Little Mr. ‘Whoop Yo Own Ass!’

Let’s start off by saying, these children today need their little rusty butts beat more often.  They are cussin’ and fussin’ their way into everything their little hearts desire and it has to stop.

For some reason World Star Hip Hop always are able to find a bad little kid that’s been videotaped having a good ol’ time cussin’ and having his say.  Well, we’ve found yet another that isn’t that bad, but had a little bit of a potty mouth and had some sort of toy addiction.

Well the little man was negotiating with his mother about why she shouldn’t beat his butt and that his toy addiction was of no fault of his own.

“God made me this way!”

What? Then he tells his mother:

“Don’t whoop me !Don’t whoop me! I know who you need to whoop.  Whoop yo own ass.”

Wow!  I just want to find out what school he goes to.  He’s a bad influence on the rest of the little toy addicts.  Check out the adorable little fella. (wink!)

-J.C. Brooks

Anthony Cymerys, known as “Joe the Barber”, has been providing free haircuts to the homeless of Hartford, Connectict, for 25 years.

Don’t you wish that the good people from the neighborhood would get the attention of Fox, CBS, CNN, or any major media outlet? The good stories always seem to fall by the wayside…until now.

Filmmaker J.V. Harvey has taken it upon himself to profile the good samaritans of the Hartford, Connecticut neighborhood where the homeless come to congregate and get good home-cooked meals and professional haircuts from not social service programs, but normal everyday people who want to help in their community.

Anthony Cymerys also known as Joe the Barber, has been providing haircuts to the homeless since 1988 for the price of a hug.  

Right after the 82-year-old barber retired, he heard a sermon that helped him to see his life through the eyes of service and he didn’t want to see the homeless to look homeless anymore. According to Oddity Central:

“In the beginning, he helped people in shelters and convalescent homes, then he cut hair in downtown YMCA for years, before moving to the carousel near Bushnell Park. Every Wednesday, the wooden benches on the Elm Street side of the park are packed with homeless people waiting for a relaxing haircut, shave and facial massage…”

The service he provided inspired others and Betty Magee and Ed Galler started making homemade meals for the homeless.

“The first couple of times I came with Joe, so I felt safe,” Magee said. “Then after you’re here a couple of times, you realize it’s fine.”

Read more here and check out the trailer for J.V. Harvey’s “Unsung Hero” below.

-J.C. Brooks

At one time, the suburbs represented a comfy living away from the hustle and bustle of the city that suggested the suburbanites had substantial resources to separate them from others.  Now…not so much.

According to the Huffington Post, the middle class has taken such a blow in this economy that the suburbs is no longer a separation from the city, they’re merely an extension of it.  The Brookings Institution, produced a report that shows “the suburban poverty rate in America has climbed by 64 percent over the past decade, more than twice as fast as the poverty rate in urban areas.”

It seems unbelievable, but nearly 16.5 million people are living in poverty in the suburbs in comparison with the inner cities that level off at 13 million.  Elizabeth Kneebone, an author of Confronting Suburban Poverty in America, reports that ever suburb in America has seen increase in poverty.  She attributes the rise to two major components among others.

“Suburbs are increasingly home to new immigrant populations, either because they have communities there or networks there or they’re following affordable housing opportunities or jobs,” she said. “In tight housing markets, where city housing has become so expensive, people have been looking for more affordable options further out.”

Wow! Who would’ve thought they would be looking for affordable housing in the suburbs.  Kneebone also discusses the role of gentrification projects throughout urban centers as being a major component.

Read more here.

-J.C. Brooks

We will understand if you have to text while you read this because now we know that is the norm.

Two new studies suggest that because we are so distracted by our iPads, laptops, cell phones, and other gadgets we’re losing brain power.  The distraction of a ping, bleep, or fancy ringtone has caused people to score 20 percent lower on a standard cognition test.  The second study showed that some of the most disciplined students, couldn’t go two minutes “without distracting themselves by using social media or writing an email”, according to MSNBC.

Many professors have given valuable advice to their students about multi-tasking.  If you’re juggling too many balls in the air it is a near certainty that all things will suffer and none of your projects will   Many should already be aware that mixing mental actions with mental actions is not going to work out. But you can usually mix physical skills with mental ability and be successful.

The report gives a great example.

“If you are good at folding laundry, you can probably fold laundry and watch TV at the same time…”

For the first study, Alessandro Acquisti and Eyal Peer at Carnegie Mellon University’s Human Computer Interaction lab put together distractions for a control group of 136 college students as they took a standard test of cognitive abilities.  Those that were interrupted answered correctly 20 percent less than those who weren’t.

The second study was conducted by Larry Rosen, a professor at California State University-Dominguez Hills, and he used a group of 263 students that were followed into their normal study environments.  But even while knowing they were watched, at the two-minute mark, they were back to texting, e-mailing, or some other distraction. The research showed that only 65 percent of the time was used on schoolwork.

Read more here…after you return that text.

-J.C. Brooks

Writer for NewsOne, Kirsten West Savali exposed racist ad for Uni-ball called “Bust You Out” and company has agreed to drop the ad and apologizes.

First Pepsi, now another company has fallen into the, obviously, tempting world of racist ads.

Uni-ball, known for their gel ink pens, thought it would be cute to take a punch at black prison inmates and their pen pal “homies” back home.  The commercial for their pen makes little to no sense as they poke fun at the slang typed in Edwardian Script that, according to Uni-ball, calls for a British accent because it isn’t written using their pen.

Kirsten West Savali reported the ad for News One and the company tweeted an apology to her and assured her that they had nothing to do with the ad and it would be taken down. But while they claim no culpability in this fiasco, Savali posted the credits for the ad:

Creative Ad Agency: TBWA
Client: Uniball Pens
Executive Creative Directors: Matthew Brink, Adam Livesey
Art Director: Jade Manning, Sacha Traest
Copywriter: Vincent Osmond
Production: Sandra Gomes
Account Manager: Morgan Wanckel, Niki Cinnamon, Claire Peters
Production Company: Frieze Films
Director: Rob Malpage
DOP: Rob Malpage
Sound: Sterling Sound, RobRoy Music.

Read her letter to the company here and check out the ad below.  Kudos to you, Savali!

-J.C. Brooks

Jay Harris, aka Jay Datbull, loses full-ride scholarship to Michigan State University this fall for rap video posted on YouTube, May 14, 2013.

As tuition rises daily at our nation’s universities, parents everywhere are working diligently with their kids and praying for scholarships.  But, what if your child got a full ride to college and chose a rap career over the scholarship? (Lady, put your belt down and keep reading!)

Jay Harris also known as Jay DatBull played football for Downingtown High School East in Exton, Pennsylvania.  He was a phenomenal receiver for his high school and to his surprise,  received a full-ride to Michigan State University. He told everyone via a YouTube video how he was so happy to represent the Spartans, but then he made, what many may perceive as a foolish choice.  He posted a blunt smokin’, expletive laden, rap video called “Datbull 4 Life”about some bull that cost him the golden ticket to MSU.

Jay Datbull said that he would be working with a producer, M. Stacks, this summer, but Stacks manager denies the claims.

Once the university got a gander of what they were accepting into their football program and student body, they immediately rescinded their offer and wished him luck.  Now his parents may be upset, but he isn’t.  According to the Huffington Post, Harris was scared to tell his parents, but he would much rather pursue a rap career than go to MSU.  He told the Inquirer that a producer, M.Stacks, would be working with him over the summer, but Stacks’ manager said there could be nothing further from the truth.

Read more here.  Check out Jay DatBull’s video that lost him a scholarship to attend MSU this fall and tell us if it was worth it.

-J.C. Brooks

Racist graffiti found on the walls at Augora High School Sunday, May 12, 2013.

There appears to be some kind of underlying race war going on and we don’t have a clue who started it.  And here we thought having the first black President was something that was celebrated…not so much.

In a community labeled “one of the safest communities in the country,” Augora Hills, California, some racist idiots spray painted a list of black students who would be the “first to die” at Agoura High School. Of course parents were outraged to hear of the incident, but mostly because they were not immediately informed about it, according to the Huff Post’s Black Voices.

The “hit list” was believed to be sprayed on the wall last Wednesday, May 15, but there was racist graffiti on the walls discovered and removed from the walls on Sunday, May 12. One parent spoke out to news station KTLA about her outrage with the school’s administration:

“I am completely shocked that they painted over something and didn’t alert the student body. Maybe kids have information, maybe they have knowledge, but to just completely ignore this, to put my son’s safety at risk? I’m not okay with that.”

The principal, Larry Misel,  said they were following advisement from the sheriff’s office because they didn’t want to tip off the culprits with any info that might alert them about their investigation.

Sean is one of the students whose name was on the “hit list” found in one of Augora High School’s bathrooms, Wednesday, May 15, 2013.

One of the black students whose name was on the hit list, Sean, and his mother Lorna Hill, spoke with reporters.  She said that the Hate Crime Task Force was very gentle with them and assured them that those on the hit list were not in danger.  Sean told reporters:

“This situation is really ridiculous, like, I never thought that anything like this would happen at this school.”

Check out the report.

-J.C. Brooks

Dwyane Wade surprises senior Nicole Muxo at her senior prom at La Jolla Ballroom in Coral Gables, and also meets her family, Friday, May 17, 2013.

The prom season is upon us and all of the misery over “what to wear” and “who to take” is over.  One teen in particular, has got to be glad that it’s all over because it took her 2 years of campaigning to get a date…a dream date.

Nicole Muxo of Miami, Florida’s Archbishop Coleman Carroll High School, was relentless in pursuing Dwyane Wade for a prom date.  She, obviously, is a big fan of Wades as she started asking him when she was a junior in high school.  Her video requests included a shot of her pleading for a date standing next to his poster.

Nicole Muxo started her campaign to get the Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade to be her date when she was a junior for her junior prom in the 2011-2012 school year.

He didn’t show up to her house to pick her up and go with her, but he did surprise her during prom with a bouquet of flowers and plenty of photo ops to last her a lifetime.  She assumed Wade would not be coming, so she did have a date to the prom.  But, once the heat was turned up, he was shoved to the side for a dance with D-Wade.

Wade is nursing numerous bone injuries during playoffs, but he “admired her persistence” and decided that he would make Muxo’s dream come true by offering a little bit of his time.  Hats off to you, Wade. And thanks for not wearing the capri’s.

Check them out.

-J.C. Brooks

Pat Robertson tells women to “Stop talking about the cheating!” and honor their cheating husbands, Wednesday, May 15, 2013.

The 700 Club has been a source of spiritual guidance for many, many, years.  The trusted source at the helm of the program is octogenarian Pat Robertson, who is showing his age with the advisement that hasn’t changed since the program began in 1966.

On Wednesday, the televangelist really showed his age and antiquated perspective when a woman wrote in looking for advice on how to deal with her husband’s infidelity.  The inquiry visibly ruffled Robertson’s feathers and the first thing out of his mouth was “Stop talking about the cheating!” 

But that’s only the beginning.  What came next might cause someone over 60 years old to even give him an open-hand smack to the face!

“Here’s the secret. Stop talking about the cheating! He cheated on you, well, he’s a man! Okay, so what you do is begin to focus on why you married him in the first place, on what he does good. Does he provide a home for you to live in?  Does he provide food for you to eat? Does he provide clothes for you to wear?”

Did he just diminish this woman’s self respect and family life to dollars and cents?  But wait! There’s more!

“I recommend you reach out and touch him, touch his face. Hold his hand. Look into his eyes. Talk to him.”

She’s going to reach out and touch him alright.  Robertson should’ve stopped here, but he didn’t.  He’s going to get somebody shanked in their sleep with this stuff.  He said women are sitting up there praying the hatred off of themselves so they’ll stop the murder attempt on these men’s lives…but he didn’t make it any better.

“Oh God, keep me not to hate him for what he did when he was with that stripper in that hotel room 10 years ago and I’ll never forgive him kinda thing, please help me! Stop that! Focus on the good stuff…”

“Whether you like it or not, males have the tendency to wander a little bit and what you wanna do is make a home so wonderful that he doesn’t want to wander.”

Robertson better hire more security after this one.  Does anyone still adhere to what he’s prescribing? And right before Father’s Day he brings up this foolishness.  The Shahrazad Ali wing of hell is being built for his old ass as we speak.  Check him out.

-J.C. Brooks

Dorian Joyner, Jr., and his dad Dorian Joyner Sr., graduate Morehouse College together this weekend.

The graduation season is here and it’s off to a brand new life and career for students all over the country.  Some will be nostalgic remembering their first day of their college journey and being away from their parents for the first time…well, some were left by their parents.

Dorian Joyner Jr., didn’t have that experience when he started his collegiate journey at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.  His dad, Dorian Joyner Sr., joined him.  They were classmates and Junior didn’t mind.  Now, they have completed the requirements to graduate and will officially become Morehouse men walking across the stage with President Obama at the helm of their ceremony.

It doesn’t get better than this!  They will graduate together as President Obama gives them encouraging words for the future of not just two men, but a family legacy.  Dorian Sr. had attended Morehouse between 1984 and 1988, but left prematurely to start his career.  He plans to go on to law school.

Dorian Jr. is an English major that is looking forward to going on to film school. The dynamic duo will not be missing each other of course, but Jr. said some of his good friends and the brotherhood he experienced will be sorely missed.  But his dad’s accomplishment gives him great pride over all else.

“I’m proud of him as a man for him to come back all these years to pursue something he had when he was my age. So that’s awesome I’m a be proud of him as a man and as my father to grab that diploma and to see his mother, and his brother, and me grab our diplomas together. That’s the one thing I’m going to be so happy about.”

Meet the father and son below.  Hats off to the Joyner’s and all of our nation’s graduates! CONGRATULATIONS!

-J.C. Brooks