Barrack Obama

So I'm sitting here looking at a photo gallery of President Obama's meteoric rise to the White House and it hits me! While looking at the pictures I started to remember the sentiments expressed during the primary to the campaign and ultimately down to election night. Since Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize people have been asking what he has done to deserve this. Until now I couldn't give a concrete answer because mostly I was shocked at the audacity of hate. Of course some would say he was awarded The Prize for what he intends to do in the world but I beg to differ. He was awarded The Prize for exactly what he has done. If you are or have ever been a person 'not' of privilege you can truly appreciate what I am about to say. Barrack Obama represented, to people around the world, a voice for those less fortunate and for those who the system of checks and balances works against. The fact that he as an African American became the President of the United States was a world act of peace. This a man who clearly out-classed his competition from day one and still had to fight tooth and nail throughout the campaigning process to attain his rightful spot as commander-in-chief & the people's true representative. If you know what it's like to be black in America then you know what a triumph that is...you know that is an inspiring story. That is such an inspiring story I had people from South Africa, Nigeria, London and France calling me minutes after the news rang across the world! That is Nobel Peace Prize worthy and anyone who says otherwise just doesn't get it but one day you'll be in the light. Namaste.

Photo Gallery: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/galleries/president_barack_obama/president_barack_obama.html

-Deji

5 fabulous new features for anything Google

Yeah I'm giving tech updates now.

http://tinyurl.com/yhpk6gd

The Red Pill

The Red Pill

Remember the red pill in the Matrix? Well this is my version of the red pill. I wanted to compile a list of material that would expose the wool that has pulled over society's eyes. For thousands of years the powers that be have used religion, politics and the monetary institution of capitalism to divide and rule people. I don't like to talk with people and try to convince them that this has happened because I wasn't convinced of this myself. I questioned many things during my childhood such as the 'Desert Storm' war of the early 90s. When I was kid I used to wonder if America is the best country in the world why do we have homeless and starving people. My parents taught me that charity begins at home so it didn't make sense to me when they would turn on the news and I'd see our government giving aid to other countries because people were less fortunate there. I had homeless people in my neighborhood...why weren't they helping them? I was about 10 years old when I first realized the President doesn't actually run this country. With that said I believe if you are not in the know there is no way for someone to convince you of what the truth is. One day you will wake and open your eyes for the first time and you will see...

Just as in the Matrix movie the red pill isn't for everyone as some people would rather stay smug in their meaningless existence. But, for those who want to break free please indulge in these:

Books

Lies my teacher told me

Confessions of an economic hitman

Protocols of Zion

Films

The Matrix (trilogy)

I.O.U.S.A.

Spare Change

Capitalism

Zeitgeist Movie

Live Free, Die Hard (this is not just a movie, this could really happen)

Namaste

The audacity of winning vs the timidity of governing

I just read this Huffington Post about how President Obama should be doing a better job applying the ideals of his campaign to his presidency. I for one think he is doing a good job considering his administration is built of a lot of the same political players of the left that we saw in the last Dem presidency. One of the major reasons why I voted for Obama is because he represented a change in the practice of politics in our country. In effect I felt Obama was looking to give the country back to the American people and take it back from corporate America. Of course carrying out the stimulus bill proposed by Bush was not ideal but it was a decision that had to be made to protect this economy from falling deeper into depression.

I would not go as far to say 'the change sucks so far' like I saw on this bumper sticker the other day. The truth is that things are changing and they are in fact changing very fast despite the grumpy old men who desire to slow the process with their grumbling (if you don't know who I'm talking about just turn on Fox News for a while you'll figure it out). Change is inevitable and there was only one better time to change things (when FDR proposed the second Bill of Rights) in my opinion. In that article Arianna talks about how she would like President Obama to be more bold in his actions which reminds me of a fanatic boxing fan who wants to see a particular fight. I think President Obama is more of a tactful person than to barge in a room and start knocking over the china. Obama is wise enough to pick his battles and develop relationships in effect making allies and not enemies. This presidency to me has already been the most interactive presidency of my lifetime.

The thing that set the Obama campaign aside is that it engaged the voters to feel like their efforts mattered. So now that he is in office don't just sit on your ass whether you're happy with what he is doing now or not. Get up and do something. If you like what Obama is doing support him. If you don't like what Obama is doing push him to go in the room and break some china but whatever it is do not sit back and watch like you did when Bush was in office. Be the change you want to see.

At the end of the day I don't see this country being the same place where people are looking to gather more stuff than the next man. I see this country growing into a place where we actually work for the greater good and the success of America. Some of you may not like the idea of spreading the wealth around because like Joe the Plumber you have dreams of being Oprah rich. That's cool there's nothing wrong with aspirations as I have big dreams like that too but I also realize achieving those dreams is not possible for all of us. What Obama is saying when he says he wants to 'spread the wealth' around is that 'charity starts at home.' Very simply we need to return to these kinds of values in order to get this country to where we want it to be. How are we the best country when we have so many homeless people? How are we the best country when we can't even manage our money? To me Obama represents us and we need to stop thinking about me and start thinking about we. We need to realize that the old way wasn't working and figure out how we are going to make this place a better place. Be the change you want to see.

Here is the article:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/obama-one-year-later-the_b_343209.html

The New I Love You

What if instead of telling your significant other "I love you" over and over we just said real things like, "I like you so much I'm not going to watch the Lakers season opener I'm going to help your Dad move." Would that be a good idea? This way you could really express all the sacrifices that you make throughout the relationship. Just think about it proposals would be so much better...you could say stuff like, "Baby, we've been together for 2 years and I don't want to do this life thing without you. Will you marry me without a prenuptial agreement so even if you decide you don't want me anymore I can still keep giving to you? Because that's how much I love you." Just a thought.

-Deji

Response to Women Date for Equity by my Sistah-in-Law

To My Dear Brother:

As with any discussion, it is important to first define the term to which we are ascribing value. As the term equity is derived from the English Common Law, and I am student of law, I will begin from this canon. According to Black's Law Dictionary, (8th ed. 2004), equity is 1) fairness; impartiality; evenhanded dealing; 2) The body of principles constituting what is fair and right; natural law; 3) The recourse to principles of justice to correct or supplement the law as applied to particular circumstances; 4) The system of law or body of principles originating in the English Court of Chancery and superseding the common and statute law when the two conflict; or 5) A right, interest, or remedy recognizable by a court of equity . Which of these definitions is best applied here? Here, we can, for the sake of brevity, limit our discussion to the first of the five definitions in relation to your hypothetical human relationship. In terms of the first definition, I would venture that all people, without regard to gender, seek equitable relationships, that being, relationships based on a sense of fairness. I don't think it was unreasonable for the young lady to ask her partner to be fair--either by allowing her the same right to casual sex, or by being honest about his sexual loyalty to the relationship. This expectation requires the assumption that relationships are informal or formal contracts, and that the man's infidelity was a breach of that contract. This leads to a more questions. Should sexual fidelity be a part of a relationship contract? Is it wrong, or unconscionable to require such a contract term in casual dating relationships? What about marriage? Or relationships that aren't legally recognized as marriage? I'll leave that to you and you readers to ponder. As for your second argument, that somehow the response your received from the "cougar" was inappropriate and inequitable, I would respectfully disagree. If we follow the logic of equity as defined, the request for car, back statement, property value, was quite rational. If we are to be "fair, impartial, and evenhanded," in our dealings with others, then we must make an assumption that those dealing are fair and made in good faith. When you asked for a picture, you asked for a specific piece of information from which to base your decision of whether or not to date her on. This piece of information, a photograph was, by most social standards, superficial and shallow. A photo tells no meaningful information about a person's sense of fairness, or whether or not they will make a good match beyond physical attractiveness. Since you set the tone for the bargain, the "cougar" simply followed your lead! She too asked for basic information, although shallow and superficial, to make a decision about whether or not to date. You are attacking her then, not for the rationality of her question, but for the content! While you value physical beauty as a requirement for dating, she clearly values financial stability and assets in her decision-making. You both want the same things, but you use different measures.

I think its overly simplistic to get into the base "he said vs she said" typical battle of the sexes here. Men and women aren't that different. You wanted a picture to ensure that the potential mate met your standards of health and beauty. She wanted a financial history to determine if you could maintain stability for her friend. What's the difference? As spiritual beings, we must accept that the universe responds only to like energy. If you ask for only the surface of things, the universe can only respond in kind--providing you with another person who is only concerned with the external. I think a better strategy for ALL people interested in dating would be to stop the superficial and shallow inquiries. Instead of asking for pictures or bank statements, why not ask more substantive questions? Or dating someone who doesn't fit your self-imposed limitations? As conscious individuals who choose to live intentionally, why do we persist in using the most unconscious, invaluable information to make major life decisions? What if her friend had been overweight and you had been poor? Does that make you a bad pairing? I mean, if you stay in the shallow section of a pool, yes, you may get wet. But do you ever really swim? I think that to get to real love, and to real equity, we have to jump in the deep end.

Peace, Blessings and Joy,

Your Sistah-in-LAW

Women Date for Equity

What's up peeps? I know you all probably think you have crazy dating lives but I think I'm the King when it comes to meeting crazy girls. I believe this is the worst time for a guy to be single in Southern California. I say this because it has become resoundingly evident that most So Cal girls date for equity. I do not think they are actually looking for Love. I was recently talking with a personal trainer friend of mine who had recently gone through a breakup and she kept harping on the fact that her ex-boyfriend cheated on her 'after 2 years.' Why does it matter how long it took him to cheat? He could have cheated before and you just didn't know about it. Don't get me wrong I think it's horrible to cheat but I started to understand it really mattered to her how long they had actually been in the relationship. If he cheated 6 months in she probably could have moved on faster I suppose or in fact she may have been thinking I would have been 2 years younger thus being more attractive to would-be suitors. I don't know either way it's obvious that men and women most definitely DO NOT think alike.

In fact, some time ago while I was out visiting a client in a downtown San Diego high rise I encountered very sexy 30-something (closer to the Cougar side than the Puma) in a business suit with a skirt of course. Ladies if you don't know a woman dressed up in a tight business skirt is just as hot as a bikini clad siren. Something about the way those things compliment hips and backside just get me going! So I approached her in my shark suited and began to project my GQ vibe and she took the bait. But, something between that moment and when I actually decided to reach out to her went terribly wrong. She was apparently into some guy she just started dating and wanted to hook me up with her friend. So I did what any guy who actually values his time would do...I asked for a picture and this is what I got in response:

Deji:

Sure, I will work on getting a picture for you! But while I'm doing that, could you provide a few things for me?

• · A picture of you in front of your car
• · A recent Bank Statement
• · The value of your property
• · A copy of your credit report

Thanks!

Lol, clearly my mind was blown. All I was trying to do was see a picture of this woman before we wasted each others time but clearly a picture was not enough for the other party. As hilarious as this might be this brings up something real in regards to what men and women look for in a relationship. Most of the time they are very different things so take the time to find out what your partner or potential partner may want from you it may be the difference between a short relationship and a long one. Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment! Namaste!

-Deji

Manhood according to Baba Deji

My Father is a very important person to me. He has helped mold me into the person I am today in ways he can't even imagine. In fact, he probably wouldn't be happy to know he's the reason why I'm not some guy sitting in a cubicle somewhere making a steady paycheck. That sounds too much like being a wild animal in a cage to me, haha. I'm an entrepreneur at heart and my Dad helped mold me into that by challenging me to be an independent thinker. Growing up in inner city of LA I was challenged to be as 'black' as I could be by people wanting me to talk a certain way or dress a certain way and if I didn't I wasn't 'black enough'. Even when I turned on the Tv...well BET to be exact there were all these images that portrayed manhood that contradicted what I was learning at home. My Dad is from Nigeria and he speaks proper British English, he didn't wear baggy clothes and he most definitely wasn't sleeping with all kinds of different women. So for me learning to be a man or unfolding into the man I am today seemed very different from some of my friends who maybe didn't have a Father figure in their life and were left to be molded by society which is not forgiving and definitely not nurturing. So here is my account of what my Dad taught me about being a man. Enjoy.

Manhood according to Baba Deji

My Dad taught me about being a man

How to be a Man

He taught me that being a man is not about having a deep voice.

Being a man is not abut always being right

Being a man is not about dominating people

My Dad taught me to always show up

My Dad taught me what you give is never enough

He taught me to always do what I said I was going to do and then some

My Father taught me that family comes first

My Dad taught me that being a man is about paving your own way without being afraid to let others help you

My Dad taught me that being a man is about letting your responsibilities mold you

Being a ma is't about buying out the bar or how many bottles you can buy

Being a man is not about what kind of car you drive

Being a man is not about how baggy your clothes are

Being a man is not about how much you let a woman get away with

My Dad taught me to be a man is to demand as much from others as you demand from yourself

I can be aware of these ideals but until I practice them I'm fooling myself.

-Deji

A man's gotta do...

"A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do."

I called my Dad today to wish him a good week and he dropped a jewel on me. He had spent his weekend working in the yard at his second house and while commenting on his not so relaxing weekend he said, "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do." This is not something I hadn't heard before but it resonated just as true as ever. Allow me to borrow a line from a famous hip hopper, "Along the road to riches and diamond rings real niggas, do real things." While following your passion on the way to achieving your goals you will have to do some things that may not be glamorous but definitely will be noteworthy. For instance, when I was 25 I was attempting to break into the behind the scenes world of professional basketball. I took an internship with the Los Angeles Clippers in their Public Relations department and of course the internship was unpaid but I didn't care because it payed in access. At the time my network within the NBA was so strong that I was buddies with the Clippers' Director of Player personnel before I took the internship but I had yet to transfer those connections into dollar signs so I was hustling. This internship required me to work 2-4 days a week & 8 hours a day for the Clippers doing everything from sitting in interviews and extracting quotes for the media to making sure Ralph Lawler got popcorn at halftime. Needless to say it was a pretty cool internship but T-mobile doesn't let you pay their bills with good times...I needed to make a check so I got another job. I ended up landing a gig with a start up eBay store in Beverly Hills. I would work at this store for way less than I was worth for 8-10 hours a day then pop on my Staples Center credential the next. I worked 7 days a week month after month but I didn't realize that I didn't get a day off until a few years later because when I was running around Staples Center like I owned it I wasn't really working. I was having fun jive talking Cheryl Miller. I would run stats during timeouts and get yelled at by Terrell Owens saying he wanted to race me. I was definitely not working when I sat in on a Lebron James interview in the visiting team locker room only to have my buddy Donyell Marshall try to kick me out. This was a great time in my life because I was working towards my goal but I had to work a job that I didn't really care much for to allow me to do that. I didn't have to sell drugs like Jay-Z or strip like The Game (lol) but I had to do what I had to do. Even today I am working on 6 figure deals but in between deals if I need income I'll do what it takes to get me to that day those checks are signed.

When you are following your dreams there will undoubtedly be obstacles in the road. The people who achieve their dreams find a way to crush the obstacle. Namaste.

New World Order (Relationships)

New World Order (Relationships)

Things have been interesting the past year...to say the least. I've been having some serious breakthroughs in the way I view the world. I guess it can be attributed to my refusal to conform to the way society wants me to live my life. I didn't go to college for 4 years I went on ahead and took 6. I didn't start a career hoping to put together a resume of working for some company for x amount of years instead I worked for money to put toward my own business aspirations. I guess you could say I live my life like an artist trying to create the definitive work. I'm a trailblazer and I want to be remembered for something and because of that I tend to question convention. If there are boundaries in this world I don't recognize them. So the other day I was thinking about how much this world of ours is changing. One of the biggest changes has been our new President not that he's of mixed race but the fact that he's a progressive thinker. This is the first time I believe we've had a President that is as well informed and as innovative as Barack. The way we communicate with each other is constantly evolving on a daily basis. Google has changed technological philosophy. Of course I can't overlook the skinny jean craze. Our world is in a transition period and not even our healthcare system will stay the same. It's time to upgrade.

Which brings me to my true topic of discussion. I'm going to be 30 next year and I have the fortune of being burdened by my parent's asking me when I'm going to settle down and get married. So of course I've been thinking, 'Damn, when am I going to get married?', lol. I have contrasting views on this though. I've been told by most of my above 40 year old friends who have been married, who are either divorced or still in holy matrimony, not to get married until I'm at least 35. I think that is a great age because at 35 I'll probably be very well established and will have had enough experiences (wit da ladiezzz) to hang up my hunting bow and settle down. On the other hand I think about marriage and I wonder why would I ever want to get married. I have come to the conclusion that the only reason people get married is because society has conditioned them to believe that's what they are supposed to do. I believe the only reason I would get married is to have kids...well that and to throw a rockin' party for me and my baby. But, then I think about all the peeps I know that are divorced with kids. One of my homies who is 38 and single told me he wishes he would have gotten married, had kids and gotten divorced already so he could have children and not still be looking to get into a relationship. This was a very thought provoking conversation because he spoke from a perspective as if divorce was inevitable. Has divorce become a part of marriage? Is it peanut butter to jelly? Is it kool-aid to sugar? Ham to Burger? (if you didn't get it go watch 'Friday' NOW!) Over the past 10 years marriage has become a spectacle on television. It's entertainment as opposed to a holy union. In the last 3 years I don't know how many women have called me out of the blue wanting to hang out in the midst of their 'cold feet craze' before they got married. I told each and every one of them to take their time and there is no need to rush forever. I guess it's all psychology because nobody starts freaking out until the wedding date comes and you start thinking about all the things you can't have when you're married but you weren't taking advantage of strange sex while you were in the 2 year relationship so it doesn't matter. What exactly makes marriage so different from being in a relationship anyway?

One of my friends has been with her boyfriend for 10 years and they have no plans of getting married. They have a house, a dog and cars together but no ceremony. My current girlfriend doesn't want to get married (so she says now, I know tunes change). I'm not so sure I want to get married but I think our concept of marriage is changing right along with everything else. With our divorce rates and families that have 2 kids by one Dad and 2 kids by that Mom it's very clear to me that we said goodbye to convention a long time ago. The truth is we're in a new world where those old expectations do not apply. People are going to do what works for them and not what worked for their parents. I'm still undecided but I think what's important is truly finding someone who wants to walk the same path you want to walk. We are growing into a world where you can choose to live your life the way you want to and odds are you can find someone that wants to do the same thing. Thanks for reading my blog. Namaste.

-Deji

Au Courant

Welcome to Au Courant! For years Au Courant has been a vision for me and now I am finally taking the first step of unfoldment. Au Courant is a French word meaning "conscious" or "aware" and I like to live my life in a conscious state of mind hence the name of my blog. I have aspirations to make this more than a blog but for now Au Courant will be a place for me to express progressive thoughts, my poetry and the occasional funny anecdote.

The motto for this Au Courant movement is "Observing with a controlled degree of thought." I chose this because I think the Au Courant community is a progressive group of people who think before they react to a situation. I believe progressive people are those who can disagree with someone they understand. Thank you for your time and I will be spreading hilarity soon. Love & Light.

-Deji