Dear President Obama: You speak for us…So let us speak for you.

Like my grandmother (RIP) used to tell me “A scared person is a dangerous person.”

Fear causes most people to think irrationally. Often, irrational thoughts lead to irrational actions. Racism is alive and well, and can be seen in the treatment of President Obama on a number of occasions.

Below are just 5 instances that come immediately to mind:

·         As reported by ThinkProgress on Jan. 10, 2012, Kansas House Speaker Mike O’Neal (R) was forced to apologize to First Lady Michelle Obama after forwarding an email to fellow lawmakers that called her “Mrs. YoMama” and compared her to the Grinch.

·         Earlier that same week, the Lawrence Journal-World was sent another email that O’Neal had forwarded to House Republicans that referred to President Obama that contained the Bible verse that says “Let his days be few” and calls for his children to be without a father and his wife to be widowed.

·         Last week, Governor Jan Brewer confronted President Obama and unleashed a finger-wagging tirade against the president after he descended from his plane in Arizona.

·         There's the infamous disrespectful display in 2009 by Representative Joe Wilson, Republican of South Carolina, who famously interrupted President Obama during his State of the Union address when he shouted “You Lie”.

·         Republican candidate Newt Gingrich called President Obama the "food stamps" president, a not-so-veiled code for the N-word. Gingrich was rewarded with victory in South Carolina's primary election. What I'm about to say may not be politically correct and it may sound harsh but it is the truth as I see it.

The “Powers that be” assassinated the Kennedy brothers in front of the world. They popped Martin on the balcony and Malcolm on a stage in front of his children. The images and pain of violence and assassination are used to maintain control of the masses.  They have been burned in America's collective mind. In the 60’s we were taught and lead to be nonviolent. It was a different time for the African-American community.

Fast forward to 2012.  How dare any of you political figures disrespect the Commander and Chief of the United States? Oh I get it, since he’s a black male he doesn’t deserve the respect former presidents have gotten, right? If you’re a black male, it’s ok to call you the “food stamp” president, or wish your children be without a father, or attempt to scold you like you’re a school child? In the famous words of Charlie Murphy, “WRONG!” President Obama may be above addressing these issues….But I’m not.

I always tell people the world went wrong when people lost the threat of being slapped in the mouth. To Joe Wilson, the secret service should have taken your disrespectful racist a** out back and beat your legs until you couldn’t walk. I bet your ignorant a** wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

To Governor Jan Brewer, I bet If Michelle Obama would have been with the president you wouldn’t have put your finger in his face. You know Black women do not play that. President Obama was trying to be respectful. You deserved a Basketball Wives moment for that one...

To Newt Gingrich, c’mon Man (in my Chris Carter voice)! You have taken money from Fannie and Freddie Mac, cheated on various wives a number of times and repeated lied to the public. I’m not surprised that in such a classically racist state like South Carolina you tried to play the "quiet" race card. I hope your dumba** understands that all of the “Blacks and Latinos that don’t understand the key to future wealth” won’t be voting for your old, fat, lying a**.

Last but not least to you Kansas House Speaker Mike O’Neal. To pray for President Obama’s wife to be a widow and his children to be fatherless, means you are praying for his assassination. You may not agree with his policies but I suggest YOU KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF OF HIM. Touch him in a violent manner and we will touch you in the same way.

This is not the 1960’s. We are not in the streets singing "We shall overcome". The anthem now is more like "Down for my Ni***" by C Murder www.youtube.com/watch?v=no-ODRSXqck. We are a multi-racial, military minded country that is tired of the same bullsh**. We have been enslaved physically and mentally, hung on trees, treated like animals, sprayed with water hoses, continuously beaten and done wrong by police. President Obama is the one glimmer of hope we have to see some real change in this country and we will protect him in the words of Brother Malcolm X (RIP) “by any means necessary.”

Why Me Lord?

Why me Lord? This is a question many have pondered over centuries. When things are going wrong in one’s life or a tragedy hits, this is the main question we ask our Creator…Why me? Often most of us look at life from a selfish point of view. No matter what happens or who it happens too, the 1^st thing we ask is why this had to affect our lives as it has.

In November 0f 2007 my Grandmother (RIP) answered this question for me. I was visiting her at her assisted living apartment. I had just found out some news that broke my heart and changed the course of my life. As I sat crying, explaining the situation to her, she held my right hand in her hand and stared deep into my eyes. It felt like she was looking through me. She said nothing at first, just sat and listened. Towards the end my explanation I said “Lord… why me?” Her face became strong and stern and she asked me two simple questions. “Why not you? What makes you different or better than anyone else?”

At first I was taken back. Some would say her response was even cold. However if you were blessed enough to meet Elizabeth Shines, you know she was a straight shooter. She said what she meant and meant what she said. Every punishment and all the praise she gave me throughout my life was done in love, and this was no different. As I sat crying, pondering the questions she had posed, something clicked! My tears started to dry up. I took deep breathes and got myself together.

Why not me? Just because I grew up in a stable household, stayed out of trouble growing up, went to college and had tried to set my life on a promising course, did that mean I was above anything? See sometimes we get it twisted. We look at our standings and material wealth on this earth and believe that makes us better than others or less likely to encounter tragedy. How wrong we are.

God never promised each day would be easy. He never told us we would live without struggle. He never told us that heartache and pain wouldn’t affect our lives, so why do we feel like that? Life is nothing but a series of tests God puts us through. The more you know and stronger you are, the more tests you will encounter. Instead of crying over spilled milk and asking yourself “why”, ask yourself “what now.”

I have lost loved ones to the Lord and to the earth. I’ve had it all and lost everything. My understanding of God, my purpose, and the realities of life have strengthened me. I no longer as “Why me”, I say thank you Lord for all the trials and tribulations because stress creates growth. Life is like a heavyweight fight. You are going to get knocked down. You are going to bleed, break bones and get scares and scrapes that may never heal. But in the end the only thing that matters is did you get up and keep fighting. No matter what you’re going through, thank God for it. Embrace the struggle and the strength you will gain from it. Always remember this statement, “That which does not kill you, will only make you stronger.”

Obama: I’m still riding with you

In 2008 when Barack Obama was “selected” to be the President of the United States, I was filled with so much joy and pride. As I have watched the government functions over the last 3 years, one thing is truly evident, this government doesn’t represent me.

Last night in President Obama’s State of The Union address he stated a number of issues we as a country do need to improve on or start. He spoke with power, passion, and conviction which are all things our country is missing as a whole.

What tripped me out wasn’t the speech but the reaction to the speech. I would rather some of these Republicans that hate President Obama so much, just tell us the truth. Go ahead and tell us you hate to have a Black man as head of this country. Tell us no black male deserves or will ever receive the respect of a white male. Tell us you don’t care about the poor or struggling population of the country that has made you so rich.

Hearing Gov. Mitch Daniels afterwards made me ashamed to be from Indiana. That’s nothing new though. This city has had issues with race relations and discrimination just as much as any other state. Remember the Klu Kux Klan was birthed in our beautiful state.

What are even worse are the options the Republicans are putting up for President. A old fat cheating tough talker that has issues controlling the offensive s**t he says, and a billionaire that has no idea about the struggle or life of the average American except for what his advisors tell him? You must be kidding. I can only image the BS that will follow one of these men after being elected.

President Obama is a symbol of change. A symbol still many of our elected officials won’t accept. Well President, just know we are still riding with you. I may not agree with every move you make but I support the fact that you are trying the change the current circumstances in which we live.

Republicans might as well be screaming “get your hand out of my pocket N***a!” as we the 99% continue to “die” by the political bullets they continue to shoot.

Body Weight Workouts vs. Weight Lifting

I started lifting weights around 13 when my brother got his first weight set. From that age until now I have probably tried almost every strength, conditioning, and body building workouts known to man. I have always judged my fitness level off the amount of weight I could lift and if my body was symmetrical. At one time in college I was 5’9” (give or take a half inch), 193 lbs., with 6% body fat.

I looked big and became accustomed to feeling that way. However, the body I had developed was made to play football, and as time went on I realized being in shape and being fit were two totally different things. For example, a 6’3” 330 lbs. lineman is in shape if he can play a full game, but he may not be fit enough to run a mile. I was exposed to this fitness flaw when I entered an MMA ring to train. I was matched to spar with a much smaller and weaker guy. For the first 30 seconds I was in total control, after that I was so tired my opponent used my face as a punching bag. All I could say…was “lesson learned.”

That was the point I realized I needed to change the way I was training my body. I needed to increase my “functional strength.”  Functional strength is the strength and endurance of core and stabilizer muscles used in daily activities.  I created a workout that used no weights. I concentrated on doing movements that utilized only my body weight. My workout consisted of push-ups, lunges, pull-ups, jump rope, running etc.

The results were crazy! I became leaner yet didn’t lose any weight. I realized that most of the weight lifting exercises I had been doing simply simulated body weight exercises.  For example, a person may be able to bench press 300 lbs. once, but cannot do 100 push-ups at a time. I also found the body weight workouts to be much harder. Unlike weight lifting which predominately works a single muscle group, body weight exercises engage multiple muscle groups. This allow the body to change at a much higher rate.

I would advise anyone trying to really become fit to concentrate on body weight workouts. They may be harder, but the results you will see in your core, stabilizer muscles and overall fitness will be priceless.

Braising

People are naturally impatient, and when it comes to preparing food there’s no difference. We try to rush the cooking process. By doing this we find the need to add artificial flavors to reach the flavor profile we desire. As my Grandmother used to say “Anything good is worth waiting for”.

Creating a flavorful dish is like creating a beautiful piece of art. It takes time, and an attention to detail. One great cooking process that’s rarely used today is Braising.  Braising is a cooking technique in which the main ingredient is seared, or browned in fat, and then simmered in liquid on low heat in a covered pot.  

Whether you choose to use the oven or the top of the stove, you will be very pleased with the results. Braising is often used to cook less expensive, tough cuts of meat and the end result is tender and flavorful. Braising is about breaking down tough connective tissue and changing it into collagen by applying moist heat for a period of time. With more time and heat, the collagen breaks down and dissolves into gelatin. You can braise just about any meat, fish or vegetable you want and be as creative as you like with seasoning.

There are 9 basic steps to braising:

1.       Season the main ingredient with salt and pepper.

2.       Heat a few tablespoons of oil and/or butter in a heavy pan.

3.       Saute meat or vegetables in the pan on medium-high heat until the meat browns.

4.       Deglace the pan by pouring broth, beef/ chicken stock, wine or juice and scrape any pieces of meat that are stuck to the pan and stir.

5.       Add cooking liquid (water, stock, wine, juice or some combination) to the half-way point of the main ingredient.

6.       Cover and place the meat on the middle of a rack in an oven that has been pre-heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

7.       Cook until completely tender. This can range from 1 hour to 6 hours, depending on what you are cooking.

8.       Remove the pan from the oven and strain the meat and vegetables out of the liquid.

9.       Remove the excess fat floating in the liquid, and then reduce the sauce to desired thickness by cooking it down over low heat until it thickens. Or, make gravy by adding a mix of equal parts fat

Try using classic techniques to create mind blowing dishes. Remember cooking is a marathon not a sprint, sit back relax and enjoy the experience.