Man, under-destruction?

 If you ask anyone who knew me when I was a young child, or "knee-high-to-a-grasshopper", they'll tell you that I've always been a dancer. Hell, according to mom, as a young pup, I used to get dressed, mosey on down to the living room, turn on dad's 8-track (we were one of they few who still had them) and just jam. I guess that explains my love of Motown (60's RnB and soul) and 80's joints. I've gone through my own evolution of dance of sorts. I've outgrown the electric boogaloo, the slide, the robot and the running man and replaced it with main stream, poppin & locking and my personal favorite, Krump. Even now, with my current, albeit gradually healing case of sciatica, I still can't help but bust a move whenever an appropriate beat comes on. I guess that explains the irritating delays in my recovery. Nonetheless, I've always been a dancer, or rather, a lover of dance. I guess that would flow nicely with my singing (which, I don't...

When I was in college, I fell into a bit of a minority. Not just because I preferred to speak english over my mother tongue (Tigrinya, Eritrea's national language) but because of my choice of majors. While most people expected me to major in English, I chose journalism, mainly because I felt it had more to offer me career-wise. And even then, I was still a bit of a loner. While most of my class-mates minored in political science, which was the "norm" and practical, I chose to minor in history, which I had always loved since high school. And in history, a common theme I found, time and again, is that man is truly the most violent of god's creations. For example, I once read that since the beginning of recorded history, humanity has had about 289 years worth of peace. That's roughly 8% of recorded history. What that means is that the other 92% of the time, we spent it engaged in some war, military act or what not. In short, we've spent the rest of the time tryi...

 Is there anybody on the planet who isn't a fan of Will Smith? I'd be sincerely hard-pressed to find one, to be perfectly honest. The man is multi-talented, humble and (let's be honest) looks like a statue of a greek god carved from obsidian (which is a dark, extrusive igneous rock.......yes, I paid attention in 9th-grade geography.....I also watch the Discovery channel). He also seems to be somewhat of a sensitive soul and one I can relate with (as arrogant as that may sound), especially after his recent statement......"Every young man needs an Uncle Phil....". It's funny......I've always agreed with that and I'd once again be hard-pressed to find anyone who would disagree.  Actor James Avery a.k.a. Uncle Phil, died on the last day of 2013 from complications of open heart surgery. He was 68. While his death is indeed a tragedy, I'm not writing this to mourn his death but to celebrate his life.  As it usually goes in Hollywood, Avery gained most ...

 I have a bit of a confession to make. Certain icons of pop culture, such as in music and film, I've stumbled upon by accident. Had it not been for these accidents, I probably would never have known of the greats of music and film that I've come to know, love and respect. Case in point, Jimi Hendrix. Most people learn of this pioneer through his countless records and apperances, but I personally learned of him through an episode of Dinosaurs (which was a T.V. show from the '90s about domesticated suburban dinosaurs) or Redman, who I discovered by playing one of my favorite videogames "Def Jam; Fight for New York" (which lists as one of my all-time favorite games....yes, I'm a gamer...feel free to judge). The specifics I will not mention for the purpose of maintaining some dignity and "cool"-ness, but I will simply stick to the aforementioned confession that I did not learn of these people through conventional channels.  I share one common trait with...

 Does anyone remember any of the fairy tales that they were told as children? The typical "knight-in-shining-armor-saves-the-day" type stories that are supposed to teach us that life works out for those who work hard and try to be good? Ever notice how a lot of them include a "perilous journey" with danger at every turn and almost certain death waiting at every corner? When you hear it like that, it's perceived as exhilarating, adventurous, even fun. Of course, that's just the perception. The reality is much different and harsher.  This entry is not going to be some random monologue of whatever inane topic that tickles my fancy for the moment. Instead, I'm going to try a different tact.  Last Thursday, a boat sank off the coast of Lampedusa, which is one of the largest islands of the Italian Pelagie islands in the Mediterranean sea. This boat was carrying refugees, mostly Eritrean and Somali. Of the presumably 500 people that were on-board, only 155 ...

 What's up, folks? I trust all is well. My apologies for the disappearance. Just trying to have a good summer (and failing miserably). But hey, no excuses, right? So....where do I begin.....??  Anybody ever enjoy MacGyver? I did. I loved that show with a passion that could only be described as obsessive, were it not for the fact that I was a 9-year-old with way too much time on his hands and way too much freedom with the T.V. remote. Like the rest of the fan base, I was amazed by how the protagonist could take regular household items and turn them into lord knows what. Of course, seeing that inspired me to attempt similar endeavors, which resulted in quite a few trips to the emergency room. I guess that'll teach to let my brother shave my head with a razor blade, whipped cream, a pencil and 5 kgs worth of gauze. But sometimes, you gotta "MacGyver" some stuff and sometimes, it turns out just right.   Despite repeated labeling as "Eritrean", there're ha...

 My apologies for the disappearance, folks. While I wish I could say it was because I've been out and about, having a grand ol' time on this auspicious and truly liberating time of the year.....truth be told, I just got bored, tired and monumentally cranky. So, for those who've been waiting anxiously for this recent installment, while I do regret the delay, I seriously urge you all to get a new hobby.  So, now that I got that out of the way.........those of you who know me know that I got stories. Seriously, I've got some of the craziest, most insane stories you will ever hear. And truth be told, as fantastic as these stories may be, I literally have no way of proving they actually happened. I can only tell you that this shit is just too crazy, too weird and too stupid to make up.   I am about to tell you such a story. However, this happened to someone else, someone near and very dear to me and who has given me their permission to tell this tale (for any lawyer/le...