Do you remember when you were able to raise your first thousand? I do. It was about 12 years ago in New York. I earned it during the two months that I worked as a temp at the Port Authority Terminal over in Hell’s Kitchen, and poor me felt so rich at the time.
I had just turned 25, and barely coming out of years of unemployment, temping between jobs. If I was rich, I would have been able to invest the money as principal while comfortably living off the interest. I would have been way ahead of most New Yorkers at the time, and in fact most Americans. I just didn’t know any better.
But that is how they get you. They want you to feel rich off the very little that they pay you. The next thing you know, you find yourself taking out credit cards and auto loans you can’t afford. Or you start thinking about changing your zip code.
The feeling of being young and raising your first thousand is one of success and accomplishment. However, this is only the beginning and you cannot afford to lose track of reality, especially as a man, or you might just find yourself falling below stage one. Bet ya didn’t know there was even such a thing.
That is why I am here, to help put the varying levels of wealth building back into its proper context. Wealth building levels may vary based on currency, so for the sake of this article, I will be using the American dollar.
Negative:
This is an amount below zero. If you fall below zero, you are in the negatives, which means that you are in debt. Whether it’s overdraft on your checking account, or a credit card bill that’s past due, you have debt that you cannot afford to pay off. They made you feel so rich, but now they’re here to collect, and you just lost your job. They couldn’t have picked a worst possible time.
Peanuts:
This is an amount between 1 and 99 cents. This is how much they pay you to participate in online surveys. 34 cents, here, 25 cents there. You get the picture. They say it adds up if you do enough surveys over time. But who has time for that shit? We’ve got real bank to make.
Change:
This is an amount between 1 and 99 dollars. It’s literal change because it’s the paper notes you get back at the store whenever you break a solid hundred. A five, a ten, a couple of twenties and some singles.
America runs on change because if the poor man stops and buys a beer and a pack of cigarettes every night on his way home from work, and if every poor man does the same in every city across the country, then America runs on change.
Cash:
Cash is any amount between 100 and 1000 dollars. It is usually a bunch of Benjamins all rolled up, and is used to pay rent, bills, gas and groceries. The average employee has cash on hand. It makes you feel rich on a Friday night, but then you pay some bills and buy some weed over the weekend, and by Monday morning, you’re crying again. It doesn’t help if you have kids.
Savings:
This is an amount between 1000 and 10,000 dollars. This is where the climb goes a bit uphill. Very few Americans have $3000 to fall back on in case of an emergency. Even fewer Americans have $5000 or more in savings. This is very dangerous because one hospital visit, or car repair bill can wipe out your entire savings, and throw you back into poverty.
Surplus:
This is an amount between 10,000 and 100,000 dollars, where your net worth safely stays above $10,000. Here, the numbers dwindle even further. If you have a net worth within this range, you are ahead of most normies. You are on the right track, but you are not out of the woods yet.
Another reason why this is a danger zone is because most clout chasing normies love to act like they’re already there. And if you allow yourself to fall for it, then you are gullible enough to believe that pigs fly, especially when you consider that the only thing about the normies that is overflowing is their bathroom trash cans.
On the bright side, this is also a place where you can now afford to update your grocery list so as to include the proper nutrition. This is the “healthy foods that don’t suck” club. We’re talking salmon, tenderloin, shrimp and scallops as nightly dinner options. Nightly.
Capital:
Capital starts at $100K, the standard lot size of most investment portfolios. Capital is any amount between 100,000 and 1,000,000. You are now able to invest and grow the money, and the capital will be able to cover the shortfall of minor fluctuations in the market, but one hundred thousand is merely the beginning of capital. Either way, if you have capital, then you are way ahead of the average American.
Fortune:
This is an amount between 1,000,000 and 1,000,000,000 dollars. If you have a fortune, then you can talk about changing your zip code and splurging on that brand new 2026 Porsche and BMW convertible.
You can pull your kids out of public school and hire a governess to homeschool them, then send them backpacking through Europe at age 17 to teach them about life. Be forewarned however, that if you are in the millions, the money is rarely intergenerational, and may not exceed your lifetime if your net worth is below a hundred million.
Money is a joke:
This amount is only if your net worth is One Billion United States Dollars or greater. Think Warren Buffet, Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Oprah Winfrey, etc. If you are in the hundreds of Billions, you have more money than you can afford to spend in 20 lifetimes if you were frugal with it, and as such you can afford to treat money as if it were a joke.
Once you are in the billions, you are now able to afford jets, yachts, private islands, golf courses, etc. Gambling away tens of millions in risky hedge funds may suddenly seem more exciting to you just for the sheer sport of it.
If you are second generation, you will likely not understand the value of hard work, and as such may be subjected to trust funds up until your 30th birthday. Third generation is even worse. You have never known a sick day where there isn’t a team of five doctors hovering over your bed at least twice an hour, trying to figure out what’s wrong with you. And hunger? That doesn’t exist on planet earth to you, it exists in a parallel dimension.
Conclusion:
In closing, where are you on this list? And where do you see yourself in five years? Above all else, what are you willing to do to get there, and do so in an honest and timely fashion?
When most people think about power, they only think about one kind, control. And because of that, they instinctually believe that power is inherently bad, because no one really wants to be controlled or manipulated.
However, there are many different forms of power, both good and bad. The difference is in how one chooses to wield it. In this week’s article we will go over each one of them.
In last week’s article, I stated that power is not for everyone, and I was right. But power within the context of that article was specifically related to leadership. I also stated that although leadership is definitely not for everyone, there are other forms of power that one can embrace.
But because the word “power” is overwhelmingly used as a euphemism for control and manipulation, the other forms are often overlooked, or not readily viewed as forms of power. The proof of that is that many people make the mistake of mentioning money and power as if they were two different things, which is always laughable to me.
So without further ado, the many forms of power.
Definition of Power:
First of all, what is power?
Power, so far as I understand it, is the leverage to be able to do whatever you so choose, and to be able to do so with impunity. For example, I am no different from Hitler in the fact that we both want power. The difference lies in the kind of power we want, and how we choose to obtain it.
Hitler wanted control over massive populations of people, and chose propaganda and bloodshed to get it. Jim Jones, David Coresh and Charles Manson wanted the same thing as Hitler, but over smaller groups of people who were more the religious type, and thus easier to manipulate.
Similar to PigBoss who wants control over a handful of desperate people, who themselves are in need of the ability to feed their children, and easily chooses to sell their power away in order to obtain limited power in the form of temporary provisions.
Another example is the fake friend/relative/coworker who wants to be able to borrow a bunch of free shit they have no intention of ever returning, so they intentionally set out to get you to like them enough to grant them easy access to you. Then there’s me. And all along, I just want the freedom to be able to earn a sustainable living from reclusive authorship.
In order to know whether or not you have power, you must ask yourself two basic, yet fundamental questions. What do I want to do? Am I able to do it freely? If your answer to the second question is no, then you are being controlled.
Control and Manipulation:
The first is the most popular form, and the most obvious, but also the most negative and self-serving form at the same time. The people who practice this form of power are psychopaths and narcissists. They will do and say whatever it takes to get you under their control.
That is where tactics such as gaslighting, breadcrumbing and projection comes into play. They will make you love them if they think it will make you serve them and give them a bunch of undeserved free shit. You tend to encounter these types in families, churches, in relationships, and on jobs.
Control is ultimately the most powerless form of power, because these people’s need for control and attention always comes from a deep-rooted place of insecurity. They don’t want control because they possess leadership qualities that they feel can be put to use. They want control for the sake of control, similar to “Big Brother” from a certain Orwellian dystopia.
They always target someone easy going who they feel won’t put up much of a fight. That’s why you need to fight like a honey badger whether or not you will actually win. Stop worrying about winning and start thinking about your survival. Sometimes persistence is the only weapon you need.
Leadership:
Often confused with control, leadership is the ability to command respect without demanding it. What do I mean by that? Leadership is basically the ability to take the initiative and lead by example. As a leader, you have the ability to make people want to listen to what you say, want to follow what you do.
This is something that has to come naturally, it cannot be forced, it requires charisma, ideas, and foresight in order to be effective, and is popular among schoolteachers and politicians. The best examples of strong, effective leadership that I can think of are that of the former Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley and former President Barack Obama. Other examples include civil rights leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and Malcolm X.
Donald Trump doesn’t possess Obama’s charisma, but he gets the job done, so his style is a unique form of leadership. Leadership requires some form of influence. It also requires some level of control, and as such, it is therefore the middle ground between control and influence.
But unlike the malignant mentor who gains power from keeping you powerless, the natural leader is strong when we are all stronger together. Sadly, we have more control freaks in today’s world than we have natural leaders.
Influence:
The kind of power wielded by authors, journalists, actors, singers, artists, and socialites (now referred to as social media influencers).
To date, the most accurate definition of power that I have ever heard besides my own, was said by the late Jamaican talk show host Wilmot Perkins in 1998, when he said that power, “is the ability to effectuate one’s will over other people whether that person is willing or unwilling.” Perkins gave that definition on power when asked by fellow journalist Cliff Hughes whether or not journalists have power to which he said, “no, journalists have influence.”
But Perkins was only concerned about state power and leadership. As such, he failed to realize that influence is but one form of power. As a journalist myself, I regard myself as having the power of influence. If the underlying conditions of a single life can be improved from them reading this article, then that is power.
Physical Power:
The man with a car, looks at the man boarding a private chopper and says, “Man, I wish I had a chopper.” The man with a bicycle looks at the man with a car, and says, “I wish I had a car.” The man walking to the bus stop looks at the man with a bicycle and says, “I wish I had a bicycle.” Then the man in a wheelchair looks at the man walking and says, “I wish I had feet.”
Likewise, it can be said that the 95 year old man looks at the 39 year old complaining about gaining a little salt in his pepper and laughs, for he wishes he was 39, or even 50 again.
The physical power of youth coupled with the proper nutrition, rest and exercise will increase your chances of surviving an illness, as well as boost your recovery speed. You can’t pick up a dumbbell at 75 and expect to reverse the effects of your age, you have to start when you are still young. Never underestimate the power of your physical strength.
Spending Power:
Money. This is a big one.
Have you ever participated in a rather modern consumer activity more commonly known as window shopping? You look inside the display case of a store, and see something you want, but won’t buy it on the spot.
Well why don’t you just go inside the store and buy it? You obviously want it, right? What kind of power do you lack if at the moment, you are unable to walk inside the store and purchase the item outright? Spending power.
Spending power is a big one, and you will likely take it for granted until the moment you are faced with a pink slip, or an emergency that wipes out all of your life savings. At least you had savings. The key is in learning how to increase your spending power, and how to fool-proof it indefinitely. More on that in knowledge.
Knowledge:
They literally say that knowledge is power. If you have knowledge, not only will you be able to avoid the kind of traps set forth by narcissists and control freaks, but you will also be able to open several streams of passive income, so as not to remain dependent on these fools. Once you gain knowledge, only then will you realize that it was just an old man behind a curtain pulling the strings all along. An old man known simply as fear.
I call upon you now to make a pledge. Not to me, but to yourselves to gain as much knowledge as you can over the next five years from now until December 31, 2029. Knowledge on money and how to grow it. Knowledge on nutrition and gerontology. Knowledge on the different personality types and their motivations as well as who to avoid. Knowledge on mental health and stability. But above all else, knowledge of self.
Who are you? What are your likes and dislikes? Where do you want to spend the rest of your life? What do you want to do with your life? With whom do you want to do it? Make a pledge to yourselves to shut out all the noises and neuroses of the 21st century and do some thorough soul searching. Because knowledge is power.
Though there are many forms of power, when most people think about power, they really mean control. Not service, nor leadership, nor strength. Just control. Whether mass control through religious dogma, propaganda or financial abuse, or control over one person through abuse and gaslighting, control is what they have in mind when they talk about power.
However, power within the context as I have described it is not for everyone. Only for those who can effectively handle having that kind of power.
Let me clarify that power is not inherently bad. Being able to empower yourself with an education, self-esteem and the proper financial literacy is sure to give you an advantage over those who only seek to control you, which is a good thing.
But anybody who wants power for the sake of power has to be a narcissist. I feel like if one is in a position of leadership, it should be to help and assist other people. However, when dealing with people, human nature takes over, and it won’t be long before greed and corruption seeps in, because power corrupts.
So most people are in a position of power because they want control for the sake of control, which is the most accurate definition of greed that I can think of. Don’t believe me? Think back to every boss you’ve ever had. Every school principal, every hall monitor or dean of discipline from all of your alma maters. How many of them were there for the benefit of others? How many of them were there for a fair and reciprocal exchange?
Most mid-level supervisors on these blue collar jobs are nothing more than some insecure, ghetto people who just like being at the forefront of power so they can feel important. This is how they help soothe the deficiencies of humble beginnings, similar to how other people use food binges for the same reason.
At the same time, however, I think it is worth noting that these same people are also spoiled and entitled. So I empathize with their humble beginnings, but not their sense of entitlement.
Ideally, positions of authority should be filled with decent people with strong ethical values who actually want to serve others instead of coming with agendas for control and status. Notice I said decent and not nice. More on the difference later.
But it ties in to what I have been saying as it pertains to the kind of people who should be in positions of authority. For better or worse, power is not meant for nice people. You can be decent and respectful, but you cannot be nice. It reminds me of a meme I once saw on the “Boss Feelings” instagram page where it said, “If you don’t want to be hated, don’t rule the world, sell ice-cream instead.”
For women in particular, if they are nice girls, not fake-nice but actual nice girls, they either become school teachers or escorts, the two professions you never thought would be mentioned in the same sentence, yet here we are. Other professions include waitresses (polarizing but some are truly nice), pediatric nurses, dental assistants, therapists, social workers, governesses, yacht girls and background models in music videos.
Then for the gents, ah the gents… You don’t have it quite as easy as the girls, fellas. You literally have to “buss your ass” unless you are a reclusive author who enjoys the privileges of faceless fame. But that’s something that has to come naturally, and sadly, most men don’t have it naturally like that, so they have to hustle.
Most of them accept blue collar jobs (union or non-union), or they enlist in the military. Many of them turn to a life of crime and end up being incarcerated, or going to an early grave. But some of them end up douchemaxxing their way into undeserved positions of authority, and that is where the greed and corruption begins.
If the douchebags of the world have power they don’t deserve, then what is ideally needed are strong, intelligent, decent (not nice), men and women with strong ethical values who are neither greedy nor desperate, who understands that they are there to serve others, and who can resist temptation.
If modern corporations do not have an eye for spotting good leadership talents within its proletariat (they do), then it is up to the brightest and most capable members of the proletariat to pursue other forms of power, not akin to leadership.
It is the end of the month, and time once again for our monthly review series. Our muse for the month of June is David Palmer, the fictional president appearing on the hit action thriller “24.” But before we begin, here’s a disclaimer: The following review contains spoilers, so I strongly recommend that you watch at least the first five seasons of “24” before reading this, or any reviews on the topic. Without further ado, let’s begin.
“24” is an American television action series that was created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran in 2001. It starred Kiefer Sutherland as field agent Jack Bauer of the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), and Mary Lynn Rajskub as Chloe O’Brian, his intel officer.
It also starred Dennis Haysbert as David Palmer, the first African-American President of the United States within the 24 universe. Haysbert’s portrayal of Palmer on 24 inspired Barack Obama to run for President in real life. 24 lasted for 8 seasons and over 200 episodes between 2001 and 2010. It was revived as a 12 episode miniseries in 2014, shot on location in London, and featured William Devane in the role of President James Heller.
24 was a highly popular series, and very unique for its time, particularly due to its real-time format. Each season of the show followed its protagonist, Jack Bauer over a 24 hour period, hence the name of the show.
Background:
David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) was a United States democratic senator from Maryland. He first appeared during the pilot episode of 24 (Midnight and 1:00 AM), on the day of the California Presidential primary. Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) soon uncovered a plot to assassinate Senator Palmer and called in their ace field agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) to investigate.
CTU assumed that the threat level around Palmer had escalated due to him being a Black presidential candidate, and as such they doubled down on their security measures.
Palmer was made aware of the threat on his life, and casually laughed it off, literally saying, “I thought it was something serious.” Meanwhile, Palmer had other problems within his own camp. He was worried that a scandal might erupt after news reporter Maureen Kingsley (Devika Parikh) threatened to reveal that Palmer’s son Keith (Vicellous Shannon) was involved in the murder of his sister, Nicole’s (Megalyn Echikunwoke) rapist some years prior. The fact that Nicole’s rapist, Lyle Gibson, was white didn’t help matters much.
Throughout the course of the night into the following day, Palmer’s wife, Sherry (Penny Johnson Jerald) was gradually revealed to be a power mad sociopath who used underhanded tactics to try and get Keith to lie and cover up his involvement in the death of his sister’s rapist.
Palmer being the moral compass, decided against it, even though he knew that the scandal involving his son could cost him the presidency. Not only does this put a strain on Palmer’s relationship with his wife, but also his son who revealed that Palmer often prioritized his career over his family. Keith further revealed at some point that he had to seek counseling for the situation involving his sister and her rapist.
The threat on Palmer’s life escalated as Bauer was framed for an attempt on his life at a press conference that took place between 7:00 AM and 8:00 AM, all while dealing with his own missing wife and daughter (Leslie Hope and Elisha Cuthbert respectively).
Jack Bauer and David Palmer finally met face to face between 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM, and had a man to man talk where Palmer accused Bauer of wanting revenge for the men he lost during a US led covert mission in Kosovo that took place two years prior during the Yugoslavian civil war of 1999.
Bauer explained that he was trying to save Palmer, and they soon realized that Andre and Alexis Drazen (Željko Ivanek and Misha Collins respectively), the sons of Victor Drazen (Dennis Hopper) wanted revenge for their father’s murder that took place during the mission.
In that moment an alliance was formed as both Palmer and Bauer would go on to help each other in many of their future missions.
President David Palmer:
Day 2:
Season 2 of 24 took place 18 months after the California Presidential Primary. David Palmer had since been elected president despite all the madness that was allowed to take place around him on that day. The scene opened to Palmer spending some rare yet quality time with his son Keith on a fishing boat, in a lake near Los Angeles.
Their leisurely activities soon came to an abrupt end as duty called. This time, it was a nuclear bomb threat that was being carried out by “Second Wave,” a terrorist sleeper cell led by Islamic extremist Syed Ali (Francesco Quinn).
CTU field agent Jack Bauer who had been inactive since the events of season one that led to the death of his wife Teri (Leslie Hope) at the hands of CTU mole Nina Myers (Sarah Clarke) was called into CTU to help track the bomb. Jack was initially hesitant until he received a call from the president.
Throughout the course of the day, Jack was able to thwart the bomb threat, and apprehend Ali with the help of Kate Warner (Sarah Wynter), whose sister Marie Warner (Laura Harris) was involved with one of the members of Second Wave.
As the day progressed into night, Palmer’s chief of staff, Mike Novick (Jude Ciccolella) was revealed to be part of a conspiracy to remove Palmer from office due to his hesitance in retaliating against three countries based on a tape recording of a conversation that took place between Second Wave and high ranking officials from those countries.
Novick was very instrumental in helping Palmer win the presidency over a year ago. But now he has joined Vice-President Jim Prescott (Alan Dale), and eight other cabinet members in attempting to remove Palmer from office through a clause in the 25th amendment.
Eventually, with the help of Jack Bauer and CTU, they were able to prove that the tape recording was a forgery, thus proving that Palmer’s leadership is effective. Palmer resumes his presidential duties and immediately fires Novick as his chief of staff.
Day 3:
Season 3 of 24 took place three years after the events of season 2. Palmer is now up for re-election, while recovering from a virus that he was exposed to through a handshake at a press conference at the very end of season 2.
He also has a new chief of staff, his brother Wayne Palmer (DB Woodside). This was also the first time that we got to meet Chloe O’Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub), who would later go on to become the secondary protagonist of the series.
Wayne disapproved of Palmer’s affair with his doctor, Anne Packard (Wendy Crewson), saying that she is not like Sherry. Even though Sherry kind of went overboard, at least she knew how to play the game. The virus that Palmer was introduced to was just a demonstration of the biological terror threat that CTU along with President Palmer would be faced with throughout the course of the day’s events.
As the day progressed, Palmer’s re-election was constantly threatened. First by the suicide of Dr. Packard’s ex-husband, that caused her to end her affair with Palmer to save his chances for re-election. Then Wayne’s affair with Julia Milliken (Gina Torres), the wife of Palmer’s top campaign funder Alan Milliken (Albert Hall) who demanded that Palmer fires his brother after he discovered Wayne and Julia’s treacherous affair behind his back.
But no scandal threatened Palmer’s presidency quite like his deranged ex-wife Sherry’s involvement in several deaths throughout the course of the day. First, she prevented Julia from giving Alan his medication after she caused his heart attack.
Then Julia murders Sherry before turning the gun on herself right in front of Wayne who was unable to stop her in time. This last devastating blow was enough for Palmer to forfeit his chances for re-election, giving his competitor, senator John Keeler (Geoff Pierson) a clear shot at the presidency.
Post Presidency:
Palmer was still very much active as an ex-president. On Day 4, he was asked to assist acting president Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin), after power was suddenly thrust upon him during a national crisis that saw Air Force One being shot down by Habib Marwan (Arnold Vosloo) while President John Keeler was on board.
Palmer made almost all the tough judgement calls on behalf of an indecisive President Logan whose leadership was not brought into question like Palmer’s was during season 2.
The Chinese requested the extradition of Jack Bauer after they held him responsible for the death of one of their officials who was killed when he came under friendly fire during a botched mission at their embassy in Los Angeles.
Palmer decided to help out his friend by helping him fake his death. He was one of only four people who knew that Jack was still alive. The other three people were Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard), Michelle Dessler (Reiko Aylesworth), and Chloe O’Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub). Unbeknownst to Jack, his phone call to Palmer during the season 4 finale was the last time he would ever speak to his friend.
Assassination:
Day 5 took place about 18 months later, and began at 7:00 AM in Los Angeles on the day of an official visit from the Russian president, Yuri Suvarov (Nick Jameson). Palmer was visiting his brother Wayne at his condominium when Wayne noticed that he seemed preoccupied over something.
He told Wayne that he was feeling a bit melancholy over a conspiracy he was able to uncover. But before he could explain what it was he uncovered, he was shot by a sniper only two minutes into the episode.
The assassin then targeted the other three people who knew Jack was alive, forcing Jack out of hiding. Jack was able to save Chloe while taking out the shooter, but Tony and Michelle weren’t so lucky. Jack then spent the rest of the day hunting the person behind the assassination, only to uncover a vast, complex web of corruption and cover-ups going all the way up to the oval office.
Charles Logan, the weak, indecisive president whom Palmer helped during a national crisis was now complicit in Palmer’s assassination, and it was up to Jack Bauer to help expose him and remove him from office.
With the help of Mike Novick, Palmer’s former chief of staff who betrayed him during the events of Day 2, along with Logan’s own wife, Martha (Jean Smart), Jack was able to expose Logan at Palmer’s funeral during the season finale. As Palmer’s casket was being air-lifted to Washington by military convoy to be buried at Arlington cemetery, Jack was captured by the Chinese and taken to a Chinese prison camp to be tortured for the next two years.
Legacy:
Palmer’s legacy is polarizing, mixed with admiration and caution. Though he displayed strength and faith in his leadership during some of the most challenging times on that show, he was too willing to answer the call of those who wouldn’t hesitate to throw him under the bus.
Understandably, as the first Black president, he felt the need to be overly good almost to a fault. Similar to Obama, he wouldn’t have won if his public image wasn’t spotless beyond question. Both men were right in that regard, but Palmer’s fatal flaw is that it attracted others towards him who felt the need to use him, then discard him when they realize he cannot be used. This fatal flaw ultimately cost him his life.
Personal Takeaway:
The issue at hand is not a racial one in the strictest sense, because they do the same thing to Jack Bauer. They call him out of retirement to help fight their battles when they don’t know what else to do. Then they want to punish him when he uses strategies that actually work, such as torturing his suspects during some of his interrogations. And all along, I’m over here on my couch yelling at the screen like, “You want their help, or don’t you?”
As a man, you’ve got to think twice before fighting everyone’s battles for them, especially when you know they don’t appreciate you. As a Black man, it’s even twice as bad for you than it is for the next guy. It is imperative for me to state that people’s perceptions of you won’t change by you trying to remain spotless.
You will go from being invisible to being a target, and people will think they can just use you to help further their agendas. I have experienced the same while dealing with racist hypocrites at work, but I have lived to tell the tale, because who feels it, knows it.
As a man, the only thing that you should worry about being spotless are your boundaries. Other people’s madness must not be allowed to thrive around you, especially when you’re trying to build a lasting legacy. You are going to become the villain of their story. But they already see you as either the villain or a minstrel show, so what the heck does it matter? Here’s to entering your villain arc. At least you know it’s for a cause as noble as self-preservation.
Despite all of that, both Jack Bauer and David Palmer are patriots who answer the call of duty, and are deserving of the respect of a grateful nation. Be that as it may, only some people are cut out for the kind of sacrifices that both men have made during the series run, and one of my biggest takeaways from watching 24 is that the job of a president and a field operative are certainly not for everyone. I give this cautionary tale of power and sacrifice a five out of five Purple Hearts, and I’ll see you on the next one.
Want me to tell you a secret? You can beat the system at their own game. And the best part of all? It’s perfectly legal. But before you do anything, you need to know what you’re up against, and how to beat them effectively. I promise you, it’s not as scary as it seems. Let me explain.
First of all, who, or what is the system?
When most people talk about the system, they are talking about the police, and the government. They are talking about the public education system and the banking sector. And sure, they are all parts of what the system comprises, but they are not the system in and of itself.
In order for you to know what the system is, you must first know what they want. When people talk about the system, it is usually within the context that the system wants to keep you down, or hold you back somehow. Or they might say that the system wants to keep you poor, and they are correct. The system does want to hold you back from fulfilling your ultimate potential. But let me ask you something else.
Does the government and the banking sector want to keep you in poverty? Have you ever heard of a nonfarm payroll report? It is what economists use to keep track of employment rates within the United States to see how well the economy is doing. Every country has their own version, but ours is called the Non-farm Payroll report, stemming from the Industrial Revolution, and the paradigm shift from agriculture to corporate cubicles and the forty hour work week.
The more people there are who have jobs, the better the economy does overall because when employees get paid, they tend to consume more. They tend to go out more, purchase new consumer electronics, and are more likely to pay the mortgage than if they were bankrupt. Do you truly believe that the government of any capitalist country on earth wants to see its citizens living in poverty?
It’s different with socialism because they don’t want money, they want control for the sake of control. They want to control all the resources of their respective countries so they can effectively punish those whom they have labeled as outcasts and heretics by starving them into submission.
But here in the west where there is capitalism, how does the government tax you if you are broke? How does the bank get the opportunity to offer you a mortgage and a pension plan if you are bankrupt? And how do businesses make a profit if you are unemployed?
It reminds me of a funny meme I once saw. And it read, “Your boss doesn’t want you to start your own company. Your landlord doesn’t want you to buy a house. The cab driver doesn’t want you to buy a car. The prostitute doesn’t want you to get married. The restaurant doesn’t want you learning how to cook for yourself. And the bank doesn’t want you discovering that you have space under your mattress. Only the thief wishes you prosperity in life, and a good night’s sleep.” One can even add to that by saying that the undertaker wishes that you never discover the secret elixir to immortality. You get the picture.
As much as how it sheds light on the selfishness of human nature, and the extent to which no one wants you to prosper unless you are somehow useful to them, it also exposes who the system consists of. If the government and the bankers don’t want you living in poverty, then who does?
The very people who complain about the government and the bankers. Your so-called friends, your neighbors, your relatives, your low brow co-workers, especially on some of these blue collar jobs where you tend to encounter the worst of people who come to work with all sorts of mental diseases. The left in particular. Funny how in their undying quest to find the illuminati, they forget to check the guy in the mirror.
If the GOP is more capitalist leaning, then the Democrats are more socialist leaning. They thrive on the welfare state, and want to control all of your resources through the welfare system for the sake of control. They also tend to support feminism, LGBT, and undocumented aliens whom they have referred to as “Dreamers.” What are they dreaming about? Coming over here with a sense of entitlement to sabotage people at work?
Don’t believe me? Look at some of the most prominent politicians in the Democratic party. The democratic socialist Bernie Sanders, the feminists Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Kamala Harris, and the LGBT supporting Barack Obama. Need I continue?
Whether or not they are in Washington, the left mostly consists of who I like to call “new money,” people who built their wealth from scratch, no trust funds, no inheritances. As commendable as that is, here’s the kicker, new money comes with a lot of envy, resentment and mental complexities. They are not grateful that they were able to improve their lot in life against all conceivable odds, they want revenge for being born on the wrong side of the tracks to begin with.
They think the world owes them something. They think you owe them your failure, that their egos may be protected. And when you refuse to fail, they see it as an act of defiance and take personal offense to it. Now they want to get even. But they are not going to take it out on the government or the police, or anyone else in authority. They are not that stupid. So they decide to zero in on you, and they start targeting you early enough when they first notice your potential, but before you are able to fulfill your destiny.
They form friend groups around you who are actually covert spies. They try to talk you out of achieving your vision, and when they see that you are persistent, secret envy turns to full blown hatred. That is how we get cases such as Shanquella Robinson and Tamla Horsford, cautionary tales of what happens when girl trips have gone awry. Guys are not safe either. It just so happens that girls are affected by this far more often than guys because females are more social than males.
If “new money” among other liberal hypocrites considers themselves the gatekeepers to your success and not the government, how do you stop them? Just because someone considers themselves the gatekeepers to your success doesn’t mean they actually are.
You can destroy their sadistic delusions by rendering them powerless. And you do that by becoming the most dangerous man in the room. The man who is free from the need for validation. The man who can neither be bribed, nor bullied. The man who is ultimately truly free.
But you have to decide for yourself whether or not your future success is more important than running with the wrong crowd, or any crowd for that matter. When you shut out the noise, and remain true to your purpose, the right people will eventually become interested. You will gain wealth, respect and fulfillment, and by then, their validation won’t matter either way.
This coming Thursday, June 19, will be Juneteenth, the one hundred and sixtieth anniversary of the emancipation proclamation marked by the thirteenth amendment. This is a celebratory event that brought about the end of one of the darkest periods in American history, the trans-atlantic slave trade.
This year is also the fourth anniversary of Juneteenth being a federal holiday, which first happened under President Biden in 2021. So I figured that now is as good a time as any to discuss the topic of Black privilege.
They always talk about White privilege in a way as if to suggest that there is no Black privilege. This is done subliminally with the intent to create a perpetual state of mental serfdom within you.
Speaking of mental serfdom, was it not the legendary reggae singer Bob Marley who once sang, “emancipate yourself from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds,” during a song that he appropriately titled “Redemption?” Well I am here to tell all the Black dreamers out there that you definitely have privilege on this soil.
First of all, Black privilege is not racial, it’s creative and academic. It also has a lot to do with your time and place of origin. You have the privilege of living in the greatest nation on earth, during a time where with the advent of the internet, you can find a way to make all your dreams come true.
Time and place also has a lot to do with your native tongue. If you are a Black person in the west, you likely speak English as your first language. Which is a plus because English is the most recognized language in the world for the sake of global trade and commerce.
Secondly, let me continue by reiterating what I have said repeatedly on my blog site. Which states that the same capitalism that allows your landlord to raise your rent while your employer cuts your hours, also allows you to turn the scorn and prejudice against you into creativity and ingenuity. If you really hone your craft, they won’t be able to tell whether you are a genius or a madman. Either way, they won’t be able to stop buying tickets to see your show.
Vaudeville performers and New Orleans jazz musicians of the 1920’s understood this concept very well. So did the shoe shine guy, and they capitalized off it tremendously. They didn’t let the racial insensitivities of that time prevent them from showing up every night and making a buck. In fact, they used their creativity to take advantage of the prejudice against them.
This evened the playing field overtime, and paved the way for their future descendants to enter a wider range of professions. Some chose law, others chose medicine, yet there are those who chose a more creative path. If they could do it without the internet in 1925, then what’s stopping you now in 2025?
If you really want to get ahead financially, no one can stop you but yourself. They might try to sabotage you. They can definitely delay you for some amount of time, but they ultimately cannot stop you. Which brings me to my third point.
You have the privilege of privacy, but you must enforce it. They cannot sabotage what they don’t know. If you operate in privacy, your chances for success increase ten fold. At some point you must arrive at a decision as to whether being friend centered is more important than your goals.
This is especially true when you consider that half these motherfuckers who say they are your friends, are really spies and saboteurs. You don’t have any friends out here. You don’t even have god. You only have yourself. If you fuck up, that’s on you. Hold yourself accountable and seek wise counsel.
Ok, so what do you have? You have the privilege of the English language as your native tongue. You live in a developed country with clean tap water and internet access. You have an accurate grasp on human nature that you can’t unsee past the age of thirty. You may not have the capital as of yet, but you have a master plan. Above all else, you either have privacy, or privacy is attainable, even in limited quantities for the time being. So then you have Black privilege.
While vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from eating meat, veganism in particular is the practice of abstaining from using all animal products, including sheep’s wool, cow’s milk, alligator wallets, snakeskin shoes, leather, and lard that is often used in cosmetic products.
A prominent example of this is that vegans believe that cows milk is only for baby cows, and that it is unnatural that humans are still able to digest milk past infanthood. They further believe that we retrain our bodies to betray its own lactose intolerance by “stealing” animal milk that is meant for their young, and using it for ourselves.
Their mantra is that animals are our friends and that we should not exploit them for our own personal gain. If we need something creamy, we should make coconut milk, or oat milk. Now here’s the irony of that piece of madness.
If we shouldn’t take from animals, then for the same reason, we also shouldn’t take from plants and live bodies of water, because they are also alive. And not only are they alive, but they may also possess a different form of consciousness that we would not understand from our perspective.
You do realize that people have been riding on the backs of camels for thousands of years before the invention of the automobile, right? So then what happens to us if we let them guilt us out of using up our resources? Who is going to feed us, and keep us warm if we let them scam us? Who? Is it them?
Nonetheless, veganism has become a fad. It has become fashionably wealthy as vegan alternatives often threaten to break the bank. Veganism has been around since the 1940s, but most people didn’t start talking about it until some celebrities started doing it during the 2000s.
If it’s one thing about the oligarchs, it is their understanding of the normie mentality, including their incessant need to imitate signs of wealth. If the Kardashians are doing it, they have to do it, too. It strokes their ego, makes them feel important.
So with that said, if the oligarchs want to push an agenda, they use celebrities to turn it into a fad. Before long, you are following a trend that doesn’t necessarily serve you, without fully understanding why you’re doing it.
Everyone doesn’t have the same digestive chemistry, yet they tell you that veganism is the key to being healthier. Of course they use the word health so that their true agenda, which is to look like their favorite star, is thinly veiled, pun intended.
If everyone doesn’t have the same body chemistry, then veganism is not meant for everyone. You need healthy fats such as omega 3, you need lean meat for protein to build stronger muscles. You can try it and see whether or not it serves you. If it doesn’t serve you, then at least you tried. Accept yourself for who you are and move on.
Prince was a vegetarian, yet he still died young. If his diet couldn’t save him, then I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you why. But it begs the question as to why the elites are pushing agendas such as veganism and the keto diet if they ultimately don’t serve you.
The same people who want to convince us that it’s ok to eat snails and roaches also want us to practice diets that are nutrient deficient. The same people who want us to drive to work through rush hour traffic and function at optimal levels on only four hours of sleep also want to fuel us with caffeine and sugar.
Outside of the south, the American breakfast is deplorable, if you even have time to grab breakfast before running out the door. Yet you wonder why there are so many preventable illnesses and premature ageing in modern society.
They are full of envy, and they don’t want to share their resources with the masses. So while they are saving the finest and choicest meats and seafood for themselves, they have the rest of us fighting over roaches. But that’s not all. They are not stupid, you see. So they decided to monetize veganism by making it a fashionable trend, and you bought it like they knew you would.
Caffeine and sugar are not foods, they are drugs. This is why they hate Donald Trump, because he calls this shit out for what it is, and they cannot get away with reenacting their mental diseases on his watch.
The only time I can remember ever having breakfast at work was when I participated in a young adult paid internship in 2011, and we spent Friday mornings at Trump Tower NYC. We could order anything we wanted from the cafeteria, and it was charged to the expense account.
They had pancakes, bacon, egg and cheese, orange juice, french toast, the works. It was good. Admittedly, we interned for a different company, but that doesn’t change the fact that that company was housed under Trump’s roof.
Veganism lacks protein and healthy fats, while keto lacks fiber and probiotics when the obvious solution is to have a balanced meal on every occasion.
Everytime they call you lazy, selfish, entitled, spoiled or gluttonous for choosing nutrient density, just take another bite out of your medium rare ribeye and laugh in their faces.
The word selfish has always had a negative connotation. This is largely due to the fact that most people misuse the word, and take it out of context. It is true that selfishness can be quite harmful depending on how it is used. But did you know that there are in fact two forms of selfishness? Today we will be exploring the positive connotations of selfishness.
Selfish people will call a reserved person selfish for not allowing others to be selfish with them. The selfish person in question is not inherently wrong for calling the private person selfish. The problem here is that they make it seem like he who is more reserved is the only one who is selfish. When in fact, EVERYBODY IS SELFISH.
Somehow it’s only wrong when you are selfish, but not them. Almost as if there was an unwritten expectation that you are supposed to be the only selfless one in the room so they can easily get away with being selfish with you, but the moment you fight back, you are the selfish one. Do you see the gaslighting in that?
But then again, what did you really expect from selfish people? There is an old saying, “if a thief really wants something, consider it gone.” So then apply that same logic to the context of this article. If a thief really wants your submission, you don’t know how far they are willing to go to get it. It becomes like a game to them. They will obsess night and day over it, and they won’t stop until they have you like a puppet on a string.
They will find other mentally deranged people to agree with them and back them up when they are wrong. They have already identified their target. This is done far in advance, and is usually motivated by hidden feelings of envy that they have all collectively harbored towards the target’s inherently good nature.
The only thing left to do now is to single out the target and gaslight him or her as a group. They can’t just leave well enough alone, they have to try and control the target somehow. If they can deprive you of something as vital as your free will, they feel like they have won, which is exactly what makes them so damned sadistic.
But did you know that you are being negatively selfish by enabling them? Let me explain; your need to prove them wrong comes from a place of ego. By selfishly feeding your ego, you are distracting yourself from practicing a more positive form of selfishness that better preserves your higher existence. But what does that actually look like? Here are several examples:
Asserting non-negotiable boundaries when dealing with people.
Swiftly and aggressively cutting off toxic relatives, friends, bosses, co-workers, girlfriends, deities. You get the picture.
Prioritizing peace, privacy, health, wealth, comfort and ultimately your life’s purpose over friends/drama, etc.
Choosing to pamper yourself over accepting crappy job offers among other forms of humiliation rituals. You don’t have to be rude. You can simply say, “Thanks for the offer, but I must respectfully decline.” That’s it!
Choosing vital nutritional sources, and touching grass and water versus stressing over kids and bills all the damn time.
Choosing not to marry when you know you are not the type to ever settle down. As selfish as that is, it is still better than playing with people’s feelings.
And so you see, the difference between me and other selfish people is that I am selfish with my own life, while they are selfish with other people’s lives. As selfish as I am, I still respect each individual’s sovereign autonomy over their own lives.
Do not be selfish with other people’s lives. And above all else, do not allow others to be selfish with your life. That, dear reader, is the clear difference between sadism and hedonism.
It’s the end of the month and time once again for our monthly review series. Our muse for the month of May is Edward Nygma, alias, The Riddler. Particularly in his first appearance on Batman The Animated Series, during an episode titled, “If you’re so smart, why aren’t you rich?” But first, here’s a disclaimer: The following review contains spoilers so I recommend watching the episode first before reading this or any other reviews on the topic. Now without further ado, let’s begin.
Overview:
Batman The Animated Series is an American television series that premiered on Fox in 1992. The series was created by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini as a 90’s revival of Bob Kane’s 1938 creation for Detective Comics, and originally consisted of 85 episodes across two seasons, the largest episode count for a single season of any children’s show at the time.
“If you’re so smart, why aren’t you rich,” was the forty-first episode of the series. It originally aired during the show’s first season on November 18, 1992. Written by David Wise, Directed by Eric Radomski, and starred Kevin Conroy, John Glover and Gary Frank. It was also The Riddler’s debut episode.
The Premise:
Edward Nygma (John Glover) is an employee of “Competitron,” a toy manufacturer. The episode opens with Nygma arriving at work one cloudy morning just in time as the janitor was tossing his name tag in the trash. Nygma asked the janitor what he was doing and that was when his employer Daniel Mockridge (Gary Frank) who was standing there all along informed him that he was fired.
Nygma protested that Mockridge cannot do without him because he is the smartest game designer in the company. Mockridge replied that he can indeed fire Ngyma because the latter is suing him for royalty. As an employee of Competitron, Nygma previously designed a video game titled, “Riddle of the Minotaur,” and is now suing the company for royalty. Furthermore, Mockridge lives up to his name by mocking Nygma in the form of a rhetorical question, the titular question of the episode.
After some time had passed, Mockridge tried pitching Nygma’s work to Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy) and Luscious Fox (Brock Peters) who were initially hesitant. At some point during the meeting, Mockridge looked outside the window of the conference room and noticed an ominous riddle in neon light. The riddle read, “Why do multimillion dollar deals break down in the wasteland?”
Later that evening inside the Batcave, Bruce dons his Batman alter ego, and ponders on the meaning of the riddle as Robin (Loren Lester) ironically plays “Riddle of the Minotaur” on the bat computer.
“Holy irony Batman, it’s a good thing I’m already familiar with this game. I have a hunch we might be needing it soon.”
“Good thinking old chum, to the batmobile.”
Though they didn’t actually say any of that, I think it’s worth mentioning that their voices actually sounded a bit more cartoonish this time around, almost like they sounded in the classic “Superfriends,” cartoons from the 70’s, hinting at the fact that this episode is nowhere near as dark and brooding as other episodes.
Meanwhile over at Competitron, Mockridge walked into his office and found Nygma sitting in his swivel chair in the dark, donning his Riddler alter ego for the first time. No doubt the end result of trauma, and a need to get even. Mockridge humored Nygma, perhaps feeling a bit cocky that he might be able to get Nygma to create more games for Competitron, but Nygma had other plans.
He redesigned the Chinese finger puzzle in the form of some gold rings that look eerily similar to the symbol on the Olympic flag. He tossed the gold rings at Mockridge who was none the wiser and who tried solving it, only to unwittingly cuff himself with it, just as two of Nygma’s henchmen pounced on him.
Batman and Robin crashed the party just in time, and got into a fight with Nygma’s goons who managed to escape with Mockridge as their hostage. Sometime later that night as Batman and Robin were driving across the Gotham bridge, they noticed that the lights were flashing all across the city.
Batman, quickly realizing it to be morse code, translated the message, and it turned out to be another of Nygma’s riddles that read, “When is the Minataur’s owner as high as an elephant’s maize?” They quickly realized that maize is a wordplay for maze, and took off for the amusement park where they had to navigate a life-sized replica of Nygma’s video game in order to find Mockridge.
Robin used his experience from playing the Minotaur game to help navigate the maze, and after solving several puzzles and riding on a cool mechanical flying hand (unique to the DCAU), they eventually got to Mockridge and answered one final riddle in time to save him from being sliced in two by an animatronic, sword-wielding minotaur. It turned out that Nygma lured them to the maze intentionally to buy himself enough time to flee the city.
Wayne enterprise eventually bought Riddle of the Minotaur from Competitron, and Dick lamented during the aftermath that it’s such a pity they had to sell to a creep like Mockridge. But that was when Bruce interjected that “Mockridge may have his money, but he won’t be sleeping well.”
We then cut to a scene where we see Mockridge carefully bolting his door at night and looking under his bed, trembling with a shotgun before reluctantly climbing into bed and cowering under the covers. Bruce ended the episode by asking the question, “How much is a good night’s sleep worth? Now there’s a riddle for ya.”
Personal Takeaway:
This cautionary tale serves as a reminder of a clause that could be included in your employment contract depending on the nature of your job. A clause stating that your employer owns the patent to anything you invent for the company while employed to that particular company. Most companies have ensured to include this clause within their employment contracts. The same is true with music, animation and especially writing.
When I first got back to writing, and shortly before I created my blog site on WordPress, I tried freelancing for another blog site. Though I am avidly against using AI to write because I think it takes the soul out of writing, I nonetheless used Chat GPT to offer suggestions on what topics to cover. I did so for no other reason than to save my best ideas for my own upcoming blog.
So I gave them mediocre ideas while saving the topics near and dear to my heart for myself, because I knew that if I wasn’t smart about it, I would never own my ideas outright, I’d only get paid for them. Sure enough I paid the price for my betrayal in the short term because they never accepted any of my submissions, but to me it was worth it because I was rewarded for remaining disciplined in the long run.
The point that I am making by sharing that example is that if you have a bright idea that could potentially make you millions in the future, don’t share it with an employer, create it for your own profit and ownership. You’d be well within your rights to do so. It is your intellectual property after all, and make sure you patent it before pitching it to anyone.
Another thing to add is to always rent the rights to your intellectual property versus selling it off. Never sell to any individual or corporation because if you no longer own the rights to your work you are forfeiting your rights to future royalties.
Although The Riddler was the monster of the week in this story, he is really more of a tragic anti-hero who sold out his ideas for a quick buck. Edward Nygma was born but The Riddler was made, and the person who made him is the real villain of the picture.
Nygma wasn’t Mockridge’s only victim, he was just the one who took action, albeit misguided. Think of how many more families were plunged into undue poverty all due to Mockridge’s greed and betrayal. At least we know Nygma’s name. Think of all the other Gothamites whose names we will never know.
In the end, Edward Nygma got the poetic justice he so richly deserves, and I don’t think he stuck around long enough to witness the full extent of the damage that Mockridge was dealt at his hands.
Bruce Wayne’s question at the end pertaining to the value of a good night’s sleep was essential in weighing the pros and cons of guilt versus reward. The final scene that saw Mockridge bolting his door at night was the most brooding part of the episode. It came straight from out of a horror film right down to the music score.
Trivia:
It was mentioned in the episode that Nygma’s first initial along with his surname (E. Nygma), are a wordplay for enigma, meaning a man of mystery and intrigue.
This was a carefully devised strategy that Nygma used to trap Mockridge who otherwise wouldn’t have trusted him. Mockridge made the mistake of thinking he knew Nygma well enough and just assumed he was some harmless schmuck he could easily get over on.
Conclusion:
“If you’re so smart, why aren’t you rich” was generally well received by fans of the show and went down in history as one of the most memorable episodes of the entire series. I give this cautionary tale of greed, guilt and doubt in one’s own potential a five out of five good night’s sleep, and I’ll see you on the next one.
I know that as men we are taught to be stoic. From a very early age we are taught to compromise our safety, comfort, and mental health for the women and children in the village. “Take it like a man, with a stiff upper lip,” they say.
Your nerves are constantly being tested since your first day of kindergarten, always trying to see if they can make you flinch. But did you know that everything in life has a set amount of mileage? Life is all about balancing time versus mileage and the body keeps score.
There are usually two ways that men cope with life’s challenges. The first and most common way is to ward off any threat, real or perceived by being the loudest one in the room, always trying to be “that guy.” This is always unprovoked as that is the energy that they lead with by default whenever they enter any room.
The second way is to be stoic. To act like something doesn’t bother you. To not show emotions. But did you know that when you do that, you are buying them extra time to take more jabs at you? And although you may not feel them now, you will definitely be paying for them on the back end.
Don’t take what I am saying out of context. If someone puts hands on you, then obviously fuck them up. But if all they are doing is spewing words, you can afford to be stoic to some extent.
Though what is the point of being stoic all the time, and just letting someone’s mouth run like a dia-river (river of diarrhea), and you just sit there and take it?
That is very taxing on your mental health and will only allow resentment to fester overtime. Not only that, but it’s also reconditioning your mind to accept learned helplessness overtime. That may work for women but it’s not going to work for men.
Do you see how that is a sunk cost fallacy? When in fact, there is a third way that is not commonly explored. A way that is far more effective than standing there taking it with a stiff upper lip, but what many view as cowardice.
Why not simply walk away? A part of granting yourself the permission to exist is also granting yourself the permission to walk away without having to explain yourself to anyone, or without compromising yourself in any other way.
The loudest one in the room is not the bravest, he is the most insecure and the stupidest. Empty barrels make the most noise. Walking away is standing up for yourself, the ultimate form of stoicism.
But what does walking away actually look like? Here are some examples; declining the invitation, being strategic while you’re out indulging, ending toxic friendships, name changes and cutting off toxic relatives, firing your toxic boss and denouncing all religions.
So now you’re probably thinking, “What do you want us to do, just sit in a corner by ourselves and sulk?” To which I would reply, your isolation arc is your villain arc, and it takes a certain kind of person who is perfectly willing to embrace their villain arc.
You are going to piss off a lot of selfish people when you finally choose yourself over loyalty to friends, family and society. They are going to label you as weird, selfish, anti-social or somehow socially awkward. They are going to laugh at you and make a mockery of all your dreams, goals, and aspirations.
Understand that this is all done intentionally to break your spirit and your will, and only a true villain won’t care either way. If you are not the villain of their story, you will become the villain of yours.
Now you must decide for yourself whether you will practice martyrdom, or true stoicism within its proper context.
Have you noticed racial disparities pertaining to life expectancy among males? Does it seem like black men in the United States, or the west in general, typically do not live long compared to other races of men, or even their female counterparts?
Well it is not just a feeling. Statistics prove that Black men in the United States live an average of 69 years compared to 75 years for White men, and 82 years for Asian men.
Only Native Americans have a lower life expectancy with an average of 63 years. But what are some of the factors that contribute to a disparity of life expectancy among the races?
Speaking specifically to my brothers, how many of you remember seeing your fathers and uncles stressing over bills and rent while growing up? Then to add to that, there are TV tropes that perpetuate that stereotype within the context of popular culture. Most notably James Evans (John Amos) from “Good Times,” always stressing over the light bill and the goddamned rent.
That sort of stress on a continual basis can lead to several ailments such as cancer, morbid obesity and hypertension. In addition to that, men tend to cope with stress by drinking, smoking and eating unhealthy foods (Brooklyn dollar slices I’m looking at you), or whatever else they can afford that further exacerbates these ailments within our bodies.
Another factor at play is the tendency to have multiple children by multiple women that often stems from teenage peer pressure. This also adds to stress that bachelors have the luxury of avoiding, and by time the four and the zero is looking right back at us, we are already experiencing several avoidable complications that are disproportionate in comparison to men of other races.
As a Black man, I spent my early twenties living in Brooklyn where I witnessed many of these unadvisable life choices in full effect. As a Jamaican, I have witnessed more or less the same kind of life choices that influenced much of my early life (womanizing and rum drinking), but with the added detail of having access to some of the rarest and most exotic botanical blessings on the face of the earth.
No one who lives on an island surrounded by palm trees where it’s always summer should be dying from cancer and heart disease, nor should they suffer from depression.
We grow ackee and breadfruit. Our seafood is freshly sourced from some of the most bountiful rivers on earth, and we make quite literally everything from scratch. We blend a nice batch of carrot juice to have with our rice and peas on a Sunday evening.
We truly are the land of wood and water. So then what gives? Are we choosing to ignore our botanical blessings? Or do we take it for granted until the moment we get on the plane and all that good stuff goes away?
How long has Rastafari been preaching that Ital is vital? How long have they been burning out babylon pork, and people used to scorn them and cut off their dreadlocks? Although I am not a Rastafarian, I do respect a lot of what they say, and I take the good from the bad.
Not everyone can be a Rastafarian, but every Black man can embrace softness. We have the kind of capitalism in America that allows us the privilege to create several passive income streams that lead to intergenerational wealth.
The same capitalism that allows your landlord to raise the rent while your boss strategically cuts your hours, also allows you to register the trademark and patent for all your creative endeavors while enjoying the rights to said work for the entire duration of your life plus seventy years, so then do exactly that.
What we need is a soft wife, a soft life, and soft work that feels more rewarding than punishing. Soft life IS the answer to our health and lifestyle disparity. A little wine every once in a blue, nothing excessive. Fresh, healthy meals made from scratch, and with love.
Refreshing, Jazz infused Monday mornings filled with sunshine, coffee and long walks along the coastline. We already have enough opposition from the world, the last thing we need now is internal opposition.
With the recent death of Pope Francis on April 21 at the age of 88, there is some speculation as the world awaits his successor. This is the time for a changing of the guard, and what better time there is than now for me to offer up a few suggestions pertaining to my hope for the future of the catholic church. The suggestions I have in mind are quite controversial, so let me first give a disclaimer.
In no way am I religious, and I personally do not care what the church does, but a lot of people in this modern age still believe in religion, and I respect that. To each his own. On the other hand, the church has a lot of influence on the world stage.
If they have that much influence, they should be setting a good example, but the catholic church has not been able to escape the numerous sex abuse scandals throughout the years, most notably under the watch of Benedict XVI that led to his untimely resignation. I think I have the solution, and as controversial as it may be, I hope you will consider it.
First of all, may I suggest making history once again, this time by selecting a Black pope? If Obama could become America’s first Black president, Megan Markle could be the first woman of mixed heritage who marries into British royalty, and Pope Francis could become the first Hispanic pope, then certainly there can also be a Black pope. It would add a lot more respect to our image in the world, and set another example to the youth as to what they can achieve.
Therefore, I am suggesting for there to be a black pope, and one who allows priests and nuns to marry. I am of the view that many of the sex abuse scandals in the church are directly caused by sexual frustration that arise from priests not being allowed to marry, and that cases of sex abuse within the church would drastically diminish if they were allowed to marry.
What was even the point of priestly celibacy within the catholic church in the first place? How is it that protestant ministers are allowed to marry, but not catholic priests? This is why people think that catholics are a bunch of pedophiles and homosexuals.
Sexual desire is like a powerful volcanic eruption that is not to be trifled with, and trying to pretend otherwise can truly torture your soul. I believe that the subsect of the population who truly possesses the discipline to effectively maintain celibacy are very few and far between.
If you are not one of them, then you are playing with your own head by believing that you are, and if you want to play with your head, the least you can do is grab some lotion and excuse yourself to the restroom, don’t forget the magazines.
Let the masters of celibacy join the priesthood, it is not for everyone. But even so, they can still relax some of their rules. There are some who truly want to dedicate their lives to service, but the number one thing that’s stopping them is the rule of celibacy.
My hope is that the future pope, whomever he may be, will consider this article, and follow in the lead of the late Pope Francis who had already begun relaxing some of the rules by allowing some men in very few locations to join the priesthood after they were already married.
If not, then why not allow them to hire escorts to satisfy their needs? As blasphemous as that may sound, it’s still better than to allow for the very preventable abuse of some poor alter boy.
The only thing I can think of that’s better than that is for religion as a whole to be done away with as the masses begin to awaken to the power of their own potential, and seek truth from within.
