"Today I didn't even have to use my A-K...I gotta say it was a good day"

Actually it's been a pretty good couple of days. Unusually good for normal circumstances. Well there are a few things but let me start by saying that this upcoming Monday is my 27th birthday and that alone is a real blessing because a lot of black men from my generation will never get to see that many years. And to be honest...last year my birthday was pretty lame so since nothing bad has happened as of yet it's a good day. LOL.

This time 2 days ago I spoke to my father for the first time in like 2 or 3 weeks. Yes the Father I am referring to in the last 2 blogs. See, he has been locked up in jail and it has really been worrying me. Not so much that he will get raped or any crazy stuff like that but more that someone will try something and he will end up hurting them and making his situation worst. He's being held for not paying child support when I was a kid so I really am not sorry about that one I just don't want anything bad to happen and when he called he said everything was good with him. That made me feel a lot better because he even told me he is hooping again (I've been trying to get him on the court forever) and when he comes home in a month he is trying to see me....LMAO. Hey when I was 7 he used to kick my ass and I guess he needs to prove he still can :-) (too bad he's wrong). The crazy thing about that whole situation is that it reminds me just how much of that little boy who used to want to be around his father is still in me.

Yesterday I went to work as usual and at lunch I signed a contract to place a bid on a home that I found with my new agent earlier this week. A three bedroom townhouse in Bowie (the area I was really trying to get into even though it is ridiculously expensive). The part that makes it really good is that my new agent had connections with a lot of financers so when the first one didn't work out on Wednesday and I was told I couldn't get the home I was blown...she found another one and he saved the day so to speak. Then later that day when I got home I got a check in the mail from Allstate because they overcharged my car insurance when I used to be with them. On top of all that it was the season premiere of Smallville (one of my favorite shows) so yesterday was really a good one.

And then there is what's been happening so far today....
I woke up and went to work like normal and when one of my coworkers came in a little later she brought me a bunch of balloons and a cake with my name on it. Completely surprised!!!









(Not the actuall cake but it looks like my name so....LOL)








I had no idea she was even really paying attention when we spoke about my birthday so I was really pleased that she went ou of her way...you think she trying to get my draws? (she is gonna fight me if she reads this LMAO) Nah I'm playing, we are real cool and she did put up this little birthday sign on my desk so I guess I should have known. Along with that I got confirmation on tickets to see the Ravens and Chargers play this weekend in Baltimore (SICED LIKED SH*T) and I know that will be a good one with one of the best offenses and defenses in the league. And tonight I put together a last minute gathering to go bowling in Crofton. Now that's not much but I have been dying to go bowling for a minute so I'm just glad I was able to get some folks to come out with me.

Man this birthday is turning out pretty good so far...I'm praying that my blessings keep on coming.

Sharing My Space again

This is the second part to "Lessons from the Father" from my Myspace blog. if you haven't read part one you need to check that one out first to get the whole story.

Lessons from the Father (part 2)

Coming back to Maryland I find myself facing my worst fears

Cause now I'm living in my grandparents house just like my father has done for years

It's more than that, ever since the age of 16 I've found being alone frightening

Because that's the way my father's life has been and I'm so afraid to end up like him

So dispite him being around I'm faced with other difficult challenges

And day by day I continue to search for ways to try and handle this

So I try to simplify the situation, go into it without any hesitation

I just gotta remember my love for you is based on our relation

And accept the differences we have and learn to be more patient

But it's constant reminders of why you weren't around that I'm faced with

Cause sitting around the basement just wasn't getting it for me

But when I got my job I knew I wasn't about to re-live your story

So then you became that lazy nigga that did nothing when I wasn't home

And I became good at holding back resentment when my grandparents left us alone

But it was never hard for me cause all of my life I had to play it cool

Plus I had to much respect, just off principle, and you never acted a fool

So I did what I do and you...you continued to do you

But no matter how hard I would avoid it our conversations still grew

Started to notice some similarities we had between us two

Wondering how I picked up personlity traits when I wasn't ever around you

Now I listen to you talk and try to learn about you from these crazy stories of the street that usually leave me in surprise

And get sad when I realize that half of the memories you carry about me don't make it past when I was only five

Time passes and I look up and see that even when we forget about them God can still answer our prayers

Cause now we watch sports, talk about women, play games, talk about houses, and do my car repairs

So if you say God answers prayers then I really can't deny

I just wish I knew why it had to take almost 20 years for me to get my reply

So I'll never forget the day my sister called me about her graduation

Overcome with joy until she told me she had no intentions of inviting you to the celebration

I hear her talking about the invite and in her voice I can feel her pain

But it's true what they say, you can learn about yourself from where you came

And I just don't look at her father the same even though he still living life without a plan

I took what I could from this situation and let it make me a better man

I've never really been big on forgiving but living with you made me realize I can

And I see now that was something God had in store but I just couldn't understand

So now I find myself on the wrong side of our one time common fight

My sister cursing in my ear, I know she's disgusted by my reply

But I knew just how much he wanted to be there, so I knew he would probably die

And I couldn't let the pain of my past allow me to be evil, not even just one more time

But with that said and done I'm still living with when you occasionally lie or deceive me

Coming to the conclusion that the best thing you ever did for me in this life was to leave me

I mean, you got a good heart, you're just a weak minded individual

And had you chose to stay around we'd probably be indivisible

Which means in the physical, I'd probably be weak like you too

But I would rather be the man I am today than to end up like you

Instead I choose to be an honest, fatherly, responsible, loyal, forgiving man that's willing to work hard

And I'll pray that you learn about the one thing that could change your whole life around.....GOD.

The End.

Sharing My Space

Since I got such a warm reception with the last thing I shared from my Myspace blog I figured I'd do it again. This one is more of a poem and is the first part of 2 that go together and must be read in order (posting part 2 in separate blog). I chose this one based on some conversations I had with my mom and my boy Mike in regards to the topic although I wrote this about 3-4 months ago....


Lessons from the Father (part 1)

In 5th grade the kids joked me cause I had on no-name shoes

And I couldn't joke back cause I felt the same way too

I got picked on thru middle school but never learned to fight

Never taught how to throw a ball and my aim still ain't right

Didn't have the tools to answer back to that pressure from my peers

So I spent my time watching TV throughout my pre-teen years

Just another way to avoid dealing with my self esteem and fears

But that episode of "Fresh Prince" constantly kept me in tears

Got to the age where I could deal with my pain and stopped crying

Cause no matter how much I wanted to believe, he just never stopped lying

I've never been fishing before, never learned to work with my hands

Had to learn from a woman the best way to be a man

He never taught me how to treat young ladies with respect

He was never there to stop me before I would do those things I'd regret

See I was raised by women so I was a little bit different than the average dude

So I never had anyone to tell me how to properly deal with an attitude

So I went thru the heartbreak, I guess it was meant for me to learn the hard way

Just wanted guidance, he could've told me how to handle relationships the smart way

Though it should have been easier, thru the years I acquired my knowledge

And at the age of 17 I went straight to college

A new challenge to face in life with no man to look up to

By this time I knew your truth so my attitude was F#@YOU

Was always the one to overlook the bad inside of people

But by the time I approached adulthood your BS became see thru

And just when I think I'm tough on the outside and in

I hear Will Smith sing to his son and hear comes the tears again

And I know every man has times when you can't help but let your father's actions bug you

But what else can you do when you realize that he's never once told you he loved you

Filled with frustrations from my past and my sister's future anguish

With a mind set that makes excuses for my derogatory language

Cause now I taught myself to hoop and learned about cars from a girl

And my mom is my bestfriend now, so I don't need you in my world

And that was how it would be with us until an unconrtollable shift

I had to come back and live in a home with you for the first time since I was six...

Childhood Revisited (The Universals)

This one is dedicated to all the cartoons that were (for lack of a better term) unisex. The ones that were just as popular for little girls as they were for little girls. And based on some of the responses from the other cartoon blogs I'm sure that the ladies with like this one. I can't cover them all so here's a mix of some of the best ones and some you might not expect...

Fraggle Rock:



I know this one isn't really a cartoon but it was so popular at it's peek that it actually spawned a cartoon. I want to throw that intro up here too but it's the same thing so no need.


The Smurf's:



Mythological creatures and a wizard practicing witchcraft...everything a young child needs. LOL. You know, some of the things we watched as a kid were crazy. But one thing above all else still puzzles people about the smurf's...why was Smurfette the only woman?!?!?!

Heathcliffe The Cat:



Heathcliffe was off the chain. He was like a cartoon from the hood to me. LOL.


The Muppet Babies:



A lot of dudes would probably act like they weren't into this one but they would be lying. I used to sit in my man's apartment every morning with 5 other dudes waiting for the bus to come....EVERY MORNING. You know we still thought we were hard though. LMAO!!!


Duck Tales:



Man this was the other show we used to watch while waiting for the bus along with Muppet Babies (yeah real hard...LOL). I think it's funny that the entire planet consisted of ducks and dogs. How do you come up with that combination?!!!!? And are Huey, Duey, and Louie really Donald's nephews and Scrooge's nephews...where the hell are there parents?!? If you know please tell me.

Gummi Bears:



You know I had to show much love to the disney afternoon. Gummi Bears was so like that back in the day! I wish I had time to show love to all of them but Goof Troop, Chip and Dales Rescue Rangers, and Dark Wing Duck aren't forgotten but I had to show the best of the bunch.

Also, I didn't forget The Flinstones, The Jetsons, Care Bears, and Winnie the Pooh but I had to pick and choose and those four seemed too obvious to me.

Now I'm done, hope you enjoyed.

Visiting My Space

Most people who know me know that I like to write just about everything including lyrics and poems. I usually keep the writing that I share on my blog on Myspace but a blog by a friend of mine (shout out to J.A.C.) inspired me to share some of that writing on this blog too. I just wrote this one on Monday September 18 2006, let me know what you think.

It's called "A Conversation on your Birthday":

Normally don't write in the Blog unless I'm rhyming/ but a day like this I find it hard to confine/ my mind onto these simple lines/ cause I sense a feeling underlying/ that I try ignoring but when I ignore them/ the words that come out just sound boring/ so it's probably best if I explore them/ but already know what the issue is need a tissue for this sh*t/ cause the fact that you're gone has really hit/ cause this is the first birthday you never had/ should have been 71 instead you've been part of my past/ used to count from your birthday to mine/ we were born two weeks apart 44 years inbetween that time/ So now I spend this day to reminisce/ cause for the last 2 months I been acting like I really let go of this sh*t/ but I still got your house key on the ring/ and I still have your phone number in my phone waiting to hear it ring/ then I look at my hand and I see your ring/ you know a part of me hates that I now wear this damn thing/ but a bigger part of me is proud when I put it on/ cause I got you right here with me as I try to carry on/ grandfather around my neck and you on my finger, a matching set/ and I need you both to help me with my everyday stress/ cause once again I'm seeing struggles and disrespect/ wishing I could do more than what the family expects/ confinements are hard to handle and separation is worst/ and since I can't physically help I release it all in a verse/ put my energy into work cause I have to live on for you/ and allow my parents to handle life just as you would do/ but I get a little more protective when life is derailed/ damn I'm not looking forward to missing that birthday card (from you) in the mail/ but when you passed I had to just let life work things out/ so I guess when I struggle I have to let God in the room to get out/ I know that's what you would want me to do....let God.

Happy Birthday Grandma

Childhood Revisited (The Forgotten)

This one is dedicated to the cartoons that were on back in the early 80's/late 90's that most of us forgot when we were trying to be grown. I mean in most cases no one forgot the cartoons I posted as "The Majors" but these shows were either short lived or just supporting cast to those so a lot of us (including myself) forgot most of them.
In the last cartoon blog I talked about Thundercats and how dope that cartoon is and one of my biggest points was that the creators made a duplicate cartoon (Silverhawks) that was very popular even though it was basically the same cartoon. Well what most people don't remember is that the creators actually made two duplicates (AND I LOVED THIS ONE TOO!!!)...

Tiger Sharks:



They already had the land covered with Thundercats, the air with Silverhawks, why not cover the ocean too. LOL.

And while I'm talking about land, air, and sea....the next cartoon that isn't normally remembered by most encompassed them all in one.

The Centurions:



I remember this one because when I would go to Jon's house on the weekends I brought my toys from this show because together we had the whole set....LMAO!

The next one is probably the most forgotten but again the toys helped me out. I would probably call it a mix between Transformers and Centurions.

M.A.S.K.:



I will be very surprised if anyone remembers that one.

Back in the early 90's the country went kinda dinosaur crazy with a climax in the Jurrasic Park movies but what some don't remember is that it was in the cartoon world too...

Dinosaucers:



Is it just me or does the dude singing this joint sound just like the guy who sings the "Real Men of Genius" commercials for Budweiser. LOL!

I was actually surprised when I asked my cousin about the next one and he didn't remember. If not for that I probably wouldn't put it on this list because in my opinion it's the best one of this group.

C.O.P.S.:



This joint siced me! With the crap that they put out these days like Yugio and Pokemon I think this joint would be the best cartoon out if it came out today.

Okay, almost. Ladies if you are looking at the first two in disgust you should probably enjoy the last one a lot more. LOL.

Childhood Revisited (The "MAJORS")

Last week I was having a conversation with one of my boys (shout out to AB) about an old cartoon that I was in love with as a child and it had me reminiscing about a lot of the cartoons that I loved growing up in the 80's and early 90's. I'm talking back when it was actually worth rushing to get home after school so you wouldn't miss the new episodes and you got up at 8 a.m. on Saturday by choice, back when you knew exactly who the bad guy was and who the good guy was, back when they gave us entertainment and actually thought it was worth while to sneak a good lesson in there for the kids.
Now this is probably gonna be a little bias toward what little boys enjoyed but I'm sure the ladies can relate in some shape, form, or fashion. When I first got into cartoons as a kid when I really began to understand what they were about and know the characters it was about '83 - '84 when I was 4 years old. Back then the cartoon world (for boys) had a "Cartoon Trinity" (not to be confused or compared to the Holy Trinity, just used for emphasis purposes). These 3 cartoons RAN SH*T in the cartoon world for a solid 3-4 years.


GI JOE:




I know you smile just like I do whenever you hear someone say "and knowing is half the battle". That's why I had to give you both intro's...




Action, Adventure, a lesson at the end, and even a little patriotic brainwashing. LOL. You gotta love it.

He-Man:



Probably the most loved of the three, it still has people wondering today whether She-Ra was his sister, cousin, or girlfriend....LOL.


The Transformers:



Just incase you haven't heard there is a Transformers movie on the way next summer. Go 'head and search for the trailer if you haven't seen it yet.

During the run of these three dominant cartoons we also got another classic and unforgetable cartoon to grace the days of our childhoods.

VOLTRON:



Them punk ass power rangers did this joint an injustice!!!!

With the way that I regard the "Cartoon Trinity" you would think that there was none better but in my opinion the next joint not only was a suitable replacement for all three after there reign on top (I know I am so EXTRA...LOL) but was the SINGLE BEST CARTOON EVER.

Thunder Cats:



If you don't agree with me I really don't care what you have to say cause Thundercats is DOPE...so dope that you could call any character your favorite except Snarf and no one would argue, so dope that you know each one of the names (Lion-o, Cheetarah, Tigra, Panthro, Wiley Kit & Wiley Kat, Linxo, Pumyra, AND Bengally), so dope that 13 years after it ended they made a comic book for it, so dope that the grandfather on The Cosby Show was the voice of the black thundercat Panthro (Yeah he was black!!!), so dope that they made a spin off duplicate that was basically the same damn cartoon and that sh*t became one of the dopest cartoons of our childhood too....

Silver Hawks:



All I wanted as a kid was to see the Thundercats and Silverhawks together in one cartoon. These joints were LIKE THAT!!! LOL

I hope you are enjoying going back as much as I am but I ain't done, this is just the end of the major joints. More to come...

Village Mentality

Anybody who has ever sat down and had a conversation with me about kids, siblings, or anything of a personal matter you probably know that I am big on family. I'm close to my family and my family members have always been some of my best friends. So as I get older the idea of being a father one day is something that I want to happen more and more. I am just concerned with the way society is bringing up our kids these days.

I'm a strong believer in the fact that the direction a child takes starts AND ends with what the parent does in the house. What I mean by that is as a parent you tell your kids what they need to know, they go out and are affected by the world anyway, and then you reign them in and tell them how they messed up and what they need to learn. It's really not the hardest thing in the world but it's amazing how hard it is for some people to simply instill and reinforce good judgement & morals into our children. I personally think the one of the biggest problems people have in their way is the need for dual incomes. Ladies I am NOT saying you should stay at home because I don't believe that BUT we can't deny that it does have an affect when no one is home with the kids.

Since it's not realistic in most cases for one of the parents to be at home and we know from experience it's possible to turn out good kids with only one parent in the home there must be something else that's missing. Well, spending most of my childhood in a single parent home (including the time my mom was with my father) I grew up around my family (which is why I'm so big on family) and now that I am older I am a big believer in that old addage "it takes a village to raise a child". For me it was my family (and family friends who I thought were family...LOL) and my village spanned SW D.C., SE D.C., and all across Prince Georges County Maryland. I really think this is what's needed for us to get a better hold of our children. There is five times as much stuff on television and radio showing our kids what's negative in the world these days. Why not have five times as many people reinforcing the morals parents are teaching. But in order for it to work you have to trust the people in your "village" and they have to know the standards you expect for your kids....that's why I think family is the best for this. That's where you were taught and the people you will trust with your kids (in most cases). But I think it has to extend to all of us to have a sense of responsiblity to keep an eye on these kids.

I know this is probably left field for most reading this one but something I saw this morning made me think about it so I had to write it.....I was leaving out of the house this morning and just like every other morning there were about 10 kids waiting for the school bus at the end of my block. These kids are elementary school age so they are really young and they are normally out there making a lot of noise and running around playing with each other. It's harmless but the fact that they sit in the street playing like that always looked dangerous to me. Well this morning someone from one of the other blocks stopped as they were driving past the bus stop, rolled down there window and started screaming at the kids. At first I was startled and was wondering why as I stopped the conversation with my grandfather to listen. What the woman said was for the kids to stop running around in the street before they got hurt and to pick there jackets and book bags up off of the ground and put them on and MOST IMPORTANTLY she sat there and waiting for each one of them to do it. Now it may seem like much to some of you but these kids are really reckless sometimes so it was needed. The problem is that none of us "good neighbors" have ever stepped up to say something to the kids before this woman. I don't even think that she had a child out there because she didn't call out anyone's name or anything. After she pulled off they stayed quiet...at least until I was gone....and I noticed that a couple of other neighbors on the block saw what happened too.

I say this all to say that she made me look at myself and realize that I need to start being part of the solution. So from this point on I will try to make a point to be a part of the "village" and not an addition to our messed up culture. And as far as this blog goes.....

Let me know what you think.

Oh My DAMN!!!!

Although I am assuming this was done for comedic purposes this is probably as bad if not worst than the ignorance displayed in the "Chicken Noodle Soup" craze and I can't be mad at anyone who is completely offended by it. Sh*t after I was done watching it the first time I started feeling like Dave Chappelle when he talked about eating fried chicken around "others". BUT I don't know of a time that I had to restrain my laughter so hard (I'm at work). So we can discuss it or we can just laugh at it but I'm sure it will be a little of both with this one....






Funny or Ignorant.....Let me know what you think.
????

Black Men and Church (long article)

This article was emailed to me by a friend and it was so interesting that I had to share. I really want to know what everyone thinks about this one. I don't know the original source to give credit but this needs to be read....

WHY ARE MANY BLACK MEN STAYING AWAY FROM THE CHURCH, AND WHAT WOULD BRING THEM BACK INTO THE FOLD?

Come Sunday, Marcus Austin will rise and, dressed in his Sunday best, head to the Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral near his home in Douglasville, GA. This has been his routine since moving here from Vacaville, Calif., a month ago. Not so long ago, though, the 23-year-old would've been curled up under the covers like so many other men. Or like the scene in the 1959 Norman Rockwell print, "Sunday Morning," slunk down in an easy chair reading the newspaper as the wife leads their children out the door.

"As long as I believed in God," he said, "I felt I didn't need to be there."

If you've ever wondered why so many men, and black men in particular, share that view, you're not alone. The question has been raised in countless studies and dissertations, newspaper columns, books and, yes, even art. Lucius Felder of Decatur, GA thinks he knows the answer.

"The church today, in my opinion, is not about helping black men," he said. "It's a moneymaking business."

Those who agree with him also argue that the "black church" is no longer relevant, that it offers "no discernible message for what ails the 21st-century black male soul." That perception, said the Rev. Fredrick Robinson, pastor of Mount Gilead Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, is perhaps the biggest problem the church faces.

"You've heard the saying that the black man is in jail waiting for justice and the black woman is in church waiting for Jesus," he said. "Well, until the church projects the image of speaking truth to power, of being serious and aggressive about community uplift and economic empowerment, a lot of black men will remain uninterested."

But some who've studied the issue, who acknowledge that to a certain extent the men may have a point, say the problem isn't so much the church as it is man himself, which begs that age-old question God asked in the Garden of Eden:

"Adam, where are you?"

According to the Barna Research Group, a Christian research firm based in Ventura, Calif., more than 90 percent of American men believe in God, and five out of six call themselves Christian. But only two out of six attend church on any given Sunday.

"I've preached at megachurches that seat 8,000," said Jawanza Kunjufu, author of "Adam! Where Are You? Why Most Black Men Don't Go to Church" and the more recent "Developing Strong Black Male Ministries." "I'll ask the men to stand and 2,300 to 3,000 brothers stand up," Kunjufu said. "But if you ask the sisters to stand, now you're talking 4,500 and you can't even see the brothers anymore."

Robert Franklin, a professor of social ethics at Emory University's Candler School of Theology, said the relationship between men and the church "has been historically and is now a lovers' quarrel." But he said, "The problem isn't the church. The problem is with [man's] own spiritual journey and identity."


Institutional and personal

It's not exactly clear when the schism began. In that ancient garden? The migration to the inner city? Or in more recent years? What seems certain, however, is the impact of the mass migration of African-Americans to urban areas.

"In a more rural environment there was a closer percentage of men and women in church and more youth," Kunjufu said. "As more of us became urbanized, fewer men attended and mothers didn't require their sons to attend."

Five groups, Kunjufu said, generally have the greatest problem believing in Christianity and Jesus: those who are male, those who are educated, those who are young --- and Afrocentric, and those who are wealthy. "And don't let a brother have all five," he said.

More than two decades before Kunjufu posed the question, Franklin had written his senior thesis at Harvard University on why black men leave the church. The answers were both institutional and personal.

For instance, Franklin said, many men were turned off by the promotion of virtues like humility, sermons that advocated turning the other cheek rather than resistance, including, if necessary, violence. "Malcolm challenged Martin on this very issue," he said.

In addition, the men said the services were too long, that there was too much emphasis on money, and moral hypocrisy by church leaders. Many men, he said, also focused on their own moral failure.

"They didn't feel worthy to return to the church," he said. "But they still believed in God and were willing to return to a different kind of church."

Men at MegaFest
If men are absent from church, there was no shortage of them recently at T.D. Jakes' MegaFest conference held here last month.

Marcus Austin attended with a friend, Louida Martin. Darryl Groves of Orlando was there with his wife and youngest son. Fifty-four-year-old John Sheppard traveled there with a group from Baltimore, as did 64-year-old Francisco Raphael of San Antonio.

All of them said they attend church regularly. All of them had an answer when asked why women outnumber them on Sunday mornings. "They don't see the need for spirituality," said Groves, who has a Ph.D. in education. "They think if they get enough women, a little bit more money, if they play a little harder, it'll fill that empty place in their lives that only God can fill."

Groves said that many of those who attend the conference year after year are members of a church.

"Some come because their wives say, 'You're coming,' and when this is over," Groves said, "they go back to their community and don't do anything until the next conference."

But Groves, Sheppard and Raphael, who is a member of Cornerstone Church, a megachurch headed by John Hagee, all agreed the absence of men at church is hardly unique to the African-American community. "It's a universal issue," they said.

'A deep suspicion'

Submitting to a strong male moral authority figure was absolutely a deal breaker for Lucius Felder.

"The pastor asked me to submit to him," Felder said. "That means I give up who I am." Felder, 58, grew up in the church and has many family members still active in the church. "My oldest brother pastors a church in Kansas City," he said. "My stepfather was a pastor." And he himself played an active role, holding several leadership positions at his church, including chairman of the board of directors and as a member of the deacon board.

But by 1995, he'd grown discontented with how his church operated and perpetuated misconceptions about who Jesus Christ is, he said. He also found it difficult to reconcile Christianity with slavery and lynchings.

"Look at how many people we've killed in the name of Christianity but we call other people terrorists," he said. "What are we?"

Still Felder said God "is first and foremost in my life and I always give reverence to him."

Franklin said African-American men like Felder are keenly aware of the long history of neglect of certain issues, principally dealing with slavery, as well as outright manipulation and falsehoods propagated by churches.

"There is a deep suspicion implanted early on," Franklin said.

Said Robinson: "Black men detest phoniness. And nothing is more phony than the notion that race no longer matters in America. Too many Word preachers and nonpolitically inclined traditionalists believe because we are all saved we no longer see race."

Prison ministry essential

Reversing the exodus of men --- especially young men --- from Christianity will take a cultural shift on the part of church pastors, who can not only preach but put the Gospel to work solving the social problems plaguing their communities.

At Mount Gilead, Robinson said, men can participate in a variety of ministries that allow them the chance to discuss issues of importance to them, including drug outreach and mentoring youth. And plans are under way to begin a "speaker series" that will focus on such issues as joblessness, drugs and crime.

"You have to meet people where they are, on the street, in the public schools and the prisons," said R. Drew Smith, a scholar in residence at Morehouse College. "You can't carry on business as usual when we're dealing with unusual circumstances."

They might begin, Kunjufu suggested, with Monday night football.

"If you know that men are logical and visual, and we live in a country that is capitalistic," he said, "hold Bible study on Monday night."

But in addition to Bible study, provide a room just for watching the game and sharing a meal, a room for those who want to learn about the stock market, another for those interested in physical development, and still another for former inmates having problems getting their record expunged and are in need of jobs.

Because one of every three African-American males is in the penal system, either in jail, state or federal pen or on probation, it's imperative for churches to have a prison ministry.

"Seventy percent of those are there because of drug possession," he said, "so what are you doing about drug addiction, which is wiping out black families."

To attract and keep youth, he suggested a "holy hip-hop" Saturday night lock-in to keep kids off the street and on the premises for church on Sunday morning.

Kunjufu said studies show that if a child gets saved, 4 percent of the family will follow. If a mother gets saved, 17 percent of the family will follow, but if a man gets saved, 93 percent of the family will follow.

"When you save a man, you save a family," Kunjufu said.

Smith said churches that emphasize self-help and personal economic development tend to draw and retain black men in greater numbers.

He said, however, middle-class messages about prosperity and working your way up the social ladder don't speak to young black males who've been socialized on street violence, on broken homes, drug culture and underground economies.

"What we have in the African-American community is at least two societies growing up side by side," said Smith.

One half is developing well, taking advantage of professional growth opportunities in faith organizations and half are growing up outside the influences of our church and community institutions.

When churches commit to reaching people where they are, Smith said, they will see progress.

He cautioned, however, that "progress should not be measured in Sunday attendance, but in relationships fostered and lives changed."

Some Funny Sh!t

Ghost Face Killa a.k.a Ironman a.k.a Pretty Tony is one of the few members of the Wu Tang Clan that is actually successful in his solo ventures. He is a good rapper but he is also one of them dudes that will say some things that you just won't ever understand no matter how many times you listen to it. You know like your homie that will blurt out a dead serious comment that makes no sense and everyone just starts laughing.....THAT'S GHOST FACE KILLA (LOL). Based on this hilarious video my friend sent me I'm not the only one that thinks so....




The crazy thing is I can't tell if he's serious or joking in this joint...LMAO!

Sean "P. Diddy" Combs

Okay so last night the MTV Video Music Awards came on, hosted by Jack Black (who is usually pretty funny but sucked a$$ last night), and during the show you got basically everything you would expect from a normal MTV/BET awards show...Jayz clean as ever in the audience, a bunch of shots of Kanye after he doesn't win another award, a Beyonce performance (which was actually dissapointing this time), a ballad from either Mary J, A. Keys, Aguilera, Madonna, or Janet (depending on what channel it is and who's got the best single), "The King of the South" or "The Best Rapper Alive Since The Best Rapper Retired" or whoever the hot southern rapper is at the time, and of course P. Diddy...


















Now I didn't turn to MTV until about 5 minutes into the award show but I didn't miss much of anything that happened on the show but when P. Diddy hit the screen all the MTV VJ's could talk about was how he was acting during the red carpet pre-awards show. Normally the red carpet just consists of everyone walking up trying to show off how nice their ugly a$$ suits are, show some skin, and do some interviews and Puff is always in front of the camera. So it didn't surprise me when I heard a VJ say he interviewed Puffy but the fact that Diddy never responded seemed weird. Yeah it doesn't make sense at first but P. Diddy did an interview and never spoke a word but answered every question. How you ask...well it seems Puff has done it again, yep you guessed it, another "Man Servant" (which is f*cking hilarious all by itself). LOL. This nigga Puff allegedly pointed to the unnamed man after every question and the "servant" instantly knew the proper response...talking about good service! LMAO.

Now this is some funny sh*t to me so you know the first thing I did this morning was go onto youtube and try to find the video.....unfortunately I had no luck (aawwww). But in my search I have found some videos of what looks to be a new reality series being taped about Puffy and the sh*t is f*cking classic!!! Please check this out....





Did that bama do a hop while he was taking a piss....LMMFAO!!! And if that one isn't already enough to laugh at look at this fool when he gets drunk....




Man this sh*t made my day during Ernesto's Revenge...LOL.