T h a n k f u l

I couldn't think of a word more appropriate than, Thankful.

I'm thankful for the breath in my lungs.

I'm thankful for my friends and my family, who have called and shown comfort.

I thank God for allowing me to be a personal witness of His grace.

I am thankful.


Last Tuesday, my life actually flashed before my eyes.

I was rear ended on my way home from work. A car struck my vehicle as I was stopped, waiting for an opportunity to make a left turn. I was fortunate enough to walk away from the accident, but I suffered several injuries as a result.


Questions
Could I have avoided the accident if I left work 5 minutes later? What if I never stopped to fill my tank up at the gas station and just went straight home? All of these questions ran through my head. I felt as if it was somehow my fault, but it wasn't.

Answers
Over the past week I've been couped up in the house, several things have become apparent to me.

1) Tomorrow is not promised.
It's something we hear all the time...but it's important to keep in mind. I tend to think as a "glass is half-full" type of person so instead of thinking of it in a negative sense saying you won't be here tomorrow, I like to say LIVE FOR TODAY!

For the record, I've officially whipped out my list of goals for the year and I plan on really working to achieve each one. Sometimes I find myself to be a goal-aholic. It's a disease in which one thinks they can do everything they want to do at one time.

Survey says.........THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE.

So back to the drawing board I guess. Luckily I have time to make my goals really happen since I won't be going out or anything any time soon.

2) Friends are Forever.
Not to get all mushy or anything (not my style)...but I am very thankful to those who took the time to call, come by, reach out, give me a ride, cook, bake, smile, pray or just crack a joke to try to comfort me during this tough time. If it wasn't for you guys--I'd be a mess. It's not often that you do something for someone and they say thank you...so i'm saying:

THANKS GUYS! I'm cheesin! (All 62 teeth are blingin!)

It really means a lot to me because I live in CT and I don't have my closest friends and family here. For once, CT actually feels like a home away from home.


Thank you.

Sports Allegiance: Home or Away?

Living in New England has taught me alot about sports.

You're either a Red Sox fan or a Yankees' fan. There's no in between.

There are a number of people here who are Yankees' fans who aren't even from New York, Jersey or anywhere close for that matter.

This brought me to the thought:

Where do our sports allegiances derive from?

[Raising my hand] Um, is there like a rule I don't know about that says it's NOT okay to be a fan of a team in a town where you've NEVER lived? Does living in a state for more than a month constitute enough weight for an allegiance to be born?

Here's my outlook on the Big 3...plus one - NBA, NFL, MLB and College sports.

NBA

With professional basketball, I find that most people are fans of certain players, opposed to being a fan of a team. Prior to this years Celtics /Lakers matchup, not too many people cared about the NBA or it's players. Aside from David Stern enforcing a dress code for it's players, I believe the league just became too ghetto for season ticket holders to bare. There are also several states that don't have a professional NBA team like...Nevada, Montana, South Carolina and...oh, Connecticut. Several Connecticut natives tend to lean towards the Boston Celtics as "their team." As you can see, the NBA is an exception.

NFL

Who doesn't love the NFL? Seriously. There's nothing like curling up on your couch on a Sunday afternoon with some wings, soda, chips-n-dip and your laptop (for you fantasy football fiends). So who holds your NFL allegiance? My allegiance stems from my 5-year stint in Charlotte, North Carolina. I must say, I heart the Carolina Panthers. Prior to 2000, I was never a huge football fan due to how horrible my hometown Seattle Seahawks were...but it was just something about Carolina that won my loyalty. Depending on where your from, football fans are not always for the "home team." I think I've met more Washington Redskins fans in the New York area than I have in Washington D.C! Now that's real talk. I think the jury is out on this one. Some people say you have to be from the team's city that you root for, while others disagree. What do you think? This is also one sport where a lot of people have two teams they like: one being the dominant team, while the other is a closet favorite because of a particular player or coach.

MLB

America's favorite pastime....Baseball. It's about as American as apple pie...well, until steroids came along. But seriously, this is one sport where I think most people are fans of their home town team. It's true that players get traded often, but it's rare that people will switch their allegiance from team to team in MLB. While living in the south I noticed that baseball is not really that popular. Due to the lack of teams in those regions, there's no demand for baseball so there's no allegiance either. History is also a big factor in why people stay loyal to certain teams. You can't deny those who paved the way...for the A-Rod's and Jeter's of today.

College Sports

If you live in North Carolina for more than a week it's inevitable that you'll be asked the question: Are you a Carolina fan or a Duke fan? For the record, I bleed Carolina blue. It's so necessary. I'm not gonna go into the top ten reasons why I hate Duke...I'll save that for another blog. Instead I'd like to focus on the amount of people who cheer for a school they never attended. Sports fans are attracted to dynasties and rivalries. College sports is one place where you'll find alot of that. However there are always those teams like CAA's George Mason who slip through the cracks and make us all believe that the unexpected can happen. It's Cinderella teams like GMason that make sports fun. Who are your favorite college teams for each sport? Are they the same for each sport? Isn't it interesting how people can be say... a UConn basketball fan, but a Notre Dame football fan?

My overall opinion is...be a fan of what ever team you want. I am.

Stay Classy!

An Historic Feat

Change is coming to Washington!

Barack Obama has clinched the Democratic nomination, making him the first African-American presidential candidate of a major party.

Some people received the news by text message, some updated their facebook/myspace status messages. Others simply watched CNN in awe. It's a day, none of us will forget. Now Obama hasn't been voted as President yet, but the taste of the possibility, is sweeter than my mama's sweet potato pie!

There's something about Barack that makes you admire him, listen, think, and immerse yourself in the movement. He's charming, sincere, articulate, and intelligent. His wife is a modern day Claire Huxtible....gorgeous, supportive, and extremely smart. What a pair?!

Obama has survived countless attacks, but his resolve remains unshaken. His resume has been challenged, yet his words and actions back it up. He is everything you see in front of you, nothing more and nothing less.

Barack is a symbol of hope and an advocate of change.

He is our democratic presidential nominee.

And he's Black....but he represents us all.

It's an historical feat that in my 25-years on this planet, I never thought I'd see. The Obama campaign is not just a presidential race, it's a movement that has changed the way we look at politics forever.

Change in '08....Barack the Vote!

The Perfect Paragon

Recently I was posed the question,"How important is winning an NBA title without Shaq to Kobe's career?"

I thought to myself, extremely important.

Kobe Bryant is one of the most dissected athletes in the NBA. So that means his game and personal life must be flawless. He has to be the regular season MVP, hold the NBA title, pass the ball, be the Finals MVP, and win the Gold at the Olympics to be considered great. That's quite a load to haul. But not one too heavy for Kobe Bean.

So what does it take to be the GREATEST in the NBA?

I thought you'd never ask ;)

Here is my formula for what I like to call: The Perfect Paragon. It's made up of 3 important parts:

1. Skill


2. Athleticism


3. Passion

Several players in the NBA will never be GREAT because they have not achieved a balance of all three parts. I'm sure you can think of a laundry list of players...

But let's take a look at the New Jersey Nets' Vince Carter.

Now while I'm a huge Tarheels fan, I have to admit that Carter has not matured into a GREAT player. However, he's definitely in my Top 5 for all-time best slam dunks! I will never forget his dunk in the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest...but my admiration for Carter stops there. He has definitely achieved great skill and athleticism........but he lacks the passion.

In a recent interview, NBA Analyst Stephen A. Smith asked Kobe Bryant what his secret was to leading the Lakers to the NBA finals. While Kobe shyed away from the question by saying he wouldn't reveal the secret; I knew what it was: Passion. Passion is not just a simple emotion. It's a reaction to an external force. Bryant has always exuded passion in his love for the game, but it wasn't until now that Bryant was able to affect the actions of others with his passion. For years people have compared the likes of Bryant and the legendary Michael Jordan. It's a winless battle. At this point, I feel Bryant has already distinguished himself as his own man...not a boy in the shadow of a giant.

Bryant has led his young team to the NBA finals through not only his passion for the game, but his passion to win as a team, and his passion in making the players around him better. It is for this reason, Kobe Bean is a giant. His skill is unparalleled. His athleticism is unmatched. But the passion he's instilled in his team cannot be shaken.

Kobe Bryant = The Perfect Paragon

Hump Day Headlines

Wednesdays are generally pretty slow for me. It's the end of the work week [my weekend falls on Thursday and Friday] and it's usually a day I use to do anything you would put in the "other" column. With that said, I've picked out some interesting headlines that'll keep you 9-to-5'ers entertained until the weekend hits. Enjoy and Stay Classy!

• It's an American Classic gone wrong. A chef at Wall Street Burger Shoppe in Lower Manhattan just added a $175 burger to the menu. Word? I’m not a huge burger fan [although Five Guys is pretty good] but for some reason this just sounds a little over priced. The ambitious chef says it's worth the money because it's made of Kobe beef and topped with a few things you can barely pronounce. It seems like the word Kobe and beef are always synonymous with one another. But what do I know…I’m just a writer.

• Boys with Boob jobs. If that sentence didn't grab your attention, I don't know what will! Apparently obesity is a serious problem in our country...who knew? As a result young boys are turning to plastic surgery to fix their "man boobs." Hmmm...

• A teenage boy posted naked pics of his girlfriend on Myspace. This story will make you think twice before sending that risque photo on your cellphone to your boo. Delete it!

• $15 to check baggage on American Airlines? This story just boggles my mind. Why should I have to pay to put my luggage on a flight? Who cares if oil prices are going up?! If I bring a carry-on...I can't pack any liquids! Dude, this is no bueno!

• and if you thought NFL players performing on ABC's Dancing with the Stars was borderline...check this out, Classic! Thanks D!

Glow in The Dark Tour

Good thing I brought my umbrella-ella-ella, eh, eh...

because Mother Nature brought torrential downpour to Hartford. No worries though, Chicago's finest was in town - Kanye West.

Glow in the Dark lineup: Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D, Rihanna and Kanye West

Lupe and N.E.R.D was awesome
Well, that's what my friend Paula text me as I arrived at the concert. I was a little fashionably late. Ok, so I was an hour late..but I had to get diva-fied. It's a process that can never be rushed.

Ri-Ri's pants were painted on
The good girl gone bad put on a great show. It was like a shot of Espresso. She started with a little reggae, took it back with her rendition of Lauryn Hill's "That Thing," and the crowd sang along as she belted out the crowd favorite - "Umbrella." A few cornballs actually opened there umbrella's during the song. Don't tell anyone, but I kinda wanted to open mine too. Oh yeah, and midway through her set, Rihanna tore off her rip-away skirt to reveal some pants so tight, they looked like they were painted on. [Um, does yo mama know about those pants?]

Kanye was a one man show
All respect is due to the Louis Vuitton Don. Kanye West's stage show was somewhere between a sci-fi flick and a one-man Broadway production set to hip-hop. A rough idea of the story line is: West sets out into space in search of inspiration. He then crash-lands on an unknown planet, and has to find his way back to Earth. It's through this journey where West takes you from "Good Morning," where he wakes up on the unknown planet….to "Touch the Sky," where he finally makes it back to Earth. His spaceship named Jane talks him through the journey. A touching moment came when 'Ye performed "Hey Mama" as the crowd waved their cell phones to the beat. The only time Kanye actually sat down was during a surprising portion of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing." From there 'Ye "repairs" his spaceship and rallied the crowd with his hit, "Stronger."

In the Dark
So I bet you're wondering what I didn't like about the concert. Honestly, Kanye's performance was flawless, however there were a few audio issues where his mic was super low and the band was over modulated. Now, if you ask the people who sat on the grass during the show, I’m sure they'd say they didn't like being soaked during a 4-hour concert. A poncho can only do so much.

Glowing in the Dark
Kanye deserves a standing ovation for creativity. The set and storyline was creative. This has never been done in hip-hop people. Truly one of the most fascinating concerts I've ever seen. At the end of the concert 'Ye gave a special shoutout to all the columnists out there who write about his shows. He said, "this is real music…it isn't something that you can grade." I agree. Kanye is one of the Hottest Mc's in the game.

The Afterparty
Ok, why did The Emperor [a club in Hartford] think it was okay to charge $50 for the Glow in the Dark Tour afterparty? I wanna know who actually paid that much money to get in a club where you will sweat out your hair and outfit just by stepping in the place. This is not New York! Needless to say, I didn't go. High level, not eye level people.

Just another page of the Classifieds. Stay Classy.

The Sports Section

He's worn the numbers: 24, 30, and now 3.
He's hit 597 homeruns - just three bombs shy of reaching the epic 600 mark.
His name is Ken Griffey, Jr.
His Team is the Cincinnati Reds.

But now - the word on the street is, he could soon be a Seattle Mariner again!

[*music to my ears*]

John Hickey with the Seattle PI wrote:

Reports out of New York say that Duane Shaffer, in his first season as a special assistant to Seattle general manager Bill Bavasi, was in Shea Stadium Sunday to have a look at Griffey.

The Mariners need two things - someone to get the fans' interest revved up after a horrid start to the season and someone to provide some power to a lineup devoid of many run-producers.

I've been a fan of the Mariners ever since 1994! My father, a loyal M's fan, is the reason why I grew to love them so much. Between watching games on TV with the sound turned to the highest decibel allowed, to watching a game in the stands; It was rare that I missed a game.

Griffey's legacy stretched from 1989 to 1999, but we still love him like he's never left. There's no doubt in my mind that Seattle fans would love to see "the kid" back in a M's uniform rocking the #24! I know Griffey is getting old and more injury prone, but the fact he's on the verge of hitting his 600th homer would be great PR for Seattle's franchise. Not to mention he hit the majority of those homers in the great northwest!!

Let's be real - he put Seattle on the map for MLB.

Right now the M's are sitting at 15-25.

*Ahem* [clearing my throat]

They are pretty much scraping the bottom of the AL West. But at least we got San Diego beat! My point here is, while Griffey may not single-handily get us to the playoffs, at least it will bring that euphoria back to Seattle. Oh yeah, don't forget that "The Kid" is a lefty. We could use that balance in our lineup! [Preach!]

As a fan it's hard to understand all the corporate decisions that are made, but at the end of the day - it's all about money! Griffey is the one person M's execs know will pack the stands.

Look at it this way - his return might be the only thing that saves Safeco Field from turning into the Kingdome.

Another Again

Do you ever feel like life just repeats itself? I do! It's like we struggle, and conquer. Love and hate. Cry, and laugh. Make-up, then break-up. It's a never-ending cycle.

I'm not a huge John Legend fan, but a few of his songs do something to me. I heard his ballad, Another Again today on the way to work. Great song. It's borderline classic.

I'm not sure if it's the words, or his voice. Either way, I literally lose myself when I hear this song. If you've never heard this song, I suggest you take a listen. I feel that good music should be a reflection of life. It should talk about the good, bad and ugly of what's really going on in the world. This song talks about the ebbs and flows in love. Somethings we can all relate to.

This is for all my friends, family, and loyal readers going through Another Again.....Enjoy!

Mother's Day Tribute

It's a day to celebrate not only your mother, but ALL women -Mother's day.

It's interesting what inspires me to blog sometimes. This time, my inspiration is special.

Last night, I wrote an email to a gentlemen I met at the NABJ conference in Vegas. It was a simple email…

"Hey, long time no hear from. How are you?

His response left me shaken. It was a long, detailed email explaining why he had been under the radar.

"My mother passed away."

The news left me sunk like the Titanic. Then, I started thinking about what it would be like if my mother passed away. I tried to shake the thought, but I suddenly slipped into a daze.

I pictured…
Her laugh,
Her smile,
Her eyes,
And her signature macaroni & cheese and yams.

[I'm literally tearing up as I write this]

What would I be without the woman who brought me in this world? She's my rock. My friend. My mentor. My role model. I've always wanted to be just like her. I can't imagine not having her shoulder to lean on.

As I'm writing this blog, I'm realizing how tough it must be for my friend to cope with the loss of his mother. It must take the epitome of faith and strength to move ahead with your life. It's for this reason that I admire him. Even though he may admire others for having a parent or both of their parents, I admire him for being able to acknowledge his pain, yet carry the torch and press on.

This Mother's Day, take the time to carry the torch. Show your mother how much she means to you, because tomorrow is not promised. Thank her for lighting the torch in your life so that you could shine like no other.

Remember, you don't have to bear a child to be acknowledged on Mother's day.

So to all the women reading this: I lift you up, I pray for you, and I encourage you to do the same for other women in your life too.

Happy Mother's Day! [I love you Mom]

Oh and enjoy this great song by Raheem DeVaughn, appropriately titled, "Woman." Check it out - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhsaIizrY5I&feature=related