CEDTalks

March 24th marked my twenty eighth year here on th is earth, and it marked an important day in my life, as I decided to actually go to work. For anyone who knows me and how I view birthdays, this is a huge occurrence…even though I took off the next day. Turning 28 is an unrecognized milestone in a person’s life, as it is the midpoint of what I call the “career decade” aka “10 Years an Irrelevant Person” (After 12 Years a Slave , any topic revolving time should be spoken as such). The period between ages 23-33 is a moment where you are no longer viewed as a darling, or important for that matter, unless you catapult to the top of your desired career field or on the fast track towards it. If you deviate from this at any time, you slowly move out of sight and out of mind, barring life changing events such as marriage or children; coincidentally, these events shift the focus away from you. In my individual period, I’ve experienced a sample of these highs and lows, falling out of favor for ...

It's here! It's the season finale of WJT! After months of pledging, Derrick has completed his process and is preparing for his final stage and probate show. Gore prepares to make a splash by hosting an after party, while Andre mulls over his options about being at Carter University and chasing Jasmine. Jasmine has some options of her own, and everyone gets caught up in the show until a huge surprise stops everything. Be sure to like, share, and subscribe! For more on WJT, like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/werejusttalki­ng ; follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @werejusttalking.  

"Here come bad news talking this and that, yeah, Well, give me all you got, and don’t hold back, yeah, Well, I should probably warn you I’ll be just fine, yeah, No offense to you, don’t waste your time" - Pharrell Williams, "Happy" Find happiness and allow others to have theirs, even if it includes Westwood hats and astronauts. I'm "happy" that Pharrell's song is being received so well. Everyone and their mother (including mine) is walking around doing the Carlton, singing "Cuz’ I'm happyyyyyyyyyyyy!" It's cool. In addition to being a huge fan of Williams' music (if you love “Happy”, check out “Just a Cloud Away” ) and persona, the song is a testimony to my constant sermon that there remains an audience of people who enjoy, appreciate, and request positive images. Every so often we get songs like “Happy”, Outkast’s “Hey Ya”, “Blessed” by Jill Scott, and classics like “Happy Feelings” by the legendary Maze ...

I've found myself visiting and sharing several posts from social news and entertainment site Buzzfeed; many of the posts not only amused me, but created moments of reflection. From 30 Signs You Went To A HBCU  to " 40 Things That Will Make You Feel Old ", I've considered how certain aspects of my upbringing and education shaped me. That said I bring to you my own list, eleven essential life lessons learned in my journey to manhood. While some of these are specific to my role as Black man in America, most are still applicable to grown men of all ages. 1. Reality shows are the modern day crack rock. What is something people fiend for, sets black people back, and is monitored by the government (in this case, the FCC)? While my father and those around for Reaganomics would probably answer "base", there is a new drug decimating the black perception and it's found on VH1 and Bravo. Many look at the shows as pure entertainment, but so were sitcom...

Take a listen to "Swappin Spit", the new single from new artist NerdBoy. Swappin Spit is off the debut EP "Reservoir Bars", premiering Monday January 27th!

"Dude, hear me out: they gave Batman one, Thor, even Captain America...when's BLANKMAN getting a new film? You know he deserves it." Al Gore, 'We're Just Talking' While the quote was originally written for comedic purposes, I admit to privately celebrating the less popular and promoted superheroes of my time and before. Great protectors such as Colossus (first superhero with a high top fade), The Flash, and my favorite...Meteor Man, were commonly overlooked while guys like Batman and Superman soaked up the limelight. Buried even further below these 'underground' heroes however lies a figure that serves and protects more commonly than any of the previously mentioned figures, and NEVER gets the respect a defender of their credentials. They've saved more people than all of the Justice League members combined and never needed an alter ego; they simply go by the name of "Captain Save-a-Ho".  Though speaking in a mildly facetio...

With the recent release of CrazySexyCool , the biopic of legendary female singing group TLC, the question has arose about who should be the next group to receive a documentary highlighting their music career. There are several artists who qualify to have their life detailed in a film, but as an eccentric young man from the suburbs  I have a list of singers and groups outside of mainstream America's perspective that would make for entertaining (if not great) flicks. Ginuwine- "Too" Anxious/Pony Ride: The Ginuwine Story With his untold story of battles with addiction, S-curls, and the timeless "So Anxious" dance scene, "The Bachelor" offers an intriguing script for the small screen. Kirk Franklin- Skinny Jeans  for Jesus The host of Sunday's Best and owner of classic gospel tunes such as, "Smile", "Something About The Name Jesus", and "Stomp" deserves credit for addi...