Goodbye...

As we all know by now, Michael Jackson has passed away. Rather than grieve about his death, I would like to take this opportunity to celebrate his life.

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I grew up listening to Michael Jackson. My mom had all of his records from when he was with the Jackson 5. When he went solo, she had all of those records too. No matter how hard things may have been growing up, when you listened to his music, you kind of forgot about it all. His music just made you feel good... feel alive. He was also a wonderful performer who would always put on an amazing show. I still remember trying to moonwalk in my kitchen, because I wanted to be like Mike. I had the afro, the glove, the jacket, the posters... I had it all.

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His impact was not only felt here in America, but all around the world. His music was universal and brought people from all different backgrounds together. He used his celebrity and influence to bring awareness to many social issues across the globe. His work would go a long way in helping to provide food in Africa, as well as raising money for AIDS research. Too many times we get caught up in the 750 million records sold worldwide, but his humanitarian efforts may have had an even greater impact on the world.

Later in his life he was criticized for some abnormal behavior such as numerous plastic surgeries, suspected bleaching of his skin, and multiple child molestation allegations. He was considered weird. He has never been convicted of any crime, but he seemed to take a hit when it came to the court of public opinion. Now I don't condone any of this alleged behavior. All I can say is even though he is the greatest entertainer of our time, he is still a man, and no man is perfect. He has been on stage his whole life. He never had a normal childhood. Who is to say what is normal to him? So as an adult... if he wants to have a roller coaster in his backyard and chimps walking around juggling in tuxedo's... so be it.

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Ultimately, his legacy will live on forever. His influence on the music and the entertainment industry is evident in so many of our artists today. His music is timeless. I am just thankful for the opportunity to have grown up while he was in his prime, and experience his creativity and influence first hand. Thanks Michael.

And for a quick laugh... a picture of me when I was five...
Ok that's all for now... thank you for visiting and stay tuned...

Champions...

The Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant are the 2008-2009 NBA champions. I am a Lakers fan, so this is a great time for me. I know a lot of people who claim to be Lakers fans, but I have been a Lakers fan for a long, long, time.

Growing up about 50 miles north of Philadelphia, I was a big Temple basketball fan. In the early 90's, Eddie Jones(who played for Temple) was my favorite player. When he was drafted by the Lakers, by default they became my favorite team. Not too many people can say they became a Lakers fan after Magic and Kareem... and before Shaq and Kobe, but I can. I remember Eddie, Nick Van Excel, Elden Campbell, Cedric Ceballos, and Vlade Divac. Those were my Lakers.

Then in 1996-1997, we signed Shaquille O'Neal as a free agent, and we traded for Kobe Bryant. Expectations went through the roof. I didn't like Kobe at first. He seemed cocky and selfish, and he was trying to take my man Eddie Jones spot. After a year or two, he earned my respect. I saw how hard he worked, and I saw his appreciation for the game. Even though my favorite player Eddie Jones would end up being traded, the Lakers were still my team.

Fifteen years, a three-peat, break up, rebuilding process, and one title later, I'm still here. Even after Kobe is gone, I will continue to support the Lakers. I just wanted to congratulate the Lakers on winning the title this year, and hopefully I will be making another championship post next time this year.

Ok that's all for now... thank you for visiting and stay tuned...

Crash...

So I get a call yesterday morning saying that one of my friends was in a car accident, and is on life support. On top of that, I was given the task of contacting the mother of his child, since I have a relationship with the family. So I call her and tell her what happened, and she starts crying hysterically. What a way to start the day.

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Apparently Wednesday night Danny and Weezy went out drinking. Danny was driving, and Weezy was in the passenger seat. At around 3am, they were riding down 12Th street between Allen and Liberty... which is your average city block with cars on both sides. Well apparently Danny lost control of the car, and crashed into the back of a flatbed tow truck. The back of the truck ended up smashing though the passenger seat of the car, directly into where Weezy was sitting. Not good.

They were both taken to the hospital in an ambulance. Danny had a few injuries, but nothing major. There were little details on Weezy. All anyone knew was that he was on life support. LIFE SUPPORT! Yeah life support. After waiting around all morning, the doctors finally revealed that Weezy's head was split from his forehead to the back of his head, and that that he had a broken neck. He was put on life support as a precautionary measure because the inside of his head was exposed. He received a cat scan and it was revealed that there was no brain damage. He is now in a coma, and is scheduled to have surgery today. The doctors are optimistic that he will not be permanently paralyzed. They also said he is very lucky to be alive, and that it could have been a lot worse.

This whole incident is just a tragedy. Danny is a good person. He is a college graduate, a father, and a great basketball player. Now he finds himself in a situation where he has to live with himself, knowing he is responsible for the serious injuries of his friend. From my understanding this is not his first DUI, so he is also going to have some legal issues to deal with. As for Weezy, he has a long road to recovery, just to be able to live a normal life again. He is one of the coolest, most generous people I have ever met. About two weeks ago, we had a conversation about fatherhood, and about his four month old daughter. He was holding her, telling me how he loves her, and how he embraces the challenge of being a father. He said her coming into this world has changed his perspective on life. I just hope he gets better, and hope he has the opportunity to be a normal dad again.

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Drunk driving is all bad. Buzzed driving is all bad. As you can see, this irresponsible act has changed the lives of so many in an instant. Not only do you put yourself in danger, but you also put your passengers and the other people on the road in harms way. You also have the families and friends of the victims that have to deal with the pain. If you are going somewhere and you know you are going to drink, you should be prepared and make arrangements for a ride, bring a designated driver, call a cab, get a hotel room, ANYTHING. Anything is much better than the alternative, which is the possibility of hurting yourself or others. I don't even like driving after midnight, because I'm scared I will cross the path of a drunk driver. I never even drink unless I am anywhere but in my home. An incident like this just reinforces why I feel this way. It also makes me appreciate life, understanding that it can all be taken in an instant. Maybe someone will read this and it will help them make a wise decision if they are ever put in a similar situation. Hopefully everyone involved in this incident will make a full physical and emotional recovery. One thing I know, is that it going to take some time.

Stay up Weezy.

Ok that's all for now... thank you for visiting and stay tuned...