{RE}Post - BARBERSHOP PHILOSPHY

Another morning in the Barber Shop.

For as long as I can remember the neighborhood barber shop has been a community gathering place. People who visit for a haircut also have the benefit of the in-between talks during the hair cutting sessions. What I like to call “Barbershop Philosophy”. The rational inquiry into the principles and truths of being, nature, knowledge, conduct, etc. of course from the black perspective.

THE BARBERS

The Owner / Barber

Wouldn’t know it to look at him but this guy is filthy! As in filthy rich. Nice house owns a small real estate firm, summer house & used auto-dealership in Jamaica. They say you are a product of your environment … well he has a lil’ bit of each of the barbers, characters and customers rolled up in his personality. The owner is very nice with the clippers, to him haircutting is an art and has to be mastered like any other profession. Once you rise up from the chair you feel as if your personality has been polished. You stand a lil’ taller and speak a lil’ louder.

The Reverend

Never has any customers but prominently post his shop hours. He also runs auto-parts for Napa. {Note to Rev this sign is 10 years old}

The Homey

“Ayo! What’s up son?” Better city in America? According to Homey … not fucking likely. That’s right Homey is from NYC the transplant that cut hair out of his home for 10 years came down south to school these country ninjas in the art of barbering. Took him 3 years to get licensed but Ayo son! … He did it his way.

The First Chair

Fresh out of Clown Barber College, he ends up with the walk-ins and the small kids. He’s nice with the clippers, although I did see him patch a dude up once. {Keep practicing on those small kids}

THE CHARACTERS

The Coach

No one knows what he actually coaches, he has on the gear, looks the part and he just stops by in between practices (which happen to be year round). You can’t leave without hearing one of his motivational quotes. “Big B, listen my man before you go … If everything seems to be going well, you obviously do not know what the hell is going on.”

The Retiree

Yep, meet Mr. Me Too. He will not be outdone. You’ve run with the bulls in Spain? Well he’s run butt naked with the lions in the Serengeti. Forgot a little piece of the city’s history? It’s okay; he remembers the city when it was just a dirt road.

The Hustle Man

You never see him actually in the chair, but his hair is always cut. Not your average “hustler” he’s not about the illegal acts, but about anything that will make him money. He’ll shampoo your carpet if you rent the machine, pick him up and drop him off at the barber shop when he’s through. His favorite line … “I know a guy” and he will invent a word for anything*

The Player: “What’s up fam!? Man, I just lost a hubcap” {Did this ninja say hubcap? Where tha’ 22′s at playboy?}

Hustle Man: “I know a guy that can get you 4 brand new capo’s* for the cost of one.” {What the eff’ is a capo?}

The Player

This guy. Always looking in the mirror at himself before, after & during his cut. The thought bubble above his head reads …”Man I’m so attractive” He actually believes any woman would be blown away if they sat down and had a chat and got to know him.

THE CUSTOMERS

The Soccer Dad

So busy with family stuff, I mean if he could just clone himself life would be grand. “I gotta get outta here ya’ll lil’ Nathaniel William Edward Burghardt Du Bois III has T-Ball practice and I have choir practice at the church.

The Gay Guy

You never know he’s in the shop cause his head is buried in his iPhone. I always admire what he has on, great style ~ {No Homo} & Ohhh Mmm Gee the whip! CLS5500! When he’s done & drives that thang’ *Pause* out of the parking lot all heads *Supa Pause* turn and this normally starts the discussion on cars.

The Educated Brotha’ From the Bank

Comes in on his lunch break with the same bullisht every time. “How many I got in front of me?” Like his life is much more important than ours. Hustle Man likes to eff with him.

Hustle Man: “Ayo Educated Brotha’ From the bank? You work for Bank of America right? What branch do you work at?”

Educated Brotha’ From the Bank: “I’ve told you that I work in Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities not at any of the retail branches.”

Hustle Man: “My bad, let me get a loan then?” {Shop erupts in laughter}

The Young Lady

Comes in to get her eyebrows arched and neckline shaped. I think she’s crushing on homey.

THE DISCUSSION TOPICS

Sports

Conversations about home town heroes like Chris Leak and why none of the NFL teams picked him up. The Bobcats, The Panthers, Independence High football dominance. Everyone in the shop is a Sports Analyst giving their take. The sports conversation is generally tame but it is without fail. “Well you know he dating that white girl” … which takes us into the next discussion topic

Women / Sex / Marriage / Relationships

This topic brings out the comedians.

On Women

Physical Properties: Found in various states from virgin metal to common ore.

Chemical Properties: Most powerful money reducing agent known to man.

Common Uses: Very effective cleaning agent.

Hazards: Illegal to possess more than one, although several can be maintained at different locations as long as specimens do not come into direct contact with each other.

Religion

No arguments or heated discussions here, faith is respected in the shop, where the conversation lives is the “service” of the church and the role it plays in the community concerning; drugs, homelessness, outreach and youth services. Always surprised at how well folk know the Bible or Qur’an. The interpretation is where it gets lost. The most revisited topic tithing; if you should at all, what the bible says, ten percent before or after taxes? {Never ending debate. I’ve been going there for 10 years & this never gets old to us.}

Politics

Currently “we on that” Health Care debate. Always on topic … What’s missing from the debate, which has the better philosophy and is Michelle & Barack breaking in every room in the White House.

Cars

The Charlotte International Auto Show was last week and “we on that” Porsche Panamera

This list is not even close to half of the characters, personalities and topics discussed in the Barbershop. I didn’t mention the fish fry lady or the bootleg music and dvd hustlers. They are out there in yo’ shop!

Who are some of the characters at your shop & what they be philosophizing bout’?

Check out this video directed by Nelson George A Barber’s Tale

Truth & Honesty Imbued With Poetry

“Dirty water pooled beside the faded blooms of summer. I wet my toes. I knew better but I wet my feet. I knew better but I wet my legs. I knelt and wet my thighs. Dirty water warmed my skin against the cooling wind. I touched my cheeks. I knew better but I touched my lips. I knew better but I touched my eyelids. I touched my ears. Dirty water dried to muddy stains among the silk and cotton. I sat and prayed for rain.”

-September

I believe the author and I are on some Virgo-Libra Cusp type tip, because we always seem to be in tune with our thoughts.

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”

I know what inspired this writing and we discussed that off line, but I was compelled to post it because it shared a common theme with a few of my latest post; self-nurturing, truth and honesty.

When its difficult for us to feel harmonious & peaceful, it’s usually a battle in our head. A battle between two negative brothers or sisters … aggression and passivity {My money is on them being sisters} These two generally play bad cop, good cop. Aggression comes in the form of a reprimand, imputing blame or guilt and harassment. We allow her unwarranted & irrational thinking because her sister passivity is a smooth talker and plays the role of good cop, she brings self-doubt, separation from self and the belief that we will not completely evolve.

Most of us figure it out, realizing it's really bad acting and we discover our true self, which is the realization of our goodness and our value. That self awareness is what allows us to live in harmony & to be at peace with our decisions and all of life.

Live Well,

Mr. "God, if I can’t have what I want, let me want what I have" TramueL

Check Please!

Stop waiting for the balls you are juggling to fall, be proactive ...

"Sooner or later the bill will have to be paid. Avoidance may only create greater difficulties. Take care of things now. Own up to your responsibilites."

- Pay the Bill

Saturday Shout out! … 25Champ

Grounded Skill & Feeling.

This is my opportunity to “shout out” a member of the Blog family. The above statement rings true when you read the post(s) on Champ’s Blog. I also follow him on Twitter & it’s evident in his Tweets too.

Here is a snippet of his latest offering …

Live Your Life For you: Understanding Ethical Relativism

“I’m 30yrs old now and I’d have to say that I pretty much know what’s best for me by now.”

“I’m not implying that I know everything, but I’ll judge be the judge of me and you be the judge of you.”

“I have absolutely no right to judge your beliefs and you have no right to judge mine.”

“What’s the point!”

“All beliefs and ethics are “relative” anyway!” …

Follow Champ on Twitter @25Champ

View Champ’s Blog Perspective: Life through My Eyes

Magic Always,

Mr. “we like the breeze flow straight out of our lids” TramueL

The Gift & The Opportunity

“Every Christian should gift this book to another Christian”

Red+Blue=Purple

He offers hope that has been tested.

“This world temps us to give up. Sometimes you want to give up. No matter how deep your faith, life can throw some hard pitches at you that you aren’t prepared for. And life gives you no sneak peeks at what’s to come; it offers no “coming attractions” to prepare you for those unexpected pitches.

People can be cruel, and things change quickly. Everything you count on today can be gone tomorrow. Often you live feeling either pissed off or pissed on. So we need hope. Not hope in just anything, but hope in something tried, proven, and true. Religions come a dime a dozen. Some people worship lettuce – until they get hungry. Some people worship money, until it loses value. Others worship themselves. And we all know where that leaves us – full of ourselves and full of it. So when you face a mountain of despair, and the pressure of life saps every bit of your strength, you don’t need a god who’s hot with Madonna this month; you don’t need the god whom the rapper thanks win he wins an award for his explicit material. You need the God who isn’t impressed by the material girl, the God who has proven himself worthy. The God with a record.

You see, hope left to itself is just an emotion. And that emotion will connect to anything that pretends to be worthy of it. If a figure named Santa Claus presents himself as one worthy of hope, then people – especially children – will put their hope in him. But since Santa isn’t real, hope invested in him is hope wasted. So I don’t just need someone to place my hope in, I need someone worthy of that hope. Someone for whom the evidence has come in, evidence I can sink my teeth into.”

- Kirk Franklin “The Blueprint” … A Plan for Living Above Life’s Storms

My previous post “15 Minute Freestyle” for all intensive purposes was a way for me to satisfy my commitment to posting at least once a week. Without any preconceived notions I set out to write whatever came to mind, something easy and fast. In retrospect I understand where each thought was born and truthfully I wasn’t expecting much of a response. I did however receive five one off emails, text, & dm’s from friends who didn’t want to comment on the Blog. Whether directly or indirectly related to any one of my thoughts the common theme was about hope.

The reason I four letter word beginning with L and ending in E The Blueprint is because it’s real. Mr. Kirk Franklin talks from experience and presents his{tory} in away that’s not stuffy, preachy or degreedUP. “♬ ♫ ♪ far from hood but still understand the streets ♬ ♫ ♪”

That excerpt is power{Full} because it reinforces what we already know; We have resorted to using strength according to the wor(l)d rather than according to the word, putting too much hope in man. What it taught | teaches me is that we should counsel from God’s word because it is the truth.

Truth = Honesty. One of my thoughts from the freestyle concerned awareness about self-honesty. I hope everyone received what they needed from me {through Him}, I would like them to know that what I received from them {through Him} was even more valuable.

Deep Bows,

Mr.TramueL

15 Minute Freestyle

“I heard the beat and I ain't know what to write … “

Okay so this ain’t a musical freestyle but a writing freestyle.

“When I’m alone in my room sometimes I stare at the wall …”

Sometimes it’s great to clear your mind. Emotional Intelligence.

On your mark, get set, go!

Why does twenty dollars worth of anything fit into one small bag? & why does said bag equal two large bags of trash?

Downloaded & watched Dairy of a Tired Black Mind for the first time, I wish someone would have spoiled it for me. My eyes hurt. There were some good points though, I think.

I cringe whenever I hear someone on Twitter or Facebook talk about having haters, it’s overused & abused, used more than a four letter word beginning with L and ending in E. I’m with you if it is in fact a true Hate(r), someone who is jealous & envious … but most of the time it’s about disapproval & dissent. Just because someone doesn’t agree with you doesn’t make them a hater. A confident person can accept that others don't like what they like.

Thinking back on the past week I would have to call it the Week of {Self} Honesty. A few of the Blogs I follow & personal communications with folks in all of my relationship sectors were in tune with that. Think I’ll follow up with a complete post.

I’ve been without my cell phone for a week & counting. I’ve come to realize that life doesn’t stop without it. I looked at my usage and it was all data, all the time with an occasional conversation with my offspring & or their mom. BBM, Twitter, Facebook, Email, WordPress, FourSquare & Sexting … I mean Texting. Null.

Speaking of Sexting, I was just playing {unless you gon’ do it} I need a Winter boo, someone to cuddle up with on the up-coming cold nights … but wrap it up! cause’ you don’t won’t that late text, that I think I’m late text. Soo many babies born in September & October. I know some of you are counting nine months backwards now.

I was gonna write something profound and related to God but it wouldn’t be right after just writing about sexting.

Oh! Oh! … There was a good point in the Diary movie, no one said it directly but it was my take away. Be helpful but not overbearing, be encouraging but not intrusive. #TenWordStories <- I’m a trend setter. I don’t follow trends, I set them.

&& sometimes haters are non-existent and created by people to protect their egos.

Speaking of setting trends. I got a saddle-bag for my birthday. Dwayne Wayne from A Different World for ya’ll that may not have a clue. 2455480.22484 just remember today, at this time who bought it back.

Facebook. Deletion inevitable, tired of folks praising God one minute and raising hell the next.

Time!

I guess I don’t type that fast … only went back to add the photo’s, I’m gonna post without proofing so forgive any typos in advance!

Hate None,

Mr.TramueL

In The Spotlight

Taking a cue from my “Beautiful Blogger” Roschelle over at Inconsequential Logic I’m adding a Blog Spotlight to my page. I’ll call it “In The Spotlight”

… It’s only fitting that she shines as the first spotlight! I’m sure that you will enjoy her Blog as much as I do! You can follow her on Twitter too @Roschelle

Finish the sentence ...

Hahahaha I came across this “note” that I was tagged in on Facebook. Found it whilst I am preparing to delete my Facebook account.{Deleting pictures and notes before I hit the delete button} It’s amazing the sayings, quotes & idiosyncrasies that I’ve carried with me over the years.

by Brian Bae-Bae Tramuel on Sunday, March 8, 2009 at 6:18pm

1. My ex.... I'd like to sing you a song now about her. It's called, "They'll Find Her When the Leaves Blow Away 'Cause I'm Not Raking 'Til Spring."

2. Maybe I should.....begin writing my unauthorized autobiography.

3. I love......my family, music, books and technology.

4. People would say that I.....am aesthetic, sensuous & harmonious.

5. I don't understand.....people who say life is a mystery, because what is it they want to know?

6. When I wake up in the morning.......I thank GOD for blessing me, then I pray, when they die, cartoon characters have to answer for their sins.

7. I lost....... hope; the terrifying acceleration of interpersonal communications will uglify all hope for human psyche. (I is Intelligent)

8. Life is full of......ironic twists that sometimes startle us. Ex: Taking a laxative and a sleeping pill at the same time.

9. My past is......full of wonderful memories and learning opportunities that I've grown from. Although there is one memory I would like to forget ... Northwest Elementary School song "Northwest, Northwest old dear and faithful we will all be true, your hopes, your dreams and inspirations will always see us through!" I CANT STOP SINGING IT!

10. I get annoyed when......I'm reading a book and falling asleep, I'm reading, reading . . . and all of a sudden I notice my eyes are closed.

11. Parties are.....the moral and intellectual crisis of our time! Do I wear jeans, sneakers and a button up? or get suited up? ... Well maybe I should match what she is wearing?

12. I wish.....for a speedy economic recovery!

13. Dogs.... are not my friend, their favorite bone is in my leg.

14. Cats.....too sneaky.

15. Tomorrow......We live in a different day: economically, globally, politically and socially. How things are today are not like they were ten or twenty years ago. Don't live based on yesterday's information. Know your history, but live in the future.

16. I have low tolerance for......nasty, dark baby toes! Please stop going to the Chinese shop at the mall and go to a spa!

17. If I had a million dollars.......I would honor GOD, take care of my family, travel and educate myself.

18. I'm totally terrified......of waking up butt naked on a deserted island with a remote control, a bucket of chicken and a bowl of sunflower seeds.

19. My boyfriend......I'm funny, LOL funny not gay funny. (nothing wrong with being so!)

19.5 I guess I was supposed to change #19 to "My girlfriend"?

20. My life.......My entertainment~

Please! I don't wanna sing it again ... Okay, okay I'll do it! "Northwest Northwest ..."

Live Well!

Mr. “Too lazy to write today so I {RE}Posted” TramueL

Tweets, {RE}Tweets & Just A Few Favorites

See the full gallery on Posterous

I like this, I may do this on a weekly basis.

Live Well,

Unknown Black Male

TO AUTUMN.

                                            1.

    SEASON of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
        Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
    Conspiring with him how to load and bless
        With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
    To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,
        And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
            To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
    With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
        And still more, later flowers for the bees,
        Until they think warm days will never cease,
            For Summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells.

                                            2.

    Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
        Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
    Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
        Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
    Or on a half-reap’d furrow sound asleep,
        Drows’d with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
            Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
    And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
        Steady thy laden head across a brook;
        Or by a cyder-press, with patient look,
            Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.

                                            3.

    Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
        Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—
    While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
        And touch the stubble plains with rosy hue;
    Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
        Among the river sallows, borne aloft
            Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
    And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
        Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
        The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;
           And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

John Keats (1795-1821)

My Favorite Song In the World. The Whole World.

Little Boxes by Malvina Reynolds Listen on Posterous

Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky tacky,
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes all the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

And the people in the houses
All went to the university,
Where they were put in boxes
And they came out all the same,
And there's doctors and lawyers,
And business executives,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

And they all play on the golf course
And drink their martinis dry,
And they all have pretty children
And the children go to school,
And the children go to summer camp
And then to the university,
Where they are put in boxes
And they come out all the same.

And the boys go into business
And marry and raise a family
In boxes made of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

Malvina Reynolds - Music from the Original Series Weeds

Nurturing {Self}

The Week of Influences

Currently Reading

The Blueprint "A Plan for Living Above Life's Storms" - Kirk Franklin

On Sociology and the Black Community - W.E.B. Du Bois

Raising Fences "A Black Man's Love Story" - Michael Datcher

A thought was born from my reading, emails, phone conversations, random observations about nothing , yet everything and then ... great friend(s) ask great question(s).

"Ever wish you could (re)wind time and do something a little different?"

We've all been asked the question, initially your right brain kicks in with something about not being caught with Kim under the stairs with your penis in her hand or reliving dreams of being the President of the World. The whole World Craig. I've had time to reflect and I would like to answer now " September" « That's my new name for you.

I wouldn't change any specific event, everything I've experienced has turned me into the person I am. I would change the way I p(re)acted and (re)acted to those events.

Honest about what I really want

I would not have distorted the truth about what I really want. I would have weighted more heavily the cost and benefit of said honesty.

Self-sacrifice

I would have been more aware of sacrificing my personal interest, things that I love for the supposed benefit of others.

Resentment is born from deprivation

Depriving myself of those personal interest, I subconsciously blamed others for my non-happiness, developing feelings of resentment towards anyone who participated in my non-happiness. I would change not making others responsible for my happiness.

Neglecting others. Be cognizant of it

I have someone that I am completely honest with about everything. Everything. I have no doubt that they would do anything in the world for me. The world. Yep, they said something the other day that resonated with me and caused a shift in the TramueLverse. Minus the curse words, the thrown knife, the scratch on the hood of my car & the death threat they said "I'm sick of you talking to me like this ..." This wasn't a love interest or someone with whom I wanted to lay horizontal with. You really don't need any more detail for me to make my point, which is ... I would change the way I've treated those who have loved me unconditionally. Science.

Harm none,

Mr. "Science is true, don't be misled by facts" TramueL

Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.

The Terrifying Acceleration of Interpersonal Communications Will Uglify All Hope for Human Psyche III

I had to break away for a minute, my last four or five post have been all emo and I’m a man. That’s right “ladies look at your man, now back at me, sadly he is not me” … I will now return to burping, passing gas, scratching, lying and drinking beer.

Vuze

Self Proclaimed “… the most powerful bittorrent app on earth”

From Vuze: “Vuze is the most powerful bittorrent software application to Find, Download, and Play HD video content on the Web. With the latest release, you get powerful new search capabilities, along with the ability to play your HD videos on PC, Mac, iPhone, iPod, Apple TV, Xbox 360, PS3, PSP, and Tivo. Our award-winning P2P bittorrent technology enables users to quickly and easily download HD video with a single click.”

The player is incredible with lightning fast downloads … if you choose to download copyrighted material be sure to use “neighbornet” just in case they track your ip address.

Pixtell

Quite simple this is show and tell visual messaging.

From Pixtell: “Pixetell is all-in-one video messaging and collaboration software that lets you quickly add voice, screen recordings, webcam, and video to email or electronic documents. Video messages are shared through secure private delivery or exported to social media platforms such as YouTube and Facebook with the click of a button.”

Writerous

I’ve already proclaimed my undying love for Windows Live Writer and you already know I started Blogging using Posterous. I haven’t let it go and use it primarily for quick post about nothing but yet everything. By default Windows Live writer doesn't allow publishing directly to posterous.com, however, using the writerous plugin you can enable this feature. It’s already dead simple to use posterous, but this allows you to step your game up. Addicted to Posterous? Here you go.

Microsoft Outlook {Social Media} Plugins

Twinbox

You already use Outlook to manage your contacts, calendar, and e-mail. Twinbox is a free plug-in that adds a Twitter toolbar in Outlook. A click of the toolbar is all it takes to send out your own update, send a direct message, reply to a message, or (re)tweet something. Twinbox cleverly auto-shortens long URLs via TinyURL, it also shows you a preview of new tweets as they arrive, which saves you having to switch to the tweets folder every time you want to check for updates.

Outlook Social Connector

“Click on a contact’s name to see email and attachments he or she has sent you, meetings you have attended together, and their activities in social networks. You can also send this contact a request to become your connection in popular social networks.”

Harm None,

Mr. “The only person to ever ace a Rorschach Test” TramueL

I Love You VS I'm In Love With You

Mr.TramueL’s' Law of Contrariness: Searching for a four letter word beginning with L and E, we all desire one who makes us want to be a better person. Having found them, we shall then hate them for it.

The voices in my head wanted to know why I didn’t tell my friends that are girls that I love them. “Quare don't vos dico vestri amicitia ut vos diligo lemma? Vita est quoque brevis quod est non pollicitus.” … Oh! My voices speak Latin.

The voices read The CG Chronicles post this morning on exclusivity and sparked a thought. We {meaning the voices and I} have more women than men as friends & I’ve had to explain, reassure and damn near plead the fifth dimension to any “she” in my life that my friends that are girls are totally platonic. The BIGgest take-away from @CurvyGurl was that my platonic friends that are girls have provided me {at times} a more fulfilling connection than my significant other.

I remember some great observations from @sunnydelyte21 post "Love VS Being In Love: Differences" … but what say you?

Mr.”Two post in one week? I’m engulfed in flames” TramueL

*Drops Mic. Pours Accelerant on stage as I George Jefferson walk off. Bows head. Lights Lighter. Pitches lighter over right shoulder. Stage erupts in Flames.* … That’s for you Roschelle!

After the Hurricane

“Chaos is often something we attract rather than run into by chance”

Photo credit: Steve Bronstein

via Writerous

Subliminal Tweet(s), Insider(s) Status Updates

Mr.TramueL’s observation of #SubTweet and {Insiders} Facebook status updates.

I’ve learned and there will be no more social-media beef (recall) for me, whilst I was alone in my room stirring at the wall, in the back of my mind I heard my conscious call … it was about firing subliminal shots on Twitter and Facebook, at least that is what the folk tweeting and updating their status would like to believe.

Subliminal defined:

1. Below the threshold of conscious perception. Used of stimuli.

2. (Psychology) (of stimuli) less than the minimum intensity or duration required to elicit a response

They said: “Mr.TramueL what does the meaning really mean?” I said: “I know right?” “Webster be tripp’n, on some next level subliminal definitions” … it means that the messages are presented in a way that their chance of perception is less than fifty percent.

This is an impromptu post for two reasons (1) Yvette called at 1:20 a.m. to catch up and also to ask if my previous post was in reference to her. I responded “I would never write about someone I thought would ever read it.” Blank Stare. Wink.Wink. *Girl you know it wasn’t about you!* (2) I was going to tweet {because now I’m wide awake & she is now sleep, five minutes later no doubt} a covert tweet that only I & Yvette would know what it meant how hilarious I am, but Yvette isn’t on Twitter and would never see it.

The point.

Of shots fired

You’re so vain, certainly it isn’t always about you – except for the times it is. And those times, both you and the party who sent it knows it is, or you are the party who sent it and knows the person you are referring to knows what your intent is. So it’s not really subliminal but more covert “not openly defined”

Covert tweets & updates make for good jokes to strangers, may garner you twenty thumbs on Facebook, may even be a way for you to get a few things off your chest but it can also hurt the folk you care most about. Social media can be an outlet for you to be your best or a mask for you to be your worse. Drop the mask.

Radiant Silence,

Mr. “I was going to finish one of the twenty post in my draft folder, but got so tickled with myself at 1:30 a.m. that I pen(ed) this instead” TramueL

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Quality of Life

"For the sake of making a living we forget to live"

Working soo much I keep missing the most important calls in the world.

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TOP TEN WAYS TO KILL THE “N-WORD” ONCE AND FOR ALL……..

          

  Written & Illustrated By Lena Hopkins-Jackson

* DISCLAIMER: This one will not be in "Rolling Out" magazine.com this week. It's a tad too racy I guess ( pun intended). Either way

I'm sharing it and though I created this in the spirit of humor, there's truth in jest sooooooooooo here are the.....

TOP TEN WAYS TO KILL THE “N-WORD” ONCE AND FOR ALL……..

          10. Terminate it…..( James Cameron style )

       Create a cyborg-terminator from "SKYNET" (..um,The Black-operated division)

to travel back several hundred years into the past and ‘eliminate’ the dumb-@ss, non-pronouncing slave trader strolling along the river NIGER who started this mess in the 1st d@mn place!

9. Send it out to Crystal Lake and let Jason have at it……….

 We can all agree that the “N-Word” is the ‘Asian-hair supply store’ of racial epithets: It’s EVERYWHERE and much like Jason, just won’t die! So who better than “Mister-crazy-hockey-mask-killer”  himself  to do away with it once and for all….Jason can stab it, axe it, burn it alive.. Whatever, just KILL IT so it will never come back! ...and while we’re it, let’s throw “Keeping It Real” under the bus too, that phrase NEEDS to die...seriously.

8. Create a “It’s-Okay-To-Say-N@gger”  Day……

 For an ENTIRE 24 hours Caucasions can get this word they’re just ITCHING to say out of their systems for good….AND Black people are NOT allowed to ‘retaliate’ at all! (Yup, those are the  rules!) From normally, mild-mannered corporate bankers to Fox-News staff, White folks will be drunk with euphoria and screaming it to the top of their lungs… um, that is until midnight and after that it’s every Biff and Buffy to fend for themselves ( God help 'em’) I’m guessing Black folks will be so tired of hearing it , this will finally do the trick…..except in  perhaps Compton, where the N-Word and jherri curls flow more fluently than water….still.

7. Hire Justin Beiber and Hannah-Montana to sing a duet about it…..

   Dude....Ya’ just gotta’ love that Beiber Kid and Miley  Cyrus is the new Britney, minus the side-order of crazy!

So here’s my modest proposal: we have these two little," white-bread wonders"create a chart-topping song about “The N-Word” to be played ‘ad nauseum’ on every radio station and in between every commercial on Nickelodeon! Eventually every kid in America will be so SICK of hearing it there will be an anti-N-word backlash so huge, that  no one will be caught dead saying it for fear of appearing ‘un-cool’.

6. Create an episode of “The Boondocks” about it.

Here’s something ground-breaking: Characters gratuitously call each other the “N-word” in hopes of showing Black people how truly self-loathsome and….WAIT, hold-up...( *pauses to read memo*)…my bad, that idea has actually INCREASED the acceptance of the word….uh, never mind….. NEXT!

5. Film a new, Spike Lee joint : “Mo-Bettah’ Uses For You-sez' Than The “N-Word’….....Fever”

   In Spike’s well-loved & unique style;actors would speak directly into the camera about how wack the “N-Word” is, followed by typical ‘Spike-isms’ such as pulling actors on that weird, slow-moving crane and dream-sequences with the ‘art-house’ camera angles of how THEY would handle Black folks too “Bamboozled” to stop using the word … one of which would be to give them a ‘hundred headaches’.. ya’ d@mn skippy! *Sound track by Public Enemy (minus “Flava-Flave” for obvious reasons)

4. Have Oprah do a show about it:

Special guests could include: Mel Gibson, Dr. Laura Schlesinger, Michael Richards and surviving members of the third Reich discussing why the term means so much to them. Dr. Oz can even come on and explain why the “N-word” is sooooo unhealthy for our bodies to use, then Dr. Phil can come scream at all of them about how their racist reputations are killing their careers and “How’s that working for ya’?” followed by Oprah herself banning the word forever…or else! (And we don’t want to find out what “or else” means, do we now...Arsenio?)

3.  Ask Beyonce` to do a public service announcement campaign against it on all the major networks and cable channels………

 It’ll be like a televised game of “Simon-Says” but with much higher stakes! Everybody knows Beyonce`and her magical, mechanical hand can do ANYTHING and if she’ll throw in a half-nekkid performance of her “Uh-Ohh--Uh-Ohh” dance while condemning the word….I think she’ll have the nation’s  FULL attention…..okay, at least half the nation anyway.

2. Have President Obama tax it :

 Put a $100 fine on anyone saying the word in public from here on out and we could probably pay off the national debt by “New Years Eve” ( by Christmas if someone can bug the central offices of Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin )

..and the number one way to ‘KILL’ the “N-word” once and for all is to ( drum roll please)…..

1. Just stop saying it and take the power out of it…seriously.

 It’s a bastard word that’s been embraced for far too long: ignorantly created by some racist Whites to keep our ancestors in check,...THEN twisted around and re-claimed by Blacks for survival so they could endure the pain inflicted by it ( Among other atrocities) to rob us of our humanity! Now it’s the big, BLACK elephant in the room that everyone’s too scared to shoot and take out of it's misery. Even though it’s never cool for Whites to use it…Black folks NEED to stop saying it as well. Sure, it won’t happen overnight but if Blacks survived the middle passage, killing one stupid word can be done………um, can’t it?

....your thoughts please.

LHJ.

Via "Your Weekly Top Ten" Facebook Fan Page

THE WEEK OF EXCUSES, TRANSITION & SUPERSTITIONS

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Loyalty to ideas. Three days late, however in keeping with my promise to post every Sunday, here are my random observations about the previous week.

Of Excuses

We all have that special acquaintance that complains about everything & yet nothing. You offer your intelligently hedonistic solution and they respond with “No, it’s not that” and provide every excuse why it won’t work, can’t work except for the obvious … they are crazy.

I needed help moving a few large pieces out of storage. The move would have only required an hour with most of that time spent driving from Public Storage to the new spot. I had a full month to move everything, which I was able to do with the exception of the larger pieces. I asked a few people that owned trucks to help me out but was met with excuse, after excuse, weekend after weekend.

Mr.TramueL’s Observation of Excuses: (1) If someone says he will do something "without fail," he won't. (2) Everybody lies, but it doesn't matter, because nobody listens.

Of Transition

Transition into the new space, I always feel at home with books, candles, plants & pictures. My favorite things. I’m able to rest because my space is filled with the things I love, but I haven’t slept well while adjusting if that even makes any sense.

My employer informed me that effective 12/31/2010 our line of business would transition to a completely different role & I was given the opportunity told that I have to decide by September 10, 2010 to state that I was “all in” or it would be considered a voluntary resignation.

Transition whether good or bad carries anxiety and nervous energy that cause you to set high expectations. While loyalty is admirable, sometimes you have to listen to me now & believe me later … Mr.TramueL’s Axiom: Variables won't, constants aren't. Leave.

In case you missed the point, this applies to both personal & business.

Of Superstition

Completely random but I was curious.

New neighbors ended up helping me move my things into my space. They would not enter, they would slide the pieces through the door and ask if I was okay. {Insert sincere appreciation followed by a sarcastic remark} I tried to research it but couldn’t find anything {maybe ‘cause it’s two thirty four in the a.m.}

“Never take a broom along when you move. Throw it out and buy a new one.” Couldn’t find an origin, needless to say I didn’t want to risk whatever consequences so I obliged.

Mr. “all or not at all” TramueL

Likes & (Dis)Likes ... In The Same Breath

Depending on someone.

I’m usually reserved when it comes to asking others for help. I don’t know why … the subject is probably the discussion for another post, so when I do ask it’s usually because I really need it. The problem for me looking for someone to “carry” me is that I always get dropped.

I like the fact that I have only a few that I can depend on, I dislike the fact that it’s only a few.

Talking to someone.

Here comes the introvert again. I really am energized by spending time with Mr.TramueL but there are times when I need /want conversation, no thank you to the celebrity gossip and no I don’t want Einstein’s theory of relativity. I appreciate a happy median. I know it’s time for me to find an outlet when my mama tells me after 15 minutes that she really has to go. I’m the DJ, they’re the rappers, they do all of the talking while I listen and produce the track. Always the DJ never the rapper.

I like that I have friends that can hold a conversation, I dislike that I have friends that can hold a conversation.

Listening to someone.

I don’t know what it is about me that make folk wanna open up and tell me all of their private times & the whole nine. In line at the grocery store, at the gas station, walking up the street  … I am a magnet. Muted but direct, give up conversation but don’t say nothing.

I like the fact that I’m able to impart my impractical wisdumb, I dislike the fact that it’s with total strangers.

Watching Good Times.

My schedule allows me to watch a little television in the mornings, rather than start the day with the news (depressing) or sports I choose to watch sitcoms or a network series. Good Times were anything but. 1ne episode in general has JJ looking to "wife" a teenage girl that was totally PG, not in a movie but like Mary was with Jesus. I would have like them to talk about protected sex and choices (adoption) rather than abortion right off the bat. There were a few other random TramueLism's that I observed, but that's all that I will write. The end.

I like the messages that the writers execute on the show, I dislike the messages that the writers execute on the show.

Working for someone.

I’m happy to be (RE)gainfully employed however there are far better ways to make a living than indentured servitude.

I like the fact that I am able to exist. I dislike the fact that I am only able to exist.

Mr. “ Amicability and Animosity” TramueL