Facebook Fights

Why do people use Facebook as their battleground?  I have read some statuses that were so disgusting that I was ashamed for the person who wrote it.  Seriously folks, why would anyone use Facebook, Twitter or any other social media to attack another?  It’s coward and weak.  Tell them I said so.

I don’t care who you are, if you use Social Media to sling mud at an old flame or old friend you are feuding with, it’s unclassy.  Plain and simple!  And there’s a bunch of us ‘classy’ people who think so too.  If you have a problem with your ex, please keep it between the two of you.  Other than a few gossipers, the rest of us really don’t care to to see your dirty laundry waving in the air.

Last week, one of my Facebook friends who I always thought of as a respectable person, ranted on his status about someone who was apparently giving him grief.  His choice of adjectives muddied his intelligence.  I was shocked and disappointed.  A few days later, another good friend, same thing.  His target was a female and he called her the name of a female productive organ.  His tirade was laden with such descriptive words.  Again I was disappointed by the lack of self-control shown by these people who I thought would know better than to stoop to such a low level and reveal an ignorance previously unseen.

If you feel the urge to berate someone on Facebook, please rethink.  It’s actually not cool and you don’t sound tough.  Some may say it’s downright pathetic, but it’s my take so I won’t say that.  Seriously though, if you can’t say anything nice, say nothing.  There’s an old saying attributed to Abraham Lincoln that goes, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.”  You have a problem?  There’s the ‘unfriend’ button or better yet, use the ‘message’ button and let them know how you feel.

Thanks to Facebook, I now know who my smart friends are.

Related articles

• Withdrawal From Stupidity (identifyingjohndoe.wordpress.com)

Rihanna Doesn’t Speak For Me. At Least Not With Her Butt Hanging Out.

English: Rihanna Live at Target Center on her LOUD Tour. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A Dutch glossy magazine, whatever that means,  recently published an article in which it referred to Barbadian singer Rihanna as a Nig**r b**ch.  The female writer who penned the piece has since not only apologized but also resigned from her 8-year post.

Rihanna was understandably not flattered and like all bonafide celebrity, took to Twitter to voice her displeasure.  She accused the paper of being racist and nonsensical in its usage of the English language.  (Even though in her tirade, she forgot that it was not proper to use ‘u’ instead of ‘you’).   She accused the magazine of ‘intent of abasement’.  Rihanna also took the liberty to speak on my behalf, ending her tweet with,  ”On behalf of my race, f*** off!”

I am embarrassed right now.  No, no.  Not because of the nig*** comment.  Such things don’t bother me too much.  That doesn’t mean I condone such racist and derogatory remarks.  I don’t.  I am embarrassed that RiRi elected herself my spokesperson.   Having her speak on one’s behalf is belittling to the person.

Rihanna is not exactly doing too much to uplift her proud black race.  Pardon me but she puts the ‘basement’ in ‘abasement’.  With her increasing erratic and ‘girls gone wild’ behavior,  tweeting topless pics and just recently, tipping $8000 at a strip joint. I am not sure she makes such a great ambassador to any race.  Sorry RiRi!

I am curious about how much Rihanna really hates being called the ‘N’ word since she recently tweeted a photo of her holding a toddler she lovingly refered to as her ‘lil nig**r’.  No word yet on if the kid was offended.  Some of her songs also use the N word liberally.  Maybe it’s just a example of ‘good for the goose’?

So on behalf of all decent women, I would like to say to Rihanna, Gr*w up!

Just my take.

Related:

http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/rihanna-furious-being-called-a-nigga-bitch

http://jezebel.com/5869751/rihanna-does-not-appreciate-being-called-a-niggabitch

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/460508/20130423/rihanna-race-row-calling-toddler-lil-nigga.htm

• Rihanna Shows Off Her Flawless Butt In The Pool – See New Pics (hollywoodlife.com)
• Friday Folly: Who Are You Calling A Ni**er b**ch? Bitch! (funnysideupandscrambled.wordpress.com)

Highly Sensitive, Are We?

In yet another example of how sensitive we have become, Target store was forced to release an apology after the label on one of their plus-sized dresses described the color as ‘manatee grey’.    How distressing!  How rude! The nerve of them to even associate plus-sizes with a manatee!  One shopper took offense and complained.   She tweeted that it was not fair that standard colors were described as ‘Dark Heather Grey’ while the plus-sizes were ‘Manatee Grey’.

You are kidding me, right?  We have nothing better to do than to dissect and read into everything someone writes, do or say?  Man oh man…Maybe I should complain that some clothing in stores are described as being ‘black’ in color, which I find insulting and racist as I am a black man.  Then I could perhaps have all the offending garments given to me to appease my wrath.

We are so sensitive to everything lately that even our sacred laws are threatened.  Can’t say Merry Christmas or call a Christmas tree a Christmas tree.  Can’t pray in school.  Can’t treat women like…women.  Politically correctness.  What are bunch of whining ninnies we have become!  And, the complainers seem to always win.  When is someone going to take a stand and say enough is enough?  Our poor children…

My take. No apologies.

http://www.upi.com/blog/2013/04/05/Target-issues-apology-for-manatee-label-on-plus-size-dress/2621365160035/

Related articles

• Target Dress Apology: Company Sorry Over ‘Manatee Gray’ Label (theepochtimes.com)
• ‘Manatee gray’ plus-sized dress debacle (newsnet5.com)
• Plus-Size? You Get To Wear ‘Manatee Grey’ At Target! (thegloss.com)

Alcohol and Facebook

You are perhaps wondering where I’m going with this blog.  Well they may sound like a mismatched couple but alcohol and Facebook , has more in common than you think.

I had this Aha! moment the other day while on Facebook.  I was checking my news feed and browsing a few status updates.   Some of the statuses my friends had led me to wonder,  ”Would she say this in person?” or  ”This does not sound like him at all.  He doesn’t talk like this.  Actually he’s never talked like this in all the years that I have known him.”    And that is when I made the connection.

Facebook and Twitter to some extent, gives us that imagined protection and bravery to say whatever we want, just like alcohol.  All of a sudden, we can talk about our lazy boyfriend or girlfriend and even wax philosophical.  Just like with alcohol.  We can rant about how bad life is and how our work sucks, also just like alcohol.  Hey, and when on Facebook, it’s all about us.  We try to be the center of attention.  Again, (Let’s all say it together) JUST LIKE ALCOHOL!  I mean, some of us don’t need Facebook or alcohol to do all that but for the rest of us, we need a dose of bravery, in liquid or media form.

So, which persona is  real?   Is Facebook giving us the chance and courage to be and say who we really are or are we playing dress up?  If it is the former, maybe I should only communicate with my friends and family via Facebook.  This way we could be ‘keep it real’.   Or have a nice stiff drink of bravery.  I am thinking most would opt for that choice.

And you thought I was going to blog about Facebooking while drunk.

 

 

Adidas Slave Shoes

Making the rounds on the news, Twitter and other social media is the story that Adidas is planning to market shoes that has a shackle-like attachment, dubbed ‘shackle shoes’.

The big issue with this is that critics are crying foul over the choice of decor.  Apparently, to some of us, this conjures up painful memories of our slave ancestors working in the fields with shackles on their feet.  I must be a bit slow because at first glance, that’s not the picture I got.  I saw an ugly pair of shoes that would look silly on any wearer’s feet.  I bet I could have looked at them for 24 hours and still not make the slavery connection but I never said I was very bright.

Coincidentally, Mr. T of  ’The A-Team’ fame, recently made it known in his book that his famous gold chains were worn to represent the chains of bondage black people wore during slavery.  Apparently, someone forgot to let him know that his chains evoke painful and best-unforgotten memories.  I pity the fool who tries.

Adidas’ shackle shoes, Mr. T’s big links or whatever emblems that supposedly evoke buried memories, somehow does not work on me.   Blatant racism does. Injustice against blacks does.  Seeing Mr. T’s gold does not bring me pain-filled memories of my ancestor struggling under the sun while tethered by chains of bondage.  Am I a cold-hearted human? Do I need help? Or maybe like I said, I’m just not smart enough to connect the dots?  You tell me.

If anything, stuff like this makes me proud. I see a shoe with shackles and if it makes me remember slavery, then I will remember where we came from and look at Obama and see where we are.  I will urge Adidas and Nike and whoever else, to keep reminding us where we came from and the struggles that we endured.  I will feel no pain because my ancestors felt enough pain.

We can’t allow ourselves to get perturbed by images and objects that have seemingly have some remote connections to history, no matter how painful.  If I did that, I would be boycotting all material made from cotton for isn’t that where it all started?

It’s only a shoe and coincidentally, it’s also only my take.

 

 

Related articles

• Adidas criticized for ‘shackles’ sneakers, denies link to slavery (thelook.today.msnbc.msn.com)
• Adidas Slammed for Launching Slave Shoes With Shackles Around the Ankles (shoppingblog.com)
• Adidas pulls shackle sneaker after slavery controversy (abc4.com)
• Controversy over new Adidas ‘slave shackle’ basketball shoe (offthebench.nbcsports.com)
• Adidas’ New Shoes Seem Pretty Racist (buzzfeed.com)

Sweet Tweets

Image via CrunchBase

I am mad! Exasperated! I have always considered myself quite knowledgeable and capable when it comes to computers and anything computer related.  I am an avid Facebooker, Pinterester, Stumbleuponer and…well that’s about it.  I am always in with the computer in-crowd, part of the computer world, leaving my footprints all over the world wide web.  So how do you explain my lack of appetite when it comes to Twitter?  I just can’t wrap my head around this one.  I have joined twice, no wait, make that thrice. Yes, three times and still have yet to get past a twit or tweet. I just cannot get the whole idea of it.

Stop!  No need to tell me that Twitter serves a purpose in getting information out to the masses quickly.  I know that.  I also know that it is a great marketing tool and quite handy with businesses.  Heck I sometimes wonder how we actually survived without it in those good old days.  How did we know what was going on across the globe? How did businesses survive? Scary thought eh?  However and whatever, I still don’t get it. The relevance and importance are still lost on me.  Call me old-fashioned. Call me anti-progress.

My very first introduction to Twitter was when I was asked if I tweeted and responded with a “Sorry, I had beans for breakfast.”  No, you idiot, Twitter! Are you on Twitter?  “What’s that? A new drug? Isn’t that the sound birds make?.”  I admit, my mind does have a mind of its own and works in mysterious ways.  I was then made to understand that Twitter was the new Social Network craze and enables peons like me to keep up to what my favorite celebs were doing.  The stuff they wrote about was called a tweet.

For a split second, I was interested. Very. Then I quickly realized that I really didn’t know any celebrities that I would care to read what they were up to, or follow as it was called.  I also didn’t own a business that I wanted to advertise.  The whole ‘Follow’ thing sounded so creeperish.  Call me old-fashioned.  Hater.  Whatever.  I think this whole thing is over rated.  For me to make it a hobby of following what celebrities are doing is like going through my rich neighbors’ garbage or reading The National Enquirer or Star magazines.  Same crap different pile.

Most of my friends and people I know are account holders on Twitter.  Nothing wrong with that.  To each his own. Some may derive a degree of satisfaction from tweeting or following and being followed. Some may garner increased business and publicity.  I have enough of that on Facebook so I don’t and that’s ok too.  For you, break a leg! Sweet Tweets!

The foregoing is not intended as a diss on Twitter or Tweeters or even Twits.  As I always say, it’s My Take so don’t take offense.  It’s all good!

 

 

Related articles

• The Kind Of Twit Who Isn’t Worth Following. (personalbrandingblog.com)
• What is the value of a tweet? (venpop.com)
• Can You Guess Which Stars Tweeted About Their Hair? (bellasugar.com)
• Demi Lovato Lashes Out on Twitter Over Celeb Gossip (celebs.gather.com)
• http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/twitter-may-first-break-stories-few-news-203507509.html

No! Not Whitney!

Image via Wikipedia

You were the first Diva.  Surrounded by a sturdy and respected family. You carried yourself with poise and with your Midas touch, everything around you turned to gold.  Whitney, who could have seen it coming that you would choose the path you took? Certainly not me.

I followed you as best I could as there were no Twitter or Facebook.  I read about your demise.  First in the National Enquirer which I was loath to believe at  first.  Whitney a drug addict? No way! Not the Whitney Houston I know. Your mom is the famous and clean Cissy Houston, and Dionne Warwick is your cousin.  Your God Mother is Aretha Franklin!   Not you.  Not my Whitney.

Then I read it in more reputable news media.  Indeed it was so. You were down the path of self ruin.  Some blamed it on your union with bad boy Bobby Brown.    I missed you then.

I heard of your comeback and was ecstatic! You had beaten your demons! Or so I thought.  Little did I know it was just a temporary moment of sanity.  Whitney, you even went live and professed to have been rehabilitated! How could you Whitney? How could you?  Your concerts were embarrassing, or so I heard.  People walked out on my Whitney.  The Diva.  The sadness, the pain.  To see you reduced to this…I never thought it could get any worse.

Then it did.  News broke on Saturday, February 11 2012 that you had finally found eternal peace.  The elusive peace you sought out with Crack Cocaine.  I was in disbelief. Again.  No! Not My Whitney!  She can’t die! Too young, too good.

I was never a CSI junkie but I was sure that your demise was the product of your addiction. I thought of MJ, Elvis, Amy Winehouse and others just like you who sought out drugs to hide their anguish, only to succumb to its power.  My Poor Whitney…Gone too soon.

And I will always love you.

Related articles

• Did Whitney Houston’s Mix Of Xanax & Alcohol Cause Her Death? (hellobeautiful.com)
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• Whitney Houston Was “The Voice!” (wwwclara54.wordpress.com)
• Jennifer Hudson Delivers Emotional Whitney Houston Tribute at the Grammys (popsugar.com)
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Google This, Wiki That!

Hi, my name is Carlos and I am a Googler.  No, not an ogler, a Googler! It has nothing to do with looking at someone with googly eyes either. Never mind, just let me explain. I like to use the search engine Google maybe a tad too much. Have I Googled myself? Old news buddy, been there done that. If I knew your name, I probably would have Googled you too by now.  The thing is, I have an insatiable appetite for information. I have to, need to, know stuff. I want the DL, (for the not so hip, that’s Down Low). Google provides me unlimited access to ‘stuff’.  I am an information junkie trying to score a hit or two.

You don’t have to remind me that I should not trust every result I get from Googling. Duh, I know that and that’s why I have my trusted backup, Wiki! So now I am really not a Googler, more like a Gooki. (Got it? Goo from Google and Ki from Wiki).  Almost sounds like Geeky eh? Some days that’s exactly how I feel when I spend all my time mentally commuting between Google and Wikipedia.

Seriously though, I do love to Google and Wiki things maybe more than most people. When I see something on TV that I know nothing about, I run to my computer and ask my trusted friends.  They usually come through for me. Last week I was about to fall asleep while watching ‘An Idiot Abroad’, they were showing the Great Wall Of China and I realized my knowledge of The Great Wall was very limited. When was it built? Why and by whom? I couldn’t sleep with all this on my mind so I reached for my Ipad and asked Google to wake up his buddy Wiki and find out what he knows about The Great Wall of China.  Hmmm…so it could be seen from outer space huh? NOT! (Thanks Wiki).  After I was done with that topic, I figured I might as well brush up on The Pharaohs, The Sphinx, Stonehenge, The Pyramids and The Sargasso Sea.  I finally felt asleep much smarter than I was when I first went to bed.

Move over Facebook and Twitter. What have you done for me lately? Google has helped me to make some very important decisions in my life. Like should I take that vaccine my doctor is prescribing? Google said enough tests weren’t done on it so No! Remedies, Recipes, you name it, my buddies provide it.  Sometimes I feel like an information pusher. I can get you whatever info you seek. Shhh…just step into this alley and we can do business.  Oh wait a minute, I just had a thought, maybe I could write a book with all the info I gather from Wiki and sell it…  I could call it WIKILEAKS.