Blog Archives
Lesson Learned
In life we are often thrown curve balls. I in no way ever feel bitter or resentful because of this. I know with each curve ball thrown, there’s a lesson to be learned. With that said, I have definitely learned a valuable lesson when it comes to people we may at one time or another considered to be a friend.
Over the years, I, like many other people, have lost friendships. However, I never look at these situations as a loss because I truly believe that some people are not meant to be your friend forever. I will admit that I may have been the cause of some of these lost friendships. I am no way naive to that factor; however, I can also say that the person I presented myself as in the beginning is the person I will remain to be throughout all my relationships and friendships. That being said, I feel that the lessons I learn come from the friendships that I don’t necessarily receive a forewarning. Some people are very good at masking their identities, and portraying themselves as something they obviously aren’t. While most of these people are hard to detect, with time, their true colors will seep through.
I feel that God has blessed me with the ability to be a good judge in character. Thinking back, I am almost never shocked by the actions of other people whom of which I have or had a relationship/friendship with. The way that I’m most affected is through my feelings. Although people often show who they are through their actions rather than their words, I often give people the benefit of the doubt and turn the other cheek. I prefer to look for the good in people. Call it a flaw or what have you, but this is who I am.
I’m writing this post mainly because I’ve decided going into this new year to leave some people behind and wanted to share my perspective. A few people who I’ve considered to be friends, not necessarily best friends, have shown their true colors. Their lack of regard for our friendship were shown at times that left a lasting impression and a clear understanding of the type of friend they truly were. Whether it’s difficult or not, some times we have to make these kind of decisions. At the time, we may not understand, but it’s truly beneficial to let go of the negative in our lives so that we fully enjoy the positive things that life has to offer. Life is too short, and you never know when it’s your time to go. So, you should make the best of it, and allow it to be filled with things and people who bring you joy.
My words of advice are to distance yourself from people who don’t positively contribute to your life. As I mentioned before, it’s a hard decision to make, but in the end, you’ll see the positive difference it will make.
Shawty Lo & All His Babies’ Mamas
Well, as you all may be aware, Shawty Lo is expected to star in a new reality show titled, “All My Babies’ Mamas.” The new reality show, still in the planning stages, is set to run on Oxygen. It’s supposed to highlight the rapper’s life with his 10 babies’ mamas and current girlfriend, who is allegedly 19-years-old. Needless to say, I’ve developed some opinions about this topic.
Oxygen is only following suit of other networks airing reality shows. Not to say that should be a reason to air these types of programs, but we are all aware that the more drama there is, the more people will be inclined to watch. I don’t care what anyone says about that. It’s the way TV works. It’s a business, and ratings equal dollars. Television networks don’t care about the kind of trash they air on their respective channels because it’s about money. We all know that drama, violence, and sex sells. So, with Oxygen choosing to pilot this new show, it shouldn’t be a shock.
As far as the show is concerned, I’ve definitely developed some preliminary thoughts…
My first issue is that Shawty Lo has fathered 11 children with 10 different women. That’s disgusting. It shows that he has had unprotected sex with at least (and I do emphasize at least) 10 different women. Statistically speaking, someone had to contract something. It also shows what type of man he is, and that he has no respect for women. However, that conclusion could also be derived from his rap lyrics.
My second issue is with the women, if they were aware of each other. What would possess a woman to have a child by someone who already has 10 other children with at least 9 different women? Now, I’m not sure if the women were aware of each other, but if they were then that’s definitely degrading.
Both of the aforementioned points can also be attributed to people’s stance on marriage, and family.We are definitely living in a different time. Once upon a time, a lot more men and women wanted to be married before procreating, and wouldn’t even consider bringing a child into the world without exchanging vows. However, I won’t go off on a tangent…
I understand that many people are upset because they believe this to be a misrepresentation of the black community. However, I don’t think that we should allow these type of shows to dictate what represents the black community or any community at that. With that said, I ask, do shows like Honey Boo Boo and Shahs of Sunsets represent the community of the people starring in them? Shows like the Real Housewives of Atlanta, and All My Babies’ Mamas represent the people involved. My family, immediate and extended, are nothing like the families shown on these shows. If the people who view these shows choose to categorize every person belonging to a particular culture because of what was shown on television then they’re ignorant.
If the reason behind Shawty Lo and his 10 babies’ mamas getting together is for the children then I’d have to say that’s commendable; however, it definitely could have been done in private. The children are innocent, and I think it’s only fair for them to be given the opportunity to develop relationships with their brothers and sisters.
I do plan to watch the special so that I can give a more substantial opinion about the show. These are just my preliminary thoughts, and I definitely encourage you to share yours!
3rd Presidential Debate 2012 (My Review)
This debate was definitely a good one. Foreign policy is an interesting topic to debate because only one of the candidates can speak from experience, while the other would have to speak hypothetically. The moderator did a decent job balancing the time between the candidates, and standing his ground when the candidates tried to speak over him. I will be the first to admit that it was kind of hard to follow, but as the debate progressed I found that the questions and answers were easier to comprehend. With that said, I’m going to give a break down of each candidate’s delivery and then discuss my take on their answers.
Mitt Romney: Romney for the most part came prepared with a different strategy. He was very passive during this debate. Although he spoke over the moderator quite a few times, I thought he limited his assertiveness and aggression tremendously. He claimed to be attacked quite a few times during the debate as well, which I believe to be a very strategic move. For some people, it could have given the impression that President Obama was bullying Gov. Romney. Throughout the debate, it was quite evident that Gov. Romney was upset about some of the things Pres. Obama said.
Barack Obama: President Obama definitely came prepared to defend his stance on foreign policies. He spoke clearly and concisely. He was assertive and aggressive, although he was spoken over a few times. The President was very poised and comfortable during this debate. I think he might have enjoyed this debate more so than the others. President Obama definitely exuded a sense of confidence throughout the showdown.
Mitt Romney: I’m not really sure where Gov. Romney stands on foreign policy, except on a few topics. For the most part, he agreed with practically everything President Obama is doing or has done concerning foreign policy. However, his stance on some things has changed over the course of his campaign. For instance, during the last debate Romney bashed the Chinese completely, but this time around he was more open to building a relationship with China. Although he said some of the same things from the last debate, he definitely portrayed a different attitude toward our relationship with China. I also thought it was quite interesting that Gov. Romney did not try to rebut Pres. Obama’s comment about Mitt Romney’s businesses doing business with Iran through China. In addition, I thought that Gov. Romney’s stance on the military should be duly noted because he wants to increase the military budget, although the Pentagon hasn’t requested it. His comparison of today’s military to the military of 1916 just proved how out of touch he truly is. As aforementioned, Gov. Romney’s answers were vague and very similar in some aspects to Pres. Obama’s.
Barack Obama: President Obama stance on foreign policy remained consistent throughout this debate. He emphasized along with Gov. Romney that America would have Israel’s back in a war. Pres. Obama went on to talk about how he ended the war in Iraq, and captured/killed Osama Bin Laden. Another key topic he spoke about was the departure of the troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014. This action was also interestingly enough backed by Gov. Romney, who previously did not support it. Although the President didn’t do an adequate job answering the question about America’s role in the world, I thought he adequately described what relationship the United States should have with China in the future. I also thought Pres. Obama’s point about taking care of home first was a very important one to be made. Although some may say that the Presidents’ comments about horses, bayonets, and battleship were unnecessary, I have to disagree. I think he made a valid comparison to show how uninformed Gov. Romney is concerning our military. Another point that I thought was important was Pres. Obama’s comment about Gov. Romney’s businesses working with Iran, the country we “despise”. The President spoke on experience during this entire debate; it was evident that he knew what he was talking about.
The media will have you to believe that there was no clear-cut winner, or that Gov. Romney played the part for a reason, which in turn provided him with a win. However, it was clear that Gov. Romney has no stance on foreign policy or at least it doesn’t differ much from President Obama’s. It would be negligent of me to say that this debate was a draw, or there was no clear-cut winner. In my opinion, the POTUS most certainly came out on top in this debate. The polls can also attest to that.
With this being the last debate, and with the race so close, all I can do is continue to encourage people to go vote. This is a very important election as are any other elections in America. So, please exercise your right to vote!
Tyla Times
