Sports and Race: If Jay Cutler Was Black

Sorry, Non- Sports Fans, but I had to rant about this. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, google Jay Cutler. He’s an NFL quarterback

If Jay Cutler, he wouldn’t get the benefit of the doubt like he currently is receiving. There wouldn’t be throngs of teams clamoring to trade for him. Teams would avoid him, sports radio would vilify him, fans would shun him. Not real fans, but those that expect their athletes to be perfect, instead of people. They’d spout venom about his immaturity and tell America that he’s exhibiting prima donna behavior. They’d suggest that he’s a distraction that needs to be fined, suspended, cut from the team. There wouldn’t even be a discussion about who’s right or wrong. The team is more important than one player. They need to make an example out of him. Be harsh with him and the rest of the league will understand that conduct detrimental to the team will not be tolerated. You can’t stand for that. No player is bigger than the team. No player can be allowed to show up his coach like that. No player can just not return the owner’s phone calls. He’d be considered a cancer, America’s favorite word to describe black athletes.

But he’s not black. So he gets exactly what he wanted. He doesn’t have to pay any fines. He's not suspended. He gets to leave the team that he’s under contract to. He gets the benefit of the doubt from the sports public. I’m not saying this situation is racism (at least not deliberate racism), but there definitely is a double standard at work. If you wanna take race out of it, call this post… If Jay Cutler was Terrell Owens…or If Jay Cutler was Allen Iverson… or If Jay Cutler was Manny Ramirez… Basically, any man of color can’t assert himself like Jay Cutler did and get away with it with his reputation unscathed.

7 Days In Savannah: The Day I Discovered My Blackness

As a youth, I pretty much hung out with anyone: Black, white, Filipino, Jewish, Indian etc.. Race and/or religion didn't matter to me at all. My homies in New York were the personification of Martin Luther King's dream. Little black boys, little white girls. We were Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition... I think I have a picture to prove it... That's me in the burgundy Member's Only Jacket...




When I moved to Savannah, I pretty much did the same thing. I was in 6th grade and most of my friends were white. The same thing went for the first part of following year. Then something, or should I say, someone happened... we will call him P.

Me and P were really cool in 7th grade. We traded Garbage Pail Kids stickers together. We formed a pencil fighting league (I was the manager, he was the talent) and we talked about music all the time. I remember one day, I was listening to my Ready For The World tape, and he was listening to his Metallica tape. We compared music and both could get with Prince's "Sign o the Times" double album.


P was a pretty talented artist. Well, he wasn't Jackson Pollack or nothing, but what I mean is that he could draw. He was always doodling something or other. He would sketch cartoon characters or people and they always came out well. One day, we collaborated on a cartoon series. It was called the Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. The DRS was supposed to be a collection of comical criminals that got into misadventures. I know, it's corny, but I was a kid. We came up with the idea together, but when he showed me the first sketches, I knew something was amiss...

There was T-Bone, a black criminal that wore a thick gold chain, that he used as a weapon. Then there was June- Bug, a black criminal whose secret weapon was throwing roaches on people. Then there was Ice Pick, a black criminal who would pick his (buck) teeth with an ice pick and then stab people with it. Then there was... You get the point. As if it wasn't bad enough that all the criminals were black, they all had jive captions, like "yo, I be killin people" or "I be a murderer." I was like, hold up P, why all the criminals gotta be black?

P just didn't get what the big deal was. I was never the type to cry racism, but at that very moment, it hit me. Me and this white kid aren't the same. He views my people as only criminals, buffoon criminals at that that can't talk. Never mind that my grades were consistently higher than his, he still felt he was better than me. He was the worst kind of racist: the racist that didn't know he was racist. The kind that could point at me and say "some of my best friends are black."

From there, it all snowballed. I didn't mess with P no more. I couldn't in good conscience let that slide. I had discovered my blackness and there was no looking back. Add to that, watching "Eyes on the Prize" on PBS and reading "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" and it was a wrap. I was black, and I knew and embraced it from that point on. It's funny how one day can change one's entire outlook on life. It was a relatively minor thing, but P's cartoon set me well on the way to be being the person I am today.

Thursday Thirteen: 13 Areas In Which Blacks and Whites Can Find Common Ground

Its been well documented (by comedians) that black people and white people are different. While on the surface, this is true, there are certain areas in which we can find common ground. Here are thirteen of those. *disclaimer* - These are in no way meant to apply to all black people and all white people. I am fully aware that people have many divergent opinions*

1. Keeping up with the Joneses - Both whites and blacks have a problem with this one. Whether its buying a house that you can't afford, or driving the newest, biggest, gas guzzlingest SUV, both groups often spend beyond their means. You don't believe me? What do you think this Fed bailout is about? People make unwise financial decisions is not exclusive to one race.

2. Smoking - You might hate white people but if you go to smoke and you don't have a lighter, you gonna ask the redneck with the confederate flag on his hat for some fire. Or you may be scared of the big imposing black man, but you'll get over that fear if it means a nicotine fix.

3. Throwbacks/Vintage - Black people call it throwbacks. White people call it vintage. But either way, its an old style and both of us like to bring back the retro vibe. Everything goes in cycles.

4. Baby Got Back - This song speaks to both black and white people. Throw it on at a function and you'll see the dance floor become integrated like Congress just passed a resolution.

5. Scantily clad women - This is one is for men, mostly. We give each other that look when one of them passes by. Race doesn't matter when it comes to perving out.

6. Drinking - You want to improve race relations in this country? Get a bottle and some shot glasses. People don't discriminate when they are drunk. White people love to buy Negros drinks and we love to accept them. LOL

7. Oprah - Just look at her audience. It's like MLK's dream up in there. Whether or not they maintain that when her show is over is irrelevant. Oprah is the poster child for inclusiveness.

8. Reality TV - We do watch different kinds of shows. They like The Bachelor and we (not me) like Flavor of Love, but the premise is pretty much the same. And I think American Idol is pretty much watched by all.

9. Weed - See drinking above. People can get high with anyone. And they like to compete to see who has the best stuff.

10. Mexicans - Or should I say not liking Mexicans. Some people think that black people can't be racist. Yeah, right!!! You should hear how some of us talk about Mexicans. It's eerily similar to the Jim Crow vibe from back in the day. Neither black people or white people want to live around them. And we both want them to speak English!

11. Sporting Events - For 3 hours on Sundays, there is no black or white. Just (insert team colors here.) We will hoot and holler and cheer with complete strangers of another race like we've been best friends for years. Just watch out in the parking lot. Old rules apply as soon as you leave the stadium.

12. The Wire - I have never seen a so called "black" show, that so many white people love. The show simultaneously appealed to both races by showing complex characters, not just racial stereotypes and the writing was top notch.

13. Barack Obama - November 4th proved this one. LOL

Letter To My Children

11/05/08

My Dear Beautiful Children,

I'm writing this letter on November 5th, 2008, years before God blessed me with your birth. Last night, history was made when America elected it's first African-American president. Hopefully by the time you are old enough to read this and fully grasp the monumental importance of this day, you'll think that your old man is overstating and exaggerating. My dream for my children is a world in which distinctions of race are no longer common place in politics and employment. I pray the phrase "the first black" will not be necessary words in your lexicon. Maybe in your lifetime, African Americans will be considered just plain American, like other ethnic groups. I long for the day these barriers are no longer applicable.

I don't know if that day will come, but I have to tell you..America took a major step last night. We elected Barack Obama as our 44th president. An African-American with a funny name like your Daddy, was elevated to the highest office in the land. I never thought that I would see this in my lifetime. It wasn't too long ago that race was a prohibitive factor in our lives. The Civil Rights Movement was just a few years before I was born. I want go into too much detail, because I know your mother and I have instilled these roots deeply in you. Suffice it to say, the pride that I feel today is a direct result of the struggles our people have endured. But the thing that's so beautiful about this election is that it was not and could not have been done without other races. White people, Latinos and other races came together to support this candidate. History will tell you the facts, but what it can't tell you is how it feels. It's difficult to express the emotions that I feel today. Believe me, I tried in vain for hours to find the right words. I can only hope that the raw emotion I feel reverberates in this letter.

As proud as I am of Obama, don't mistake that for naivete. I'm fully aware that racism is alive and well. I know that a significant portion of this country would rather see him dead than as their president. I don't yet know if his administration will be a success. In spite of this, what the Obama victory represents for me and countless others is hope. Hope that people will look at my child and see a person, not solely a black person. Hope that in our country, a little black child can dream big and achieve even bigger. Hope that you will believe me when I tell you that you can do whatever you set your mind to, including become president. And hope that you never let your hope die. If Barack could do it, so can you! I'll see you in a few years.

Love Always,

Rashan Jamal - oops, I mean Daddy.

Time: 11/02/08 8:00 PM.
Place: The Swamp Restaurant - Gainesville, Florida...

I had just polished off my Hawaiian Burger... The majority of Jameil's Hickory Burger was in a take out box. Also, the waitress just brought the key lime pie that we ordered to go. I'm watching the Simpsons on mute, while waiting for the server to bring the check. Jameil opens the box and tastes the pie. Then she gives me a little piece. We are sitting inside, directly next to the door that leads to the outdoor dining area. An older (60's???) white woman comes inside...

"What were you just feeding him?"

Jam and I look around for a minute to make sure she was talking to us...She was...

"Key Lime Pie"

The woman stands there with her mouth wide open. I didn't get it at first. Okay, now I get it. She's pretending like she wants to taste some of our pie. We laugh and she starts to walk off. Then she comes back...

"Have you guys voted yet?"

We tell her that we are going to vote on Tuesday. I start to mention something about my experiences trying to early vote, but then realize that would prolong the conversation so I hold my tongue. The woman starts telling us about the importance of voting and how people have to vote...unless they are McCain supporters. They can stay home or vote on Thursday
We laugh some more, but through the jocularity, it hits me... as it hits me every time something like this happens... WE MIGHT HAVE A BLACK PRESIDENT!!!

I'm not one for inspiration or motivation, but even cynical old me can't help but feel inspired that in a nation that once considered us 3/5ths of a person, and didn't allow us to vote or even use the same water fountains, a person of African descent is being strongly considered to hold the highest office in the land. And he got there by appealing to all races in this melting pot. If that ain't the American Dream, I don't know what is... I don't know, I guess I'll get back to my regularly scheduled cynicism later, but conversations like this make me feel good about this country. Honestly, I didn't think it was possible. I've never been happier to have been wrong about something in my life. One more day!!!

The All Black Cabinet

I'm getting pretty tired of all the political talk on blogs lately. It has more to do with the fact that I already know who I'm voting for and just wish the election would hurry up. I don't really need to read anybody else's opinion on the matter. Besides pretty much everyone I read thinks the same as I do. Obama is the man, McCain is not the man, and Palin is an idiot. I don't really need to read that same post every day. Never the less, I know its important to people, so I'll just deal with it for the next 3 weeks.

That being said, today's post is about politics. LOL.

Don't worry, this ain't one of those serious posts that decry Republican attacks, or talk about how good Barack is. This is some of that good old fashioned sarcasm that you've come to expect from Rashan.

White people are funny to me. I don't if they actually believe half of the negative things they say or not, but it's ridiculous to me when they talk about how Barack is possibly anti-white, possibly Muslim (like being Muslim is a crime) or anti American. They act like he is some big time militant hell bent on destroying America. Whether you agree or not with the man's politics, it's seems pretty clear that voting for him is NOT going to bring about some revolution. But that got me to thinking... Do these people actually think that Obama will go out of his way to appoint unqualified people to his cabinet in an attempt to bring down the country just because they are Black? Which led me to come up with some totally fake cabinet appointments that made me laugh. And yes, I often laugh at my own jokes even if other people think they aren't funny. LOL

Secretary of State - Louis Farrakhan - He'll be in charge of changing America into a Black state. Plus he got something going for him if he's still alive with all the stuff he's said over the years.

Secretary of the Treasury -50 Cent. Who got more money than this guy?

Secretary of Defense - TI - You know he knows where to find the guns.

Attorney General - OJ Simpson - Don't nobody know more about the court system than this guy.

Secretary of the Interior - Little Richard. Mainly because I have no idea what this department does, but it sounds like interior design, which I think Little Richard would have a knack for.

Secretary of Agriculture - Freeway Ricky Ross. No, not the rapper, but the drug kingpin. You know this dude knows how to plan a crop and sell it.

Secretary of Commerce - George Foreman. If he can get rich of some cheap ass grills, then he definitely can get our trade going.

Secretary of Labor - Robert Johnson formerly of BET. If he can keep horrible Black comedians and horrible Black musicians working for all these years, he may just be the answer to unemployment.

Secretary of Health and Human Services - Dr Dre. Come on, he's a doctor for Pete's sake!

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development - Tiger Woods - I know what you are saying. Tiger ain't Black. LOL But follow me on this one. He got so much money and so many houses, that he could easily turn some of them into projects or subdivisions or little townships, villages or incorporated cities.

Secretary of Transportation - The dude that came up with the Expedition. Cuz niggas love big trucks. LOL

Secretary of Energy - Flavor Flav - you need energy, you call a hypeman.

Secretary of Education - KRS ONE - Who better to lead the way on education than The Teacher? Even if he sounds ridiculous and would be better served to just rap than to try to inform us.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs -Barry Bonds. Just cause white people hate him. A 20 year veteran who couldn't find a job last year. I'm sure he'll fix that when he gets this job.

Director of National Drug Control Policy - Marion Barry. Need I say more?

I know, I'm crazy. You got any to add?

I'm Barack Obama

and I approve this blog post!

Let me start from the beginning. Last week, I was serving as a mentor for some new hires. They call it On The Job training coach. The way that works is this: There is one coach responsible for every 2 new hires. Our job is to get them acclimated to our computer systems, our clients, basically get them ready to be successful in their new job. There are 3 weeks of OJT. Each week, the number of coaches is reduced. The 2nd week the ratio is 3 to 1, the last week its 5 to 1. The way that we determine which coaches will return each week is kind of like "Survivor." The new hires do a survey evaluating their coach and the ones with the highest scores stay "on the island." This training class, the OJT manager decided to add an additional wrinkle to the voting process. This time, not only do the new hires evaluate you, the fellow coaches also do a survey.

This brings us to Friday. The work week officially ended at 7 PM. The only thing left to do was to find out which coaches would be returning the following week. The OJT manager decided to not only tell us who was returning, but to also give us feedback as to why or why not. She did it in alphabetical order, and with my last name starting with W, I was the last of the 8 coaches to find out. I sat there for 55 minutes just waiting. I wasn't anxious, because I knew it was a popularity contest that I had no control over. If I came back, fine, if not, that was okay too. At least I had one week of doing no work. When she finally called me, I was ready for either eventuality.

She started going over my scores. My mentees graded me perfect 10s, the highest possible score. They had some nice things to say about me. I already knew this because even though they weren't supposed to discuss their responses with me, they did. Then came the peer reviews. Mostly 9s and 10s from the first few with some good feedback. I was feeling pretty good about my chances for return. Then the manager reads the last one...

"Rashan can be kind of arrogant. He thinks he knows everything and often will disagree with other coaches in front of new hires."

What!?!? That was a bit of a shock. This is not the first time I've been called arrogant, but not in the training class. I had no idea where this was coming from. I had no run ins with anyone, or no occasions where I corrected any of my fellow coaches. I didn't understand this one. The manager continued.

"Rashan can be elitist. He doesn't participate with the rest of the coaches"

Word?!? I talk to everyone. I remembered specific examples when I not only shared my ideas, but asked for input from my peers. I'm an elitist in real life, but I'm not that way at work. This was a collaborative effort and I made a concious effort to contribute to the team environment.

"Rashan does not always communicate well with his fellow coaches. He does what he wants to do regardless of if the rest of us are doing it."

Ummm... yeah, I'm a need an example of that. It's a pretty structured environment. We are all doing the same things at the same time. This sounds like a hater is in the building. This person rated me 6 and 7. The OJT manager was taken aback too. She said that she didn't see any of these characteristics from me and was not sure where it was coming from. She considered it flawed feedback, and would try to get some clarification from the person that provided it. The only thing is, the surveys are anonymous, so she didn't know who it was.

The thing about it is, I do know who gave it. Not exactly, but I can narrow it down to 2 suspects. I hate to say it, but it had to be one of the two white men that were in the group. The others in the group, I could identify by the words they used. Like the black woman who spells "implement" incorrectly all the time and did in the survey. Or the Hispanic guy that always says "elaborate" and did in his survey. Someone calling me "arrogant" and "elitist" was just too reminiscent of what they were saying about Barack. I guess they wanted me to stay in my place and stop being so uppity. My face was hot as I heard this feedback, but I took it like a man, a professional man and kept it moving. With this hater's rating, I was .002 percentage points from being able to return to coaching next week. That didn't bother me too much. If I just didn't get chosen because I wasn't good enough, or if I did something wrong that would be no biggie. But for someone to straight up lie to keep me out of the training class bothered me.

I'm Barack Obama and I'm arrogant and elitist. But also like Barack, I didn't lose control and show them that it bothered me. Sure, inwardly, I was heated by this, but outwardly I kept my cool. Never let them see you sweat.

Rashan X's Attempt At Civil Disobedience pt 2

Part One is rightchea. Don't worry, its only 2 parts. LOL



The next morning, he sat in his homeroom class again. His white classmates asked him about his stance and whether he intended to not say the pledge again. He responded that he would not.



"You're crazy. Whether you believe it or not, you don't want to mess with Mr. Somerset. He will suspend you like that."

"He has to do what he has to do. I have to do what I have to do."



His false bravado masked the fear he was feeling. He had never been suspended before. Hell, he never even had detention. He managed the first two and a half years of high school by remaining unnoticed. He flew under the radar, but now the spotlight was shining directly in his eyes. He put his game face on as morning announcements began. His homeroom teacher locked his sights on him and from behind him he heard the classroom door open. No, it wasn't a tardy student... It was Mr. Somerset. He stood at the back of the classroom, arms folded, a surly look upon his visage. He had come to witness in person, whether or not his order was to be obeyed. As the time for the pledge grew nigh, the young man made his final decision. Would he take a stand by sitting? Or would he crumble under the threatening presence of the assistant principal.



"Please stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance."



The young man remained in his seat as his classmates loudly recited the pledge. There were no jokes this morning. Although Mr. Somerset was there only for one student, they took no chances as the enunciated every syllable.



"Mr Weldon, get your books and come with me."



He spoke in a stern, unwavering voice. The kind of presence that can be respected as an adult, yet misunderstood as disrespectful as an adolescent. He packed up his bookbag and followed Mr. Somerset to his office. Students peered out the window of their classrooms, taking in the sight of the nerd being taken to the office. Mr. Somerset led the young man to his office and closed the door behind him.



"Take a seat, Mr. Weldon."



He sat down on the edge of the chair. He was much too tense to sit back and get comfortable, in fact he was ready to go on the offensive, and say all the things he was not allowed to say the previous day.



"What is this nonsense? Do you think you can do whatever you want?"

"I don't think so. I just want an opportunity to be heard."

"I don't want to hear what you have to say. I only want to hear you say, 'yes sir. I will do as I was told'"

I'm sorry, but I can't do that. This is more than just a test of wills. I feel strongly about this and you wont even let me explain why."

"I'm not really interested in the whys. Do you think I haven't ever felt conflicted? But that's not how you get ahead."



You old Booker T Washington ass house nigga. That's what the young man was thinking. Of course, he didn't say it.



"I think I'm well in my rights to refuse the pledge of allegiance. This country has never respected the black contributions to it."

"Mr Weldon.."

"I mean, we were counted as 3/5ths of a person. You got Jim Crow laws, Tuskegee experiments... Where are our 40 acres and a mule? Where is our public apology for slavery?"

"Mr. Weldon.. this is neither the time or the place for this debate. This is a school. In a school, students do what teachers tell them to do or they face the consequences."
"This is a school. A place of learning. What do we learn about in this school? We only learn about black people in black history month and then its just about slavery. That's not all we are."

"I know that and I respect you for doing the research, however, I will not tolerate your insubordination. Mr. ____ told you, I told you and you disrespected our wishes."

"Disrespect? You wanna talk disrespect? I sit there quietly during the pledge. Those white students disrespect the pledge daily, but you don't hear about that. I'm not the one changing the name of the country and saying Todd instead of God. I've been nothing but respectful.

"This is not about them. If they are making a mockery of the pledge, I will handle them. Now lets talk about your punishment."

"Punishment?"

"I'll give you one more chance. If you can tell me right here and now that you will stand for the pledge, I'll let you off with a detention. If not..."

"Not! It's not gonna happen. I feel strongly about this and I will not cower."

"Okay, then I'm going to have to call your parents. You are going to be suspended."



Suspension. He knew it was a possibility, but didn't think it would actually go that far. Is it true that colleges look at that kind of stuff when considering applications? Would his political stand cause him to be denied a higher education. What would his mother say? Those questions circled in his head as Mr. Somerset dialed his mother's number at work.



"Ma'am, we need you to come pick up Rashan. He's been suspended from school."



His mother came into the office about an hour later. The entire time, the young man was sitting in the waiting area steaming at the course of events. Steaming, and fighting back the feeling of dread he was experiencing. He didn't know what would come next, but he was pretty sure it wouldn't be good. His mother and Mr. Somerset talked in his office. The door was closed, but he could partially hear what was being said.



"I think you are overreacting... He's a good kid... Rashan is not being disrespectful... Well, lets talk to Mrs. Wong about it."



Oh, shit! His mother had his back. He wasn't quite sure that she would. He was always the good one, the responsible one, the consummate middle child that did the right thing. But his mother really came through for him. After a couple more meetings it was decided, Rashan's act of civil disobedience would go unpunished. Really, all he did was exercise his right of freedom of expression. Surely, the school wouldn't want to prevent a bright young man from receiving his education. Surely, it would be bad publicity for a school to stifle intelligent discourse. Surely, the school doesn't want to have the matter brought up before the school board. And they didn't. A compromise was reached. As long as he remained quietly respectful of the pledge, no further action would be taken.



That's all he wanted anyway. Well, that and to spark some racial dialogue, which he did. The young man and his classmates engaged in that dialogue, even if the powers that be refused to join in. In the end, nothing really changed, except for that young man. He realized the power of his actions and refused to ever bow down in the face of pressure. He learned that his power lies in his intelligence, and that he should never try to hide it. He became the man that I am today: unafraid to express his opinion, even when it's not popular.



There is my obligitory MLK Day post. You know I had to be different. Hope everyone is having a good one, and that you didn't have to work like I do. Sing! Sing! Celebrate!

The Black Card

She asked me 'Is that a Black Card?' Why yes!/But I prefer the term African-American Express!

Kanye West "Milkshake Freestyle"

The following consists of jokes. If you are sensitive about race, you may wanna check back tomorrow. Either way, it's entertaining to me, so deal with it. LOL

I'm a real Black man, complete with an Arabic name (which means pillar of strength, BTW) a healthy distrust of mainstream society, and a strong dislike of the police. I like loud music with booming drums. I have big African lips and I beleive that Jesus was Black. Okay, I know none of those things make a person Black per se, but you get my point. No one will look at Rashan Jamal and wonder "is this guy Black?" I said all that to say this. Sometimes I think I'm the Whitest Black guy that I know. And I don't mean White like say... Tiger Woods. But for a guy that used to call himself Rashan X and scare White people with his pro Black stances and mean muggin, I sure like a lot of so called "White" things and dislike a lot of so called "Black" things. You may wanna pull my Black card after reading some of these.

I don't like gospel music. I know every Black person grew up in the church and loves gospel music. Well, not me. I grew up in the church, albeit a mostly White one, but I don't like gospel music. I think there's too much oversinging going on. I get that its the foundation of R&B music, I just don't like it.

I have never seen nor read "The Color Purple.' I know I said on my old blog that I had seen it, but that was a lie. I have never seen the whole thing. I only know the popular parts like "You told Harpo to beat me" Or "fixin' to shave Mister" and "you shole is ugly." I know take away my Black card for that, but I just can't seem to sit down and watch more than 20 minutes without getting annoyed.

I actually like Duke basketball. Even before the whole stripper rape thing, brothers always hated Duke. I always secretly liked there basketball team, even if half of the team is White. I just like their style of play. There I said it. Pull my Black card if you must.

I know all about NASCAR. I mean, I know more than just Dale Earnhardt Jr. I know pit strategy and drafting and all kinds of stuff the casual fan doesn't know about. I'm the only Black person I know that will watch an entire race.

I know I've said this one before, but my favorite TV show of all time is "Buffy The Vampire Slayer." This show didn't have a regular Black character until the 7th and final season (Unless you count the 2 episodes with Kendra the Vampire Slayer. Yeah, my favorite show is about a White teenager and I don't care who knows. It's a wonderful show. I can't ever seem to make any of my girlfriends understand the appeal of the show, try as I might. And yes, I have seen every episode and there is a possibility that I have Season 7 saved on my PC.

I will dumb out if I hear any of the British pop music from the 80's. I'm talking Tears for Fears, Duran Duran, Pet Shop Boys, you know groups like that. I guess because that's what was on MTV when I was a kid. I still love that music to this day.

The other day at work, this White co worker says to me..."I know you probably didn't watch "Friends" but you remind me of Chandler." Yeah, I watched "Friends" too.

I never really got the appeal of the Morning/Afternoon radio show. Tom Joyner, Steve Harvey, Michael Baisden (especially him) aren't entertaining to me. I know a lot of Black people that swear by these shows, but whenever I listen to them, I just don't get it.

My favorite Kool-Aid flavor is not Red... In fact that's my least favorite. My favorite is Blue Ice although I haven't had any in a couple of years.

I just aint sure about Barack Obama. Part of me feels like I should support him because he's Black, but the other part really just doesn't know what he stands for. It's like can he really represent Black people and be in charge of the country or will he have to sacrifice to appeal to a wider audience. I don't know. I guess he's good enough to make Oprah remember she's Black, he's good enough for me.

Okay, I'll stop at 10 things. Whaddya say? Wanna pull my Black card after reading this?