The day often brings dilemma, making it difficult to feel joy. We run quickly to that place of perpetual refuge; we cannot see the falsehood of man-made sanctuaries. There are two guarantees, birth and death; everything we experience in between is just a luxury. Time does not know the difference between a second and a decade; a moment is all we have. Today, we can plant some seeds alongside our footprints.
Month: February 2016
Beguiled
Nothing is as it seems;
illusions glimmer
within the afternoon light.
Daydreams,
rolling cascades of fiction
beneath a tired brow.
Waiting…
wondering…
heartbeats of folly
to fill the emptiness.
Smiling now the mask
hiding this naked pain;
brightness of feigned joy
illuminates this distinction
of a fool.
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Clemenceau McAdoo Givings [1919 – 1944]
Clemenceau McAdoo Givings is the son of Noel Givings and nephew of my great-grandfather Francis Givings. Known by many as Clem, he was born in Richmond, Virginia in the year 1919. He served as 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) as part of the Tuskegee Airmen program during World War II from 1941 to 1944.
Clem graduated from flight training on May 28, 1943, under the Air Force Specialty Code M 1055-Pilot, Single-Engine Fighter and deployed to Italy in December 1943. He was a member of the 332nd Fighter Group, 100th Fighter Squadron. The squadron flew its first combat mission on February 5, 1944.
According to Capt. Samuel Curtis, in an article (Veterans Magazine 2007), “We were going into battle and we were really going to show them. Then we had our first casualty.” On March 18, 1944, while flying a P-39 Airacobra on a routine mission, Clem’s plane experienced mechanical failure forcing him to eject from the cockpit, over Naples Harbor. Unfortunately, he became tangled in his parachute causing him to drown. His body was recovered by an Italian fisherman.
Per Capt. Curtis, “He was a lively kind of guy and he was the first one lost. One day we came back and they said ‘Clem got killed,’ and it came as a real shock. It was then we realized we were really in a war zone.”
Clemenceau M. Givings is buried at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial in Italy. He received the following: the Purple Heart (1944), the World War II Victory Medal (2003), the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (2003), the American Defense Service Medal (2003), the Army Good Conduct Medal (2003), and the American Campaign Medal (2003).
“The privileges of being an American belong to those brave enough to fight for them.” – Benjamin O. Davis Jr.
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Chance
I am losing traction; there is resistance to the changes I wish to implement. I cannot sit and wait for divine intervention. I waited while hidden opportunities passed by. People are impeding my movements; some of those barriers constructed from my own self-doubt. I need a clean slate and a fresh plan. Maybe this is the time I look “chance” in the eye and say, “Let’s do this.”
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Choose “Your” Life’s Work
I have made choices based on the decisions of others. This is one of my greatest mistakes in life.
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Review: The Walking Dead “No Way Out”
By now, many of you watched The Walking Dead, season 6-episode 9 titled “No Way Out. This is probably one of the best episodes, in my opinion. The story opened with a bang, literally, as Daryl wipes out some of the Saviors with a rocket launcher. Something tells me this is the catalyst for some horrible retribution by Negan, when he finally arrives.
We have Glenn working with Enid to save Maggie and Glenn avoiding death once again. There is Carol and Morgan remaining at odds over their viewpoints on the value of life. There is Father Gabriel protecting baby Judith and finding his courage to help save Alexandria, which was good to see.
The shocking and anticipated scene occurs when Rick and the rest of the group making their way out, fall under attack by the horde because little Sam lost it mentally. This situation led to his mother being attacked forcing Rick, once he regained his composure, to begin chopping her arm to free Carl from an impending death. However, as fate had it, Carl ends up losing his eye due to a gunshot wound. Rick gets even with the walkers and the entire town rallies behind him.
This episode gave me anxiety; the pace, action, and story flow were great. It is nice to see the show adopting the comic book story arcs. I love Michonne. I wonder how Carl will adjust to his recent trauma and I feel that Daryl is the character that Negan uses to introduce “Lucille” (if the season follows the comics then this is likely a very shocking and gruesome fate).
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Opinion – Buying Popularity on Social Media
Last week, I read a blog post “Buying Likes and Followers? Get Outta Here!” on BookingAnita.wordpress.com, which raised the question, how much are you willing to spend on social media popularity?
READ POST: https://bookinganita.wordpress.com/2016/02/10/buying-likes-and-followers-get-outta-here/
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Denise Matthews aka Vanity (1959 – 2016)
Today I learned that Denise Matthews, formerly known as Vanity passed away, in Fremont, California. According to a CNN report, “Her death was confirmed by Gisela Hernandez, spokeswoman for Washington Hospital Health Care System. Hernandez did not say when Matthews died or under what circumstances.” She was 57 years old.
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Every Time It Rains [Video]
My poem comprised in a video.
The original post found here
https://writenowandlater.com/2015/10/07/every-time-it-rains/
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The Box
A beautiful box placed on her pillow
engraved with his constant promises;
coated with His golden rules.
A small latch keeps something inside.
Her finger’s loving touch breach an opening;
the scent of escape flees, the gold falls as dust
and the engravings fade as vapor.
A beating heart revealed inside nestled
within his written note that reads:
“I’m sorry.”
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Review: Deadpool Movie
Today, I watched the Deadpool movie and it was great. The opening credits were brilliant; no proper names just descriptions and images such as a Starbucks coffee cup with the name “Rob L” written on it and the picture of Green Lantern falling out of someone’s wallet.
The opening credits also displayed images familiar to the first trailer, the highway fight and devastation scene. Deadpool riding in the cab and giving Dopinder the cabbie advise on getting his girl back from his handsome and treacherous cousin; Deadpool paying the cab fare with a crisp high-five. Looking for “Francis”, forgetting his bag of weapons and taking down a mob of hench men with only twelve bullets and two samurai swords.
Deadpool, aka Wade Wilson, gets into a relationship, gets cancer, gets horribly mutated and he gets a healing factor. Deadpool wants his face back and when his girl gets kidnapped, he wants her back too. This is supposed to be a love story and a horror story. There is a lot of graphic violence, gratuitous sex, and full frontal nudity, which is fitting for this R-rated film. Ryan Reynolds is Deadpool pretending to be Ryan Reynolds. The telling of his origin via flashbacks is a great way to get those unfamiliar with is character up to speed. 
There is a moment when Deadpool is breaking the fourth wall within breaking the fourth wall. Colossus, Negasonic Teenage Warhead (…what the sh*t…that’s a cool name), Weasel, and Blind Al are great supporting cast and plucky comic relief. Stan Lee does a cameo appearance in the most unexpected way.
The pace, action, and character development across the story arc was great. The plot was clear and the scenes connected well. Given the nature of the film’s adult content, I was uncomfortable for the parents who took their pre-teens to see this movie. I liked this film a lot and I look forward to the second Deadpool movie featuring Cable.
P.S. it is wise to stay until the end of the closing credits for a little Deadpool bonus…just saying.
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New Batman vs Superman Trailer Review
I watched the new Batman v. Superman trailer and decided to give it a quick review.
Batman v Superman Final Trailer: https://youtu.be/5aLA6mtvssE
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Bedtime Story
His heart embraces
Her longing affections
Creating an unspoken narrative,
Upon a silent night.
Their body language sets
The mood describing
A moment held within
Eternity, with slumber
avoided beneath the sheets.
Tender cuddle connected
By yearning lips, as their
Souls feel time traverse
Along the moonlight with
Heavy anticipation.
Midnight whispers carry
A sensual tale between
Two lovers sharing
Romantic anecdotes that
Eclipse fairy tales and
Fantasies.
Granting them a
Night of inhibition
Within the bliss
Of their bedtime story.
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Reaction Videos and Controversies
Thanks to the FineBros, many of us are feeling slightly negative towards YouTube “Reaction” channels. A couple of YouTube “Reaction” channels under fire belong to someone named “Jinx” and Tyrone Magnus.
I am a subscriber of the Tyrone Magnus YouTube channel, due to the recommendation from Rob Jefferson of “Comics Explained”, and I find his videos very entertaining. A little over a week ago, someone known as GradeAUnderA posted this tweet, which makes an ambiguous claim against Tyrone.
This sparked a couple of video responses from Tyrone, which he indicates that he has no idea what GradeA is referring to.
For a week, we waited for GradeA’s video; during that time, Tyrone posted a third video of himself listening to a Twitch recorded stream of GradeA expressing his feelings toward Tyrone (there was a lot of name-calling). Tyrone reciprocated with the name-calling and swore on his mother’s grave that he did nothing wrong.
So, we waited for the alleged video; I wondered whether such a video existed. Yesterday, GradeA posted his video.
This video, to summarize, called out YouTube for not honoring their own Community Guidelines especially the rules associated with copyright use and it displayed information that Tyrone Magnus essentially stole money from GradeA via a Tyrone Magnus reaction video using GradeA’s content. You must watch GradeA’s video to understand the reason.
Tyrone responded with a video, twice as long, of himself listening to GradeA’s video and commenting. All Tyrone could say was, “He’s lying,” and at the end of the video he posted images of the direct messages between himself and GradeA, which in my opinion did not help his cause to sway the viewers.
Here is Akasan’s response to it all.
Tyrone’s last three videos, prior to his response video, provided GradeA with some very damaging content. While I don’t know who to believe, GradeA made the most convincing argument against Tyrone and YouTube; placing reasonable doubt in my mind. If this were a court-case based on evidence from the Prosecutor (GradeAUnderA) and the opposing argument from the Defendant (Tyrone Magnus), the Defendant is likely to receive a guilty verdict.
I believe Tyrone was overconfident. He should have either remained silent until after seeing GradeA’s video and prepared an appropriate response video or released an apology video with plans to work things out with GradeA behind the scenes. I have never seen so many dislikes on Tyrone’s channel and his subscriber count is dropping. At some point, this controversy will subside however, the internet never forgets.
This is giving me a lot to think about with my own channel and social media.
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Ground Hog Day
Today, in Punxsutawney, Pa., Phil the ground hog did not see his shadow therefore; we will have an early spring. I am looking forward to the end of winter and if this forecast is accurate then I will be a happy man. I hope that this delightful change in seasons will allow my mind to rest and my body to return to full nights of sleep. The thought of dreaming again is a nice sentiment.
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Howling Winds
Last night, I slept for nearly eight hours. For many this is an acceptable number and the standard; for me, this an overdose. It was much-needed rest but it left me feeling like a drugged turtle.
Anyway, I was able to complete my morning workout with a decent calorie burn followed by a long hot shower and breakfast. My commute took me through patches of sun and rain, literally, although I loved the metaphoric appeal. A few minutes after I arrived to work and settled in, the excess sleep had me nodding off at my computer; I would have enjoyed the nap but I had a couple of meetings that required my full attention.
So, I decided to go for a quick walk to awaken my tired mind.
I stepped into a light snow flurry as blistering winds permeated my skin and bones. I kept walking despite the inclement conditions. There was something about the sound of the “howling winds” that triggered a sense of déjà vu. Maybe I was recalling a dream or revisiting a past event.
In either case, it haunted me for the rest if the day.
Write Now and Later 
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