Friday, April 20, 2012

The Technological Side of Ignorance........




http://news.lalate.com/2012/04/19/tashay-d-edwards-arrest-mugshot-photo-released-as-twitter-dispute-draws-reaction/

Social media over the last decade has become a staple in American culture. It's fair to say that its pretty much universal. We haven't cured Aids or Cancer (yet) but we can film ourselves and put it on the Internet copy a link and send it to anyone with internet access. Somewhere down the line, like most most things that are popular it eventually became tainted and corrupted. A simple yet entertaining pastime has fallen into the hands of people who unfortunately have the resources to film their exploits. What has resulted has been a influx of video footage that puts on full display an overwhelming abundance of societies ills. You can literally become a "celebrity" from camera footage sent via a cell phone if the video goes "viral"
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viral_video). (*side note)
(That kinda f**** with my head because I come from a time when you use to become and maintain famous status because you had talent of some sort.)

It is accessible to any and everyone with most site's having no age restriction. I work with at risk youth. Some of which may not be able to answer a times table problem but can navigate the internet like a damn computer hacker. With damn near as much skill. So with so much access to the internet, who are these negative images being spoon fed to? That's right the youth. We never quite know where technology is taking us. I remember being lucky enough to have computer access in the mid to late 80's when seemingly everything went thru a floppy disk. To me the computer was an extension of the Atari. Somewhere I could see digital images that made for a fun gaming experience. I never anticipated that it would evolve from such a innocent Genesis to the monster it has become once the internet changed the face of global communication. Bill Gates became stupid rich because of the internet but I'm sure his intent was not what it has become. But he is not the only trendsetter that started something which matured and later morphed into something else.I wonder if Richard Bey and Jerry Springer take credit for fathering what later came to be falsely dubbed "Reality TV"(another lane for talentless bozo's to gain notoriety. SMH).This is were the Basketball Wives and Bad Girls Club and all those other BS shows got there blueprint from.

I use social media(facebook,twitter sometimes, Instagram etc) most of the time it is entertaining. But usually no matter how hard u try to avoid it, negative images or video find a way to funnel into your news feed. Usually becoming a conversation topic depending on the nature of the material. Most of the negative stuff gets talked to death. For example the video embedded in this post had almost 2million views in one afternoon. Sex and Senseless violence still attracts us as a people. I'd be lying if I said I didn't post the article on FB which instantly touched off an extensive convo with multiple parties. After all the hoopla within days it became recognized for what it really was, a recorded crime. The young lady (19yrs old) will likely have her life altered over poor judgement.

I got a different outlook now, maybe in my late teens I would of shrugged a lot of the nonsense off and probably wouldn't have thought twice but I'm 30 plus now with a child of my own that is growing up smack dab in one of the most crazy and violent times in recorded history so my antennas are up and I'm training myself to be hip to and aware of almost everything potentially negative in popular culture so I won't have any ignorance when telling my daughter to be aware of different things.Trying to stay in "The Know" and staying prayed up are my only defense moving forward. The inernet will continue to change, grow and mature. Im trying to do the same in hopes I can help my daughter navigate this cold world and give her just enough wiggle room for her and alot of other youth to make it a better place.............

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Calculated Risk Or Pure Stupidity???? (You be the judge)




Some folk are either too blind or too stupid to realize when they got a good thing going. Boredom brought about thru repetition and or a idle mind usually tend to be the devil's playground. This post is not pointed at one sex more so than the other because both sides have been guilty of being oblivious to what they have @ home yet they always outside peeking over the fence thinking the grass is greener on the other side.

Maybe as a people we are just gamblers by nature. Never quite knowing how or when to quit when we ahead and just cash out. Nope we stay on the dice g.a.f(greedy as f***) feeling like we on the come up and oblivious to the fact you done came up already. Chips stacked up and things is looking lovely, but u act thirsty and keep going,and keep playing. Before long you crap out and your pockets look like rabbit ears and all you left with is the stinging memory of how all was good just a short time ago. We the masters of our own destiny so in the end it's logical you shoulder the blame for poor judgement.

Live and you learn as they say. But what happens to the fools who never learn to be grateful for what they got, never know when to say when. Those that shun a healthy dose of love to chase and eventually overdose on lust.Those that gamble with they relationship or family as collateral and then stand around looking stupid after karma shakes them down to they socks.

In order to put these thoughts on paper I need motivation. I feel every great writer should be observant. I observe people, and their idiosyncrasies and all the things that make them tick which in turn motivates me to put my findings to paper. I have watched both men and women be in great relationships and because they are not complaining like their friends who may clearly be in disfunctional relationships they feel they missing something and they life is too boring and they start to make deciscions that at the outset they don't realize will affect more than just them. Why don't we know how to leave well enough alone? Why aren't the simple pleasures enough for people anymore?

I guess we make ourselves morally unaccountable these days, create ways to passify our deceitful ways. Fabricate reasons that make it almost feel like we suppose to be doing dirt to get back at somebody who may not be doing anything negative against you to begin with.If you got it good already. I mean honestly, what's wrong with a hot meal waiting for you when you get home and someone that genuinely loves you down to your dirty drawls keeping the bed warm for you and sometimes doing some things to you in that bed that would curl your toes(Like Eddie Murphy in Boomerang lol). I guess that sound too much like right to some of these simpletons.

Some folks ask for things for seemingly forever and when they get it they dont know what to do with it. Temptation gets the best of them and they let their harmonious situation get disturbed or destroyed by someone who mainly for their enjoyment was merely a distraction. Your close "real friends" usually are not in compliance with your devious deeds especially if they can see from the outside looking in that you have alot to lose. Most of the time they are vocal about their disagreement with the dirt the person is doing.

They may even start questioning themselves continuing to be your friend because they looking at you sideways behind how that person is conducting themselves. Those friends also don't wanna hear you bitching once you get tangled in your web of deciet. They be like "I told yo dumb ass, and now you out in the cold. The person you took for granted is now with someone better than you happy as hell and now you getting dissed by the person you was trickin off with who wasn't better than what you had to begin with.SMH stupid mutha*****.." (Where they do that @???)

Why does it take someone losing everything that they took for granted and looking at their actions in retrospect to really appreciate what they had. It always hurts that much more when you have little to no chance to make things right. When you go from feeling like you got it all under control to everything is beyond your control, it's gotta be a humbling experience.

If I had the blueprint to a solid long lasting relationship I would be a rich man. I would 4sho sell the secrets like bottled water. Unfortunately I don't have the blueprint. I only have this platform to try and inspire people to think further than the moment. To get those of us with something worth salvaging to not just throw it away over nothing more than boredom or just thinking they trading up. If it is to the point that you are weighing the pro's and con's of your situation then be a stand up individual and speak up and leave the situation before you f*** around and bring the outside worlds drama right into your living room. Don't bring the war going on outside into your castle because in the end no one wins and everybody suffers.

God willing we will continue to evolve and learn how to love one another the right way! One Day!!! (I hope)