Scribbler's Rave & Favorite Five: Tuesday Night at the Movies, #1 The 40-Year-Old Virgin

When you see previews for a movie, it's a crap shoot; some movies are exactly what they appear to be while others are either much better or precipitously worse than expected.  I knew that The 40-Year-Old would be special just from the trailer, but neither did I expect it to be a lifelong fanatic over it nor that it would eventually become my favorite movie ever.  Now I have many friends and fellow movie buffs who totally understand why The 40-Year-Old Virgin tops the list because they spit out their milk several times watching it.  However, I'm sure that there are those of you who have stayed the course with this edition of my "Rave & Favorite Five" and are thinking, "You had Friday, The Last Dragon and Coming to America on this list...you mean to tell me that this is your No. 1 movie of all time?!?!"  To the latter section of the population, I say two things: 1) it's my countdown and 2) have we met?!?!  If you've ever seen this movie and know half of what you claim to know about me, then how can you not think of me when the plot has me written all over it?  Furthermore, no matter what kind of day, week, month or year I've been having, this has always been one of those movies that has never not been funny.  Nevertheless, allow me to fill in the blank if you're still drawing one as I present my five favorite things about The 40-Year-Old Virgin...

Get Down or Sit Down, Part 2: The Great Distraction and the Erasure of "Black"

The need for understanding and recognition is as natural for human beings as eating, sleeping and dropping three hot ones a day.  (BTW...if you're not doing the latter, then step your whole grains and water games up, slim.  I drop PSAs within PSAs.)  However, Black people, who weren't even legally considered 100 percent human for 78 of their first 246 years in this country, have struggled mightily with those basic human needs more than most other races in American society.  Between erasing and replacing our entire heritage, language, religion and culture, it was clear from the outset that we were a disposable people.  Pepper in some of the most heinous acts in world history including but not limited to all of American slavery, the Black Wall Street Massacre of 1921 that killed over 3,000 Black people and the gruesome murder of 14-year-old Emmitt Till and it was even more apparent.  So when you have groups of people who insist on changing the hashtag as well as the narrative from #BlackLivesMatter to "#AllLivesMatter" or "#BlueLivesMatter", Black people are once again faced with the harsh reality of living in a country full of revisionist historians who don't understand why we've been saying variations of "Black Lives Matter" since forever.  Hence, as I soldier on with Part 2 of "Get Down or Sit Down", I will attempt to unveil how these assertions of which lives matter cunningly detract from Black people's issues...

Nothing to Fear? One Man's Reality of What It Means to Be Black in America

When it comes to other human beings, I tend to be a fairly intrepid person because the only being that I "fear" is God.  Even then, I'd rather say that I revere God instead of fearing Him because fear and faith cannot coexist.  However, I will say that I am realistically cautious of certain people.  If you let many conservative politicians and talking heads have their say, then everyone should fear Black people more because we make up only 13 percent of the population while committing a significant amount of the violent crimes.  If you let current media propaganda lead the way, then Black people should be more worried about being beaten or killed by law enforcement officers in lieu of suffering at the hands of another Black person.  As a 36-year-old Black man who has survived the ominous elements of the infamous "Murder Cap" era of Washington, D.C. and the "Mighty" Ward Eight, I've been confronted with the reality of both.  So if I were to be "realistically cautious" of anyone threatening my life, then who would it be: other Black people or the police?  Welp, let's talk about it...

Get Down or Sit Down, Part 1: The Loud Pack and the Silent Killers

Although Black people have constantly burdened the brunt of racism and discrimination since being brought to the Americas against our will, it feels like it's been open season on Black people since the death of Trayvon Martin in February of 2012.  However, since last week's senseless murders of 37-year-old Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and 34-year-old Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota by police officers, there appears to be an uprising in the making because Black folk just aren't having it anymore.  The pain of constantly being reminded that our lives don't matter has stirred up the need for urgent solidarity among our people to send messages to the establishment that we are no longer just marching or protesting, although none of that will cease or desist until justice is achieved.  The problem is that while some of us are heeding to the "all aboard" call, there are many in our own ranks and outside who are either inadvertently or purposely subverting the spirit of the movement and the efforts of those trying to make progress for our people.  Chalk it up to disingenuous behavior, apathy, confusion, distraction, ego, cynicism, ignorance or flat-out negativity, but either way, the attitude is simple: either get down or, like Jesse Williams insisted in his 2016 BET Awards speech, "sit down".  Hence, this series is dedicated to helping folks identify whether they truly care about justice and the advancement of Black people or if they're just in the way...

Scribbler's 11th Hour Post of the Week: Why Kevin Durant's Big Decision Gives Me Cause for Pause

I had every intention of keeping this post as simple as possible, but when have y'all ever known me to do that?!?!  I'm not afraid to admit it: I just don't do brief, especially when it comes to breaking news like seven-time All-Star, four-time scoring champ and former NBA MVP Kevin Durant signing a two-year, $54.3 million deal with the Golden State Warriors--yup, the same team that kept him, Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder from what appeared to be a surefire date with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals.  It seems like more people have been talking about this and nearly choking on their burnt hot dogs and potato salad in the process than the news that the FBI has decided not to charge former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for mishandling classified information in her emails.  (You're probably thinking, "Well Dirk, you're doing the same thing."  My response: politics suck right now.  It's either going to be a shady Hillary Clinton or a baseless Donald Trump for President of the United States...who TF wants to talk about that?!?!)  My overall position, however, is simple: neither am I in love with this move for Durant nor the Warriors...yet.  Indulge me...