Friday, December 26, 2014

I Don't Celebrate Christmas.

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through my house
Wasn't shit going on because I don't celebrate Christmas.

My socks were on the floor because I threw them there
In the hopes that maybe tomorrow I'll feel like doing laundry.

The cats were acting shady in the shadows of night
Just to trip me up when I tried to go to the bathroom.

My woman in her afro and I in my drawls
Were watching crappy sci fi movies from the library.

When outside my door, there arose such a clatter
Who's that peeking in my window?

Pow. Nobody now.

The End

Have Merthy

Thanks to Tekhen for finding this on the internet. :) 

A new poem by Blue entitled "Have Merthy"

Hath he not given uth
enough laughs to lath
a lifetime? Doeth hith unique
fathe and voith not offer
retributhon enough
for the ear he hath bitten,
the women he hath hitten,
and the skullth he hath splitten?
There onth wath a time and spathe
when we yelled hith name
in the threeths. A time when
he wath the champion
of the world. And
we were confident
that there would be no other.
But alath, he ith now the meme
that reprethenth a void.
An emptineth.
A relinquithing of reathon
When we have
nothing
intelligible
to thay.
Even Robin Giventh hath
moved on.
Have merthy.

Love,
Blue

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Differentnessness

"Different" people exist through the world, being who they are for no particular reason, getting pointed out for various reasons by people who are struggling to come to conclusions about their own life experiences. Different people are shamed for not admitting that they are different, as though they are expected to see themselves from the perspective of someone else's insecurities. "Allies" think that by calling themselves "allies" they're doing "different" people a favor, not recognizing that "different" people are only a "problem" because the "normal" majority insists that "different" means "wrong". What if the "different" person wasn't trying to fight the "normal" people? What if the "different" person wasn't on another "side"? What if this person was just eating breakfast? What if the "ally" simply said "I'm different too?" Then, we could all be different and unique and live life every day watching the sun come up and go down while eating good food, dancing, singing, and loving each other. And when we live in this kind of love, we can see clearly what's really going on:

Bullies want everyone and everything to cater to them and their worldview in order to feel a sense of control over their own lives. People become bullies for all kinds of reasons. Some were abused or violated early in life. Some were indoctrinated. Some grew up in a homogenous environment with no understanding of diversity. Regardless of the bully's history, the ultimate goal is control. When that sense of control is violated, the bully attacks. If there is no one to attack, the bully self destructs.

I was an abused person who aimed to gain control of everything around me in order to prevent anyone from violating me. With the help of loving friends, I quickly discovered that this only hurts other people. I didn't want to be a bully, so I began the process of learning to set boundaries, make choices that result in the type of life I want to see, and take control of my own destiny. Today, I strive for enlightenment within myself. It is an uncomfortable process, marred with failure and embarrassment. But with each awkward failure, I become more comfortable with awkward failure. To be comfortable with awkward failure is to be free to make mistakes while others are watching. This is true freedom and liberation from oppressive cycles.

 I found a way out of the bully cycle. It starts by looking inward long enough to recognize that life has nothing to do with what I think. Furthermore, no one else's life or lifestyle has anything to do with me. I have to create and intentionally live the life that I want and if I don't, I'm the only one responsible for my misery. It's ok to be wrong. If I discover that I am wrong, I will not die. I will live to be wrong tomorrow. We are all different. We are all unique. We all live differently, wake up at different times, work different jobs, eat different foods, wear different clothes, have different friends, seek different help meets, have different parents, grow up in different households with different sibling dynamics, have different health concerns, grow hair in different places with different textures and colors, come in different sizes, have different shapes, have different skin tones and textures, and respond to different strokes. There's no such thing as "allies" when we're not fighting a war against bullies. Because bullies are not a real threat. They're just afraid of their differences.

Love, Blue

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Pedicabo Mundi

I had just finished writing The Tao of Pimpin' and decided to start working on an album for a label I wanted to work with. So I went to Joseba's house and said "help!" and he said "ok" and I recorded this at his studio. Then, I didn't release it. Last night, I realized that the only way people would understand the creative direction I'm headed in is if they heard the context. Because not too many people have read the book. And hearing a song is easier than reading a book.
So to catch people up to where I'm at in my head in order to prevent their discomfort when I have to respond "go masturbate, you harmless inchworm" to their requests that I say or do something other than what I'm saying or doing for no other reason than to appease their insecurities, I present to the world PEDICABO MUNDI! It's Latin for "fuck the world."

The concept of this track is a play on Aguas de Marco. A lyric heavy Brazilian Portuguese song that I learned in order to increase my Portuguese vocabulary. Matt, the guy who owns the label I spoke about earlier, suggested that my version of Aguas de Marco would sound something like this. I thought that was funny, but I wasn't going to do it...but I couldn't help myself. Suggestion is a powerful force. And really, the suggestion just helped provide a framework for my inevitable "Fuck Everything" themed art project.

Eastern versus Western philosophies and Taoism

Yesterday, I wrote about the difference between Christianity and Buddhism with marginal eloquence. Today, I'm going to attempt to write a succinct distinction between Eastern and Western religious traditions and then juxtapose Taoism from the more cultural forms like Buddhism and Hinduism. It will be short. Maybe.
Western religious traditions and philosophies function under the idea that the individual is alone on their own path toward a particular goal. That others are stumbling blocks, competitors, or helpers on the path towards one's own salvation. One implication of the ultimate dichotomous reward of eternal life or eternal damnation is that each person is on their way towards one or the other, so the Westerner's goal is to separate herself from wrongdoers and coalesce with the righteous in order to increase her likelihood of being on the side that doesn't spend eternity wailing and gnashing their teeth. Westerners are more likely to eject a perceived wrongdoer from their family or community in an attempt to improve their chances of avoiding an afterlife of endless suffering that is assigned by a single Godhead who presides in judgment over all living things. The Godhead is stern, ultimately fair, and wants the best for his followers. However, his judgment is absolute. The Catholics have found a way out of the dichotomy by creating multiple places where people can go, like limbo and purgatory...neither eternal happiness nor eternal damnation, but some space in between. I do, sometimes, wonder what God thinks of all this. But I digress.
In contrast, Eastern religious traditions emphasize interdependence or collectivism. As a result, the fate of families and communities is intertwined which creates a sense of accountability and collective movement towards an inevitable outcome: a perpetual changing of seasons and circumstances that are the effects of causes. In Eastern traditions, there are concepts of continual process, birth-death-birth cycles, karmic forces, and an inability to escape one's connection from every other living thing in nature. The individual's evaluating force of good and evil is represented in types of karmic forces: like a bank of good and bad deposits which are distributed throughout a person's lives as they pursue their personal path towards enlightenment, which could arguably last forever if they never reach it. This takes the emphasis off of looking at others as causes for good or bad in one's life, and places the emphasis on one's own choices, disciplines, and behaviors. Instead of a single Godhead, there are many higher beings who exist to challenge or assist the human on their path toward enlightenment. This eliminates the absoluteness dichotomy, presenting all sentient beings on various points of a continuous path towards enlightenment that they will all ultimately reach.
In Taoism, there is no good and there is no bad. There are just causes of effects. Furthermore, the emphasis is not on a transcendental future of bliss or enlightenment, but on right now. The perpetual inner dialogue of the Taoist is "How am I doing right now?" Many Westerners are afraid of Taoism because it seems to suggest an "if it feels good do it" kind of irreverent hedonism that would disturb the hierarchy. However, this is not the case. The Taoist is an interdependent member of nature and does not exist to her own end. Anything that would be experienced as "karma" is happening to the Taoist in the moment, should she choose to pay attention to it. The Taoist could choose at any point to let go of all attachments, in which case she would no longer be subject to karmic forces. Her existence is already absolute and functions under the laws of The Tao, or The Way. Life, death, and suffering are accepted as natural and all that is left is what is. This makes Taoism seem like a cheat and leaves Taoists being accused by Westerners as "defeatists" and Easterners as "irresponsible". The Taoist holds that the human's desire to control and manipulate nature is a futile display of ego, since nature provided the human with the tools and the rules by which to "manipulate nature". Humans of the Eastern and the Western traditions seem to follow a human-centric model, arguing that we are responsible for doing things to make the world better. Taoism sustains that the world is just fine and humans, should they relinquish their desire to control and manipulate their surroundings, namely others' experiences, would simply operate in harmony with nature towards whatever end nature was headed toward anyway. A great analogy for this is a tsunami. Human ego can think that the tsunami wouldn't really do all that damage, but the water doesn't care what humans think. The idea that the human doesn't win over nature, or that a particular sect of humanity doesn't win over another sect of humanity is a very scary idea to competitive Westerners and disciplined Easterners. However, since the Taoist knows and accepts that nature ultimately wins no matter what humans think, she doesn't take the human ego seriously...not even her own. But also, the Taoist understands that humans are just another element of nature. So since nature wins and the Taoist is in harmony with nature as nature, then she knows that she wins.
In summation, Westerners run races with each other to get to heaven (hence, the existence of "race"), Easterners sit in lotus positions and chant in the hopes that the perpetual noise will prevent negative karmic thoughts and get them to enlightenment faster, and Taoists don't do shit.
Disregard this next paragraph. It's about African philosophies compared to Taoism and since I didn't put this topic in the introduction, you shouldn't read it. Taoism in its purest form, explains nature as an earth-centric event. Water and other natural phenomena are frequently used in Taoist texts to describe who nature is and how The Way governs earth's nature. This makes Taoism easy to explain to Western audiences. In contrast (but not really, as these things all work together and the goal isn't to beat each other, but to explain to children why they should just do what their parents tell them to), African traditions in their purist forms deal with nature as a cosmic event. The larger cosmic experience of nature allows for a greater understanding of possibilities, widens the playground, and includes the interaction and interdependence of nature with respect to its infinite influence. If the African refrains from attachments, the natural Way becomes the interdependent experience of all infinite possibilities existing in all living energetic forces throughout multiverses. For the Taoist, 1+1 is arguably 2. For the African, or Kemetic philosopher 1+1 depends on what is being added and by whom. For the Kemetic philosopher, time and space become unyielding infinities that go from microcellular energy to macro universal energy while all are the same experience replicating and influencing itself. Energies become much more influential than the sensual experiences humans are aware of. It is easy to think that this would lend itself to superstition, but superstition is developed out of attachments and the need to control outcomes.
At the end of the planting season, if any member of any religious tradition could relinquish control and live in the moment, their philosophy would work for them. It really doesn't matter what you believe. Just get on with it and be happy.
Love,
Blue

Me as a Motivational Speaker

My young family members told me that I would make a better motivational speaker than Hill Harper (who, though cute, bothers me simply because he has 2 last names. I find that obnoxious).
My platform: how to do you and win! Stuff about how quitters make the best innovators by not getting attached to either outcomes or institutions, but remaining in so far in the forefront of creative thought they they are never in a place longer than they need to be, remaining fresh, enlightened, and transformational in both their leadership and perspectives. Stuff about how competition is for chumps because if you're doing you, you don't have time to know what somebody else is doing. Stuff about how progress is an illusion, so it's best to make your world better now, which has the residual effect of making the world better for everyone around you.
Many motivational speakers emphasize opportunity and preparation: taking advantage: being in the right place at the right time...all the mumbo jumbo that makes a person believe that if they're not kicking it with the popular folks, they'll never amount to anything. I disagree with all of that.
In fact, the most innovative and transformational leaders are folks who are surrounded by mayhem or stagnation, yet are able to quiet their minds long enough to see the missing links. Then, they create something that changes history's landscape. With this paradigm...the paradigm of paying attention to needs that aren't met...the leader is no longer concerned with being in the right place at the right time. She is the opportunity provider and, therefore, every place is the right place and every time is the right time.
Many motivational speakers emphasize the necessity of competition: looking at what the next guy is doing and working to go that much faster, harder or stronger than them...never giving up and getting the gold. I disagree with all of that.
Competition is for show. And if there is no field, there is no competition. The most transformational leaders are not the players on the field, but the providers OF the field. They created the point...the reason we're all here to begin with. They set the rules and gave the competitors an opportunity to show the audience something fantastic. The real transformational leader knows that competition only exists when there are many working toward the same goal. But there are many things that must be done and by not competing and comparing, she is able to clearly see the more valuable goal that everyone is missing.
Many motivational speakers emphasize working hard and trying: rising early and staying up late to be the first guy and the last guy on the scene. I disagree with all of that.
Why work hard when you can just consistently do great shit? Do what only you can do every day and eventually, you're the best in the world. Doing eliminates trying. Furthermore, when you're just doing what you're doing, consistently, you are able to regulate. You can get up at the same time every day, get your work done, eat a great breakfast, lunch, and dinner, play with your cats, and smoke all of the weed in Fiji while still accomplishing more than the guy who burns out after a year of sleep deprivation.

In conclusion, wash your ass and be yourself.
Love,
Blue

Christianity versus Buddhism

I was raised Christian and I've always been fascinated by its ability to drive people mad. I've also been fascinated by Eastern religious traditions since I learned that they existed. I've been practicing Buddhism for just under a year now and through deeper study and practice, I've noticed some differences that haven't been pointed out to me directly. I'm sharing them here for those who may be interested.

This will be succinct because I'm getting ready to go wash my hair and that's going to take a while, so no time to waste. This is simplistic. There are way more differences. But hopefully, this will help to show an element of the fundamental difference in processing of the Christian vs. the Buddhist experience.
Religious systems help people collectively process impermanence and ultimately, our mortality. We're all gonna die. And our lack of knowing the details about that leaves us searching for answers. So religions, when practiced collectively, provide us comfort through faith as we march closer and closer to the grave.
The Christian Story
In Christianity, developed out of the Hebrew tradition, death is fundamentally bad. It is the punishment for sin, or wrongdoing. As a result, death is something that must be prevented. According to the apostles, through Jesus Christ, a man who lived from around 30 CE until 63 CE who demonstrated endless compassion, Christians are able to find eternal life and avoid death. Then, they can find the kingdom of heaven, which is popularly recognized as a place in the sky where the body is renewed and lasts forever in eternal bliss.
The Christian person believes that if she devotes her life to Christ (which means accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior), she will reap the eternal reward of everlasting life. Her path is personal and her salvation is uniquely hers. Furthermore, those who are not Christians or who do not devote their lives to Christ represent the ultimate fear that Christians have: eternal damnation. Out of this dichotomy arises judgment which helps (and I frame it this way intentionally) the Christian to evaluate good from bad and refrain from the path of the unrighteous. If a Christian does wrong, she must repent, but forgiveness is also promised as a result of Jesus's ultimate selfless life sacrifice for the sins of the world.
As a Western tradition, Christianity functions hierarchically, placing a king or Godhead at the top and various members of society at successive rungs on the ladder of righteousness. Christianity was historically used to keep women and slaves (or employees, depending on the master's disposition) in line and keep masters and husbands from abusing their servants or each other. The Christian tradition is easily transferable to Western society. It is the model of having a king that rules all things and delivers rewards and punishments to people who either obey or disobey his commands.

The Buddhist Story
In Buddhism, developed out of India, suffering (as opposed to death) is considered bad and should be avoided. impermanence and interdependence are accepted as fundamental parts of the sentient being's experience. A sentient being is recognized as a being that has transient life. Some Buddhists believe in a soul. Some don't. It depends on the school. Since impermanence is recognized as a part of the sentient experience, there is no expectation that the human (or any other being) will last forever in its form. Interdependence implies that though beings are wrapped in individual packages, enlightenment (also known as Nirvana or deliverance from suffering (among other things)) is only achieved all at once among all of us. So no one is enlightened unless everyone is enlightened. This creates a system of accountability for others beyond ministry because if I'm not enlightened, you won't be enlightened. There is a dichotomy of good and bad based in the 8fold path and 4 noble truths (google them). The more good stuff you do, the better a person you become and the less karmic crap you have to deal with, but ultimately, it's in everyone's interest to do the best they can.
The Buddhist person believes that it's better to do good than bad. Enlightenment does not happen in a place outside of the life that we live now, so suffering is predominately the result of attachments to greed, anger, and stupidity. At any moment, the Buddhist could simply do good and not reap the karmic consequences of bad, living in Nirvana and helping others to also find Nirvana (or as close as is possible until everyone reaches Nirvana together). The people who have reached this enlightenment are called Buddhas. There are over 180 different Buddhas in the history of Buddhism, so people choose which Buddha, or role model, they follow based on their personality type. Death is real, but in the paradigm of impermanence, death is just something else that happens. Essentially, a person could exist forever in suffering if they don't achieve enlightenment during their life (or lives...some Buddhists believe in reincarnation. Some don't), but why do that because it would just prolong the suffering.
As an Eastern tradition, Buddhism functions linearly, relying on each member of society to play his or her role towards the ultimate realization of Nirvana. Since there is no real hierarchy, there is no competition to get to "the top." A person of a lower class or caste may be dealing with previous life karma, so this creates a climate of acceptance of certain social dispositions. This also makes Buddhism more appealing to higher caste/class members of society: if you're doing socially well, it's the result of your good karmic practices, eliminating guilt for benefiting in a world full of suffering. However, due to the nature of interdependence, the Buddhist is not off the hook from helping others to achieve Nirvana.
In summation, Christians believe that this life is it. People make mad dashes to Christ to keep from going to hell before the buzzer. Buddhists believe that we're all in this together and that it all ends, but also all begins again and again. So there's no pressure to do anything in particular.
Hope this helps.

Love,
Blue
PS. This is not an invitation to tell me that I didn't talk about African traditions. It really doesn't matter what you believe. Just get on with it and be happy.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

All Labels Are Bad

There's no static label or category that would describe the experience that more than 1 single human being on the planet has had.
I wouldn't say "I'm proud to be an American" nor "I'm proud to be African American" or anything like that. I'm no more proud to have had ancestors forced from their home land into bondage than I am to have ancestors who fought and created a new culture that is bitten by everyone in the world as a result of being forced from their homeland into bondage. I don't feel that this is anything to be proud of. My experience on Earth is no more or less great than anyone else's. In fact, considering the short amount of time I'll be on this planet (relative to the existence of the planet), I don't find it useful to gain pride in the contextual elements of my physical body. If I will be proud, it will be of my participation in a Universe that is constantly moving and changing. It would be in my own experience that is constantly moving and changing; an experience that is unique from that of every other human who shares my skin shade, nose width, hair texture, or reproductive characteristics. Were I to die tomorrow and return in another dimension as a creature that looks or behaves completely differently, would I be less than I am now? Of course not. I am still a part of the ever changing dynamic Universe that takes form in order to selfishly experience itself through itself.

But am I not what others consider African-American-Woman? To them, I am. But when I awaken from my dream, I am none of these things. I am whatever my dream sees. Sometimes, I am a man. Sometimes, I am the blackest, thickest, tallest woman in the world. Sometimes, I am an all seeing eye, observing the interactions of mind, heart and body that my mind imagined in its waking state. I know that because of this view others have of my finite physical body, my person may be more or less safe in certain areas. To care is the beginning of insanity.

I walk as though I have somewhere to go. I create as though I have no limits. I speak as though I am not afraid. I smile as though I know that this is all bullshit. I make friends as though friendship is easy. I eat as though I intend to taste the greatest combination of sweets and savories that tickle all the parts of my tongue and mind. This is not a black experience. This is a living experience.
And as a living being, I will fight for the rights of other living beings to exercise their creativity freely in a world where they are viewed as less-than by others who are deluded and sick. I will not join forces with the sickly ones simply because they have shinier stuff. It is their shiny shit that they must create in order to prove their superiority to themselves. The Earth has provided us all we need. What use is shiny shit? Are we so detached from reality as to neglect clean water and air in favor of shiny shit? Have we lost our ever loving minds?

And as people of color discover their power, if they should become oppressors, I will fight them as well. This is not a battle for power. This is an insistence on creativity. Any force that aims to limit my creativity or the creativity of any other living being on this planet is a violatory force and I will not support it no matter what it looks like or who it considers kin. Believe that shit.

And believe that if the creativity comes from a black American versus an African versus a Chinese English versus an African Caribbean versus a foster child versus a child raised in a blended family versus one who grew up wealthy versus one who grew up in the projects...these differences matter and should not be dismissed. This is a new form of art that we know nothing about. This will give us another opportunity to either learn or retreat further into denial. We will never know every experience. There is no category that we can align ourselves with that will represent any of us all of the time. If we want our story told, we must tell it and no matter how unique, it will connect with every human experience if it is authentic and honest. And if we must categorize things in order to wrap our puny minds around them, then we will categorize. But if we understand the dynamic and constantly moving creative experience of the Universe, then we participate in the constant opportunity to change with it. If we have a problem, we fix it! If we don't, then we shut the fuck up and have an orgasm with somebody because this will all be over soon enough!!!

Love,
Blue

On "Concept Blackness" and Why it's Ruining Humanity

I'm not a fan of the "concept blackness" showing up in movies and TV shows. It's unidimensional and uninspiring. Scandal is a great show because the concept is multidimensional. How to Get Away with Murder also has a well developed concept. Fresh Prince, Cosby Show, and Boondocks followed the stories of families and communities and left impressions on our global culture. Greater dimension allows for character development and dynamic storytelling that reaches beyond its target audience. Art that is organized around a superficial concept is amateurish and shows how desperate broadcasters are for content. All the money in the world won't produce better art when artists are lazy.

I believe that it is good to distinguish between black art and mainstream art and Latino art and LGBTQLMNOP art and Indian art and Chinese art...and even to distinguish between black American art and African art or Japanese vs. Japanese American Art...or African French or Polish Jewish. Black American creativity is very different from African creativity. Polish Jewish is very different from American Jewish. It is just as dismissive to discount the history of one's ancestry throughout migration and the creative perspective that derives from that as it is to dismiss one's blackness in America through the "I don't see color" eye. These things matter. These things show up. Any story that deviates from white male heterosexist supremacy is a revolutionarily different Hollywood story. For example, Olivia Pope would've simply been First Lady had she been white. Then, there would be no scandal. It is in her being black, and the way blackness is seen as a blemish on America's white supremacist image that outlines the subtext of that story. Analogously, creating a great concept in the context of cross sections of social laws is to creating a concept around "blackishness" or "letters to white people" as putting a spotlight on the elephant in the room is to pulling an elephant into a room and yelling "hey! Look at my elephant! Now fund my indiegogo campaign."

When Issa Rae created Awkward Black Girl, I sent money to the kick starter campaign because her perspective was comedic and relevant. Her webisode sparked a movement of heavy handedness that was needed at the time to counter the fear black people had of showing human flaws. It was perfect and it set the greater culture up for the modern stories of multidimensional humanity lead by characters that represent our experiences. I champion that trend.

Love,
Blue

The Problem with Women

You know what's wrong with you women? Ok. I'll tell you:

You think that if you look like the next best thing on the magazine cover, it's going to increase your likelihood of finding happiness and love. Bitch, please. If you can't be happy fat and nappy, then you can't be happy skinny and blown out either. Your looks have nothing to do with your happiness...but happy bitches be fine as hell because happiness is a good fuckin' look. If you want to be happy, do what the fuck you want to do with the people who want to do that shit with you. Fuck a magazine cover.

You know what else is wrong with you women? Ok. I'll tell you:

You compete with other women for EVERYTHING! That's dumb ho shit. What the fuck are you competing for? What the fuck is the prize? And if you get it, do you think that it will still be there if you slack off for even a second? If you do, you's a crazy bitch. Stop competing and pay attention to what you like. Then create that shit. That's what you're a woman for. You create. Women create. That's what we do. That's what we're for. That's how we're made. So please, stop the dumb ho shit.

And you know what's REAAAAAALLLLY FUCKING WRONG with you women? Ok. I'll tell you:

You will turn to every fucking source in the universe for information about how to get a man or lose weight or find happiness outside of the source that you have right betwixt your ears. Stop letting these crazy assed dudes tell you how to get into heaven or how to get a man in 20 days or how to cut fat in half. Bitch PLEEEEZE! Muthafuckas have made a living off of telling you what the fuck to do with yourself. There is literally an industry designed specifically to make you feel bad so that fools can sell you shit you don't need. Now tell me this...and uh...tell me this: with all your self-help booklets and pastor anniversaries, has your life actually improved? Go 'head. I'll wait.

If you want the job or the man or the weight loss or any of the other shit, you've got to do the work. Ain't nobody ever lost weight reading about how to lose weight. Go dance. Go cook. Join a sport club. Mentor some teenagers. Teach a step team. Work at habitat for humanity. Do standup. Read your poetry at the next open mic. Learn to play the bass. Babysit one of your single mother friends' kids for a few days. Get your head out of the ignorance that is your stagnation and join creation with the rest of us who are bustin' our asses to try to help you understand that you're beautiful just the way you are. Kill them insecurities. Yes they should die. And I hope they BurN in HELL!
Love,
Blue

The Problem with Men


You know what's wrong with you men? Ok. I'll tell you:
You think that because you find someone appealing, they're supposed to be interested in meeting you. WRONG! WRONG! You might be ugly as hell and nobody wants to look at your face. If you want someone to find you appealing, you have to BE appealing to THEM. Not just find them appealing.
Know what else is wrong with you men? Ok. I'll tell you:
You think women give a shit what you look like. Look: women are perfectly fine having a poster of Djimon Hounsou on their bedroom wall and masturbating to it every night. We're so good with the mentals that we can create an entire fictitious relationship that keeps us absolutely content for the rest of our lives. In fact, unless you look like Djimon Hounsou or Dwayne The Rock Johnson, you will never live up to our standards of beauty, so forget about it. Outside of our vivid imaginations, women respond to how someone makes us feel. But in order to make a woman feel good, you have to observe that woman and what she responds to. This takes time and intention. Every woman is different...just like every man is different. And you have to actually appreciate the woman for who she is. Then, you can give her exactly what she wants and she will love you in return.
And you know what's REAAAAALLLY wrong with you men? Ok. I'll tell you:
You think that you can just talk your way into the panties. Look: if you can talk your way into panties, then you're gonna be in a ho's panties. And if you get a ho, don't be all on facebook complaining about women this and women that. Tell it like it is: hos this and hos that. Stop comparing women to hos and stop thinking that just because you don't know the difference, all women are hos. If you want a real good woman who's going to cook and clean and birth your babies barefoot in the kitchen all by herself, then cut the umbilical chord and clean up the mess herself, then you need to cook, clean, and be prepared to raise, educate, finance, and protect your family while you're holding her from the back and massaging her feet as she births them chilluns. Then, build a deck, patch the roof, cut the grass, clean the basement, and take her to Jamaica once a year.
If you want a life partner, you have to be a life partner. If you want hos, you need to get your pimp game right. Half assing either of these will leave you alone and in the cold complaining about hos on facebook, then getting "likes" by more hos that you have no idea what to do with.
Love,
Blue

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

These 5 Things

"the air wreaks of burnt fire, and inside we're piercing flames...the burning of ‪#‎mikebrown‬'s memorial just makes us more focused...its an illusion meant for distraction. don't fall for it. staying focused." 
-a friend. 

When I saw that Mike Brown's memorial was burned to the ground, I was immediately reminded of the aftermath of Reconstruction and the days leading up to the Holocaust. I don't take such history lessons lightly. These days, it's not as clean cut as black and white. Furthermore, people don't just go around lynching people and getting away with it (unless they're police officers and the victims are black). But no one has to touch you to destroy you or your family. Pay attention.

This post is not intended to encourage or make people feel good. If you want to feel good, go get a massage. This post is about paying attention, being strategic about your life and safety, and doing what you need to do to survive based on what you value and not what public opinion tells you. News reports are skewed over time. You know what happened and you know how you feel about it. Trust your gut. 
 
Furthermore, this post is not eloquent. If you want eloquent, read The Prophet.
 
1. Trust What you Know: Simply pay attention to what's going on around you. Don't let anyone convince you that you didn't see what you saw. Don't let anyone tell you that you didn't hear what you heard. You know what you saw. You know what you heard. You also know who brought water versus who fanned the flames.

2. Everybody Is Not Your Friend: Stop posting social media memes just because they look clever. It is skewing your perception of relationships. Those who love you the most won't necessarily be there all the time. Those who love you the most will hurt you sometimes. Those who love you the most will not always agree with what you say and do. If your idea of love is people who agree with you or tell you how wonderful you are all the time or are always in your face, then you are setting yourself up to be deceived by the guy who was trained in college to tell people they're beautiful and wonderful all the time because that's how he makes his money. The people who love you are the ones you seek out when you're traveling because you know that you're welcome at their home. The people who love you are the ones who will make sure you have something to eat when you're hungry. The people who love you are the ones who interrogate you whenever you make a decision they don't understand. If you're not confident in your choices, that's a personal problem. Stop throwing away the best friends you'll ever know in this life just because some meme on facebook told you to. In fact, get off of facebook if you can't tell the difference between reality and a facade. 

3. Some People Intend You Harm Even When You've Caused Them No Harm: When people show you who they are, you can believe that. People will tell you who they want you to believe they are. But when they show you who they are, you can bet your bottom dollar on that. It is not mystical. It is not intuition. People are showing you who they are all the time. Stop making excuses for them. If they will burn your grave, they will burn your body.

4. Protect What Matters: Take care of yourself and your family. When Hitler was on the rise in Germany, many Jews stayed behind in the name of tradition and culture. Many, however, got out. Einstein was one of them. These people were dispersed, but they survived. The survivors were able to meet up again later and form comedy troops and write sitcoms and invent things. If you are so tied to community that you forget to protect yourself and your family, then you are co-dependent and addicted to an idea. It is human instinct to self preserve. If you are violating your nagging instincts in the name of "community" then you will not make it out in time.

5. Know Your Values: What you have is not an indicator of who you are. What you have is a bi-product of what you value. If you have lots of stuff, then this is evidence of what you value. If you are constantly surrounded by loving wonderful people, this is evidence of what you value. Neither is good nor bad. But don't plant watermelon seeds and expect an apple tree. Nobody else's opinion matters. You know if you're happy or not with what is around you. Furthermore, if you are attracted to people with lots of stuff and then discover that you are not valued, please stop being surprised.

Love,
Blue

Need a Black Leader?

Dear Black People,
Whoopie Goldberg has been carrying The View for nearly 10 years, pulling an Emmy for best talk show host and 3 NAACP Image Awards since she set foot in the studio. She is now the host of (arguably) the most influential and socially responsible daytime talk show in America. Not to mention that she is one of only 11 human people in the history of Hollywood to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award (EGOT).

Sensei Whoopie Goldberg
Whoopie Goldberg, Nikki Giovanni, Alice Walker, Oprah Winfrey, belle hooks, Debbie Allen, Phylicia Rashād, Angela Davis, Jamala Rogers, Karla Scott, Vetta Sanders-Thompson, Janet Helms, Laila Ali, Michelle Obama, Nicole Avant, Patricia Bath, Mary J. Blige, Majora Carter, Debra Martin Chase, Misty Copeland, Marian Wright Edelman, Thelma Golden, Bethann Hardison, and many others are alive, working, serving their communities, leading, and looking much younger than their years would tell. Furthermore, their skin shades, hair textures, and institutional affiliations are irrelevant because their work speaks to the people they serve in meaningful ways. Even further, they can all exist without competing with each other because they all have unique skills, talents, and contributions to society that they all celebrate and support among and between themselves.
If you're a black woman or man who is too sexist to follow a Black Woman, continue to lose hope and cry for black leaders. If you're awake and understand what's really going on in the world, join the team by lending a hand to the common cause of keeping the species alive and inspired.

"The View is the show that everyone has copied. But we are the original."
-Sensei Whoopie Goldberg
Love,
Blue

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Happy Bisexual Visibility Day!

I discovered recently that squares become offended when they don't know whose genitalia you are willing to rub on. I never quite understood this except that it seems that squares are very insecure about their decisions and the people they decide their decisions with, so us folks who don't have those problems are seen as threats. Who knew? right?
But now that I know, I make sure that everyone knows whose genitalia I'm rubbing on. I am one of those folks who only likes to rub on one set of genitals at a time. And frankly, I plan to be rubbing on the same set of genitals for the rest of my life (well 2 sets, if you count mine).
But alas...there is still a dilemma. Those who see the genitals I'm going to be rubbing on for life assume that they can possibly sway me away from those genitals and into the genitals of another (because they're narcissistic and selfish). This wouldn't be a problem except that the framework leads to the assumption that I'm interested in rubbing a certain type of genitals. So as a result, the people who recklessly flirt at me are sadly disappointed when I don't respond in the way that they would have predicted. I am not the type of person to want to attract unwanted attention just to disappoint (though those who are attracted would respectfully argue otherwise. Who am I to dash their assumptions?)
However, I just found out from my friend Kerry that today is Bisexual Visibility Day! In the olden days, when I would only rub on penises, these types of things seemed frivolous and silly. Like, what's the point of celebrating whose genitals you're rubbing on? However, now that I'm rubbing on genitals that are more similar to mine, I am learning that it makes a huge difference. The entire way that our culture is set up is based on the assumption that a woman is always going to choose to rub a man's genitals and a man will always choose to rub a woman's genitals while rubbing another woman's genitals on the side.
But I don't live by the rules of our culture. I live by my own rules. And as a result, the sooner I let people know that, the less likely it will be that I'll disappoint them by not returning their flirts. So thank goodness that my people have created a day where they simply say "hey. I exist. So stop being tunnel focused and recognize that there's more going on than your caveman patriarchal narcissistic mentality would have you believe. That's right. I have options. Lots of them."

So I am sharing this image for 4 reasons. One, in solidarity with other people who don't need the rules of this culture to dictate whose genitals they rub on. Two, in order to let everyone know that I'm in support of equal opportunity genital rubbing. Three, to pay homage to the people who struggled for sexual freedom and safety in this society, enabling me to not give a shit about what people think (a privilege that I take full advantage of). But mostly, because I am a person who doesn't believe in pursuing a relationship based on the types of genitals I want to poke and squeeze. I love the person who is willing to roll with me in this unpredictable and exciting journey called life. I love the person who is willing to care for me and about me when I don't even care for or about myself. I love the person who values my humanity and prioritizes my safety and happiness above even her own. And I love her so much that I want to rub her genitals because I'm a touchy-feely kinda person. And I don't give a shit who's offended. Suck my balls. They're in the second drawer on the left.
Happy Bisexual Visibility Day!!!
Love,
Blue

Monday, September 22, 2014

Slavery vs. Ho Shit



There is a lot of propaganda about slavery that is circulating on the internet. The goal of this propaganda is to get the public to believe that all American citizens are slaves working a giant plantation that is run by the economic top 1% of American citizens. I love a good conspiracy theory. In fact, I have many of my own...because America engages in many conspiracies to keep the larger populace working mindlessly for the advancement of a global agenda that is really going to backfire and end up a Chinese oligarchy which is fine with me because I like the Chinese. They didn't rob the continent of my ancestors and destroy family and tribal units over and over again through the institution of chattel slavery and the continued irreverent use of "urban sprawl" aka "gentrification" to justify continual community dismemberment in order to rectify their insecurities by attempting to position themselves as superior over indigenous cultures who had established civilizations based in love, food, and family long before they decided to flee British religious persecution in pursuit of capitalism...but the sensationalism of conspiracy theories and the spooky music in the zeitgeist videos is just a distraction that keeps many people from making sense of their current lack of funds. In the spirit of foundational clarity towards greater discernment of propaganda (or FCTGDOP) I am using this status update to explain the difference between "slavery" and "ho shit."
Slavery is a system of forced labor toward the building of an empire. A slave is someone whose rights have been stripped away and whose punishment for violating orders is much greater than the crime. For example, a slave who doesn't meet a quota might get 50 lashings, or a slave who looks at massa or massa's wife the wrong way might get killed. Slavery is an inhumane institution that continues in many hoods where people are criminalized for simply existing, the systemic de-creditation of their public schools leading to inability to qualify for acceptance into higher education institutions after high school, and the lack of investment in quality food and planting of trees that have been shown to increase quality of life and health within a region. This is why many cities aren't really cities anymore, but a collection of municipalities that have different police forces and tax bases in order to control and manipulate the people who are living in abject poverty and protect and defend those who own land and property. The only way out of slavery is to escape which is difficult because if other slaves perceive that you are attempting to escape, they will either discourage it for fear of consequences or they will try to prevent it out of jealousy. So discretion is absolutely necessary for an escape to occur. It is a lonely road, but once embarked upon, the escapee learns that there is an underground railroad designed specifically to get people to the point where they are free to choose their own path.
http://www.baileygirls.com/#!top-by-blue/c10zzWhich brings us to ho shit. Ho shit is part of a dynamic process that includes a pimp, a ho, and a trick. A pimp is someone who sells hos to tricks. Confused pimps use manipulation and lies to accomplish their goals. Pimps with clarity employ The Tao of Pimpin'. A ho is someone who is sold by a pimp to a trick in exchange for protection and security. A trick is someone who buys a ho from a pimp. There is no hoin' without a pimp and there is no trickin' without a ho. They all work together towards the realization of pimpin'. Pimpin' does not work collaboratively. There is no family of pimps or conspiracy of pimps. There is 1 pimp and 1 pimp can have many hos, but in order for pimpin' to work, hos have to be loyal. Loyalty is not something that can be forced upon an individual. Loyalty is a free choice. If a ho chooses at any point to leave a pimp, that ho will be broke of all the protection and security and left alone in a back alley to make new choices. The ho is in control of hoself until the ho chooses to relinquish that control to a pimp.
http://www.amazon.com/TAO-PIMPIN-Blue-ebook/dp/B00LZSO1FG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405965173&sr=8-1&keywords=the+tao+of+pimpinSo as you can see, not every lack of funds is the result of forced labor. Many people have chosen to relinquish their control. The reasons people make the choices they make are vast, but if someone has a choice and chooses to give up their rights to a pimp, this is not slavery. This is ho shit.
Love,
Blue

Ecofeminism

I learned a new word! Ecofeminism. It's applying feminist principles to ecological issues. Apparently, there's a lot of discourse around what this means which has lead to quite a few academic debates.

I'm not a fan of terms like "feminist" or "feminism". The suffixes imply activism. Once something is active, it is in a masculine state of being, so to "feminize" femininity is to create masculinity, arguably the opposite of what was intended.
 
I prefer simply "feminine". Feminine implies stability, stillness, and resting. Yin, if you will. I believe that "feminist" is preferred in this culture because Westerners always have to be doing something in order to feel that something has occurred. Furthermore, to refer to a man as "feminist" is more acceptable than referring to him as "feminine" because people are terrified of sexual fluidity, as though the worst thing a man could be is feminine, when in fact, the most restorative state of being is feminine. Westerners are backwards.

So back to Ecofeminism. I can see why it would become another issue to debate. Instead of allowing nature to be in its most restorative, peaceful, still, and stable state, people want to "do something" as though nature's ability to win or lose is somehow associated with what people do. If we paid attention to nature, there would be no need for "ecofeminism". Nature would show you that she always wins simply by being herself and following her natural patterns. Then, we could simply study "ecology".


People have to study certain things under a microscope to appreciate them. I say begin with reverence, gratitude, and appreciation for all things. Then, as we learn, we're simply gaining conversation starters instead of complicating things unnecessarily.

Love,
Blue

Let's Talk Tribal Secession

Folks from privileged backgrounds want me to tell their story. I can't do that. My mother was a whore and my father was a hustler with no hustle. So I can't sincerely and genuinely talk about what it's like to have problems with racism. I don't give a shit about white people, I don't need their acceptance, and I don't want to be like them in any way. Who do you think has the money to afford a whore who doesn't want the community to know she's a whore? It's not the black folks in the ghetto. That's for damn sure.
A ghetto is an organized place where poor people are placed into cheap housing without proper social services to manage the culture of poverty. Then, they do drugs to escape their reality, have sex with tricks to pay for their drugs, then get pregnant and make babies that they neglect. Then, their children have to raise themselves and their siblings which results in their inability to do well in school. Then, the children don't graduate and they can't pursue higher education. So they end up working at minimum wage jobs. It's a system that needs poor people to work it. Always has been. Always will be. If "ghetto" is a bad word, it should reflect badly on the US government for being incapable of living up to its high ideals and, as a result, stashes its poor in open air prisons monitored by police who keep the perimeter guarded so that the poor people don't get into the rich neighborhoods.

When it's the United Nations in your house growing up, you don't give a shit about race because you know that men just wanna get their dicks wet and women just want to keep their reputations clear. However, if you want to talk about systemic poverty that is racially driven from the top down based on the history of the punk assed British who moved to this land and pillaged every person of color they came across in the name of "liberty," then we can start talking about a counter strategy which will probably include education or a form of tribal secession. However, if you just want what white people have, then stop wasting my time.
Love,
Blue

The Bill Clinton Effect

I used to think like this. I used to break down everything into its smallest pieces to try to explain why something happened. In this video, a guy breaks down all of Bill Clinton's facial movements to show that this is what creates a charismatic speech. However, all those things have nothing to do with Clinton's charisma. Clinton's charisma has to do with the fact that he heard this woman's question and responded to her genuinely as though he really cared about not only giving her an answer, but about her actual concerns and her actual humanity. It's because for that moment, he really cared. He made her question his concern and responded from his own experience. There are no techniques for expressing true concern. There is no amount of narrow staring or furrowed brow that will communicate real love when there is none.
I had a hard time working when I hated everybody and everything. I still hate most people and most things, but I love my work, I love my collaborators, and I love my audience. This subtle yet profound shift has changed the way I view work and has enabled me to be functional and charismatic without going through all these ridiculous steps. I am present, I am with you, and I love what I do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwVrWaiqsYQ

Thuggin' Love,
Blue

Im BACK! This time, with Ray Rice Commentary

I have read a lot about Ray Rice and the tape and even saw the footage on CNN. I have come to conclusions.
Here's my list of opinions by philosophy.

The Taoist response:
Abusers attract abusees. Then, nature takes its course.

The Realist response:
Some men have money and like to fight. Some women value money more than they value their long term face.

The Christian response:
All things work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.

The Muslim response:
If you want to keep your job, beat your woman at home like you got some sense.

The Confucian response:
Confucius say: "If you want to keep your job, beat your woman at home like you got some sense."

Buddhist response:
Steroids are some fcked up drugs nam myoho renge kyo.

Hindu response:
We are born, shit happens, we die, then we're born again.

Evolutionist response:
Basketball players cheat. Football players beat. The difference is genetic.

Creationist response:
They were made for each other.

Feminist response:
Men ain't shit.

Black Revolutionary response:
It's whitey's fault.

Young adult response:
Men shouldn't hit women.

Middle adult response:
The only reason he got fired was because there was a tape.

Older adult response:
He'd better sleep with one eye open.

Love,
Blue