Random Thoughts, April 24th

I just watched the Anderson Cooper Special Report from CNN about "Snitching" -The predominantly Black urban practice of not cooperating with Police, not providing witness information, etc. and in the process, protecting criminals. BLACK FOLKS ARE KILLING THEIR OWN WITH THIS FOOLISHNESS!!!

As a black man, I am embarrassed by this nonsense. What we are seeing is the mental genocide of Black people in this country. Their hearts are still pumping blood through their veins, but the souls of some Black folks are dead....and their minds are on vacation.
I see no hope for this situation.... which is driven by the ignorant Rap culture. Nothing will change it overnight. This is because Rap culture has such a strong influence on Black Americans. This is why I am glad I don't listen to the stuff. In fact, I pride myself on being Rap-Free for the past 16 years.

But as I have mentioned before.... just a few things will change this situation...

#1. Parenting/Restoration of Family. I have covered Bill Cosby quite a bit on this blog as he spoke about the need for Black people to get back to good parenting and to restore the concept of family (a value that no longer holds prominence in Black Culture). There are too many "Parents" who have no business with children... many just don't have the upbringing to provide good guidance and a healthy environment for a child. The fact that Black culture is going down the toilet should be no surprise to anyone who is paying attention.

#2. The second thing that could change this situation is Black women finally standing up and saying "No More"!. They must reject the negative images of women created by Rap culture and by corporations. However, I don't see this happening anytime soon. Black women are some of the biggest consumers of this music. How ironic is that sh*t? When they should be protesting it, they are out buying the CD's and bobbing their heads to the music....providing a living for the
very people who are degrading them. Not a day goes by where i'm not pissed off by this craziness.

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I don't watch much TV..... much of the programming is just asinine. But over the past few months, I have become hooked on the re-runs of the Amazing Race. strangely enough, I never caught the original programs.... because of my working hours.

The show is a good escape.... you can mentally put yourself in the different places where they travel. Plus, they always seem to find a way to hook you....to get you to tune in for the next episode.

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Too many things to do, and not enough time to do them.

I am trying to go back to school again... all part of self improvement, and making myself "viable". And an effort to get "established".

In my 30+ years, I have never really been in a position to really enjoy life.... to stop and smell the flowers. I have been stuck in this meaningless paperchase....of which I have reaped no benefits as of yet. I am beginning to wonder if any of my efforts have been worth it.

I often see lesser men who have everything.... girlfriends/wives (some gorgeous), families, are home owners, and have their financial situations in order....and seem happy. So somewhere I must have taken a wayward turn.

In American culture people are increasingly defined by class. In fact, the U.S. is becoming more like a Caste system...like in India. Your social circles are defined by your economic class. Your relationship with the opposite sex is determined by class. Almost every aspect of life is determined by class level. We are defined by job, income, our zip codes, appearance, race, etc... and on top of that, it is now becoming harder to move from one class to another. This lack of class mobility is one of the main characteristics of a Caste system.

Can we really be surprised by the actions of Cho Seung-Hui? Yes, he was probably predisposed to murder-suicide because of one or more mental conditions, but he was certainly helped along by pressures & conditions in American culture. He was, in part, an American creation. As an immigrant from S. Korea, he was teased by his American classmates, who (while teasing him) mistakenly called him Chinese. This kind of ethnic, religious and cultural ignorance is pervasive and ingrained in American culture. With that kind of taunting, it is a miracle that he did not have major issues sooner than he did. But on top of that, he was under pressure from his family and community to "do well". "Doing Well" for Asian immigrants means measuring up to a white standard. This is especially the case for the men. For Asian women.... what do you often see? What does "doing well" mean for them? It often means meeting and marrying a White man.... meaning a White man who is "successful".... has plenty of money, etc etc. This is actually encouraged in many Asian families.... parents wanting their daughters to marry White men...with the idea that this person would be the best for their daughter because of the assumption that they are successful, have financial wealth, etc. It's sickening.

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I am looking forward to the Summer. I will probably be in school or signed up by then (unless a job offer comes). I am hoping to get into Washington University in St. Louis.... one of the best Universities in the World. I wish I would have started last year....but I needed a break after just finishing a degree at another University. Washington University is a diamond in the rough for St. Louis. I often think that it is one of the few good reasons why anyone should move here, lol.

I know that I probably can't afford it.... because I am in enough debt as is. But I have to be able to compete. If I change my mind and decide to go somewhere else, it will probably be Webster University (another good school...though not as good as Washington U.), where I have already earned a degree. I can't really go wrong with either school.

It just seems that as a Black man... there is no such thing as having too much education.
I just wish I had some help on these student loans.... which total between 50 and 60 thousand at this point. These people are already calling me wanting their money.... but I have the same crappy job that I had a year ago.... so I have no money for them. I have a policy now of not answering the phone because of all the calls from the loan companies. They'll get their money....but i'm in no hurry. Hell....why can't education be free in this country? At least the first two years of college should be free IMO. This goes back to the class thing... poor folks start off at a disadvantage....because they either can't afford college at all....have to join the military for money, or have to go deep into debt.... starting their lives tens of thousands of dollars behind. This is what priviledged kids take for granted....they typically don't have to worry about these kinds of problems.


That's enough for now.....