Well, I figured a great way to start out Women’s History Month. With all the things happening in the world I think I need to talk about Rhianna and Chris Brown. So, we know that he physically assaulted her a few weeks ago. I have read a few articles, some blogs, even spoke to some people about this. I feel that he is wrong for putting his hands on her. Any guy should have the sense to not hit a woman, not matter what buttons she may push.
I am not talking about self defense. I am not saying that if a woman tries to kill or cripple a brother that he needs to stand there and take it. Like anyone else, we have a right to defend ourselves. What I am talking about is losing that self control to the point that any man would need to beat a woman. Of course, if a man finds the wrong wrong sister, well he is in for it.
By now, all of us should have seen the pictures of her face. She was beaten in a very Ike and Tina Turner way. Not sure what was the reason he felt the need to do that to her, but of course, it is what it is.
So, my question is, why did she go back to him? Why does any woman go back to their abusive man? Sure, we can talk about the psychology of the abusive relationship. We can talk about the need for her to want to change him in some way. Sure, she didn’t want to press charges, she probably blames herself thinking that it was her fault. I will even go so far as to say that perhaps she thinks that the media has it all wrong, and she will just live her life (ayyy ayyy ayyy). I feel that is career is over, so maybe Rhianna feels bad that she could be the reason for all this.
Does this mean she deserves what she gets now? Do we feel sorry for her if he busts her lip again? I guess only time will tell.
Author: latinegro
In my quest to educate the masses, I must remember to not get to repetitive with my posts. However, I will always be adamant in talking about Afro Latinos because clearly I am one and I feel that people need to understand what it means to be a Black Latino.
Of course, I have gone on record saying that all Latinos are Black and I will stick to that. African influences are very evident in culture and in history, so there really is no sense in denying this fact. So, when I find a little tidbit of what I have been talking about, I like to share.
During my late night Flan consuming, a good friend, shows me this site called EL BORICUA . This is a monthly online newsletter that promotes the history and culture of Puerto Ricans. What I like about this site is that is seems to be pretty simple. You have your basic website with information on food, culture, and history. Even has Latino related ads (wish I had some…I need to contact Google). So I am looking at the pictures in general and I don’t see anyone that looks dark. That was until I clicked on the AfroBorinquen Culture (Black Puerto Ricans).
This link provides good lesson on the history of African Slaves in Puerto Rico. While, it does not go into the Taino Indians and what was done to them, I was very excited about what I read. For far too long, the African influence in Puerto Rico goes unsaid. When, I visited the Island a few years back, I felt like I was home.
Not to say there there is no racism in Puerto Rico, because that is not the case either. Awhile back, I came a across an article written by Reggaeton Artist Tego Calderon who writes a very good article about skin color being a serious issue in Puerto Rico. I didn’t mention it before because I wanted to wait for the right time. Which ends up being perfect to wrap up the last day of Black History Month.
Latinos need to be mad aware the roots of their culture. So I will make sure that will do my part in make sure that everyone is aware of the influence that Africans have had on us. Here is an expert from the AfroBorinquen Culture link:
“Part of the undisputed African legacy on the Puerto Rican culture includes a peculiar speech pattern. The West Africans brought to the island spoke “bozal” Spanish, a mixture of Portuguese, Spanish, and Congo – much like the poem excerpt on this page. Many Puerto Ricans have the habit of swallowing the “s,” and often pronounce the “r” as an “l”. This is because in the African tongue there is no “s” or “r” sound.”
March is finally here…
Flan [flan, flahn; for 1 also Sp. flahn; for 2 also Fr. flahn] 1. Spanish Cookery. a dessert of sweetened egg custard with a caramel topping.
I think that that Flan (you really need to be Latino to say it properly) is another word for GOOD. I was introduced to this yummy goodness when I was a kid by mi abuela. It is hard to describe the texture but it just about melts in your mouth. If made really good, it almost taste like coffee (well to me it does).
I will admit that when I was a kid that I wasn’t too fond of this dessert, but as I got older I have become very used to the taste. I do not suggest getting this at the store where it is pre-packages like Jello Pudding. You will need to find yourself and old Latin woman to make it for you.
Ok, maybe that is not true, but if you are looking for some good Flan then you need to find yourself a Latino/a who cooks. Sure there are website in which you can attempt to make this, but this is not for a novice. Not only that, you will need to know what Flan is supposed to taste like. Please do not go to the Food Network looking for a “caramel custard” because you will only be disappointed.
I make my ode to Flan because my wife seems to make it very well. I am here trying to add my 2 cents to this world only to find myself blindside by the sharing of recipes with our friend, Maria (apparently Flan comes in different flavors, including dark chocolate). Blindsided by the finished product of what I am officially adding to the CRACK list. Flan is a drug that must be consumed in small portions.
It has been a long day! Spring Break is in 2 weeks and I cannot wait. I took that week off and I plan to just relax. Maybe then I will have better topics to discuss. There is an app on the iPhone & iTouch called Urbanspoon. This is one of those apps that helps you decide on what to eat if you are having issues deciding. With a shake of the device the choice is made as if you just pulled the lever of a slot machine. I find this to be very clever and it has helped us decide what to eat on any occasion.
They need to make one for blogs! I wish I had one when it comes to choosing a topic to write about. I would call it Blogspoon. I can shake my device and there be a spin of all the topics I can talk about. This way I don’t have to worry about what to talk about. Better yet, I would not have to write about the fact that I have nothing to blog about!
I will say though that I am jealous. My father is in Costa Rica right now. Every so often he will just pack up and go some where. He is retired and is taking his fiance (yes he is getting married) to Costa Rica. Oh…but they are not alone. They are going with her son and his wife. So why am I jealous? He is having fun right? I am jealous because no one asked me! I could have easily take this week off!
Let me also inform you of something evil. I am so very much addicted to Milk Chocolate Strawberries by Harry and David. I am so addicted. It makes me think about the many things that I feel are made with a little known substance called CRACK. This is highly addictive substances that is featured in movies like New Jack City and Jungle Fever.
So, with that said, I think that IHOP makes their pancakes with Crack. McDonald’s Fries are clearly Crack. Mint Double Stuffed Oreo are Crack! Mint Chocolate Girl Scout Cookies are clearly Crack. All of these things are so not good for me…but I eat them.
Brook…This is truly a Random Thursday.
I made a joke on my Facebook status last year during election time. You could give these gifts that were shaped buttons that said “Obama ’08”. Clearly, if you could give an Obama button you could give out a McCain button. I made the joke that I would give out McCain button if I only had Republican friends. I thought about it for a moment…I really do not have any friends who are Republican!
After meeting with my Dialogue Group today, I really had to think if I do have that one person that has a completely opposite view on life. It turns out that I do not. Sure, I have co-workers that may share a difference of opinion from me, but there are just as liberal as I am. I can disagree with loved ones, but nothing too far from what I consider to be ordinary. I generally look at the landscape of my life and I don’t have that one person that I can debate with in terms of life, politics, race, or gender issues.
This isn’t an issue about being able to talk back and forth about sports either. I can go toe to toe with any Yankee or Phillies fan about The Mets. I can argue all day about how the Knicks suck or how much I cannot stand the NBA anymore. Those things are not issues that I consider to be hot topics. Those are just sports, in which any man can debate about.
I am not saying that I want to get up from this laptop and start looking for Republican friends, but I do wonder how enriched I would be by someone who does not share the same ideals that I have. Hell, would they even like me; better yet, would I like them? There can be talk all day about how we need diversity in our lives and in the lives of our children. However, we tend to stray away from people who have different ideals from us. Don’t get me wrong either, this is not an invitation from me to all the bible thumping, white supremacist, anti-everything people to start spreading their message to me.
Today, I realized the importance of having that one person in the room who has a very different opinion than everyone else. While some will see it as, that person being an asshole. I view it as a rite for that person to have his/her voice be heard. It does not matter if they agree with the majority or not. It only take one person to change the mind of many. The reason I know this is because many times, I am that one person that has to fight for students or situations that the majority sometimes forget. It helps to be the Devil’s Advocate if no one else is.
It is days like these that I realize that having a Black President is the greatest thing that has happened to this country. President Barack Obama’s address to congress is so polarizing. It is still going on as I write this. I am not sure when the last time we have heard such roars and applause at a presidential speech.
This man is awesome. I love the fact that finally we have a president that I can cheer for, that I can joke about without any sense of disrespect, that I can look up to. He makes me want to be a better person and a better leader. When I watch the President speak, I only hope that I can speak in public half as well as he can. Actually, he kinda reminds me of a preacher who has his congregation on the edge of their seats. They get up and applause so much, that it seems like church!
I never thought, and I guess I am still in awe, that I would see a Black man addressing the nation like this. I have seen several speeches from Barack Obama, but to still be able to inspire people is just amazing. At one point he speaks about a young black girl from Dillon, South Carolina who wrote to Congress about how bad her school is. He quotes her by saying “we are not quitters”. Michelle Obama stands up and hugs this young black (and I mean black) girl and you just want to cry.
The change that this man is making in this country will not be measured. I am not talking about the economy. I am talking about the minds and hearts of the young people in America. Obama makes me want to watch politics. This is a black man that is hot hitting home runs, or catching touchdowns, or dunking the ball. This is a black man that is not wearing a fitted, or rhyming about niggas and bitches, or smoking weed on TV. This is THE black man that is running our country. He is not hitting his woman (thank you Chris Brown). He is the man that we, as men of color, can finally look up and aspire to.
Let’s face it, Barack Obama is changing the perception of what the Black man can do. He makes all of us relevant. When I walk into meetings, i know that every person in that room will understand the I belong
Sometimes I get into these funks, in which I just feel down and not in a depressed sort of way either. In a way that the world seems to be on my shoulders and no matter what I do, I can’t seem to win. Of course, not that life is about winning or losing, but usually winning is a metaphor for being on top. So, I guess I would rather be on top of my problems or stresses than to be on the bottom.
I do consider myself a positive person with streaks of negativity here and there. I generally look at the brighter side of things. I always get up in the morning in a good mood because I know that it is a start of a brand new day. It is what happens within these days that can turn my spirits from good to bad.
Things that get me down can be anywhere from a stressful day at work to an argument with my wife. Generally, it is just fighting the fight everyday. Getting people to understand that we all have value in this world, which goes way beyond financial resources. The fact that someone like me can never truly be at the table to stop systemic issues that benefit the many and neglect the few. Then there is always the issues of finding my place in this world. These things eat away at the very fiber of my positivity.
I am like a battery filled with positive energy and like any battery, the more it gets used the more energy it loses. Sometimes I lose my charge. Thus regaining it in the morning. I guess you can say that today I lost a lot of my positive energy. Which is alright, I am not complaining about it so much. I know that when I put my head on the pillow tonight, that I will charge overnight.
Is it me or are movies not as good these days as they once were? As I glance at the Academy Awards, I think about all the movies I love. While I can sit back and list my top 20 films of all time (and I wont, at least not in this post), I am forced to wonder if movies are as good as movies that were in the past.
I am talking about Epic Movies. Not like Terms of Endearment or Milk, in which are so very much acting based. Not saying that those movies weren’t good, but lets think about what an Epic Movie is. An Epic movie to me is a movie with a story on a grand scale. Where it is so massive that you wonder how this will end.
Classic Epics are The Godfather, Gone with the Wind, and Patton. I just throw those out there to reference timeless movies. But as you well know, we are in a different generation. Our expectations of movies are different then our parents. My good epic movies would include, The Lord of the Rings, Forrest Gump, and Raiders of the Lost Ark (I didn’t see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button yet).
My opinion is that lately, movies are being made for the sake of making movies. I cant remember a time (well maybe the 80’s) in which there have been so many horrible movies out. Nowadays, movies can go straight to DVD, so you know they are bad.
Well, I am waiting to see what the next great Epic film will be. Maybe it will be The Watchmen. Who knows…Do you?
It has been a long day. I normally spend my Saturdays at home chillin. I make sure I do as little as possible so I can rest from the past week. Today, however, it was decided by a group of us that we are going to the outlet mall to shop. Let me preface this by saying that the Tax refund was really good to me. I don’t want people thinking that just because my ass finally got some new clothes that I am raking in the money, because I am not.
I am not a hardcore shopper. I never just shop for the sake of shopping. There was somethings I need to take care of that had been lacking in my wardrobe. So, the most important thing is that I shop based on need. I cannot say that for some of the other people I am with, but this blog is not about them (sorry..Eddie, Josie, and Maria). Trust me, they needed stuff too.
It just feels so good to get something new that replaces something old. I was in dire need of a new coat. Now, I love my coat it is warm and it gets me through the cold blasts of wind that Syracuse has. My trusty coat just had a rough time. The zipper is broken, the buttons were falling off, and I have holes in the pockets (Geez….It really does not look as bad as I am describing). I could not take my coat to get fixed because I did not have a back up. I did get the buttons sewn on but, it was time for a new one. By, the way, I don’t plan on throwing it out…that sucker is getting dry cleaned and a new zipper.
Clearly I came away with a new coat. Got some other new digs and a new wallet. So I am quite happy about what turned out to be an all day experience for us. I wont drop any store names, but if you ask I will tell. The only things were bothering me were the actions of other people. Now, I want to be clear here. We are a very successful group of people who just happened to be brown. We all work for Syracuse University and are not dumb nor poor. We went to the Warterloo Premium Outlets so we can shop and have some fun in a city where there is very little to do.
There were four separate cases in which we encountered prejudice from white people. These are obvious cases that were noticed by the group, so I am not making this up to make this particular post interesting. Again, I wont name establishments because there is no point, these are just attitudes of ignorant people.
The first case was in one of the first stores we go into. We look around and I already see that many of these things are nice, but they are not in my price range. But, I am nice and I look around. Eddie loves this store and he is looking at everything. This old white man, who was the store clerk, kept a nice watchful eye on us of course. Eddie goes to look at something in particular and the clerk immediately points on that is not on sale.
The second case happened in one of my favorite stores. Eddie and I split up from the women to go to the male stores, so this was one of the first places we hit. I can walk in this place and see exactly what I want. Eddie is not like that. This man can shop! So he is all over the place. So I make my selections and I pay for it, but I now I have to wait for him. So I watch him mull over what he wants and then he heads toward the counter. Now, in many stores they have a waiting area where the line is supposed to start. There is a sign and then the designated line is roped off in front of the counter. You really cannot miss this. This white dude, who clearly is too privilege to read any signs walks up in front of the rope. At first, I was thinking, maybe he knows one of the women who is making a purchase. Eddie who is on his phone texting, and is technically the only person on line, does not see this man. The cashier calls next and (I shit you not) this guy looks at Eddie and says “sorry” and goes up to the counter and gets rung out. Eddie looks at me and he just sighed…
The third case was when we were being seated to eat lunch. The waitress bring us to our tables and we sit down next to this white couple who had many bags from other stores. So they move the bags in what seemed to in a polite way since it was in the way of where I was going to sit. But, after getting the menu, I begin to notice that the white lady is just not comfortable with where her bags were. She kept moving them further and further way from me. I was a little annoyed by this, but what can you do? (see below)
The last case was right after lunch. We went back to the same store because homeboy needed to have this jacket that he noticed in the window was we walked out to go to lunch. He tries on this coat and yes it looks fly. So he goes to pay for it and the cashier, who just happens to be a white male, comments on how nice the jacket was. Then he points out to Eddie, “You know, this is not on sale”. Eddie looks at him and gives him his card and replies, “Yes, I know and I can afford you too”
These instances are all minor in the grand scheme of things. We had a great time and I would do that again. It just goes to show that no matter how far we think we are…someone is always trying to knock us down. Well here is my response to that…
I believe that we all have to live by the choices that we make. Not all choices are easy nor do they matter if they are right or not, we have to live with them. Frequently, I hear about how willpower can determine one’s actions or lack there of. This is something I have been thinking about all day and I have come to the conclusion that no matter the outcome of something, it is all a matter of choice.
God gave us free will. This is what separates us from other animals on this planet because we operate on decision making rather than instinct. The ability to accept or decline temptation, in its many forms, comes down to choice. Many people will say that willpower is what drives people to make a choice. I think that is a valid argument, but at the end of the day it is still a matter of making a decision on something.
I know I am being vague and I am doing that on purpose. Temptations are all around us. Food and sex (not necessarily together…but sure that could work too) I feel, are the two thing biggest temptations that we all have. We all choose to eat when we are hungry, and (hopefully) we choose to have sex when we are horny, but it is the choice of what we eat and who we sleep with that makes all the difference.
So, if you feel you have no willpower then that gives you the right to make a choice you know may not be good for you later? Does it make it ok for a life long smoker to say, “I just don’t have the willpower to quit” when this person knows that smoke can lead to death? These are choices that are made to satisfy a need or a craving of some kind. We crave to eat the wrong things. We crave to have sex with the wrong people. Willpower can just be an excuse to make a decision in either direction.
I have a friend that people talk about. This person has a spouse that rules his world. When they went through hardships, she decided to take some time off, which leads to him being able to hang out more. Now, this man never ever hangs out. People have felt bad for him in thinking that he is on lock down. So after months of hanging out….she comes back and now, homeboy does not go out. I don’t feel bad for him. Not anymore. I have come to realize that it does not matter what I think about him and my perception of how bad his situation is. It is all about him making that choice to not hang out with his friends. There is no willpower involved there. Sure, I could have made the argument that he should stand up to her, but that is his choice.
I just get tired of hearing from dear friends and loved ones that they do not have the willpower to do something; that is bullshit, you simply do not want to do whatever it you say you want to do. We all make choices for good or for bad, it is about time we start owning up to them.
Anthony Otero 
