Blog Moved

As I’ve moved to a permanent domain name, so has this blog. To find an updated portfolio, please direct your browsers to this link. Don’t worry. It’s still in the same blogging format with a new theme.

To get to my main domain name, go here.

Don’t Catch The Holy Ghost Too Hard

This has to be the funniest and saddest story I’ve seen in a while. The Tennessean is reporting a guy is suing a church for injuries he sustained while falling from — get this — the force of the spirit. I have never laughed so hard in my head (I was at work).

If he wins this case, I wonder how many others will sue their church. I’m not a big fan of church, as much hypocrisy occurs there, but come on. Let’s be real. You can’t sue a church because of an action they cannot control. There are moments you can worship the Lord unconditionally, but YOU ultimately control the outcome of those actions. I’ve seen women pass out and hit their old, weak shoulders on church pews. They never sued the church.

Anywho, it just goes to show the things that people will do for money.

Teen launches baby in air

So I’m browsing the net and I come across a FoxNews article.  I am shocked seeing  a teen launching a baby into the air.

I’m all for fun and everything, but come on man.  Launching a baby into the air?  Where are the morals?  It’s sad that the world is this sadistic and twisted.  I guess babies can’t even survive anymore.  View the video if you want.  My jaw dropped.

The kiss of a lifetime

As I woke up this morning, I realized I woke up later than I intended. Hopping out of bed and quickly getting ready, I was downstairs and out the door in less than 30 minutes. I left so quickly that I forgot my laptop charger, which I just realized is at home.

I was on my way to the Embassy Suites Hotel near the airport here in Nashville. The story was on a family conference for Cockayne Syndrome. I’d never heard of this rare disease before, so everything was new to me. I walked into the building and got my first glimpse of the effects. A young girl, by the name of Eden, was unable to walk or talk due to her case of CS.

Eden Carroll is only one of the few suffering from this disease. She has CS Type II, which means her expected lifespan is seven years. Eden is 4. It took a lot to not just break down. After all, I had a job to do and that was inform others of this disease. Haylee and Tim Carroll, her parents, already had another son with the same disease. He died at the age of 5.

It was sad to see the parents loving a child that they knew was going to die soon. I just felt emotionally drained after seeing this. The sad thing is that doctors pretty much have no clue this disease exist. Doctors at Vanderbilt University didn’t even know. Luckily, the Share and Care Cockayne Syndrome Network is dedicated to educating those who don’t know about it. Feel free to visit their website at http://www.cockaynesyndrome.org.

I did meet a little girl that was able to talk. She stopped walking at the age of 3 and now needs a walker. Samantha Lazazzaro was a sweet girl, moving around and saying “Hi” to me. It was heartwarming to see that. However, I felt bad for her, as she has CS Type II as well. Samantha will be six in August.

While the story made me feel sad, I am glad to have done it. I got to see a disease I’d probably never seen otherwise, and now I can inform others. The most memorable thing about this day was that Samantha wanted to give me a kiss. I obliged and she kissed me on my forehead. That’s a memory that will live for a lifetime.

My soul is hungry again

I guess people do steal radios these days. I woke up this morning and noticed glass on my back seat. I looked toward the front and saw the radio was gone. Instead of being angry, I calmly walked to the front desk and asked for the police to be called.

There was really no reason to get angry. I kind of expected this to happen. Every time I get a radio installed in my car, it gets stolen. The first time this happened was in 2005 while I interned with The Dallas Examiner. Someone jimmied the door open and took the radio out in broad daylight.

Luckily, the boss replaced my radio, but the CD player didn’t work. I wasn’t mad though. I just needed to listen to music. So, I returned to Grambling State University, where I am currently pursuing my Master’s Degree. That spring semester, my radio was stolen again. This time, someone popped the back driver’s side window out. Not only did they steal my radio though. At the time, I was selling Tahitian Noni Juice. A whole $145 case of that was stolen as well. I’m still trying to figure out why did they take my Grambling State University umbrella. Lo and behold, the next day it rained. I guess they sensed it.

I got another one installed. It worked, but the CD player didn’t. I wasn’t mad though. I just needed music. So, I finally was able to jam for a little while. This one lasted for over a year. No break-ins or anything. It was clear that I was safe for a while. This one even lasted in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina when crime was at a high due to lack of supplies, funds, and other things.

Anywho, I eventually grew tired of the radio. the crap they play on there is ridiculous. I wanted a CD player so I could listen to more R&B and underground hip-hop. It took a while, but I finally got a radio installed that had a working CD player. I had this installed late May of this year.

Now, less than a month later, I’m without music again. This truly sucks. Music allows me to relax when I’m leaving work and get amped on my way to work. Now, I’m just bland. It’s bad enough my iPod was left behind in The Residence Inn and their management act like they can’t call me back to let me know if it was found. I plan to call their corporate office and make a formal complaint.

Anywho, I’m without music in my car, the one place where I listen to music. I’m not really happy, but there’s nothing I can do right now. I guess my soul will be hungry for a few days…at least until I buy some headphones for my laptop.

Floods in the Midwest do not compare to Katrina

I’d been waiting for it. I knew it was coming, so I waited. I kept waiting, and I finally heard those words uttered. Those words were uttered in a CNN article.

“This is our version of Katrina,” Johnson County Emergency Management spokesman Mike Sullivan said in Iowa City.

Excuse me. I’m sorry. What? Two words: SHUT UP!

Don’t get me wrong. I’m saddened by the floods in the Midwest. It’s going to take them YEARS to rebuild everything. Iowa never bothered anybody. It looks like a nice place to go, and I shall eventually vacation there. Hopefully, the levees can be repaired to the point where it can be inhabitable again.

But how dare you compare these floods to Katrina. Before I get attacked, let’s remember this ONE fact that stands out: Hurricane Katrina caused THOUSANDS of deaths. I’ve yet to hear 100 deaths reported from these floods. How does that compare to Katrina?

When Hurricane Katrina eventually passed through South Louisiana, everyone thought it was over. Everyone thought it was safe. People were returning home and prepared to live life as normal. However, the levees broke and it killed THOUSANDS of unsuspecting people.

In the Midwest, the floods were EXPECTED. CNN began reporting that officials were worried the levees would topple the day that the storm passed. That’s a very different situation than Hurricane Katrina. Yes, these floods may essentially be worse; but when comparing these incidents side by side, the Midwest floods cannot even touch Hurricane Katrina.

I do sympathize with Iowa and the other areas affected. This is a very sad situation. However, it was not as shocking and catastrophic as Hurricane Katrina. Please keep those words out of your mouth, because no recent event involving floods in the U.S. has yet to compare to that devastating time period.

Also, the U.S. STILL has not finished rebuilding New Orleans, as President George W. Bush promised. FEMA has screwed the city more than customers screw a Las Vegas prostitute in a year. People have been forced out of their homes and will never be allowed to return. I’m still trying to figure out what happened to 90% of the aid money that was raised by celebrities, such as Kanye West, and the many citizens of the United States.

The Midwest floods are insane, yes, but they do not compare to the effect Katrina left on the nation. But, I’m glad the government actually did the smart thing and evacuated the citizens of that city. Hopefully, some homes can indeed be salvaged. That remains to be seen. My prayers are with the Iowans, especially those from Cedar Rapids and near the Cedar River.

But after the flood subsides, it’s not over yet. The water still has to flow down the Mississippi River. The South has been pounded with a lot of rain recently, so the chance for disaster is pretty big. Hopefully, nothing happens and the nation can continue to figure out how to help the Midwest.

The Most Idiotic Prosecutors of All-Time

The verdict is finally in. R. Kelly was found not guilty of all charges of child pornography despite the MOUNTING evidence against him. To be honest, I can’t blame the jury. While many people will be pissed for years to come, the jury is NOT at fault, as they were with the O.J. Simpson trial.

No, the blame falls solely on the prosecution who put together the weakest case I have ever seen to go against a child molester. Law & Order: SVU marathons should be ordered for these idiotic prosecutors. I wonder if they just got their law degrees. No, I wonder if they even had a degree, because I can single-handedly put together a better case.

While I’m no expert at law, here’s what I would have done differently.

1. Ask the judge to be recused.
Seriously. How can you have a six year delay for a trial and expect someone to be convicted? Yeah, R. Kelly had emergency surgery, so that was an understandable delay. Yes, the judge hurt himself and that’s understandable too. However, that should have taken a year at the most. What accounts for the other five years that were added? Did R. Kelly not have enough music for the judge to listen to or something?

2. Called these witnesses:

a. A sexual abuse counselor for kids or a sex expert
WHY DID THEY NOT DO THIS?! I understand the trial is very sensitive, but dang. This would’ve been the nail in the coffin for the defense, and the prosecution would be out celebrating with beers right now. Instead, they are the laughingstock of the new millennium and will be forever remembered as the “idiots who let him get away.”

b. The parents of the girl
This was an absolute no brainer. The most CREDIBLE people to say it was her were never called. If you really believe the girl was the one on the tape, why weren’t the parents called? Did they not believe she was on the tape or something? An idiotic move that more than likely irked the jury.

c. Grandparents
OK…you have the parents admitting it’s her, so why not get the grandparents to come forward as well. They can easily appeal to the sympathetic side of the jury, as what normal person doesn’t like older people? This could’ve made the defense look bad if they attacked them as well.

d. Sparkle
Sparkle is the main one that pointed her out in the first place, so why wasn’t she called to the stand? That was the single best witness out of all the others they had. Sparkle said it was her niece, so why not get her on the stand and testify as to why she said so?

e. R. Kelly
Now, granted he’d pull the “Fifth Amendment” crap. That’s fine. However, grill him on the relationship with the victim. Find out how close they were, what did he do for them, etc. There’s so many ways to get a lot out of R. Kelly without delving into the sex tape, which he wouldn’t speak on.

f. Best friend at the time
While they may not be best friends now, this would allow for an unbiased testimony. Even if the girl is an enemy, it can still add more to your case. Find out what caused them to stop being best friends, and you may find out R. Kellz was in the middle of it. You never know. But the prosecution failed to even think.

g. Principal at the time
A principal doesn’t remember every kid, but after continuous news coverage, I’m sure the principal saw her and was like…”Oh yeah…” Why not call him?

h. Teachers at the time
Teachers vaguely forget their good students, as she was often described during the trial. So why not call a few teachers to point her out and say, “Yes…that was her.” It’d help out tremendously and put your case on the acceleration course.

i. Elderly neighbors who knew the girl
Why not? Go for it! It’s a long shot and the defense will argue their memory isn’t strong, but that works in your favor! Get more people to identify the girl in the tape as the one that testified and you’re in!

j. Aaliyah’s parents
For the life of me, I cannot see why this was not even an issue. Aaliyah was the first mainstream underage girl that Kellz was identified with. However, not at one time was this brought up. What? Did the prosecution not do a Google search of this man? Maybe even a WikiSearch? What were they thinking?!

k. Jay-Z
They are enemies, so Hov would hold nothing back if he saw Kellz with a girl. Get him on the stand and make his character an issue. Find out how Kellz was behind the scenes. This will only help your case and build it. Defense can’t even argue that Hov wants to sabotage Kellz because Hov is bigger and badder than him.

3. Change of venue
With Chicago being R. Kelly’s hometown, it was pretty clear the odds were stacked against the prosecution. They could’ve successfully argued for a change of venue. This would move the trial to some small “hick” town and make it even easier to get a conviction. But I guess that wasn’t a thought.

4. A better gag order
Gag the trial. It’s bad enough that the sex tape got leaked out to the public, so do some damage control. Gag the media so you can successfully put together a strong case and go after Kellz. It was already harder with the trial being delayed six years, meaning the girl was 17 when the tape was out there. So you lost precious time, and possibly an immediate conviction.

5. Bring up other cases of child abuse that shows the victim should’ve spoken
These idiots did not even mention other cases where sexual abuse victims did not talk and then later said they wish they had. There are plenty of cases like that and this would’ve helped them more than hurt them.

I could keep going on, but this is enough. Too many things could’ve been done better. Instead, R. Kelly is a free man, and there’s nothing that can be done due to the double jeopardy law. Great job! Now that makes it harder for other females to come forward after being raped or sexually assaulted.

Also, I’m glad the man was found not guilty. Not because he didn’t do it, but because if he had been found guilty, every freaking defense could use this case and get plenty of guilty men off. Luckily, the jury was smart enough to notice the prosecution are idiots and did not deserve a victory for a shoddy job at putting this case together. I’m still shocked that these idiots did this. They should be tried. Their charge: Aiding and Abetting a Sexual Predator to be found Innocent.