Wydeopen's Blog

I used to work with a man who would respond with "Blessed Anyway!" any time someone asked him how he was doing.
I've adapted that philosophy and everyone who KNOWS me, knows my standard reply when people ask about my wellbeing is "Still standing...on this side of the fence." Because that sums up the two basic necessities; my health and freedom.
But apparently that's not enough for a lot of you out there.
I've been off of FB almost all day cause a lot of y'all started off the day complaining and whining about your...morning/life/child/job/ that no good so-and-so/blah, blah,muthasuckin' blah!
Even now at the end of the day you're still complaining- even though you woke up this morning and made it through the day.

Despite the facts that you're:
1. Privileged enough to have access to Facebook,
2. Healthy enough to post on Facebook and
3. Free enough to socialize on Facebook, you're still complaining?!?

The really bad part is; some of the ones %#&@$!ing the loudest are the same ones claiming to be devout Christians. The ones who are supposed to believe "This is the day the Lord has made, this us rejoice and be glad in it"

You can't just talk the talk especially when you're not walking the walk.
You can't praise God one minute and then the complain the next about whatever petty problems you're facing. You're not even fooling yourself.

I have a friend who was in a head on accident last December. He was in a comma for months and had to spend more months in a hospital learning how to walk and talk again. You would think that would depress him to the point of wanting to give up, but instead, he's by far the most positive person that I know. You ask him how he's doing and he responds "Super good" and puts both thumbs up.
Your bad day looks petty and your attitude seems pretty stupid once you spend one minute with Gadisa "Hoodie Hood" Robi.

Yeah, I gripe occasionally on Facebook but you'll never see a status update about my health, my finances, my legal troubles, my relationship with my family because quite honestly, it's none of your business and I know you probably don't care anyhow. I know you have problems of your own...you just updated your status.

There are times when events happen in the world at large that are so significant that you remember vividly exactly what you were doing at that exact moment.
For me, the announcements of the attempted assassination on Ronald Regan, the death of Marvin Gaye, the "not-guilty" verdict of OJ Simpson and the first bombing of the World Trade Center are among the my top five off those moments and as iconic as they are, there is one moment that stands out so much that I remember the exact date. "April 29th more power to the people..." - Ice Cube "Wicked" I remember starring at the TV in disbelief as Los Angeles TV stations covered the rioting, looting and the real life Allstate mayhem going down at the intersection of Florence and Normandie. The inexplicable acquittal of the four police officers who were infamously videotaped beating Rodney King lit the fuse on a powder keg that was South Central Los Angeles. For years before the the videotape surfaced Black and latino residents of LA complained about the racist officers and policies of the LA police department. Their claims that they were harassed and brutalized on a regular basis among other accusations were systematically denied, covered up and ignored. The verdict only confirmed what many believed; there would be no justice when it's "just us" (meaning Black and Brown people). Also adding to the anger of "the people" was the perceived gentrification of their neighborhood by Koreans who owned most of the stores and property in South central. They felt oppressed, powerless and disenfranchised. But most of all, when the not guilty verdict was read, they felt abused and victimized. Far be it from me to be a harbinger if doom, I much rather be considered a catalyst for discussion and change. So in that role I must ask: How much has really changed in the part 20 years? How far have race relations progressed in the past generation? How far/closer are we to another LA riot. When President Obama was first elected there were people ignorantly professing that we were now living in a "post-racial" America. The reality of the situation is Obama's election has probably snatched off the feel good Band-Aid that racism has been festering under since MLK was killed and exposed the truth of how white people truly feel about Blacks. No longer is the prejudice covert and subtle. The Internet and the anonymity that it provides had made it easier and more convenient for people to spew their hate and intolerance from the comfort of their homes and with the convenience of their smart phones. This is evidenced by comments left on various webpages reporting on the recent Trayvon Martin/ George Zimmerman case that had gripped the all the nations attention. Some examples of some of the comments: [...] Well, reluctantly, we shall push back until we too may be inclined toward violence. It's a shame really blacks hitching their free mules to the wagons of race-hustlers. Semper Paratus [ ] The kid was looking for somebody to rob. [ ]What about, how the boy was a druggie thug? [ ]Its to bad the punk Trayvon had to die.He wont be able to steal any more or rape white women,become a stinking pimp,Sale drugs,I think Im going to cry. [ ]I mean, it's been going on for a long time but now there's just no pretense: the USA is being run like a 3rd world country. I can see why a group of baboons is called a Congress. [ ] Black on white racism rears it's butt ugly, stank azz head again. A black kid gets hiself kilt for beatin on a His-paniced ..and shot da punk ..an right away it's the white manz fult NOT ! Even a police officer was recently fired for his lack of sensitivity and judgment when he posted the comment "dress like a thug - die like a thug." in the comments section of a website discussing Trayvon Martins murder. According to a recent Gallup poll on the subject, Blacks and non-blacks are deeply divided among their opinions on whether or not race lead up to Martin being killed. Opinions are also split as to whether or not Zimmerman would have been arrested had he been Black. Amazingly, 46% of non-blacks do believe that Zimmerman would have been arrested if the unarmed teen he shot was white. Many in the Black community would like to paint George Zimmerman as a racist and focus their fury at him as the trigger man. The fact of the matter is Zimmerman was an overzealous cop wanna-be who got in over his head when he racially profiled and shadowed Trayvon Martin, got his %#&@$! beat (maybe),then panicked and pulled the trigger on an unarmed teen. He's a murderer, no doubt, but he's probably not a racist. The target most deserving of the community's wrath is the legal system that is once again denying justice to a young Black murder victim. Twenty years after LA went up in flames we are setting another scenario where there is"no justice when it's just us". "...we just might see a sequel!" - Ice Cube "Wicked" Anger from both sides is being misplaced and not since the previously mentioned OJ acquittal has so much racial tension been felt in the air. The Miami Herald reports that a group of armed neo-Nazis are patrolling the Sanford, FL area, saying they are "prepared" for violence. On the other side, the"New Black Panther Party"have offered a $10,000 "reward" (a euphemism for bounty) for the capture of Martin's killer. In a move that surprisingly has not yielded criminal charges, famed Hollywood movie director Spike Lee, known for race centric movies like "Do the Right Thing"and "Jungle Fever" sent what he mistakingly believed to be Zimmerman's address to thousands of his followers on Twitter. The words "Long Live Zimmerman" were found spray-painted on the side of Ohio State University's black cultural center last Tuesday morning. On Friday a writer for the conservative publication, Taki's Magazine wrote a piece inspired by Black parents having a discussion with their children about how to prepare for and deal with racism. In his column he states "There is a talk that nonblack Americans have with their kids, too," He then details some of the advice he gave his children about black people. This includes some shocking tips such as: -Avoid concentrations of blacks not all known to you personally. -Stay out of heavily black neighborhoods. -If planning a trip to a beach or amusement park at some date, find out whether it is likely to be swamped with blacks on that date (neglect of that one got me the closest I have ever gotten to death by gunshot). -Do not attend events likely to draw a lot of blacks. -If you are at some public event at which the number of blacks suddenly swells, leave as quickly as possible. - Do not settle in a district or municipality run by black politicians. - Before voting for a black politician, scrutinize his/her character much more carefully than you would a white. - Do not act the Good Samaritan to blacks in apparent distress, e.g., on the highway. - If accosted by a strange black in the street, smile and say something polite but keep moving. But as outlandish as his "advice" is, the most shocking point that the self-described "mild and tolerant racist" shares is his belief that "the mean intelligence of blacks is much lower than for whites." And tragically, as I was writing this article it's been reported that police in Tulsa, Oklahoma have arrested two white men in connection with a shooting spree that left three Black people dead and two wounded--and sparked fears of a hate crime in the community. George Santayana d.1952 said " Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it." (The Life of Reason Vol.1, Reason in common sense 1905-06). If we as a people (Americans) don't get it together and let go of ingrained prejudices and unfounded anger, more of our young are going to die and more of our cities are going to burn. These are AVOIDABLE tragedies.

Hello BlackPlanet Friends, new and old!
I know it's been awhile since I've posted here on BlackPlanet regularly but please believe I am still the same ole WydeOpen that you came to know and love.
I'm posting this message to you all to let you know I am going to be posting regularly in another forum. Please feel free to join me over at my regular blog site

http://betterthanaverageradio. blogspot.com/?zx=60f3f3807ff41 9ac

You can also follow my regular posts at twitter.com/wydeopen and join me as I post personal thoughts, comments and pictures at my Facebook.com/wydeopen page.

I hope to see everyone there soon so we can reignite the conversations that we had here on BlackPlanet, especially in this election year and with so much going on in relationships, both personal and socially.

Remember keep your minds, hearts, eyes and soul WydeOpen. Soon, you'll be better than average!

Remember the term hater is a shortened version of the word "player hater". So trust, if you ain't got no game or even in the game-Newsflash: you ain't no player to be hated on. 10 times out of 10, real players don't even recognize their haters because they're too busy perfecting their game. Public service announcement: sometimes the ones you call haters are the only ones with your best interest in mind and at heart. You're just committed to doing dumb %#&@$! and "can't nobody tell you nothing!".
Stop worrying about who's supposedly "hating" on you and start studying your playbook.

"And since we all came from a woman Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman I wonder why we take from our women Why we rape our women, do we hate our women? I think it's time to kill for our women Time to heal our women, be real to our women And if we don't we'll have a race of babies That will hate the ladies, that make the babies And since a man can't make one He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one So will the real men get up I know you're fed up ladies, but keep your head up" 2Pac - Keep Your Head Up.

If I have 1 hero in my life it's my mother. If you have any idea of who I am, you know my mother. I am her product. She's made me into the man I am. At least the good parts. If I've passed on any wisdom to anyone...please thank my mother. I've only recycled what's she's passed on to me. I often feel bad because I have caused her more stress and worry than anyone should put anyone through, let alone her own child. I apologize Mom. Sincerly, from the bottom of my heart. Judith Elaine, you need to know that you should know that your spirit reaches out and touches every person you come in contact with from the clerk at the grocery store to your grandchildren who grow more and more like you every day. If anyone has a mother even half as special as mine, please pay your respects to her and point her towards this page so they can enjoy the videos and have a great Mother's Day! I would be remiss if I didn't let the mother's of my beautiful children know how much I appreciate them for bearing my legacy's. Despite our current relationships, the Universe brought us together to create beings of incredible potential. Thank you for helping me create these beautiful creatures with me! !

Click here if you want to send the Mothers in your lives a e-card!

Plot: The mortal son of the god Zeus embarks on a perilous journey to stop the underworld and its minions from spreading their evil to Earth as well as the heavens.

Bottom Line:   While the special effects dress this remake into something grand, newer and cooler doesn’t always mean better.

In the age when movie studios pan the comic book/graphic novel genre for blockbuster gold and cult classic TV shows and movies are remade in hopes of lightening striking twice, it was probably inevitable that the vintage 80s stop-motion animation rich film “Clash of the Titans” would get today’s Hollywood treatment.

When I saw the original in theaters way back in 1981, I left the theater as an awe-struck 8-year-old with a new appreciation (maybe obsession) for Greek mythology.  For its time, “Clash of the Titans” pandered to every little boys fantastical imagination of saving princesses by fighting off monsters with swords and shields, helmets of invisibility and of course, robotic owls.

The Warner Bros. remake brings that same magic (and probable merchandising campaign) to today’s pre-pubescent, testosterone-filled wanna-be heroes-for-hire with a new millennium American attitude.

Sam Worthington as Perseus in the 2010 remake of "Clash of the Titans."

Screenwriters of both films took several liberties with the source material, (a common practice when adapting novels to motion pictures) so many literary scholars may not appreciate the Hollywood interpretation of the myth of Perseus. But to keep this in perspective, this is not a historical biopic.

In this account, the hero Perseus (“Avatar’s” Sam Worthington) is the unknowing love child of Zeus (“Darkman’s” Liam Neeson), the king of the gods who has been an absentee father in Perseus’ life. Shortly after his birth, his mother’s husband, King Acrisius (“City of Life’s” Jason Flemyng), casts mother and son into the sea where they are found by a fisherman who eventually marries Perseus’ mother and raises the boy like his own. Twelve years later Perseus witnesses the death of the only family he’s ever known by his fraternal uncle, Hades the god of the underworld (Ralph Fiennes of the “Harry Potter” franchise).

Thus begins the contemporary version of a hero’s journey as Perseus sets out to avenge his family’s deaths at the same time rescuing the distressing damsel. Throughout his trek, he encounters dreadful and deadly beasts, which are literally the sort that legends are made of.

COOT is a greek myth bastardized into an archetypical superhero movie thanks to director Louis Leterrier who helmed the reboot of Marvel Comics’ “The Incredible Hulk.” Comic book movie fans can look to this as silver screen spring training for this next month’s “Iron Man 2.”

The original COTT has weathered the ages pretty well despite having special effects that, at the time of its release, were awesome but are now light-years behind what animators are capable of creating onscreen today. The plot is well, classic Greek mythology and good story telling doesn’t get much better than that.  Special effects, on the other hand, rule the day in this adaptation. The monsters of the original are now bigger, faster and badder. The Greek gods on Mt. Olympus are larger than life thanks to spectacular CGI visual effects. Surprisingly though, the addition of 3-D effects that pushed COTT’s release back by a week didn’t really lend any additional “wow” factor to the movies already-lavish backgrounds and settings. In fact, with the furious pacing and extremely close camera angles in some action scenes, the 3-D effects are at best distracting.

Greek mythology will always make great Hollywood fodder because the legends are ripe with drama, action, romance and legendary monsters. But as technologies improve, studios will begin to reduce the tall tales that once captivated and inspired our imaginations when we actually had to (god-forbid) read them to 90-minute high-definition, 3-D-enhanced assaults on our senses. While “Clash of the Titans” may be fun for a very specific target audience – those made of snips of snails and puppy dog tails — very few X chromosome-bearing viewers over the age of 16 who aren’t into the latest computer-generated theatrical bells and whistles will find this movie very entertaining.

A Greek classic is just that, a classic. The first “Clash of the Titans” defied the odds and became a cult classic. Remaking that film is a classic example of not knowing when to quit while you’re ahead.

I am one of the millions of American citizens who need health insurance. I’ve had asthma since I was two and a half years old. I’ve also had severe food allergies since I was an infant. For over a decade I’ve had chronic back pain due to bone spurs on my spine.

I am currently unemployed. I used to work for a non-profit agency that worked with at-risk youth but even then I didn’t have health insurance. Once I lost my job, due to the country’s economic downturn, I decided to become a student and pursue my dream of becoming a published writer - and getting health insurance.

 Once enrolled in school and the student health insurance plan, I didn’t abuse it. I went to the doctor a couple of times the first year. I went when I got a sinus infection and I went when I got the flu. I went when I sprained my back moving a chair and couldn’t stand straight due to the spasms and pain. Two out of three visits were covered by my insurance provider.

 See, since I had seen a doctor about the bone spurs and had gotten treated previously for back pain, my new - unrelated pain, was considered to be a pre-existing condition.  Thankfully, last Sunday, a long overdue, much needed healthcare reform bill was finally passed. A bill that does away with insurance company profit friendly policies like the ones that allow the insurance companies to deny covering pre-existing conditions and dropping coverage when policy holders need the benefits the most - when they’re sick.

 If you visit at my Facebook info page and you’ll notice that my political views are clearly Independent. I pledge allegiance the United States of America, (emphasis on united) not to any political party. I would like to think that our elected officials would be similarly motivated when voting on the laws that affect the people of our country.

 But confusingly, this bill has gotten the Republicans thoroughly peeved and stubbornly bent on repealing the law. Media mouthpieces of the GOP like Glen Beck have compared the passing of the bill to the Hindenburg, Pearl Harbor, the St. Valentine’s Day massacre and offensively - 9/11. Limbaugh rallied his listeners to " Defeat the Democrats, every one of them that voted for this bill.”

 As upset at the passing of this bill as the Republicans are, I am just as confused as to why. Their main point to abhor is the implied fact that the bill is proof of President Obama’s “socialist” agenda. This label is one of the more subtle of the terms applied to those who oppose everything in President Obama’s agenda. Even if the benefits save lives.

 A Harvard Medical School study released in September last year showed that almost 45,000 people die in the United States each year because they do not have health insurance. That’s one person every 12 minutes because of the lack of health insurance. I have to question the motivation of the Republicans that rail against a bill that expands coverage to 32 million uninsured Americans and literally prevent people from dying.

  At one point the conservatives against the bill called it too expensive for America. That’s why, after looking at an independent summary of the healthcare bill, I am even more confused by their argument. Never mind the rhetorical question of how much money is too much to spend to save lives of American citizens, studies have shown that the bill reduces the deficit by $143 billion over the first ten years and over 1.2 trillion over the next ten.

 Another rallying cry for those opposed to healthcare reform was the possibility that illegal immigrants would be covered at tax payer expense. But this argument is moot as the bill expands Medicaid coverage to more families living in poverty and legislates that illegal immigrants are not eligible for Medicaid.

Other right-wingers, conservatives, moderates and even Democrats found any federal funding of abortion procedures completely unacceptable to the bill. Fortunately for them, an executive order has been added that states that no federal funds can be used to pay for abortions except in the case of rape, incest or health of the mother.

So for practically every point that the Republican’s have raised in objection to the President’s healthcare reform initiative, the final bill has responded with solutions that anyone without partisan (or more sinister financial) motivations should find agreeable.

But, no. The Republicans continue to assail the bill’s passage into law as a horseman of the apocalypse. Even Sen. John McCain, a representative known for occasionally being bipartisan pledged in a radio interview Republicans would no longer cooperate with Democrats because of the passage of health care reform. As political commentator Bill Maher humorously pointed out in his weekly HBO television show “Real Time with Bill Maher” “You can’t use “There will be no cooperation for the rest of the year” as a threat if there was cooperation in the first half of the year.”

Less humorous and more frightening are the barely covert threats from Democratic party rivals and their supporters and constituents against the lives and safety of politicians who voted for the health care bill. On Wednesday US Today reported House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D- MD) as saying the FBI and local police are investigating threats towards House Democrats. The same day the HuffingtonPost.com reported that Sarah Palin posted on her Facebook page a map of the United States featuring gun sights representing Democrats targeted by SarahPAC, Palin’s political action committee. Three of the 20 crosshairs were ominously colored blood red. Fine print declared that those incumbents have already announced their retirement.

Although House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) has officially discouraged the threats and acts of vandalism calling them “unacceptable” and “not the American way.” He also tempered his statement with this inflammatory preface; “I know many Americans are angry over this health care bill, and that Washington Democrats just aren’t listening.”

I find it bewildering for Republicans to pander along party lines when pictures of nooses are being faxed to congressmen and bricks are being thrown through politician’s office windows. And for them to cross their arms and refuse cooperate in resolving critical American issues like illegal immigration, education reform and oh yeah, the economy, is behavior that most people would call childish. But I instead use Boehner’s own words, “unacceptable” and “not the American way.”

President Obama campaigned on a platform of change and has begun to deliver. For the Republicans to act as if they are now going to take their ball and leave because they lost the health care reform game is precisely the political environment that needs changing.

Hey friends, old and new!
I apologize for not posting on here lately. I've been real busy with school and a new venture that is really exciting and time consuming.
I'm now writing movie reviews for www.blackflix.com and working on getting my radio show up and running.

Please come check out my reviews.

The radio show is going to be an extension of what I do on here so keep your ears WydeOpen and remember to be Better Than Average!

Last night I saw the most informative, honest talk about health care reform that I've ever seen.

"...we have all been screaming because we do not want to face,

we cannot face

what is at the heart of all this

what is the unspoken essence of every moment of this debate

what about which we are truly driven to such intense, ineffable, inchoate emotions.

Because ultimately in screaming about healthcare reform - pro or con,

we are screaming about DEATH.

This ultimately is about DEATH.

About preventing it.

About fighting it

About resisiting it.

About grabbing hold of everything and anything to forestall it and postpone it

even though we know that the force will overcome us.

Always will - always has.

Healthcare is, at it's core, about improving the odds of Life in it's struggle against Death.

Because in one party, in one demographic, in one protest movement we are all brothers and sisters.

We are united in membership in the party that insists that every chance at life be afforded to every American seeking that chance.

...We are united in membership in the party that is for Life! That is against Death.

We are united in membership in the party that is for lower premiums

that is against higher deductibles

that is for the peace of mind that can only be provided by the elimination of the FEAR that COST WILL DECIDE WHETHER WE LIVE OR WE DIE!

Because that's the point...isn't it?

I can't believe the level of idiocracy that this country has risen to. I should have known that the relative ease that President Obama came into office was just too good to be true. I just thank God that he hasn't had any reported assassination attempts yet. That's not to say that there haven't been any attempts on his life, just none reported in the media so far.

I don't want to sound prophetic at all but let's all cross our fingers and hope for the best.

The reason that I mention this though is a story that I saw on the news today. It was reporting the fact that next Tuesday, the President is going to address student nationwide with a message about the importance of staying in school and working hard to achieve education goals. But the meat of the story was the controversy that has arisen amongst some parents because of the planned address.

Apparently some parents are "outraged" because they believe that he is going to "indoctrinate students with his agenda." Among parents who are planning on keeping their children out of school Tuesday is Shanneen Barron a Highlands Ranch, CO, mother.

"Thinking about my kids in school having to listen to that just really upsets me," she said while sobbing. "I'm an American. They are Americans, and I don't feel that's OK. I feel very scared to be in this country with our leadership right now."