bullet theory

i'd rather wear skinny jeans

2009-10-28T19:36:00.000-07:00

its been a number of times where ive either watched a film, movie (yes there is a difference), situational comedy (sitcom, duh), or some asinine reality series and i see instances where the male protagonist is kicked to the curb for some fatal character flaw by his female companion. if you need a more current reference, look at the autumn comedy of 2008 "role models". in this movie, one of the "role models" was dumped by his girlfriend of an x amount of years for one specific character issue that she did not agree with. however, this individual was so smitten by this young lady that he did whatever he could to prove to her that he has changed and that he is summarily worthy of her love.

in real life, i see this to be true. i see women counsel other women on their issues, and i always hear them say "that [insert urban word for man] needs to chase after you because you are worth it girl, he has to change in order to get allllllllllla your goodies, we so sick and tired of him being so dang [insert character flaw]". blah blah blah. now in most cases i definitely agree with women feeling like men have to win the heart of their partner either through working on a flaw of theirs or even buying them some chocolates or any other fattening confection that women enjoy. however i am also a proponent of equality, reciprocity, scratch my back i scratch yours.

up until this point ive adopted a utopian approach to relationships. i always believed that if i do my best to show my love to you and to take care of you and support you to the best of my abilities, then you should do the same. unfortunately, utopian ways of looking at things never works(i.e. communism, socialism). will there ever be a movie where a woman has a fatal flaw and she has to wander 40 days and 40 nights in the nearest desert until she comes up with a solution? will it ever be the norm to see a man tell a woman "if you can't do this for me then im gone" and the lady's reply would be " i'll show you how much you mean to me" blah blah blah. probably not. those are merely pipe dreams. as i look at my uncles and their wives, i see men that are worked to death day in and day out at their jobs, bled financially by their offspring and family, just worn down shells of their old selves before they got married. they dont get any kind of special treatment from their wives. the wives get treated like queens, my uncles get treated like squires. is my future satisfaction going to consist of consummation and the big piece of chicken? the comfortable part of the couch? silence during the weekend football games?

dang

this cant be right, is it?

can we change the game?

or am i doomed

an 80/20 ratio in a relationship?

shooooot....i'd rather wear skinny jeans

capitalism: a love story

2009-09-27T14:34:00.000-07:00

staying true to the theme of this blog, i must address a topic that is pertinent in all of our lives.
if you are on the path toward success, it is healthy to have a significant other present to support you through your ups and downs. however, it has been brought to my attention that acquiring this person is an uphill battle. here is a methodology that can satisfy the capitalist in all of us.

prior to meeting the Coretta to my Martin Luther, I developed this way of thinking while studying in one of my undergrad business classes. i felt like relationships and dating are comparable to entrepreneurship and business management.

Create a business plan, which includes your mission statement, vision, and goals. This is the cornerstone for all successful business ventures. In dating, a mission statement represents what services (products) you can offer a potential mate. It also requires you to know yourself and what your dislikes are, and what you absolutely will not stand for. Goals are also very important. You must indentify what these goals are so that you can act accordingly. If you are looking for a good time, or a long term relationship, you must tailor your efforts.
Marketing. Marketing consists of how you carry yourself, especially with regards to your target market. If you are interested in thugs, dress like shenaynay. If you are interested in upper echelon individuals, then dress accordingly. Personally, i used to avoid certain social events if i couldnt market myself the way i wanted to. I am my own corporation, and in business reputation is everything, so why would i show up somewhere looking like a raggamuffin. That would give my company a bad name and subsquently diminish the value of my services.
Public Relations. I used to align myself with different organizations and social networks not only to help people, but to also allow potential customers to get a feel for what I am about and what I represent.
Price, Product, Place, Promotion. Now, we all know there can be no price tag placed on love, but, i do believe there is a degree of utility(satisfaction) or value that one can bring to another. Therefore, if you believe that you are a valuable asset, treat yourself as such. Make improvements to your product on a daily basis through spiritual growth, healthy living, career goals, leisure activities. Also, in business, where you choose to place your product is critical when trying to attract one's target market. So, if you want to attract an athlete, then visit the places where athletes frequent. If you want a pastor, go to Church. If you want a banker, go to the bank. With regards to promotion. Promote yourself accordingly. If you want to give off the image of class, do not, and i repeat, DO NOT, commit the fatal flaw of being amorous with another too early. Thats a quick way to reduce the potential for a long term customer, and it will inevitably reduce the value of your product. If supply is greater than demand, then the price will drop. I would much rather have the demand higher than supply.
Acquisitions. Now you have gotten to the point where you have some potential business partners or corporate acquisitions. This is when you ask yourself, how will they benefit my company, how can i be an asset to their company, what is their company's mission statement and goals, are they congruent with mine, are they an autonomous company that has been managed effectively prior to your presence? etc
Negotiations. This is the time where you must communicate your needs and wishes. In business negotiations, mutual parties do not settle for minimal gains. They choose to compromise so that both parties get what they need and want. But i cannot stress this enough, it would behoove both parties to communicate effectively. Once the parameters for this relationship are out on the table, then there is a mental or emotional contract hypothetically drawn up. For instance, no moonlighting (cheating), no extorting (taking advantage of the other), no leaking business secrets(alerting the world to the inner workings of your relationship), etc. If one party refuses to the contract, then you must move on. Also, if either party breaches the contract, discuss the reasons for the slip up and then you can discuss with your board of directors whether or not this is a beneficial acquisition. If it is deemed unhealthy and it is preventing your company from maximizing profits, then you must go your own way.

This rule of thought has truly helped me and I can honestly say that my alignment with my significant other's company has increased our revenue stream exponentially. We are a conglomerate that will change the world. Hopefully this can help you in your fiscal endeavors.

mr. me too

2009-09-01T22:30:00.000-07:00

"be the one talked about, not the one talking"

I can recall being forced to take part in a number of plays during my fledgling years. Ive been in plays in church and school alike. i remember how much i dreaded being force fed literature to recite in front of a large group of people. But now as an adult, i recite information almost on the daily. Only difference is, its information that i willingly go over and over in my head. For the past 2 years, Ive made it a habit of producing a long list of aggressive and detailed goals for the upcoming fiscal year. I write it out, I outline it, I tag it on my marker board, I create checklists in my smartphone, and a number of other techniques i utilize to reinforce my goals. Therefore, when someone asks me what do i want to do with my life, I can easily recite to them every detail. There is no stuttering in my response, nor is there any uncertainty. Every time my response is deliberate and well thought out. Not only does repetition play a role in solidifying my goals in my mind, but we live in a world of constant variables. Things rarely go as we plan. So, in preparation for these unforeseen changes, I can make the appropriate adjustments to my goals checklist quite easily. My journey towards success never skips a beat.

"I got goals too"
In 2009, especially in a metropolitan area where cash is king, everyone seems to have a goal or a hustle of some sort. Now I am not the kind of person that knocks someone else's goals and aspirations, but when i take a sample from the general population and ask them what are the exact steps theyre going to follow in order to attain that goal, i hear "well, I uhh..im gonna uhhhh". This is a fatal flaw. Syntax error. System shutdown. Your dream will never come to fruition if you cannot sell me your dream. Or let alone, convince me that you are on top of your game.

Im not saying im the most focused individual on the planet. Nor am I the most successful. However, I know where I am going and I will continue to work hard in order to achieve my goals. Just this past year, I created an aggressive goal list for myself, and I, through the Lord's blessings, and perseverance, was able to complete every task i set for myself. You can do it too.

Just remember the old latin adage

"Acta non verba"

Actions not words.

death of the "tough guy"

2009-06-18T21:55:00.001-07:00

while engaged in a discussion with one of my coworkers i couldnt help be feel a bit confused about the topic she was ranting about
she mentioned how
one of the men she's involved with is too emotional for her
she mentioned how after engaging in "after hours" activities
her mate wanted to spend more time with her and became emotionally attached to her
she then proceeded to question the poor guy's manhood
"why is he expressing all this emotion, i thought guys werent supposed to have emotion"
now i in no way deny the fact that i am emotional being
when i played varsity sports
my vigorous play was driven by emotion
but this statement lightweight offended me
i wondered, would she deem a convict or murderer as an emotional-less being
would she look at the toughest guy in a street gang as stoic or emotion deprived?
chances are, she probably would
and this is a shame
when analyzing this proverbial tough guy image
its clear to see that emotions amongst even the toughest men are evident
tough guys tend to be quick to tussle with someone
curse someone out
avenge the death of another
or defend the sanctity of a loved one
all of these acts are acts of emotion
if one were to magically remove the emotion component from our nation's criminals
chances are violent crime would be drastically reduced
bar fights would be non existent
road rage would be eradicated

today, we are living in a society where prior norms are gradually evolving
one of which
emotion in "tough guys"
men are no longer afraid to express their emotions
especially to a potential significant other
this does not make them any less tough
but all men have had the urge to express their emotions since the dawn of time
and now, it is no longer a social faux pa to let this be known
this brings me to the question of the day

Have professional women adopted this abandoned mindset???

its pimpin, pimpinnnnnn

2009-06-18T21:16:00.000-07:00

poverty pimpin

get your money is a phrase that resonates throughout our community
one must get it at all costs, by any means necessary
get rich or die trying
thug motivation

many leaders in our community have been coined as poverty pimps
al sharpton, good ole jesse jackson ("I AMM, SOMEBODYY)
but ever since the momentum of the civil rights movement came to its violent and turbulent end
the title poverty pimp has transcended into the realm of music
today, hip hop artists who have a number of platinum plaques hanging in their fawyer
are still maintaining that they live the mythical life of a triple og
how is this possible?
i grew up in a neighborhood where actual o.g's romed.
these were men who managed to survive the turbulent years of being a member of a gang
their car of choice are old beat down 88 cutlass supremes
not bentleys
not mazzeratis(sp?)
not lamborghini gallardos
however this is the image these artists portray
whether its their decision to do so or the CEO's of their record label
they perpetuate an image of sheer lawlessness, all while knowing that any legal slip up could lead to the demise of their studio gangster empire

if one were to confront these men on why they rap about such violent acts or even the degradation of women, 99.9% of the time they respond with
"im like a journalist, reporting to America about what goes on in the hood"
now the beauty of the news is that it usually reports new, latest, or even breaking news
nothing that these artists rap about is news to me
the only original group to actually expose mainstream radio to the ills of their community was
N
W
A
they were the first to break onto the fledgling rap scene with images of violence, prostitution, illicit sex and drug use. Average listeners in Iowa were blown away, literally and figuratively.
But 21 years later, artists still feel the need to report the news to generate thousands upon millions of coin.
their excuse to rap about such topics mirrors the excuses of the tobacco company to sell such a destructive product.
however, these artists thrive on the downtrodden
they thrive on individuals killing one another
they thrive on women having children with no father in the house (how ironic)
they thrive on the drug trade, even though a good portion of them no longer sell drugs.
I understand they try to reach an audience with images of the hood
but, these award winning artists do not live in the hood.
they refuse to
the only time an artist actually raps about what they really live is when they work on their debut album.
chances are these artists still live on 104th & main, 23rd st and cerritos, or any other violent neighborhood. but once that album goes platinum
au revoir the hood
bonjour quintessential good life in beverly hills
therefore the authentic shelf life of an artist is just a year.

but the ones that continue to thrive on the plight of their brothers and sisters are in fact
poverty pimps
if their listeners werent in poverty, then there would be nothing to rap about
and the genre itself would lose its allure.

now lets examine the REAL reason why these individuals rap
its quite simple homeboys and homegirls
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
all walks of life need a soundstrack
Christians need gospel, lovers need slow jams, cowboys need country
these rappers are merely satisfying this need.
nothing more
nothing less
so if they were to respond to the incessant questions with this real reason, the money
then they would definitely gain myrespect.
now im definitely not addressing all artists in the annals of BMI and ASCAP
there are a good number that actually rap about where they are currently in life
one of which
one of my favorites
a long beach native
17 years in the game
i need not say his name
you already know
he raps about his illegal indulgences and living a good life above all of the drama
i was blessed with the opportunity of following this artist through every stage of his life
he is one of many that actually maintains an aura of authenticity

so there you have it
Dru Down's 90's classic-Pimp of the year
that you are rapper,that you are.

**by the way, i still love rap and hip hop, it serves a different purpose for me**

peace

bullet theory

2009-06-18T20:37:00.000-07:00

In no way does the title of my blog mean that I am endorsing firearm violence. Instead, I am using the projectile as an inspiration with how I live my life. Lets turn a seemingly negative device into a model for positivity. When looking at our journey through life, we are faced with a number of obstacles and barriers that we must overcome. Higher caliber projectiles are faced with obstacles and are able to penetrate them easily while staying the course. This is how I live my life. I do not want to be content with merely moving around obstacles or barely surpassing them. My mission is to obliterate them while remaining focused on my target or targets. Its time to put work in. No drive by’s. I must walk on my target, and remove it from my path. My most recent target was a Bachelor’s degree. We got into it a while back, and the Bachelors of Science literally put hands on me. But I never forget. I remained focused on it. And one day I caught it slippin. BOOM! Now I’m an alumnus. I have many more targets on my hit list. I stay with a burner.

Lets begin.