Category: Grindin’

The Q&A: Tanji Gilliam (Founder, Oil House Productions) | BoldAsLove.us

Here’s my latest Q&A for Bold As Love.  This profile is on Trenton, New Jersey based filmmaker and producer, Tanji Gilliam.

Young filmmakers working outside of LA, NY, or Atlanta and Austin, often find themselves spending as much time working as evangelists for their hometowns and building the necessary infrastructure needed for a filmmaker to thrive as they do working on their films. Such is the case of this week’s Q&A feature, Tanji Gilliam, Founder & Principal of Trenton New Jersey’s Oil House Productions.

Read More: The Q&A: Tanji Gilliam (Founder, Oil House Productions) | BoldAsLove.us.

Lance Armstrong’s history of lying – ESPN

As expected all of Lance Armstrong’s boosters have reiterated being oblivious to his use of PEDs.  Armstrong definitely deserves the criticism he’s received since his public admission.  A group that has received far less scrutiny and criticism for their actions during Armstrong’s run are the sports reporters who covered Armstrong and who opted to look the other way.  Or as in the case of ESPN’s Rick Reilly, at times did Armstrong’s bidding for him:

Wrote it, said it, tweeted it: “He’s clean.” Put it in columns, said it on radio, said it on TV. Staked my reputation on it.”Never failed a drug test,” I’d always point out. “Most tested athlete in the world. Tested maybe 500 times. Never flunked one.”

via Lance Armstrong’s history of lying – ESPN.

Athletes have long been powerful and mesmerizing, but over the last two decades, many athletes have managed to turn the press into courtiers.  Rather than serving as truth seekers, writers of Reilly’s ilk have opted to instead to go along for a joy-ride with their idol du jour.

Written by Comments Off on Lance Armstrong’s history of lying – ESPN Posted in Grindin'

The Q&A: Chef Mama Cocoa | BoldAsLove.us

My latest Q&A for BoldAsLove.  This one features chef Mama Cocoa of Maryland

Nestled behind an antique shop in Bowie Maryland’s historic district is the divine candy shop Mama Cocoa’s Delights. With its funky decor and a soundtrack consistently featuring the likes of Alice Smith, Prince and Bilal, it would be easy to think that you’ve left the suburbs of Washington DC and have been transported to a hip new spot in Bed-Stuy–DC’s Adams Morgan for that matter.

via The Q&A: Chef Mama Cocoa | BoldAsLove.us.

Bryan Stevenson: We Need to Talk About an Injustice | Video on TED.com

After hearing Stevenson give a presentation a few years back I almost quit my job and pursued a JD because I wanted to be just like him one day. I obviously didn’t run out and apply to CUNY Law, but Stevenson’s words & work remain an inspiration.

Stomach Flu is no joke

When I first sat down to write this post last week I thought my first line would be something about bad things happening in threes, but unless that adage has been amended, I’ve got to come up with something new. Just when it seemed that Teen Biscuit, aka, Teen Khalifa, had eluded the stomach flu that brought down his mother and siblings, he went down for the count on Saturday evening leaving me as the last person standing (literally).

All that I can say is that I’ve never seen anything like this before. Friday night I thought I was in a frat house bathroom the way that Snuggle Biscuit and Singing Biscuit were running in and out to throw up. And on Sunday morning, I went all surgical and bleached every counter in the house. By the time I got to the second bathroom, I practically needed a gas mask so as to not succumb to the scent of the bleach.

But the job got done and now everyone appears to be on the mend.

I cannot stress enough that the stomach flu is not a joke. Whether or not you have kids, be as diligent as possible in washing your hands. Be mindful of your colleagues and take an occasional sick day if you’re feeling ill. And I can’t stress this enough, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Drinking water and keeping hydrated will help your recovery immensely in the event that you do get sick.

By the way, you don’t need to take my word for the severity of the stomach flu. Read here fore more info

Grindin’: Once An Immigrant….

Every once in a while I catch a glimpse of our dining room table and it hits me how far Snuggle Biscuit and I have come from our Caribbean roots. My mother would have never allowed casual meals at her dining table. The same thing goes for Snuggle Biscuit’s grandmother with whom she lived while growing up. Funny thing is, because our folks are Caribbean, the “special events” were few and far in between. Instead, the tables often sat idle, perfectly set and everyone knew to steer clear of them if you want to avoid the wrath of the Woman of the House.

In our house however, the dining table functions as a desk, storage counter, and occasional dining area. It’s used so often that it’s the inverse of the ones we had growing up.

I’d ask what my mother thinks of our behavior, but since she only sees the table during “special events” aka her visits, she’ll never be the wiser.

Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.: “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break the Silence”

The truth of these words is beyond doubt, but the mission to which they call us is a most difficult one. Even when pressed by the demands of inner truth, men do not easily assume the task of opposing their government’s policy, especially in time of war. Nor does the human spirit move without great difficulty against all the apathy of conformist thought within one’s own bosom and in the surrounding world. Moreover, when the issues at hand seem as perplexing as they often do in the case of this dreadful conflict, we are always on the verge of being mesmerized by uncertainty; but we must move on.

Stevie Wonder: “Isn’t She Lovely”

Driving into work this morning I heard on the radio that Jay Z and Beyonce’s daughter, Blue Ivy, recently eclipsed Stevie Wonder’s daughter Aisha as the youngest person ever featured on a single.  I’m not sure whether this stat is actually true or not, but the revelation presented a great opportunity to give a shout out to all the fathers for whom our daughters are our muse….