The Makings of a Man

Only Kanye West would have an album cover like this.

Kanye West is ready to celebrate again, but not in the way many come to expect. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is not casually titled. West’s fifth studio album is a sinister, orchestral, hugely pompous affair that owes as much to the artist's self-aggrandizing ego as to the voracious id that would destroy it publicly (yes step your vocabulary up).

Exhibit A: West to album cover portraitist George Condo: "Look, I'm a let you finish, but can you make me look even douchier?"

West is without question a prince among narcissists. He has never been afraid to marvel at, pose questions to, or generally bask in the inner folds of his psyche, but there was only one way to interpret the early message sent by "Runaway." He calls himself an asshole, in the chorus of an epic, piano-driven single. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is filled with similar moments, as if West is working from a checklist of his faults. Workaholic. Commitment-phobe. Loose cannon. Substance abuser.

On "Dark Fantasy," the album's opening track, he raps:

"The plan was to drink until the pain over / But what's worse, the pain or the hangover? / Fresh air, rolling down the window / Too many Urkels on your team, that's why your Wins-low."

See what he did there? Loss becomes win.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, West’s rather complex drama -- an extrovert's attempt to invert what's internal -- wouldn't work so well without an equally complicated score, or with one that simply contrasted his increasingly greater vision-of-self against triumphant rant.
This album's production is loud and proud, but also poignant and gripping that always hinting at some looming danger. You can hear it in those tempering first moments -- where Nicki Minaj delivers a cracked fairytale rap over a chorus of angels and demons -- and also in the closer, "Who Will Survive in America," which samples, at length, Gil Scott-Heron oratory about the death of a nation's blind idealism (or perhaps West's).

The tracks in-between is just as dark, twisted, and beautiful. There's "Power," a contemplation on fame and obsolescence that cleverly quotes King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man." "All of the Lights," wrangles everyone from Elton John to Rihanna to help tell a story about a man whose selfishness drives his family away. "Lost in the World," transforms Bon Iver's melancholic "Woods" into a perversely bright experimental dance track. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is not a flawless album. Too many songs dash around or hover past the six-minute mark. The guest list on posse cuts "Monster" and "So Appalled" could've been pared down. West could've skipped the three-minute solo on "Runaway" altogether.

From the looks of things, West is not claiming to be flawless anymore. He's trying to make a masterpiece. Trying to be honest with us. Trying to be honest with himself. Trying to figure out if he's closer to God or to something else entirely. Far more important than his aim, however, is the fact that he tries at all. The Grammy’s, the platinum packs, the tickets stub from all the arenas he's rocked -- they aren't laurels to be rested on. They're a jagged, unbalanced bed that West could spend a lifetime squirming over, perhaps finding only 60 or so minutes of thorny comfort at a time. That's eternally daunting news for him. But for us, it's a blessing.

Rating: 9 out of 10

As I have gotten older, I have realized the importance of religion. While in undergrad, I was exposed to a variety of other beliefs that I never knew existed. I mean you have Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, atheists, etc. However, one thing that really baffles me is that with all these discrepancies in religions, people still have a hard time admitting that they made an honest mistake.

Admitting that you are not perfect should be a requirement in everyone's life. Perhaps I'm preaching to the choir, but I cannot recall anyone walking this planet as "perfect." As I type this, I think back on some of the mistakes I have made in my life. In particular, during my younger days, I used to think that everything would fall right into place in my life. Boy was I wrong.

Oh my goodness, he's got to be the sickest man in western New York

What intrigued me last night while I was watching SportsCenter was the audacity that one player had to say over a mistake he made. Buffalo Bills wide receiver, Steve Johnson, dropped a potential game-winning touchdown pass in overtime of a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers went on to win the game by a field goal.

Johnson was obviously upset after the drop as well as after the game. He had the audacity to blame God for his mistake. Just when I think I've heard (or in this case read) it all, something is bound to prove otherwise. I'm used to hearing people thanking God after a personal achievement, but to blame Him after a loss? That's absurd. I may be wrong, but I'm not real sure that God is overly concerned with sporting events or played any role in Johnson taking his eyes off the ball. I guess Johnson lives in a consequence-free world where all errors can be blamed on a supreme being. That's like me blaming God for allowing me to fail an accounting test; utter and complete foolishness.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know I did. Class, I’ve come to a realization of things. There are times in which enlightenment will hit you in the most random of times. So without further a due, I’ll bring your lesson for today (or at least I’ll try, still high off of turkey [ Tryptophan] here).

Here in the United States, today is a special day: Black Friday. Black Friday is an unofficial holiday, celebrated on the day after Thanksgiving that marks the beginning of the Christmas holiday season. As many of you have heard on the news or online, many retailers open early (often 4am or even earlier) and offer promotional sales to kick-off the shopping season. Virtually every mall, outlet, retail store, etc is witnessing disruptive pedestrian and vehicle traffic in hopes of catching a bargain.

Now these bargains are great to an extent, however, the one issue I have with the Black Friday madness is that retailers only have a few big-draw items available for sale on the day after Turkey Day. So essentially, the promotions hype a shopper up, get their adrenaline going, only to have a crash feeling like how a Red Bull would hours after consumption. Injuries and deaths have also occurred in these human stampedes. All this over a few retail promotional deals. So being the “philosopher of life” that I am, I began to wonder how would things be if we applied the same energy and logic that we use on Black Friday in our personal relationships.

Now granted, I totally understand that Black Friday is about shopping. But hear me out; if we applied the same attention and energy for shopping, that we do in our relationships, we would be happier. For example, prior to Black Friday, you are working on your roadmap of retail stores you will go to. If it is a mall, you are probably drawing your plan of attack either in your head or on paper. When was the last time you have written anything to or about your significant other? When was the last time you have communicated with him/her? I’m not talking about a “what are we eating” or an “I’m just trying to get some sex” conversation. I mean a real, intimate, genuinely honest conversation. Face to face, no texting, BBM’ing or other forms of electronic communication. These advances of technology that help us “communicate” can also hurt the quality of that communication, especially in romantic relationships (I’ll have to discuss communication in another post).

But it strikes me as odd that a couple can stand in line for hours in hopes of getting a new 60” TV for under $2,000, but they can’t even talk about their love for one another for free-ninety-nine. There’s obviously something wrong if a female wants you to spend $129 or more on a new digital camera if she can’t pick up the phone to call and have a simple conversation with you. We live in a materialistic world. A world in which money and material possessions outweigh interpersonal relationships and no-holds barred communication.

I’m not here to judge your actions, but help improve your reactions. So while you are standing in those lines, or even shopping online….I want you to ask yourself: does your relationship have insufficient funds? Just like at your job, you have to work to receive your reward (paycheck), but have you really worked on your relationship lately? Or are you just going through the motions, waiting aimlessly for something (good or bad) to happen? For those in relationships, try to put the same effort you put in shopping into upgrading your relationship…after all, the return lines are longer the day after Christmas than the lines to purchase the products on Black Friday. In other words, the work you put into your relationships now will benefit you in the future, but it is up to you to control what happens in your relationship. Is your relationship like the true meaning of Christmas, or a glorified commercialized item that will be junk in less than two months?

Happy holidays and feel free to comment.

---Class Dismissed

My role model, Henry "Hank" Aaron

I never doubted my ability, but when you hear all your life you're inferior, it makes you wonder if the other guys have something you've never seen before. If they do, I'm still looking for it.---Henry "Hank" Aaron

The gentleman must always remain fully cognizant of what delivered him to the pinnacle of his achievements. He must never lose sight of the skills he was blessed with that enabled him to become successful. It would be terribly negligent for the gentleman to ignore his unique talents and capabilities based solely on the negative opinion of naysayers.

Understand that the aptitude that you display in a particular area may in fact be coveted by other individuals. So, they seek to undermine the very qualities that make you special. They strive to inject poisonous thoughts of self-doubt. They strive to cripple self-esteem with hurtful and destructive language. And even if the gentleman has yet to taste the rewards of success, others may recognize your hidden potential and work tirelessly to shut it down. Don't let them.

The distinguished gentleman is definitely not inferior. Actually, his loudest critics may be suffering from an inferiority complex and is practicing the art of projection. Don't allow their anxiety to become yours. Understand your talents and utilize them to the utmost maximum degree. The same abilities that afforded the gentlemen a level of exactly the ones that will keep him there. Never forget it.



I hope each and every one of you have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving! This will be my seventh year celebrating the holidays without my grandmother. She passed away my senior year of high school and since then, holidays have not been the same.  Nonetheless, I have so much to be thankful for. Enjoy yourselves! :-)

I pride myself in being able to recognize the best in others. I see it as a testament of my taste level. I can’t stress enough the importance of surrounding yourself with energy that supports your goals. Older folks used to say, “You can’t soar with eagles if you’re walking around with chickens.” Unfortunately, I have encountered countless chickens thus far in life.

If there is someone in your life who is a straight up “chicken”, don’t cater to their foolishness, just press the delete button and move the cursor to the next website in your life. You cannot have any offenses or stumbling blocks along your path that do not need to be there. I know it’s hard to leave stuff, trust me, I know.
Sometimes when we hold on to stuff, we delay God from blessing us and it’s a lot like a leech, not helping us at all, just sucking all of the blood and energy within us. Once the leech has gotten what it wants; then it falls off, satisfied with its work.

The same logic can be applied when it comes to helping certain people, its okay to help someone, until it comes to a point where you become drained. God never intends for your helping others to become a burden to yourself.

You have to be careful, even if someone is putting the right stuff on the table, is that what God has called for you at this point in time?

It’s important for we (as humans) to understand the moment, the season, the context in which God has laid us in and who and what to be surrounded by.

I had to learn the hard way that there are some people that you just have to let go of and step aside—because they can obstruct where God is trying to take you. There have been times when I’ve had to separate myself from certain family members, childhood friends, and people in general who brought negative energy into my life. It’s not always easy, but very necessary.

If you know you are the best, it only makes sense for you to surround yourself with the best. NO EXCEPTIONS!

---Class Dismissed

Fitness is not easy. It takes dedication, commitment, hard work, and consistency. Aristotle said:

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.

One of my favorite quotes, because this pertains to all areas of life, including fitness. It is our habits that derail us from reaching our goals. We develop these bad habits, and repeat them subconsciously, to the point that we don’t even realize that these normal day-to-day occurrences hold us back. Talking with a few people recently, I see these common habits that if changed, will yield immediate results and start them on their way to better and fit living. Here are a few easy tweaks to make to improve your nutrition and fitness.

Eat breakfast

If there’s one nutritional hazard that many people have, it’s not eating breakfast. We all know the excuses: "I have no time", "I hate breakfast", "I can wait until lunch", etc. Breakfast, as cliché as it sounds, is the most important meal of the day. It revs your metabolism up, assisting in fat burning/weight loss, and gives you energy to start your day. Now I’m talking about good meals, so don’t swindle this tip for your own benefit. Start off the day right!

Don't skip meals

Another reason why breakfast is so important is because if you go over three hours without eating, your body goes into starvation mode, retaining fat and making it difficult to burn it off. You should eat five or 6 meals a day (the three basic meals and snacks plus smaller meals) to keep your metabolism active.

Weight Train and Cardio Together

Lifting weights can burn three times as many calories as cardio training. You get an afterburn as well. Some people just lift weights. Some just do cardio. Doing both will maximize your results. Period. It might seem like a lot, but seeing your abs for the first time ever, may motivate you to push yourself harder.

These are three easy changes to implement into your schedule. The hardest part is breaking out of your normal habits and making these changes your new habit. Focus and make it happen!

Any tips you have that have worked for you?

I remember in undergrad actually having to convince some of my female friends the club wasn’t a good place to look for a potentional boyfriend. To me, I was shocked that I had to actually argue this point. I thought it was clear to everyone that the club was for finding one night stands, jumpoffs, and bucket heads … not Ms. (or Mr.) Right.

Why is the club tailored to those looking for temporary love? What is it about the club that is poisonous to the creation of true love? Why is any relationship formed in the club almost always doomed to fail? Simply put, the "club mentality."

I can’t speak for everyone, every club, everywhere, but generally speaking, the club is the definition of  “the frenzy." There is a lot of liquor involved, it’s an environment solely focused on social interactions between men and women. The music is too loud for conversation. Lights are dim and vision is blurred. It’s one of the few places you can walk behind a female, start grind on her butt without permission, and not be arrested or cut.

The rules, laws, and social norms that are upheld on “the outside”  simply don’t apply here. Its a different world.

A lot of guys go to the club to take a girl home with them that night and disposed of right after. They are often the most aggressive as well. In addition, as a guy, you know more “club” females are going to be open to conversation as opposed to the “real world” females … so you don’t have to worry about “bothering” someone. While physically abusing a girl is still just as wrong, all those overly aggressive moves you had to retire are now allowed and expected. Also, for some reason, a fight is now a possibility. While at work you are calm, on the road you let people pass you, but in the club … let someone scuff your sneakers or spill your drink … then you have a misunderstanding!

Ladies, you know that someone is going to disrespect you. Your butt will be grabbed, someone is going to pull your arm and not want to let go, and somebody is going to be just a little too aggressive about getting your number. A guy is going to come up to you and start “dancing”...which is closer to sex than anything else, but for some reason … tonight its okay. And while you are open to conversation from any cute guy who is “acting right” … you also prepared a set of statements for those “showing their ass”.

In both cases, you're not thinking or acting logically. You're not the same person that you are at work, or in the grocery store, or while walking down the street. For some, the thought of sleeping with someone you have known for less than 24 hours suddenly seems more appealing to you. However once that liquid courage (alcohol) gets in the system … a mild-mannered guy suddenly becomes "Mr. Pouring Champagne on and Chick in Sight" (SMDH), kicking girls away from the table while replacing them, all while threatening death on a bouncer.

Not only is the person you meet at the club not a valid representation of this person in real life, but its hard to take anyone as serious in the club. I’m thinking about different things, the standards your getting judged by are significantly different, and honestly … even if you meet Ms. Right …you still might do something stupid and probably will ruin something that could have been beautiful.

I will say, there are certain lounges, happy hours, and upscale restaraunts that can provide a relatively healthy meeting place for single individuals, but that isn’t the norm. Are you still looking for that special someone at the club? Is club you the same person at the 9 to 5? Can you even take someone you meet in the club serious?

One quality that every gentleman should possess is the ability to work magic in the kitchen. Man should not exist on hamburgers and hot dogs alone. I understand, we have all been there; working with a limited budget trying to tackle the world. Ramen Noodles can become a gentleman's closest friend in the grocery aisle. Well, I will now start offering tips for the kitchen impaired male. What better place can we start other than scrambled eggs? Quick. Easy. Simple. This innocent dish can evolve into a nightmare if the gentleman is not cautious. Runny uncooked eggs is not the desired result that the gentleman wants.

My first foray into the kitchen began with preparing breakfast. My first mission was to identify and successfully scramble eggs. This is where one could run into trouble. After beating my eggs and adding salt and pepper to taste, I would heat the skillet with butter and pour in my eggs. The problem was the skillet was never hot enough and I had to wait for the eggs to cook. The result was awful tasting eggs. I learned that a hot skillet was the key to my dish. I began to use olive oil because it's healthier than butter and doesn't burn as quickly. You don't need a lot; just a drizzle over the entire pan will do.

Once the olive oil begins to lightly smoke, I add my eggs and they began to cook immediately. I invert my spatula and move around the egg mixture until it begins to set. I remove the skillet from the direct heat on the stove top and continue to scramble the eggs. Due to the hot temperature, the eggs will continue to cook even after being removed from heat. I top my eggs with salsa and sour cream to jazz it up a little.
Tips for the fellas:

• Don't over beat your eggs and make them stiff
• Use a plastic spatula if you have a non-stick skillet (avoid scratches)
• Add milk to your egg mixture to make them fluffy
• Serve immediately, cold eggs are not good eggs

I’m not going to waste a lot of time rehashing points that we all know to be true. There's a large number of Black women who dislike white women stealing their men. They don’t like it one bit. Black women have put in significant amounts of work towards supporting their men despite jail, drugs and unemployment. They don’t appreciate it when their men run off with the “oppressor.” Therefore, Black women think that Black men know this and instead of dating white women date Latinas and Asian women. But in summary, Black women believe that their men want the light skin, light eyes and the straight hair and that’s why they date Latinas.

I’m not going to lie to you, the Black male dating pool is thin. Many Black men are in fact in jail or in a life of crime. The number of “educated” Black women largely outnumbers the amount of “educated” Black men. Black women love them some brothers so they are aggressive and protective of their men. If there are six Black women for every one qualified Black male, then when half of those Black men are dating Latinas, there are now twelve Black women for every qualified Black male. Desperate times, call for desperate measures.

Racist Black women attack Latinas on everything. They attack them on, intellect, language, looks, and even how they treat their men. I’ve been told that Black men only date Latinas because they have an accent and don’t speak English well. I would be lying if I didn’t hear a man brag about that every now and then. But there is nothing that a Latina can do to change that. If a man finds her accent to be cute and that’s why he is with her, trust me, it will not last. Furthermore, we can spend hours discussing if people living in the United States whose first language is not English, would rather not speak English or would enjoy the opportunity to learn English better. I choose the latter.

Some Black women believe that Latinas get men because they have straight hair, lighter skin, or lighter eyes. That’s just ridiculous… Latinas come in every size, shape, color, and texture possible. However, and this is really important that we understand this point, we cannot, will not, condone the judgment or the characterization of people based solely on their looks. It’s dangerous territory for any Black person to be operating under those misconceptions. And so I’m going to have to raise a card on this one too and say that Black women are guilty of this one too.

Have you ever heard this? “Only a Black woman can love a Black man the way he needs to be loved. Because only a Black person knows what it means to be Black in this world.” Once again attacking someone’s intelligence, attacking someone’s ability to understand, and further separating people of color in America. I don’t like that claim one bit! My family taught me what it meant to be a Black man, and they also taught me how to stand on my own two feet and be Black man. I’m sorry I do not need my woman to help me, or teach me, or inform me, what being Black in this world is about.

The last thing I’m going to touch on is the belief that all Latinas want from Black men is money and sex. Well, we can take money out of the equation, because we make far less than some other races. Maybe more than Latin men, but certainly less than white or Asian Americans. The sex, Black sexuality is such a touchy subject. It’s offensive to Black men when you reduce a woman’s attraction to us to just sex. Black men don’t need Black women to tell them that some women outside of their race only wants them for sex. And it’s racist towards Latinas to accuse them of trying to make Black men into their Big Black Buck.

One of the things I always like to bring up is that Latinas aren’t approaching Black men. Black men are approaching Latinas. I think when a Black woman finds that her hate has been displaced on a Latina, she might want to look inside the organization first. No offense, but a person looks so silly when they’re defending someone who isn’t defending themselves… willing to fight for something that isn’t interested in fighting for themselves. Ladies let me tell you something, Latinas are not heroin or crack cocaine, you are not saving Black men from themselves by refusing to let them date Latinas. It’s just a woman; it’s who he might fall in love with, it’s who he might be attracted to, it’s who he might choose to marry. Stop coming up with racist reasons for why a Black man chooses to date a Latina, matter fact, stop worrying about Black men who have chosen to not date you. Worry about the Black men who want to date you, all others are irrelevant.