Stop the Whining Already!

My friends could tell you, I research E V E R Y T H I N G. If we’re looking for a new restaurant, I’ve researched the 5 most popular; downloaded and scrutinized their menus; compared prices; and most importantly, read online reviews. This also applies to shopping, picking movies, choosing hotels, you name it.

I’ve recently begun the uber exciting, yet painfully taxing task of finding a new place to live… in a city I’ve never lived before. But for someone like me, it’s a challenge that I’ve dedicated relentless energy to. I’m swimming in a sea of information I have meticulously managed in excel spreadsheets. This includes research of salons, restaurants, malls, churches, neighborhoods, and housing.

Me + Google + Craigslist =  Three Peas in a Pod.

The problem I continue to encounter is that I cannot trust some of these online reviews; not for a second. I approach online reviews with caution anyway, because it is commonly the disgruntled customer who is the first to voice their problems. However, Yelp.com and ApartmentRatings.com have proven useful for me in the past. Recently though, these sites seem to be taken over by a bunch of insatiable, petty, whiny crybabies.

So I’m looking at a newly built, luxury condo in a downtown area. Wooden floors, marble counters, large windows, everything is great…clearly. I type the community name into Google and the first thing I see is

The poor review is 7 paragraphs of ranting about unfriendly neighbors, the community not having a recycling area, and limited guest parking. No one-time incident, I continue to read many other reviews from varying housing communities with complaints about water pressure in the shower, the pool area being crowded on weekends, and kids being noisy when they come from school.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve done my fair share of complaining, but much of what I am seeing is just ridiculous. I wonder if these reviewers are dumb or bored as they’re frantically typing detail after detail of complaints about basically, nothing! I have to force myself not to reply to these reviews with something like well cry a river and swim in it.

Seriously though, these reviews are impeding the productivity of my research with their “cries of wolf”. Now here I am in the midst of reading all this whining.. I’ve been provoked to pause and whine about the whining! The cycle of whining must end.

The Hunger Games… Can I have seconds?

I have not seen a single Lord of the Rings movie. Neither Twilight, and any of its’ dawns. Nor Harry Potter, and any of his stones.

Wait for it…

Never have I read a single sentence from any of these books, either. <insert gaping look of horror and disgust here>

Am I one who goes “against the grain”? I hope not, because those who do (especially for the sake of doing it) are at the very top of my list of annoyances. I witness masses of people buying souvenirs from these tales, many have camped at theaters to watch their premieres. Not sure why, but nothing has moved me to take part in any of the phenomena.

But The Hunger Games. This is a whole different story.

Maybe it was my Facebook and Twitter timelines flooded with buzz about the movie premiere. Maybe it was several of my friends who spoke with a tone of true love in their reflection on reading the trilogy. Possibly it was the usual magazines I receive in the mail– Vogue and Glamour– with cover and article after article featuring the mysteriously beautiful Jennifer Lawrence. Whatever it was, I decided that I needed to KNOW for myself what it was all about. And before I could be tainted by everyone elses’ reaction to the movie.

So there I was on March 22, one day before the movie premiere, committed to reading the book and developing my own, unblemished opinion about the book and the movie. The book vs. the movie.

To backtrack a bit… when I was younger, I was the most avid reader. It was my favorite thing to do. I was even captain of the “Battle of the Books” team at my elementary school, a contest in which students could choose to read approximately 15 books over summer vacation, then compete against other teams to answer the most questions correctly about the books. Somewhere between 9th and 10th grade, mandatory five-page commentaries and IB English… I completely lost my gusto for reading.

This book, I read enthusiastically in a single day. I couldn’t put it down. The story was remarkable. Then I finished Catching Fire the next day. I’m halfway through Mockingjay at the moment.

Admittedly, I prejudged the book/movie by the trailer, and the brief summary I read about it. Surely I won’t be interested in a storyline about kids fighting to their death is what I arrogantly [and ignorantly] thought when making my mind up that I was uninterested. I found that the book is so much more, and the movie is as close as it can come to its greatness. Bravo to every single actor in the movie, who surpassed all my expectations!

Kudos to Suzanne Collins, and the producers of the film.

Can I have seconds, please?

On dating, expectations, standards, and settling

What’s my position on dating? expectations? standards? settling?

I’m glad you asked.

I preface this discussion by insisting that I am not, nor do I consider myself an expert of dating or relationships. I have, however, had a number of boyfriends over the past ten years that range from mild to moderate douchebag. Through some jaw-dropping, horrid, gut-wrenching experiences, I’ve learned lesson after lesson that has provided me excellent perspective on topics like these.

Expectations and standards. Tricky little things. They are certainly as good as they are bad. The biggest problem is that television, movies, magazines, and books have deluded our perception of reality, which has negatively affected what we expect. By a show of hands, how many of you actually wake up looking fresh and rejuvenated, and want to participate in a makeout session first thing in the morning with your significant other? Or how often has a man surprised you with a romantic rooftop gourmet dinner with a spectacular view of the city, stars perfectly aligned?

I’ve listened to many women, with pretentious conviction, going on about how they “have standards.” Tall, dark, handsome, athletic, wealthy, educated, spiritual, loyal, emotional, good cook, great lover, no kids, good credit. Blah, blah, blah. I’m no cynic, but to the women with those lists, good luck finding the 12 men across the Continental United States who meet all those criteria. Even greater luck fighting with the masses of women who want those same 12 men.

In a perfect world, all our men would look something like this…but let’s be real.

  

It’s not standards, expectations, or even practical. It’s kind of like a fairytale wishlist. I used to rattle off trait after trait that I “expected” in a man. That I gave so much thought into seemingly “creating the perfect man” for me in my head, while hoping that he randomly knocked on my door one day or bumped into me at the airport, actually sounds quite ridiculous the more I think about it.

Nowadays, my list is real simple: honest, God-fearing, and hard-working. Everything else will work itself out.

While we all get lost in our euphoric ideas about love and relationships– the media at the forefront of this charade– there is no real preparation for how much difficulty and frustration lies in  relationships, even the “best” and “most successful” ones. We see the emphasis on all the lovey-dovey, mushy aspects of relationships… but where are all the clues about how much hard work is required to maintain a great relationship? The fact that our society doesn’t know (or forgot) this… is probably the reason for the disproportionate rate of divorce.

What I’ve learned is that it’s perfectly okay to explore outside the preconceived notion of who or what your ideal suitor is. That includes age (if you feel that you can only date older or younger); race (if you only date in your race or you only date outside your race); and religion (if you only date someone who practices the same religion as you, or someone who does not practice the same religion as you). I’ve also learned to embrace the struggles that come with a relationship. I used to believe that arguing was destructive and the end-all to a relationship. Sometimes, yes… but not always. Good can come out of an argument, and like one of my favorite quotes, it is in the face of adversity that one’s true character emerges.

Once we sort out lust versus infatuation versus love, and get a firm grip of reality, then we’re okay. The most important things I’ve learned about dating, expectations, standards, and settling are

• Never say never.
• There will ALWAYS be imperfections. And YES, those imperfections will be angering.
• You’re single until you’re married.
• Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.

Last words…once we accept the fact that there will be no “prince charming”, we can happily settle for the imperfect, perfect man for us!

Why My Childhood Was Better Than Yours

I often look at the younger kids in my family, and wish they’re able to enjoy life as a child, the way I did. My childhood was full of foot races in the street, squeals of  joy once you heard the ice cream truck music, four-square tournaments, and racing home as soon as the street lights came on.

While kids nowadays are in a state of euphoria playing PSP and watching movies on their portable dvd players, I experience feelings of sadness for them because they will never know what it means to GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY.

In addition to the games –Mother May I, Freeze Tag, Hide&Seek, Ghost in the Graveyard, Red Light Green Light, jump ropes, skip it, and kickball– my generation (Generation Y) boasts some of the most clutch movies ever produced– Annie, Jumanji, Little Giants, Mrs. Doubtfire, Lion King (the original), and It Takes Two.

Regardless of all the fun and trendy technical gadgets, sitting in front of a tv/ computer/ gaming console all day is not the way to spend your childhood! If not for their health and welfare, get the kids outside to play so they will have awesome memories to reflect on and appreciate, like I do.

What made your childhood great?

Pinterest > Facebook.

If you’re anything like me, you wish Facebook was never created 75% of the time. You go to check your mailbox, receive an ad from the grocery store around the corner, and at the top of the flyer is the phrase Like us on Facebook (with that stupid thumbs up sign). Also like me, you wonder why EVERYthing, EVERYwhere you go has to relate back to Facebook in some way!

Then there’s Twitter, the less fascinating version of Facebook. This is especially beneficial for those individuals who want to share their [frivolous to mildly important] thoughts, reactions, and opinions throughout the course of the day.

While surfing the web one day, I stumbled upon this fabulous site, Pinterest. Not even kidding, for me it was love at first sight! If you’re unfamiliar, Pinterest is a website where you can organize things that interest you onto virtual pinboards.

If you’re looking for the latest in technology, the most unique recipes, or ideas for throwing a party, Pinterest is perfect. In fact, there is no topic that Pinterest doesn’t cover. My particular favorite finds are:

Things That Make Me Laugh & Smile…

   

Inspirational Quotes…

  

Tips for Organizing the Home…

  

While you’re discovering things like new recipes, and ideas for your home… you’re stretching your imagination, allowing yourself to think outside the box, and ultimately, making yourself better.

While you may waste hours browsing profiles on Facebook –with nothing to gain besides a little more information about someone’s life than you had before you started– hours on Pinterest will not leave you with that disgusted feeling like you’ve overindulged in a guilty pleasure.

To join Pinterest, you have to request an invite. You can start “pinning” once you receive your invitation. In the meantime, you can browse my boards on Pinterest for ideas on how you may want to organize your pinboards.

I thank God for the geniuses who created Pinterest… because of them, I now have a more productive way to waste my time on the internet!

Snickers or Cottage Cheese?

I work in a professional environment. The daily operations within my company directly impact the lives of millions worldwide. That said, the most common discussion in my office is not how well each region is performing; not what’s affecting our ability to provide customers 100% satisfaction; not even what we can do to save money and increase revenue. Don’t get me wrong, those topics are all important and discussed regularly. But the dominant topic of discussion– is food.

At any given point, you can walk into my office and join a conversation about what you ate for dinner, favorite childhood meals, best restaurants and eating experiences… and all other things related to food. I’d be embarrassed by how much we talk about food, if I did not consider myself a connoisseur (seriously, I even blog about it) of delicious eatery.

 I’m no nutrition buff, but I’ve recently become as much an enthusiast of  exercise and healthy alternatives, as I am of food indulgences . This did not happen by chance or coincidence. It was my reluctant acceptance of the fact that I cannot just eat whatever I want whenever I want, without repercussions.

I’ve found that it takes serious inspiration to join this “healthy” movement. It requires you to figure out what motivates you. For some, it’s a special occasion. For others it’s the risks associated with diabetes and heart disease that are in every bite of a greasy burger.

For me, it’s the desire to constantly better myself. I’ve experienced what it feels like to be in great shape– I look better, feel better, have more energy– and I’m sold! Plus, exercising is actually fun to me. I’ve always considered myself an athlete, and I love sports and the outdoors. I like to try new exercises, and have the latest, greatest exercise gear. See my newest workout shoes: the Vibram Fivefinger shoes. Though unsightly, these shoes receive rave reviews. So far, they are amazing!

  

The point is, I’ve found what pushes me to get off my sofa, and burn some calories. One of my friends has recently taken up yoga. She’s excited about yoga because it gives her a workout, but also calms her normally anxious nerves. Once you figure out what physical activities you’re interested in (boxing, dancing, skating, swimming, etc) it’s much easier to remain committed to doing it.

Watching what I eat has been the more difficult challenge. I’ve found the things I love the most, are my arch nemeses: bread and sweets. In addition to sacrificing those favorite treats, I’ve had to use creativity and find healthier recipes for my meals.

To wait until a new years’ resolution, summer, or a big birthday bash to take control of your health is much more difficult than simply making a positive change in your lifestyle. And though it sounds cliché, taking better care of your body does require a lifestyle change.

Truly a mental triumph, I’ve finally trained my body to reach for the cottage cheese when I go for a late night snack.

On Kissing Toads

As little girls, we grow up watching these wonderful Disney movies. Enchanted fairtytales about a hopeless young woman  being chosen by a prince and turned into a beautiful princess… then living happily ever after in a perfect place with her handsome, rich, loyal and loving man. Oh you’ve seen it before, in Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, Snow White, and last but certainly not least, The Princess and the Frog.

The Princess and the Frog is a story line  that is especially dear to my heart, because the moral behind it is to possess humility in a world that promotes vanity. In this tale, the young woman is supposed to see past the small, ugly creature by loving and accepting him for exactly who he is. By doing so, she is rewarded because when she finally kisses him, he magically transforms into a gorgeous prince.

Do not be fooled.

I personally have kissed my share of toads– all different kinds– and not a single one of those toads turned into a prince. Really, til’ this very day, most of them are still the same lying, selfish, cheating jerks they were when I first met them.

No, I’m not bitter. I’m actually grateful for those toads because through it all, I’ve become a woman stronger than one can even imagine. And to put it in the simplest way possible, it’s their own [catastrophic] loss.

What I am concerned about though, is the fact that no one prepares little girls for the harsh reality. The sometimes ugly and very brutal truth.

Television & movies will grossly skew your perception of reality. An 80′s baby (of course), I grew up thinking that high school would be like  90210… well maybe not 90210; but at least like  Saved By the Bell. Imagine my surprise when there was no “Peach Pit” that everyone hung out at after school. Though it’s perpetuated over and over again in cinema & tv, neither school, work, nor love will be anything close to what you’ve grown up watching.

In attempt to save  these little girls some unnecessary tears, restless nights, and confusion as they grow older,  end this vicious cycle. Round up your daughters, sisters, nieces, granddaughters, and cousins– before they watch these movies– and let them know that there will be no fairy godmothers, rich princes, or magical toads once they start dating.

And… if Disney is going to continue to produce these types of movies, they should be required to insert a disclaimer that says something like

WARNING: This is all fake. Do not kiss toads, run far far away from them!

Downsize the ignorance, I BEG OF YOU!

Who is this, you ask?

Oh, just the most beautiful woman walking this earth… that is, in my opinion. Nia Long. She is an American actress best known for major roles in Love Jones, The Best Man, Soul Food, Big Momma’s House & Are We There Yet.

I thought of Nia Long because I was a bit perturbed after reading a statement that a young woman recently made about Lil’ Wayne. To quickly summarize:

This woman (we’ll call her Suzie Q for kicks) along with some of her friends met up with Mack Maine, a member of Lil’ Wayne’s group “Young Money.” He invited the women back to his hotel where Lil’ Wayne and a few other members of the group were partying. When Suzie Q and the other women entered the room someone stated, “y’all pretty, to be dark-skinned.” Lil’ Wayne then quoted a line from his song Right Above: “Beautiful black woman, I bet that b*tch look better red.” Because Suzie Q is my kind of girl she asked, “Wayne, your daughter is dark skin so why would you say such ignorance?” Lil’ Wayne replied, “My daughter is a dark-skinned millionaire, that’s the difference between her and you. MY daughter is the first and last dark skin child I’m having. The rest of my baby moms [are] light-skinned chicks. I even got an Asian baby moms to make sure I have a daughter with good hair. Too bad we had a son.” From that point, the women stormed out of the room, but not before one of the men followed to let them  know, “Not everybody hate dark-skinned girls. Young Money just allergic to Chocolate.”

Lil’ Wayne denied these statements. Do I think he said it? Umm, duh. My guess is that after hearing the words he vomited out of his mouth, he was too mortified to be man enough to admit it. He wrote these lyrics –> Beautiful black woman, I bet that b*tch look better red <– who does Wayne expect to believe this didn’t happen?

Now anyone who really knows me… knows that I have been the biggest Lil’ Wayne fan for over the past 10 years. I’ve always viewed him as an overwhelmingly creative musical mastermind. In the past few years, I’ve seen Wayne channel all his energy into what seemed like endless rhymes, that he produced mostly for the underground [music] world of mixtapes. In translation, he did a lot of work…basically for free. The only thing he wanted for all this work– respect.

Over the past few years I’ve also seen Wayne transform into a reckless, syrup-sipping, bastard-bearing, typical superstar.. the kind who loses any grip they’ve ever had of reality, due to excess fame (insert Micheal Jackson & Britney Spears here).

Now, let’s talk about preferences. A preference is a greater liking for one alternative over another or others. I have no issue with anyone having preferences. I have my own physical preferences when it comes to men… & I’ll save that conversation for another time, another place. But! The two things that don’t go together are… one’s preferences & a skewed perception of reality. If Wayne prefers to date a light-skinned woman, that is his prerogative. To say any given brown-skinned woman would look BETTER if she were light-skinned, is just plain stupid.

Hopefully Wayne, all members of Young Money, or anyone else who shares their unbelievably brainless beliefs, will stumble upon my blog so they can see just a few examples of how wrong they are:

These women, gorgeous! They don’t need to be any other shade of brown, red, pink, or yellow to make them more beautiful than they already are. As a dark-skinned woman, I’ve heard this type of foolishness my entire life. I’ve been told things like, “you’re a pretty dark-skinned girl” & “you’re pretty to be dark-skinned.” While I understand that African-Americans have been psychologically ruined by the color complex that dates back to slavery… but still heavily perpetuated throughout our society– I beg of everyone to stop the madness. Stop, and look in the mirror. Think, before you let idiocy spill out of your mouth.

If you have dumb opinions… just let them bounce around in your brain. Don’t bother the world with them.

Top 5 Things Men Don’t Do Anymore

Through observation, personal experience, and listening to my friends’ relationship complaints, there are 5 major things that men don’t seem to do anymore:

5. Write Letters.

” I know you wanna leave me/ but I refuse to let you go. If I have to beg & plead for your sympathy/ I don’t mind cause you mean that much to me. Ain’t too proud to beg and you know it/ so please don’t leave me girl, don’t you go“

Did The Temptations discover the secret to making/keeping a woman happy when they wrote this love song Ain’t Too Proud To Beg in 1966? So then fast forwarding to 2011, why is it that men seem clueless about throwing their pride completely out the window to write a love song or love letter??

I remember in high school, a guy gave my friend a letter to give me. The letter said how much he liked me.. & how much he thought about me. Though I didn’t see much of a future with this guy, I remember that my heart skipped a beat while reading his letter. This was probably the last letter (handwritten on paper) that I have received from a man. I wonder what happens to men as they transition from high school to college… college to full adulthood? A letter– short or long– expressing your feelings would go a LONG way!

The bottom line here: express your feelings– explicitly.

4.  “Just Because” Gestures.

Flowers, chocolate, jewelry, dinner… these are all no-brainers for any man who has dug himself into a deep hole. They are all cliché gifts for birthdays and anniversaries… but why can’t they also be “just because” gestures? Or even something more simple, like washing dishes, doing laundry, or giving a foot rub?

A small gesture to say “just because you’re special” or “just because I appreciate you” means exponentially more than men know.

3. Be A Gentleman.

I hear a lot of men say “chivalry is dead.”

My response: “Well if it is, then resurrect it from the dead!”

Why should it be a chore for a man to hold open a door? Close a car door? Pull a chair back? Take heavy things out of a woman’s hand?  Or take the trash out?

It’s not impressive if you’re a man & you do any of these things… they should be things you were raised to do.

2. Apologize When You’re Wrong.

Don’t try to flip the argument. Don’t try to make yourself the victim. Definitely don’t lie. Don’t pretend like it never happened, thinking the issue will be swept under the rug. Don’t wait to be told that you need to apologize.

When you’re wrong, just apologize. For goodness sake– apologize. A genuine apology will help smooth the situation, tremendously. However, an instant apology does not take away a woman’s right to be upset. Please understand that women need a reasonable amount of time to be angry (depending on the magnitude of the mess-up). The apology will speed this process up, though.

1. Call, Not Text.

This seems to apply mostly to single women who are dating. You meet a man, exchange numbers… & he texts you. Not a quick hello or are you busy text…. but an ENTIRE conversation!? Not only is it impersonal, & not thoughtful.. it is extremely inconvenient & time-consuming. What it takes to relay in 5 minutes of text messaging, could have been said in 12 seconds over the phone. Although technology is attempting to rob human beings of the ability to interact amongst one another.. it is still a basic essential.

Call, don’t text.

If you’re a man reading this, and you find yourself offering an excuse for any of these top 5 things men don’t do anymore… you’re probably being defensive. Or even worse– you’re in denial. I understand that men do not like to be categorized, so I will not say this applies to ALL men, but it does to a good majority. So if any of this applies to you (& you don’t even have to admit it to me), incorporate these actions into your relationship. I guarantee the outcome will be favorable.

Facebook Etiquette

During my sophomore year in college (2004), I remember there being a  lot of buzz about this new website:  thefacebook.com. It was the new cool thing & all the cool kids were doing it. There was one catch– it was offered exclusively to students with an email account from  “big” name schools like Stanford University, Columbia University, and Yale University.

At the time, I was a student at Florida State University. Despite the overwhelming opposing consensus from my schoolmates.. our school was not cool enough to be apart of the site– yet. Little by little, thefacebook added more schools; and by Fall 2005, any student with an email account ending in “fsu.edu” was allowed to join. We were finally cool enough.

It was such an exciting time! I deem myself one of the “facebook” originals. I can think back to the times when facebook was simple– profiles, friends, notes & groups. I remember the evolution and all the varying reactions from members of FB with each change. There were some fun additions–  the graffiti  application that allowed you to draw pictures on your friends’ walls; the superpoke app that allowed you to virtually chest bump or karate kick one of your friends; and the food fight app that allowed you to throw virtual pizza and ice cream at your friends. There were also those dreadful additions– the honesty box that elicited rude, hateful, and sometimes threatening anonymous messages from FB “friends”; or the virtual gift shop, where FB actually wanted to charge your credit card $1 to send someone a graphic picture as a gift.

In spite of my resentment that Facebook is no longer the simple, exclusive site that it was originally intended, to connect students across universities… I have held on for 6 strong years as it has grown into a $50 billion empire. Facebook is now as common as ants at a picnic.

I do feel a sense of responsibility (as a FB veteran) to disseminate a few notes about things that easily annoy your fellow facebook users. Listen up.

• Updates every hour on the hour- 1- You just woke up from a great night’s rest. 2- You’re about to cook your favorite breakfast. 3- You’re gonna call your best friend & see if they want to go to the beach. 4- You go to the beach, have a great time, & now you’re tired. 5- You’re gonna take a nap, so you can go out later. All these things are fine, but nobody… I mean nobody wants this many status updates popping up in their news feeds throughout the day.
• Sharing information that you shouldn’t- Some things are just too personal for FB: the picture of your cat that died this morning; the picture of your newborn baby’s first bath in their tub; the rash on your ankle; the picture of the body shot that some random guy took off of your stomach; the x-ray of your teeth that you got from your dentist appointment earlier that day. Not everything needs to be shared on FB.
• 1,267 photos of yourself – I am an advocate of self-confidence. I understand that you may take that picture of yourself & you totally admire it. But a whole album with pictures of just you?? 10 different poses of you lying on the same couch? Really? It’s overdone.
• Publicizing information, then acting as if everyone is being nosy when they ask about it-  Why post a random picture with someone no one has ever seen if you don’t want people to question who that person is? Why go & change your relationship status, then act like you’re appalled if someone posts a comment to your wall asking what happened? It’s Facebook. If you don’t want people to know or ask, then don’t share it.
• Telling someone off through a subliminal comment/status - I mean, there is no explanation necessary for this. It’s just lame. And– gangsters don’t have FB accounts. Put an end to the facebook spats.. forever.

Well, that’s all I have. Just a few pointers… at least from my perspective. Please don’t allow yourself to be that person who is hidden from everyones’ feeds because you have no “Facebook Etiquette”.

#ProperUseOfTheHashtag

I [reluctantly] joined Twitter back in 2009. Though it seemed an overly complex form of social networking, I refused to be outside of any nation-sweeping revolution. Twitter, in my opinion, has a “niche” community, similar to the world of Mac users (myself included), where you’re either completely for it, or completely against it.

Either way, the hashtag ( # ) phenomena originated from Twitter. As I peruse my Facebook news feeds on occasion, I gather that many of my FB friends have no idea where the # started or how it is appropriately used.. which is why they are incorrectly using it. When used correctly, the hashtag allows you to easily find and read about trends and topics that interest you.

The point of this post is to spread knowledge.

The correct usage of the hashtag subject involves:

1. Relevance
2. Discussion about a Trend
3. A phrase with as few words or letters possible

Bad Examples of HashTag Use

#IAlmostSlappedAMidgetToday

#TodayWasGreatBecauseILeftWorkAnHourEarly

#I Love Sports

Good Examples of Hashtag Use

If you’re watching a tv show you might post,  “Melanie Amaro is my favorite on #XFactor”

Or watching a basketball game, “Lebron is having a great game tonight #GoHeat”

Or enjoying a delicious meal, “This pasta is delicious #CalypsoLinguine #BahamaBreeze”

I cringe when I see the hashtag used out of context, so I dutifully blogged some quick history with instructions for #ProperUseofTheHashtag.

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Extending My Gratitude to the Swarms of Anti-Miami Heat Sentiments

Like small, helpless children on a playground, unable to get their way against a rival… sports commentators, former NBA players and masses of Miami and Lebron haters, rallied together all season long using the only thing they had to insult the Heat– their words.

” They bought themselves a championship. They’re not real competitors because they joined up to play together. They’ve ruined NBA basketball. They will never be able to play together. Their egos are too big. Great players would never do this. They have forever ruined their legacy. There’s no way they will get a ring their first year. “

Since the day I watched Lebron James announce that he’d be “taking his talents to South Beach” almost 1 year ago… my ears have been subject to  this type of unwarranted slander, directed toward the Miami Heat. Lebron James, in particular. As LBJ’s #1 fan, I’d often yell back at an article I read, or to a commentator I heard on television, proclaiming that Lebron was a quitter for leaving Cleveland; that he sacrificed his greatness when he joined D-Wade’s team; that he was unable to close games or finish playoffs. I grew tired of faithfully watching Lebron’s repeated solo attempts to carry an entire city, along with a mediocre bunch of Cavalier teammates to the playoffs year after year. Clearly he was exasperated of it.

I observed as the NBA nation threw their hands up in delirious outrage at the fact that great players like Wade, Bosh, and James signed contracts to play on the same team. Somehow they developed temporary amnesia and forgot about– just for example– the 2000-01 Lakers [Kobe Bryant, Shaquille Oneal, Derek Fisher, Robert Horry, Horace Grant, Ron Harper] or the 2007-08 Celtics [Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, Leon Powe].

Bashed for the 1-hour “Decision” segment on ESPN; slammed for the city’s preseason celebration of their new basketball team; hammered for pledging to bring  multiple championship rings to the city (what else are NBA stars playing for?), the Miami Heat were scrutinized at every opportunity.. by every Tom, Dick, and Harry.  And so it began again–

” They don’t know how to play when they’re on the court together. They don’t know which of the 2 superstars will close. Bosh is not good enough. They can only beat up on losing teams. They’re too excited about winning. Their friendship is too strong. They smile too hard, cough too loud, blink too much. “

In the midst of Miami’s turbulent mid-season woes (gut-wrenchng losses, injuries, and inability to beat Boston or Chicago), I didn’t doubt for a second that Miami would silence the critics. I even blogged about it back in March. I did, however, begin to think of all the adversity as fuel to the spark that the Heat would need, entering into the playoffs. I was as tired of hearing all the Miami Heat hate as I was thankful for it. It is in the face of opposition that greatness rises to its highest peak.

Like Michael Jordan, who refuses to publicly pay the respect due to LBJ because he seems to be scared to death his legacy is in jeopardy; like Dan Gilbert, who wrote a public letter revealing how little class he had, promising Cleveland they’d get a ring before King James does; like Charles Barkley, who appears to throw up in his mouth any time he has to pay credit to the Big Three in Miami during his half-time or post-game commentaries; like all the doubters, who proclaimed all season that the Miami Heat could not or would not beat the Los Angeles Lakers, the Boston Celtics, or the Chicago Bulls– they look like fools.

To all the Lebron/Heat haters: Lebron James does not need your forgiveness; your acceptance; your endorsement; or even your support, for that matter. Neither does the Miami Heat.

And so,  going into the NBA finals, I am most thankful for all the hate mail, criticism, and doubts. Sure, they were meant to cripple, but instead have remained a catalyst for the Miami Heat.

I would send out Thank You cards– but there would be far too many.