BLAME GAME

“I have learned that sometimes "sorry" is not enough. Sometimes you actually have to change.”

Disclaimer- I am human, I am not perfect, I am in NO position to pass judgment, BUT what I do is address common everyday issues and shed light on these situations with a mixture of facts and opinions with which you may possibly make a better informed decision as to how you handle things.

Moving on to this week’s topic, I want to address Pride. The 7 deadly sins are defined as wrath, greed, sloth, lust, envy, gluttony, & PRIDE. There are many things that can lead to the fall of a man or woman and pride is one of them. Pride has become a blowtorch setting fire to many of the bridges that once stood strong. This sneaky little Devil called Pride is single handedly destroying relationships between friends, family, and lovers all alike. He or She, Pride that is, makes it so that people are too prideful to admit when they’re wrong and others are too prideful to address a person and tell them when they’re wrong. In reality sometimes people will do things and not realize they've faulted you but because of the way you think, you figure they should know. News flash, common sense isn't all that common, and people are brought up on different values that may make them see what you may see as wrong, as right. Pride gets better, Pride will make you think you’re being the bigger person in an issue, and because you’re so great, you address the issue in a manner that will offend and ultimately hurt another person’s pride. Now this person’s Pride will cloud all judgment and now DEFINITELY DENY ANY WRONGS THEY MAY HAVE COMMITTED. See how that works? A lot of us have just become puppets to Pride, now Pride has us fighting, cutting each other off, and (my favorite) Pride has you adjusting the story of your situation to someone else to put them in your favor… all to boost YOUR PRIDE. WOW! We all fall victim to Pride’s foolish games all for foolish gain. Correct me if I’m wrong, I think it’s called being self-important. It keeps getting worse because Pride will sometimes torment you by having you realize you've done wrong but not let you admit it. So you end up with this battle within yourself. Oh, we’re not done. Because of Pride, when someone does you wrong, you in turn do them wrong, and now Pride got both of ya’ll stuck, no one willing to give a little. Funny, you probably didn't even realize it was Pride. I think ya’ll get the point though. So look at it like this, bridges have been burnt but they can always be rebuilt IF you want to. “The things two people do to each other they remember. If they stay together, it's not because they forget; it's because they forgive.” I've personally been there and feel I've grown from my Prideful ways for the most part and that’s why I can recognize it when I see it. I revert to my old ways here and there, like I said I’m human, but I always catch it try to rectify whatever differences it may have caused. I am in no shape or form a preacher or anything of the sort nor am I a public speaker… I am the author of this blog though so until next time, keep it real.

“An escalator can never break: it can only become stairs. You should never see an Escalator Temporarily Out Of Order sign, just Escalator Temporarily Stairs. Sorry for the convenience.”

SPOTLIGHT

!TOMORROW!

There is no real spotlight for this week but what ya'll can do is look out for next weeks post! 

The Ultimate Mimic

 The Ultimate Mimic

I remember when I was younger I had so many toys. Some were bought, some were gifts and the others… the others were stolen. I was low key a kleptomaniac. I’d go through so many lengths to steal these toys. I’d hop fences into neighbors yards, I’d stick them in my socks, I’d borrow and “lose”, I’d even wait until guest fell asleep and pack what I wanted into my book bag or jacket. I was a sly thief, never blatant with a snatch and run. The most notable way I would steal toys is hiding it, and actively helping the victim search for the toy but never leading them to the actual hiding spot of the toy or game. I gave these victims an illusion that I wanted to help. Although I could help, I never really helped. I had this lumberjack sweater that had a thick lining and a hole in the pocket. This sweater used to always help me complete the task of thieving and helping the victim look for their toy. This hole in the pocket was effectively used to push toys into the lining of the jacket and would help when someone asked for me to turn my pockets inside out. I was always ready to “help” someone, but in reality I was just helping myself to their belongings. Was this right? It absolutely was… NOT… but “boys will be boys” right?

It’s crazy though, these days many people do exactly what I was doing as an adolescent. They trick others into thinking that they are putting their all into helping them, but in reality they’re just prolonging your quest to success. To an unknowing victim trust is put into someone only to be deceived but I think it hurts more when you actually realize you were being played for a fool. That “Friend” that says they’re actively talking to department heads at their job trying to help you get put on; That “Friend” that puts that battery in your back in the form of “great advice” then after following it you find yourself in a more messed up situation then you were before. It kind of reminds you of those commercials for medication that cures one thing but in return the side effects leave you worse off than you were to being with. Things that make you say HMMM. I’m not saying no one is genuine but just be careful and keep your eyes open. Some people want you to succeed but others want to see you fail and that is normally fueled by greed. Nothing worse than having an enemy you don’t even know you have. I think these days they’re called “Frienemies” or “Frenemy’s”, however the term is spelled. Furthermore, another thing that has to be realized is that it’s not everybody you want to take along with you to the top can last the test and trials of the ride. Some are only down when the getting is good, and others will simply hold you back because of their lack of ambition and motivation. I don’t think there’s a human alive that can physically push and move a mountain, this is the equivalent of trying to drag along that dead weight. Then you have those that can only offer but so much assistance on the journey and it’s like you pushing them along with you in a stroller. But strollers can only go but so far. Finally there are those that stand on their own two feet and where you lack they pick up and vice versa. Almost like playing a two player game. Remember Mario and Luigi? When playing 2 player, you couldn't progress in the screen if the other player didn't catch up? Life lessons from Nintendo!  Those are the kind of people you want on your team, those that can keep up. Until next time… keep it real!

Spotlight

Well, I mean honestly this week I didn't know who to do a spotlight on and I figured hey, why not use me. I have an appreciation for all types of arts. Literary, Visual, Music, Dance, basically all of the above. I feel like art gives you a snapshot of what’s going on in someone’s brain whether its brought forth by emotion, or some other stimulus, art is generally a form of expression derived from somewhere within. It is left up to the receivers interpretation but usually only the artist knows what message they were trying to convey whether that message gets across or not. I write, both rhymes and spoken word, which can be used interchangeably if delivered right. I draw, I paint, I love music, and these days digital photography and graphic design take up a lot of my free time- by choice. I’d like to explain this vision I have for sort of a multimedia empire. I have friends with similar skills and different skills too. Together we form the Classic Group. Once full established we will bring to you everything Classic. Classic photography, Classic readings through blogging, Classic Videography, Classic Designs, Classic DJ Mixes, Classic Events, Classic Clothing, Classic Moments, and alot more but EVERYTHING is #CLASSIC. Presently everything is under the works, I guess you can say everyone is getting their contributions together before lift off. For now, you can book me and one of my partners for any of your events and we can take care of everything from your fliers, program cards, invitations, DJ, photography, Headshots, video, music artist album art, logo creation, T-Shirt Design, you name it we got it. #ClassicGroup Coming soon.

Support the team, here are a few of our branches:

Livedancepartyent.com

Kadeesh.com

JasonJaboin.com

DontBelieveThePropaganda.com

TheClassicGroup.com (Coming soon)

DJCharlesInCharge.com

MrFlix.Blogspot.Com

(A lot more coming soon but all #Classic Stay Tuned)

Self Depreciation

Ultimately this quote can be applied to LIFE itself. Do you ever catch yourself in a situation where you compromise your beliefs thinking “eh, I’ll do it just this once because of (such and such) situation” then somewhere down the line someone presents the same thing that you were totally against and ask you to compromise again and refers back to that "one time" you broke the rules. They actually make perfect sense unless something went horribly wrong and you have more of a reason never to do it again. Once you compromise anything once, it becomes a gateway for more compromise. For instance I used to never work on Saturdays so I can go to church, then because of my school schedule I compromised beliefs saying I needed some extra money and agreed to work Saturdays to make up hours. The moment I tried to revert to my old schedule they argued that “you worked Saturdays before, what’s the big deal” and there really wasn't much I could say because at this point I just looked like I did whatever I wanted based on what was beneficial to me. I seemingly was into breaking rules when it was convenient. At this point I just looked like an opportunist and my original argument lost clout. Now onto something maybe others could relate to.

Cool story- I know a woman currently married to her “First”. First love, first sexual partner, first real boyfriend, etc. They are high school sweet hearts and are currently married with children. When they met, she wasn't his first. He’d been around. He was a popular guy, well known around school. Initially while they were in their talking stage she never had sex with him. They’d make out, go on dates, talk on the phone, hang out but unlike other girls he’d been with, her legs were closed and she wasn't trying to give it up to just anyone. At first he’d just go and get it elsewhere, but eventually he realized, this girl is different, she wants a commitment and monogamy, and she has a strict set of rules that if she’s not getting what she wants, he’s not getting what he wants. He retired his players jersey and they've been together ever since. This girl had values which increased her value. With value men will be more likely to invest time and money. The higher the value, the higher the investment will be. At the end of the day, different things work for different situations. But if you’re constantly online showing all your goods, leaving little to the imagination, what guy do you expect to take you seriously. You would think this is common sense but these days thirst trapping is at an ALL TIME HIGH. The quantity of available women is increasing but that’s because a lot of them lack quality. I remember reading a tweet that said “I wonder if those likes keep you warm at night”. You reach a certain age when you SHOULD realize that those half naked pictures and promiscuous ways aren't going to get you far. I mean strippers, and porn stars get paid good money for what some women are out here doing for likes, followers and retweets. A lot of the time these strippers pornstars and nude models are content with being alone or they've secured a relationship that understands that this is where their income will be coming from. Be smart, post responsibly.

At least some people out here get the point.

Also, here’s a word for my fellas. If the aesthetics is the only thing keeping you around PLEASE remember that over time some things will drop, fold, and maybe even mold. #GodBless

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SPOTLIGHT

One thing about me is that I always give credit when it's do. Some find it necessary to slander those who may be doing things better than them, or if they're simply in a similar field. For example one rapper sometimes feels if they put down another rapper it'll help them look better. NEGATIVE. Hate often helps people elevate, but rather than hate i'd prefer to collaborate. This week's spotlight is on someone I went to school with and had the opportunity to hang out with. My homie Michelle Jean-Baptiste is out here doing her thing. She studied film and video production at Adelphi University and i even had the pleasure to star in one of her movie assignments. As bashful as i was she managed to get me to agree to play a role. She wears a few hats, Videographer-Photographer-Make up Artist. She's very talented and although I dabble in the film an picture industry I often refer to her for tips, help, and advice on things. Visit her site dalovelymimi.com , follow her on instagram & twitter @dalovelymimi . Show love! She's very talented and her work speaks for itself.

Don't Take It Personal

Time is of the essence but patience is a virtue
Overall this post is just going to be a tip. This will be a tip with an explanation. Some people are aware of this tip some people aren't, some people understand this and some people don’t. Anger is a strong emotion. In general, emotions tend to overpower reason. I believe this is only true if you are not aware of how certain emotions affect your thought process and your actions. When I’m mad, I don’t think straight. My state of mind leads me to believe whatever got me to the point where I’m angry and not thinking straight must be eliminated. If I acted on my emotions I’d probably be dead or in jail. With maturity, I've realized that my first instinct in most situations isn't the greatest idea so I often try to distance myself and take time to get back to the point where I can think logically and with reason. Some people don’t respect that. What it comes down to is, we have two options. 1. You can keep pressing me about it and risk me (since I’m not thinking clearly) possibly saying something I don’t mean or 2. Give me time to get my thoughts together then when I’m ready we’ll handle the issue. It’s really quite simple and I usually aim for option 2, you can push for option 1 if you want and suffer the consequences. 

On the flip side we have another situation when someone is going through something that has nothing to do with anyone else in particular and just doesn't want to talk about it. Sometimes people will come to you to vent or for help with their problems, other times they wait until someone asks what’s wrong before they start to vent. You don’t have to like it, but you have no choice but to accept if someone doesn't want to discuss their personal life with you. You have some right to feel a way if the person has something against you and won’t address it, but if it has nothing to do with you mind your own. I always say there’s a thin line between genuine concern and just plain nosy. A lot of people flirt heavily with that line. If someone gossips with you, chances are they will gossip about you. I completely respect if someone just doesn't want to share their thought , whatever the reason may be. Whether they feel I may talk about them or maybe they just don’t see me fit to help them reach a resolution. Sometimes they know better than me and I’d rather  not be involved if either is the case. 


There are a lot of people out there who I don’t care to get advice from depending what it is i’m going through. It’s hard to confide in someone that has similar problems that they can’t solve. If you’re broke, how you going to help me make money? if you've never  played basketball, how are you suppose to teach me how to ball? If you've never played football how are you suppose to teach me how to throw one? If you drowning, I’m not going to come to you to teach me how to swim. In closing, I just want to help whoever is reading manage their expectations when it comes to conflict resolution. You may mean well, but no mean no, try not to take it personal.

SPOTLIGHT

This week I want to put the spot light on my dear sister Martine. She is the CEO of Justice Sweets. She's a phenomenal baker, and i'm not saying that just because we're related. She has a slew of specialty cupcakes, and other pastries that can be personalized to the T. I've seen her mix stuff that I thought couldn't even work in such harmony before they hit my taste buds. She has an event coming up, Cupcakes & Cocktails 2 is what I call it. The first event was turnt up and this one should be just as sweet if not even better. All the info is on the flier above. Link up! Have a drink and taste test some of these cupcakes. I highly doubt you'll be disappointed. You can Follow the cupcake ladies on instagram and twitter @JusticeSweets and you can place orders at JusticeSweets.com