Karma = B**ch?

"Because karma, karma, karma comes back to you harder." - Lauren Hill "Lost Ones."

"But that karma is a bitch you steady asking God why." - Talib Kweli "Memories Live."

We've all heard the sayings above when it comes to the dreaded karma. However, I often sit back and think about my life and some of the things I've been through and done. At times that leads me to wonder is this karma thing real? I mean like anyone in life I've done some things in life that I consider to be bad. I'm not going to go through a list, but you can trust and believe it's the truth. But when I think about those actions and think about whether or not I was paid back by karma I can't always correlate the two.

Alright I'm sure you're awaiting at least one example. Well as a youth I wasn't always the model of outstanding citizenship I try to be today. LoL. Let's just say that running with the wrong crowd will get you to doing the wrong things 9 times out of 10. Now I'm quite sure the statute of limitations on vandalism has past; however, in an effort to not snitch nor self incriminate myself I'll just say this. Broken pieces of a spark plug hurled at a car window can shatter it. Now based off of karma and it's creed one day I should come out of work or my apartment and find my car windows busted out right? Yep like Jazmine Sullivan herself had just came out the studio after recording the song and my car was the first she saw.

**Side Note: I wonder if there has been an increase of random acts of vandalism and car windows being busted out since the release of that song? I guess I can ask the same for random engagements happening since Beyonce' and the "Single Ladies" anthem. But that's all for a different blog.**

Back to karma. Now thank God I've never had to experience this, but then again I'm still fairly young in age. Therefore, I guess karma doesn't have a time line of when it strikes either. Right? Or does it just mean that karma doesn't necessarily pay you back in an "eye for an eye" kind of way? I mean bad fortune is bad fortune regardless of how you look at it. I just walked outside and my car tire on my car is flat. Now the window wasn't busted. However, it's probably 15 degrees at best outside right now and I have to go and change and put on my spare tire. Then pay to get a new tire tomorrow. So could this be karma rearing it ugly little head? Hmmm I wonder.

Now when it comes to karma I'm always reminded of a TV show that I love to watch. I'm probably one of the few black people in the world that watch it, but I was instantly pulled in from the pilot episode. The show My Name is Earl deals directly with karma. The lead character earl was an overall bad person. He basically hooked and crooked his way through life on a daily basis. Until one day he scratched off a lottery ticket (which he stole) and won $100,000. Well the very next moment he runs outside of the liquor store in celebration and BAM!! He's hit by a car. The lotto ticket blows away and Earl is stuck in the hospital with serious injuries. While in the hospital something on TV reveals the laws of karma to him. This then prompts him to create and write down a list of all of the bad things he's done in life. Once out of the hospital, he sets out to make up for and to all the people he's done wrong to in his lifetime. Upon completing the first item on the list, the unthinkable happens. Yep! The lottery ticket magically finds it's way back to Earl. Convinced that this is only the act of karma Earl sets out on these wild adventures to complete all of the items on his list.

Don't worry I don't work for NBC or anything and I wasn't trying to sell anyone on that show. LoL. But, it is relevant to the topic at hand. I mean on some real talk I've had people do some truly wrong things to me in life; however, to be honest I have never wished karma's wrath on them. I mean I've been lied to, cheated on, stolen from, and so much more. Likewise, I've probably done some equally wrong things and had the worst wished upon me for those things. Yet I try to leave those things in the past and attempt to lead a life that presently is filled with doing things that for the most part are good.

Although none of us are without sin, we all know the old saying "Why do bad things happen to good people?" I can think of people in my life that at least in my lifetime, I have never seen do any wrong. Take my grandmother for example. Since I was old enough to remember she has always been that person that just helped any and everyone she could. She has always been very religious and went to church every Sunday. When she stopped being able to get to church she still paid her tithes. Now of course she had her ways that may have annoyed people, but overall she is a caring and loving person. She is one of those people that when you think about who's going to heaven it's just no question that her name is already written in the book. I mean you name it she will do it for you if she loves you, cares for you, or even if she just feels God is telling her to do it. You're down on your luck and need a place to stay, don't worry you can stay with granny. You need to borrow money, of course granny will lend it to you. You need advice, prayer, a babysitter, a meal, you name it and she would do it for you. Sadly, I've seen people steal from her for no reason at all. Because if they really needed the same amount of money they stole she would give it to them no questions asked.

Well in recent years my grandmother's situation hasn't been the best at all. Horrible things have happened. From her health deteriorating, to losing the house she owned for over 40 years (the house I grew up in as a child pictured to the left. It pains me to drive past the house and see how it looks now). When this happened no one was there nor in a position to help her. Including her own church which she gave only God knows how much money to over 40 + years. (Again that's a different blog entirely). I wasn't trying to make this a sob story, but I say all that to ask was this karma's wrath eventually catching up with her? I mean I've heard stories that my grandmother wasn't always a holy individual. So, was this the payback that she may have been avoiding all those years?

Honestly, I really don't know the answers to all the questions I asked in this post. I know I kept mentioning karma, but I think it simply alludes to the fact that there is a higher power. Therefore, we all need to do better and at least attempt to live our lives to a higher standard. No one is or can be perfect and will fall short of his grace. I'm by far not the most religious person at all. But I like to think that good deeds are rewarded with blessings. And well in contrast nothing good can come from bad deeds. Unfortunately, there are some people do wrong all the time and seem to still live far better then those that constantly do good. But I go on doing good knowing that there always has to be a balance in the universe. Not that I wish bad on anyone, but I guess eventually things will shape out and those bad deeds will never go unpunished. Call it a bitch or whatever word you want to use. Either way I guess that's just karma for you.

P.S. I wrote this with thoughts of someone that recently did me extremely wrong. They left me in a horrible situation knowing they could have easily done something to help. I'm not sure if they still read this blog or not. I could easily say I hope karma repays you for doing me wrong. But regardless just know that I don't have it in me to hate you for what you've done to me over this stretch of time. So with that said I don't wish bad upon you at all. I know you've been through much in the last year, so in fact, I hope and pray for you and your family. I pray that this year for you will be a 180 from last year. And not that you're concerned or worried about me anyway, but I'll always be alright in the end. So no hard feelings.

--C-Recks--

2008 Rap Up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kCGSDv-9-0 here's the link if it's easier.

Check out the video above I put together to close out 2008. I know the rapper Skillz does one every year, so this year I decided to do my own. This is the first time I ever did a youtube video or something like this and I did it all on my new laptop I got for Christmas (thanks moms/bro). But excuse the low budget quality of the video/song. I didn't have time to hit the studio to do this so adjust your speakers accordingly. lol. Below are the lyrics to the song for all those that are lyrically intuitive. Peace to my mans Kaos on the beat.



Have a Happy and safe New Year everybody!



--C-Recks--







First of all this year been krazy/speakin of krazy Britney Spears don't need no more babies/ it just amaze me/ between paparazzi stunts/ showin her twat and cunt/ nobody stopped her once/ blunts/drugs, gettin drunk and gettin wasted/ the shaved head/ legal bouts with K-Fed/ Like Smokey said/ you got knocked the fuck out/ yeah I'm talkin bout Suge guess he aint that tough now/ Now Mike Vick/ Don't get me started/ making millions and dog fightin' that's just retarded/ bark...shit/ don't fuck with dogs unless they bite/ pay your taxes, take advice from Wesley Snipes/ Remy Ma got 6 years tried to Wedd in the Big House/ Papoose had other plans he tried to break her ass out/ bout/ time Jay and B finally jumped the broom/ now they the highest paid couple and got nothin to prove/ but if they lose/ they gone need that broom to clean up/ and I can only hope to God that they signed a pre-nup/ what/ more can I say/ on to OJ/ never learned his lesson, how many times its gone take/ wait/ he probably did the dumbest shit in the world/ he went to jail but this time not for killing his girl/ But you best believe the judge threw the book all hard/ got away with murder but caught for stealin football cards?/ speaking of charges/T.I. year wasn't so fun/ they said you can have whatever...he said give me them guns/ he claims the guns was cuz he usually nervous/ plead guilty got a year plus community service/ now when I heard this/ I couldn't believe it like T-pain/ best rapper of 2008 became lil' wayne/ in Hip hop/ weezy had the game locked/ lolipop/ and Carter 3 had the number 1 spot/ people watched/ guess I'm still wondering when the show's over/ maybe it's me but I'm tired of hearing that vocoder/ cold shoulder/ I throw til real rap comes back/ it's not surprising DMX went back to crack/ In rehab so he missed his las court appearance/ from what I hearin his next album gone have gospel lyrics?/ forgot to mention/ Kanye mom may she rest in peace/ that's only how he get a pass/ for that last/ release/ tragedy almost struck when the gun went off/ Plaxico shot himself accidently ya'll/ speaking of boss/ Rick Ross/ we know/ he hustled kilos/ but he admitted/ before he did it/ he used to be a C.O./ Zero/ how many times Patriots lost in the season/ but when I watched the superbowl I thought I was dreamin/ was it karma for the cheatin/ had to be another reason/ all I know I lost dough what the fuck was I thinkin/ a meetin/ between the greats 21 years in the making/ NBA finals were the Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers/ K.G. and the big 3, yeah they did they thang/ Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant they just couldn't hang/ Time for change/ and this year was the time to prove it/ we had hope while others said he couldn't do it/ including/ racist/ the haters/ they said he'd fail/ but through it all in the end he still prevailed/ I could tell/ November 4th was going to make history/ but it took all of our votes to claim the victory/ Destiny/ it has become or perhaps heaven sent/ all I know 2008 we got our black president/ it's relevant/ cuz the economy needed a push/ Gas prices, foreclosures I blame bush/ It took 3 minutes I'm at the end but feel like I just started/ So I'm a close this with a prayer for the dearly departed...



--C-Recks--

The U-G-L-Y Truth: Poll Results

Last week I posted a blog entitled "The U-G-L-Y Truth." If you haven't read it or need a refresher please click the link to go back and check it out. But if you read it already then you recall that I asked readers to take a quick poll. Well the results are in and I will be posting them below in a second.

Basically the entire post was to just disprove the saying that some people use "Looks don't matter at all." In the post I simply wanted to make a case that they do matter and that someone's looks do play a factor into your initial attraction to them. Although many other factors can and will come into play, I simply wanted to Keep It Real. We all know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder; therefore, each person is different in what attracts them to someone. Well I pretty much put a poll out there just to see if the readers would choose someone that is considered attractive over someone that is considered less attractive. I want to thank the readers that came by and participated in the voting. Of course the number of voters weren't astronomical, but it was enough to still prove my point. So, here are the results [listed in percentages of the total votes received].

Which Would You Prefer to Date? ______________________________

Grace Jones 26%

OR

Beyonce 74%

______________________________________

Morris Chestnut 100%

OR

Shabba Ranks 0%

__________________________________________

Amy Winehouse 15%

OR

Angelina Jolie 85%

__________________________________________

George Clooney 91%

OR

Carrot Top 9%

_______________________________________

T.I. 100%

OR

Craig Mack 0%

_______________________________________

Anthony Mason 23%

OR

Allen Iverson 77%
_____________________________

All in all as you can see the people with the most votes tended to fall into the more attractive category. Some people got totally shut out like Craig Mack and Shabba Ranks. However, there were a few people that received more votes than I anticipated. For instance, Grace Jones was the top vote getter of the less attractive people. But in the end the poll did prove that when given the choice of being able to date someone more attractive vs. less attractive, that the majority of people will choose the more attractive person. I know some were saying that the selections I made for voting were unfair and 2 extreme opposites of the attractiveness spectrum. However, I had to do that in order to prove my point. So, I want to thank everyone for voting, commenting and Keeping it Real!!

--C-Recks--

The U-G-L-Y Truth

"Beauty is only Skin Deep... But ugly is to the bone." (From the movie Bebe's Kids)

"It's What's on the inside that counts...Well someone needs to flip her ugly ass inside out then." (Wanda Blind date Sketch - In living Color).

Let me start by saying that we are all beautiful people in some way shape or form. So I don't want anyone to take offense to what I have to say, this is just my opinion here. But with that said can we please keep it real for a moment? When I say real I don't mean that pretend real that some put up and take down later like it's a Christmas Tree. I mean keep it all the way 100% real at least until you finish reading this. Now that we all are in REAL mode let's begin. By a show of hands how many of you that are single would prefer a mate that had a lot of wonderful traits yet they were ugly as hell? And if you're already married or taken how many would have still married or gotten with your current significant other if they were absolutely unappealing to the eye? And by that I mean that you can barely stand to look at them ugly. Meaning that the ugly stick took one swing and ran away type of ugly. I mean O.J. Simpson no alibi type of U-G-L-Y. I mean... well you get the point by now.

I can't see your hands, but I can't imagine too many were raised if any at all. However, you will be asked to participate in a short poll at the end of this blog. Okay now that we have that out of the way I just want to address the 2 statements that began this entry. I just can't for the life of me understand how people try to say that looks don't matter at all. Now I will agree that they are not the most important factor in choosing a mate or what attracts you to a person. I totally agree that there are many other factors to consider, including: personality, intelligence, drive, compassion, attitude, confidence, etc. However, you have to be lying to yourself and others if you flat out say that looks do not matter at all. (See image to the left). I mean how many people do you see walking down the street in passing and can honestly say "Hey they have a beautiful personality?" It Just doesn't happen and if so it's rare. As humans we are first attracted by physical traits, and then the other unseen traits are what usually keep or reduce our attraction.

Now keep in mind that gold diggers don't factor into this equation. We all know they are only concerned with what's in your wallet like Capital One. They could careless what your face looks like as long as the faces on your currency are those of dead presidents. So take them out of the equation. I'm actually talking about genuine relationships here. But maybe I'm the only one that prefers to have someone that is easy on the eyes. I'm not saying that I'm the most attractive person in the world because I'm far from it. Therefore, I would understand that if I'm unattractive to someone that they would choose not to be with me or give me the time of day. All I'm saying is that if you're going to potentially be with this person either for the rest of your life why not have someone you enjoy looking at. Not to mention someone that can even strike up a little jealousy or hateration when you bring them around other guys or girls. Better yet even turn a head or two when you walk down the street with them. I mean who really aspires to find a mate where you don't even want to bring them in public because you never know what reaction you'll get today? Maybe pointing and laughing, shock, disgust, or shame (smh) you just never know.

I was watching an episode of Seinfeld last night and a question was posed. They asked what percentage of people in the world are attractive? They concluded about 5% and made a joke about the other 95%. Now I can't for sure confirm their percentage of unattractive vs attractive people in the world, but I can say that there are for damn sure a good percentage of unattractive people in the world. I'm sure the even the most unattractive person if given a choice would choose someone that was attractive for a mate. As if they can be choosy.

So since we're still keeping it real I want to conduct a short survey and see if my theory holds true or not. Below I've put up some images of attractive vs unattractive people. Below the images is a poll. I want you to select which of the 2 you would personally date. Base your vote solely on the face that is in the picture. Don't consider who the person is, how much money they have, and their celebrity status. Just keep it real if you saw picture one or picture 2 who would you be most likely to date. Voting is of course anonymous and you can vote on one or all 6 of the polls. I've tried to choose from a variety of different celebrity types including: actors, musicians, sports stars, blacks, whites, men and women. So find which ever category best suits you and make your selection. I will report on the results in a future blog post.

--C-Recks--

_________________________________________

Grace Jones

OR

Beyonce Knowles

Which Would you prefer to Date?
	Grace Jones
	Beyonce Knowles
Free polls from Pollhost.com

_______________________________________

Morris Chestnut

OR

Shabba Ranks

Which would you prefer to date?
	Morris Chestnut
	Shabba Ranks
Free polls from Pollhost.com

____________________________________
Angelina Jolie

OR

Amy Winehouse

Which would you prefer to date?
	Amy Winehouse
	Angelina Jolie
Free polls from Pollhost.com

_____________________________________

George Clooney

OR

Carrot Top

Which would you prefer to date?
	George Clooney
	Carrot Top
Free polls from Pollhost.com

___________________________________

T.I.

OR

Craig Mack

Which would you prefer to date?
	T.I.
	Craig Mack
Free polls from Pollhost.com

_________________________________________

Allen Iverson

OR

Anthony Mason

Which would you prefer to date?
	Anthony Mason
	Allen Iverson
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Thank you for your participation.

Diamonds Are Forever??

I was listening to the radio last week and a caller called in saying how much she adores her boyfriend, how great of a guy he is, and how much she was in love with him, etc. Well she went on to say how they're now talking about getting engaged. She then explained that the rings he was looking at just weren't flashy enough. And how she works for a big P.R. agency and she can't be seen with some small engagement ring.

Now I was married once and I remember when I proposed to my ex I was like 19 years old. I was going to school and working 2 jobs. I could barely afford to pay attention let alone the bills. So I would say the original ring I purchased and proposed with was maybe $300 at most. But it was what I could afford at the time. The next year I got a better job and prior to getting married upgraded the engagement ring to something that was more expensive. But it really really didn't make a difference about the ring because at the time we were so in love.

So I have a question: Is it the size of the ring? Or is it the love in your heart that really matters?

Or is it that the ring should be a reflection of the love?

Well each of you reading can formulate your own answers to the above questions. We all have our own opinions and I guess since I have the floor I'll share mines.

First off although it may not seem like it at times (based on some of my previous blog entries), I actually do believe in Real Love, marriage and all of the wonderful things that come along with it. So with that said I think it's a beautiful thing when a couple is in Real love and progress from dating, to engagement and eventually to marriage.

So with that said let's examine the ring. We know that the ring is a symbol of a woman's promise to give herself in marriage to the man in the future. Also, we have all heard the traditional price to spend on a ring is 2-3 months wages or salary. Well I have always heard this, but I never knew where this statement came from. Well according to Wiki this guideline originated from De Beers marketing materials in the early 20th century, in an effort to increase the sale of diamonds. So basically this guideline has to be one of the most successful and long running marketing schemes to date. In fact, the slogan "A Diamond is Forever" coined in 1947, was recently named as one of the best slogans of the 20th Century. So, 100 plus years later we're still going by De Beers guideline and increasing revenue for the diamond industry.

Now I'm not trying to approach this subject from a cheap man's perspective. I honestly feel like if you love the woman and truly want her to marry you then you should go all out and show her how much, but within reason. I feel like when purchasing a ring a man should take some things into consideration just like any other major purchase. And I'm sure we all agree that purchasing an engagement ring is a major purchase. So this is no different than purchasing a house or a car; therefore, you should consider a number of questions. For instance, can you really afford this ring? What if she doesn't accept? Then what is the return policy? How will you pay? Cash or credit? What about the wedding itself? Will you have to pay for the wedding? Or are you lucky enough to have her parents follow tradition and pay for the wedding?

"On average, US couples spend $28,732 for their wedding. However, the majority of couples spend between $14,366 and $35,915 while their wedding budget is typically 50% less than the amount spent. This does not include cost for a honeymoon or engagement ring." "The average cost of a diamond engagement ring is $3,500 to $4,000."

Although all men would love to propose with the biggest Flinstones' rock on her finger, sometimes it's just not feasible. Let's add a real world example. Recently singer Beyonce who's married to rapper Jay-Z openly discussed details of her marriage. "In eschewing tradition, Beyonce didn't want an engagement ring, as it is "just material and it's just silly to me." Instead, the lovebirds got matching tattoos on their ring fingers of the Roman numeral IV — a digit not only significant because of her wedding date. Beyonce was born Sept. 4; Jay-Z, Dec. 4. "What Jay and I have is real," she said." Now imagine that. Jay-Z can afford to buy anything he wants, including the most expensive engagement ring imaginable. Now to refer to the opening example, I would say that Beyonce has a much bigger image to keep up than the young lady at her little PR agency job.

All I can say is that in this economy knowing what I make I would hate to be in a relationship that is heading towards engagement. Unless I was lucky enough to have a woman that will say something like Beyonce I would seriously have to wait until I saved up enough money. However, I would potentially run the risk of being consider one of those guys that want the milk without paying for the Cow. So what is a guy to really do? But there are so many factors to consider when you're trying to choose that perfect engagement ring. Just know that if you don't represent correctly she probably won't be the person you hear it from. You should be more concerned about the external pressures. Yep you unfortunately you should be worrying about "what will so and so think of the ring?" She may even be fine with the inexpensive ring initially, but may quickly change once people get in her ear.

Her girls: "Girl it's nice and we happy for you and happy he finally popped the question lord knows we thought the day would never come, but damn all this time and that's as much as your man loves you? That ring is a lil' small aint it?"

The Scavengers: "So you say you engaged huh? Well I can't really tell from the ring you're wearing. If I was your Fiance' you'd be wearing a real ring."

Her Dad: "You know I don't really like the boy anyway. And if he can't even buy you a suitable ring then I can't understand how he's going to take care of you."

You can trust and believe that by the time all of them finish talking you'll be hoping that you haven't passed the 30 day return period yet. Bottom line is this I'm not hating on a man that can buy his potential wife a $25,000 ring or better. I'm simply saying when did the focus of love and marriage get switched to how much the ring you buy is worth? If I love you unconditionally then whether I'm rich or poor or somewhere in between that love is going to be the same. If I can't get you that 5 karat diamond engagement ring to begin with then I ask you to accept this 1 or 2 karat. I know that you're worth more than gold and diamonds. And I promise I will upgrade this ring as time goes on and as my income increases. But maybe that's just me.

Basically when I plan to get married again I want to have that Grandmother and Grandfather love. I don't know what happen but people have gotten away from that. You know your grandparents started out with basically nothing but love, that is if they even got an engagement ring back then. But your grandfather did what he could when he could and eventually got her a ring and by time we were old enough to know grandma had a beautiful wedding ring. But as much as they went through they still had that Real Love. That unconditional Love. No matter how bad things got or what flaws the other person had they still stuck it out and took "til death do us part" to heart. So if you have that type of Love, then the type of ring you have doesn't matter, nor does any other material thing. Because you can't put a price on love. I'm just saying, I'd rather have Love that's forever than a diamond that is supposedly forever.

But as for the subject at hand. However you feel about the engagement ring I just feel like it's a conversation that each individual couple should discuss. Communication is key. Make sure you're on the same level when it comes to engagement, proposal and marriage. If you know that your potential fiance' will want an expensive ring then you better get on the grind and start saving for that ring. Or perhaps you can use Jay-Z and Beyonce as a way to get out of having to buy a ring and getting a tattoo instead. I dont recommend trying it unless you got Jay's type of money. Or maybe you can use the line that Method Man said in the song "All I need" Featuring Mary J. Blige, "Word life you don't need a ring to be my wife." But to be honest I doubt either will work but good luck with that!

--C-Recks--

Trick or Treat??

Rappers are known for introducing new slang and terms into our culture through their music. Now being a rapper I can usually let most of the ignorant things slide for the most part. Soldier Boy will never get a pass though someone better Tell em' (but that's a future blog). But there is a saying that I have been hearing in some of the latest songs on the radio lately. And I can't lie for some reason I'm a little disturbed by it. To most it's not really major and I guess I should probably be more in an uproar about the vulgar and misogynistic comments about women, guns and drugs. But unfortunately we all know that and most accept them as a part of rap music in general. As a rapper myself all I can do is try to portray a different image of rappers through my lyrics. With that said buy my album "Ripped from the Headlines" coming really soon. (Shame less plug I know).

But back to the subject at hand. The saying that I have been hearing goes like this:

"It aint trickin if you got it."

You may have recently heard the above term in songs like "Whatever You Like" by T.I., "Got Money" By Lil' Wayne Featuring T-Pain, "Can't Believe It" by T-Pain Featuring Lil' Wayne and "What them Girls Like" by Ludacris Featuring Chris Brown." Now for those of you that are unfamiliar with the term or not well versed or fluent in slanguage the meaning of the saying is this. If you've got the money you can spend it on whatever and it's not considered a waste of money. So basically you can blow thousands of dollars on any and everything with no regards just because you have the money. In theory this statement is very true. It's your money so feel free to do whatever the hell you want with it, and whose business is it what you do with your money? However, the problem that I have with this saying is that in some instances if you have it or not it is Trickin. Below I've listed just a couple items I feel like no matter how much money you have to spend and throw away some times it's still considered Trickin.

Strip Clubs

Now I'm curious to know who was the first person to go into a strip club take a hand full of money and throw it on stage? I would just like to know what was going through his head when this occurred. I wonder if it could have been done on accident. Like what if the man had just got change for $100 in all singles as he's walking up to the stage to tip he trips or slips and all the money goes flying out of his hands onto the stage. As the bouncer comes over to help him up he looks at his money and then looks at how swole the bouncer is and intelligently decides to just leave the money where it landed. However, he then notices the reaction he's getting from the stripper on stage and other strippers in the club. And there you have it the first person to make it rain in the strip club. LoL.

Well I don't know how the phenomenon was really invented but regardless some how this has become a regular trait in strip clubs. I remember being in Atlanta in a strip club and watched a guy walk in the front door walk up to the main stage throw an unknown amount of bills into the air and then walk towards the bar. Very shortly after I didn't see the man anymore. I'm assuming he left out probably because he was out of money. Now I'm not the smartest person but I do consider myself to be pretty economical hell even at times pretty cheap. LoL. So therefore I'm always going to try to get the most for my money. Whether it be a gallon of milk, a gallon of gas, a shirt, a hat, and yes even a lap dance. lol. I mean why not get the best deal you can. Now maybe that was all my mans needed to get his money's worth but I'm sorry even if he had it I must say he tricked off his money. LoL.

Speaking of Atlanta and strip clubs here's another example to prove my point. Back in 2005 rappers Jermaine Dupri and Nelly partied it up big in a strip club spending $10,000 on strippers and alcohol. Well apparently they felt so guilty the next day that they decided to match their charitable donation to the strippers' college fund with a charitable donation to underprivileged children. They apparently purchased $10,000 in toys for the children and passed them out. Now as much money as these 2 have to blow even they had a moment of clarity and a conscious when they realized how much money they had spent. Either that or they're just smart business men and realized at least they can write off the toys whereas the strip club tips were simply Trickin!!

Our last example comes from the infamous Adam "Pac Man" Jones. In 2007 the NFL player was partying at a Las Vegas strip club during the NBA Allstar Weekend. As the story was told to me and as I read in an article this is basically what happen. The rules in the club he was in prohibit strippers from picking up money while someone is making it rain. They must wait until the raining stops. However, apparently the promoters for the club began scooping up his money in garbage bags while he was still making it rain. Apparently Jones didn't appreciate this after words were exchanged a melee began. To make a long story short as Jones exited the club shots rang out and 2 people were hit including a female patron, and a bouncer that ended up paralyzed. Police reportedly seized $81,000 (no that's not a typo) of Jones' money from the promoters. I don't even like to carry over $100 on me in cash. So how do you realistically walk into a strip club carrying $81,000? And that's just what he was making it rain with when the incident occurred, there's no telling how much he actually had on him. Now I've already mentioned that making it rain is definitely trickin, but apparently it can also be dangerous ask Pac Man Jones.

I enjoy the strip club as much as the next man, however; no matter how much money I get I can't see just throwing thousands in the air up for grabs. I mean I may make it drizzle a little bit and throw some change on the stage but I'm not trying to hurt no body. LoL. But It was put best to me by a friend of mines. I asked them if they'd make it rain in the strip club. They simply replied "Nah. I wouldn't. I'd rather tip the regular way it promotes good work ethic." I thought that answer was brilliant. Thanks for the quote Kris. LoL.

Prostitutes

My brother works with a special individual we've nicknamed Rain Man (yeah like the movie). But recently my brother told me that he found out that Rain Man hadn't had sex in damn near 10 years. Apparently all he does is work and play video games. Again, I'm not the type to pay for sex but damn 10 years? At that point I would understand him considering paying a few hundred at least once a year to get him some because apparently whatever other method he's utilizing is obviously not working for him.

However, I discussed pimping and prostitution in a early blog entitled "Hard for a Pimp?" Now nothing has changed since back then. I still have never and will never pay for sex. Maybe I'm cheap, but I'd rather say I'm just not this damn desperate. I have no clue what the going rate for some of these services are but I'm sure they can range anywhere from $50 (street hooker) to $1000 (High class escort services). Now if you're one of these guys that feel the need to pay for sex I just can't understand why you pay so much. I understand the quality of the prostitute probably increases the more you pay. In other words you're willing to pay an extra $100 to make sure you're not dealing with some potentially diseased crack whore. That I get. But at what point does it just become too much? When the amount you're paying for prostitutes begins to reach hundreds and even thousands of dollars per session that is just damn ridiculous. If this isn't trickin then I don't know what is. In fact in the pimp game prostitutes consider having sex with their clients "turning tricks." Therefore the clients that purchase prostitution services are called just that a Trick!!

In conclusion, I'm not the one to tell people what they can and can't do with their money. However, it's bad enough some rappers mislead people when it comes to their lyrics and so called lavish lifestyles. But stop with the catchy sayings that are completely false. There are plenty things people trick their money off on whether they have it or not. Look at these damn major banks that are on the verge of bankruptcy. They had billions of dollars to loan to individuals they knew wouldn't be able to afford to pay their mortgages. Now look at the state of our country's economy. It's called trickin! Even Beyonce's wig collection was recently valued at over $1 Million dollars. Although that's barely 1.25% of the $80 Million she made last year, it's still ridiculous. I know black women are particular about how they want their hair to look. But $10,000 a wig come on! I'm sure a personal stylist won't cost you that much. But then again she probably still has a personal stylist to make sure the wigs stay tight. What a shame.

*Shakes Head*

--C-Recks--

Bad to the Phone

In the blog Nanny Government my brother mentioned the recent implementation of the hand held cell phone ban in the State of California. Now here in the city of Chicago, Illinois the law has been in place for a couple years already. I'm not one to break many laws but this is one law that I just can't seem to abide by. Recently, someone told me that text messaging while driving is also illegal and you can be ticketed for it just like you can talking on your hand held cell phone.

Now I do have a bluetooth head set. However, I honestly don't talk on the phone that much to even use it. Others that are on the phone a frequent amount of time usually just walk around with their bluetooth in their ear. But I don't. Therefore, if I happen to get a call or need to make a call while driving I will use my hand set. As for text messaging, well that's the purpose of even having the type of phone that I have which is a Side Kick 3. It is designed specifically for text messaging. The qwerty keyboard actually resembles that of a real keyboard. Also, the calling plan I have comes with unlimited text messages. The fact is I'm more likely to send a text message than make a phone call.

According to GSHA.org many of the states have used crash data to back up their reasons for having a ban on handheld cell phones. Therefore, I am not disputing the fact that the laws exist or whether or not driving and talking on a hand held cell phone is dangerous or not. I'm simply stating my case. I'm speaking for myself. This is how I would present my case if I ever got ticketed and had to go to court for using my cell phone and or text messaging.

First of all your honor that's a nice robe you have on. I know it's officially after Labor Day but does that come in white? LoL. I'm just kidding. Well as you know I was ticketed for driving while text messaging. I understand why the law is in place and by no means am I stating that I am above the law. However, I want to let the record show that me text messaging while driving is not at all a distraction to me operating my motor vehicle.

I'm sure you're wondering how is that possible? Well when I use my phone to send a text I don't have to look at the keyboard in order to type. The qwerty keyboard is exactly like a computer keyboard. I sit at a desk all day at work typing on a computer. So I know the location of the keys by memory. If you would like can demonstrate this for you. Now you're probably thinking that's fine that you don't have to look at the phone while you text but how do you drive when your hands are on your phone and not the steering wheel?

Well I'm glad you asked because I also have another unique talent that I can utilize while driving. I have the ability to drive/steer the car with my knee. I used to watch my father do this when I was younger and was fascinated by it. So it was only a matter of time until after years of driving that my brother and I were able to pick up on this nifty trick. Now I know you're probably picturing me driving with my knee and sending a text message and thinking OMG you're going to kill someone or yourself. But actually it's very safe if you know what you're doing. See my left knee steers the vehicle while my right foot covers the brake/gas.

Again, I can only speak for myself when I say I can safely and effectively operate a vehicle in this manner. Simply put I am a multi-tasker by nature and have the ability to do many things at once. Therefore, this ticket that I received stating I was driving while distracted is actually incorrect and should be overturned. In fact, I believe that there are things that distract drivers far more often than a cell phone. Also, those things could potentially cause accidents more frequent than using a cell phone while driving. I'd like to call into evidence a number of these items just to prove my point.

Exhibit A - Watching Porn

Now some may be thinking why would watching porn be a distraction while you're driving? Or you may be thinking that you have to be a damn freak to be watching porn while you're driving. Well when I say porn I'm not referring to watching it in my car. First of all I have no TVs in my car. Second of all it's definitely not that serious. However, those individuals that do think it's that serious should be required to tint their windows. The distraction comes in when you pull up behind them. And of course you're going to automatically be intrigued as to what their watching. Once you find out it's porn the likelihood of you trying to watch is inevitable. So the next thing you know you find yourself tailgating the car in front of you just to watch their TV. But as soon as they hit their brakes BAM!! you plow into their bumper.

Exhibit B - Eating

I remember once my mom told me that she was once riding somewhere with my brother. As he was driving he pulled out a plate of food to eat. Now finger food is one thing but apparently this was a Thanksgiving style plate of food. One that required a fork to eat. She described it as him holding the plate in one hand, the fork in the other, and driving with his knee. The ironic part was he happen to be driving a stick shift. Yet he was able to drive to perfection doing all that. However, there are others that are not as skilled. Therefore even eating a simple hamburger and fries can be a distraction. So, imagine someone driving along eating their lunch and as they take a bite of that burger ketchup squirts out onto their nice suit. The immediate reaction will be to look down and in that split second CRASH!! there is another rear end accident.

Exhibit C - Grooming

When people are running late for work in the morning they're liable to do any and everything thing to save time. Most of the time saving activities involve grooming of some sort. Anything from shaving, to teeth brushing, to hair combing. However, I must fault you ladies for this last distraction. Putting on make up while driving! Now come on. I've seen women take forever to put on make up in the bath room mirror. Not to mention it seems to take the precision of a surgeon to apply some of that stuff. How in the world you put on mascara without poking your damn eye out is beyond me. But the point is that there can be no way you can apply make up in the rear view or visor mirror and drive safely. That's just an accident waiting to happen.

Exhibit D -Pretty Women

Now of course I have no problem with pretty women by any stretch of the imagination. But any guy (straight guys that is) will have to admit that when pretty women will always be a distraction. It doesn't matter if they're driving in the car next to you, walking down the street, or if they happen to be your passenger. The point is that when a guy sees a pretty girl he will look and even stare if it can go unnoticed. I've seen guys (myself included) damn near break they neck to look at a good looking female that they drove past. I've also literally seen guys hang out the car window to look at, whistle at, and holla at a female. So bottom line is that good looking females are definitely a distraction to a male driver.

Exhibit E - Billboards

I know that the purpose of billboards are to grab attention. But most billboards are strategically placed along side highways. However, I will admit some are pretty distracting to drivers. I've seen plenty of billboards that caught my attention. The problem with some is that you have to do some reading to figure out what the billboard is advertising. So imagine traveling 65+ miles per hour and then passing a billboard that caught your eye and trying to figure out what it is says. Exactly!! It will take a lot of concentration. Also, it will divert your eyes from the road for a good amount of time. And if I was driving on this road and saw this billboard of Beyonce in a bikini I'd probably smash into the median trying to look at this sign. LoL.

Exhibit F - Bad Ass Kids

There is probably nothing worse than or more aggravating than a car full of kids. Now if those kids happen to be bad ass kids it's enough do "drive" any one crazy. But when you have 2 kids fighting, another crying, then another throwing stuff at you in the drivers seat I'd say that makes for a distraction. Some skilled/long armed parents have the ability to lay hands on their children (not in the biblical sense) while still being able to drive safely. But other than that you're probably one scream or cry away from slamming on the brakes and taking off your belt.

So, there you have it your honor. If you are going to ticket me for what you consider a distraction to my driving then I would say that you need to start ticketing me and every one else for things that are an even bigger distraction. The things I mentioned are only a few of probably many more that I could name. But you get the gist of what I'm saying. I throw myself on the mercy of the court and ask that this ticket be overturned. I rest my case.

Guilty or Not Guilty? Was my argument convincing enough? You be the judge. LoL

--C-Recks--