Tibit Thursday...

Keeping it short today because I have plans to see X-Men Origins: Wolverine tonight at midnight. I have been waiting for this movie for awhile and I think this movie kicks off, what looks to be a great summer movie season. I will plan on having my movie review on tomorrow's blog, just like I did for the Watchmen.

I wanted to make some comments on the changes that you maybe seeing on this blog. I have updated some widgets. I wont lie here. I have gone to several blog sights and saw what I liked and just copied. I am thinking a lot about ways to use more space for me to fit the things that I want. Not that I want to make this a busy page, but more a of space that expresses me and my interests more.

Which is the main reason why I added the Twitter updates.I am really getting used to using this sight and have even linked Twitter with Facebook. This way I only update one status message.

Anyway...here something is something that had me laughing all day:

Obama's 100 days...the signs are there.

The signs are there my friends. Just like in every action movie or show that has a black president, some bad shit is going to happen. I had predicted this years ago!

The economy is a wreck. The ghetto is expanding because all the rich people are losing their jobs and moving into "affordable housing". No one has credit to buy a house or get a loan. Young students cant get into school and the old people are going back to school.

The Koreans want to blow us all to hell. Their oppression by the West has been so severe that they are close to doing something we may all regret. Lets not forget Iran is dying to develop a Nuclear program as well. This is the new arms race for the 21st century.

Swine flew is every where. This thing will turn into a pandemic that we have not seen before. Although we have modern medicine, there are going to be a lot of sick people. Those who do not have insurance are in deep shit. What a way to get rid of the poor!

So what does that mean? I cannot recall a president that had to deal with this much in his first hundred days. It is almost like the next big thing will be a Meteor coming to to earth just like in did in Deep Impact. Morgan Freeman was president and we all knew that once a black man was president we were in trouble...lol

All kidding aside, this man is doing a great job. I am the most amazed by his dealings with Cuba and Venezuela. It is a bumpy ride and we all knew it would be. But I am happy with the leadership of this country.

Latinos in Syracuse

The city of Syracuse is known for a few things, but none of them involve the Latino Community. Since I have been a resident of this city, I have seen many issues that revolve around health care, education, migration, and employment (to name a few). What saddens me more than anything is the feeling of general apathy.

Don't get me wrong, there are several places that provide services for the Latino community, like La Liga (The Spanish Action League) and Westside Learning Center. The problem is, that is it is not enough. The school system sucks. The drop out rate is just not worth mentioning. But there is no buy in from the school district to really step up their game and do so developmental work. That is just one issue.

There is a lack of community development. The one thing that is very apparent is how Syracuse is split into 4 quadrants, all denoted by directional markers. So, the majority of the Latinos are located on the Westside. Most of the development is happening on the North and Eastsides of Syracuse. The University is kind of centrally located within the city and they have a tremendous amount of development. So the Southside, you can guess, is where most of the African Americans are.

The problem is that if you wanted to find a job, going to the South or Westside is not a place to look. There is no Home Depot or Price Chopper (Pathmark of Syracuse for all the NYC peeps) to apply for jobs. In order to do that you have to catch a bus. The Centro Bus system is probably the worst transit system I have ever seen. So catching a bus is no going to happen since the ride is long and the buses are not reliable.

Healthcare is an issue because people do have insurance because there are no jobs. The ones that do have jobs might working off the books or their job does not offer health benefits. Not to mention that language is an issue. There are very few interpreters for people that may come into the hospitals.

Language becomes a huge issue. It is hard to get immigrants to get services they need when no one has the resources to get them help. Now, the Westside Learning Center does have ESL classes but, there are only so many resources to go around. If you cannot speak the language then employment, education, and health care become inaccessible. We need a system that will connect the dots.

The last issue is that out of all this, there is a small percentage of Latinos that actually do make it through this terrible system (can anyone say institutional and systemic racism?). The problem is that they do not stay in the community. They leave, never to return and can you blame them? This issues here in Syracuse are dire.

Fortunately, I was at a meeting today that was called by the Governor's office, in which all of this was discussed. I have a chance to be a part of real change. I just hope it works.

P.S. That is a pic above is of me from a town hall meeting about a year ago. I was surprised to find it. Click on the pic to read article.

Swine Flu: If they only listened to the Black Mexicans...

Swine Flu. That is what everyone is talking about. The next big pandemic that is threatening us all. Before you can understand what I am about to say. Please read this article from Yahoo!

Let me talk a little about geography. When I look at a map of Mexico. I notice that there are a few places where Black Mexicans reside. Lets list them...Guerrero, Michoacán, Campeche, Quintana Roo, Yucatán, Oaxaca and Veracruz.

Interesting. Lets consider how Mexico feels about their black people. According to research I have done in my Master's course, Mexico does not view their black population as Mexican citizens. So is there no wonder that the protest of the people of Veracruz has gone largely unheard. The people there are protesting that the pig waste is making them sick.

Now, if the Mexican government remotely cared about the poor and black, perhaps this outbreak would have never happened, or at least not to the extent in which we are seeing today. Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova claims that it was only a 4 year old boy from Veracruz that contracted the disease and the rest of people simply had the flu. Of course, all but one of the samples were destroyed.

So we have to take Cordova's word that the outbreak is not that bad. Yet there were people who have been sick since February. That does not seem right to me. I think something is being covered up. Sure, the reports say that Granjas Carroll de Mexico has no signs of Swine Flu within the herd or the employees but that does not explain why the people are protesting.

The fact of the matter is that the Mexican government is just grossly responsible for what is happening here. When you treat a certain number of the population as non citizens and you ignore their pleas for help, then you reap what you sow...

Hispanics!

I think about this word and it makes me think about the segregation of dark and light Latinos. It makes me think about how I thought, for the longest time, that the word "Hispanic" described me. I am sure that most Latinos can, in some ways, trace back their roots to Spain. I would think that any one of us can do that very much the same way that many African Americans have traced their DNA to tribes in in Africa.

As I explained about Latino Sexuality, the Spanish settlers wanted to breed our people out. Perhaps even erase them from the history books. Thus, descendants of the Spanish and Indigenous or Africans accounts for many of current population that resides in Latin American and the Caribbean.

Last time I looked there was a lot of dark people in these places. But you would never know based on the Media. Hispanics are what you do generally see on Univision or Telemundo. These would be the Marc Anthonys and the Ricky Martins. The fair skinned Latinos with the blond Latinas on their arm. This is what Hispanic represents to me: The lack of any perception of African or Native roots on the people.

Latino represents what I have come to know of our people. A conglomeration of skin tones and dialects. To me, this incorporates the Chicanos from Chicago, the Cubans from Miami, the Dominicans from Washington Heights, and the Puerto Ricans from New York City (plus many more, of course).

There seems to be a fundamental failure with many "Hispanics" to really see past their own culture. One of the questions I opened this blog with many months ago was, Have you seen a Black Mexican? That is a question many people have told me no to. Would they fall under the realm of Hispanics? No, probably not because they are barely considered Mexican.

I know that not all Hispanics will ever consider themselves to be anything else. After all, Latino is still a relatively new term in the grand scheme of things. If you are wondering who comes up with all this stuff or who dictates what a group of people are called, that would be the US Census.

As long as they have been counting people, they are ones come up with the names. It was not to long ago that they still had Mulatto as a category for which people can pick. Quite frankly, this department does not want to have to count every last Ecuadorian or Panamanian. They would rather just group us all into one large group and be down with it. Which is why they fell Hispanic works. So you can pick your race as Black or White and have an ethnicity of Hispanic.

In the coming years it will not matter. Latinos are multiplying that rabbits (we can't help it we are oversexed). Perhaps when we are 50% of the population we will be able to finally pick a term that defines who we are as a whole.

Latino Sexuality

I am so mad. I was looking for a picture to highlight yesterday's post. I type "Latinos" in my Yahoo! search and click on images. I find 3 pics in the first page of two guys fucking! What is up with that? How does looking for images of Latinos translate to men having anal sex?

What I do not understand is the stereotyping when it comes to Latinos and sex. There is this lingering thought that most Latinos are homosexual in one way or another. Not to mention that if they are indeed gay, the guys are the most flamboyant. I get most of this imagery from what I see on television or the movies. So, I am not sure where this is all coming from.

Of course all these stereotypes get played out in pornography. While I am not familiar with male on male porn, the imagery I saw was enough for me to guess that there is Latino playing in many of these movies, or someone to pretending to be one. In terms of women, they are portrayed as insatiable women that love girl on girl action as well as anal sex. I am no where trying to give a lesson on Porn, but I think that it says a lot that a particular group of people are viewed in such slanted way when it come to sex.

Which brings me to my next point, all people of color come across as oversexed in mainstream media. Whether it is the imagine of black men with huge penises or Asian women who pay this submissive (and they like it) role, there is this overall theme that we all loved to be fucked. Not say that is not true, but think about this in a Colonial sense.

There were two ways that the Spanish Conquistadors or English Settlers (depending on the region) can get rid of us "heathens" was to kill us or breed us out. While killing us worked on so many different levels, the sexual domination that was trying to be enforced was much more fun for them. One has to remember that back in those times sex was considered to be the devils work if you not married. So the fantasy of our women "liking it" blossomed into this oversexed ideology.

So where does this leave us? Coincidentally when I did the same search in Google, I did not get those images. So, I am not even sure what that means either...

Allow Me To Re-Introduce Myself...

I feel that I need a reintroduction into what it is I am trying to accomplish here. My is Anthony. I am grew up in the Bronx. I live in Syracuse. I am Latino. I am Black. That does not mean I am am African American and Hispanic. That means I am a Latino Negro or Afro Latino. When I get counted during the Census, my race will be black and my ethnicity will be Hispanic.

Yes Hispanic or I should say His Panic? You see I am an educated person of color. I am an educated Latino male that speaks his mind and points out the injustices in the world. I know the power of the pen. I know the power of a subtle smile to those who hate me. I know to tolerate those who wish to see me back on the other side of the boarder.

I write every day for me. I write everyday because before this year, I was used to being silent. I was used to not speaking when it mattered most. I am willing to call out racism with America and Latin America.

I want to reintroduce myself to those who may read this blog for the first time. Those who may have clicked on this site based on Twitter comments. So please, welcome! Sit back relax read some posts and buckle in. It will be a bumpy ride...

C-Cleaner

I am not a techie, but there are times where I feel I need to know certain things. Particularly when it comes to my computer. This is my second laptop. So far it has been really good to me and one thing that I learned from my previous one is that if you take good care or it then it will take good care of you. Keep that in mind.

All week I have been dealing with a computer issue at work. Something that was not my fault, but more of a communication issue that involved a program being installed on my desktop that I need in order to continue day to day business. So this issue took more than a week to resolve and during these type of processes one always seems to get to know the IT people pretty well. During this time I got to know something about our IT person and what she uses on her own laptop. My question was simply, "What do you personally use to clean the junk files from your computer?"

She told me about this program called "C Cleaner". I was informed that this was freeware that our division uses to clean up the old Internet files and the sort. She even used it on my desktop computer in order to make my system go faster. Of course I was excited about this.

My old laptop was slow after awhile. I know that I could have taken care of it much better than I had. With the one I have now, I am doing my best to keep things running well. I had even bought an external drive so that I do not have to keep everything on this laptop. The only thing I neglected to do was clean this laptop of all the junk. I have increasingly been interested in FinallyFast.com. The commercials are so damn annoying, but it gets the point across. However, I am skeptical when it come to this kind of stuff which is why I ask the IT person what she uses.

So today, I decided to download C Cleaner. I got it from FileHippo and I was just ready to see what this was going to do. So I install it and run the program. I figure that this thing will take forever and I will sit here for 30 minutes or so. That was far from the case. It took maybe 5 minutes to delete 18,650 MB! I was stunned.

So, my suggestion is that if you have not cleaned out the junk. Do it. It will make your computer go faster and improve performance...

The Chosen One

It is no secret that I do not care for the NBA. Well, not anymore. The game is not as I remember it. I consider myself a Knick Fan. Back in the Ewing days, there was nothing better than to cheer for the Knicks. Even if they did get beat by the Chicago Bulls every year, New Yorkers believed that we were going to eventually get over the hump and win the NBA title. Clearly that has yet to happen.

But somewhere between Micheal Jordan retiring and Patrick Ewing being let go, the NBA had changed for me. It seemed the rivalries had left. There were no more surprises to me anymore. The refs seem to be controlling the game...and after the last ref admitted he fixed games, it just wasn't real to me anymore.

Sure the NBA has players like Kobe and Shaq, and that time they were both on the same team. Things just seemed like championships were inevitable. For that I could watch the WWE and have a lot more fun.

However, there is one man that I would pay to see. One man that I would actually watch play this game. That man is Lebron James. He has a kinetic energy about him that electrifies the sport. Lebron has the winning instinct and the attitude, along with the skill to keep you on the edge of your seats.

See, I am not a Kobe fan, never was. I think he is arrogant and a pompous brat. He ran away teammates and coaches. When he didn't like what the Lakers were doing, he would pout and say "trade me". What really gets me is that he is compared to Michael Jordan. That comparison should not even be made.

Of course back in the day i hated the Chicago Bulls. They beat the Knicks all the time. But, I could never fins myself hating Jordan. I just couldn't. He was too good and at the time we all knew he was the greatest player to step foot on the court.

Which is why I like Lebron. To my knowledge he is not compared to MJ. Simply because he is Lebron James. There is no one like him. The Cleveland Cavaliers have shaped this team just to fit Lebron. He is very unselfish and can just take over the game.

Now, I am not rooting for the Lakers. Quite frankly, I hope they lose on the way to the NBA Finals. However, I think I would love to see the Cavs and the Lakers in the finals to watch these 2 guys play each other.

I think you know who I will be rooting for...

Struggling to Focus

I should have a problem focusing about what to write about. But, of course I am. Why you may ask? Several different reasons...

I brought work home tonight. My boss decides to tell me in the late afternoon that she needs a report by tomorrow. This report usually takes me several days to complete. So I am trying my hardest to make sure I get this done tonight. Which is the problem with being so damn good at what you do...no one else can do it.

I just watched the Mets fall apart. Good Lord. It takes me more than just a few minutes to cool down when they lose so badly. Let me just go on the record and say that I would rather they get blown out in games. This way I can just not be too into the game. Losing close games makes me want to... I am good. I am over it.

My poor dog. His eyes are not doing well. I think the other cataract popped. He looks bad in my opinion, but god bless that dog, he just rolls with it. What I do not get is that despite his eye issues, he is eating now! Which is something he was not doing before. We continue to give him his drops and he does not seem in pain. He is running around (although bumping into shit).

Then there is the fact that I have a cough that will not go away. I have been living on DayQuil for the last few days. I would take NyQuil...but last time I did that, I had issues waking up and staying up. So, i am trying to feel better.

Anyway...I did mention in my last post that I wrote other poems. I did post one on Myspace and I did archive it on this blog. Just in case any of you wanted to read it...

Wrong

Today I was reading Serena's Blog, Divine Wryte Creations, today and I did not know that it is National Poetry Month. So I have dug into the vault and pulled out a poem. Let me just say that I have written a total of 5 poems in my life (currently, working on 6). I only write them when the mood hits me. Clearly they do not hit that often. I wrote this poem 2 years ago...

Wrong
That is always how I get things
Wrong
I always win arguments
Wrong
Ok fine, I win some of them
Wrong
Well, at least I do my job right
Wrong
Damn, I do somethings right…
Wrong
Well damn this is how it is
When all I want to do is just live
My life the right way, there is always
Someone there to tell a man that he is
WRONG
DEAD WRONG
My mother thinks I am
Wrong
Shit, my wife thinks I am
Wrong
My Boss thinks I am
Wrong
So how do I make it right?
Do I need to just shut the fuck up?
Do I pretend my opinions don’t matter?
Because we all know if I tell
Them that I feel my voice means nothing
They will all get together and tell me
That I am
Wrong
So tell me what is a man to do?
I have friends who have given up
Their nuts to the women they are with
Their balls lay in a pouch that sits on
The bedroom mantle that has a sign that
Says “FOR RENT”
So when they need then on a rainy day
Or perhaps when an intruder comes into
The house, the balls can be inserted back
In and maybe for the split second he can become
Wrong (again)
You see it is not very hard to look back
And see how wrong I have been
I was born wrong
I was born with the wrong skin
I was born with the wrong sin
I grew up with the wrong hair
Lived in the wrong city, the wrong neighborhood
Spoke the wrong language
Ate the wrong foods
Rooted for the wrong team
Chose the wrong parent
Chose the wrong president
So why do I fight?
Maybe, for that one chance to be right?
WRONG.
I fight because no one else will fight for me
Because no woman will understand
How hard it is for a man
Of color to live in world dominated
By people telling him he is
Wrong
All the time because he cannot be right
All the time because he cannot be white
All the time because he cannot fight
The fact he will always be viewed
As insecure, when in reality he never
Had the choice to be secure when he is always
WRONG.

I Have to be Better

Well, I think that is just simply put. I have to be better. I think that since I have started this blog I have met some pretty incredible people. I just need to be better in reading other people's blogs. I feel like I have kind of disappeared in the aspect.

I am not going to make any excuses and say that my job is working me. Sure, I work a lot, but I find time to write, so I need to find time to read. When you blog, you being to realize that creating a blog is more that just the thoughts you put on the screen. It is more of a collective experience in which people share their lives.

We all choose to write so that everyone can read. Comments are always welcome and are at times very needed to continue the share experience. For me, I haven't really been doing my part in this and I need to do better.

Light at The End of The Tunnel

The school year is almost over. This is always interesting time because I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but to get to that light I have to go through a shit load of work. This weekend is called Greek Unity Fest (even though there is unification of anything). Which is includes a concert, step show, and dance party. Which is all good for the students. For me, this is the last student event I have to deal with until August.

But then there is graduation. Which is just a series of long days before the summer starts. Commencement is always a bittersweet time. I get to say good boy to students that I have know for 4 years. Some which I have grown close to. While I am happy they are graduating, there is the feeling of loss at some point because I am not sure when I will see the again. I do consider one person in particular to be a little brother I never had.

Once class ends and the summer begins there is always this feeling like...ok what do I do now? While I do have plans in some parts of the summer. I have no idea what I am doing for my birthday. I have had some ideas, which will require me taking some vacation time. But, right now it is all thoughts. Nothing concrete.

I am turning 35 this year and I feel like I can do more with my life. Work takes up a lot of my time and I find that I do not have as much time for myself as I should. I am trying my best to save money for things I want to do. The thought of getting a second job has entered my mind frequently. The problem for me is that I value my time way to much to be working 2 jobs.

Regardless...I am focused to get past these last few weeks so I can start enjoying my summer....

T-Pain

All week I have been kind of dreading this show. I wasn't sure what to expect because I know that T-Pain is famous for the choruses he sings. Being on the production side, I saw all the things that he and his crew were asking for. So, it made me think that I was dealing with a bunch of primadonnas.

Well, I want to apologize. His show was far better than I expected it to be. T-Pain is a straight performer. He rolled out on staged in a green pimped out golf cart with Hydraulics. It was nuts! He had dancers and had stage lighting that rivaled Kanye's show.

I will say that his people turned out to be very classy. As I write this they are still breaking down the stage. They are on tour and will be heading to DC shortly. A very professional bunch of people that know how to run show from the sounds and lights to VIP access. I did enjoy myself and reminds me of why I got into this business.

A Few Points...

I have a long weekend ahead of me, which makes me wonder if I will even get to blog tomorrow. I am working the T-Pain concert tomorrow night. While I am more fortunate than my other co-workers, who have to report in at like 8am because we have an Admissions event in the morning (and not to mention T-Pain's bus at 9 am), I will show up at noon to take care of my normal duties then transition to the entrance manager for the show.

One would think that I am excited for this concert but I am not. I know that T-Pain has many songs (most of which are with other people) and even though I am interested in seeing how he is going to pull a solo concert. I will leave my opinion to after the show.

********

I keep hearing that Dolphy day was supposed to be today. I am so very sad that it not turn out to be the case. Wednesday night I thought I was in Baghdad with all the explosions of Fireworks that were happening on this block. I saw a cop car and thought maybe these kids would stop, but, not at all. A routine traffic stop....at 3am. The cop ignored what was going on around him.

Since I had heard that today was supposed to be Dolpy Day, I made sure that I prepared myself. I put the dog and his bed in the basement. Took some NyQuil, because I am sick, and past the hell out. I did hear Fireworks when I was in the shower, but I did not hear a thing last night. So I know I knocked out hard.

The bad part about all this was that I knocked our so hard that I felt it took me all day just to wake the fuck up. Not even the coffee I had this morning.

********

The Vet called today. Rocky's blood work is normal. I knew it would be. I know my dog. The quack wants to see him sometime next week. She still wants that urine sample because dogs that have diabetes can get urinary track infections. Of course is not like they give you a cup. This woman is like "use a jar". WTF? So I have to follow my dog around in hopes he lifts his legs then I got to bottle that shit

I haven't called the other Vet yet. I may wait to see what this Quack has to say about my dog. I am damn sure going to ask her about pain meds for him.

Movie Rips...

I love Movies. I think that movies are one of the best forms of entertainment that we have. What I like better are movies that last forever. I usually buy the films on DVD that I would love to see more than once.

The one thing that I have trouble with is the changing formats. I remember having a lot VHS tapes when I was in High School and in College. I didn't like this format too much because the tapes can get warped and the picture quality is not that great. So when DVDs came out I had to re buy many of the movies I already had.

Now I have a pretty nice collection of DVDs. These are movies that I love to watch. I make sure that the windscreen version and at times, the director's cut. Lately, I have not even cared about the extra stuff, because I don't watch it. I just want the movie.

The issue now is HDTV and Blue Ray. Which means to me that DVDs are becoming the things of the past. I know that Blue Ray plays DVDs and that is cool but I am not trying to recreate my collection. I know people who stopped buying DVDs all together...and they do not have a Blue Ray! But, of course when they get one...then it is on.

Recently I have invested in a DVD ripping software that allows me to view movies on my iPhone. See...this I love. I can watch whatever I want anytime and anywhere. The reason why I bought the software is because I am not trying to buy movies off of iTunes. I already have a deep collection, so ripping movies I already own seems to be the way to go for me.

I have been holding out on getting an HDTV and Blue Ray. I am sure it is only a matter of time.

My Dog is Sick

So, Rocky is sick. As mentioned in a post weeks ago, he has diabetes. He does struggle with it. He also has cataracts, which is an condition that is onset from the diabetes. Rocky has an inflamed eye. It is infected and due to the cataracts, he has a whole in his eye. If this sounds painful, well it is. He is in pain and we have been working with this asshole of a vet to get him antibiotics.

The Vet that we took him too was just a royal bitch. She did just about everything to make it seem that we do not know how to treat our dog. She ran some tests. Then gets on Josie for not bringing him in every month. Apparently, when a dog has diabetes, you are supposed to have him come in for a check up every month....a fact that was never shared with us. Not to mention that each visit is like damn near a hundred bucks.

Of course she questions how we get the Insulin. Well, Josie tells this brainiac that Novlin N is a over the counter insulin that any Pharmacy has. Then she is like,"Well you need a prescription for the syringes." Again she had to be corrected. You can by needles in bulk, dumb ass. Then she tried to find out if he has any accidents. Which, he does, but not often. This bitch wants us to get a urine sample. Are you kidding? What does that have to do with his eyes? He pisses a river with no pain...there is no infection there.

So she tells us that Rocky is in pain, which just breaks my heart. Do you think she gives up anything to ease his pain? Not at all. So after $280, we are stuck with a small bottle of drops for his eyes. She recommends we go talk him to Cornell for treatment.

Whatever Doc! There is an Animal Hospital on the other side of LeMoyne (where they kept me up again last night....I swear I hate them little fuckers). There is a Vet there that comes highly recommended. I am taking Rocky there next week.

Wii Ware: Dr. Mario!

Damn, I almost forgot to post a blog today. Mets home opener and then some drama with students kept me from writing. The other thing that I am so into and have been for awhile is the Nintendo Wii.

One of the things that I love about this game is that you can download games on to this console. Like old games or games that are downloaded as a part of "wii ware". The games that I am addicted to are the online multi player games. Now, I am not trying to do the shoot up games because I am not that good at them. I am talking about games like, Mariokart Wii, Dr. Mario, and Tetris. These games I can get down with.

I don't play all of them in the same time period, however, Dr. Mario tends to be the most addicting out of all of them. The game played by itself is just ok. When you play against people across the world, then it turns into a whole new game featuring cursing (by me) and hollering (by me).

Well tonight I was so engrossed, I almost for got to blog today...so I am done. Now back to my game...

Happy Easter...Are you ready to be Judged?

It was a good day today. I had a dinner with students that I mentor. I am the advisor for Lambda Sigma Upsilon and Josie is the advisor for Mu Sigma Upsilon. We figured we would have both groups come over to the house for Easter dinner since most of them did not go home. I certainly ate way too much and I am so tired.

Before I knock out I wanted to share something that has been on my mind all weekend. It stems from a comment made on another blog about Easter. Most of you should know that I am a fan of Brookey's Cafe Blog. This past Friday she made a brief post saying... "for those who observe, Happy Blessed Good Friday!" Not a big deal to me, but someone made a comment that I had an issue with. Here is what she said and my response:

Juditesista said...
It is my duty as an Israelite who worships Christ with understanding to tell you and anyone who may read this, the truth about Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ,celebrates the passover and not Easter (Exodus 12). The holy day also known as the sabbath is the 7th day of the week. The 7th day is Saturday, not Sunday. Check out the calendar and you will see that Sunday is the first day of the week. Sunday is an ordinary day. Read Genesis 2:1-3, Leviticus 23:1-3, Matthew 12:5-8, Ecclesiasticus 33:7-9 in the apocrypha. The apocrypha is a Greek word which means hidden books. These books were taken out of the bible by Satan. You can still find some bibles with the apocrypha in it. I pray for all my brothers and sisters that you may see the truth. Praise Christ for the opportunity to teach the truth.

Your sista in Christ
April 10, 2009 12:22 PM

Latinegro said...
Brook have a great weekend! I hope you enjoy your time off. Get some rest too! Ok...now for my 2 cents. Easter is not about what Jesus celebrated. It is about his Resurrection. I didn't know Satan had access to the bible, however there are so many versions I would almost agree with you.I don't really care what day the sabbath is because evil does not take a day off, so why should i?
April 10, 2009 1:10 PM

There was no response to this. I really did think about this all weekend. I am not a fan of people pushing beliefs on others. I am so not a fan of people who don't know their shit. I may not be the most religious person in the world, but I consider myself spiritual. I am a believer that the covenant with the Lord is more personal than anything else. If you read the Old Testament, particularly Genesis and Exodus, you know that God talks about the way to worship him (or her) is to create an alter and pray. To me this means that your relationship with the Lord is on a personal level. So I do not buy into many of the teaching of the Catholic Church. We must remember that Jesus was a rebel himself.

My truth is that God Loves us all. We all will get judged in the end. You can dance all day and talk about how you are saved, but at the end of the day only God will judge you for who you really are. Do not think that you can spend 6 days out the week being a generally bad person and then go to Church on Sunday for forgiveness. If you think that God is that shallow then you have another thing coming...like Hell.

With that...I hope everyone had a Happy Easter...I know I did.

Happy Birthday!

Sixty Nine years ago today a boy was born in New York City. His mother from Puerto Rico and his father from Ecuador. He grow up in the Bronx with 2 sisters. He had a a hard childhood which he had to endure a strict mother and an abusive alcoholic father. His survived the streets of the Bronx. His name was Arthur.

Because options were limited he had to join the Navy. Lucky enough it was not during a time of war. He served many years. After active duty he returned to New York with a trade. Got a job with Con Edison and the married for the second time. In 1974 he bore a son.

That man is my father. The one who taught me most of what I know now. During and after a very difficult divorce, we was able to guide me through High School and College. Always telling me that I owe him nothing because, after all he was doing his job as a father.

I felt the closest to him when I had a terrible break up with an ex girlfriend. I was the first time I really felt that him and I had a shared experience. He knew what I was going through. He empathized with me. It was the first time that I actually cried because he comforted me.

Since then, I stopped being the kid who rebelled against his parents. I wanted to be the kid that parents talk to their friends about. I think for the most part I was. I believe I was there for him when he was diagnosed with Cancer, due to the work he did for Con Edison.

He has survived that and continues to survive the brutal weather of Sunny Deltona, Florida. Happy Birthday Papi. I love you.

Generation Me

I will make this quick. I am surprised I can even get this one out. I am sitting here talking with friends and the discussion came about the type of students that we have. What I found interesting is the consensus is that most of the student today feel they are privileged. Which means that these students believe that since they are in school they should not work all that hard to earn the services that Universities provide.

I have encountered students who feel they should get an award, or an internship because of who they are and the not the hard work that is needed to gain it. I find myself wondering how the mentality changed from one generation to other.

Could it be that technology is to blame? I say that because I think about how the world was when I graduated from SU and how it is now. Social Networking, Cell Phones, Emails, and iPods. These things were non existent less than 15 years ago. My nephew surfs the web and has an iPod...and he is 10. My niece is the same age and called me from her cell phone...

No wonder that children feel that they deserve it all. They are getting that way from the start. It just an interesting observation to me.

Bio

Yesterday I had the privilege of being interviewed by a Syracuse University student who was doing volunteer work for credit. He was helping CNY Latino gather a database of like who is up and coming in the Syracuse Area. This would be a way for Latinos here in Central New York to network and pool resources if we had to on projects and various community outreach. I think this is a great project and I am sure it will work out well.

The interview was cool and I enjoyed it. I tend to learn about myself when people ask personal and thought provoking questions. After the interview was done, Josh reminds me that I need to send in a picture and a bio. Damn. I forgot about that.

The picture I am ok with. I have tons of those. I can use the one I took at work. But, the bio I am not so sure about. I think I tried this before and it did not work for me. I am pretty sure that someone had to write it for me.

I find this to be crazy because I love to write. I can write about anything that comes to mind, however, if I try to write about a bio about myself and I only get as far as one line: Anthony Otero was born in the Bronx, New York.

That is it! That is all I got! Where do I go from there? Shit, I went to high school, started no trouble. Didn't do anything of importance until college. Lost my virginity at 19. Graduated in 1996. Stayed in Syracuse because of a woman (rolls eyes) and worked for SU. Returned home in 1998 because my dad had cancer. Got my first Apt in the Bronx in 1999 where I met my wife shortly after. Survived 9/11 then returned to SU in 2001.

Worked tirelessly for the students and student affairs. Advise 2 student organizations that is not apart of my job description. Plan and schedule numerous events where I have met tons of people. I must say I love my students. I am also the chairperson for and community based organization called ANCLA (which is a whole separate can of worms) where I have planned a conference and 2 dinners.

Somehow I find time to take classes and sleep. Did I mention I have a blind dog? Played on some city rec basketball team (can of worms too) and is the captain of the student affairs softball team. See, I wrote a bio....but I am not sure this is good enough to go a publication. So back the drawing board I go...

Take Me Out to the Ball Game...

Well, I will keep this somewhat brief because it is late. It is the April 8th and it is game 2 into the Major League Baseball season and I am hooked. I watched tonight's Met's Game. I was very into it. I cheered. I clapped. I screamed! Ugh! Those damn Mets. They Won!

I am so excited. I always miss Baseball season during the winter. I am not into Football as much as others. The NBA is just not what it used to be. College Basketball does hold me down a little bit. I just love Baseball.

It was the only sport that I could play as a kid. No one could tell me I was too small to play it. The only sport that I could play out in the street that involved just about every kid in the neighborhood. For me, it was about bring different kids together just to play one game, which by the way we never really finished a game.

Watching baseball was one of the few thing that connected me with mi abuelito (grandfather). He lived in Brooklyn way before I was a thought and was a huge Dodger Fan. Once they moved to Los Angeles, he did not have a team. The New York Mets were born in 1962 and he was hooked. I got my passion for baseball from him and watching him yell at the radio as he listen to them play.

So when people ask me why I am a Met fan who lives in the Bronx, well now you know. I used to go to games in Queens. I lived in the part of the Bronx that was by the water (Clason Point). I can see the lights of Shea Stadium. I think about Citifield now and I wish that mi abuelito (God rest his soul) could see how much it looks like Ebbets Field.

So, baseball season is finally here. So let the shit talking commence. The summer rivalries will continue. But, win or lose, this will be a GREAT SUMMER!

My Addiction...

I think I am addicted to Social Networking. It has become quite clear to me as I signed up to LinkedIn. I am not sure what it is about these sites. Each one provides something different. Some are really way though, but others are pretty good to the point that they are very addictive. So I will just give a list of all the sites I am on. (Editor's Note...Don't Judge Me!)

Facebook - By far the most addictive. I have connected with so many old friends and so many students. I do love this site. However, it has been growing old on me. They keep changing the layout. But, every time I think I am getting tired of it I get a message from an old friend.

Twitter - This moved up quickly to me because so many people use it. I do not follow any of the celebrities, but I do love the quick updates that people give. Right now this is the most addictive to me.

Blogger - A no brainer here. I blog everyday...and I do mean everyday. It is my own personal soapbox that I control and I have met some cool people who always comment! (You know who you are)

Tagged - I joined this one a few weeks ago. This a what a site would look like if Facebook and Myspace got together and had a kid. Not a bad site. I am not so addicted to it though.

Myspace - This used to be my joint! I was on this site all the time. I just lost all its sexiness to Facebook. I have been on that site in weeks.

Adultspace - This is basically Myspace...but naked.

LinkedIn - I am actually liking this site. This is a site I can find people I know and look for a job! Hey, I am not gonna be at SU forever.

Migente - This is blackplanet (which I am not on), but Latino. I was into this site along time ago. I visit every once in a while. But, it just doesn't do it for me.

Yahoo 360 - This is ok. I joined because I have a yahoo account, but it is quite wack in my opinion.

I have kept an account on these sites because you never know who you might run into. I do not normally erase a profile. I do have some on sites I rather not say due to personal reasons! I think social networking can be fun, until they get boring.

I know there are other sites because I still get invites. Maybe I will check them out. But, one thing is for sure, I do not pay to Social Network.

Is there an App for that?

In response to my blog about how much I need music, one of my good friends told me about an iPhone app that can record and identify music. For those who my have an iPhone or iTouch it is called Shazam! (which is a name I already like because of the superhero, Captain Marvel). While, I have not tested it out yet, it makes me wonder if the iPhone really does have an app for everything? Coincidentally, I spent most of my Saturday night downloading free apps to my iPhone and a lot of these really work well.

I have needs. We all do. I can look up apps on iTunes and see what is out there. I am mostly interested in free ones. But let me ask....Is there an app for....

• Porn! I mean you could be home alone one night and your computer's either too slow or maybe you don't have one! Is there an app where Porn can be watched the way it should be? and can you fast forward?
  
  
• Rolling a blunt! Anyone of us could have a bad day at work and you just need to relieve the stress...or perhaps have cataracts (...and own an iPhone?). In either case, rolling a fatty might be an issue. Not enough weed...the paper is not rolling right, whatever the issue. Is there an app for first time blunt rollers?
  
  
• Strip Clubs Finder! In a new town? Visiting parents or friends? At a conference? You are just bored out of your fucking mind and you need some sort of adult entertainment and have no clue where the nearest (or hottest) strip club is. Is there an app to help you find one?
  
  
• Blog Topics! Stuck on a topic? Don't know what to write so you resort to Facebook lists and other silly questionnaires? Perhaps writers block has set in. Is there an app for random topics to write about?
  
  
• Dominican Detector! Are you Latino? Are you African American? Having a bad hair day sucks when you cannot find someone to do your hair or getting a tight hair cut? Is there an app that lets you pinpoint a Dominican that can do a fade, or a relaxer?

Well Apple boasts there is an app for just about anything....

Distractions

As much as I tried to write my blog tonight, I have been distracted. My mind is just cluttered with thoughts of sex. The idea of just have sex is enough to stop me from doing what I want to do. What makes this difficult is that I have really spoken much about the topic here on this blog. Maybe because I know people who read this.

The title of this site is "Inside my head", yet I think about sex most of the time and never talk about it, so is the title of this blog false advertisement? I thinking it is. So I will talk about how much I think about sex. I was thinking about creating a whole separate site, very much like this one, to blog about sex. Maybe I would call it "My Head Inside". That is not a bad title!

Every man thinks about sex, so I am no different. I love women and I think most are very beautiful. I am, however, very picky when It comes to women. The ones that stand out in my mind are the ones who have the most charisma. I need to be able to joke with you and you need to laugh when I make fun of other people.

The body helps. I do not like skinny women. I think that most thin women look sickly, sorta like Olive Oil. I am very much and Ass man, but a health chest is very...helpful. I will say though, different women have different body types, so swagger is very important. So is self confidence.

Anyway...distractions....see, this how I get. There is something about sex that just shuts down my brain (maybe lack of blood flow to that region). But it is not women on tv who do it for me so much. I like real women. When you see a nice one...then that can distract you.

I hope I got my point across, I think I was beating around the "bush"....lol

Please Don't Stop the Music...

First Fridays was good. I loved it. Getting together with other black folks was just what I need to start off my weekend. I was able to finally have fun. Other parties were good this year, but this time I didn't have to worry about how I was getting home or worry about driving someone else home.

While it was not as packed as I would have liked it, there was enough black people to have fun. I am sure once First Fridays really picks up steam, then there will be plenty of people to hang out with. I will say that you will not see pictures of me on Facebook. I have banned them.

I love being able to go out and here music blaring, the one thing that I gets me, is that I wish I knew the names to all the songs I hear in the club. When I hear a song I really like, I will write it into my phone. Of course, I am not sure what the title of the song would be. I will guess the song based on the words I hear during the chorus. This does not always work.

Here is the thing. I collect music. If I hear it and like it then I need to have it. So last night I heard 3 songs that I needed to have. I was only able to "get" one. This does bother me. I love listening to music, no matter where I go. At this point I just have 2 songs in my head and is forced to browse music sites searching for these songs.

While that sounds pretty desperate...I always find new songs in this process. If anyone knows a better way, they need to let me know...

First Friday!

I am already late to got out tonight, but I am excited that I get to see grown folk coming together here in Syracuse. A few years ago, there was always a "First Friday". The event would rotate to different bars or clubs where the people who went to these events were roughly over 25 and older (in some cases...way older). These events stopped for a while for a reason I am not too clear about, but tonight starts it up all over again.

I will admit there are times in which there is nothing to do up here. You have to pick and choose events that might be fun. Unfortunately for me, most of the times, the events that we end up picking the most are boring. What is worse than that is to go to a party full of undergraduate students, which is why I always say that no one wants to be the old man in the club.

So again, I am excited. There hasn't been something to keep people like me entertained for awhile. I get to drink and be merry. Perhaps, I will even make new connections. More importantly I get to have fun. So, while there are many people who have told me that there is nothing to do up here, I can point to event like these.

Dolphy Day

I may have to keep this one short. I am tired today. More that usual. I want to thank Le Moyne College again for keeping me awake with Dolphy Day (this is the 3rd one) last night. The moment I put my head on the pillow is when the kids came out. I think there should a day where they let all the neighbors in the community run through the residence hall at 4am in the morning on the night before Finals.



Yeah...My house is along this strip...and this happends at 3am. I so hate this school.

I Worked Out!

Today I worked out. I have not done that in quite along time. I feel that right now, it is the best thing for me. The job is stressful. The life is stressful. So I think I need yet another outlet. Blogging is exercise for my mind, but I know I do not want my body to fail.

I had debated on what to do today. I was thinking about going to the YMCA. They have some really great facilities and the pool is just world class. However, I knew that if I did go there it would be to do one thing: play basketball. I love to play ball because it is a very intense workout and the sport is just fun to play. The problem becomes that I am playing with kids 10 years younger than me. Bad enough I am out of shape, but to have some kid blow by me is not going to work. I need to build stamina.

My co-worker suggested that I walk. Since I do live by Le Moyne college, I can walk through their campus and the surrounding area from about an hour and get a very good work. This area has a lot of hills. I have jogged this area before so I know exactly what I would be getting into. I was ready to do that until I got outside. It was brisk out side. Barely 50 degrees and since I am tired of the cold, I decided on scrapping the whole walk idea.

Which really left me with no choice but to use the old treadmill. I got home at about 7:30 and just decided to put on the sweats. It was a long day as usual and I am starting to feel the Starbucks wear off. But, I just had to do this. So I put the headphones on and reved her up. The good thing about this machine is that it has programs. So I can just punch a preset program and I just start running.

This was the best thing I have done all day. It got my blood flowing, and I feel like I was able to unwind as well. I may have to do this just about everyday. I want to build up that stamina so that when I do decide to play sports (Softball starts in May) I can be ready.