Okay so remember a couple of days ago I said that I would be starting my couch to 5k program? Well, let’s just say it got off to a rather bumpy start and I’ll have to put it on hold for at least 2 weeks. Yeah Your boy almost died!! Okay here’s what happened. I was at work running on the trail behind our office. I was a little winded but I thought that was because I hadn’t seriously run in a while and it was a little chilly and windy out. No biggie right? I mean I’m a former military man, I’ve run in worse conditions right?  

Anyway, I enter the last lap and all of a sudden I have to stop and start walking. I mean my chest is hurting when I take a deep breath, I can’t catch my breath because my chest is hurting and I’m going down fast. Luckily my co worker was running with me and told me to stop and lay down so that my lungs could expand, or something  while she called for help. the security officers come and take us back to the office. By this time I have caught my breath but it’s still hard to breathe. I can’t for the life of me figure out why. This has never happened to me before and we only did like a mile at a simple pace that included walking.

So I catch my breath and I’m breathing normally and all but my chest is still pounding and tight. Now i’m only 32 years old so I know this should not be happening. At this point I don’t even go back into the building, I see my supervisor coming back from lunch and immediately tell her I’m having chest pains and going to the ER. Without hesitation she says “Why are you still here? You better go and call me when you get there! And don’t step foot on this campus until you are cleared by the doctor.”

I leave and drive myself to the ER because I wanted to go someplace close to home just in case it’s serious and have to get admitted. Don’t judge me or my logic, that’s just the way I think okay. I get to the ER and they take me in, run all kinds of tests and take about what seemed like 5 pints of blood only to come back and tell me that everything is normal. The only thing is that I have a slight infection in my chest cavity that is causing the tightness when I take a deep breath. Whew!! I thought for sure I was dying!!  They give me some antibiotics and pain pills and send me on my merry way. No strenuous activity for at least 2 weeks.

I am so happy that I’m fine. I was having slight chest pain a few weeks ago but it was never bad and was after I ate something spicy and didn’t linger so I chalked it up as heartburn.  I guess I never really got over a cold that I had a few weeks ago. Oh well, thankfully I’m doing great and I’ll be back to training for my 5k in 2 weeks.

Grand Opening Grand Closing

This episode opens with Jason and Chardonnay at the movies. They are acting extra ghetto by bringing in their own food and yelling at the screen. As they laugh to themselves about what’s happening Jason tells her that he likes her but then tries to clean it up right quick and say that he likes hanging out with her even he’s not used to saying her ridiculous name. He asks if they could keep seeing each other after the annulment but she tells him that she doesn’t think it’s a good idea. They both agreed that after the annulment was final that they would go their separate ways.

At the TV studio… First Malik showed then Derwin shows up. Jason tricked them both into coming down thinking that they were going to do an interview. They first think that it’s about their beef but it’s really because he wants to tell them that he’s married and that she’s black. When he first announces that he got married they both turn to leave but when he says that she is black they come back interested and shocked. He goes on to tell them the story about getting drunk and heading to Mexico to get married. He feels like she’s changing his life for the better but she doesn’t want to see him after the annulment. Derwin tells him to cancel the annulment. That won’t work because she’ll get half if they do decide to divorce later and they barely know each other. Malik tells him to set her free and she will come back if it’s meant to be. Then Derwin tells her that Jason should show her that there’s another side to him in the same way that she showed him things.

At the Davis house… Melanie and Derwin are getting dressed and making small talk after sex. Since they are trying to have a baby they need to have sex when she’s ovulating. Derwin is rushing them as they get dressed because he doesn’t want to be late for church. Melanie tells him it’s not a big deal and that she had the pastor hold up the service for them. Derwin is in disbelief because the old reverend would never do that. Apparently Melanie had him replaced. Since he made her become more involved in church (last season he laid down that law after she was doing some crazy stuff like lying all the time about everything and getting his son DNA tested without him or janay’s permission) she has gone all out by getting the clothes, learning the hymns, and adding John 3:16 to all her signatures.

At the church… Derwin and Melanie arrive at the church. It’s filled with an array of multi cultural folks (Reminds me of a nondenominational mega church type feel). Even the mayor is a member. They are escorted to their seats (in vip) that are right next to Deray Davis. Melanie asks him to say one of the lines from his movie but he refuses to do it in church so she says it all corny like. You can tell that DeRay is aggravated with her and that she must do it often. Come to find out she actually was holding service up because they were late. She gives the pastor a nod and then he begins service. Crazy. As service begins Derwin is visibly not happy with the way things are going. Melanie seems to be a mini celeb of sorts and is running the church but not in a good way.

Back at the Davis residence… Derwin is in the kitchen checking his phone when Melanie walks in. She asks Him what’s wrong since he hasn’t said a word since they left church. He goes on to tell her that he has to get used to the things like the usher giving him a scalp massage during the sermon or the auto detailing during service. She tells him that it may take some time to get used to but that they write big checks for that type of treatment. When Derwin asks how big the checks are she pulls out her checkbook to show him. In the memo of one of the checks she wrote “make me pregnant”. Derwin is flabbergasted! He tells her that God is not a genie! Apparently instead of praying she writes what she wants from God in the memo area on the checks. He tells her that she is tripping and VIP has her messed up. VIP has put her in the right circles outside of church. He gives her two options. They either go back to the old church or they continue going to the new church but sit in the back with the regular people. She flips out and asks him if he knows what VIP stands for in the church? Very Important Protection. The back of the church, according to her, is like the back of a plane where you fight for armrests, little Timmy won’t stop kicking your chair and the bathrooms might as well be in your mouth. She thinks that he has a game next sunday but it’s actually Monday night. I guess she’ll be in the back with the regular people.

At the bar… Jason and Chardonnay are watching his show “the Pitts stop” and he has a special message for her at the end. He just wants to start again from the beginning. She tells him that she cares about him but they are at two different places in their lives. If she were younger than she would have jumped at the chance but she is too old for that. She tells him that she wants and deserves it all, marriage, kids etc. She even asks if he wants kids, live with someone and all that. He is hurt and tells her fine because there are more catfish in the sea before leaving.

At a movie theatre… Jason is on a date with another black girl. Her name is Jennifer (spelled the normal way) but he can’t believe it and asks if it has a G or something instead. He starts acting the same way he did with Chardonnay like bringing in food and talking thoughout the film. She is embarrassed and tells him to put the food away or they will be kicked out and that he needs to be quiet because people are looking at them. After his last shout to the movie she gets up and leaves in disgust right before the usher comes to kick him out.

At Tasha’s penthouse… After the debacle at the movies Jason goes to see Tasha for some advice. He needs her to help him understand black women. She laughs hysterically. He’s trying to figure out why Chardonnay doesn’t want to be with him. She goes on to tell him the plight of a black woman. According to Tasha, the black woman is so desperate to be in a relationship with a good black man that she will wait around for him, pray for him, and the when they finally snag one they’ll just go ahead and let him act a fool. Now that he understands the plight he wants to know how he can get Chardonnay to want to be with him. She advises him to accept her on her terms and be honest. And she tells him to read Steve Harvey’s book ‘think like a man, act like a woman’. She tells him not to sleep on that book and that Chardonnay is probably getting her info from the book as well.

Next sunday at church… Derwin and Melanie arrive at the Back with the regular people. The first thing that happens is that one of the parishioners thinks that he’s lost and then asks him to sign a bible. As the service starts Derwin asks the guy next to him what page they are on and this dude has the nerve to say that he’s not paying attention because he has a lot on his mind, then asks Derwin if he can lend him some money. The pastor asks for a praise report (a testimonial for you heathens out there) and this nice older lady that was sitting next to Melanie stands. She begins to tell a story of how she has fallen on hard times and all she would like is a prayer. Melanie has a look on her face as though the woman’s testimony touched her and she wants to change but you never can tell with Melanie.

At the bar… Jason goes back to see Chardonnay armed with Tasha’s advice. He works up the nerve to tell her how he feels. Come to find out that he went out with three of her friends that week. In his defense he doesnt know any other black women and he was trying to replace her. That didn’t work out so well. He begins to tell her that he wants to take the next 4 weeks left that they have before the annulment and start over. He tries to tell her what Tasha told him about the plight of the black woman but gets it all mixed up so he just speaks from his heart. He tells her that he wants to be with her. He could stand there and tell her everything that she wants to hear but the reality is that she has to let him show her instead. He then asks her to take a leap of faith with him and give it a shot. After a deep breath she agrees to give it a shot before ending another week’s episode.

In my continuing quest for a healthier me I have decided to try the couch to 5k program. I have already lost about 10 pounds this year so far by just watching my calorie intake and doing light to moderate exercise. Light to moderate meaning doing about 20-30 minutes on the treadmill twice a week. Now its time to step things up.

I encouraged some of my coworkers to join me on this voyage to go from the couch to running a 5k. Today is our first day. I’ll let you know how things turn out.

I was inspired to do this when a good friend of mine was constantly talking about how she was running, eating healthier, losing weight and just plain old feeling better about herself. This inspired me to want to feel better and look better too! Hopefully you’ll hear or read more from her later. We’re trying to work something out now so that she can blog about her experience and hopefully inspire more folks to want to live and eat right.

Here is the info for the couch to 5k program. Wish me luck!

Couch to 5k

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The Black People Episode

This episode opens with Tasha hosting a sunbeams meeting in her penthouse (she moved out her big house because she says that it was too much for just her and she wants something smaller and to focus on Malik’s career). Melanie and two other sunbeams enter late. They start to discuss the ideas for the fashion show. Tasha begins to give her idea. She says that she has hired someone that is the epitome of beauty, style and sophistication. Guess who it is? None other than NeNe Leakes from the real housewives of Atlanta! Melanie is totally shocked. She says that she is so excited and this is the perfect opportunity for her to debut her line of clothing for the sexy, comfortable, voLUMPtuous woman. Melanie tries to correct her by suggesting that she meant voluptuous but she really meant voLUMPtuous. The line is called licktuous or lituous or something like that by Lenethia “NeNe” Leakes. she then calls the women out to model the line. The lumptuous women come out in some ghetto track suits and other foolishness that NeNe or any other woman with any kind of sense or fashion style wouldn’t be caught dead in.

In the locker room… Javon comes in after practice cracking jokes with one of the players about them having to sit on the bench next to Malik growing “man boobs” not realizing that Malik is standing right there. He apologizes and cracks a joke saying that was meant to be said behind his back. As the others laugh Derwin tries to stick up for Malik and says that Javon’s boobies have gotten sloppy as well and tells Malik not to sweat them. Malik sarcastically thanks him, then says the he helped him get benched and to kill himself before calling him a bastard. Derwin is confused because he thought they were cool. Malik tells him that he only came to his son’s birthday party because that is his God son and it’s not his fault that his dad is a piece of crap and walks off. Derwin still confused says that his gift was a piece of crap. Who buys a 3 year old diamond cuff links as a present? He then walks over to Kwan and starts an awkward conversation. He heard he just broke up with Camille so he invites him out with the guys to cheer him up. When Kwan rejects the offer he sweetens the deal by telling them they have karaoke and he will give him first dibs on “wind beneath my wings”. Kwan just pats him on the shoulder and walks off. Awkward!

At Derwin’s house… Derwin comes home from practice to find Melanie in the bathroom with hair and makeup people getting all dolled up for a Quentin Tarantino movie premiere. As they are both getting ready they dish on their day. He calls Kwan a clown for not wanting to hang out with them and she calls Tasha ghetto and says how she is going to ruin the sunbeam fashion show and turn it into a scene from “The Wiz” (which is one of my top 5 movies of all time by the way). Apparently Tasha has done the “ghetto” theme each yer for the fashion shows. Last year e theme was “ghetto dreamin’” the year before was “ghetto fever” and in 2008 iit was “it’s ghetto up in hurr”
Derwin just seems hurt that his man crush doesn’t want to hang out with him. Melanie is trying to represent a whole faction of sunbeams that don’t like what Tasha is doing. They then build each other up by telling one another that they run their respective organizations and the other people need to respect that.

Out at a restaurant… Jason and Chardonnay go out for dinner on “the black side of town”. Jason has second thoughts about the whole situation. Chardonnay promised her friends that they would meet Jason Pitts and asks him to please stay just for a little while. Jason reluctantly agrees. During dinner Jason seems to be enjoying himself and getting along with her friends. He seems to be learning a great deal about the black culture that he never knew about. As they are joking and talking one of Chardonnay’s friends (played by Kel Mitchell) brings up a good point that just because you vote for Obama it doesn’t make you any blacker, when Jason agrees and adds that adding a ‘z’ to your words doesn’t either they all laugh and he calls Jason his brother. Jason has on a moment of clarity of sorts. No one has ever called him ‘brother’ before. He’s so proud to be called that. When the police sit at the table near them and he speaks they tell him not to because it will bring unwanted attention to them. They then go on to tell him about DWB aka driving while black. He then says that he gets pulled over once a week, they ask for his autograph and keep it moving. Chardonnay educates him to the fact that they don’t know who he is when they pull him over, just that he is a black man driving a fancy car in a rich white neighborhood. He thinks that they are being oversensitive.

At the Davis house… The sunbeams are having their meeting and talking about the fashion show. Tasha says that she has also booked Ice T’s wife CoCo. Before the end of the meeting one of the sunbeams named Bren has an announcement. Melanie couldn’t be at the meeting because she is having in-vitro. The other news is that she has come up with an idea about the fashion show. She has called some people and has some little fashionisto from Alabama to come up and do the show instead. Bren offered him $10,000 to come In and help with the show. He then goes o. To show his bourgeois designs and Tasha is not happy about it one bit. Some of the ladies agree with Bren but the majority are with Tasha. She says that she has been running the show for 6 years. Last year she raised $500,000 for sickle cell research. Bren tells her she could have raise a whole lot more with a ‘real’ fashion show. They put it to a vote and Tasha won 12-10.

At the mall… Jason is doing a bit of shopping and is heading to the door with a white customer that is leaving at the same time. The alarm goes off and a white woman comes rushing over and says that she needs to check their bags. She then tells the white man that he can leave without checking his bag, turns to Jason and asks him to open his bags. Jason is shocked and asks why the other guy got to walk away unchecked and she tells him that she is sure he set off the sensor. Jason is appalled and thinks its because he’s black by saying that not all black people steal. As she is going through his bags she finds the item and says that his cashier is still in training and has been leaving sensors on things all morning. She then removes the sensor from his pants and walks away. As he is walking through the parking lot a car comes by and almost hits him. As the driver is driving away he yells out whoa the driver says ” ah shut up blackie, I should have hit you!” Jason is totally offended and doesn’t even know what to do but walk away.

In the locker room…the team is celebrating another win. Derwin in his attempt for everyone to bond he announces that he’s taking everyone out on the town, he then puts Kwan on the spot and asks him to come. When Kwan once again rejects Derwin makes it like maybe he’s too good to hang out with them. Kwan lays it all out there in front of everyone. He says that he is not there to be his friend like Jason or Malik or Javon. He’s there to win championships and that Derwin needs to stop asking him out, it’s getting a little suspect. Everyone laughs and a few start to bail on the partying plans. Derwin is dejected and walks back to his locker to Malik telling him that just when you think someone is your friend they shoot you down.

At the bar… Jason shows up at the bar to talk to Chardonnay about the incidents at the mall. He is stressing out because the blinders have been taken off and he is starting to see racism that he never noticed before and it’s too much for him. It was easier for him t dismiss it because he’s rich and famous black, he can’t understand how to take it as a regular black. She tells him that she deals with it by ignoring it or at times standing up to it but she still lives her life. He thanks her for the talk and then they share a kiss.

At the Davis house… The sunbeams are having another meeting. Melanie has been put on bed rest by her doctor. Tasha says that she needs $5,000 from Melanie for the entertainment. The entertainment is 1/2 of Jodeci, JoJo and Mr Dalvin because K-ci and Devonte are having some issues. She asks Bren to get her a check and Bren asks if she talked to Melanie about the situation yet? Tasha thinks that there is no situation because she won and they lost. Bren then calls Melanie and puts her on speaker phone while setting the phone in the presider’s seat. Melanie has taken over the fashion show because of the “drama” per sunbeam bylaws. Tasha is pissed! She figured out the whole scheme of Melanie making it like Bren wanted to do the fashion show, the whole dividing of the sunbeams so that she could come in and do it her way and site that it is for the good of the group. The whole time Tasha was playing checkers while Melanie was playing chess. Tasha tells her off! Once she figured out the Plan she tells Melanie that she is just mad that she is beating her. She beat her in arbitration and she beat her in sunbeam votes. She then tells Melanie that she is going to keep beating her because she is better than her and that Melanie is just a wannabe. She wants to be so important but she’s just a baller’s wife that doesn’t do anything. Tasha tells them to do the fashion show anyway because that was the last thing that was keeping her there. Melanie hangs up the phone with her mouth wife open and shocked. This ends another episode of The Game.

THE PRESIDENT:  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow Americans:

Last month, I went to Andrews Air Force Base and welcomed home some of our last troops to serve in Iraq.  Together, we offered a final, proud salute to the colors under which more than a million of our fellow citizens fought — and several thousand gave their lives.

We gather tonight knowing that this generation of heroes has made the United States safer and more respected around the world.  (Applause.)  For the first time in nine years, there are no Americans fighting in Iraq.  (Applause.)  For the first time in two decades, Osama bin Laden is not a threat to this country.  (Applause.)  Most of al Qaeda’s top lieutenants have been defeated.  The Taliban’s momentum has been broken, and some troops in Afghanistan have begun to come home.

These achievements are a testament to the courage, selflessness and teamwork of America’s Armed Forces.  At a time when too many of our institutions have let us down, they exceed all expectations.  They’re not consumed with personal ambition.  They don’t obsess over their differences.  They focus on the mission at hand.  They work together. 

Imagine what we could accomplish if we followed their example.  (Applause.)  Think about the America within our reach:  A country that leads the world in educating its people.  An America that attracts a new generation of high-tech manufacturing and high-paying jobs.  A future where we’re in control of our own energy, and our security and prosperity aren’t so tied to unstable parts of the world.  An economy built to last, where hard work pays off, and responsibility is rewarded.

We can do this.  I know we can, because we’ve done it before.  At the end of World War II, when another generation of heroes returned home from combat, they built the strongest economy and middle class the world has ever known.  (Applause.)  My grandfather, a veteran of Patton’s Army, got the chance to go to college on the GI Bill.  My grandmother, who worked on a bomber assembly line, was part of a workforce that turned out the best products on Earth.

The two of them shared the optimism of a nation that had triumphed over a depression and fascism.  They understood they were part of something larger; that they were contributing to a story of success that every American had a chance to share — the basic American promise that if you worked hard, you could do well enough to raise a family, own a home, send your kids to college, and put a little away for retirement. 

The defining issue of our time is how to keep that promise alive.  No challenge is more urgent.  No debate is more important.  We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well while a growing number of Americans barely get by, or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, and everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules.  (Applause.)  What’s at stake aren’t Democratic values or Republican values, but American values.  And we have to reclaim them.

Let’s remember how we got here.  Long before the recession, jobs and manufacturing began leaving our shores.  Technology made businesses more efficient, but also made some jobs obsolete.  Folks at the top saw their incomes rise like never before, but most hardworking Americans struggled with costs that were growing, paychecks that weren’t, and personal debt that kept piling up.

In 2008, the house of cards collapsed.  We learned that mortgages had been sold to people who couldn’t afford or understand them.  Banks had made huge bets and bonuses with other people’s money.  Regulators had looked the other way, or didn’t have the authority to stop the bad behavior.

It was wrong.  It was irresponsible.  And it plunged our economy into a crisis that put millions out of work, saddled us with more debt, and left innocent, hardworking Americans holding the bag.  In the six months before I took office, we lost nearly 4 million jobs.  And we lost another 4 million before our policies were in full effect.

Those are the facts.  But so are these:  In the last 22 months, businesses have created more than 3 million jobs.  (Applause.)

Last year, they created the most jobs since 2005.  American manufacturers are hiring again, creating jobs for the first time since the late 1990s.  Together, we’ve agreed to cut the deficit by more than $2 trillion.  And we’ve put in place new rules to hold Wall Street accountable, so a crisis like this never happens again.  (Applause.)

The state of our Union is getting stronger.  And we’ve come too far to turn back now.  As long as I’m President, I will work with anyone in this chamber to build on this momentum.  But I intend to fight obstruction with action, and I will oppose any effort to return to the very same policies that brought on this economic crisis in the first place.  (Applause.)  

No, we will not go back to an economy weakened by outsourcing, bad debt, and phony financial profits.  Tonight, I want to speak about how we move forward, and lay out a blueprint for an economy that’s built to last -– an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers, and a renewal of American values.

Now, this blueprint begins with American manufacturing.

On the day I took office, our auto industry was on the verge of collapse.  Some even said we should let it die.  With a million jobs at stake, I refused to let that happen.  In exchange for help, we demanded responsibility.  We got workers and automakers to settle their differences.  We got the industry to retool and restructure.  Today, General Motors is back on top as the world’s number-one automaker.  (Applause.)  Chrysler has grown faster in the U.S. than any major car company.  Ford is investing billions in U.S. plants and factories.  And together, the entire industry added nearly 160,000 jobs.   

We bet on American workers.  We bet on American ingenuity.  And tonight, the American auto industry is back.  (Applause.)  

What’s happening in Detroit can happen in other industries.  It can happen in Cleveland and Pittsburgh and Raleigh.  We can’t bring every job back that’s left our shore.  But right now, it’s getting more expensive to do business in places like China.  Meanwhile, America is more productive.  A few weeks ago, the CEO of Master Lock told me that it now makes business sense for him to bring jobs back home.  (Applause.)  Today, for the first time in 15 years, Master Lock’s unionized plant in Milwaukee is running at full capacity.  (Applause.)  

So we have a huge opportunity, at this moment, to bring manufacturing back.  But we have to seize it.  Tonight, my message to business leaders is simple:  Ask yourselves what you can do to bring jobs back to your country, and your country will do everything we can to help you succeed.  (Applause.)  

We should start with our tax code.  Right now, companies get tax breaks for moving jobs and profits overseas.  Meanwhile, companies that choose to stay in America get hit with one of the highest tax rates in the world.  It makes no sense, and everyone knows it.  So let’s change it. 

First, if you’re a business that wants to outsource jobs, you shouldn’t get a tax deduction for doing it.  (Applause.)  That money should be used to cover moving expenses for companies like Master Lock that decide to bring jobs home.  (Applause.)  

Second, no American company should be able to avoid paying its fair share of taxes by moving jobs and profits overseas.  (Applause.)  From now on, every multinational company should have to pay a basic minimum tax.  And every penny should go towards lowering taxes for companies that choose to stay here and hire here in America.  (Applause.)    

Third, if you’re an American manufacturer, you should get a bigger tax cut.  If you’re a high-tech manufacturer, we should double the tax deduction you get for making your products here.  And if you want to relocate in a community that was hit hard when a factory left town, you should get help financing a new plant, equipment, or training for new workers.  (Applause.)  

So my message is simple.  It is time to stop rewarding businesses that ship jobs overseas, and start rewarding companies that create jobs right here in America.  Send me these tax reforms, and I will sign them right away.  (Applause.)     

We’re also making it easier for American businesses to sell products all over the world.  Two years ago, I set a goal of doubling U.S. exports over five years.  With the bipartisan trade agreements we signed into law, we’re on track to meet that goal ahead of schedule.  (Applause.)  And soon, there will be millions of new customers for American goods in Panama, Colombia, and South Korea.  Soon, there will be new cars on the streets of Seoul imported from Detroit, and Toledo, and Chicago.  (Applause.)     

I will go anywhere in the world to open new markets for American products.  And I will not stand by when our competitors don’t play by the rules.  We’ve brought trade cases against China at nearly twice the rate as the last administration –- and it’s made a difference.  (Applause.)  Over a thousand Americans are working today because we stopped a surge in Chinese tires.  But we need to do more.  It’s not right when another country lets our movies, music, and software be pirated.  It’s not fair when foreign manufacturers have a leg up on ours only because they’re heavily subsidized.

Tonight, I’m announcing the creation of a Trade Enforcement Unit that will be charged with investigating unfair trading practices in countries like China.  (Applause.)  There will be more inspections to prevent counterfeit or unsafe goods from crossing our borders.  And this Congress should make sure that no foreign company has an advantage over American manufacturing when it comes to accessing financing or new markets like Russia.  Our workers are the most productive on Earth, and if the playing field is level, I promise you -– America will always win.  (Applause.) 

I also hear from many business leaders who want to hire in the United States but can’t find workers with the right skills.  Growing industries in science and technology have twice as many openings as we have workers who can do the job.  Think about that –- openings at a time when millions of Americans are looking for work.  It’s inexcusable.  And we know how to fix it.  

Jackie Bray is a single mom from North Carolina who was laid off from her job as a mechanic.  Then Siemens opened a gas turbine factory in Charlotte, and formed a partnership with Central Piedmont Community College.  The company helped the college design courses in laser and robotics training.  It paid Jackie’s tuition, then hired her to help operate their plant.

I want every American looking for work to have the same opportunity as Jackie did.  Join me in a national commitment to train 2 million Americans with skills that will lead directly to a job.  (Applause.)  My administration has already lined up more companies that want to help.  Model partnerships between businesses like Siemens and community colleges in places like Charlotte, and Orlando, and Louisville are up and running.  Now you need to give more community colleges the resources they need to become community career centers -– places that teach people skills that businesses are looking for right now, from data management to high-tech manufacturing.

And I want to cut through the maze of confusing training programs, so that from now on, people like Jackie have one program, one website, and one place to go for all the information and help that they need.  It is time to turn our unemployment system into a reemployment system that puts people to work.  (Applause.)
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These reforms will help people get jobs that are open today.  But to prepare for the jobs of tomorrow, our commitment to skills and education has to start earlier.

For less than 1 percent of what our nation spends on education each year, we’ve convinced nearly every state in the country to raise their standards for teaching and learning — the first time that’s happened in a generation.

But challenges remain.  And we know how to solve them.

At a time when other countries are doubling down on education, tight budgets have forced states to lay off thousands of teachers.  We know a good teacher can increase the lifetime income of a classroom by over $250,000.  A great teacher can offer an escape from poverty to the child who dreams beyond his circumstance.  Every person in this chamber can point to a teacher who changed the trajectory of their lives.  Most teachers work tirelessly, with modest pay, sometimes digging into their own pocket for school supplies — just to make a difference.

Teachers matter.  So instead of bashing them, or defending the status quo, let’s offer schools a deal.  Give them the resources to keep good teachers on the job, and reward the best ones.  (Applause.)  And in return, grant schools flexibility:  to teach with creativity and passion; to stop teaching to the test; and to replace teachers who just aren’t helping kids learn.  That’s a bargain worth making.  (Applause.)

We also know that when students don’t walk away from their education, more of them walk the stage to get their diploma.  When students are not allowed to drop out, they do better.  So tonight, I am proposing that every state — every state — requires that all students stay in high school until they graduate or turn 18.  (Applause.)

When kids do graduate, the most daunting challenge can be the cost of college.  At a time when Americans owe more in tuition debt than credit card debt, this Congress needs to stop the interest rates on student loans from doubling in July.  (Applause.)

Extend the tuition tax credit we started that saves millions of middle-class families thousands of dollars, and give more young people the chance to earn their way through college by doubling the number of work-study jobs in the next five years.  (Applause.)

Of course, it’s not enough for us to increase student aid.  We can’t just keep subsidizing skyrocketing tuition; we’ll run out of money.  States also need to do their part, by making higher education a higher priority in their budgets.  And colleges and universities have to do their part by working to keep costs down.

Recently, I spoke with a group of college presidents who’ve done just that.  Some schools redesign courses to help students finish more quickly.  Some use better technology.  The point is, it’s possible.  So let me put colleges and universities on notice:  If you can’t stop tuition from going up, the funding you get from taxpayers will go down.  (Applause.)  Higher education can’t be a luxury -– it is an economic imperative that every family in America should be able to afford.

Let’s also remember that hundreds of thousands of talented, hardworking students in this country face another challenge:  the fact that they aren’t yet American citizens.  Many were brought here as small children, are American through and through, yet they live every day with the threat of deportation.  Others came more recently, to study business and science and engineering, but as soon as they get their degree, we send them home to invent new products and create new jobs somewhere else. 

That doesn’t make sense.   

I believe as strongly as ever that we should take on illegal immigration.  That’s why my administration has put more boots on the border than ever before.  That’s why there are fewer illegal crossings than when I took office.  The opponents of action are out of excuses.  We should be working on comprehensive immigration reform right now.  (Applause.)

But if election-year politics keeps Congress from acting on a comprehensive plan, let’s at least agree to stop expelling responsible young people who want to staff our labs, start new businesses, defend this country.  Send me a law that gives them the chance to earn their citizenship.  I will sign it right away.  (Applause.)

You see, an economy built to last is one where we encourage the talent and ingenuity of every person in this country.  That means women should earn equal pay for equal work.  (Applause.)  It means we should support everyone who’s willing to work, and every risk-taker and entrepreneur who aspires to become the next Steve Jobs.  

After all, innovation is what America has always been about.  Most new jobs are created in start-ups and small businesses.  So let’s pass an agenda that helps them succeed.  Tear down regulations that prevent aspiring entrepreneurs from getting the financing to grow.  (Applause.)  Expand tax relief to small businesses that are raising wages and creating good jobs.  Both parties agree on these ideas.  So put them in a bill, and get it on my desk this year.  (Applause.)

Innovation also demands basic research.  Today, the discoveries taking place in our federally financed labs and universities could lead to new treatments that kill cancer cells but leave healthy ones untouched.  New lightweight vests for cops and soldiers that can stop any bullet.  Don’t gut these investments in our budget.  Don’t let other countries win the race for the future.  Support the same kind of research and innovation that led to the computer chip and the Internet; to new American jobs and new American industries.

And nowhere is the promise of innovation greater than in American-made energy.  Over the last three years, we’ve opened millions of new acres for oil and gas exploration, and tonight, I’m directing my administration to open more than 75 percent of our potential offshore oil and gas resources.  (Applause.)  Right now — right now — American oil production is the highest that it’s been in eight years.  That’s right — eight years.  Not only that — last year, we relied less on foreign oil than in any of the past 16 years.  (Applause.)

But with only 2 percent of the world’s oil reserves, oil isn’t enough.  This country needs an all-out, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy.  (Applause.)  A strategy that’s cleaner, cheaper, and full of new jobs.

We have a supply of natural gas that can last America nearly 100 years.  (Applause.)  And my administration will take every possible action to safely develop this energy.  Experts believe this will support more than 600,000 jobs by the end of the decade.  And I’m requiring all companies that drill for gas on public lands to disclose the chemicals they use.  (Applause.)  Because America will develop this resource without putting the health and safety of our citizens at risk.

The development of natural gas will create jobs and power trucks and factories that are cleaner and cheaper, proving that we don’t have to choose between our environment and our economy.  (Applause.)  And by the way, it was public research dollars, over the course of 30 years, that helped develop the technologies to extract all this natural gas out of shale rock –- reminding us that government support is critical in helping businesses get new energy ideas off the ground.  (Applause.)          

Now, what’s true for natural gas is just as true for clean energy.  In three years, our partnership with the private sector has already positioned America to be the world’s leading manufacturer of high-tech batteries.  Because of federal investments, renewable energy use has nearly doubled, and thousands of Americans have jobs because of it. 

When Bryan Ritterby was laid off from his job making furniture, he said he worried that at 55, no one would give him a second chance.  But he found work at Energetx, a wind turbine manufacturer in Michigan.  Before the recession, the factory only made luxury yachts.  Today, it’s hiring workers like Bryan, who said, “I’m proud to be working in the industry of the future.”

Our experience with shale gas, our experience with natural gas, shows us that the payoffs on these public investments don’t always come right away.  Some technologies don’t pan out; some companies fail.  But I will not walk away from the promise of clean energy.  I will not walk away from workers like Bryan.  (Applause.)  I will not cede the wind or solar or battery industry to China or Germany because we refuse to make the same commitment here. 

We’ve subsidized oil companies for a century.  That’s long enough.  (Applause.)  It’s time to end the taxpayer giveaways to an industry that rarely has been more profitable, and double-down on a clean energy industry that never has been more promising.  Pass clean energy tax credits.  Create these jobs.  (Applause.)

We can also spur energy innovation with new incentives.  The differences in this chamber may be too deep right now to pass a comprehensive plan to fight climate change.  But there’s no reason why Congress shouldn’t at least set a clean energy standard that creates a market for innovation.  So far, you haven’t acted.  Well, tonight, I will.  I’m directing my administration to allow the development of clean energy on enough public land to power 3 million homes.  And I’m proud to announce that the Department of Defense, working with us, the world’s largest consumer of energy, will make one of the largest commitments to clean energy in history -– with the Navy purchasing enough capacity to power a quarter of a million homes a year.  (Applause.) 

Of course, the easiest way to save money is to waste less energy.  So here’s a proposal:  Help manufacturers eliminate energy waste in their factories and give businesses incentives to upgrade their buildings.  Their energy bills will be $100 billion lower over the next decade, and America will have less pollution, more manufacturing, more jobs for construction workers who need them.  Send me a bill that creates these jobs.  (Applause.)  

Building this new energy future should be just one part of a broader agenda to repair America’s infrastructure.  So much of America needs to be rebuilt.  We’ve got crumbling roads and bridges; a power grid that wastes too much energy; an incomplete high-speed broadband network that prevents a small business owner in rural America from selling her products all over the world. 

During the Great Depression, America built the Hoover Dam and the Golden Gate Bridge.  After World War II, we connected our states with a system of highways.  Democratic and Republican administrations invested in great projects that benefited everybody, from the workers who built them to the businesses that still use them today.

In the next few weeks, I will sign an executive order clearing away the red tape that slows down too many construction projects.  But you need to fund these projects.  Take the money we’re no longer spending at war, use half of it to pay down our debt, and use the rest to do some nation-building right here at home.  (Applause.)

There’s never been a better time to build, especially since the construction industry was one of the hardest hit when the housing bubble burst.  Of course, construction workers weren’t the only ones who were hurt.  So were millions of innocent Americans who’ve seen their home values decline.  And while government can’t fix the problem on its own, responsible homeowners shouldn’t have to sit and wait for the housing market to hit bottom to get some relief.  

And that’s why I’m sending this Congress a plan that gives every responsible homeowner the chance to save about $3,000 a year on their mortgage, by refinancing at historically low rates.  (Applause.)  No more red tape.  No more runaround from the banks.  A small fee on the largest financial institutions will ensure that it won’t add to the deficit and will give those banks that were rescued by taxpayers a chance to repay a deficit of trust.  (Applause.)

Let’s never forget:  Millions of Americans who work hard and play by the rules every day deserve a government and a financial system that do the same.  It’s time to apply the same rules from top to bottom.  No bailouts, no handouts, and no copouts.  An America built to last insists on responsibility from everybody. 

We’ve all paid the price for lenders who sold mortgages to people who couldn’t afford them, and buyers who knew they couldn’t afford them.  That’s why we need smart regulations to prevent irresponsible behavior.  (Applause.)  Rules to prevent financial fraud or toxic dumping or faulty medical devices — these don’t destroy the free market.  They make the free market work better.

There’s no question that some regulations are outdated, unnecessary, or too costly.  In fact, I’ve approved fewer regulations in the first three years of my presidency than my Republican predecessor did in his.  (Applause.)  I’ve ordered every federal agency to eliminate rules that don’t make sense.  We’ve already announced over 500 reforms, and just a fraction of them will save business and citizens more than $10 billion over the next five years.  We got rid of one rule from 40 years ago that could have forced some dairy farmers to spend $10,000 a year proving that they could contain a spill — because milk was somehow classified as an oil.  With a rule like that, I guess it was worth crying over spilled milk.  (Laughter and applause.)

Now, I’m confident a farmer can contain a milk spill without a federal agency looking over his shoulder.  (Applause.)  Absolutely.  But I will not back down from making sure an oil company can contain the kind of oil spill we saw in the Gulf two years ago.  (Applause.)  I will not back down from protecting our kids from mercury poisoning, or making sure that our food is safe and our water is clean.  I will not go back to the days when health insurance companies had unchecked power to cancel your policy, deny your coverage, or charge women differently than men.  (Applause.)

And I will not go back to the days when Wall Street was allowed to play by its own set of rules.  The new rules we passed restore what should be any financial system’s core purpose:  Getting funding to entrepreneurs with the best ideas, and getting loans to responsible families who want to buy a home, or start a business, or send their kids to college.

So if you are a big bank or financial institution, you’re no longer allowed to make risky bets with your customers’ deposits.  You’re required to write out a “living will” that details exactly how you’ll pay the bills if you fail –- because the rest of us are not bailing you out ever again.  (Applause.)  And if you’re a mortgage lender or a payday lender or a credit card company, the days of signing people up for products they can’t afford with confusing forms and deceptive practices — those days are over.  Today, American consumers finally have a watchdog in Richard Cordray with one job:  To look out for them.  (Applause.)   

We’ll also establish a Financial Crimes Unit of highly trained investigators to crack down on large-scale fraud and protect people’s investments.  Some financial firms violate major anti-fraud laws because there’s no real penalty for being a repeat offender.  That’s bad for consumers, and it’s bad for the vast majority of bankers and financial service professionals who do the right thing.  So pass legislation that makes the penalties for fraud count. 

And tonight, I’m asking my Attorney General to create a special unit of federal prosecutors and leading state attorney general to expand our investigations into the abusive lending and packaging of risky mortgages that led to the housing crisis.  (Applause.)  This new unit will hold accountable those who broke the law, speed assistance to homeowners, and help turn the page on an era of recklessness that hurt so many Americans. 

Now, a return to the American values of fair play and shared responsibility will help protect our people and our economy.  But it should also guide us as we look to pay down our debt and invest in our future.

Right now, our most immediate priority is stopping a tax hike on 160 million working Americans while the recovery is still fragile.  (Applause.)  People cannot afford losing $40 out of each paycheck this year.  There are plenty of ways to get this done.  So let’s agree right here, right now:  No side issues.  No drama.  Pass the payroll tax cut without delay.  Let’s get it done.  (Applause.)

When it comes to the deficit, we’ve already agreed to more than $2 trillion in cuts and savings.  But we need to do more, and that means making choices.  Right now, we’re poised to spend nearly $1 trillion more on what was supposed to be a temporary tax break for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans.  Right now, because of loopholes and shelters in the tax code, a quarter of all millionaires pay lower tax rates than millions of middle-class households.  Right now, Warren Buffett pays a lower tax rate than his secretary.  

Do we want to keep these tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans?  Or do we want to keep our investments in everything else –- like education and medical research; a strong military and care for our veterans?  Because if we’re serious about paying down our debt, we can’t do both.  

The American people know what the right choice is.  So do I.  As I told the Speaker this summer, I’m prepared to make more reforms that rein in the long-term costs of Medicare and Medicaid, and strengthen Social Security, so long as those programs remain a guarantee of security for seniors. 

But in return, we need to change our tax code so that people like me, and an awful lot of members of Congress, pay our fair share of taxes.  (Applause.)

Tax reform should follow the Buffett Rule.  If you make more than $1 million a year, you should not pay less than 30 percent in taxes.  And my Republican friend Tom Coburn is right:  Washington should stop subsidizing millionaires.  In fact, if you’re earning a million dollars a year, you shouldn’t get special tax subsidies or deductions.  On the other hand, if you make under $250,000 a year, like 98 percent of American families, your taxes shouldn’t go up.  (Applause.)  You’re the ones struggling with rising costs and stagnant wages.  You’re the ones who need relief.   

Now, you can call this class warfare all you want.  But asking a billionaire to pay at least as much as his secretary in taxes?  Most Americans would call that common sense. 

We don’t begrudge financial success in this country.  We admire it.  When Americans talk about folks like me paying my fair share of taxes, it’s not because they envy the rich.  It’s because they understand that when I get a tax break I don’t need and the country can’t afford, it either adds to the deficit, or somebody else has to make up the difference — like a senior on a fixed income, or a student trying to get through school, or a family trying to make ends meet.  That’s not right.  Americans know that’s not right.  They know that this generation’s success is only possible because past generations felt a responsibility to each other, and to the future of their country, and they know our way of life will only endure if we feel that same sense of shared responsibility.  That’s how we’ll reduce our deficit.  That’s an America built to last.  (Applause.)

Now, I recognize that people watching tonight have differing views about taxes and debt, energy and health care.  But no matter what party they belong to, I bet most Americans are thinking the same thing right about now:  Nothing will get done in Washington this year, or next year, or maybe even the year after that, because Washington is broken.

Can you blame them for feeling a little cynical? 

The greatest blow to our confidence in our economy last year didn’t come from events beyond our control.  It came from a debate in Washington over whether the United States would pay its bills or not.  Who benefited from that fiasco?

I’ve talked tonight about the deficit of trust between Main Street and Wall Street.  But the divide between this city and the rest of the country is at least as bad — and it seems to get worse every year.

Some of this has to do with the corrosive influence of money in politics.  So together, let’s take some steps to fix that.  Send me a bill that bans insider trading by members of Congress; I will sign it tomorrow.  (Applause.)  Let’s limit any elected official from owning stocks in industries they impact.  Let’s make sure people who bundle campaign contributions for Congress can’t lobby Congress, and vice versa — an idea that has bipartisan support, at least outside of Washington. 

Some of what’s broken has to do with the way Congress does its business these days.  A simple majority is no longer enough to get anything -– even routine business –- passed through the Senate.  (Applause.)  Neither party has been blameless in these tactics.  Now both parties should put an end to it.  (Applause.)  For starters, I ask the Senate to pass a simple rule that all judicial and public service nominations receive a simple up or down vote within 90 days.  (Applause.)  

The executive branch also needs to change.  Too often, it’s inefficient, outdated and remote.  (Applause.)  That’s why I’ve asked this Congress to grant me the authority to consolidate the federal bureaucracy, so that our government is leaner, quicker, and more responsive to the needs of the American people.  (Applause.)  

Finally, none of this can happen unless we also lower the temperature in this town.  We need to end the notion that the two parties must be locked in a perpetual campaign of mutual destruction; that politics is about clinging to rigid ideologies instead of building consensus around common-sense ideas. 

I’m a Democrat.  But I believe what Republican Abraham Lincoln believed:  That government should do for people only what they cannot do better by themselves, and no more.  (Applause.)  That’s why my education reform offers more competition, and more control for schools and states.  That’s why we’re getting rid of regulations that don’t work.  That’s why our health care law relies on a reformed private market, not a government program. 

On the other hand, even my Republican friends who complain the most about government spending have supported federally financed roads, and clean energy projects, and federal offices for the folks back home. 

The point is, we should all want a smarter, more effective government.  And while we may not be able to bridge our biggest philosophical differences this year, we can make real progress.  With or without this Congress, I will keep taking actions that help the economy grow.  But I can do a whole lot more with your help.  Because when we act together, there’s nothing the United States of America can’t achieve.  (Applause.)  That’s the lesson we’ve learned from our actions abroad over the last few years.

Ending the Iraq war has allowed us to strike decisive blows against our enemies.  From Pakistan to Yemen, the al Qaeda operatives who remain are scrambling, knowing that they can’t escape the reach of the United States of America.  (Applause.)

From this position of strength, we’ve begun to wind down the war in Afghanistan.  Ten thousand of our troops have come home.  Twenty-three thousand more will leave by the end of this summer.  This transition to Afghan lead will continue, and we will build an enduring partnership with Afghanistan, so that it is never again a source of attacks against America.  (Applause.)

As the tide of war recedes, a wave of change has washed across the Middle East and North Africa, from Tunis to Cairo; from Sana’a to Tripoli.  A year ago, Qaddafi was one of the world’s longest-serving dictators -– a murderer with American blood on his hands.  Today, he is gone.  And in Syria, I have no doubt that the Assad regime will soon discover that the forces of change cannot be reversed, and that human dignity cannot be denied.  (Applause.)

How this incredible transformation will end remains uncertain.  But we have a huge stake in the outcome.  And while it’s ultimately up to the people of the region to decide their fate, we will advocate for those values that have served our own country so well.  We will stand against violence and intimidation.  We will stand for the rights and dignity of all human beings –- men and women; Christians, Muslims and Jews.  We will support policies that lead to strong and stable democracies and open markets, because tyranny is no match for liberty.

And we will safeguard America’s own security against those who threaten our citizens, our friends, and our interests.  Look at Iran.  Through the power of our diplomacy, a world that was once divided about how to deal with Iran’s nuclear program now stands as one.  The regime is more isolated than ever before; its leaders are faced with crippling sanctions, and as long as they shirk their responsibilities, this pressure will not relent.

Let there be no doubt:  America is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and I will take no options off the table to achieve that goal.  (Applause.)

But a peaceful resolution of this issue is still possible, and far better, and if Iran changes course and meets its obligations, it can rejoin the community of nations.

The renewal of American leadership can be felt across the globe.  Our oldest alliances in Europe and Asia are stronger than ever.  Our ties to the Americas are deeper.  Our ironclad commitment — and I mean ironclad — to Israel’s security has meant the closest military cooperation between our two countries in history.  (Applause.)

We’ve made it clear that America is a Pacific power, and a new beginning in Burma has lit a new hope.  From the coalitions we’ve built to secure nuclear materials, to the missions we’ve led against hunger and disease; from the blows we’ve dealt to our enemies, to the enduring power of our moral example, America is back. 

Anyone who tells you otherwise, anyone who tells you that America is in decline or that our influence has waned, doesn’t know what they’re talking about.  (Applause.)

That’s not the message we get from leaders around the world who are eager to work with us.  That’s not how people feel from Tokyo to Berlin, from Cape Town to Rio, where opinions of America are higher than they’ve been in years.  Yes, the world is changing.  No, we can’t control every event.  But America remains the one indispensable nation in world affairs –- and as long as I’m President, I intend to keep it that way.  (Applause.)  

That’s why, working with our military leaders, I’ve proposed a new defense strategy that ensures we maintain the finest military in the world, while saving nearly half a trillion dollars in our budget.  To stay one step ahead of our adversaries, I’ve already sent this Congress legislation that will secure our country from the growing dangers of cyber-threats.  (Applause.) 

Above all, our freedom endures because of the men and women in uniform who defend it.  (Applause.)  As they come home, we must serve them as well as they’ve served us.  That includes giving them the care and the benefits they have earned –- which is why we’ve increased annual VA spending every year I’ve been President.  (Applause.)  And it means enlisting our veterans in the work of rebuilding our nation.

With the bipartisan support of this Congress, we’re providing new tax credits to companies that hire vets.  Michelle and Jill Biden have worked with American businesses to secure a pledge of 135,000 jobs for veterans and their families.  And tonight, I’m proposing a Veterans Jobs Corps that will help our communities hire veterans as cops and firefighters, so that America is as strong as those who defend her.  (Applause.)

Which brings me back to where I began.  Those of us who’ve been sent here to serve can learn a thing or two from the service of our troops.  When you put on that uniform, it doesn’t matter if you’re black or white; Asian, Latino, Native American; conservative, liberal; rich, poor; gay, straight.  When you’re marching into battle, you look out for the person next to you, or the mission fails.  When you’re in the thick of the fight, you rise or fall as one unit, serving one nation, leaving no one behind.

One of my proudest possessions is the flag that the SEAL Team took with them on the mission to get bin Laden.  On it are each of their names.  Some may be Democrats.  Some may be Republicans.  But that doesn’t matter.  Just like it didn’t matter that day in the Situation Room, when I sat next to Bob Gates — a man who was George Bush’s defense secretary — and Hillary Clinton — a woman who ran against me for president. 

All that mattered that day was the mission.  No one thought about politics.  No one thought about themselves.  One of the young men involved in the raid later told me that he didn’t deserve credit for the mission.  It only succeeded, he said, because every single member of that unit did their job — the pilot who landed the helicopter that spun out of control; the translator who kept others from entering the compound; the troops who separated the women and children from the fight; the SEALs who charged up the stairs.  More than that, the mission only succeeded because every member of that unit trusted each other — because you can’t charge up those stairs, into darkness and danger, unless you know that there’s somebody behind you, watching your back.

So it is with America.  Each time I look at that flag, I’m reminded that our destiny is stitched together like those 50 stars and those 13 stripes.  No one built this country on their own.  This nation is great because we built it together.  This nation is great because we worked as a team.  This nation is great because we get each other’s backs.  And if we hold fast to that truth, in this moment of trial, there is no challenge too great; no mission too hard.  As long as we are joined in common purpose, as long as we maintain our common resolve, our journey moves forward, and our future is hopeful, and the state of our Union will always be strong.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)

Source: Whitehouse.gov

Mo Money Mo Problems

This episode opens with Bibs serving Malik some breakfast.  Tasha comes in and asks him what is going on with the topiary (you know the bushes that are shaped like things that rich people and botanical gardens have). She has come over to ask him to make an appearance at J.J. Abrams’ (directed Star Trek and other big sci fi movies) son’s bar Mitzvah for $100,000. Malik agrees without hesitation. This puzzles Tasha because she knows that he really doesn’t want to do it.  he says that nothing is wrong and that he just wants to do his part to show how proud he is of her and all the work that she is doing for him.

At the Davis residence… Melanie is making up the bed when Derwin gives her a call. When she has trouble hearing him he comes into the room and asks if she can hear him now because he go the verizon endorsement back.  They are both all excited but she then stops and asks how he got it since Tasha started the deal and it was thought to be dead after they fired her. He goes on to tell her that Irv got it back up and going. Unbeknownst to Melanie, Irv is now back managing Derwin again. Now Melanie is all upset about not being involved in the decision to bring Irv back in or even get a new manager. Derwin hired Irv back right after she fired Tasha. He just never mentioned it to her.  Melanie feels that she can manage him and wants to. If  Tasha can be a manager then even a monkey should be able to do it. Derwin is not thrilled about the idea and doesn’t think that she would do a good job. She then threatens to withhold the va jay jay if he doesn’t allow her to be his manager.  He strikes a deal that will allow her to oversee Irv in an attempt to appease her.

At Malik’s manor…  Malik is in his office with Doug his financial manager. He tells doug that the gardener has quit and asks why he didn’t pay him. doug then tells Malik that he is broke. He signed an $80 million deal, after the government takes their share he is left with $40 million.  He then used that money to build a $40 million home. Malik says that he gets it and that he needs to cut back so he’ll trim his own hedges. Doug wants to put him on a $25,000 a month budget and send his cars and other assets back. Malik freaks out!

At the Davis house…  Melanie is taking a meeting with Irv to discuss some things for Derwin. As they are talking about getting Derwin on Jimmy Fallon, Irv smartly decides that Letterman is a better opportunity because he already has Jimmy Fallon’s demographic and needs to connect with Letterman’s. While they are talking Tasha calls Irv about the Verizon deal. When Melanie asks what’s going on with her he tells her that she is suing Irv and Derwin because she initiated the deal but not to worry about it because he is handling it.

Back at Malik’s $40 million mansion… The trucks pull off with his cars on it as TT is arriving in a new mustang. He hops out and greets them. They chat for a second as Malik makes up a flimsy excuse as to why the cars are going back. TT thanks Doug for some investment advice. Doug wishes TT a happy birthday. They talk for a second about his new car that he treated himself to as present to himself. As they make small talk TT asks Malik if he’s still throwing him a party for his birthday and Malik agrees ashe tries to save face even though Doug has advised him to cut back.

In a conference room…  Irv arrives to see Tasha is already there waiting.  After he takes a seat a judge and stenographer come in behind him. This is the hearing about the Verizon deal. As they are just about to start, in comes Melanie. Irv pulls her to the side and tells her that he has things under control and that she is out of her league with Tasha. She foolishly doesn’t believe him and thinks that she can handle things. Melanie begins by telling Tasha that she really wasn’t involved in the deal, she may have started things rolling but it took Irv to finish the deal. She then slides her a folded piece of paper with a non negotiable dollar figure on it for compensation. Tasha looks at the amount, laughs, rolls the paper and lights it as if it were a joint.  Then she proceeds to give it to Melanie in the worst way possible.  She produces three sets of documents. the first is outgoing calls that she placed to Verizon headquarters, the second is incoming calls that she received from Verizon along with transcripts of the conversations outlining the deal. The third and final document is a transcript of a text from Melanie that said ” great job on the Verizon deal girl. You are my hero. xoxo MBD”.  After that Melanie ask Irv to step in and help but he washes his hands of the situation and says that he is out of it.  Melanie nervously laughs and asks Tasha to come to an amicable conclusion based on their history and friendship. Tasha lets the judge decide. The Judge rules that Tasha is to receive 10% of all earnings from the Derwin Davis and Verizon collaboration in perpetuity aka forever or however long the deal is to last.  Tasha then gets up to leave and tells Melanie to go home and make her husband some fried chicken and have a baby, oh yeah she can’t do either one!

Later at the club… Malik is just figuring out that stuff is expensive when you’re actually looking at prices and on a budget.  Bibs asks why he just doesn’t tell TT that his money is tight, he then goes into this stupid baller’s etiquette crap about the one that makes the most has to pay.  When TT arrives they notice singer Estelle. Malik tries to hide but she see him. She is mad at him because she left him some tickets and he didn’t show up for one of her shows. Apparently the second rule to baller etiquette is that when a female celeb comes into a restaurant that you are already in then you have to send her a bottle.  TT tells the waiter to send over a bottle of Estelle’s favorite champagne before Malik has a chance to stop him.  Bibs sees Shawn Marion and calls him over thinking that since he just won a championship then he’s the bigger celeb and that he’ll have to pay and Malik will be off the hook. This rule only works if they were in Shawn’s town, now Malik has to foot the entire bill.

At the Davis Residence… Melanie comes over to Derwin as he is sitting on the couch for some cuddle time. Derwin shuts it down and asks her what happened today because now he has to pay Tasha and Irv for the Verizon Deal. He told her not to get involved.  He then tells her that he lied to her about being in charge of Irv. he told Irv to play along to make her feel like she was doing something.  She asks why he would lie and he tells her because she can’t handle the truth. She’s not the CEO, president, vice president or manager. she is just his wife. Of course she takes offense to this and goes into this whole thing about him wanting her to be some subservient woman that has no opinion and just spreads her legs whenever he wants her to. He just wants her to relax and take care of her.  She claims that she didn’t sign up for that, she didn’t give up her friendship with Tasha along with her career just to sit on the sidelines. Derwin tells her that he didn’t tell her to give up her career and that was her choice.   She says that she did it for him while he thought that she was just tired of all the studying and just wanted to kick back. She then goes in to this spill about being 50% of the legacy and he wouldn’t be Derwin ‘Boom’ Davis without her. He then quickly interrupts her by telling her that while she may be in the sky box cheering him on, his hands are the one catching those balls on sunday. She then thanks him for letting her know where she stands and sadly walks off.

Back at the club… Everyone is partying and toasting Malik and TT. When the bill comes Malik has this crazy look on his face.

Back to Derwin and Melanie… Melanie is lying in the bed when Derwin enters.  He tries to cuddle with her but she rejects him. He apologizes and tries again but she rejects him again. He tells her that the truth is that he doesn’t know if he would be where he is without her but he knows that he doesn’t want to be where he is without her.  He loves her past the moon and even though he may do some stupid stuff he loves her.  After his little speech they cuddle and fall asleep together.

At the club… Tasha walks in to save Malik since he can’t pay the bill. By now everyone is gone. As she pulls out her American Express black card to pay the bill she asks him if he has to be every black stereotype, walks away leaving him to sulk in his own stew of depression, ending another episode for the week.

This 1 hour 5th season premiere opens with a short montage of what is to come. Med school telling Derwin to get over the fact that she had an abortion, then a cut to Malik, TT, and Tasha standing over Malik’s dead girlfriend, and Jason in Mexico wondering when he got married.

Skeletons

They pick up right where they left off last season. Derwin and Melanie are coming out of the doctor’s office. Derwin is heated because he knows that Melanie lied in there and that she really did have an abortion. All she wants to do is go get something to eat like nothing even happened (really med school?). Derwin can’t believe she is so passive about it and acts like nothing happened. She decides to take a cab and get something to eat leaving him standing there wondering why and how she could act like that. She walks out of the hospital and as she is talking to herself trying to gather her thoughts guess who she runs into? McHotty (remember the doctor that she messed around with and thought was serious but just wanted to hit and quit? Yeah him).  They catch up on old times, sort of. Derwin comes out and sees the two of them talking. He introduces himself and seems to already know about the doctor. The doctor’s kind of a jerk. As Dr McHotty leaves so does Derwin, right after he asks Melanie if any more of her past is coming out to haunt them.

At some hotel… Jason is in bed with a beautiful black woman (Selita Eubanks) right after sex. She is a reporter and says that she has to get back to the office to work on the Quan Kirkland deal (remember him? He is a hot shot receiver that came in and basically took Jason’s spot). She also thinks that he only slept with her to get back at Camille (aka Stacey Dash). He denies it but she tests him by asking him to go to a friend’s wedding. When he turns it down she says that it’s because he doesn’t want to be with a black woman.

At Malik’s house… Malik is carrying Jenna in the house because she is drunk or high or something. He carries her upstairs against Tasha’s wishes, who just wants hm to call 911 and let them handle it.

At the Davis household… Derwin and Melanie are still tip toeing around each other. While Melanie is in the kitchen making cupcakes Derwin tries to talk to her. She is not ready and tells hi, that if he brings it up again then she’ll bring up Drew Sidora. She then changes the subject and asks for a head count for DJ’s birthday party, wondering if Tasha and Malik are coming since Malik is DJ’s God father. Derwin still feels that they need to talk and apologizes for making her feel bad about McHotty and he’s sorry for her having to deal with the abortion alone. They both were in college and he was afraid and a coward. He tells her that he was wrong for making her make a decision for the both of the, and that she was the brave one. As he is taking to her Melanie has this look of secrecy and fear on her face (She is definitely hiding something).

Back at Malik’s house… Malik is sitting in the shower with Jenna hoping that somehow the water will help to sober her up. Tasha steps in and tries to help but becomes too overwhelmed by the situation and steps out. As she is sitting on the hallway floor about to cry TT comes in with orders of chicken. Seeing that she is stressed and upset he asks her what’s wrong. Tasha goes on the tell him that she dropped Derwin as a client and took Malik back. TT can’t believe it! Malik goes out for a second to call them in to eat but by the time he gets back into the bathroom Jenna’s gone (how you ask? I have no idea unless there is an additional entrance into said bathroom).

At a bar… Jason comes up to the bar and snaps his fingers at the bartender (Brandy) to get her attention. She checks him and tells him to wait his turn. They go back and forth for a second until she tells him to gt out. Jason calls over the manager, telling him that she is being rude and she ends up having to talk to the manager in his office.

At the plaza… Derwin and Melanie have just finished buying some gifts for DJ. As they’re walking to the car they run into someone (you’ll never guess who. Take a guess.). They run into another one of Melanie’s old flames. Trey Wiggs ( Derwin’s arch nemesis since college). They trade a few soft insults about how each is better and going to win against each other that coming Sunday. As they are laughing his wife and lovely daughter walk up and join them. To make the moment even more awkward Derwin invites them to DJ’s party. Yeah pretty awkward.

Back at Malik’s house… They are running all around the house looking for Jenna when the doorbell rings. Tasha answers the door to find Jenna’s personal “concierge” (aka drug dealer) looking for her. Apparently she has run up quie a debt to the tune of $55,000 and she’s here to collect (side note: she’s being played by Stifler’s mom from American Pie).

At the movie theater… Jason comes to pick up Brittany and catches her kissing some Swedish boy named Liza (pronounced Lie-zuh). He breaks them up and as they are walking away he asks her if she has ever dated a black guy. She tells him that she hasn’t and obviously thinks that she got it from him. Whe he tells her that he has dated black women before she dismisses it. He then takes her to her grandparents house.

At Malik’s house… They are still looking for Jenna. Malik and Tasha are out looking in the backyard when Tasha tells him that she has had enough and that he needs to cut Jenna loose before she ruins everything that he’s work hard to get back to. She tells him that his career is in the toilet and that he needs to stop chasing after some addict. He tells Tasha that he loves her and she helped him get through rehab. Since she saw him at his worst he owes it to her to help her now. Tasha tells him that she put all her eggs in his basket and she needs him at the top of his game. Malik is hurt and offended by this and walks off telling her to go home. As Malik walks off to look for Jenna TT calls Tasha over for a heart to heart. He is going to play her “magical negro” like Michael Clark Duncan in “The Green Mile” or Morgan Freeman in any movie he’s been in. He asks her a simple question. Why is she giving him (Malik) the power to choose? It is her life too and if he has any vote in it he thinks that she should go back to Derwin. She the tells him the story of the day Malik got drafted. They spent all day picking out outfits so that they could be coordinated. At the time the Whitney Houston song “my love is your love” had just come out and she thought about her and Malik. They were going to take on the world and they won. He was 1st overall pick and they made a vow that family will always come first. Now she is second guessing. TT tells her that it’s okay to choose herself sometimes. Malik yells out in the background that he found her. TT and Tasha catch up to him and Biz in the garge with a lifeless Jenna laid out on the floor.

The Truth Pact

At the Davis house… Derwin is ribbing Melanie about running into two of her exes earlier that day while sitting on the toilet (eww.. Nasty). She asks how he found out about McHotty but he doesn’t tell. He only tells her that the bible says that “what is done in the dark will come to the light”. She takes this opportunity to tell him that the abortion wasn’t during college and that the baby wasn’t his but it was Trey Wiggs’ (huge gasp! I’m speechless over here! I kinda knew it and said it during the finale that it must have been when She was messing around whe they “broke up”) baby! Derwin is speechless and dumbfounded for a second. He quickly gather his thoughts and his clothes and is downstairs about to head out to see Trey. Melanie stops him and tells him that he can’t talk to anyone else, He has to talk to her and get through it ( really med school really? GTFOHWTBS). She follow him all around the house trying to explain. It happened when they broke up over the Drew Sidora situation. He then tells her that people always wonder why he is with her and he always tells them that he loves her but now he is starting to believe that his love is not enough. He then asks why she didn’t just let him believe that the baby was his and that she had an out. She is tied of the bones falling out of her closet and she knew he was going to find out anyway. She the says that she is done with all the lies. Then she says that if he hadn’t have cheated on her with Drew Sidora then none of this would have happened. Derwin says that she can’t blame him when she killed a baby. She tells him that she is a doctor and it is debatable whether it was a baby. Derwin fires back that it’s debatable whether or not she’s even a doctor. She tells him that it is over and in the past. Derwin doesnt think so and thinks that is the reason she can’t have their baby. He then goes on to tell her that her lies affect him too. She just wants him to get over it  and come to the terms that she had an abortion. She never wanted him to know but now that he knows she wants to just move on. She wants to go to bet and cuddle while rubbing her cold feet on his warm leg. She wants him to say that he loves her past the moon while kissing her on the back of her head. She then begins her (fake) crying. Derwin takes her hand and tells her  that he can’t do it and walks out.

Back at Malik’s house… Tasha is trying to call Pookie but his number is disconnected. As they try and figure out what to do her “concierge” comes in and gives her a shot of adrenaline that brings her back conscious.  She then tells them that she has to charge extra for that while Malik carries Jenna back inside.

At a bus stop… Jason pulls up to find the bartender Chardonnay waiting in the rain. Apparently he got her fired and feels horrible about it. He tries to make it up to her by offering to pay her salary for two weeks but she makes too much for his cheap taste so he offers to take her to Chilli’s instead. Next thing you know he is waking up in some motel in Mexico with a burrito in one hand and a wedding ring on his finger. He hears the toilet flush and grabs two bottles to protect himself thinking he was kidnapped, only to find Chardonnay coming out to greet him with “good morning husband”! After the initial shock and fear that he was roofied. Chardonnay explains the situation. Apparently they went to Chilli’s but el cheapo forgot his coupon so she suggested 79 cent tacos at taco bell but he knew a place in Tijuana with 69 cent tacos. They got really drunk and he was rambling on and on about how he loves black women. She didn’t believe and told him to prove it, so they got married. He doesn’t believe her but she has pictures to prove it.

At the Davis residence… Melanie is awaken by the sound of grass being cut only to find that she is in bed alone.

At Malik’s house… TT comes in to wake Tasha and give her some coffee. She thanks him for staying and keeping an eye on Malik and Jenna. He asks if she thought anymore about leaving Malik and going back to Derwin? She says nope, she will stick with Malik. Family will always come first. She gives the “concierge” her American Express black card to pay off Jenna’s debt.

Back in Mexico… Jason is trying to figure out what to do about the marriage and she is giving him hell. She feels that he can’t handle a “real” black woman and that’s why he only dates white women. She would never stay married to her “opressor”. She then goes on to say that no matter how many white women he dates or how hard he tries that he will never be white. He tells her a story of how growing up he had a crush on a black girl and she embarrassed him and said that she doesn’t dance with white guys. She was only one of many black women to turn him down, but white girls were always willing to be nice to him even before the fame. The black girls came after him only after he was drafted. after seeing that he was genuinely hurt by his past experiences, she apologizes on behalf of black women. He wishes that he could change his experiences but he can’t. He will try to be more open minded in the future.

At the Davis residence… Derwin comes home to find Melanie setting up for the party. He tries to talk to her about what happened but she stops him because their guests will be arriving soon and they don’t have time to get into it. He asks to help her with the cupcakes (side note: umm hand sanitizer is not a substitution for washing your hands when a sink is two feet away from you). As they sanitize their hands and begin to frost the cupcakes she tells him that sometimes she forgets about what she did and all she thinks about is losing him. She asks if he could say that he wanted to be with her again if she actually had Trey’s baby? He answers that he doesnt know. She then tells him that it would be hard for him to sit there and watch her with someone else’s baby everyday. Believe her it’s hard for her to do. Derwin asks her if Trey was there when she had the abortion and she tells him that he doesn’t even know that she was pregnant. No one knows. She stole the money from Tasha.

Back at Malik’s house… Tasha is looking at a picture of Malik as a kid and repeatedly saying “family first”. Malik walks up to ask if she is okay and she tells him not to make her regret choosing him. He then tells her that he is taking Jenna back to rehab.

At DJ’s party… Malik and Jason show up. Derwin thanks them for coming, Malik tells him that family is always first (he is DJ’s God father). Melanie asks if Tasha is coming but Malik, says no because she still has a little shrapnel left in her back ( you know from when Melanie shot/stabbed her in her back last season by firing her as Derwin’s manager). All during the party melanie is looking at the kids, Derwin Janay and DJ, and has a look of sadness and “what if” on her face. Later on they all take some pictures. After a few shots the photographer asks for a few more with just DJ mom and dad. Melanie steps out of the shot and goes into the kitchen. Derwin joins her shortly after and apologizes, he says that he realizes the pill that she has to swallow. Instead of just going with it she had to add that Janay doesn’t give any water to swallow and asks if he is really over it.  He says that he is. They make a truth pact to tell the truth no matter how much it may hurt. Now it’s time to open the presents. Melanie remembers that the gifts are in the trunk of the car. As Derwin is outside, guess who walks up? Trey Wiggs comes up with gift in hand and alone. He says that his family couldn’t make it because his daughter caught a cold. Out of nowhere Derwin hits him with a right hook that knocks him out cold (shh… BOOM!!!). He then picks up Trey’s present and steps over him as he walks back into the house. Once back inside he gives DJ his presents and tells Melanie that now he is REALLY over it, ending this week’s episode and season premiere.

Okay so is it me or is it just too much going on right now? I mean they really did pick up right where they left off last season. I hate to say it but I called it last season right after the finale when Derwin and Melanie were at the doctor’s office. I knew she got pregnant when her and Derwin took their little break or whatever, I just thought it was the other guy’s baby. You know the one they called Adonis. Forget his name. I knew at some point the race issue would be addressed with Jason. I love that Malik is supporting Jenna and I’m so glad that she isn’t dead! There are so many stories going on its hard to keep up. This is a good start for the new season but it does seem like way too much is going on at once.

What I write is what is going on in my life. This is my way of expressing myself. I write about everything from the peanut butter and jelly sandwich that I had to an argument to some shoes. It is all relevant because it is about how I feel. Sometimes shit can get too real.

The problem I face is that people sometimes don’t understand this. Because they show no interest in my life,They look at this as just a stupid or silly blog but it’s not. To me its my emotional outlet. That just makes me feel that you think my emotions or how I feel is silly, dumb, or just some damn blog. If they read this site on a regular or even by happenstance then they would see that I write about any and everything and I was not singling them out. I won’t say anymore as to not add fuel to the fire. I’m sure other bloggers or online journalists have run into this situation.

Sometimes I need some space. I need to be able to step back and reevaluate the situation. I’m not one to get upset over one action. Oftentimes it is a combination of things at once or built up tension from a host of other things that have been done to me. I usually shop as a way to relieve stress but there are a number of other ways. Meditation is the best form of stress relieving to me. I meditate every morning and about 20 minutes before I go to bed. No matter what time I finally fall asleep. I am somewhat of a loner so being alone with my thoughts is great. Writing is another way to get things in my head out.

I’m never going to change this or any form of expression. I am careful with what I write and how I write it. I understand that you can say something and write it and it can be taken in two very different ways. When written, people can always tell your emotion or sentiment behind it. They just see what is written and form an opinion based on the words written. Knowing this I am extra careful in my word choice and flow. I will never back down or take back something that I say because everything that I write I mean.

Today is my birthday and I am proudly turning 32 today. I have to say that not much has happened since my last birthday. This year has not really been one of growth but more so of re-enlightenment. I reacquainted myself with myself. I didn’t use this year to learn anything other than how to be a better me. I will use this knowledge in 2012 to create something.

The only additions are a new website www.urbanepolitics.com and a second job at Nike.  As I get older I don’t focus as much on hitting certain milestones. I stopped doing that a couple of years ago when I came to the realization that life doesn’t work on a set schedule and you have to pretty much go with the flow in order to keep your head above water. All the planning in the world can’t prepare you for the unexpected. Like one of my favorite rappers Andre Benjamin aka Andre 3000 says “you can plan a pretty picnic but you can’t predict the weather”.

There have been some good and bad times this year. The good thankfully outweighing the bad. One bat thing that happened was losing a friendship I have had for over 30 years with my cousin over something his wife said and did. The way it went down wasn’t cool but I feel like family is always first and well… never mind.  I don’t want to even get into that. Again.

Every year I feel like I grow in some way. 2011 was all about education. I felt like I had to empower myself mentally. I focused more on my mental health by doing things like meditation in the mornings and prayer 5-6 times a day. Next year we’ll work on physically. School was a major priority for me. If you know better then you will do better.

My goals for next year is to finish school in June and focus on writing more. I want to set myself up for 2013 or 2014 whereas I can just write full time without having to worry about a 9-5 job. I want writing to be my 9-5. I know that this is something that I can do I just need to focus and prioritize things. My organization skills are at about a 4 right now and I need them at around an 8. I’m all over the place with my ideas. Once I focus I’m good but getting to that point is the problem. I’m working on that. Really.

That is all that I have accomplished this year. I know it may not seem like much but really, mentally I’m in a way better place than this time last year.

See you next year!

Sincere

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