Tuesday, June 8, 2010

A Connection



This is something most people want and sometimes rarely get. Others have had it, lost it, and are trying to regain it. The way that I can personally describe it as complete comfort and energy with someone. A chemistry. Understanding of what that person is saying and thinking. Almost like reading their thoughts. Once you connect, it throws common sense and rational thoughts right out the window. It makes you forget of any barriers that you have placed because of prior experiences. It's an immediate trust. The funny thing about the right connection is that you feel this almost immediately with someone you don't know. People have often referred to this phenomenon as knowing each other in a past life or you meeting this person was meant to be. A soul mate.

I choose to be single because I have not felt that with someone up to this point. I am lying, I have felt that with someone but the issue is that there is no way in the world that we can be together. I don't even know what she feels towards me. She is someone that I cannot help but wonder how they are and want nothing but the best for, even though I know it will not be with me. I have met many great women with a lot to offer. They were attractive, intelligent, and had great personalities. I just never had that connection that I felt with this special someone. When I feel that rush that I did with someone, I will know that I am to be with her.

I do make connections all the time. Some physical and some more along the lines of friendship. I know that without a certain type of chemistry, it makes things less exciting and outright boring. It almost becomes like a feeling that once you have experienced it, you go searching for it. It is that addicting.

Monday, June 7, 2010

My Favorite Song, "The World Is Yours!"




The year was 1994... It was right before summer and this is a song I listened to countless times on a daily basis. This song to me is perfect. I still listen to it to this day and it reminds me of this important time in my life. Although Blackmoon, Wu-Tang, and Jeru got endless repeats, Nas' Illmatic was my favorite album.

The reason that this time sticks out so much is because so much happened during this period. It was May going into June when I was packing up to move to Puerto Rico for a while and the day before I am to leave, I get a phone call telling me that one of my best friends Romulo Ayala was murdered. Weird thing was I felt no way about it. I felt empty. I was surprised that I was not sad at all. I didn't even get a chance to go his funeral. This was the day. The turning point. The time which at that point forward I was to change. I literally left my life I had in Alexandria, VA. and at 14 years young started to grow to the man I would become.

Moving to Puerto Rico was an experience. I was born there and raised for the first 7 years of my life in Viejo San Juan with my mother before going to NY and eventually settling down in Alexandria. Even though I went down every year for summer vacation it was much different living there. When I would go for vacations I stayed with my grandparents in Santa Rosa, Bayamon. Although I was from the DMV, everyone out there thought I was a Nuyorican. It was my dress, slang, attitude, and music that made it appear so. Also what was different was that prior to me moving down there I would probably only eating once sometimes twice a day due to lack of supervision and money. I think that is why I went crazy and and ate everything in sight while I lived there. I had Sushi for the first time which I quickly became addicted to, ate Churasco, todo typos de pollo, arroz con habichuelas, comida criolla, the works.

It was definitely the best time of my life. I lived in a hotel called El Conquistador In Las Croabas close to Fajardo. It was an amazing resort that was almost like a city. EVERYDAY I would workout, play basketball, swim in the pools and ocean, mess with all the women my age and older and eat 3 TIMES A DAY!!!!! Back in Alexandria I did none of these things consistently. Although I was sexually active for two years prior, I learned a lot living in P.R. I picked up so much being around native Puerto Rican Women that worked in the hotel and lived around the area.It made me a great lover. I would also get to know the guests that came for their vacations both local and international. I HAD THE TIME OF MY LIFE!!!!!!

Now this went on for 2 years before coming back to the DC Area. I came back for the first day of High School at T.C. Williams. I still remember me going to the bus stop in the Hamlets and showing up with some Nike Air Raids, Black Shorts, White Team USA Olympic shirt and my Nike headband. I felt like I was made out of gold!!!! This was the first time that in this area, I was very attractive. The extra weight, tan , and the I don't care attitude where a complete change to what I was once known for. I walked around the whole school by myself and I was stopped by everyone!!!! They were all grabbing me telling me they thought I died because I disappeared right when Romulo dies. Funny thing is that me and Romulo looked EXACTLY ALIKE!!!! So you can imagine the rumors. It was the best feeling being noticed and being approached the way I was. I never wanted that feeling to end.I even ran into this girl I had a crush on by the name of Cassandra. I had the biggest crush on her and she noticed me and started talking my head off, I was on cloud 9. I left before second period because I didn't even have any classes being I was not enrolled at the time.

I went back to Puerto Rico to go to school at Fajardo Academy. I met people that I consider my family and made lasting connections. I gained a lot of knowledge of the world and academics. It was also at this time that I made connections with people dealing with negativity and profitability. That story unfortunately is for another time.

Below I have included some pictures of this time period.


Me in the gym at 14. We were on jerseys early on.

View from the hotel El Conquistador

My brother Jonathan and I heavy in Altura Projects

Me and Samson. Even our pits rock gold links. Check his neck.

My brother Jonathan and his brother Cesar (Caveman) in the hotel.

Boycott BP?!?!?!



As many of you know by now, there was an explosion on the Gulf of Mexico involving a BP Drilling Rig. Eleven people have died, more are injured or missing, and water and surrounding areas will have damage for years to come. An estimated 56,000 to 84,000 barrels of oil is flooding the ocean on a daily basis due to a broken pipe with a direct feed to the oil source. This simply is the largest oil spill in U.S History and a huge ecological nightmare. This is affecting all the states in the surrounding area and it is even hitting the West Coast of Florida. It is ruining wildlife, killing fish, and is and will cause human health hazards. As if that region has not been hard enough with all the natural disasters, we have this to add which is also impacting the local economies compiled with all the hazards listed above.

This spill has been going on for 7 weeks now and it is not letting up anytime soon. I do commend the conservators and scientist genuinely trying to help stop the leak and helping locals along with the wildlife. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for BP and portions of our government. They downplayed the matter and in the beginning BP stated that only 1,000 barrels a day was being emptied to the water. Not only did they downplay it but when certain agencies wanted to record it to properly estimate the true amount it was spilling they responded by saying "no". They feel that it makes no difference and that it will deter from clean up efforts. Under that law as written in 1990, BP must pay $1,000 for every barrel it spills, and $3,000 per barrel if it is found to have been grossly negligent. BP can do the math just as well as Mr. Markey can — 25,000 barrels a day times 40 days (and climbing) times $3,000 equals at least $3 billion.

What really trips me out and gets me is that they were operating this remote oil rig without a remote off switch that would be used for such an event. Because of their shortcuts and negligence, we the people of these United States are left with the damage while they enjoy their Billions of Dollars. This makes me mad so I am to the point where I have to agree that we must boycott this company completely.

The issue with a boycott is that BP only owns 100 of 900 gas stations and the rest are independently owned by regular people. Because of their mistake I do not want to make these independent owners suffer but something must be done. Below I have included all companies that are owned by BP so you the reader can make an intelligent decision...

BP

ampm

Aral

ARCO

BP Travel Centre

BP Connect

BP Express

BP Shop

Castrol Oil

Air BP and BP Shipping

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Let Me Explain Something to You...



Boxing is a mental sport. This might seem like a contradiction given the nature of this extremely physical contact sport but last night's fight between Cotto and Foreman proves it. You see, what you saw last night was nothing more than a set up fight. It allowed Cotto to get his confidence back while Foreman enjoyed his biggest payday. This fight allows for a possible rematch to be shown by Pay Per View versus another free showing in HBO. It had the story with an Undefeated Champion Yuri Foreman fighting Former Champion Miguel Cotto. The reality of it is that Yuri was a flipping injured figther ( I referred to him as a cripple but gotta show respect ) . He came in with a knee brace and went down on the 7th round a few times because of it. In boxing the least you need to be is completely healthy to have a fair chance to win, word to fights being cancelled because of broken pinkys. He fought cause it was more money then he has seen before so the show must go on.

Now the situation with Cotto is a little bit more complex. Cotto was poised to be one of the top fighters. He was undefeated and would fight any fighter. Great guy with a slow but deadly style in the ring. Everything went downhill for him when he fought Antonio Margarito. Long story short, Margarito made Cotto's face look like the Elephant Man (google that). He never received a whooping like that before and the real reason was later discovered. It was later found out that Margarito has been fighting dirty. In a fight with Sugar Shane Mosley, Mosley's trainer found that he had padded his hand wraps with plaster to make them harder thus increasing the damage to his opponent. Flat out, you could go to jail for this for attempted murder. The fight between Mosley still went on but after Margarito lost that night he was suspended for what he did. Now if he did it with Mosley, who is to say he did not do the same thing with Cotto. Post fight interviews and photos of the Cotto Margarito fight show a colored substance in his hand wraps. Hand wraps are always and should stay white. There is no reason for coloring unless something else was added. With that written, it clearly explains why Cotto got beaten like he did. Unfortunately, the mental damage that Cotto endured was done. His confidence was destroyed. Like anything in life, YOU NEED CONFIDENCE TO PERFORM AT YOUR BEST. This is why you practice at anything that you do so it can become habit to perform at your peak. When he fought Pacquiao (yes steroids, but I like the guy) it was apparent that his confidence was gone. He was satisfied after Pacquiao started wilding out on him that he was content with not getting beaten like with Pacquiao. He looked like an abused puppy that flinches cause his master has hit him a few times too many. This is why he needed a gimme. An easy fight. A fight where he could look more of a boxer for the fans so he could get back to Pay Per View Status but more for himself to know that he could still box.


Without a doubt it was purely a business decision that the fight was set up like it was. It was fought in Yankee Stadium (very pro Cotto) to show off the new stadium. As for the fight itself, I have never seen anything like that. Foreman as good as he could have been was not at a 100% because of his injured knee. He could have rolled into the Ring in a wheelchair because of that injury so fighting in the condition that he did was just ignorant. There was no way he was winning that fight without good use of both legs. During the fight, Cotto did what he did and started beating him like a drum. Foreman's face was showing the abuse and in the 7th round Foreman went down twice. Not from his beating but because of his knee. The funny thing is that his wife could be seen loosing it and wanting the fight stopped at the end of the round. That lady has some sense. But the fight went on until in the coming round 8 when a towel was thrown in. A towel being thrown in means that the corner is quitting the fight so their fighter is not hurt. Now in the weirdest and most unusual thing I have ever seen, the referee called the fight back on. After everyone got in the ring and they were about to do all the post fight stuff, he resumed the fight. Apparently it was not Foreman's corner that threw it in (I think it was his upset woman). Cotto still whopped him and there was a TKO in the 9th round.



All this said due to the drama that happened with Foreman being injured and Cotto winning and beating the undefeated title holder, this makes a perfect comeback for Cotto. He was able to regain his confidence and the public got to see what he does best. Unfortunately, it was doing so by beating a disadvantaged fighter. Foreman won many new fans after showing his heart and if there is a rematch it guarantees Pay Per View. Now funny thing, looking at Cotto's face after the fight, I would not be surprised if he retires. It was something in his eyes that indicated to me that he no longer posses the killer instinct or the hunger for this anymore.


So once again, Boxing (the sweet science) is a MENTAL SPORT!

I Am So Flipping Hungry...!

I am sitting at home hungrier than a hostage. I just got done watching the fight (Cotto beat that crippled guy) and just remembered I have not eaten. It's 2:30 in the morning and I can't go out to eat cause everything is closed. You know very well it's too late to start cooking and I am just flat out lazy. Now tell me, what in the world can I do??????