CEDTalks

With July coming to an end, we are nearing the last few weeks of summer. The issue? These dog days are the final days to get everyone together for one of my favorite events, the cookout. Cookouts (not picnics) are the pillars of  summer  fun in the African American community; in addition to the endless laughter and fun, they temporarily dismiss the stress and evils of the daily grind. They offer incredible food, great music new and old, and of course, provide the platform for which we can "invite someone to the cookout". "Inviting to the cookout" is a rising phenomenon in which a person of color invites someone (often one void of color) that would not usually be in attendance at our backyard barbecue. Though a fairly recent trend (because  Brother Malcolm  would've never "invited" ANYONE to the cookout), it is quickly becoming a national Black pastime. The invite is usually based on their impact on Black culture; past invitees include Michael ...

Before turning eh...25 and becoming old IMMEDIATELY, there were a lot of bad habits my body could tolerate and still operate at a high level. Sleep was an afterthought, exercising was unnecessary, and eating healthy was uncalled for. Why did I need to eat healthy? Didn't you see my album cover ? Well now, a year and a half later, my bad habits caught up with me like FedEx (Overnight). Staying up late leaves me damaged like Danity Kane (remember them?). I'm no longer at my "fight" weight, and even getting feedback at the doctors. That's when you know you're getting old; the doctors actually says something after the check up. My doc started mentioning words like, "cholesterol" and "blood pressure", and suggested substituting burgers and shakes for carrots and grapes. The verbiage seems more appropriate for a man 46 instead of 26, but in an effort to be the black Channing Tatum, I'm cleaning out my fridge. Acknowledge your past re...