"Every instance of heartbreak can teach us powerful lessons about creating the kind of love we really want."
-Martha Beck, O Magazine, February 2003
Shoutouts:
7.8.10- Happy Birthday Mom! Celebration to the most virtuous woman walking, a daily inspiration and an awesome role model. You rock mama diesel!
About Me:
Dominic Dorsey II is a student activist, entrepreneur, poet, aspiring author, radio personality and president of every organization he's ever joined since the 7th grade. He began a career in public speaking at the tender age of 13 and has spoken in front of crowds ranging from 50 to 800 people at any given setting. From working on an Anti-Violence Teen Resolution in Washington D.C. to present to congress, to staging a protest against his university for racial discrimination and student funding inequity. Dominic prides himself on the lessons of leadership he's learned across the way. Lessons he hopes to share with students across the country.
With Music (hip hop in particular) being his passion, this blog is a place to organize all his thoughts and observations on the topic. Along with stories addressing politics, pop culture, race & ethnicity and religion; it is the hope that in visiting this site, subjective analysis can stimulate conversation to enlighten the masses.
Random:
Donna Simpson of New Jersey is looking to go down in history as a women that weighs 1,000 pounds (SMH). She told telegraph.co.uk, “I’d love to be 1,000lb. It might be hard though. Running after my daughter keeps my weight down.” She's got three kids, from 3 to 14. Where's Howard Stern now?
(*shoutout to Illseed @AllHipHop.com)
Yet another celebrity has torn their underwear with me. Mel Gibson already proved to be anti-Semitic, now he's just a prick and an all around racist. Listen to this gem recorded from a phone conversation with his ex girlfriend.
He's an ass. Plain and simple. He's been a box office titan for years and when we finally turn the mic on to listen to him speak he shows his true colors as a bigot and a terrible human being. No he didn't beat his wife (that we know of) or club baby seals, but no one should talk to any woman that way. Let alone the mother of your children. Then he follows the same road of such esteemed company as Micheal "Kramer" Richards, Don Imus and Dog the Bounty Hunter in spewing racial epithets like they were punctuation in a text or colloquialisms in everyday conversation.
It makes you wonder how many other Caucasian celebrity darlings are blatant racists? Julia Roberts? Alec Baldwin? Steve Carrell? Ashley Judd?? I don't wanna speculate really and I'm by no means insinuating that only white celebrities are racist. I think everyone has racism in them to a certain degree. But damn...not Riggs. I just forgave him for his post-Passion of the Christ rant on Jewish people. Now I can't bring myself to watch a single Lethal Weapon movie. The whole chemistry seems fake now. SMH
I won't comment on whether or not I think they can win titles. Let's see them play together with a complete team first. I feel like I've been commenting or seen so much commentary on this already, but I'm COMPELLED to keep up this charade. I really don't want to talk about Lebron anymore, but the whole hour long "Decision" was so....dramatic and hyped up. I felt like I was watching Monday Night Raw all night waiting for John Cena's decision only to find out he was defecting to TNA....or something of that degree...
In other words? The NBA is becoming a lot like WWE. Dan Gilbert's tirade sounded like a wounded and bitter Vince McMahon who's so adamant about being anti-wrestlers once they leave his company that he bans moves that remind fans of their legacy. He recently banned wrestlers from using Knife Edged chops so that fans in arenas would no longer WOOOOOOOO! throughout venues across the country.
No need to worry about if Gilbert's gonna ban chalk in The Q however. Fan's are just as Anti-Lebron as they were Anti-Hulk Hogan at the 1996 Bash at the Beach when their beloved hero in Red and Gold joined the Outsiders to form the NWO.
*lol
The bad part about it is, like any wrestling fan in 2010 with access to a computer and internet...I already knew what was gonna happen before it did...I was just curious how it was gonna play out. I knew Lebron wasn't going to re-sign with the Cavs. I think deep down the Cavs did too, they just hoped against hope they were wrong...and sure enough? The montreal screwjob is replaced by the Connecticut Double-cross.
I could almost side with Cleveland fans (whom I genuinely feel bad for) when they say this is the biggest heel turn in professional sports in decades...but then you see Lebron's hurt and remorseful face when fans burned his jersey. You see the last minute jitters about making an announcement that would ultimately CRUSH a whole city...Makes you wonder how Hogan felt that night before he dropped the leg across the adams apple of Macho Man Randy Savage.
After years of telling kids to say their prayers, eat their vitamins and listen to their parents...you go to where the grass is greener with hopes of dominating the sport. A new world order, one that promises championships.
The only difference between Hogan and Lebron? Hogan already won a slew of Championships. So again...what was the motivation?
He's 25. His greatest memories before coming to the league were playing with his high school buddies. Maybe he just wanted that old feeling back. Hell, he couldn't get Bosh to come to Cleveland, so we knew Wade was out. Cleveland didn't have a squad that could help Lebron get a title, how would they help the NWO? Now Pat Riley (Eric Bishoff) has to find scrubs to round out this new band of bad-boys in South Beach.
Who's gonna be the new Horace Hogan, Disciple, Bryan Adams, Stevie Ray and Vincent? *lmao
Seriously...I can look at this two ways. Who WOULDN'T want the chance to play texas hold em with a stacked deck? It's the chance to have a REAL SHOT out the gate at a championship with three members of the gold-medal winning dream team...c'mon son. I can't hate that.
On the same token, who would wanna be towel boys for the NWO. Because there were no role players in the NWO, just bodies to make them look menacing while the faces; er, heels got all the shine.
hmmmmm....
Maybe in Lebron's head he was joining the Wolfpac against Kobe's NWO Hollywood? Or maybe the Celtics are D-Generation X?
It all seems far fetched and maybe I watch WAYYYYY too much wrestling. But say you couldn't picture Ron Artest coming out of the Staples Center locker room wielding a steel chair in the 4th against the Heat to even the odds?....right
Dan Gilbert has issues. It's official, King James is no longer a Cavalier, He's officially the exclusive property of the Miami Heat playing alongside D. Wade and Chris Bosh. So LeBwosh will be tearing up the Eastern Conference next season and Cleveland fans are left holding their jaws in their laps...
For some reason, despite the fodder and pageantry they involved themselves in, they never believed their beloved "King" would leave them. And when he did? All shit hit the fan. So much so that fans took to burning Lebron James "23" jerseys in the streets.
Like little kids acting out after their favorite superhero turns out to be a super-villian, they felt betrayed and hurt and acted out. Their only voice? Violent acts against fabric *lol. What other outlet do they have? I'm surprised they didn't take to looting in the streets? Luckily they didn't have to. Cavaliers Majority Owner Dan Gilbert said it all for them in an open letter verbally assaulting Lebron's character, integrity and loyalty. He even went so far as to CURSE the man...SMH, see for yourself:
Dear Cleveland, All Of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Cavaliers Supporters Wherever You May Be Tonight;
As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier.
This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his "decision" unlike anything ever "witnessed" in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment.
Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us.
The good news is that the ownership team and the rest of the hard-working, loyal, and driven staff over here at your hometown Cavaliers have not betrayed you nor NEVER will betray you.
There is so much more to tell you about the events of the recent past and our more than exciting future. Over the next several days and weeks, we will be communicating much of that to you.
You simply don't deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.
You have given so much and deserve so much more.
In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight:
"I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE"
You can take it to the bank.
If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our "motivation" to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels.
Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there.
Sorry, but that's simply not how it works.
This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown "chosen one" sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And "who" we would want them to grow-up to become.
But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called "curse" on Cleveland, Ohio.
The self-declared former "King" will be taking the "curse" with him down south. And until he does "right" by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma.
Just watch.
Sleep well, Cleveland.
Tomorrow is a new and much brighter day....
I PROMISE you that our energy, focus, capital, knowledge and experience will be directed at one thing and one thing only:
DELIVERING YOU the championship you have long deserved and is long overdue....
Can you say issues? I wonder if he will regret those words being made so public. For that matter I wonder if Lebron will regret not telling the owner of his decision before he made it? BUT as I stated the night of, atheltes are more like thoroughbred horses than people to NBA Brass. Once they've gone and got injured or became ineffective in the offense they would've been looking to unload him on another team anyway. Look how they did Iverson. It's no secret Loyalty and NBA Owners haven't been synonymous. So in that respect? Kudos Lebron for going where you can get a ring...maybe. And we can get into debates about whether he's still the heir apparent to "His Airness" now that he's not the leader of a team or if he's now just a souped up Scottie Pippen to D. Wade with Bosh as the Rodman...that's a blog for another day. Let's wait till the season starts before any speculation.
But with a 24 hour media frenzy and being courted by 5 teams to an announcement commandeering ESPN by a player with no championships to this?!?! They might have to change the NBA Tagline to "Where Drama Happens..."
This image provided by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department shows some of the 40,000 pounds of narcotics seized by officers from a tractor-trailer traveling through San Bernardino County, Calif. (AP Photo/San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department)
MARCUS WOHLSEN, Associated Press
So the in San Francisco, the California chapter of the NAACP has pledged to back legislation that would legalize Marijuana in the Sunshine State. Stating that since the NAACP supports fair and just treatment of the African American community, and that the arrest rate of African Americans greatly dwarf those of whites due to low level marijuana related arrests; it's only fitting that a campaign to legalize weed be supported. Simply stated, they believe that current laws are used to unfairly target minorities.
I can't disagree. Narcotics related arrests are responsible for many African American's trip upstate to the penitentiary. Not that this absolves them from all guilt. Operating outside the law is still criminal, however when the scales of justice seem to unfavorably tip to the side of racism and incarceration of people of color? Let's just take the source of the problem out of the equation altogether and see what the numbers reflect.
Why not, right? Marijuana has been known to have medicinal purposes. I don't partake, but to each his or her own. By all means, legalize it and tax it's sale. We're in a recession. If anything this could be the boost our economy needs to get through this modern day depression. Imagine if unemployed street hustlers could legitimately make money on a side scheme they've been doing for years?
If this legislature passes the way the NAACP hopes, then it would be legal in California to grow small plots of marijuana at home and it would be up to individual counties as to whether or not it should be sold and it's tax rate. Cool...I'm all for it. What could it hurt?
OH! WAIT...there's still racism and stereotypes. RIIIIIIIIIGHT!
So of course there's controversy. So one of the remaining advocacy organizations is trying to save the black community by making kush legal. Many in the black community are outraged, stating that the NAACP doesn't speak for them.
I agree. They don't speak for the entire community, but those who's families have been torn apart for a stupid mistake in smoking a natural substance no less or more harmful than a cigarette? I hardly think is cause for complaint.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, we've become so conditioned to complain that we get a crabs in a barrel mentality and start opposing the prosper of our own people. I'm not saying that the NAACP has all the answers with this, but they've given the United States injustice system a hard look and are trying to do something about it. As long as it doesn't increase crime, I think I can actually rock with the NAACP on this one.
It may not be the type of "advancement" many African Americans would expect, but at least it can help curb the decline.
I've been saying this for a minute, Lil Kim is now coming to the forefront with her comments and now fellow blogger Don Khafa has put together images to detail just how deep the obsession goes.
I will say this. I've always had an intense curiosity when it came to the Queen Bee. But I'm equally fascinated with Nikki Minaj. The problem is, I really don't like her *lol
In truth, I think she sets a bad example for young African American girls wanting to be accepted and appreciated for their talents and gifts that are non-anatomical. Yet the whimsical, off-kilter rhyme schemes of Nikki Minaj, Nikki Lewinski, Nikki the Ninja, Nikki the Boss or whatever she's calling herself this week has caused girls age 7 to 27 and higher to answer to the call "It's Barbie Bitch!". And who was the first Black Barbie on the rap scene?
The queen bee. Lil' Kim.
"Black Barbie dressed in Bvlgari...I'm tryin to leave in somebodies fararri..."
Check the How many licks video...(Atlantic disabled embedding, but the proof is in the pudding).
The more you watch, the more apparent it becomes. Yes, the rhyme styles are different. Lil Kim is actually more lyrical in many of her verses than Nikki Minaj, however, Nikki is much more widely known for her wordplay and punchlines. Kim was never known for witty one liners, more like dirty limericks.
HOWEVER...swagger jacking is about style. Nikki Minaj was not the colored wig wearing phenom when she first came out. As a matter of fact she was known for her ass-ets and black tresses only. Now? She shows up to the MTV awards looking like Wilma Flinstone in an orange wig.
Not that there's a monopoly on colored wigs, but before it was a fashionable marketing ploy? Lil Kim had the market cornered on it. It was her trademark, we came to expect it. Purple, green, red, blonde especially...and now? A cornerstone of the look that is Nikki Minaj. Maybe it's fitting that her oft adorned neck has a charm that reads "Barbie", because they're fake. A pre-packaged persona of what a woman should be based upon euro-centric ideals of beauty. One of the many reasons I despise any sort of "Barbie" movement. But then again... At the BET Awards, as Nikki accepted her Best Rap Female Award (which I'm trying to understand how with one single and no album, but who is she competing against?), she was very classy. Humble, surprisingly articulate and actually paid homage to all the women who paved the way before her. In essence addressing without addressing Lil' Kim's verbal harangue in front of a live audience as well as those watching at home. A true class act.
But then again,...what can she say? The comparisons are blatant?
Recently we learned that Nikki's new single "Your Love" has reached #1 on Billboard's Top 100 countdown. A feat that hasn't been accomplished in over 8 years (last done by Missy Elliot with "Work It" ).
How did this happen? Marketing...a throng of loyal twitter followers on #TeamMinaj and the essence of whom she probably considers a pioneer in the Rap Game...Kimberly Jones. Otherwise known as Queen Bee.
I'm no bandwaggon jumper, but Nikki is starting to grow on me. I still despise blind following by the masses, but her lyrical ability has improved as well. Her outfits and blatant swagger jacking aside, you can't deny that:
Still, is Nikki Minaj the Ultimate Swagger Jacker? Don Khafa seems to think so. I tend to agree, but I'll say maybe she's put a less sex intensive spin on it with a more 2010 edge on it. Not ignoring her sex appeal but not relying on it as much. If I say she's Swagger Jacking Kim, I also gotta say she's jacking Lady GaGa and Gwen Stefani too *lol
