BMW GINA

BMW GINA

The car with skins. An interesting approach to where the automobile may be going.

"With the development of the BMW GINA Light Visionary Model the BMW Group presents trendsetting solutions. Chris Bangle gives us a first impression of the ideas behind the process of sculpturing an experimental study. "

Silly Monkeys! Part 4: The Girlfriend's Friend

Silly Monkeys! Part 4: The Girlfriend's Friend
Get Familiar with the Silly Monkeys!:
Part 3: The Bouncer
Part 2: The Fly Designer
Part 1: The Banker
Part 0: An Abstract


At first she is nice. She can be pleasant and kind as she tries to sift through you; you know, to determine if you are right for her girl. She knows more about you than she leads on - she knows your good and your bad, your insecurities, your buttons. She is supposed to be happy for her girl, keyword is 'supposed to'. However she has grown up with her for awhile, and with woman, girls, females, and lets include humans in general, there will always exist a competitive spirit. She wants to be happy for her, but its very hard for her to be happy for her, if she isn't happy.
It says that thou shall not covet thy's neighbor's wife, maybe it should have just stopped at 'thou shall not covet', as if it were such a case, she would be a sinful sinner.

And she tries so hard to attain what she sees, and when she realizes that it is a paramount task, she gets calculating. She thinks, 'well, if she is happy and I'm not, then ...' she gets a case of crab-bucketitis - If she can't ascend herself to feel like her friend, then she brings the b*tch down.
Misery loves company, and she is looking for fellow employees - and she will try to bring you down to, directly or indirectly, and she has the power to do it. She knows, and will play off of your insecurities, jealousy, anything to get you emotional and cause a riff between you and your girlfriend.

But I play a different chord.

Fellas, understand that she only wants to break up your melody, because she wants a facsimile of your melody.

And with vocals like her, she will never harmonize, but will always be off-key.

And maybe the girlfriend will realize it as such and will end the sonata.

---

Aside:
I once experienced this dim creature and she purposefully and skillfully was able to affect me and caused problems between my girlfriend and I. Oh man, she was clever, she pushed a button that she knew would upset and trouble me. She got me. I was able to recover, naturally, because I am the trampoline-man (everytime I fall, I land on a trampoline). However she left her mark, and even Ajax, Vim, or Comet can't clean it. I haven't dealt fully with this silly monkey, maybe I will, maybe I won't, but I can say that in the future, if I ever encounter such a silly monkey again, I'll be sure to turn the silly monkey into a buffoon - expose her for what she really is, and what she is trying to do to her 'friend' (girlfriend); And that is what irked me most about this particular silly monkey, is that she was maybe trying to hurt me, but she ended up hurting her friend, and their friendship.

Silly monkey.


.:: d.b ::.

I Don't Know her anymore ... (that's a good thing)

I Don't Know Her Anymore ... (That's a good thing)
Discourse: change, history, adaptation Type: poetic style


I was told all about her;
Her nasty past - filled with chains, whips, confinement, guns;

She was troubled;
Filled with hate and fear for others, she built her self-esteem at the expense of others;
Breaking spirits, hopes, and dreams was synonymous with her name - as she rose to great powers;

Everyone wanted to have a piece of her though, a piece of her 'dream' - as her dream promised personal fulfillment for others whom worked hard and were dedicated;
For a long time, many were scared of her sight, her glare, her voice, her disdain for others;
She even separated herself from others - only to associate with those that resembled her;
And for those that were separated from her, were meant to feel below feces;
She enacted rules to sustain her behavior, guns to enforce her behavior, and persuasion & repetition to germinate her behavior;
However, the 'goodness' in man eventually led to a subside of her behavior;
And even thought her rules were gone, she had left a mark - a putrid stain that will never be forgotten;

Now, I don't get her, she seems so different;
Giving hopes and dreams to those she views different, but the difference I can't measure - don't even no where to start;
As it appears she is allowing a pigment change over her deep-entrenched red heart;
Maybe she has changed for the good - a complete 180 of what she was before;
Or perhaps it’s a change that will only be understood with time - as no amount of money could provide solace to all she hurt;
But her change may be retribution enough to those that had lost all hope with her;
One man is testing how much she has changed or is changing;

She was lost, and maybe, just maybe she has been 'found' or is in the process 'finding' … only time will tell


.:: d.b ::.

The Financial Times of Rappers

The Financial Times of Rappers
Virtues: financial responsibility, planning, guidance

Let's see how the 'Greatest Rapper Alive' handles his money:

Here's a snippet from The Smoking Gun:
According to a lawsuit filed last month by businessman LeMarck deAndre, Lil Wayne (real name: Dwayne Carter) agreed to pay at least $120,000 for the repair and refurbishment of a 1999 Bentley, which is pictured below. However, after the 25-year-old rapper belatedly paid $78,000 for work on his ride, deAndre contends, Carter refused any further payments. deAndre's December 18 Alameda Superior Court complaint, which you'll find here, charges that Carter owes nearly $80,000 in fees for the storage of the burgundy Bentley, which apparently was going to be shipped from northern California to Louisiana, home to Carter and Cash Money Records, the label Carter headed until last year.

So what's Wayne's reason for not paying? deAndre says he never gave him one and people in Cash Money stopped answering his calls. But interestingly enough, Wayne was negotiating a publishing deal for several hundred thousand dollars around the same time he had this $120k+ worth of work done to this car. So, in typical Lil Wayne behavior, he was spending money he didn't have yet. And it backfired. Peep the 7 page complaint for damages here. Interestingly enough, I'm also told that the Bentley was originally a gift from his "Daddy" Baby and was signed over in Dwayne Carter's name. Why Baby gave Wayne a Bentley he had to pay the bills on himself is beyond me…but not surprising. Meanwhile, Lil Wayne is threatening to blame this whole incident on his managers, but his managers say Wayne frequently ignored their advice and/or just didn't tell them about his purchases.

------
d.b says:
Well, if this claim is true, it will just be another example of how the young, rich, and powerful are not financially astute. It could also say that these artists' have a circle around them that are not looking out for their best interests. Or, it could be that these artists' are just stupid and even though they are presented with the education and skills to manage their money, they are mentally unequipped to handle such a capacity.

The 'Best Rapper Alive' may need the best 'Debt Consolidation' Agent alive.

.:: d.b ::.

Importance of Media Training, ex. 2 "Effiminizing"

Importance of Media Training, ex 2 "Effiminizing"

Bobby Brown recalling an encounter with Usher:

"When I walked into the party I ran into Usher and we immediately gave each other a hug. While he was holding me, he turned to the side and kind of put my neck in a playful choke hold and started squeezing me. I tried to tell him that I couldn't breathe but he couldn't hear me because the music was loud. It didn't help that he was drunk. I was yelling, 'yo, yo, yo let me go! I can't breathe!' He was excited to see me and he was just expressing himself with this gesture. He was so drunk he didn't realize what he was doing."

When you are a recording artist, your image is everything - it defines whom you are. With that said, it would be wise to always present a positive image about yourself, in this case Bobby Brown made an ominous mistake of trying to present a negative image of Usher, but in the same breath as Bobby Brown is presenting an image of Usher, Bobby comes off looking bad also. It can be said that Bobby Brown was the King of R&B for awhile before the Reality shows and the coke; Usher grew up on images of Bobby Brown and was no doubt influenced by him. Now, Usher can be viewed as the King of R&B, and it is kind of sad that Bobby Brown appeared to be helpless as Usher had in a 'playful choke'. I mean, you want to have the appearance that you can hold your own and be a 'man' - but this situation has Bobby Brown looking like a real b*tch as he was pleading for mercy from the might 'Usher' … I don't even want to get into the metaphorical symbolism that is laced in this incident.

So for you new artists' out there, especially the dudes, in your press interviews & sound bites, you want to come-off as a man that can stand on his own, not as a man that is pleading for help and comes off as effeminate … not a good look.

.:: d.b ::.

El 'Nerbano'

El Nerbano
The Nerban (nerd + urban) ... best of both worlds

The Nerban is the hybrid guy that has carefully meshed the two worlds of hip-hop/urban culture and nerd/geek isms. The Nerban can run in the streets, hang on the block, be affiliated with 'gangstas', and at the same time be abreast with technology, have a diverse investment portfolio, and have B.A.'s and Masters.

The Nerban is respected by hip-hop culture because of his nerdy-knowledge of technology and such; in the same breath, the nerds respect the Nerban because of his knowledge of hip-hop culture. Each group lives vicariously through the Nerban to get a glimpse into 'the other side'; the gangsta's get to learn about what's poppin' with the nerds, and the nerds get to see some urban swag and style.

With the ladies, the Nerban is the prime choice for the lady that is not looking for a gangsta, not looking for 'poindexter', but is looking for someone with a little bit of edge & style mixed with knowledge & ambition. Most ladies will experience a Nerban at some point in their life, but will have a tendency to disregard the Nerban because he isn't too 'street' enough, and usually these ladies end up where the Nerban was lacking (i.e. the Street - out on their own, lost).

The Nerban has always lived throughout history, from:


The Goofy Nerban


Will Smith a.k.a. 'The Fresh Prince'
~ His goofy style of rap lauded him to a Grammy and a hit TV show, he then used that to develop a successful movie career - All this from "parents just don't understand".

The Conscious Nerban


Common
~ The type of brother to school you with spiritual thoughts, but isn't scared to go into battle, remember the battle with Ice Cube anyone??


The Arrogant Nerban


Kanye West

~ Do I really need to explain this???????


The Righteous Nerban


A Tribe Called Quest
~ These nerbans are about having a good time, dancing, chilling, but can get grimey when need be.


The "Odd, but can't hate on him" Nerban


Pharell
~ Clothing and style has funky colors and patterns, social activities divert from the norm, but this Nerban can deliver in the streets or the boardroom.


.:: d.b ::.

Tip What? pt. 3

Tip What? pt. 3
The 'Included' Tip Get Familiar with Tip What pt. 1 & Tip What pt.2

I was recently out with a large group of people at a cafe/restaurant; roughly there were 10 of us. The joint was well designed, ambience was positive, and we were all enjoying the sweet delicacies of ice cream, crepes, and other fattening artery clogger-foods. When it was time to boogie, the waitress never asked if we wanted one receipt or separate receipts - she proceeded to give us one receipt with everyone's orders. I was fine with that; my portion totaled to like $4.74, so I believe I gave like $6 or $7 - figuring that it would cover taxes and would even add to a tip for the waitress. However, I was quickly prompted that I had to throw in $10 due to a gratuity that was already calculated into the bill. I obliged, but I was taken aback - it should be up to the customer if they choose to give a tip or not. Furthermore, automatically calculating the tip into bill is like a 'slap in the face'; the restaurant is pretty much saying 'you are going to pay a tip, regardless if you like it or not'. I guess restaurants engage in this practice because they figure with groups, they may not subscribe to socially practice of tipping (which is x% .... I don't even know, because I don't practice that foolery), meaning that the group may still tip, but below the 'acceptable norm'. And in retrospect, maybe the restaurants do this because dealing with groups can be problematic for their wait staff - for our group, some of the orders will wrong on the bill, some of the 'fresh fruit' was far from it, and a lot of the group members were not really pleased with their meal. I mean, look @ me; I really wasn't going to tip anyway - and I'm sure many of the other group members were going to follow in a similar fashion.

Its a very good thing though that I wasn't paying the bill for the whole group, because I would have ignored that 'auto' tip, and maybe even do a D&D (best way to work out calories ... instantly!).



P.S. d.b or its affiliates does not endorse Dine & Dashing at any restaurants, cafes, or the like.

Xtra Thought ~~
Look out for great pieces about D&D in the future though! D&D's are best done in foreign cities and when on vacations though.

Flashing Lights ver. 2 by Kanye West

Kanye West - Flashing Lights (2nd Version)

I get why Kanye is cocky, arrogant, obnoxious - not saying that it is 'right', but when you are so ahead of the pack (other rap artists), then it is only a matter of time before one gets 'gassed' and their ego takes over time. This video is very creative, and is a breath of fresh air into the 'hip-hop music video genre' - there is no rudimentary booty shaking or club scene, then a hood/block scene ... this video actually has creative treatment, and makes you think ..... some of y'all may have forgotten how that feels.

.:: d.b

The Simplicity in the 'Difficult'

The Simplicity in the 'Difficult'

Virtues: stubborness, respect, communications, selfish behavior

The 'Difficult' can be described as those people that are problematic & troublesome to deal with; they put up a hassle, they b*tch, complain, argumentative, slightly to severely irrational, and have an insurmountable level of the quality of stubbornness. The stubbornness is the inability or unwillingness to change and/or embrace a new idea or concept; and stubbornness relates to inability to understand where another person is coming from and not listening to what they are saying. The 'Difficult' are all around us - at the office, school, family, friends; they all at some point will find a situation where they will only care about their self-serving interests and will ignore/disregard what you are trying to say.

Varying Degrees of the Difficult
The difficult have to be one of two people; either they are very cunning and crafty OR they are very ignorant and lack comprehension skills. Either degree of the two can create headaches and problems for the individual that is dealing with this difficult specimen of human; I mean, after dealing with difficult people, many experience nausea, high blood pressure, bewilderment, and even rage. Going back to the degrees of the difficult that I outlined, the cunning & crafty difficult person is difficult because usually it ties into some logical plan that they have outlined - and they wish not to deviate from their plan. However, the ignorant and lacking comprehension skills of the difficult is usually tied not to logical thinking, but to selfish motives; the "I want to do it my way" school of thought. This group of the difficult usually can not provide logical reasons for their actions, and the only reasons they can provide are self-serving and selfish.

Dealing with the Difficult
I used to think that I am a difficult person to deal with (keyword for you mofo's is 'used'), but I had to privilege to listen in on a conversation with two people that were having a logistical/business discussion. To surmise promptly, the difficult person had gotten himself into some trouble with what he had promised without consulting his business partner; the business partner explained to the Difficult as to why what he had promised could not materialize - there must have been 10 explanations with different visual examples, but the Difficult did not get it or choose to ignore. The Difficult continued to ask the same question(s) over & over again. The business partner had to eventually come off the phone as it was raising her blood pressure and she was becoming increasingly enraged.

The whole time I was observing, I was like 'wow', dude is very difficult - he is not or is unwilling to understand simple things. Furthermore, these simple things that he was not understanding was because if he chose to understand, it would make him look very asinine ... his behavior appeared to be very difficult, but the reasons for him behaving as such were simple - he was in a jam/mess, and was trying to get out of it the best way he can.

So in the dealing with the difficult, it can be a simple process, and its not anything really profound or deep, you just got to tell the difficult how simple it is to resolve your problem, and it starts with accountability, then grows to compromise.

Explain it once, maybe twice, after the third time, let 'Mr. Tone' do the talking, first name 'dial'.

.:: d.b ::.

Importance of Media Training, ex. 1

Importance of Media Training, ex. 1
Case: Lil Wayne

In a recent interview in Blender magazine, a little gassed off the success of his single, 'lollipop', Lil Wayne said the following:

"I don't do too many (drugs). I just smoke weed and drink. But I'll never f**k with no more coke. It's not about the bad high; it's just about the acne: Cocaine makes your face break out. I'm a pretty boy."

Media Training is very important - it helps artists not sound like ignorant individuals, and helps artists from looking dumb and un-intelligent. I can just imaging that Wayne's publicist must've had heart palpitations after hearing the quote. Lil Wayne says in this quote, don't do drugs, not because it could possibly kill you, but don't do it because it can cause acne on your face.

Remember, the whole point of interviews is to leave a favorable impression for your fans & potential fans. Not to come off as an ignorant mofo.

.:: d.b

The Intuitive Waitress?

The Intuitive Waitress?
Virtues: proactive, stereotypes, prejudice, customer service

I once worked in a restaurant, I only lasted a few weeks as a bus boy; carting dishes from the tables to the back for washing. One thing that I noticed about the waiters at the restaurant was that they took a proactive stance in trying to anticipate what the customer would want. Which makes sense, because the waitresses are trying to get a larger tip for providing good customer service. Keep in mind though, that the waitress has to use their preconceived notions about the customer in order to be 'proactive'.

Jumping to the present, my girl and I have gone out to a couple of restaurants and we have both noticed a trend in the way wait staff are being 'proactive'; we both have different interpretations of this proactive behavior.

Incident One:
Were at a nice Asisan Cusine restaurant, I order a pad thai, and a platter of spring rolls; my girl ordrers some noodle dish. The waiter, a middle-aged asian man comes over and asks me specifically if I would like some hot sauce with my pad thai. I've had pad thai many times before, and I was never asked such a question.

Incident Two:
In a trendy part of time at a cafe/restaurant with a romantic/intimate ambience. I order a pad thai (again), and my girl orders a noodle dish (again). Now, this particular pad thai dish already came with spices, and our waitress asked me specifically again, if I would like hot sauce.

So based on these situations, I got to pose the question, are the intuitiveness of the waiters a sign of being proactive to the customer (as is my position) or is the intuitiveness a sign of disrespect and racial stereotyping (as the girlfriend is advocating).

I can't call it, what do y'all think?

(P.S. I am a Young Black Entrepreneur Extradornaire ... may help with your assessment)

Blue Devils

Blue Devils
Jon Hope feat. Terminology

Hip-Hop isn't dead, the real hip-hop is just a lot harder to find, is not in the mainstream, and lives on the Internet as opposed to your pop radio station. Hip-Hop has always been the first medium/media to report on social injustices; from "The Message", "Self Destruction", and other songs, Hip-Hop gives insight to what problems are affecting the community.

This song by Jon Hope & Terminology was inspired by the recent events of the Sean Bell incident, and comments on police brutality and injustice.

.:: d.b

Super D's & Bill Clinton

Super Delegates & Bill Clinton
The Power, and the Questions the Super D's must ask

This Democratic race between Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hilary Clinton is a nasty contest; as both candidates are fighting to secure the democratic nomination. In an election year, where the general public wanted to see a change from the Bush regime, that is to say to avoid another 4 years of Bush style politics in a John McCain, the Democratic party is so divided that they may have hurt their chances to win the general election. At the beginning of 2008, heck even 2007, the democratic party expected to win the '08 election because of the many ills the current administration has administered on the American people and the world.

Mathematically, Obama has the nomination locked - but not all math is equal; meaning all values are not treated the same. We all have been introduced to the term 'Super Delegates', and it is the super delegates that ultimately have the power to decide and can override what the delegates decide. And it appears that Clinton will have more Super Delegates than Obama.

Thus, the Super Delegates have some tough questions to ask of themselves:
1. What will be the social cost of selecting Clinton over Obama, even though Obama had more votes than Clinton.
Answer: This will send a message (direct/indirect) that even if a Black Man can win, ultimately he will lose. Furthermore, this can cause social upheaval as the cost of this decision is not just Obama vs. Clinton, but will also regress the progress that black people have accomplished.



2. How much loyalty do I have to Bill?
Answer: To the Democrats, Bill Clinton is the best thing since slice bread - on a whole, the Clinton presidency was one of the best eras in U.S. history in terms of economic and social progress; the economy was soaring, jobs were booming, and the healthcare industry was improving. Thus, a lot of the Super Delegates owe their status to Bill Clinton - meaning that Bill still has a lot of pull within the upper echelons of the Democratic Party, and if it comes to the Democratic nomination being decided by a bunch of Super D's in a back room, then Bill Clinton will be a power to be acknowledged.

In all, whoever the democratic nominee will be, they will have the daunting challenge to reunite a dilapidated party that is divided by gender, racial, and ideological differences, and will have to mount a tight campaign in a short period of time.

...... Looks like the Bush Regime will die another day, McCain can't be any worse, right?

.:: d.b

Rodney King '08 in Philly

Cops beat up Suspect
Rodney King '08 in the city of brotherly love

This is nasty, the quiet video speaks volumes of how law enforcement treats black people. In this instance, in Philadelphia, cops drag out a fleeing suspect from his vehicle and a gang of cops take turns throwing in kicks & punches. Apparently it takes upwards to 10+ officers to take down two suspects. Philly already has to deal with one of the highest crime rates, poverty, and an unequal social system - so this event, doesn't help the city of 'brotherly love'.

A social response is necessary, violence/riots may not be the answer - protests and rallies may be useful, but how much can people take of this injustice? First Sean Bell, Jenna 6, and now this???

.:: d.b

Major Taylor: An Unknown Great, Cyclist

Major Taylor
A Great Unknown

From Wikipedia:

Marshall Walter ("Major") Taylor (November 26, 1878–June 21, 1932) was an American cyclist who won the world one-mile track cycling championship in 1899, 1900, and 1901.

Taylor was the second black world champion in any sport, after boxer George Dixon. The Major Taylor Velodrome in Indianapolis, Indiana, and a bicycle trail in Chicago are named in his honor. On July 24, 2006 the city of Worcester, Massachusetts, changed the name of part of Worcester Center Boulevard to Major Taylor Boulevard. His memory is honored not only for his athletic feats, but for his character. Taylor was a devout Christian who would not race on Sundays for much of his career, making his success all the more remarkable.

Taylor was born to a large family on a farm in rural Indiana to parents Gilbert Taylor and Saphronia Kelter, who had migrated from Louisville, Kentucky. He began as an entertainer at the age of thirteen. He was hired to perform cycling stunts outside a bicycle shop while wearing a soldier's uniform, which resulted in the nickname "Major."



As an African-American, Taylor was banned from bicycle racing in Indiana once he started winning and made a reputation as "The Black Cyclone." In 1896, he moved from Indianapolis to Middletown, Connecticut, then a center of the United States bicycle industry with half a dozen factories and thirty bicycle shops, to work as a bicycle mechanic in the Worcester Cycle Manufacturing Company factory, owned by Birdie Munger who was to become his lifelong friend and mentor, and race for Munger's team. His first east coast race was in a League of American Wheelmen one mile race in New Haven, where he started in last place but won. In late 1896, Taylor entered his first professional race in Madison Square Garden, where he lapped the entire field during the half-mile race. Although he is listed in the Middletown town directory in 1896, it is not known how long he still resided there after he became a professional racer. He eventually settled in Worcester, Massachusetts (where his nickname was naturally altered to "The Worcester Whirlwind"), marrying there and having a daughter, although his career required him to spend a large amount of time traveling, in America, Australia, and Europe.

Although he was greatly celebrated abroad, particularly in France, Taylor's career was still held back by racism, particularly in the Southern states where he was not permitted to compete against Caucasians. The League of American Wheelmen also excluded blacks from membership. During his career he had ice water thrown at him during races and nails scattered in front of his wheels, and was often boxed in by other riders, preventing the sprints to the front of the pack at which he was so successful. In his autobiography, he reports actually being tackled on the race track by another rider, who choked him into unconsciousness but received only a $50 fine as punishment. Nevertheless, he does not dwell on such events in the book; rather it is evident that he means it to serve as an inspiration to other African-Americans trying to overcome similar treatment. Taylor retired at age 32 in 1910, saying he was tired of the racism. His advice to African-American youths wishing to emulate him was that while bicycle racing was the appropriate route to success for him, he would not recommend it in general; and that individuals must find their own best talent.

He was reported to have between $25,000 and $30,000 when he returned to Worcester at the end of his career, but lost it to bad investments (including self-publishing his autobiography), persistent illness, and the stock market crash. His marriage over, he died a pauper in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood, survived by one daughter. In 1948 his body was moved to a marked grave in a more prominent section of Mount Glenwood Cemetery thanks to funding by Frank Schwinn. A monument to his memory is being planned for Worcester, and even Indianapolis has finally confronted its racist past by naming the city's bicycle track after Taylor.

-----
Commentary:

Imagine getting respect for your skills and ability around the world, but at home, such skills are not even acknowledged, and such, you are treated inferior. I never heard of Major Taylor until recently, as it appears to be that he is a great black hero that is unknown by many ... thus, spread the knowledge.

Peace

.:: d.b

You're a Yuppie when ...

You're a Yuppie when ...
Virtues: business, entrepreneurs, revolt against the system, technology

The term yuppie (short for "young urban professional" or "young upwardly-mobile professional") refers to a market segment whose consumers are characterized as self-reliant, financially secure individualists. So this is an interesting list of some signs of a yuppie.


You know when you're a yuppie when ...

- you go to the club to do more networking than 'picking up'

- you save gas & meal receipts so that you can file them for your income tax 'business expenses'

- you have a smartphone w/ an accompanying over-priced data plan

- you switch from hotmail to gmail

- sleep starts to become a luxury

- T.V viewing is a luxury



- Starbucks becomes a place for business

- you're at work, and all you can think about is the amount of work you have to do after work

- economics and financial markets are suddenly more interesting

- Social networking sites are more for networking and promoting your business than hooking up w/ old friends & finding new ones

- you stopped putting songs as your voice mail message

- you do your work @ work, while still doing your employers work

- you use a sick day not because your sick or to hook up with your partner, but to do work

- you feel guilty when you are doing nothing

- your only 'downtime' is during your commute

- your mind is always racing with new ideas and business ventures

- you consult your blackberry/PDA before you make time with your significant other, friends, and family

If you have one or multiple attributes from this list, then you may be a Young Urban Professional that is taking a detour on the trail of life that the system provides and creating your own path.

Go on young trailblazer, blackberry in hand.

.:: d.b

ClearView

ClearView
Virtues: Relationships, peace, understanding, compromise

Relationships can be a tumultuous affair; confusing and frustrating, noisy and unrestrained - yielding excitement and great happiness to emotional agitation. I'm in a committed relationship with this woman, lets call her Melissa (lol). Ambitious, loving, caring, at times stubborn & selfish, sexy, and very perceptive. I am also very perceptive, and too much perceptiveness, in my case, leads to heightened paranoia. I'm sure that many can relate, and many take proactive measures to muffle their paranoia from increasing; Alicia may snoop in Mike's phone, Robert may randomly check out Erica's workplace to make sure she is there, and such. All of those/these types of behavior may quell your suspicion, but if the suspicion is so strong that you are willing to do extreme behavior, then you got to ask yourself if you got a ClearView?

What is a ClearView, if you've been reading my literary masterpieces, then you know that I like creating new terms and/or applying old terms to different/left-park concepts. A ClearView is a state of accepting the relationship as it is, as it could be, and what it might be.

As it is (AIS)
As it is (What it is), is pretty self-explanatory in abstract, but in practicality, there are usually two different current states. Having a ClearView is understanding the two different states, and understanding that those two different states may never merge as one; and really, I don't think that it ever has to merge as one - that isn't as important as understanding than more than one exists.

As it could be (ACIB )
As it could be (AICB), is the vision that each one has - of themselves, together, and of the other one. AICB almost works like ecological optics and the concept flow information; to move through the environment, the brain uses information from the eye, previous experiences, and 'feeds forward' the information to predict future actions. Thus, AICB is really based upon understanding how it is, and if how it is can be changed. Can you & your partner change? Are you willing? Stubbornness can be an obstacle to this, as one has to have a ClearView that each party has to compromise and change in order to get to that state to where they want to be - as long as it is not at the expense of their own personal beliefs and values, but with that said, that is a problem, with each party, and each party must understand that that problem will exist - and may never go away.

As it might be? (AIMB)
Having a ClearView of 'as it might be' is very scary. Growing up, I had many girls tell me all sorts of stories where they slept around on their b/f, disrespected the b/f, and used the b/f for monetary/status gains. This world is nasty. So having a ClearView is understanding that you are ready to accept 'what it might be'; I'm not saying to condone AIMB, but to be strong and confident that you are at peace with yourself. That you have tried to be honest, respectful, loving, and real. And having such a ClearView, I think, would subdue paranoia to a manageable extent so that you won't be snooping around, spying, and things of that nature.

Do I have this ClearView?

I think I do, and at times my vision is clouded, but for my sanity sake, I subscribe to the notion that being at peace at yourself of what it is, what it could be, and what it might be is a viable path to constant sanity. I have definitely been tested though, as most relationships have. One time Melissa acted irresponsibly around one of my close friends; to make a long story short (because that is a blog in itself), when I heard of the irresponsible behavior from my friend, I was emotionally agitated. Upon confrontation, Melissa told me that wasn't the case, even though both parties had similar stories (regarding chain of events), but the motivation for Melissa behaving as she did was different than he thought.

Regardless, my ClearView was developed during that difficult time - as I wasn't going to let my paranoia consume me; because I can control and influence ‘as it is’ & ‘as it could be’, but ‘as it might be’ is out of MY hands ... and that is a succinct ClearView.

Ya Digg? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment.

.:: d.b

Silly Monkeys! Part 3: The Bouncer

Silly Monkeys! Part 3: The Bouncer
Virtues: deceit, honor, code, ethics
Read Part 0, the Abstract & Get familiar


The Bouncer has a very important job at the club. In the club world, they are the 'authority' that regulate the patrons & uphold the club's policies. The Bouncer is a 'cool' name for Security; I wonder how it started - must have been when someone working security in a club developed a reputation, better yet, an attitude, for physically &/or verbally denying people admittance to a club. That sounds like an accurate etiology of the word 'Bouncer'; the bouncer enjoys the power he has - and administers such power to his advantage. The Bouncer gets to select which ladies get 'preferential treatment' into the club - though the lucky ladies may have to give something up in return (a number, dignity, etc.) , the Bouncer is content irregardless as it is just another act, and a benefit of his power.

Across the board - whether in a grimey or posh club, the Bouncer has the alpha male macho tough guy attitude. But even with all the power, respect, and perks, the Bouncer wants more. You see, on the 'club hierarchy' or 'food chain', the Bouncer is just above the people that do coat check & admittance. Yes, that is super ugly. The bar staff even makes more than the Bouncer. So the 'muscle' uses its 'brain', some cortical regions of it I suppose, and has learned extortion - or what people in the entertainment/club world call 'greasing' or 'to grease'. Which is the act of paying a Bouncer a fee to his liking, in order for the Bouncer to overlook or bend some of the club's rules. Greasing gives the Bouncer a new dimension of being Judge, Jury, and even sentencing board. For example, the dress code is a grey area - if you don't meet the specifics there is hope that you will get in, and it probably will cost you $20 to the bouncer. And at Posh spots (L.A. especially!), your clothing may be on point, but if you don't know anyone that works at the club, then you may also have to pay the Bouncer a fee that I like to call a 'privelige fee' - this is a fee that covers the Bouncer giving you the privilege to STILL pay the club admission fee, and party with the club patrons.

L.A. is notorious for that.

How do I know so much about the Bouncer, I know some, and I have experienced their tactics - and no longer will I be a 'Silly Monkey' to their foolery.



.:: d.b
Read more Silly Monkeys! sagas:
Part 0, the Abstract , Part 1, Strong-Arm Mike the Banker Part 2: The Fly Designer 'Jart'

Suge Knight's "Unfinished Business"

Suge Knight's Unfinished Business

Al Sharpton schools FOX News

Al Sharpton schools FOX News

FOX News is taken to school once again, this time by Al Sharpton as he is asked his take on the whole Obama and his pastor issue.

Take notes .