Back From A Blogger Break

I haven't posted anything in almost a month, so I hope people will still check in on me. I haven't been in a motivated to post anything on my Blog recently, so instead of posting mindless junk, I decided that I'd wait until I had something to post or to at least check in with my readers. So I'm breaking the silence....LOL (as if it's that serious).

The past month has been pretty good for me, aside from a brief period where I was feeling a little out of sorts and not really motivated to do as much as I usually do, but I have gotten beyond that now. I've been pretty busy at work working on this new research project we're starting and I've been doing a lot of reading and writing for that project and the other project we're doing the data analysis for, so I haven't felt much like doing personal writing. I tend to put a lot into the things I write on here and my posts tend to be time consuming for me, case in point, this post, along with another one I'll be posting later took me 3 hours. I write and then edit and then re-edit, like I'm writing for a real publication! But I do take this seriously and value representing myself well. The problem is, it takes too long....LOL. I was supposed to be in bed by 12 and I haven't evern showered yet or got my clothes ready for tomorrow.

There are a couple of things coming up for me that I'm looking forward to. First off, I recently was selected to attend a Gay Men's Leadership training the second week of March in Cali. I've never been out West, so this is a welcomed experience and it makes it even better that I get to go and don't have to pay anything for it. I was one of four people given a scholarship from Philadelphia. Second, I have another Many Men, Many Voices facilitation coming up in the first weekend of March. I always enjoy the retreats and meeting new people. At the last retreat, I met No4real4real, who was a catalyst for me to start Blogging, and a few other people who I had a good time with. Another thing I'm excited about is that the Black Gay Men's planning group I'm a part of here in Philly, which was just beginning to form toward the end of last year has been making some good progress as far as becoming more organized. We're workin' it out and have developed a mission and a name and we're starting the process of prioritizing issues we will be addressing over the next few months. I've also started back working out again and have managed to make it to the gym 4 times a week that past couple of weeks and have modified my eating habits slightly for the better. Time to get in shape for the summer and beyond. I've gained that "relationship weight" that I've never been able to get off while still in a relationship, but I'm gonna try my best this time around.

So that's what I've been up to the past month or so. I haven't been keeping up with the Blogosphere like I had been either, so I'm planning to get back into checking in on my favorite Bloggers. Alas, there are a few things current events related that have been on my mind. Some are more serious that others. I may write about the serious ones in more depth later, but here are some quick thoughts on them.

Coretta Scott King
What a deep loss to not only social justice for Blacks in the United States, but also to the fight for civil rights for GLBT folks. I am ashamed to say that I am learning more about the work she did after her death that I knew while she was alive. She seemed to have a beautiful spirit and her body was laid to rest before it's time. She had much more work to do, but I am grateful she was able to do as much as she did while she was with us. It's amazing how she picked up and continued the work of her husband after his assassination. She was a strong woman and it's ironic that she died on the eve of Black History Month. She will be missed!

Philadelphia's Violence Problem
I have been wanting to write about this for a while now, but haven't gotten around to it. I plan to write a larger post on it at some point, but Philly is about to replace Camden as the most violent city in America. Last year we had 380 homicides, most of which were victims of gun violence. That means on average that at least one person a day died to homicide in Philly and on some days more than one person died. This year is on track to be the same. In the first 18 days of the year, there were 18 homicides. I'm not sure what the latest statistic is, but I'm almost sure that we are still on track with an average of one homicide per day. A couple of weeks ago, there was 3 murders in a 5 hour period here. It's crazy! The mayor has a 4 step plan he's trying to implement along with the police commissioner to decrease the violence in the city. I went to a rally, in South Philly where I live, where they talked about their plan and were trying to get community buy in. One of the things they want is for people to step forward and give information about crimes they see. I can honestly say that at least 50 of those murders last year were of people who talked to the police about what they saw. That's a statistic that most people don't want to be a part of, so a lot of people don't report what they see. There are no real witness protection programs for everyday folk.

This is an issue that seems to really be a problem here and there seems to be no effective solution implemented yet. I hope the Mayor's plan will prove to be effective. They have even put the guardian Angels back on the streets here, though I haven't seen any of them since I saw the news broadcast. It's becoming a scary place to live, no matter where you are in this world. One can only hope that some sense of civility will come about soon.

Bow Wow Disses Ron Isley
Now I'm kinda going out on a limb on this one, because I only heard about it on the radio this morning and haven't read anything myself. Apparently Bow Wow, who used to be called Lil' Bow Wow (as if his ass has grown that much) dissed Ron Isley by saying that he (Bow Wow) is a hot artist who has went platinum and challenged Isley as a no body in today's music scene. or something to that effect. If this is the case, Bow Weezy needs hid ass whipped. Kids don't talk to grown folks like that and when they do they get a back hand. I think Bow Wow is coming down with a case of egomania along with Kanye West. I don't think that Bow Wow's career has much more staying power anyway. I admit I liked all the songs he's released off this album, though I didn't buy it, but he needs to learn how to be humble. Humility seems to be a virtue that just about every hip hop artist lacks, because they all think they're better than every other rapper. I did hear Bow Wow's interview on Wendy Williams last week I think it was and he had the nerve to say that besides Jay Z and one or two other people, there is no good rappers in the game. Is he kidding me? His music is on the pop side of rap in my opinion and he's samplin' from oldies like all the others. For me, that "I'm the best" attitude is gettin' old. If Bow Wow was so hot, why the hell did he wear beads in his hair in that "Let Me Hold You Tight" video? I thought that went out with little Black girls in the 80's! Am I wrong? Anyway, I hope his mother, who probably got pregnant with Bow Wow to an Isley Brothers album, puts his little arrogant azz in check.

Tom Cruise and Katey Holmes
What the hell is going on there? One day he's on top of Oprah's sofa screaming about how in love he is with Katey Holmes, then he knocks her up and then a few months later, they're headed for splitsville! I was watching the news tonight and the reporter said they are breaking up, but keeping up public appearances or some such mess until the baby is born. I tell you these stars are a mess. I think she was just a rebound relationship for him anyway and I'm sure Nicole is saying "I could have told you that was coming". I haven' heard why they're breaking up or who is the one breaking it off, but my guess is it's Tommy. Katey strikes me as young and dumb and was smitten by this sex symbol superstar who expressed interest in her. If it's true that they're breaking up, it's a shame their relationship will be over before the baby's even born. Heterosexual relationships are just as, if not more fragile than same sex ones, but yet they get the right to marry. And heteros have the nerve to think that gays would make a mockery of marriage. Please!