Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Can't win for losing...

Ok. Hypothetically speaking... Say one random Saturday night, you are at home chilling... Maybe you are 3 more minutes away from sleeping peacefully and then you are awaken by a phone call... On the other end is your best/good buddy/friend/confidant/bro/bitch/person that you will always be there for, no matter what, and they are drunk as SHIT! I mean, they are on the wrong side of hammered and doing laps! That person on the other end asks you to come and get them from this party.

So, out of concern and love for this person, you get out of bed, put on your sweats, jump into your car, and you head to where ever this party is just to pick up your friend who is apparently in dire straits, because she decided to kick back a few beers and vodka shots at a party that there was under aged drinking... You pull up to the party, get out, and search for said friend, saying hi to everyone is there, and ignore the obvious questions of "WHY DON'T YOU HAVE A DRINK!?" You finally find your friend, and they are on the couch/in the corner, passed out/blabbing on/rambling about whatever/making out or whatever. You grab them put them on your shoulder and lead them out back to the car... But before you step out of the door, the cops happened to show up and bust up the party and make life worse for all of those who are there, and are drunk... It's your turn to be asked by the cops  of your involvement in the party, you tell your peace, and you are checked out to be honest... you are sober! No alcohol has passed your lips that night... So the cops allow you to go, after they write up a ticket for your friend...

You take her home, and you make sure she is safe... You go home and you finally get some sleep... 2 weeks later,  you go to school, and you are in math class trying your damnedest to solve for x, and then over the PA system you hear your name being called to the Principals office. You walk there not sure what could be the reason of why you would need to be called to the office, just to find out that not only is the principal is there, your volleyball coach is there as well... They sit you down, and asked you about your involvement in whatever the party over the weekend... You tell your side of the story, and you are truthful about it... After that, the school decided to not only suspend you 5 games, they take away your captaincy on the volleyball squad... All for making sure that your friend would get home safe...

Well, this hypothetical actually happened to a young lady by the name of Erin Cox. A 17 year old girl who played savior to her drunk friend on a weekend night... She was punished for being a great example of a friend, and a great example of a human being. More times than not, anyone who drinks has the balls to admit that they can get home safely. Hell. I did many a time... but I know my limits, and if I went passed them, I made sure I was sober enough just to get to point B... I am not going to sit here and say that I am the smartest person in the world, but this is just wrong. The school claims to have a "Zero Tolerance" policy regarding drugs and alcohol, which is cool, but when the punishment is dished to the wrong individuals, that's when problems arises... Instead of punishing this young lady the way that the high school did, they should make her an example of how a teenager should be like.

I do not know who this young lady is, and I probably will never know who she is, but from just this, I can tell that she is an upstanding citizen who will go out on a limb for her friends and loved ones. She is... i mean, WAS the captain of her volleyball team... She is probably on the honor roll, and never gave her teachers any reason to doubt her standings in the world after high school. However, because of her big heart, she is seen as an every day trouble maker at her school. NOT fair and NOT cool. Out of all the teenagers to ostracize, you go ahead and pick on the one young lady who did all that she could to do the right thing and make her a villain? not only that, you take away her number 1 love for 5 games?! Are you fucking kidding me!?

North Andover High School should be embarrassed of itself... Instead of punishing the good kids for their actions, REWARD THEM! This is one of the many problems with the whole school system as it stands... The good gets treated like shit, while the bad is treated as a precious gem... Its a fucked up system, and things need to change REALLY soon. The family tried to sue the school, but it didn't work out... Its not right. But I love what Erin said: " I felt like going to get her was the right thing to do. Saving her from getting in the car when she was intoxicated and hurt herself or getting in the car with someone else who was drinking. I'd give her a ride home." A concerned friend gets punished... Fucked up...

GOD BLESS YOU, ERIN! THANK YOU FOR HAVING SUCH A BIG HEART AND A GREAT HEAD ON YOUR SHOULDERS. MANY BLESSINGS ARE COMING YOUR WAY! 

Monday, October 14, 2013

Now introducing "GEMS"

This is the best time find new music. Seriously! Think about it. You have to be dead to not know who Lorde is right now. You have to be trapped into the world of what the radio airwaves are feeding you if you have no idea who RDGLDGRN is... And with all of that said, I have another band to put on that list. Lately, I have found most of my musical sources from the website buzzfeed.com. Whoever is over there and have a good idea of what music is, is a genius, and I love him or her so much.

I discovered, yet, another sound. Like RDGLDGRN, they come from the D.C. area. But unlike RDGLDGRN (previously known as The Five One before Blue decided to go a different direction, creatively), the band known as "GEMS" do more of the dream cast sound. A lot of similarities to Massive Attack in their sound, but for toady's music crowd, they fit right in. They have a lot of songs on their Soundcloud page, and you REALLY REALLY have to listen to the first track "Medusa." If you want to be slapped into their black and white world of amazing, this is the track to make you go there. "GEMS" is coming out at the right time. The world needs this. It's a slower pace like Lorde, and just about as deep, but they have a GREAT since of enveloping you into the sound, along with the music. So PLEASE enjoy these guys. They are amazing.

For more info on this band, here is their official website: http://www.gems-band.com/

Friday, October 11, 2013

Lables

How do you define yourself?

I know that this 5 word question is loaded, but when you think about it... How do you choose what you like and what you hate, what you believe and what you vilify? What does your dress say about your statement to whatever is established for you to be the person that you are? What about your choices? What do they say about you? Can you answer that without coming up with a label? Is that even possible? I dont know!

I'm writing this blog because Janelle Monae stated in her song titled, Q.U.E.E.N., "Categorize me, I defy EVERY label." She said that because she's been battling the media to see if she is gay or not... Personally, it doesn't matter if she is or isn't. She's an amazing artist, and her talents should be what they are digging into, not her sexual preferences. Back to the point... if you aren't a fan of labels, that's cool! But who are you? How do I know what you are if you aren't, for lack of a better term--something?

Me, I'm a black, 30 something, who loves rock music, football, hockey, pineapples, good-bad food, and good good food, and everything that I discover. I am an introvert who poses as an extrovert! I am afro-punk, and I am myself. I am a rock at the bottom of the river, and that guy you don't want to get mad. I am a Christian, but I don't necessarily follow the same path of most under the same faith. I like to show my faith by letting it shine, and not by preaching... That's just me. I just labeled myself like 15 different things... These labels make me who I am today! What are your labels? I ask again... How do you define yourself?

When you try to be different, you just being the same as someone else. And guess what, more than one of the same thing gets categorized. Nature of the beast. Now, don't go off thinking that I'm saying that Janelle Monae is wrong in what she said, and what shes defending. That is not the case. I am simply saying that me personally, I think you should embrace your labels and who you are... Anyone and everyone who is living is going to be categorized. When you made, you are going to come out into this world a girl or a boy... When you come out, and depending on your parents, you may be black, white, or mixed. From there, you may be tall or short. You may have an illness, or you may lead a "perfect" life... So, again I ask... How do you define yourself?

What about your dreams? What about the way you keep your sanity? When you imagine your world, what's in it? When you look at the world around you, how you you see it? How can you change it? What colors would you paint your world? What would stand out in it? Can it be real? What strides are you taking to make it real? I cant wait to see it, dreamer!

Don't be afraid of labels! Embrace them if you have to, but be sure to embrace them for the right reasons. Don't be something that you are not, but do not allow something that someone says define you! If you have a label, make sure that it has all the positivity it can. DO NOT ALLOW ANYONE to define you, or your labels. So, I ask for the final time... How do you define yourself? Goodnight.