money for Christmas shopping. Sure, it is along way out, but it happens to me every year. I will be hurting for money by the time Christmas comes around and then I will be dying to get my tax check. I need to reverse this trend.

I need a bailout!