CEDTalks

When I turn 26, call me "Iron Man". No, it's not my goal to become Tony Stark, alter ego of the Marvel character reintroduced by Tropic Thunder superstar Robert Downey, Jr. As I approach another birthday, many of my principles and theories regarding life are changing. Issues that previously carried a lot of value have become extremely irrelevant; inversely, new events and happenings now possess greater priority. Addressing some of these topics require great strength and endurance, two traits commonly associated with the word iron. As a matter of fact, being an "Iron Man" is a theme that carries a lot of ties to my upcoming age (26 is actually the atomic number of iron.) At my age, the lines between good and bad become a lot clearer; I aim to be a superhero. 26 is an interesting year. The blurry lines from your life start to disappear. You've escaped the 22-25 "awkward" years where you're not a kid, but you're not old. Messing with som...

"Yeah I got on sneaks but I need a new pair/ cause basketball courts in the summer got girls there" -DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (nee Will Smith), "Summertime" Even though he has a pretty decent collection of boots and dress shoes, my father never really spoke to us about footwear. Charles Perry (please say the full name), as he is affectionately known by my friends and fans, focused his teachings on other principles of manhood, including laying sheet rock and cutting tiles. So while I could fix floors with the best of the best, my "sole game" never reached its full potential. In high school, little fuss was made; I balanced between high school jock and GQ magazine reject. On days I did not have sports, I dressed up; it's listed in the Pennsbury High School history book that I was the first 16 year-old in school history to wear jeans and dress shoes.  Ladies Love Cool "J"s, and Air Maxes, and the Lil Penny's, and Foampositi...

"It is better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one, than to have an opportunity and not be prepared." Whitney M. Young , American Civil Rights Leader Mr. Young may have never seen Jeremy Lin play basketball, but the New York Knicks guard embodies the words of the late activist. For those unfamiliar with the name, Lin is a second-year player who has led the Knicks to a string of victories after being placed in the lineup following a poor performance from the team. Prior to that, he was the third backup and was nearly released from his second team after previously being released by the Golden State Warriors. Since being inserted into the starting position, he has scored more points in any player in his first five starts since 1976 and has out-dueled several stars, including Kobe Bryant. Jeremy Lin is taking full  advantage of his opportunity. Lin's story is unique because he appears to have come out of nowhere to turn around his team's season....

Hey family, With the Super Bowl just a week away, I'm looking forward to great commercials. My frat brother has informed me Ferris Buehler may make an appearance, and I'm sure the big boys like Coca-Cola and Doritos will give us something. This led me to reminisce over commercials both past and present that are all time classics. So here are 6 of my favorite listed below (Please note that some of these commercials are NOT from the Super Bowl): Terry Tate "Office Linebacker"- The Felcher Group reaches out to Reebok to improve production in the work place. Mountain Dew "Bohemian Rhapsody"- The brother in the back never gets his proper due. RBK A5 Commercial/Nike Battle (Tie)- The "Hood" stood up when rap star Jadakiss and legendary producers The Neptunes made their way to basketball commercials for Reebok and Nike, respectively. Pepsi- "Michael Jackson: Pepsi Generation"- A young Alfonso Ribiero performing the dances from Th...

Hello ladies and brosephs; I hope your weekend and Monday were fly. This weekend was very productive; I completed my Daniel Fast  (which was really invigorating), spent time with my family, and saw a movie that provided insight to African American history... the documentary of A Tribe Called Quest . Yes I saw "Red Tails", and I did enjoy the movie and the inspirational story that inspired it. I am disappointed, however, by the movie's eagerness to highlight the most successful and talented Tuskegee Airman as a man smitten, head over heels, INFATUATED with a Caucasian women. It served as a distraction for me, and while it's good to see an all-black cast on the screen, I cannot be as adamant in my promotion of the movie as others. It won't get you everything on Valentine's Day, but it will put you in the right direction. As most of you know we are nearing the end of January, which means Valentine's Day is right around the corner. To maximize both your ...

(Continued from Part 1) While there are indeed brothers who...just like it bright, many Black men are truly enamored with God greatest creation, the black woman. So why is there such a disconnect between us and our counterparts? At times, both sides play into the stereotypes. For men, we generalize Black women into two categories, the "independent woman" and the "groupie" aka "Future VH1 Reality Star". In regards to the independent woman, fellas, we've been spoiled. Not necessarily you, the actual reader, but us as a faction! In previous generations, many women of color played a secondary role to their mate, appearing passive, submissive, and any other "ives" you can think of. In this time of the "Independent Woman", you would be hard pressed to find a Black female in this era who is willing to downplay her talents, abilities, and her feelings. This is not a trait so common in other races. The minority female has overcome many str...

" So, stick by his side I know it's dudes balling and yeah that's nice And they gone keep calling and trying But you stay right girl And when you get on he leave your *ss for a white girl" Kanye West, "Gold Digger" Kanye's 2005 hit "Gold Digger" still resonates with  men and women of color. Thanks, Kanye.  We had it hard enough with "Daddy issues", past relationships with jerks, and "Act Like a Man (...I mean Lady), Think Like a Man", then you give the sisters more ammo. While I don't completely agree with the notion Black men openly seek interracial dating, it's definitely a common theory. Whispers of brothers undervaluing our own females stretch from Trenton to Tinseltown. On the season premiere of BET's "The Game" , retired football player Jason Pitts (played by actor Coby Bell) was confronted on the issue of dating White women by a attractive female bartender named...Chardonnay. Yeah...Char...