Under the influence

Best album I have heard in months.  Incredible lyrics.  What a comeback after two albums of garbage.  Eminem is hands down the best rapper of all time.  Drake is a piece of shit.  What a bunch of crap...

My entire life, I have been influenced by the people that surround me.  Growing up, I looked up to my cousins and always thought of them as my role models.  They taught me things I shouldn't have learned as a youngster and put me way ahead of the game in terms of street smarts.  At the same time, my parents instilled in me the values I still carry today.  For the most part.  I had the balance of stability in my family as well as the spontaneity learned from my cousins.  Everything I did then was heavily influenced by them.  It wasn't until my first years of college that I began to establish myself as my own person.

I was no longer in high school trying to fit in.  I was not vying for most popular, most athletic, class clown, or any other title.  There was no one left to compete with but myself.  It was time to move on.  Time to work on myself. 

College opened me eyes to different things.  I began to develop my own philosophies on life and I spent a lot of time looking at who I was.  For the first time in my life, I was learning to think for myself.  It wasn't just things that I learned in the classroom that made me change.  It was the entire college experience.  I went through many phases as an adolescent and teen, but I finally began the era in my life where I felt comfortable in my own skin.

Why am I telling you this?  Because people recently have tried to force their values and beliefs onto me.  I am just starting to realize what I believe in so do not try and challenge me or try to discredit my views.  I would not do the same to you.  To your face at least.

Tomorrow, jurors may or may not start the deliberation process in the Johannes Mehserle case.  Murder one is now off the table.  There has been speculation that if the trial reaches a verdict other than murder, there is a possibility of a riot in Oakland.  Most likely near the Fruitvale station where Mehserle shot Oscar Grant.  A station where I pass by everyday to get to work.  Fearing a riot, my aunt and I may or may not work from home in the coming days.  

The past few days my aunt had been complaining about how much publicity this story is getting.  She was upset because a few months earlier a Chinese man was shot to death by an officer and that story was never heard of again after a few weeks.  She suggested that it was unfair the media covers mainly racism and police discrimination towards blacks.

First of all, the black community is more vocal.  There is no arguing that they are more likely to organize and protest anything and everything.  Therefore, it's no surprise they receive more media attention.  They have appointed leaders like Jesse Jackson who wags his finger at the white man and gets results.  Secondly, the system is broken.  There is always more appeal in current times to depict the black man as the victim.  If you've ever seen any of the earlier episodes of "Cops", most if not all of the criminals were black.  Simply put, the Asian community just does not have the same pull as blacks. 

The news of this case is not new to anyone, however.  Accidents happen.  It was not a case of police brutality or racism.  It truly is a reach for the Grant family and supporters to ask for any murder charges against Mehserle.  Hopefully the verdict will be manslaughter and there is no civil unrest.  The way I see it, this is a case that will perpetuate racism regardless of the verdict.  If Mehserle gets manslaughter, the blacks will protest saying the judicial system favors whites.  On the other hand, if Mehserle is charged with murder, it will probably be seen by most as an unfit punishment for the crime. Whites could say that the white guilt has taken over and blacks are starting to run the show.  There is no good outcome. 

My aunt keeps telling me crap I just don't want to hear.  The only thing I hate more than racism (jokes aside), is self-righteous remarks.  I am always open to listening to other people's views, but there's a line between listening and being forced to agree.  You can tell me how you feel but don't follow up every opinion with, "Right?" or "Don't you agree?"  I have my own thoughts that I might want to express but your hard-headedness leaves no room for opinion.  So stop it.

On a completely different topic.  I am sculpting my body into the exact image of a Greek God.  I've been blasting my pecs with at least 80 push ups a day for the past month.  I started on the first of June and have only missed three days (four if you include one due to injury).  What's the routine you ask?  Thirty regular push ups, followed by 15 inside, 10 diamond, and 30 outside.  That's one set I complete with less than 30 seconds between each variation.  I usually do one to two sets a day depending on how my body is feeling. When my arm gets better I'm going to up the ante to three sets a day. 

Chadwick, watch yo back.  I will match you at your own challenge.  *Flex flex*

Until next time,

The only King without a mustache is the King of Hearts.

-Thunderlips

No words.