Yup. Greatness Runs In The Family.

If you live in Baltimore, or watch any news at all, you'll remember a story about a pitbull being set on fire and a police officer putting the fire out.

The officer is my cousin. That's right, bizzles.

""We just pulled up and saw the dog in the middle of the street, rolling around and on fire," Teel said. "It was screaming. I pulled my sweater off and tried to put the fire out."

The officer noticed people standing around. "I asked if anybody saw anything, but nobody did," Teel said.

It's a refrain heard across the city, frustrating officers who feel under siege and alone in caring, spouted by people by rote whether the person actually saw anything or not.

Asked again on Tuesday if anyone in the neighborhood saw the dog being burned, Teel said with a laugh: "Of course not."

Then she added, "The dog, he just stood there, helpless." Perhaps "Stop Snitching" now extends to animals."

*photo and story excerpt courtesy of The Baltimore Sun.

The Mayor has since given Officer Syreeta Teel official honors for her bravery. I feel like a proud mother.

The dog unfortunately was euthanized after several days and several attempts to save her life. There was an outpouring of people calling offering their own money to aide in the search for who committed the crime. At last update, the reward stands at $24,500. More recently, a set of 17-year-old twin boys have been named as the culprits.

I'm not gonna walk around throwing blood on your fake fur coat, but animals hold a soft spot in my heart. Hearing this story still makes me sad. I hope the punishment isn't too harsh, but punishment enough.

(deuces.)

Damn, Baltimore Pt. 3: Leakin Parks and Stinkin Clergyman

"BALTIMORE -- A Baltimore city grand jury has indicted two pastors in connection with the death of a developmentally disabled blind man.

Kevin Pushia and James Clea are accused of conspiring to kill Lemuel Wallace in order to collect hundreds of thousand of dollars from insurance policies taken out on him.

Wallace's body was discovered in February in a restroom in Leakin Park.

Pushia and Clea remain in jail. An arraignment is scheduled for next month."

*photo and story courtesy of wbaltv.com

I never thought I would have a "Damn, Baltimore" post of this caliber. The two pastors were indicted last Friday. They paid a hitman $50,000 of the church's money to execute Lemuel Wallace, leaving his body inside of Leakin Park. If you're from Baltimore, knowing that a body was dumped inside of a public park is no surprise. Google 'Leakin Park' if you're curious. They don't call it 'Leakin' for nothing.

There are also reports that one pastor, Kevin Pushia (picture shown above), also coerced other clients at the Arc Center to list him as the benificiary in their life insurance policies.

WTF. I mean, stories like these aren't unheard of, but it always kills me when these stories about "men/women of the cloth" surface. Calling yourself a pastor and then doing such acts should cause spontaneous combustion.

Seriously, though. Google 'Leakin Park'.

(deuces.)

Harold and Kumar Go to...The WHITE HOUSE?!

photo and story courtesy of cnn.com

"Actor and longtime Obama supporter Kal Penn is joining the Obama administration, the White House confirmed to CNN Tuesday.
The actor will be part of the White House Office of Public Liaison, which is run by Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett. Penn will be primarily involved in dealing with Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and the arts community."

One more thing that makes Obama look awesome in my eyes.

FYI: If you don't know who Kal Penn is, I'm sure you've been living under a rock. Underwater. On Mars.

And...if Obama is cool with putting Kal Penn on his administration...I'm pretty sure other things will be on the way.

420 things, to be precise.

:o)

(deuces.)

The Rapture.

And I'm not talking about one of my favorite Anita Baker songs.
My grandmother always called the End of Days "The Rapture", and I never paid much attention to it because she used the phrase all the time, even when it was unecessary. It was funny. Just jokes. But now, I'm not so sure...grandma might be right.

Just over this weekend, we've had two mass shootings on Sunday. There was an incident in Santa Clara, California; an apparent murder-suicide that has left six people dead. Two were children. There is one more woman in the hospital in critical condition.

In Carthage, North Carolina, the term 'disturbing' reached new heights as a man went on a shooting spree at a nursing home, killing seven patients, one employee; and leaving three people wounded. The ages of the patients/victims ranged from 78-98, and the employee was 39. The man responsible for the shootings was shot and apprehended on the scene, and is now facing eight counts of murder and one count of felony assault on a police officer.

Let's not forget about the man who went in on a shooting rampage in Alabama, the man in Illinois who killed a church pastor and stabbed two church members, or the young man in Germany who killed 15 people before dying in a violent shootout with the police. The whole world is going to hell in a handbasket, FAST. And when I thought the nursing home shootings were vile enough (who the FU*K kills people's grandparents?!), I read something that made my heart sink to the pit of my stomach.

In Milton, Massachusetts, Kerby Revelus stabbed his 17 year old sister to death before decapitating his 5 year old sister in front of the police. He was then shot after he went after his 9 year old sister, who sustained defensive wounds to her hands, and stab wounds to her stomach and one of her legs. The picture to the the right is that of 17 year old Samantha and 9 year old Sarafina. Sarafina was the one that called the police after watching her older sister be murdered. The police officers who were on the scene are receiving counseling, as they described what they saw as "a killing field".

What the hell is going on with the minds of some of these people? It seems that things are getting worse and worse, with no sign of getting better. People are offing their families like they're...well, not family. Everday I'm fearing for my safety because I may be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and become a victim of someone's rage because their day started off wrong.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all families of the victims who are suffering at this time.

(deuces.)

Stand By Your Man

I read this story on CNN.com, and if this isn't the definition of a "ride or die chick", then I officially don't know what is.




"Robin Stearns, 28, watched her husband apply for jobs day in and day out. She watched him scour professional networking sites in an attempt to contact prospective employers.

Robin Stearns created a Web site to draw employers' attention to her jobless husband, Michael.

No response.
Then an idea came to her: Why not make him stand out by starting a Web site devoted to helping him find a job? She used her tax refund to buy a MacBook, which came with a Web site building feature. A few days later, myhusbandneedsajob.com was born."

You can check the rest of the story here.


This woman bought a MacBook (which costs a grip--expensive for no damn reason) with her own money and started a website to help her husband find a job. Selflessness at its finest. Her husband has gotten several e-mails regarding job opportunities since the site's opening. If I was that man, I'd deem everyday "My Wife Is AWESOME" day, lol.

I thnk it's admirable; I hear so many women who claim to be a "ride or die"* chick, but when the proverbial sh*t reeeeally hits the fan, zoom! Out the door, which is understandable in some cases, but if you're out before attempting to fix anything? Consider yourself a wimp. Especially in these days and times, when people are losing their jobs faster than they can say 401-K; who can really show that kind of dedication to the one that they love? I'm with it, I believe that in any relationship, your partner's goals should be just as important as yours, if you're serious. Not more important, but if you are with someone and you're considering spending your life with that person, make a plan. That means "I help you, you help me". Ladies, if your man wants to be an astronaut, help him out by getting information on what schools offer scholarships for his studies. Help him find work! Motivation is key, and he will love you endlessly if you show him you're there. Note: I said motivation, not nagging. Running the "did you do's" by your man is one sure way to annoy the hell out of him, so choose your words wisely. It also works vice versa, so men, if your lady has aspirations of being the best pediatric nurse you've ever heard of, give her a little push; help her study, make some flash cards, do something! You'll feel a shift in your relationship, trust me.

Kudos to you, Robin, you set a great example!

(deuces.)

*"Ride or Die Chick" may be my next Friday Forethought topic. That's definitely another phrase that I hear wayyyy too much.

Monkeys and Stimulus Bills...there's a connection?!

Photo courtesy of New York Post

Errr uhhh...WTF?
From my understanding, this is supposed to be a comic about a woman who was attacked by her pet chimp. But...what does the stimulus bill have to do with it?

This was actually posted in today's paper. Sean Delonas is the credited cartoonist.

In my opinion, a picture is worth a thousand words. If this cat can come up with a logical explanation as to why a chimpanzee is related to our Pres' first legislative victory, maybe I'd consider seeing the other side of the coin. Until then, I'd like to call this casual racism...? Maybe? I mean, can you blame me? I'm doing the visual math.

Two white police officers+one dead monkey=stimulus bill joke

Somebody has some explaining to do, but luckily; our good ole permed up buddy, the Rev. Al Sharpton, is already on the case.

Sure, Sharpton (and maybe myself) could be making a mountain out of a mole hill. Maybe he's implying that whoever wrote the stimulus bill (The House?) had the mental capacity of a monkey? Yeah, maybe that's it.

But, wait...it's been scientifically proven that monkeys are as smart as humans, Zig. Look at the woman who got attacked. Her chimp let himself out of the house by using a key and unlocking the door. All on his own.

Welp, my self conscious just told me to rule that connection out.

So...what do you guys think? Is this something that should be swept under the rug?

Is it really that serious? What should happen to Delonas? Are you just as confused as I am?

Drop your thoughts in the comment box.

(deuces.)

oh, baltimore pt 4: beating unecessary records

This time last year, the city had 14 homicides.

As of yesterday, January 29, 2009, Baltimore City has had 21 homicides. A man was shot and killed--in broad daylight--in the 900 block of Poplar Grove Street. Those who live in B-More know that Poplar Grove--any part of it--is not a spot to be in if you don't already live there. Hell, it's hard enough to live there too. Crazy thing is, I live a good 8 minute's drive away from this street, and it's all getting a little too close to home.

Another awesome tidbit about this nonsense? Of the 21 murders, only 4 arrests have been made. W.T.F. I'd prefer to never do another "oh, baltimore" post, but it's not even February yet. Not looking too possible on my end.

Come on people, we have got to get it together.

(deuces.)

is the economy to blame?

Everyone is starting to feel the effects of the country's recession in one way or another. The biggest businesses are begging for money after sucking the consumers dry (how funny is that, GMC?), and others are cutting their losses and filing Chapter 11s faster than I can say Bank Of America. We've already cut 70,000 jobs this year, and things seem to be getting worse before they can get better.

My question is this: when does it become so, so bad that you'll take your own life and the lives of the ones you love?
For a man in Los Angeles, I guess he decided enough was enough. After both him and his wife were fired from their technician jobs at Kaiser Permanente, he went home; killed his wife, his five children...and then himself.
It's been reported that Ervin Antonio Lupoe called 911 to inform the police that he came home and his family had been murdered. But police investigators are ruling out that possibility and calling it murder-suicide. At the same time of receiving the emergency call, local news station KABC-TV received a suicide note via fax and notified the proper autorities.

"So after a horrendous ordeal my wife felt it better to end our lives and why leave our children in someone's else's hands, in addition it seems Kiaser Permanente want's us to kill ourselves and take our family with us. They did nothing to the manager who stated such, and did not attempt to assist us in the matter, knowing we have no job and 5 children under 8 years with no place to go. So here we are.
Ervin Lupoe"

You can read the rest of the note sent to the TV station here.

I understand that this is a trying time for everyone, employed and otherwise. It's harder now to keep your job than to get one. But...this is something I don't even want to attempt to make logical.

My heart aches for his family, and those children--one 8 year old, and two sets of twins, ages 2 and 5. I personally understand what it means to struggle financially, but taking the lives of your seeds should never be an option. I also can never fully understand what another man is going through, losing a job after your wife has been fired...and having the blessed burden of six other mouths to feed...but if you want to take the "easy" way out, take it alone.

R.I.P. Brittney, Jaszmin, Jasseley, Christian, Benjamin, Ana and Ervin Lupoe.

(deuces.)

oh, baltimore pt 3: wtF?!

So...as it stands on January 7, 2009, there have already been twelve murders in Baltimore City. By January 4, 2009, there were already four. Literally one a day.

Around this time last year, there were only three murders.

I need to move. ASAP.

(deuces.)

oh, baltimore pt. 2

Well, I posted a while ago about my city and its horrible violent streak. Looks like we've done it again, and another 14 year old's life has been claimed. Sunday night (12/7), a young man was walking across the street to help a neighbor and was murdered. Someone just walked up on him, said nothing, shot him and walked away. W.T.F.
I need to get out of here.

So, you're telling me...if I go and take some fruit to my neighbor, I may never make it back to my house? Recreation centers closing down left and right, the school system sucks; there's nothing left for us to do but kill eachother. Wait. That's how it's supposed to be, right?

(deuces.)
btw: I haven't forgotten about my 30/30, but due to recent events, i.e. life, it will be postponed until...not sure when. I'd like to be anal and actually start on the 1st of a month and continue until the 30th...we'll see. But please believe there will be poetry!

Yes, WE DID.

"I feel like...I can put my suitcase down, finally."

-Whoopi Goldberg

We are all truly blessed to be alive and experience history. I've been crying since last night, celebrating this awesome moment with my family. WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!It's still hard to believe, but it's been done. Obama had everything thrown at him but the kitchen sink; Jeremiah Wright controversy, false accusations on his religious and political ties; things that should have ended his campaign before it started, honestly. But those who carry faith as I do knew that the election was over before it started. The entire world is still celebrating, and even that speaks volumes to what this black man is about to do for this country. I'm especially excited for my generation's power throughout this election. Thanks to all the young people who voted to make this happen. We are showing the world that we have a voice. It makes me happy to know that right now, my ancestors are smiling at all of us who made this change happen right now. MLK, Malcolm X...I don't have to name them all, because we know. They died for us to exercise the right that we used yesterday. They're finally happy for us. Ashe, and Amen.

The tears I cried last night, and even today, have not all been for me or Obama. I have members of my family who never thought they would be alive to witness something of this magnitude. My grandparents grew up in a heavily segregated south; experiencing Jim Crow and racism in its prime, at my age! Even my father, at 57 years old, remembers having to walk with his mother to the backs of restaurants in the kitchen area to pick up their dinner. As I think about Obama's future inauguration taking place on the steps of a place built by our enslaved forefathers, tears form in my eyes once again. This is simply overwhelming.

Now, the real work begins. As a people, we have shown not only this country, but the world, that we are still the backbone of these United States. There is no longer a reason to complain; the only thing that holds us back is ourselves. Of course everything is not going to change overnight, and threatening issues that plagued our people will still continue, if not, stronger than before; but last night we proved officially that we can do ANYTHING. We should all strive to do our best to make ourselves stronger. We've put him in the White House, now let's show the world exactly why we have all deserved the right to celebrate. It'll be a lot of work, but seriously, it's all worth it.

That means: party on, everyone!

A smile comes to my face as I realize my little brothers (blood and spiritual) don't have to aspire to be just big name sports figures or music "moguls". They can run this country, too.

I'm also extra excited for myself because despite that wack ass flu I had, I still managed to get out of my bed at 6AM to vote! The whole family went, minus my pops (he worked in the am); but plus Scuba Steve. LOL, he had to wait in the other line, on the other side of the polling place...seperate precinct from us. Awww.
Did I take pictures?
Of course, I did.

(deuces.)