5. The adverse social effects of the instant gratification we have always known from our consumer products and machines

Part 5/7 of the series. It's amazing how the thoughts that you have in your head seem to come up from other sources in daily life, isn't it? I was just in my Business Ethics class, where my professor showed the class a video of The Daily Show With Jon Stewart. (which I will post below). He then asked people about taking an ethical oath. Most of the students had a problem with said oath because they want to reach success and wealth as quick as possible, which leads me to the point of this post.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
MBA Ethics Oath
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Healthcare Protests

Is it just me, or does it seem that no one really wants to put time and effort into what they do anymore? Laziness is a universal phenomenon, if you ask me (and once again, for the slow, if you're reading my blog you're asking me). I mean, we cut all kinds of corners, pull all kinds of stunts and tricks, and utilize all kinds of fine print manipulations in order to get over on one another. In fact, I'd say we spend so much time trying to get over on each other that hardly anyone has anything worthwhile anymore. We don't realize that good things come to those who wait, and that anything worth having is worth working hard for and investing time in. Nor do we seem to understand that with our work (no matter how menial or lowly the task) we make statements to society about ourselves. Therefore, it is best to take pride in one's work (once again, no matter how non-glamorous the job is). The whole thing reminds me of the movie "Click," where Adam Sandler's impatience (along with the technological advance of a remote control that could control time) caused him to miss the most important things in life.

It's the same thing with any MBA student (which I will be in a few more years). We want success, wealth, fame, and fortune to come IMMEDIATELY! The fact is that it comes with years of dedication, focus, drive, and hard work. So why is it that we want these things to come so fast? Where did all our patience go? The answer is that our patience went AWAY. It went away because we very seldom use it, and therefore don't seem to need it. I say that because for Generation Y-ers, there have always been certain luxuries and accommodations available. Personal computers existed all of our lives, as did calculators and microwaves. The world wide web took over while we were in grade school. By junior high, everyone had a cell phone. We love technology because it provides instant gratification, so in general we've never really had to wait very long for things. If you look at the state of morals and interaction in society, we seem to be suffering from the fact that we expect the same type of instant gratification from all aspects of life, including relationships.

Case in point, people are killing each other because they won't cooperate sexually. Like Lil' Kim's birthday party last year or the health club shooting earlier this summer. The culprit at Lil Kim's party (most likely dubbed The Jumpoff by her and her entourage) bludgeoned a lady to death because she had resisted his sexual advances. The culprit in the health club shooting was angry with women in general because he had only scarcely had sex and was not attractive to any of the ladies that he was attracted to. I'd say that things like this happen because we want instant gratification (and by that I mean IMMEDIATE SEX) from our relationships. It's sort of like the film, "A Beautiful Mind." Russell Crowe, who played the main character and Nobel prize winning economist John Nash, goes up to two women during the course of the movie (one who slapped him and dismissed him and one who became his wife) and said some variation of the following:

"Traditionally, there are a series of courtship and mating rituals that we both know will eventually culminate in the two of us having sex. Would you mind if we just skipped those traditional rituals and formalities and got straight to the sex?

I'm paraphrasing in the above quote because I could not find the actual lines in order to quote them here, but - if you've seen the movie - you know that's pretty much what he said. Those scenes in the film perfectly illustrate my point: we get everything else we want with the quickness and we want that to translate over to interactions with the opposite sex.

It doesn't stop there, however. Look at education. The fact is that the majority of students do not want to study or read for any class. I remember taking a sophomore Economics class last year. The policy for this particular class was that anyone who had over a 95 average after the last regular exam would be exempt from the final. I had a 100 average and was therefore exempt from the final. A girl came up to me after class that day, and asked for my help with studying for the final. I told her the formula that I follow to get good grades, which goes a little something like this: Come to class, take notes, define/know/study any and all terms, read all assigned chapters, study the notes days in advance, and ace the test. She replied, "You ain't gon' help me?" I answered, "I just did."
She didn't really want "help." What she wanted was some kind of quick fix to learn weeks and weeks worth of material for the final exam (an exam, mind you, which it had just been announced that I did NOT have to take).  My experiences having been in school for the past 15 years are an obvious indicator that the young lady is not alone.  Many of us don't want to put the time in to really learn, we're used to pointing and clicking. We want to download something or type in a code and have every answer to every question on every test.  We want A's without doing A work.  We want to come to class when we feel like it and retain enough information from that to ace any test while continuing to watch our favorite TV shows, go to every party, sip something before every "last call," and do any and all of the other things besides education that college has become known for.  It doesn't work that way, time and effort have to be put into studying and academics. Until we realize that, I shudder at the thought of the futility of even the most aggressive education reform.  I also shudder at the thought that some of these very slackers will be business owners, doctors, lawyers, etc. who want to put the same effort (or lack thereof) into their actual work as they did into their preparation for it.  Because all of us are clients or customers of these types of professionals at some point, the vast majority of us may be doomed.  I'd hate to say it like that, and I hope that won't be the case.  Furthermore, I know that there are many students (myself included) who are very focused on their goals, on academics, and being the best students and eventually professionals - in any field - that they can possibly be.  However, as I said to a friend the other day, I find it hard sometimes to understimate the depth of the ignorance of the overwhelming majority of this generation.  It's as simple and plain as that.  I don't know of another way to put it.

If we don't put time, pride, and effort into what we do, then no one benefits from what we do at all. We can't build fruitful relationships, develop substantial attention spans, actually retain information, or honestly (and therefore without consequences) reach the goals of success that we have set for ourselves without patience. I'm not asking anyone to throw away their laptops, iPhones, or any other technological innovations. I am, however, asking us all to demand more discipline and patience from ourselves on a daily basis. After all, we all deserve relationships, products, services - and ultimately, lives - that are worthwhile.

4. Either our inability - or perhaps, our refusal - to think things through and consider the consequences before making decisions

Part 4 of the series. It's been awhile since my last post, I know. I've been getting settled in and ready for the new school year. I've only been back on campus a few days, but I'm already disappointed in some of the things that I'm seeing here. Folks are wasting no time trying to get their party/freak on. It amazes me because I think about the hardship that families go through trying to provide a way for their kids to go to college. Some of these people may be first generation college students and whatnot, but their minds are not on the tremendous amount of hope that their families have in them. They're distracted by the booty, the (al, al al al, al) alcohol, and other vices.

Which leads me to this very topic. WE don't seem to be able (or wi

lling) to think things through and weigh the consequences of actions before we do them. If we did, we might think about the health risks that come with reckless freaking. We might also realize that condoms and birth control only do so much to prevent risks and that the only

risk-free way to go is abstinence. Better yet, we may realize the consequences of giving up on education and the subsequent road to self-empowerment. We may also realize the traps that come with lives of crime, using drugs, or doing anything by less-than-honest means.

How does the saying go? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Most of us have heard this saying before, yet we don't live by it. We see other people in our families, neighborhoods, schools, and graduating classes make the same mistakes and yet it doesn't deter us. What the heck is really going on? How can one have a friend that messed up his future with drugs and never have it occur to him that the same will happen to him unless he makes a different choice? Who's using their brains out there? Plenty of people are, I know, but we certainly don't seem to be the majority by a long shot.

The results and consequences of our actions are always pending. Always, no matter what. Some people call it karma, other people call it reaping what you sow. No matter what the name, the concept is the same. There is always a consequence for every action. Here is the requisite hip-hop quote. This one is from Nas's 2001 classic album, "Stillmatic" and is aptly titled, "What Goes Around." I couldn't really slice this one down to a neat quote, so I'll give you the whole last verse.

"This nigga Ike with the Iverson jersey, light-skinned with herpes
Fuckin' sisters in Harlem, Brooklyn and D.C.
This is the problem cause he never tell 'em he got it
from lettin' fags suck him off, Rikers Island in nine-three
Drives a Benz, hangs at all the parties, all the concerts
Backstage where the stars be, rockin' they shirts
in bitches faces like clockwork - what's your name, where you from?
Chain blingin', thinkin' girls everywhere is dumb
Takin' pride in ruinin' they lives
So they could never have babies, and they could never be wives
He never used a condom, give him head he got ya
Met the wrong bitch and now he dead from the monster AIDS
I contemplate, believin' in karma
Those on top could just break, and won't be eatin' tomorrow
I know some bitches who be sleepin' on niggaz dreams, they leave
When that nigga blow, she the first bitch on her knees
Knowin' dudes that's neglectin' they seeds
Instead of takin' care of 'em they spendin money on trees
I pray for you, deadbeat daddies
Cause when them kids get grown it's too late for you
Now you old and you gettin' shitted on
It's all scientific, mystic, you know the Earth and the stars
Don't hesitate to say you heard it from Nas
What is destined shall be
George Bush killer 'til George Bush kills me
Much blessings be healthy, remember..."

Now like the other parts of this series, this one directly relates to the others that came before it. The absence of fatherhood - if fathers were around to provide discipline and structure like only a father can, many of us may have already realized the truth about consequences and would be self-disciplined by now. The stronghold that the mainstream medi

a has on our culture and our desires to be socially accepted - we're raised by the televisions, our peers, our neighborhoods, and ourselves. These influences very rarely impose consequences on us nor provide structures or boundaries. Therefore, we don't look into the future and reason out the outcomes that our actions will bring. Stop snitching - why do they want you to stop? So they can do what they do with - you guessed it - no consequences.

We'd have to fix those problems in order to deal with those who are out of school. I think that one of the ways that we go about this is calling it what it is - STUPID. It is simply STUPID to do the same thing that so many others have done before us and think that it will be different when it happens to us. We have to oppose the forces that would have us believe that we should accept these things or that they are adequate lifestyles and decisions. They aren't. Not learning from the mistakes around you is stupid.

We have to expect and encourage our young people NOT to follow in the same footsteps as those whose lives have become negative influences for them instead of allowing so many of them to use their environments as excuses. Almost everyone who is anyone in this world had to overcome bad neighborhoods and various hardships. Those things are only excuses for those who allow them to be - for the most part. The secret is that sometimes you have to grit your teeth and refuse to fail. By that I mean that you refuse to stop working, stop trying, stop learning, or stop growing. Even when everything in your life is working against you. Instead of looking at those things as major obstacles, you should look at them as scenes from your life that will make your story more interesting for people to read (or watch on a film). We've all got to have drama in our lives to make our success stories all the more sweet, unique, extraordinary, and rewarding. No more excuses, it is time for us to realize the truth in those words and act on it.

Also, anyone who realizes that they messed up and wants to atone fo

r it should take neighborhood youths and young adults through a day or week in their lives. Such an exercise would have the purpose of allowing young people who think they want to live a certain way or make certain choices to see what those lifestyles and choices are really like. Not the glossy, big-screeen, glamorized version. I'm talking about the real, struggling, crying, "make me wanna holler" version that so many people are faced with because of bad decisions.

For those who are in school, I have another possible remedy: All students, starting in junior high, should be required to play chess and take lessons from chess coaches/experts. Why, you ask? It's simple. Because chess is a thinking man's game. In chess, the only way to win

is to think and plan ahead. If I move here, he could move there and put me in check. I

f I move there, he could move here and put me in checkmate. If I move here, I can put him in check. Then, of course, you go with option 3. I believe that the foresight and critical skills that can be developed through learning about and playing chess are transferable to life decisions, and that the youth overall (although not everyone individually, of course) would benefit and become better decision-makers. There would probably be less deliquents in our generation as well.

Philosopher John Locke once described those who refuse to think things through. In his Second Treatise of Government, Locke says,

"Sec. 10. Besides the crime which consists in violating the law, and varying from the right rule of reason, whereby a man so far becomes degenerate, and declares himself to quit the principles of human nature, and to be a noxious creature, there is commonly injury done to some person or other, and some other man receives damage by his transgression: in which case he who hath received any damage, has, besides the right of punishment common to him with other men, a particular right to seek reparation from him that has done it: and any other person, who finds it just, may also join with him that is injured, and assist him in recovering from the offender so much as may make satisfaction for the harm he has suffered."

That's fancy talk for you have the right to whoop the a-word of a person who acts like they have no common decency or sense and just wants to continue to commit crimes and infringe on your right to live and enjoy your own life and possessions. I say take his advice and fight back. In the meantime... play chess, ladies and gentlemen.

MICHAEL VICK IS GOING TO PHILADELPHIA!!!!

Hallelujah, hallelujah! To any bitter dog lovers out there who are upset because of my enthusiasm for the Brotha's return, read the title (of the blog, that is) and realize that I DO NOT APOLOGIZE. PERIOD. I wrote earlier about the hypocrisy of the legal system and the league concerning this matter, and am glad that he'll be back on the field. Go to jail for 15 days and get suspended for a year for killing a man, go to jail for 2 years and STILL face further suspension for killing dogs? Meanwhile, as Steve Harvey put it in his stand-up film, "Still Trippin,'" cops go home after killing Sean Bell? I'm sorry, the message was wrong - and that's why people in the urban community have been waiting, hoping, and praying for Michael Vick to play again. That urban community includes me. Yes, I said it. So there. Sick your dog on me if you dare.


Anyway, the brotha signed a 2 year contract to play for the Philadelphia Eagles. McNabb and Vick on the same team? The possibilities are endless. People thought he would only get one year. SIKE! 2 years, and I guarantee you that if he is productive during his first, there will be extensions offered. Get your jerseys now, people. Eagles just became a team to watch. Thank God for the NFL channel - I don't ever have to miss a game. Oh, and be sure to catch Michael Vick on 60 Minutes this Sunday night where his interview - conducted by sports correspondent James Brown - will be aired.

From "Lollipop" to Now: Which Generation Has The Better Message?

As is the case on many a day, this post is inspired by a video. Here's the video in question.

The main premise of this post is focused on the lyrics of the 1958 song, Lollipop, which actually has quite a peculiar and telling racial context which I was not previously aware of until tonight after a little research. I'll sum it up for all link-avoiders. The song was originally performed by Ronald and Ruby, a duo made up of a Black lead singer and White songwriter. The song began to take off and television appearances were booked. Once people found out that they were dealing with an interracial performing duo, they canceled those appearances and the popularity dwindled - pretty much killing the song. Yeah. Wow. Reflect on that and whatnot. Move on when ready.

That's not my problem with the song. My problem is that when I listened to the dated lyrics of the record, I didn't hear much of a difference from the message that pervades rap music AS WELL AS all of popular culture to this day. There's this girl that looks really nice and seems to exist merely for my sexual pleasure and enjoyment. Don't think so? Let's look at the lyrics to "Lollipop."

"Call my baby lollipop
Tell you why
Her kiss is sweeter than a cherry pie
And when she does her shaky rockin' dance
Man, I haven't got a chance"

What's the difference between that and I love to see that sexy b**** in the club shakin' that @$$? What's the difference between that or a song about some dimepiece sliding down a pole and giving a man a lap dance? One of them uses profanity and one of them does not. The message is the same. I'm aroused by a woman and care absolutely nothing about what's in her head or her heart. I just wanna know what's in those pants (and in many but not all cases, "them draws"). Mind you, I could say something here about the reference to cherry pie, which now seems to be a precursor to rock band Warrant's infamous and innuendo-laced "Cherry Pie." However, no one can really predict the future. We can't blame them for that. We certainly can't blame them for Lil Wayne's "Lollipop," either - which featured the infamous "I let her lick the (w)rapper" line. Back to the matter at hand, though. The title of the song is "Lollipop." From the very beginning, the woman is objectified - she's likened to a piece of candy, her kiss to a cherry pie, and the song is all about the pleasures felt and lusts satisfied by her. Yes, the song communicates this idea in a very innocent, nice, and polite way - with no vulgarities and a lot left to the imagination. However, as is my point, the message is the same.

Let me stop right here and acknowledge the fact that the song was covered by a girl group, The Chordettes. The lyrics were altered to make the song about a guy. That version of the song became more popular than the first. It's still objectification, no matter which sex is involved. But doesn't it say something about our culture that for advertisement purposes, the executives and creative minds at work passed on the most popular form of the song to go for the one in which the female is the tasty object?

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I criticize my generation a great deal. Many older people criticize us as well. Many people have something to say about the messages and images that come from our music and talk about better times before the music got so rotten and the images and messages so devious. Shouldn't we do a little research to see how far back our blame (and the proper damage control) should reach?

This Is Funny: Training Day Spoof

Now for a break from all of the sociopolitical commentary and discussions on race relations, hip hop, and the mental corrosion brought on by the media. Some of you like that, some don't. Not to worry, I'll be back on it soon. As for right now - I'm sorry, this is too funny for words. I found it posted on hiphopdx.com and I know all you Training Day lovers will appreciate it, for sure. Here's a hint. Common gets all types of punked by Christopher Mintz-Plasse, probably best known as Fogell, or McLovin, from Superbad. Common and McLovin. It's already funny!