Was that Halloween or Christmas! Can somebody tell me please! Snow in October! What the hell is going on here? I saw Santa dressed as Nicky Minaj and the seven dwarfs dressed as the 7 personalities of Charlie Sheen. The last time we had snow in October was over 50 years ago. So who is the power? I guess it’s “Mother Nature”. That is the one power that no one can fight. Over 3,000,000 without power on the east coast. The early winter storm in October actually did more damage than Hurricane Irene. The combination of the snow on the leaves ripped trees from their roots as if they were mere house plants. Trees were down all over and the end result was loss of power. So you thought you had the life in the suburbs. Well you may want to think again.. ” Mother Nature” is making a clear statement that she’s the b_ _ _ h in charge! Oh yes I said b_ _ _ h because that’s exactly what she is.  Scientist are predicting that as we go into 2012 we can expect more floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, cyclones and tsunamis. There is no one on earth that can “Fight the Power” of mother nature. Not even Mayor Bloomberg with all his billions.  She is definitely the biggest b_ _ _ h on earth.

With all due respect to “Mother Nature” there is another power that we should never attempt to fight? I’ll never forget the day I was about 8 years old and my parents were having an argument. My mother yelled at my dad,”Get out!” I yelled,”And stay out!” Why did I do that? I guess I was too young to realize that the one power we should never fight is our parents. Especially when they’re putting a roof over your head and clothes on your back. I had to learn that the hard way. My smart mouth started a big commotion. My father got very upset and came after me. He was about to really whip my ass. I ran faster than the “Roadrunner” into my room. We were living in the projects at the time. Anyone that knows about the projects should know how hard those concrete walls are. Well my mother did the best she could to protect me. She blocked and blocked and wouldn’t let my father get in that room. In the process somehow she slipped and her head hit the edge of the concrete wall. Blood all over the place. Four stitches to close the gap. It taught me a valuable lesson. To “Fight the Power” but make sure it’s never your parents.

Right now for the last month people have been in Zuccotti Park in lower Manhattan allegedly to “Fight the Power”. Unfortunately like with many movements that start off with good intentions it becomes a breeding ground for people with all the wrong intentions. Forget about the fact that people don’t have jobs. I’ll go to Zuccotti Park and get a free meal. I’ll go to Zuccotti Park to smoke my weed or sell my weed. I’ll go to Zuccotti Park because there’s free room and board and it’s so romantic to have sex under a tent in the middle of Manhattan. The one thing we must never forget is that New York is infested with deranged minds that love to create drama. Hence you have maybe 75% that are there because they realize that the crooks on Wall St. have wrecked this economy beyond repair. Then you have another 25% that don’t really give a damned. They’re looking for the drama and the first opportunity to commit some unlawful act. In the case of Zuccotti Park there has been several reports of sexual assaults against woman. There has been reports of open use of drugs and alcohol. Also reports of urine and unsanitary conditions inside the park. Businesses in the surrounding areas have been forced to layoff workers. The constant drumming as if some of the people were part of the “Incredible Bongo Band” has taken it’s toll on residents. This will ultimately lead to the inevitable. A confrontation with the N.Y.C. Police Dept.

With all due respect to the Police department they haven’t been totally professional in handling the demonstrators. There’s already been allegations of Police directing misfits and homeless people to go into Zuccotti Park. There’s been unnecessary police aggression and even video footage of a high ranking police officer hitting a demonstrator. This all on the heels of the indictment of over 15 officers for ticket fixing and over 5 officers arrested for smuggling guns in the community. There are some police officers that obviously feel that getting rid of a ticket for a family member or friend is a perk that comes with the job. It’s been going on inside the police department forever. Let me ask the police officers that feel this way a question. What about all the other taxpaying citizens? Why is it that people put on that blue uniform and think that they are above the f_ _kin law? I was already stopped twice in Brooklyn for no seat belt with my seat belt clearly on. One officer gave me a ticket the other just got back in his car. Clearly a sign that it’s all about a quota. There’s no doubt that there are officers doing a great job but there’s also no reason for officers to walk around with their chest out like they’re the next thing to God. Clearly this is a department that needs a leadership change. Just look at the number of incidences in the last 4 years involving N.Y.C. police officers. My heart goes out to all the people that could have been good officers but were denied the job because their fat content was too high or they stole a bag of M&M’s in the 7th grade. It is definitely time to “Fight the Power” and ask for change.

Speaking of change I’m sure Conrad Murray feels like 2 cents right now. After almost two years walking around making it rain with his strippers and sporting his “Soul Glow” hairdo he’s finally in jail. The defense did everything in it’s power to paint Micheal Jackson as a drugged out drug user. They were even able to present several witnesses that spoke very highly of Mr. Conrad and his performance as a doctor. In the end the evidence was to overwhelming against Conrad Murray. Number one, you never administer a drug like “Propofol” without being in a hospital setting. When using a drug like “Propofol” there’s always a risk of the patient having a heart attack.

Number two, a doctor should never leave the patient unattended. To make matters worse Dr. Murray waited almost 45 minutes before calling EMS. That was like the nail in the coffin. This was all the evidence the prosecution needed to prove it’s case of medical malpractice on the part of Conrad Murray. Dr. Murray showed no emotion as he was lead away in cuffs on his way to serve 4 years for the death of Micheal Jackson. In all likelihood he will lose his license to practice medicine as a licensed physician.

I’m sure this verdict may bring a certain level of closure for many people but it doesn’t do it for me. Four years in jail for killing a man that was worth billions! That is totally ridiculous! Something doesn’t smell right here and I hope all the people that really love Micheal can see it. Let’s not forget that some of the same people that were crying over Micheal’s death are the same ones that were accusing him of being a child molester. They tortured that man too death. There were plenty of people that wanted that man dead. What better way to do it than through his own doctor. Two years is enough time for plenty of people to cover their tracks. I have a strong feeling that others were involved and Conrad Murray became the scapegoat. Let’s not forget Micheal owned the coveted Beatles catalog. The promoters at AEG took out a huge insurance policy on Micheal. There were plenty of reasons to want that man dead.  Micheal had such a good heart I don’t think he was ever prepared for the ruthlessness of this present world.  I’ve learned that the hard way myself. To do a better job of protecting the heart because this world will eat you alive. Joe and Kathrine have initiated a civil suit against Conrad Murray and AEG the promoters of the “This is It” tour. Now we all have to wait and see if their attempt to “Fight the Power” can be successful again.

All of us will have to “Fight the Power” at some point. The question is what power will it be? We talked about the power of “Mother Nature”. The power of your parents and the power of the justice system. The one power we didn’t mention was the power of the p_ _ _ _ y! Yes I said the p _ _ _ _ y. Let’s keep it real here. Next to “Mother Nature” what is more powerful than p _ _ _ _ y. It has been a force to be reckoned with since the beginning of time. Don’t we all remember the story of Adam and Eve. Do you really think that had anything to do with an apple? What man would stay in the “Garden of Eden” with a naked lady eating fruit? It sure as hell wouldn’t be me. I would take a vine of grapes, put them between her breasts and bite them off one by one. What else would we really need the fruit for? Obviously Herman Cain didn’t understand how to “Fight the Power” of the p _ _ _ _ y. He fell right into the trap. His first mistake was not understanding that as a successful black man running for the Presidency he’s a target. Successful black men have a bad habit of thinking they’re immune to the racism in America. Doesn’t it seem strange that these accusations weren’t made public until Herman Cain became a serious contender for the Presidential nomination? Here’s the first accuser going public with an accusation that’s 14 years old. Somebody needed to dig up the dirt to slow his momentum but it doesn’t look like they succeeded. Since the allegations Herman Cain has raised almost 9 million dollars. His popularity is a testament to just how weak the Republican party is.  Just look at the performance of Rick Perry at the last debate. He couldn’t even name the three government agencies that he would eliminate. He sounded like a total idiot. He wants to be the head chief in charge like everybody else in America but maybe he should do his homework first.

So what is it that we can learn from this Herman Cain saga? The first thing we should learn is that some of what we see is real and some is illusion. Herman Cain has to be an illusion because he doesn’t have a chance to become the next President. Just look at what the country has done to President Obama who is half white. Do you really think they would allow another black man that’s even darker to be the next President? Two black Presidents in a row! Doesn’t that sound like a fairytale? I don’t even think Steven Spielberg would touch a script like that because it wouldn’t be believable. Right now the Republican party needs Herman Cain out the way. What better way then to have a group of white woman make some allegations of sexual harassment. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to defend Herman Cain. I just think it’s important to remember how dirty the game of politics can be. Back in the day these were the types of accusations that would get black men killed. Just listen to the story. Herman Cain allegedly went under the woman’s skirt and tried to feel her genital. Then he took her head and tried to bring it towards his crotch, I mean d _ _ k, I’m sorry. She replied, “What are you doing?” Now family does that sound like what a woman would do? She couldn’t have been from New York right? Well ladies let Poppa give you a little advice. If you’re ever faced with a situation like that let me explain what you should do. Here’s your first lesson in self defense. If your on a date sitting at the table and a man tries to feel your vagina, take the hardest and closest thing you can find and knock that motherf _ _ ker right in his head! Do you hear me ladies! Listen to Poppa for a minute! I don’t care if it’s a glass, pitcher of water or a plate of fresh oxtails, bust that man right upside his head. If he decides to take your head and put it near his d _ _ k, bite that s _ _ t as hard as you can. If you want to bite it off, freeze it, thaw it out and mix it in the “Thanksgiving” stuffing that’s cool too but under no circumstances should a woman let a man disrespect her like that. Yes indeed, the day will come when we all have to “Fight the Power”.

As much as I would like to end this blog how could I end it without talking about the power of the devil. Every minute of the day all of us will have to “Fight the Power” of the devil. The devil is a very busy man. He’s directing souls to drive out into the suburbs and commit home invasions. There’s no more respect for the elderly. They can no longer leave their house without the threat of being harmed right in their own building. The devil is disguised as a gang member luring the weak into the fold with the promise of a better life. Preying on the weakness of the mind because he knows the only life in a gang is death or jail. He’s directing husbands to kill their wives and wives to kill their husbands. Fooling the people of the world into thinking their only purpose here is for material gain. Releasing souls into the world that are fueled by selfishness and greed. Who else could convince grown adults to overlook ethics, morals and values but the devil. The end result is another scar on the face of America. Accusations of sexual misconduct on the part of a Penn St. football coach. High ranking University officials and even the D.A.’s office aware of the incident but no action taken. Legendary head coach Joe Paterno  a college football icon fired for failing to report the incident. Instead electing to cover up and protect his friend. What are the allegations? Well the assistant coach was allegedly caught having sex with a ten year old boy in the shower. The incident witnessed by another coach. Instead of having compassion for the victim the students decide to tear up the campus. Here’s another generation that will go out into society with college degrees and not know right from wrong. This is sick and scary but we must not waver. With the help of God each day we must “Fight the Power” of the devil.

Thanks to all of you for supporting this blog and may it serve as an inspiration as we “Fight the Power” each day. I’ll never forget the first time I heard “Fight the Power” by the Isley Bros. I knew it would be an instant classic. That was probably the first time the radio stations had to beep a record. Remember the line, “All the bulls _ _ t goin down”. That entire album was a classic. Ernie Isley was able to successfully blend a rock guitar into R&B. The influence of Jimi Hendrix was very evident. I did see the Isleys in concert a few times and many critics felt their live performance never lived up to the albums but that’s a matter of opinion. In parting I’d like to send out my condolences to Andy Rooney of 60 minutes. A true icon in the field of journalism. To “Smokin Joe Frazier”. One of the greatest heavyweights of all time. Lastly to the overweight lover rapper “Heavy D”. In his short time of 44 years Heavy D became an icon in Hip Hop. I remember meeting Heavy D in the Lobby of a lounge in New York. That was when Uptown records was really hot. The entire roster was in the lounge relaxing. Mary J in one corner and Jodeci walking around along with Heavy D. I was getting close to a deal with Profile records with my wife at the time. We bumped into Heavy on our way out and we started talking with Heavy D. Next thing I know my ex starts singing for Heavy D in the lobby. Of course she sounded good but it was still funny because we had a few drinks and we were having fun. Heavy busted out laughing and I’ll never forget his smile and laugh. He was just a happy humble man. Those were some good ole days. A final shout-out goes out to my entire blog and Jango family. Thanks for supporting our music on Jango.com/music/poppastep. Since the release of “Midnight Freak” we have received bonus points with a score over 80 for the 7th consecutive week.  That puts Poppastep in the top 15% of all artist on Jango radio. The 3rd week in October Poppastep was named artist of the week by Retro-Radio out of Marcourt, Belgium. Look out for our new release “Thongs On” coming soon. We are on Facebook and Twitter, Tunecore and I-Tunes please support your independent artist. Much love and respect to all of you……….Poppas out.

I was just here wondering is anybody “Happy”? Is it becoming a crime to walk around with a smile on your face? Just walking around New York City I’ve never seen so many angry looking faces in my life. Why are so many people walking around looking unhappy? Don’t you realize you have every reason to be “Happy” because you woke up this morning. It’s unfortunate that many of us wake up as healthy human beings and we’re still not “Happy”. What is it the job? So you didn’t get that big promotion that you were seeking after busting your ass for fifteen years on the job. You were highly disappointed when they gave the position to this nice looking woman that was on the job for only a year. The same woman that doesn’t even have a degree or any other qualifications for the job. The same woman that the boss told you to train without giving you any extra pay. The same woman that comes in late and takes an extra 30 minutes for lunch without any reprimand. You look at her with envy as she walks around the office switching her butt in five inch heels looking so “Happy”. Then word finally gets around the office that she’s sleeping with the boss. She’s doing a little overtime with no underwear to make him “Happy”. Suddenly you have a reason to be “Happy”. After fifteen years on the job you can remember all

the subtle innuendos from different bosses during the holiday parties. Not once did you ever compromise your values just to get a promotion or a raise. You have every reason to be “Happy” because you stayed true to yourself and you’re a strong woman. So tomorrow walk into that office with pride and conviction. Put a smile on that face and let the whole world know that in spite of a few disappointments today I stand before you “Happy”.

Let’s face it each day it’s becoming harder and harder to be “Happy”. People have lost their jobs, homes, relationships and crime is out of control. Just here in America each day brings a certain level of uncertainty. Just look at what’s happening with the stock market here in America. It’s become so erratic that no one really knows for sure what there financial future will be. Like a domino affect that same level of uncertainty is spreading across the world. Just in these last few years many of us have watched our 401k’s totally evaporate. I just recently met a retired firefighter that lost 800,000. He still looked “Happy” but I sure as hell don’t know how. I remember working at the American Stock Exchange during the first “Black Monday” in the eighties. The racial tension was so out of control during this time that it didn’t surprise me that they called it “Black Monday”. I’ll never forget being totally insulted in front of the entire training class before I could work one day on the job. After passing the entry test with the second highest mark in the class the instructor had the nerve to say, “We didn’t expect you to pass”. Of course I had to be singled out as being black and dumb but I was “Happy”. I knew that I had what it took to be an asset to any job. As fate would have it before I could pass my probation period the market crashed. I’ll never forget coming to work the next few days looking at all faces that were just not “Happy”. I remember asking about a few of the brokers that were always in my area. After a while I stopped asking because I found out a few brokers had committed suicide. Within a few days I was called up to the office. I knew exactly what was about to happen. I was about to be laid off but I was “Happy”. I was “Happy ” that in spite of someone questioning my intelligence that I had what it took to be on that floor. Yes, I was a “Happy” intelligent black man.

I was also “Happy” as I watched the news and looked at President Obama get off his private plane with a smile on his face. Many of his critics may not understand how a light-skinned black man with a non-negro dialect could even be “Happy”. The dark side of America has done everything in their power to wipe the smile off that man’s face. Never in the history of the United States have we seen a President criticized by overt racist and in some cases his own people. Someone even had the nerve to call the President of the United States a “Tar Baby”. Would the President have been wrong if he responded back and called that person a “Rice Krispies Baby”? In spite of this sick lack of decency he’s still able to smile and be “Happy”. Can we get upset because in these times when marriages and relationships are falling apart he’s managed to keep his together. Wouldn’t that make you “Happy”? Just knowing that each day you’re beating the odds. The fact that President Obama can wake up for the rest of his life and have a certain level of economic stability. Wouldn’t that make you “Happy”. With the help of his family and support system he’s managed to do what many people can’t do, stop smoking. How could anyone be upset because Obama has a smile on his face? He’s even managed to stay in decent shape for a man 50 years old. Are people jealous and upset because he’s not  walking around with the pot belly that you see on most of the politicians down in Washington? So he has every reason to be “Happy” in spite of this calculated conspiracy to get him out of office. As a matter of fact I believe that being “Happy” has a lot to do with the reason why President Obama has been able to withstand the perpetual assault from the Republicans, right wing critics and even his own people. Being “Happy” will give you a layer of protection needed to withstand an assault coming from any direction.

All of us will need a layer of protection. The months of August and September, the Virgo months have wrecked havoc on our lives for years to come. Does the name Micheal Jackson ring a bell? The mystery of his death still not solved. Dr Conrad still a free man and no one really liable. People have had plenty of time to cover their tracks. While everyone is making money off his legacy do you really think Micheal’s “Happy”? The United States just experienced a 5.8. earthquake that originated in Virginia. The tremors were felt in Atlanta, North Carolina, New York, all the way up to Boston. I was at the bus depot to report my broken car mirror that an M.T.A bus had cracked. Just like the ruthless M.T.A. the bus keep right on going but I was “Happy” that the bus didn’t totally damage my car. I noticed all the M.T.A drivers leaving the building and one mentioned there was an earthquake. Just as fast as I could get the news my phone rang twice. Both my daughters called to give me the news. I was “Happy” that my two daughters reached out to me. It made me really feel appreciated. My youngest called and said,”Daddy the building is swaying I’m scared”. My oldest was in Manhattan in the fashion district. She was in the park with her co-workers because everybody was evacuated out the building. Of course after a while capitalism kicked in and everybody was ordered back inside their buildings to continue making money for somebody else. Not even an earthquake could control the addiction of making the almighty dollar. Could this partly be the reason why we’re experiencing all of this? It really made me wonder. It made me ask myself the question is God “Happy”?

Is there something God is trying to tell us? Have we lived up to his expectations? I’m sure he didn’t expect some of his creations that were darker in color to be chained and shackled, put on boats like sardines and sent to work in hot fields all day long without a decent wage. Do you really think that made God “Happy”? To watch an innocent man hang from a tree with whip lash marks on his back, accused of rape when in fact he was nowhere in the vicinity of the alleged accuser. Do you think that made God “Happy”? To watch churches burnt to the ground with innocent children inside and woman raped while their families watched helplessly. After the babies were born with lighter skin society then decides to give them precedent over their darker counterparts. Now we decide that it’s a good idea to set up a color coded society. Then all the people from the islands come to America and they are better than the black Americans. Someone from Trinidad is better than someone from Jamaica. Someone from St. Martin is better than someone from St. Lucia. Then the Latinas decide to get in the mix. The Puerto Ricans are better than the Dominicans. Nobody even bothers to mention the Haitians. After it’s all said and done here’s the dark skinned black man the inventor of the generator, refrigerator, elevator and half the s_ _ t we’re using in America at the bottom of the totem pole. Is there any wonder why the ground is shaking? This world better get it’s s_ _ t together because God is trying to tell us something.

God can’t be “Happy”. Hurricane Irene causing total devastation right around the anniversary of Katrina. The affects of a ruthless George Bush presidency still being felt. Even FEMA is down to 800 million dollars . They can no longer keep up with the demand of all these natural disasters. How could the average tax-paying citizen really be “Happy”. The United States is falling the f_ _ k. apart. Oh excuse me, it fell apart a long time ago but we’re really feeling the affects of it now. Communities like Paterson and Totowa N.J. experiencing some of the worst flooding in decades. Some of the communities throughout Jersey looked like a scaled down Katrina. If you didn’t get affected by the flooding it was the power outages. People in Nassau county that pay the highest taxes in the country still without power after six days. Is there something wrong with that picture people? You would think that Nassau county would have it’s lights on first wouldn’t you? It goes to show that paying the most doesn’t really mean s_ _ t anymore. In fact I don’t think it ever really meant s_ _ t. I think it was always somebody making a little extra off of you. Society never really cared that  you were spending more money. They just figured out a clever way to get more money out of you. I feel so “Happy” that I finally realized that. Just look at the M.T.A. ready to dig their fangs into the working class people of Staten Island. Twelve dollars with an E-Z-Pass just to come home over the Verrazano bridge . That is f_ _ kin pay my mortgage highway robbery. Don’t even look under the bridge because you’ll see nothing but blue markings where the concrete is eroding. The greed is so out of control most agencies can’t even keep up with the maintenance of these facilities. The people of Staten Island should be outraged. They are being pimped like prostitutes. They have every reason not to be “Happy”.

Just look at Mayor steal the election Bloomberg. Always on the T.V. with his straight innocent can do no wrong, I’m worth a billion dollars face. Guilty of covering the tracks of his deputy Mayor that resigned amid the winter storm scandal. His resignation had nothing to do with the fiasco that happen during the winter. He was actually arrested and jailed for beating on his wife. Then Mayor Bloomberg does a news conference and can’t even admit that he’s wrong. His cocky I’m worth a billion dollars attitude kicked in again. Here’s a Mayor that was one of the first people voicing his holier than thou opinion about the Plexico Burgess incident. The first one ready to send a black man to jail that accidentally shot himself. I’m so “Happy” that God is revealing the hypocritical nature of all these so-called leaders. Even the ones on the pulpit have been exposed. The nerve of this Mayor. He can hide the facts for one of his own but he couldn’t do it for a talented athlete like Plexico. The jealousy and hate that exists is unbelievable. The entire City Hall probably has more skeletons in the closet than any one of us. Most of us don’t know the story about a Jewish man that was down at City Hall in charge of collecting property taxes. Well for almost twenty years many of the Jewish property owners were paying no taxes. They never could prosecute him because he died just before the investigation. How do I know this? Well I’m “Happy” that I have some reliable sources. No one ever heard about this story because it was swept under the rug. Swept under the rug just like the murder of James Davis. A promising young black politician murdered right inside City Hall. All the corrupt politicians down at City Hall need to sit the hell down. Your a total disgrace and I’m “Happy” that people are finally starting to realize that.

As we watch our economy continue to stagnate many of us are just not “Happy”. The unemployment rate remains at 9.1 and last month we didn’t create any jobs at all. It looks like George Bush may have put us in a hole we may never get out of. The affects of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy and the Afghanistan war have taken a devastating toll on our economy. The 30 billion dollars that went into the war may be a total waste. One out of every five soldiers is going A.W.O.L because I guest they already know that they’re not prepared once the Americans leave. While the average hardworking citizens suffer the corporations continue to receive huge tax breaks. Instead of producing jobs here in America they continue to out source the work in sweat shops. The actual bonuses of some of the top executives was higher than what some of the top corporations paid in taxes. The banks and the crooks on Wall st. have done nothing with the stimulus money to help get this economy moving. As long as the federal and local governments continue to do unscrupulous business like this only the wealthy will be “Happy”. While President Obama struggles to juggle the curse that he inherited he may be partly to blame for the economy’s lack of improvement. As he struggles to win a second term his biggest mistake undoubtedly will be having surrounded himself with leftovers from the Clinton administration. How can he expect to improve anything when he has people right within his inner circle ready to undermine every move towards progress. He has to understand that yes he won the presidency but not everybody was “Happy”. Some of the people that were not “Happy” are right in the White House grinning in his face.

In spite of all this dysfunctionalism going on all over the world I made up my mind that I’m going to be “Happy”. Yes I realize that there’s hate, jealousy and envy in the world but we have to learn how to be “Happy”. Unfortunately most of us weren’t blessed with nine lives like a Mayor Bloomberg or Strauss Kahn (who should be in jail for rape). The average working citizen has to struggle but I’m learning you can still be “Happy”. If your man or woman walks out on you tomorrow you can still be “Happy”. If all your personal property was destroyed in the recent floods you can be “Happy”. If your car was just repossessed you can still be “Happy”. If your three months behind on your mortgage you can still be “Happy”. If you just lost your job you can be “Happy”. I’m learning that being “Happy” is really the key that will allow anyone to conquer any adverse situation. How can we overcome any adverse situation if were not “Happy” within ourselves. Whenever one encounters hate, envy and jealousy it’s not because you did something. Most of the time that person is just not “Happy” within themselves. Most of the time it’s a blessing that you have that they want. They never look at all the negativity and adverse situations that you had to pull through to be “Happy”. If people would stop hating on the blessing of someone else and concentrate on being “Happy” the world would be a better place. Don’t ever forget, God will never give you more than you can bear. So don’t worry be “Happy”.

It’s been a minute I know but I’ve been overwhelmed. It feels good to be back on the blog with the family. A belated r.i.p goes out to Amy Winehouse. There were a few songs that she did and I didn’t even know that was her. A very versatile performer. I hope all the young artist are learning something. Heroin is just a killer, it’s that simple. The drug pushers that sell it should rot in hell. Also a r.i.p to Nick Ashford. This is a man that rose up from homelessness. I hope that the great body of work that he left behind will serve as an inspiration to all of us. I understand that all of us are going through trails and tribulations but try to find ways to be “Happy”. Your only here once and life is a lot shorter than we think. I’ve been pulling out some of my classic music and it’s been working. I’m listening to the Isley’s 3+3, Harvest for the World, Ashford & Simpson greatest hits, Teddy Pendergrass anthology, EWF In the Need of Love and Head to the Sky, Weldon Irving( Nina Simones bandleader), Confunkshun greatest hits, Brick greatest hits, Ojay’s Superbad Lp. If you can find some of these albums give them a listen. Don’t forget to support Poppastep’s new single “Midnight Freak” on I-Tunes  http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/midnight-freak-single/id451595296 or any other digital outlet. The Poppastep artist page is now on facebook so please give us your support. Also thanks to everyone on Jango radio that have been so supportive. Please continue to send in your comments and I love you all.

Thank God the world didn’t end. Who would be here to read this? Could you imagine the end of the world and you’re the only survivor. You would probably go crazy. Do you think life would be enjoyable if you had to wake up and hump your bed every morning? That would be so depressing wouldn’t it. What about going out to the club. You would be the D.J. and the audience. Dancing on the floor with the disco lights all alone. Playing in the background would be the “Trammps”, “Where were you when the lights went out in New York City”. After a long night at the club you could walk straight into church without feeling unholy. There would be nobody on the pulpit to give you a sermon. The entire front row of the church would be smelling like alcohol but there would be no one to offer you a peppermint. During communion you could even have an extra grape juice and cracker. There would be no usher to say: “I already served you.”  If you felt like screaming “Hallelujah” you could just yell at the top of your lungs and listen to the echo, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah. If you wanted, you could even pass gas and fart out loud. You wouldn’t have to worry about all the fine sisters sitting behind you. You wouldn’t have to worry about their indecision about giving you their phone number because of the smell coming out your polyester suit. You wouldn’t have to feel embarrassed as they pull the weave over their noses. You would be all alone, the last survivor on earth. Maybe you could jump on the organ and start playing” One Nation Under A Groove”. Who knows it might lead to a Gospel contract. You could be the next Kirk Franklin. That would be nice wouldn’t it. To be a little over 5 feet making hits and a little money. Well unfortunately the world didn’t end. So if you decide to go to church straight from the club put your sweaty, smelly ass in the shower first. Make sure you brush your teeth and get that alcohol off your breath. Don’t you dare sit in that front row and pass gas either. The church smells enough. Let’s all be thankful we have a loving God. If he destroyed us all who would be here to do his will?

Besides why would God end the world with all this “Creepin” going on? Don’t we all need to see who’s marriage gets destroyed next? Just in my town alone I could probably start at least 20 divorces. What is wrong with people when they think they can be married and cheat right in the same town? That is so sleezy. Like James Brown said, “There was a Time”. There was a time when men had a little dignity about cheating. Most of the men knew what the rule was. To make sure the other woman was at least a few blocks away from your wife. When that didn’t work the rule was to make sure she’s in the next town over. Well what the hell happen? Have the men totally lost their minds? There out here sexin the other woman in the same bed as the wife on the same sheets. In some cases he’s going out the door walking right upstairs in the same building. What happen to keeping a little distance between the women

? Is there any respect out here? As a man I’m starting to feel totally embarrassed. Now all the woman are thinking all the men are cheating but only 99.9 percent of us are. At least .1 percent are being faithful. Let me be honest, I’ve been busted myself. After seven years of marriage I got caught cheating. No I didn’t get caught with the other woman on “Facebook”. There was no “Facebook” at the time. There was no “Twitter”. I didn’t have a number in my pocket. There was no lipstick or perfume on my clothes. She did it the old fashion way. She was doing the laundry and decided to smell my underwear. BUSTED!! I’m not sure what they smelled like, maybe the “Fulton Fish Market” but she knew it wasn’t her. That woman was smart too. She didn’t ask for no divorce. She had a better plan. To stay in the marriage and torture my ass. That’s exactly what she did. She tortured my ass for another seven years until I couldn’t take it no more. Ladies I hate to use the B word but she turned into a real b_ _ _ h! I paid the ultimate price for “Creepin”.

You would think that after Lorena Bobbitt cut off that man’s d_ _ k the men would have sense enough to think twice about “Creepin”. That women scared me to death. I never thought I would live to see the day when a woman would cut off a man’s d_ _ k. I still have nightmares about that s_ _ t. There were plenty of days when I woke up in a sweat because I thought somebody cut off my d_ _ K and was frying that s_ _ t in a pan with onions and peppers. Thank God I would wake up just in time and grab my d_ _ k to see if it was still there. If Lorena Bobbitt couldn’t stop the men from “Creepin” who the hell could? I guess it’s just like the rats in the “Taco Bell”. After watching 100 rats roam a Taco Bell in New York you would think people would stop eating at fast food restaurants. That was a scene right out of “Ben” and “Willard”. I still have nightmares about that s_ _t too. Some rats crawling all over my face while I’m sleeping in bed. It didn’t matter here in New York. New Yorkers are still lined up everyday eating rat and mouse droppings with a coke on the side. Then it’s that damned incident with Al Green and the hot grits. I remember spending summers in Harlem during the 70’s looking at all the addicts strung out from “Blue Magic”. Coming from Staten Island it was like I was in another world. All I heard uptown was Al Green, Marvin Gaye and the Jackson Five. Harlem was Al Green crazy. He had all the ladies. Then the incident happen with the hot grits. I was young but I knew that meant don’t be f_ _ kin with a ladies mind. In spite of all these lessons the men still haven’t learned. They’re still out here “Creepin”. What will it take for a man to appreciate a good woman?

Here’s Arnold with his dumb ass f_ _ kin it up for everybody. Having sex with another woman right in the same house as the wife. All that money but he didn’t have sense enough to move the woman he was sexin up the block. Isn’t it so ironic that he would be the star of a movie called the “Terminator”. Were we all too naive to understand what that really meant. That Arnold didn’t give a f_ _ k about you, me his wife and nobody else. Why else would he masquerade with another woman in the same house as his wife. You have to be a cold ruthless motherf_ _ker to do some sh_t like that. It didn’t matter whether you were a Kennedy. Not even a “Kennedy” was sacred in Arnold’s world. Is it too far fetched to think that maybe Arnold laid down with both of these woman on the same day maybe even on the same sheets? Is anybody really paying attention to what I’m writing on this blog? Remember we talked about someone wanting your man, woman, job, ect. Here’s the hired help in the house pretending she’s cleaning. She’s cleaning alright, cleaning your man’s d_ _ k. Is there a lesson in all of this? Maybe that the women can start learning to do some of there own housework. That maybe in today’s world we need to be a little more careful with who we let into our home. This is not to excuse Arnold from his poor judgement. This woman wasn’t the most attractive but she had the power. The same seductive power that most of the Latina women have. They possess the “Rain”. What is the “Rain?” Just think of a juicy mango sliding down “Niagara Falls”. Every time Maria left the house that juicy mango put on some Salsa and said, “Arnold come get some of this.” Not even the “Terminator” could resist. That Latina “Rain” is enough to make any man start “Creepin”.

So what is it? Is there something in the air? Why can’t the men be satisfied? Is it the men, is it the women, what the hell’s going on here? Ladies please don’t sit back and read this like your excused. Trust me Poppa knows your out here “Creepin” worst than the men but we’ll save that for another post okay. Is it time to ask some of our grandparents the secrets of longevity in a marriage or relationship? Could this be just something sexual? Listen, I’m just putting everything out on the table. I just talked to my 72 year old uncle in South Carolina. He’s still sexually active. I wasn’t surprised at all when he told me. I’ll never forget the day I was about 13 years old and I walked into the bathroom while he was in the shower. I said damned, my uncle is huge. I never saw a d_ _ k that big in my life. Let me put it to you this way. Just picture a Volkswagen parked next to a 1972 Cadillac Coup De Ville. Does that explain what I’m trying to say. So I could understand that even at 72 he’s still in demand. We had our little conversation and he mentioned a 55 year old woman that was interested in him but she didn’t want to have sex. Ladies isn’t that a little too young to stop having sex? The first thing I said was what are you guys supposed to do? Get butt naked and play “Patty Cake Patty Cake” all night. We both agreed this woman was not the one. Lets be clear here, at 72 sex is a big part of the equation. A man that age needs something at the end of the day to keep him going. Could this explain why so many of the older men are finding themselves in trouble? Are they becoming disillusioned because the women get a certain age and refuse to do the freak anymore? Dominique Strauss-Kahn the ex-IMF chief and one of the most powerful men in the world is the perfect example. He comes to America and wakes up in handcuffs only because he needed the freak. He’s not satisfied with his wife so he’s “Creepin” and allegedly decides to rape a hotel maid. I’m not even sure if I could consider this “Creepin”. I think this is just a case of a rich, powerful man thinking he can do whatever he wants. Whatever happen to calling an escort service? This is just plain arrogance and ignorance. Here’s a man with millions of dollars forcing himself on a woman but there’s poor men with 5 and 6 women. How does society explain that? Like my 72 year old uncle said,”There’s an art to a women”,”Some men have it and some men don’t”.

I guess that brings me to “Oscar Meyer Wiener-gate”. How stupid, how stupid, how stupid! Over twenty years of service out the window in a matter of seconds. Of course Rudy Giuliani had to put his two cents in. He said Anthony Wiener was a little weird. I’m not sure if I could trust the judgement of another weirdo but he may have a valid point. You have to be pretty stupid to take pictures right in the congressional weight room. Here’s Anthony in the gym flexing his chicken chest like he’s Arnold. Do you really want to emulate Arnold right now? He’s in enough hot water himself. Then he had the nerve to put his penis on “Twitter”. I didn’t actually see it but if it’s anything like his chest it couldn’t be no bigger than a “Vienna Sausage”. The media didn’t help any either. They have become masters of riding your ass until your entire career is destroyed. He just gave himself away right from the very start. Doing what most politicians do. You just lie your ass off until it’s evident your lying. Then after media pressure he finally decides to confess. If this doesn’t wake us all up to the destructive power of the media than nothing will. What about “Facebook” and “Twitter”? Social media has destroyed more marriages and relationships than all the recent tornadoes combined. This is something we all need to think about before “Creepin”. Do you really need to have your personal business on “Facebook” and “Twitter”? Here’s the poor wife three months pregnant out on assignment with another victim of “Creepin” Hillary Clinton. Then she returns home and here’s the two of them walking around like everything’s under control. Well did anybody notice that the wife was with the sister. I hope everybody knows what that means. That they were both in the apartment kicking Anthony’s ass. All the men please take notice. When you get busted in a situation like that you’re no longer just dealing with the wife. Your dealing with the sister,brother,uncle,aunt, mother-in-law and father-in-law. They all come together to bust your ass. Don’t ever think you married this woman. The reality is you married the whole family. So before you think about “Creepin” think about some of the consequences that may happen if you get caught.

I love you all. Your unwavering support has been a blessing. Keep the comments coming. Shout outs to Tom Soares for an incredible mix on our new single “Midnight Freak”. It is now in the hands of Herb Powers Jr. for mastering. Shout outs to Cybertimeent Studios for preparing the Protools session. We need everyones support on this single. It definitely smells like a hit. Shout outs to our Jango family around the globe. They have been in the trenches since the very beginning. We’re losing so many people but let’s take the torch and continue on. Keep in mind that the Lord will never give us more than we can bare. As we make our daily decisions let’s try to think about what’s best for the whole situation and not just the individual situation. This is everybodies country not just one particular group. There’s plenty of people in America that constantly have to be reminded of that. So let’s continue our mission of getting back on track. If you’re in a relationship or marriage that’s working give your significant other a kiss and a hug. Be a little grateful that they’re not out here “Creepin”…………..Yet!

The weather is finally getting hot and everybody in New York City should know what that means. Yes, it means the beautiful woman in bikinis but it also means the New York City cockroaches. I turned on my kitchen light the other day and I said, “damned!” “Where did all these damned cockroaches come from?” I couldn’t believe my eyes. The cockroaches were on my counter having an “Ole School” block party. One roach had on a “Kangol” tilted to the side and he was cutting “Goodtimes” faster than “Grandmaster Flash”. They had the nerve to be up on the latest technology. Instead of “turntables” they were in the kitchen using a Mac computer and “Serato”. When I turned on the kitchen light these damned cockroaches didn’t even run. They were all just lined up on the counter doing the “Electric Slide” and waiting for their special request, Frankie Beverly and Maze “Before I Let Go”.  There were even some nasty gangster cockroaches. A few of them had to be packing the heat. What else could explain a cockroach wearing a long ass trench coat. They looked at me and said,”WHAT!” I could tell a few of the cockroaches had just gotten out of jail. One roach looked diesel like he had been training with “Lee Haney”. Well I got fed up and I said,”I got something for your asses.” I took out that “Raid” and the cockroaches looked at me like I was crazy. They drank the “Raid” like it was a glass of “Patron”. One damned roach moved his antennas and had the nerve to ask me for another glass. I thought maybe the “Boric Acid” would scare their asses. Family they started sniffin that s_ _ t like it was cocaine. There was even an entrepreneur cockroach. He was behind the damned toaster selling twenties of “Boric Acid” in aluminum foil. Then I opened up my “George Forman Grill” and the damned cockroaches were laid out like they were on vacation in the “Bahamas”. They better get the hell out of my damned grill. Don’t they know I use my “George Forman Grill” to make all my dates my signature meal, “A La Roach Eggs and Gravy” over brown rice. I don’t know what it is but whenever I make that meal they take their underwear off exactly at 12 o clock. Family, you can’t beat that with a baseball bat.

Now I know a few of you are saying,”Poppa where you been?” “It’s been a while since your last post.” Well Poppas been looking for his birth certificate. It took a month but I finally found it. I still don’t know who my father is but damn it I’m here! I made a copy and put it right in my wallet behind my license. When I get pulled over by the cops for being a black male with a bald head now I’ll have two pieces of identification. This is the only country in the world that would question whether or not I was born after writing over 40 blog post. Yes I’m a living human being writing a blog for free. I hope you didn’t think I was a bald-headed ghost! Maybe I need to ask Donald “Humpty Dump” Trump. He has a lot of nerve scrutinizing my President. Instead of renewing another season of the “Apprentice” it looks like he needs to head over to the “Biggest Loser”. Unless my eyes were deceiving me the Donald could stand to lose at least 50 pounds. Instead of wasting all that time worrying about the Presidents birth certificate Donald should “Shake His Trump to the Funk”. He’s got enough fat on that belly to build another “Trump Tower”. It took the Donald about 30 minutes just to make it up to the podium to take credit for being the king of stupidity. Right now the Donald is doing the world a big favor. He’s letting us all know how easy it is to look like a jerk. If he would just sit down, maybe he could maintain a little bit of his respect. The one thing money can’t buy is respect. Just ask “Aretha Franklin.” With all that money you would think Donald would at least get a good stylist. His Toupee looks like it was bought right out the 99 cents store. I still can’t figure out which one I would cut first the Toupee or the eyebrows. Donald could easily pass for a human “Chia Pet”. I would hate to see that head after an hour in the swimming pool. What happen to the playboy Donald? Maybe he left town with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Is Donald Trump really serious about running for the Presidency or is this just a publicity stunt? This issue of the Presidents birth certificate was two years old. Now that the President has publicly put his birth certificate on display for all to see suddenly the issue turned to school grades. How did Obama get into Harvard and Columbia with his grades? Okay some want to scream Affirmative Action. Well if it wasn’t for racism we would never have had Affirmative Action would we. That still doesn’t answer the question of “How?” Especially when the previous president had a C average and not one person in the country ever asked “How?” Let’s at least be a little fair here. As a supporter of the second black President of the United States let me offer some defense. If we need to ask the question of “How”, then lets ask everybody “How?” Hey Dolly, “How did your chest get so big?” Hey Mayor Bloomberg,” How did you hire Dennis Wall-Cock and overlook everybody else?” How did 500 felons get teaching jobs in New York City? How did a N.Y.C. Bronx prosecutor evade arrest for a DWI? How is the country in a 14.2 trillion dollar hole? How are all the blacks and Puerto Ricans pushing brooms for the Parks Department? How did I witness a sanitation truck pull up to a store and buy a six pack in broad daylight?  How did millions of people get stuck with sub-prime loans? How did Joe Biden fall asleep during a Presidential speech? How did Oprah gain weight, lose weight and gain it again? If we keep asking “How” we’ll all be here a very long time. Let’s just say there’s a little corruption in the world. Some of us are privileged more than others. Lastly, it’s not what you know it’s who you know.

All of us need to sit back and be thankful that we have the President that we have in the White House. This is not to say that I agree with everything the President has done since he’s been in office. There’s been a few instances where the President has bent a little more than he should have. Also a few instances where he could have been a little less diplomatic when being attacked but that’s just my personal opinion. Overall we should be thankful to have a President that was educated at two of the most prestigious universities in the country. Anyone that’s been to college should know the work involved in getting a degree from any college. It’s not like you walk into the university and they hand you a degree. There’s hours of research, papers, sacrifice and sometimes a little weed but it’s no cakewalk. There’s not one person that will ever walk out of Harvard and Columbia without putting in the work. President Obama walked out with a law degree. Give the man credit where credit is due. To question his credentials is pure envy, jealousy and racist. There’s two more years before re-election. I hope America has on it’ s thinking cap.

How much longer can we be fooled by the media and the Presidents right wing critics that continue to play the race card. The world is not black and white, it’s good and evil. The President just showed us all the extent of his mental tenacity. Ten years after 9/11 President Obama will go down in history as being responsible for killing the number one terrorist in the world Osama Bin Laden.

Finally some of the families that lost loved ones can have a bit of closure. It won’t bring the victims back but there has to be a little solace knowing Osama Bin Laden is dead. There were many people rejoicing in the streets because of the news. If you looked at the demographic most of the people were young people. Some were probably ten years old when the incident happen. The one important thing that they must remember is Osama Bin Laden is dead. Terrorism is alive and well. For the remainder of our lives all of us have to live with the realization that terrorism can strike. As we learned with 9/11 terrorist are not concerned about the color of your skin. Will the younger generations have the readiness and focus to be prepared when terrorism attempts to strike again? That remains to be seen. We have left our children with a very difficult job. In the middle of raising families, starting careers and trying to enjoy life they have to face the challenge of terrorism. If we think back 30 years can’t you remember going about your day never having to worry about being blown up by a terrorist? Well, those days are over. Now because of probably a lot of bad decisions in our foreign policy terrorism is an everyday reality. Yes Osama Bin Laden is dead but there’s still a lot of unanswered questions. How long can the American public sit back in a leather recliner and pretend all the decisions within our own government are okay? All of us should be right on the steps of the White House with “21 Questions”.

Just think for a moment. Osama Bin Laden was 6′4″ tall. Any person that tall is very easy to spot in any community. For some strange reason Osama was so difficult to locate. You can locate Gary Coleman but you can’t find Osama and he’s three times his height. Doesn’t that sound a little strange to you. Remember all the media hype about the gun fights in “Torah Borah”. Here’s the media taking our minds on a journey into the caves of Afghanistan. Just picture a 6′4″ Osama running through the caves with a bad kidney. The media sold millions of papers and all of us had our television sets on the news helping the ratings. This entire charade was about making a dollar. It was never about catching Osama Bin Laden. Just imagine if they would have caught Osama Bin Laden within the first year. Think of all the security and service contracts that would have been lost. There were too many people in high places that had a stake in everything that was going on. Unfortunately some of those people were right inside the American government. We spend so much time, energy and money questioning everybody else’s government at what point do we question our own?

There’s a lot of despicable aspects to all of this and more people should be outraged. It’s quite clear Bin Laden had some friends. How else could he live in Pakistan undetected for 7 years? Since 9/11 20 billion dollars of American taxpayer money has been given to a country that harbored a terrorist. Currently 3 billion a year is being given to Pakistan and they have yet to give the American public a satisfactory explanation. Here’s the number one terrorist in the world living inside his own make-shift prison surrounded by barb-wire. Here’s a man built up to be bigger than life but he was human just like all of us. He likes eggs in the morning. He had a little medicine just in case he got sick. If he had a little trouble staying hard for one of his wives he had a little herbal Viagra. Even his bed looked like it needed to be replaced with a “Bob’s Value-pedic”. What was so bigger than life about Osama Bin Laden? He was human just like all of us. This is just one chapter that’s closed, but this war is by no means over. Now that the war has been waged against all of us, we need to continue to hold our elected officials accountable and continuously question our government. All of us should be on the steps of the White House with ” 21 Questions “.

Just want to thank everyone for taking time to give this blog a read. Your support is greatly appreciated. Please take a moment to pray for all the people that suffered from the recent tornado’s in Alabama. For so long we have watched other countries abroad experience tragedy after tragedy. Don’t ever believe for one minute that it can’t happen here. They say, “Don’t mess with Mother Nature”. Well she’s letting us all know the reason why. We’ve talked about this strange weather many blogs ago and the realization is here. Pray for the people along the Mississippi river. That they don’t have to experience another horror like in New Orleans. What else do we need to go through before we finally realize it’s time to take care of home. It’s time to stop this bickering, criticizing and going back and forth all for the sake of nothing. Nothing is really being gained. The only thing we’re doing is slowing up our own progress. We don’t all have to love and like each other but we still have a responsibility to the future generations. Don’t you think it’s time to get to work. I’m not about to leave here with a list of “21 Questions” in my back pocket. I want those questions answered now.

Glad to be back and thankful for another day. Each day the world seems to become more difficult to live in but with a little faith we can conquer all things. It’s important to walk with faith at all times. In most cases that’ s all we have once we walk out

side the door. I’ll never forget that one hot summer day I decided to walk out the door and go into Manhattan. There’s nothing like being in Manhattan on a beautiful day watching all the beautiful women walk back and forth. It’s just like being at a free fashion show. Manhattan has some of the most beautiful woman in the world. I started downtown and worked my way up to midtown. I made my usual stops to a few record stores and checked out some of the latest recording gear at some of the music shops. After a few hours in the city I decided to head back home to Staten Island. As I got off the 1 train I went up the escalator and walked into the Staten Island Ferry terminal. This was before 9/11 and the terminal was desperately in need of a face-lift. The terminal was crowded and people were rushing to catch the next boat. The only thing on my mind was jumping in my bed, so I followed the crowd to catch the next ferry.

The day had gone virtually perfect but as fate would have it I couldn’t make it home without some form of New York City drama. Before I could take another step a fight broke out between two men. One was a tall black older man in his fifties the other a white or Hispanic younger man. Just as fast as I could wink an eye the punches started flying. That wasn’t really a problem because a fight is nothing new, especially in New York City. The only problem was somehow my black ass was “Caught In the Middle”. It’s still unclear to me how it happen but the two men decided to use me as a human shield. When I moved left they moved left. When I moved right they moved right. I guess the older man became a little winded and he decided to show his age.

Suddenly he pulled out a seven inch blade. What! My heart started racing and it felt like I was about to pee on myself. I started sweating bullets like I was on a Saturday morning cartoon. I just knew that man had to be from Harlem because he was swinging that blade like a meat butcher. The only thing I could think about now was how to get out the middle of this drama. Well I did the best impersonation of “Earl Monroe” you have ever seen in your life. I went into a spin move that was so sweet you would’ve thought I was part of the 1973 New York Knicks. To this day I still don’t know how that younger man didn’t get cut. His jacket and clothes were just enough of a barrier to prevent him from being sliced. The older man then quickly disappeared into the crowd without a trace. The police nowhere in sight, probably at the “Dunkin Donuts”.

In a sense every living human being is “Caught In the Middle” of something. It’s just unfortunate that we wake up in a world and have no control over so many situations. For the last month all of us have been “Caught In the Middle” of the war between Charlie Sheen and Hollywood. Charlie was raised in Hollywood so he’s very familiar with his enemy. He’s also a very intelligent man when it comes to using the resources available in the system. How many of us could attract 2 million followers on twitter in just a few days? The real question is are these 2 million people on twitter because your winning or losing?

I’ve been here long enough and I haven’t witnessed one person win using cocaine. The only thing I’ve witnessed is people going to jail, losing their families, businesses, health, jobs and everything else they’ve worked for. Thousands of struggling actors that will never get the opportunity to star on a sitcom let alone make 2 million dollars an episode. What does Charlie decide to do? Sniff the entire opportunity up his nose. Cocaine is such a wicked drug because it can make a person feel like they’re on top of the world. Rick James recorded a song called “Standing On the Top”. A musical genius dead at 52. Was he really “Standing On the Top”? The answer is yes, right on top of an early death.

Just look at Charlie, “Caught In the Middle” of fantasy and reality. Charlie says,”He loves his Good-n-Plenty” but he’s not talking about candy. He’s talking about a drug that will take your ass out. Does he understand that one sniff could stop his heart at the drop of a dime? He just appears to be on top of the world, producing his own web-cast “Charlies Corner”. His one man show has sold out theaters in several different cities. On the outside it would look like Charlie is winning his war against Hollywood, but what about his war as a parent? While the world finds Charlie’s antics amusing did any of us think about his children that are “Caught In the Middle”? Did you ever wonder what it feels like to be “Caught In the Middle” of two dysfunctional parents?

Maybe we should ask Drew Barrymore. What a beautiful woman and an absolute miracle. Someone that survived the evils of Hollywood. What were all the adults thinking about giving that woman drugs at such a young age? Just last week in Washington four young students hospitalized for ingesting cocaine that another student brought in from home. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve had coke heads talk in my face and forget to wipe the coke from their nose. Or the times I’ve waited for the coke head in the bathroom sitting on the toilet for an hour. I had one date that I thought actually fell in the toilet. I couldn’t understand why she came out the bathroom so happy. I was only taking her to “McDonald’s”.

As we wake up in America does anybody want to be “Caught In the Middle” with the middle class? Don’t we all remember being in Elementary school reciting the pledge of Allegiance. If I remember correctly it said, “One Nation Under God”, it didn’t say just the “Middle Class”. The group being burdened with paying the most taxes. The group hardest hit by the housing crisis. The group hardest hit by the unemployment crisis. Somehow the Republicans and Democrats got it twisted. They just keep sucking from the middle class over and over again. Have they forgotten all the blood and sweat that some of their parents put into this country to help them become Republicans and Democrats. I certainly remember all the long hours and overtime my mother worked to help me become the first in the family to graduate college. I remember watching my mother work 40 hours a week just to come home with the lights out because she couldn’t pay the light bill.

I remember looking at the check stubs and seeing all the federal and state taxes that were coming out her check. If my mother went to try to get food stamps she made a dollar too much. If I needed help with student loans she made two dollars too much. Being “Caught In the Middle” was the worst place to be. Have all the high and mighties walking around America forgotten? Somebody please tell me where would America be without the middle class? They have carried America on its back for years and nothings changed. The rich walk around with their noses in the air but they have done nothing but reap the benefits from the labor of the poor and middle class. All the millionaires walking around with a smile on their face because Albany finally passed a budget on time. A budget that is about to put the middle class and the poor in a state they haven’t experienced in years. New York City missing out on 1 billion this year and 4 billion next year because of the millionaires tax. Just look at New York Yankee A-Rod with a 12 million dollar penthouse in New York City. How much does he pay in taxes? Twelve hundred dollars a year. At what point do the millionaires step up to the plate and say it’s time to help out?

While the wealthy enjoy the benefits of the extended Millionaires tax the rest of the nation is “Caught In the Middle” of a new movement.  The movement to abolish the unions and diminish the rights of workers. The one institution that was used to help build America is now being threatened across the country. The movement started in Wisconsin and is gradually moving to other states. Ironically the 100th anniversary of one of the worst labor tragedies just passed on March 25th. On that day in 1911, 146 mainly immigrant woman were killed at the Triangle Shirtwaist Co. factory fire in New York City.

Some of the dead were as young as 14 and 15 years old. The fire broke out on the upper floors and many of the people jumped to their death or were burned beyond recognition. At that time workers salaries were only 800 to 900 dollars a year. The owners were concerned about workers stealing so they decided to lock one of the exit doors. The ladders on the fire engines were not even long enough to reach the upper floors of the building. There were no laws that required employers to have fire walls or sprinkler systems even though they both were available. There were no labor laws to police wages, hours worked or work conditions. It was all about capitalism, the almighty dollar.

The manufacturers were just concerned about one thing profit. It’s been 100 years but what has really changed? The same mentality exist today but it’s becoming even more pervasive. There’s an ongoing movement to take the entire labor game and tilt it in favor of the employers. So should we be laughing at coke-a-joke Charlie Sheen or paying attention to Republican attempts to drag us back 100 years? Just look at the N.F.L. owners locking out the players because they want an account of what’s going on financially.  Two sides “Caught In the Middle” of selfish egos because they both need each other. One side can’t exist without the other. This is a classic example of where were headed. The rebirth of slavery.

What will be so funny when you put in 10 years on a job and the employer hands you a pink slip with no explanation? When you have a grievance and the boss says, ” Shut the f_ _ k up, you should be glad you have a job”. It’s 2011 and some employers do that now, but it will be 100 times worse. We need to turn off the reality shows and pay attention to what’s going on. This is serious family. If we’re not careful we may all be working for Charlie Sheen. I’m sure some of you would love that. To wake up and have a boss that lets you sniff cocaine on your lunch break. Maybe pass the coke tray around while doing the company presentation using Power Point. Knowing Charlie you would probably get a promotion depending on how many lines you sniffed. Do we really need to be “Caught In the Middle” of a situation like that?

Just look at President Obama, “Caught In the Middle”. Your damned if you do and your damned if you don’t. No other President in American history has been scrutinized to the degree Obama has. Even Donald Trump recently made another public request to see his birth certificate. The man has been in office for two years and passed some of the most historic legislation but like “Rodney Dangerfield” he still gets no respect. The crisis in Libya has given his critics another reason to sit back and use his Presidency for target practice. The President is in a precarious position because nothing he does will ever be totally accepted by the right wing critics. In terms of Libya he’s walking a fine line. Many have criticized the President for entering Libya without congressional approval.

The justification of the invasion is based on the premise that it was done to prevent a human massacre in the city of Banghazi. That may have been the case but how does the world community justify the slaughter of 800,000 people in 100 days in Rwanda? Where was the world outrage? Right now people are being murdered and running for their life along the Ivory Coast. Do we put the same value on human life or base the value on the resources that can be gained in that region? Does America have the capacity to police all the injustice throughout the world without suffering itself? We just spent 500 million dollars in Libya with no end in sight. What will be the economic consequences if we continue? Can we continue to demonize these rulers and use that as the justification to invade?  This tactic may have worked in some cases but in Libya the motive is quite clear. Oil is at the top of the agenda.

In most cases in the middle east and Africa there was widespread poverty and unemployment. In Libya it was just the opposite. Gadhafi was revered by many of his people and he was one of the main players in trying to form a unified Africa. He even reached out to the Arab world but was never really accepted. He was looked upon as some type of fanatic. It was his frustration of being rejected by some African and Arab leaders that lead Gadhafi to change his course. He became anti-western and allegedly turned to acts of terrorism. He was implicated in the 1986 bombing of a West Berlin nightclub and in 1988 the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Scotland. There are many that will defend Gadhafi because of his monetary generosity, but lets be clear here. This man has been in power 42 years. There’s not one ruler in the history of mankind that’s been in power that long and not committed some injustice against his people.

New evidence just surfaced of a woman claiming she had been raped by 12 of Gadhafi’s men. She burst into a hotel where western journalist were gathering and displayed her wounds. Gadhafi loyalist tried to discredit her by calling her a prostitute. One of the worst accusations that can be made against a Muslim woman. An accusation that can even lead to death. Upon further investigation it has now surfaced that she is a law student from a prominent family in Tripoli. Woman are now protesting and demanding her whereabouts. After she burst into the hotel and made her accusations the CNN camera was smashed and a cover put over her head. She was put in a car and whisked away by Gadhafi loyalist. Somebody here is “Caught In the Middle” of the truth and a lie.

After years in Afghanistan and Iraq here we are again, the American Taxpayer “Caught In the Middle”. The crisis in parts of Africa and the Middle East has shown no signs of dissipating. The turmoil and unrest has spread like a wild fire in Southern California. It started in Tunisia when an unemployed college student set himself ablaze because the police confiscated his fruit cart. Like a domino affect, civil unrest has spread to Morocco, Algeria, Sudan, Egypt, Libya, Jordon, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Yemen. Ironically I talked with my sources in United Arab Emirates and I asked her why there were no protest there. Her answer was that the government goes above and beyond to please the people. The one correlation in all the uprisings is the dissatisfaction with the government. Libya has now fallen into the web of discontent.

After spending billions in Iraq and Afghanistan, America has taken a leadership role in facilitating a regime change in Libya. Although there’s been talk about turning over responsibility to NATO forces details seem to be very murky. Nobody seems to know when the end will be and if America pulls out what will really happen. The worst part of this scenario is that nobody seems to know who these opposition forces are. There’s been reports that some factions may be Al Qaeda and Hezbollah. Once Gadhafi is successfully removed from power what type of government will exist in Libya? No one really seems to know. What will happen if the government put in place is unwilling to work with the international community?  The details are murky but it looks like America is “Caught In the Middle”.

Shout outs to everyone reading and supporting this blog. Your support is greatly appreciated. We are in the process of taking photos and looking over designs to present an even better blog so please be patient. I do appreciate all the request for writers, ad space and donations. Many of you have made a few suggestions that I will be implementing once the new design goes up. Let me also thank everyone that has supported the music. Look out for a new single “Midnight Freak” in May. Our condolences go out to Loleatta Holloway a club diva that had a voice like no other. My all time favorite club classic was “Hit & Run”. Larry Levan would be rolling over in his grave if he heard what some of these D.J’s sound like. He knew how to take a tempo like “Hit & Run” and gradually  bring the tempo up and back down again if necessary. Today it’s one tempo all night. Most are in it for the money and have forgotten about the art of it, but that’s another blog. Many may not know that Loleatta Holloway was the aunt of club diva “Jocelyn Brown” of “Somebody Else’s Guy” fame. You should be able to clearly hear where Jocelyn got her vocal style. Yes it was Loleatta Holloway. Condolences also go out to Elizabeth Taylor. Considered to be one of the best actresses ever. Last but not least D.J. Megatron who was shot on Staten Island over the weekend. May you all rest in peace…………Poppas Out.

It’s a pleasure to be back. I was finally able to thaw out from all this snow in New York. I thought I was about to make history and become the first black “Frosty the Snowman”. Could you imagine a black frosty? All the little kids in the neighborhood would be scared to death. There was so much snow in New York I even thought about setting up my own snow cone stand. I would have a ball selling snow cones with my special flavor,”Yellow Dog Pee”. I could take the profits and pay some of these bills. I realize winter is far from over but I’ve been lucky so far. I haven’t experienced any car problems. The heat and hot water have been working perfect, so like “Otis Redding” let me “Knock on Wood”. In today’s world there’s a lot to “Knock on Wood” about. Just the fact that I have electricity and a working T.V. is a blessing. As I turned on the T.V. and watched the events unfold in Cairo,Egypt it immediately brought to mind a song by legendary artist “Gil Scott Heron”.

Gil was always ahead of his time but his song “The Revolution will not be Televised” reflects what we’re seeing in Egypt today. He says in the lyric “The Revolution will not be Televised”, “It will be Live”. As we turned on our television sets here in America we only got a glimpse of the true atmosphere. Thousands of people in the streets in Cairo, Egypt. If you happened to be in Egypt you would fully understand what “Gil Scott Heron” meant when he said, “It will be Live”. It was a dangerous situation and it was real. Could what happened in Cairo, Egypt be the prelude and model for what’s to come in other countries in the middle east? There’s already been a government collapse in Lebanon. Now there’s talk that Syria could be headed in the same direction as early as next month. Stability in Yemen is also in a precarious state. So let’s not underestimate the events that unfolded. What we just witnessed will be a new chapter in the pages of Middle East history.

As I watched the events unfold in Egypt I had to ask the question,”What is it that propels a normal society to the brink of a revolution”? We all come from different parts of the world with a variety of cultures,religions and values. However we all have one thing in common, a tolerance level. Sometimes situations just get to a point where they just become intolerable. Most adults would know that because it often happens with a husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend or even a job. In the case of Egypt it happen with Mubarak. Let’s be honest with ourselves, 30 years is a long time to be in any position of power with the exception of marriage.One of our American Presidents said after 10 years any man is prone to corruption. Is it fair to say that Mubarak has exceeded that expectation?

It has been reported that Mubarak could have 40 to 60 billion dollars. A large portion right out of the hands of the American taxpayer. The American taxpayer has been pumping 1.5 billion dollars a year into Egypt. The largest amount of foreign aid only second to Israel. Egypt has long been considered one of the closest allies to the United States in the middle east. The United States has for many years looked to Egypt for vital information and support in impeding the growth of Islamic extremist. The flow of oil and Egypt’s control over the Suez Canal makes the country an important commodity to the United States. On the outside this would seem like a perfect relationship so why were thousands of Egyptians in the streets?

If we look at the population growth of Egypt during the 30 years Mubarak has been in power the country has experienced a baby boom. The population in Egypt is at about 80 million people but 45 million have been born just during the last 30 years. Almost 45% of the population is 25 and under while unemployment lingers at around 30 to 35 %. The numbers are almost similar in Egypt’s neighboring countries of Jordon and Saudi Arabia. Both countries consist of a large population of people 25 and under and both are experiencing unemployment among the working class. While Mubarak’s 30 year reign as a dictator can be seen as the major cause for the crisis in Egypt lets not ignore the fact that producing 45 million people in 30 years didn’t help.The creation of jobs is a problem all countries are facing.

It would be very difficult for any country to produce 45 million jobs in 30 years. While I’m not excusing the neglect, abuse and evil that Mubarak has perpetrated against his people, the expedited population growth does play a factor in this crisis. There’s just not enough jobs for the people. Many of the people have been educated at the universities and can not find work even with a masters degree. Housing is another issue. The price of an apartment in the slums could be as high as 10,000 dollars a month. These are just some of the issues that put Egypt on the brink of a revolution, but sometimes the price for freedom can be costly. The economy was losing about 310 million dollars a day. Food shortages, violence and chaos at the banks have been just some of the consequences. Millions of tourist dollars have been lost all for the sake of change, but it’s a sacrifice that had to be made. While the Egypt of today is in crisis, this sudden turn of events will define the Egypt of tomorrow.

What type of government will define the Egypt of tomorrow? I think that question has been the biggest worry among the United States and Israel. That the country of Egypt could fall under the control of Muslim extremist. This would definitely become a problem for the United States who relies heavily on intelligence from Egypt. They need to maintain a working relationship with the government of Egypt in order to have some type of grasp in that region. The last thing Israel needs is to be surrounded by another country in opposition to it’s policies. For the most part the possibility that this could happen is very slim.

While the population of Egypt is at 80 million the Muslim Brotherhood stands at only 750,000 to 1 million. Lets also not forget that the Muslim Brotherhood is divided into several different factions. Many middle east scholars have mentioned this possibility only because of Egypt’s connection to the events of 9/11. Two of the terrorist were from Egypt. This is not the direction that the majority wants to take. The overwhelming majority of the Egyptians seem to want a democracy.

What I’m starting to believe is that this is the beginning of a movement that won’t end in Egypt. It’s starting to become quite clear that many of the Middle East countries want change. Many of the Muslim countries want to maintain their principles but at the same time want to keep in step with the democratic world. I didn’t realize this until I received fan mail from the Middle East. I received fan mail from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, and Egypt. It was an education for me because I never knew that they listened to Hip Hop, soul, and R&B music in the Middle East. After I received the fan mail I decided to send out an e-mail. Just about everyone responded back but I could sense the caution in the response. Especially among the woman. Everyone seemed to understand how a simple e-mail could be a matter of life or death living in that region. The feeling of fear is one thing I think the young Muslims want to change.The young people from that region want to mix and mingle with their counterparts from other parts of the world. They want to hear a little of the music but at the same time they don’t want to compromise their Muslim principles. That need for change is where the big problem is in Egypt and across the Middle East. The younger generation wants to define it’s destiny but they are being oppressed under the same ideology of past generations.

The ideology of past generations will prove to be no match when thousands of people come together for one common cause. Yes there was some blood shed but it wasn’t in vain. The pressure from the people of Egypt prevailed. Mubarak finally decided to step down. I received a message from my music family in Cairo, Egypt on Facebook. I wish all of my readers could see the smile on that woman’s face. Messages have been flying back and forth in Arabic from the first moment Mubarak decided to step down. I felt very honored when I met this young Muslim woman and she said, “We are friends for life”. This was the first time in my life that I have had correspondence with a Muslim woman from the Middle east. I am happy that I made enough of an impression for her to feel comfortable. Most of us should know that the Muslim community rarely socializes outside of itself but they say music is universal. It must be true because through the music we were able to come together and put our differences aside. There’s a new independant movie called “Mooz-lum” that sheds more light on the Muslim culture. The one thing America must never forget is the love the outside world has for an American product. No I’m not talking about the tear gas that was being thrown in Cairo. That was made in the U.S.A. too. I’m talking about American music, artist, fashion and all the creative things that made America great. There is still a love and demand for our creativity. I hope we get back to producing in our own country, otherwise in another 5 to 10 years we could be looking at another Cairo, Egypt here in the United States.

What is the possibility of a revolution happening here in the United States? Do we even have the focus and fight in us to make a significant change in our government? Can we even motivate enough men to want to march for change? Or are most of the men still glued to the T.V. sets from Superbowl Sunday, thinking about Kim Kardashians sweet round ass? Maybe they’re still watching American Idol waiting for J-Lo to stand up and turn around. That would be a Superbowl with high ratings, J-Lo’s butt verses Kim Kardashians butt. We could call it the “Butt Bowl”. What will it take for the people of America to say enough is enough? We have been sitting here in a trance since the “Enron” scandal under the Bush administration. Without the bailout money from the Federal government the entire system was on the verge of collapse. The housing market still in shambles. The mayor in Detroit practically giving houses away to Police Officers. Sacred institutions like the “New York Mets” that were once the epitome of American culture now entangled in scandal. As Bernie Madoff rots in jail do you really think he was the only culprit in this? They didn’t catch everybody and they never will.

A younger generation that’s predicted to do worse than their parents. They can’t read and write but they know all the words to “Lil Wayne” and “Nicky Minaj”. More young people in prison than in college. The crisis is starting to hit home because I’m starting to see a little fight in the American people. I am happy to see parents finally coming out voicing their opinion about this farce called ed-ja-ma-ca-tion. A student body that’s largely minority but only 2% of the teachers are black male. What is that saying but we don’t want you to succeed . I can guarantee if a few more black male teachers were put in the New York City school system you would see a drastic improvement among black males. Instead the whole plan has been to keep you ignorant so you get frustrated and go to jail. We can’t have everybody in jail with “Lindsey”. We have got to change our selfish ways and give these young people a fair chance. The young people in America have to be at the forefront of change. Put on your “Polo” gear and your jeans even if they’re down to your ankles it doesn’t matter. Ladies put on your “Uggs” and a clean pair of thongs and stay ready. I don’t know the date or time but I can feel it coming. “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”, ” It Will Be Live”.

Glad to be back on a Martin Luther King Month. Yes I said month! Lets forget about a day and give that man a month! His legacy represents one of the few examples left here in America. A legacy that all of us should be proud of. He sacrificed his life and challenged injustice. Despite ones race, creed or color, with an education, a strong work ethic and a good heart, every citizen should prosper and enjoy a piece of the “American Dream”. I would like to believe that Kings dream is a reality, but everyday we’re constantly reminded that there’s so much more work to be done. The biggest disservice we can do to ourselves and Martin is continue to walk around America like everything is alright. Well family it’s not. We can just look at what happen in Arizona as a true testament to the fact that America has a long road ahead. Evil has found the perfect breeding ground and it has no respect for Martin or anyone else. It has made it’s presence known. We can no longer make it so easy for evil to operate. Evil loves the rhetoric of the Sarah Palins, Hannity’s, Rush Limburgs and the Tea Party. As long as they can fan the flames of discord it makes it so much easier to operate. As long as we’re not working together collectively as a nation, evil can come in just like a thief in the night. That’s basically what we just saw in Arizona.

I would think that an incident like the one in Arizona would make all the right wing radicals stop and think for a moment but it hasn’t. Just as fast as they could lay the victims to rest members of Congress were geared up to repeal the Obama health-care bill. Nothing but a show of disrespect to Obama and a total waste of time because it will never pass the senate. We even had the governor of Maine tell the NAACP to kiss his ass because he was invited to a Martin Luther King celebration. In Spokane,Washington a bomb found along the route of a Martin Luther King Day parade. A few years back in my own town of Staten Island the MLK highway sign had to be replaced because of bullet holes. So tell me family should Martin be rejoicing or turning over in his grave? I honesty believe if Martin was alive today he would get sick to his stomach. Do you think the New York City party promoters would invite him to some of the parties going on? Would they offer him the Red Berry “Ciroc” or the Coconut? Instead of reflecting on what we can do collectively in our communities people are making a ton of money in the name of Dr. King.

The disparity of wealth in America among blacks and whites is at it’s highest since the 1920’s. It’s been 91 years walking through time and there’s no sight of a mule or 40 acres. On a positive note Obama did sign legislation in order for the black farmers to finally get compensation after 100 years of discrimination. That is something King would be proud of but quite frankly it’s not enough. Yes we have made some progress. During the Civil rights movement blacks were mandated to the back of the bus for a fare of 10 cents. Today in New York we can ride the bus and sit in the front for 2 dollars and fifty cents. Yes that is progress but we can’t ignore the fact that progress cost us 2 dollars and forty cents. Can anyone disagree with the premise that if your salary doesn’t progress with the progress than there’s really no progress. Hard working state workers now at the mercy of a state wage freeze in New York. The price of gas, food, housing and clothing is up. Family tell me what progress can be made if your salary doesn’t increase with the cost of living? So the answer is yes, we’ve made progress but mostly individual progress. We need more collective progress but the battle is far from over. We can’t afford to lie down and become victims of contentment. Not understanding that this is a fight for justice that will continue forever. There are forces in America hell bend on turning back the clock. It’s imperative for people of all races to stand firm and fight this fight because a unified America is a stronger America.

Most of us are familiar with the legacy of Dr King but we must all be careful not to overlook the other people in our communities that carry the torch. I have talked in many posts about my home the “Forgotten” borough of Staten Island. Just like all the boroughs in New York City it definitely has its issues. The one thing that can’t be denied about Staten Island is that it’s tentacles stretch from New York all over the world. It’s a very powerful place. Its been visited or home to some of the most infamous and famous people in the world. I couldn’t tell you how many times I got in my car and drove by the house of notorious gangster “Sammy the Bull”. It’s not unlikely to ride down Hylan Blvd and bump into a movie star like Steven Segal or Joe Pesci. Of course there’s a few actors from the cast of “Jersey Shore”. Christina Aguilera and Ricky Schroeder were two early success stories. There was even a mom trying to sue “Lady Gaga” because her entire persona was ripped off from her deceased daughter. Then we have those people that are just as powerful and valuable but you would never see them on the movie or T.V. screen. People that are so valuable to their community, but they never get the recognition they deserve. I was fortunate to have one of those people in my life and community, and I feel very blessed. His name is “Grandmaster Billy Davis”.

Grandmaster Billy Davis started his career in Martial Arts at the age of nine. It was 1946 and he was just a skinny kid living in the borough of Staten Island. During this time there were no laws to protect a person from being bullied. It was just a way of life. If you didn’t know how to protect yourself, you got your ass kicked, it was as simple as that. Well Billy got tired of getting his ass kicked and he decided to do something about it. No, he didn’t go get a gun like so many young men would have today. He decided to study the Martial Arts and develop a better way to protect himself. Billy’s first stop was at the local recreation center. There he met a gentleman named Joe Carpenter the Judo instructor. During this time Judo was one of the only Martial Arts programs around. It was taught as a non-aggressive art form. After four months he met a seaman by the name of Mr. Batensour. It was Mr. Batensour that introduced Billy to the more aggressive art of Jiu Jitsu. This was the beginning of  what would be a life long commitment to the art of Jiu Jitsu. Lessons were four hours a day, six days a week. At the age of 12 after three years of studying Billy was promoted to Brown Belt. It took another 4 years but finally Billy was promoted to a Black Belt. It was unheard of during that time to be 16 years of age and be a Black Belt.

Billy wanted to serve his country so he took his Martial Arts knowledge to the U. S. Air Force. He was stationed in Tokyo, Japan and became an instructor in unarmed defense with the Air Police. He was also able to train with the Japanese Police. Upon coming back to the United States he trained with one of the Martial Arts heavyweights, Master Moses Powell. Under the direction of Master Moses Powell, Billy was promoted to 3rd degree black belt in the Sanuces Ryu Jiu Jitsu system. He moved steadily through the system for the next 15 years. In 1991 he was promoted to 10th degree Black Belt by the World Professional Karate Organization. From there Billy went on to open up three of his own schools on Staten Island. His motto was,”The man in the street doesn’t give a damned about you, your belt or instructor. You better know a little Karate, boxing and how to fight dirty”. Billy was only a little over 5 feet but you didn’t want to mess with that man. I talked with two of his sparring partners at the wake. One said he got tired of being thrown around by Billy and he had to drop out. Family he was 6 feet 4 over 225 pounds. Billy eventually went on to gain the title of Grandmaster Professor. He was even responsible for developing his own system, “The Billy Davis Jiu Jitsu System”. To have your own system approved is a rare feat because it must be sanctioned by the other Jiu Jitsu governing bodies. He was inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame five times. Most recently honored at Madison Square Garden by actor Wesley Snipes. You can find Grandmaster Billy Davis on the 2001-vol 6 “Action Martial Arts Magazines Collectors Cards”.

That was just a little background on a man in my community that was recently laid to rest. Most of the world has never heard of Grandmaster Billy Davis or never will. The one common thread we all have is that we wake up in a community. Inside those communities are people that are rich in wisdom and knowledge. We have to stop taking these people and putting their bodies in the ground without realizing the importance of their existence. There is so much I see in the” Grandmaster Billy Davis” story that we can apply to today. Of course the times have changed. I talked with a kick boxer that attended the services. He explained to me how alot of the training back in the day was geared towards a knife attack. That was the weapon you had to worry about. Today a knife is a thing of the past. If somebody gets beat-down today you can be sure gunshots will fly. Don’t even talk about discipline? Do you think kids want to train for 4 hours a day unless it’s on an Xbox 360? The young people need to turn off the music for a minute and talk with some of the Kings and Queens in their community. They will be surprised at what they discover. Although he was revered in the Martial Arts world I was totally impressed when I talked to Billy Davis the man. I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard all the real s_ _ t he was talking. I didn’t realize there were people like that still living. When I heard the passion and conviction in his words and voice my jaw dropped. He could tell you all the worst s_ _ t that was going on in Staten Island. He had a few choice words for the Board of Ed and the principal at his granddaughters school too.

This man was over 70 years old so how could I dispute his wisdom. Do you really think I would argue with somebody that could kick my ass at that age. I’m not that stupid family. I’ll never forget the day I saw Billy coming from New York on the Ferry with a broken foot. He had to be over 65. I said,”What Happen?” He said,”Oh I hit something the wrong way”. I also remember going to visit the New York School of Martial Arts in the city. I met up with the female instructor Billy recommended. She was the Hapkido instructor. Hapkido is a combination of Tae Kwon Do and Jiu Jitsu. We started talking about Billy and she just gave me this look and said,” We only teach some of what Billy teaches”. Family that was so funny but I understood what she meant. Billy teaches if biting your balls is the only thing left for me to do to win this fight then that’s what I have to do. I was able to learn so much just from talking with that man. I remember the c onversati

on we had about soft tissue areas on the body. It was almost like listening to a doctor. Explaining pressure points and the most vurnerable places on the body. Then I asked him about this story I heard about him leaving four men in the street on Jersey Street in the New Brighton section of Staten Island. He wasn’t proud of it but he just said, “That was a day I had to do what I had to do”. Grandmaster Billy Davis did what he had to do. Martin Luther King did what he had to do. Don’t you think it’s time for us to do what we have to do?

Thanks to everyone for reading and sending in your comments. You have made “Poppastep” one of the hottest blogs on the Internet. Over 4000 comments and counting. I had one gentleman send in a comment from our last post “City,City,Bang,Bang”. He didn’t agree but said he would refrain from what he really wanted to say. To all my readers please don’t ever refrain here. Say everything that you feel because that’s why I’m writing alot of this. Let’s put everything out on the table. What could that reader really disagree with. That the city did a poor job removing the snow. That maybe the sanitation people were partying for the holidays. Is it ironic that on the front page of my local newspaper two sanitation workers were just arrested for dealing cocaine and pills. We need to stop denying the truth about what’s going on. Did anybody notice the floods in Australia, the dead fish and birds all over. Am I crazy for talking about the “Wrath of Micheal”? Or writing “City,City,Bang,Bang” right before the Arizona shootings. Maybe some of you should go back and read some of the posts. There is alot of information that has come to light. What will some of you say when the Jets win the superbowl? Poppas crazy! Maybe you should think again. Lastly, to all the readers with blogs that have requested a guest article I don’t have a problem with that. For the 100th time please send an e-mail to “poppastep@verizon.net” or call “347-207-5440″ and we’ll talk about it. Anyone having a problem viewing the blog with goggle chrome, i-phone, firefox ect, I am in the process of doing upgrades so just bear with us and use a browser that works…….Love you all…..see ya next post……..Poppa

This was not the week to be in New York. I’ve been here my entire life even through one of the worst snow storms in the 70’s and never witnessed anything like this. Mr Mayor let me know right now who’s going to jail because heads need to roll. It’s just amazing to see that billion dollar face stand in front of a camera and defend everything that goes wrong in “City,City,Bang,Bang”. He did have sense enough to retract his original assessment after realizing he sounded like a total idiot. This was definitely a case of sabotage with directives coming from the top.There is no other explanation. Over the last few years there has been a 25% reduction in the number of sanitation workers. In an effort to save money many of the current supervisors must be demoted to regular workers. Well in the words of “Blue Magic” “Welcome to the club”. Come join all the working people in New York City that bust their ass everyday and get demoted and underpaid while they do it. What makes anybody in the sanitation department think they have the right to hold the entire city hostage because some workers were demoted or laid off. This is some of the most trifling behavior ever perpetrated on the city of New York and somebody needs to pay.

I was in Brooklyn the day after the storm and let me tell you that place was a mess. Flatbush ave one of the main shopping strips wasn’t plowed at all. Cars and buses stranded all over the place. Six hundred buses to be exact. Empire blvd the same scenario. I was literally stuck on two different streets for 45 minutes each. Did the trifling sanitation department think about all the handicapped people that need to get on the sidewalk? Did they think about all the emergency vehicles that need access in event of an emergency? I watched a fire department ambulance make several attempts to reach someone in need at a nursing home. After finally realizing that they couldn’t make it up the hill they carried the stretcher on foot. That was just a small glimpse of the chaos created from not having the streets plowed. There were some tragedies, three deaths one involving a stillborn. What would’ve happen in the event of a fire or some other catastrophe? Family this is living proof of what we’ve been talking about for so long on this blog. Remember we talked about this course of self-sabotage that we’re all putting ourselves through.

Where did it all start? Well maybe we can start with the leadership in America and cities across the country. A Congress that functions like a group of adult children. Issues that are affecting so many treated just like a ping pong ball. A city council that has a history of corruption and brazenly will sit down on the job and do nothing when they feel like it. Remember the weeks and weeks of  walking in circles doing nothing that we witnessed. This type of behavior trickles down. Now every agency in the city feels they can collect a check and do things the way they want. Did we all forget about the two EMS workers that refused to help the pregnant lady. Something is seriously going wrong within some of our spirits. This has become the get the check and run society. That’s the only thing that seems to matter. What ever happen to do your f_ _kin job. Are we concerned at all about the professionalism of our jobs?

Okay I understand it was the week of Christmas but 660 sanitation workers had to call out sick? Come on guys some of you were to busy having drinks, smoking weed and doing lines of cocaine. Lets keep it real here. Now there’s even allegations that the workers were instructed to deliberately slow down. So should there be an investigation or random drug tests? You tell me. How do you investigate people that don’t give a damned about their job? That’s a problem within the human spirit. Everybody today is to busy drinking “Dream Juice”. What is “Dream Juice”? Well it’s worse than alcohol. Once you drink it , it’s all about the job, money ,car and house. Don’t get me wrong I like the finer things in life too but is this the only reason for our existence on earth? This all about me mentality is really going to get the best of all of us. Look at Christey the governor of New Jersey. If you want this position of power and there’s a state of emergency in your state stop what your doing and get there. Oh no, he’s in Disney World playing with Donald Duck. Then he has the audacity to say,”I had to be a father first”. Well guess what Crispy Kringle your the father to everyone in New Jersey now that your the Governor. The Lt. Governor can take a bow too, another no show. The two most powerful people in the state of New Jersey not even present in an emergency. At least Cory Booker took his non-negro dialect light-skinned ass and shoveled some snow in Newark.

While the snow storm was the big news this week the economy and the violence across the country is even bigger. In Newark alone last week a total day of terror. Nine people shot and four dead. While this may seem like a common occurrence to some it’s the age of the victims that raises the need for concern. These were just teenagers minding their own business. I listened to the mother of one of the victims on the radio. Just heart wrenching to hear the pain of a parent that loses a child senselessly. We’ve talked about some of these issues over and over and now the reality is here. The politicians in this country have sucked the country dry. Newark so broke in ten years they may not have enough money to pay out pensions. In California the same situation. Right now a 19 billion dollar deficit. Not even the “Terminator” can save the state. In Chicago the highest taxes in the country at 10 billion but they spend twice as much as they take in. Five billion dollars in bills alone. So as the state and local governments survive on fumes they look to the Federal government for help. Well family the Federal government has a deficit of almost 14 trillion dollars. With the passage of this new Obama legislation, that will add another 1 trillion dollars to the bill. The tax break to the top 2% of the wealthy will cost 800 billion dollars alone.

As much as I would like to be optimistic, does 2011 look like it will be a “Happy New Year”? I just spent 13 dollars to go over the Verrazano bridge for crying out loud. I would like to live a long happy life but do I wanna live to see a bridge cost 20 dollars to cross, hell no. Is the economy really getting better,no. The illusion that’s being presented is getting better. Only 39,000 jobs created for the month of November. If people have no jobs there’s no money to spend to help the economy move. Right now the unemployment rate is at 9.8 %. One out of every two black males unemployed. The unemployment benefit extension doesn’t apply to anyone that already received 88 weeks or more. So what will happen to the millions of people that fit into that category. They will be out here on the street looking for jobs that are not there. To the contrary Wall st blew 64 trillion dollars and this year received bigger bonuses. The banks received the Federal bailout loans but please don’t try to go to the bank and get a loan unless you are the chosen one. I had a 3500 dollar line of cash credit for ten years and the crooks reduced it to 700 dollars. This is what I get for paying my bills on time right! Okay I was late once or twice but damned give a brother a break. Now it was just announced that there will be a state wage freeze for one year. In all fairness the state is in such a bad predicament we all have to sacrifice. What that really means is the people on the bottom will suffer the most. The hard working citizens will have to suffer to help close a 900 million dollar M.T.A. budget gap. An agency that has been sucking the life blood out of the city. Tolls up, bus fares up, meters up and crime up. It doesn’t matter what part of the country you’re in just get ready for “City,City,Bang,Bang” coming to a city near you.

Just want to quickly send out my condolences to the iconic, legendary Teena Maria. I was really disappointed in the way the music industry responded after the death of Rick James. I felt that maybe some of the majors could have put a little weight behind her to record another album.She did land with Cash Money records to record her last album “Congo Square”. It’s just a damned shame that the industry has no respect for an artist as talented as Teena Maria. Thank God she was able to keep her live act going. I still am a huge Rick James fan and there was no way you could roll with Rick and not be talented. Rick bumped into Teena at Motown while she was singing and playing the piano. I heard one black female singer who I will not name say they didn’t like Teena’s voice but I could tell it was just jealousy. She was white but let’s give credit where credit is due. The woman had soul. Maybe Joss Stone is in the ballpark. Just listen to Fire & Desire. There will never be any two artist that can top the vocal performance of Teena and Rick on that record. There’s no need to try.

Some records just can never be duplicated. I miss her and Rick so much. I caught Rick at S.O.B’s upon his release from prison. He was a little fat but still had it. I’ll never forget that show at the Meadowlands in the 80’s. Somebody threw something on the stage and Rick threatened to come off the stage and kick his ass. Those were the days. I miss you Teena and Rick, please tell Micheal hello. Lets pray for Chuck Berry who rocked B.B. Kings on New Years but has since been hospitalized. Also the entire music industry and all these rock artist need to show Little Richard some respect. Everybody stole from that man. Lastly thank you guys for the unbelievable comments and thanks for enjoying what I do. Love you all…………Poppa

Is there anybody out there still in love? What ever happen to true love between a man and woman? Did the need for “Love” stop with R Kelly’s “Bump and Grind”. In spite of what some of us have been lead to believe a “Bump and Grind” could never replace true “Love”. Love is just an intangible that can’t be duplicated. It’s something we all need and live for. Who really wants to live a life and not be loved. “Love” is just as much a necessity as food and water. This need for “Love” began the very first day each of us came out our mother’s womb. Think back for a moment when you were a kid. What could replace the feeling of a hug from your parents or your grandparents; nothing. As we grew into adulthood that need for “Love” continued and most of us tried to find it in a mate. As we move forward in a society that has decided to abandon marriage and produce less children are we moving away from “Love”? I was always under the impression that “Love” lead to marriage and children. Maybe this loose society we’re living in is getting the best of us.

If we keep listening to some of this music, we’ll even be more confused. Even a musical genius like Roberta Flack was unable to help us find a true “Love”. Don’t you remember her song “Where is the Love”? So apparently she didn’t know either. When I last inquired I was told “Love” was in the supermarket. Well help me family because I’ve been to every supermarket even “Walmart” . I even bumped into the “Chi-lites” and the only thing they said was “Have you seen her”? Will someone please tell me where she is? Is she in the frozen food section with the T.V. dinners? Maybe she’s hiding in the meat section along side the Salisbury steak. Can somebody please help me here! I don’t know about any of you but I need a “Love” in my life. I even checked up and down the grocery aisle but to no avail. I checked behind the potato chips, Doritos, hostess cupcakes. I even tried to entice “Love” to come out with a bagel and cream cheese. “Love” still refused to come out and before I knew it I was ten pounds heavier. So damn it will somebody help me please! Where is the “Love”?

I’m sure there’s at least one recording artist that can help me. There’s thousands of songs that talk about “Love”. It’s just inevitable that one of these songs has the answer. I would like to think that I could ask “Tina Turner” but the only thing she’ll say is “What’s Love Got To Do With It”. There’s no need to ask the “Whispers” because they already have a “Love Thang” and so does “First Choice”. If I decide to ask “Rose Royce” I’m almost positive they’ll say  ”Love Don’t Live Here Anymore”. If I ask the “Ohio Players” they’ll tell me to take a ride on the “Love Rollercoaster”. When I asked the “Moments” they just pointed to a sign that said, “Love on a two way street”. Maybe I’ll just get on a boat because I did hear Gladys Knight and the Pips say, “Love Overboard”. Once I find “Love” and pull her on to shore I’ll take the advice of “Trussel” and give her a “Love Injection”. I’ll even gently whisper in her ear the words of  ”Donna Summer” “Love to love you baby”. If that doesn’t work I’ll call up the “Miracles” and ask them if I can borrow the “Love Machine”. I hope that she understands that just like the “Thompson Twins” I’m doing this all “In the Name of Love”. I really need her to feel me and know like “Evelyn King” she makes my “Love Come Down”.  ”Love is a House” and she has the key. Just ask the “Force M.D.’s”.

Well once I finally realized that the artist didn’t really have the answer I decided to try something else, the Internet. What could be easier than joining a dating site and having thousands of woman at your disposal. Yes there are pros and cons to Internet dating just like everything else but I haven’t found anything today more convenient. We have all heard about the traditional places to find a “Love”. The supermarket, church, laundromat, job, school, club, bar, concert ect. Many of us have frequented those places and found nothing but a “Booty Call” and problems. Nothing even close to a “Love”. With the advent of the Internet now we have the whole world at our disposal. Of course there is a negative side to having the entire world at your disposal. It increases the possibility of meeting a total idiot. We should all be aware of the predators out there that are up to no good. With that being said we should always proceed on the Internet with a certain level of caution. However that negative element on the Internet is a minority. There are plenty of good experiences to be had if you look in the right places. Let me share some of my own Internet experiences. Maybe that will help some of you.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I woke up and realized my “Love” life was in the gutter. I really got tired of waking up with a hard on and having wet dreams. I mean I really couldn’t believe it myself. A few nights my sperm literally shot up close to the damned ceiling. I’m sure there’s plenty of men reading this that know exactly what I’m talking about. The problem is not just with the men. I hear enough woman around the city talking about their displeasure with not getting enough sex. Can’t you see the attitudes on some of their faces. This absence of “Love” is a common problem most of us will encounter at some point in life. I was a little fed up with trying to meet someone through the social scene so I decided to use the Internet. The first site I joined was “Match.com”. I was new to this so of course this was a learning experience. The very first thing I learned was just because someone sends you a flirt doesn’t always mean they want you. In most cases the woman are sending multiple flirts to see if they get a response. So guys please don’t make the mistake I did and head down to Tiffany’s for the ring once you get that first flirt.

The one thing I did notice about this site was many of the woman were professionals. There was plenty of ring material. I did meet one; a veterinarian from Maryland. It was so weird because in the first month we were talking she had three car accidents. I actually thought she was making everything up just to get away from me but it was all true. That was a red flag for me because the last thing I needed was to start a relationship with someone experiencing bad “karma”. When she came to New York and I drove in her car I understood why she was having so many accidents. I was scared as “Hell” with the way that woman was driving. Overall she was a good woman but definitely not right for me. A little too spoiled and selfish and ladies don’t get upset but she had all the signs of a gold digger. I didn’t help my situation any by running out of toilet paper. I had to leave the apartment for an hour. When I came back she had this look on her face. She said,”You ran out of toilet paper, I was looking all over but I found a few napkins”. Well thank God for napkins. The only thing left were a few brown paper bags. Family you don’t wanna wipe your butt with those. You can forget about walking after. She did have sense enough to wait for me to leave before using the bathroom. Why are women still walking around like they never blow up the bathroom? Please honey bun! Overall I would recommend this site if your looking for a professional woman. I would advise the men to have it together. Please don’t try to step up to the plate on this site with your unemployed ass, okay gentlemen.

The next site I visited was “Black People Meets”. This is the dating site endorsed by comedian Steve Harvey. Well if I had to use a word to describe the difference I would say “freakier”. Match.com presented a much more conservative professional woman. “Black People Meets” had some professional woman but they didn’t have a problem letting you know they had a little freak in them. Another major difference I noticed was the boldness of the white woman. They just came out the woodwork. In spite of what a small minority of people in America want to believe, society is changing. Today more woman are open to relationships with someone from a different culture. I have a lot of respect for the white woman that were on the site being honest with themselves. Of course we still have those white woman that desire a black man but are still worried about losing their inheritance. Trust me I can understand that feeling too. Who wants to go from driving a Jaguar to riding a tricycle to work with all the unemployed black men out here. If you get a “Happy Meal” from “McDonald’s” you can consider that a good night out. I did get quite a few flirts but one woman in particular was worse than a stalker. This was the first time in my life I’ve heard a woman openly say all the things she wanted to do to me. Of course I was flattered but then again I didn’t know women could talk that nasty. Well we finally talked and Poppa broke sister-girl down. I guess a little bit of church started to kick in because she felt really bad. I had to explain to her that there was no reason to feel bad because of being honest with your feelings. She went on to explain that she has never seen a man and been so overly attracted before. In an effort to make her feel better I let her know that I didn’t consider her a “Hoe”. I let her know that I respect her for being honest. I’m sure if that was “Santa” he would have said, “Hoe,Hoe,Hoe” but family lets forgive her she’s all the way in Kansas City. Now you know there’s a shortage of d_ _ k out there. Suffice to say I didn’t find a “Love” but I did make a friend.

The next site I visited in search of “Love” was “Singles.net”. I guess up to this point it’s fair to say that I had a little addiction. I had become really entangled in this whole notion of finding someone through Internet dating. The first difference I noticed about this site was the high volume of request to meet and flirt. They came fast and in a hurry. It let me know immediately that the woman on this site were hungry, or excuse me hard up. Then the true revelation came. Most of these woman were web-cam girls. That explained why the woman were so young and the volume was so high. They were using the site to direct you to their web-cam. The first young lady I chatted with was a web-cam girl from England. Very beautiful and we really had a good conversation. She said her boyfriend was killed in an accident. I wasn’t really interested in being the next man after hearing that but I enjoyed the chat. She did send some pictures that were very nice. My next encounter was a working woman from New Jersey. She worked at the D.A.’s office in Camden. That was a good sign because she was a professional. At least I thought it was until I heard all the baggage about her previous men. Then she had to get a toe operation that took two months to heal right in the middle of a planned date. So I threw in the towel on that one. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse I received a flirt. Well this flirt was a little different because it had no picture. Immediately I became curious. I quickly discovered the different reasons for this. Sometimes it’s employment related, especially in Law Enforcement. It could be someone in a relationship. It could be someone that looks so good they want to surprise you. Or it could be the sister of “Lurch” from the “Adams Family”. In this particular case it was none of the latter. Instead it was a lesson in “Love” I needed to learn.

I decided to answer the flirt and she replied back with the most beautiful introduction I’ve ever heard. Quite frankly it made me feel like a king. I immediately knew she couldn’t be from the states because most of the woman here have one thing to say,”Where’s the rent money”? In hindsight that was really the first red flag because it’s so rare to hear words of upliftment from someone you meet today. We are so consumed with everything else it seems like we’ve forgotten the importance of mental stimulation in a relationship. Although her profile stated she was from the states when I inquired she says,”I live in Ghana”. Well that was the second red flag because she was being misleading. Well they say “Curiosity killed the Cat” but in this case it killed Poppa. I was even more curious so I requested some pictures. Well the witch had the nerve to be fine. She was thirty three with no kids. When I saw the picture with the G-string my mouth started to water. She also had some pictures of herself as a student. She tells me she’s about to graduate as an accountant from Ghana University.

We started talking daily on Yahoo messenger. The conversations were daily for about eight months. There were many times my intuition told me that something wasn’t right but that damned G-string kept saying go for it. It’s a damned shame what a women can do to a man when she has a body. It did seem kind of strange that she was on the Internet everyday at the same time, almost like clock work. She was constantly asking about my twins and even befriended my daughter. She said all the things I wanted to hear from a woman. Almost like she had a script. Well she did. I found out through our conversations that she was getting daily instructions from the mother on what to say to me. Well it was working because she needed a computer and I came right out my pocket. In spite of all the negative things I heard about Africa I couldn’t believe this beautiful woman would be scamming me, oh no not Poppa. Then it was the school fee, the visa, the physical, the plane ticket and the marriage ritual fee. Her father was supposedly a member of the “Fante” tribe so without doing the ritual she couldn’t have sex. So that was more money I pulled out my pocket because that G-string was really talking now. Then it was money for something called a sleek. This was the paperwork to travel with two bars of gold her father left for when she gets married. That was even more enticing. How could I turn down an opportunity to have a beautiful woman with some money in these hard economic times.

Finally I take care of all the expenses and she sends me her flight information. I guess my biggest mistake was having trust because I never even asked her for a copy of the passport or the plane confirmation number. All the conversations we had about family, God, love and life just made me believe that this woman was for real. I even did a web-cam and there she was, even more beautiful than the picture. I patiently waited for the day when she would arrive. She insisted that I bring the kids to the airport. The day arrived and my daughter and I were headed to the airport. Suddenly I get a text from the mother. Supposedly the little African princess has been arrested in Amsterdam for not having the paperwork for the gold bars. The mother texts that she needs 7000 dollars to get her out of jail. What they didn’t know was that I have a friend in Amsterdam. He wasn’t far from the airport. When I inquired, no one could give me the location where she was being detained. Finally the day of reckoning was here. I was just ripped off for over 5000 dollars and the victim of a scam. I gambled on “Love” and lost. I cut off all communication even though as of this week her family is still trying to get me to talk. Family what is there to talk about? Obviously something is on their conscience and I would rather let that fire burn. I am confident that because I approached that entire situation in good faith that I will eventually be blessed with “Love”.

Well I had one bad experience but apparently I wasn’t done with the Internet. I joined “Mate One”. The only word that could describe that site is “weird”. It was infested with web-cam girls and scam girls. A lot of white woman sending out request but any experienced black man could tell it was just curiosity. After a few days of correspondence with some of the woman I quickly realized that this was not the site for me. I decided to step it up and join “Match.com XXX”. Hey why not family I’m a grown man. The first thing I quickly learned was that this is not the site to find a “Love”. This site is quite frankly for woman that want straight up d_ _ k. I just finished looking at the profile of a white woman from Atlanta that’s married. The husband is giving her permission to have as many black men

as possible. I would have to ask the question, is this a form of “Love”? Letting your significant other sexually do what they want. Most of the women on this site seemed to be comfortable letting you know that they were interested in multiple partners. This was something new for me because I firmly believe that true “Love” can only be experienced with a regular partner. Well in spite of what I believed here I was on the site. I received quite a few flirts and request to meet but now it was a lot easier to determine who was really serious because I had experience now.

At least I thought I had experience until I started reading some of the profiles. I started to feel just like the alter boy. The women were aggressive and had no problem letting you know what they liked and how they liked it. This was definitely not a site for someone looking for “Love”. This was strictly a site for sex. The woman were definitely not ready to settle down. Let Poppa be your witness because I met one. I was looking through the profiles and came across a pair of 36 double D’s. Family I had to stop because she had one in her hand with the nipple out, nice and hard. I started drooling at the mouth. I sent her an e-mail and she responded back. She was a Leo so anybody that knows a Leo knows they can have some mouth. She immediately chastised me for calling her chest a “titty”. So I had to apologize because I needed to stay on her good side. We started corresponding back and forth and developed a little friendship. She really impressed me when I told her about the blog. The woman read every article and even made a few grammatical corrections. She had stated in her profile that she liked intelligent men and she preferred them to be black. She was born in Haiti and spoke Creole and French, very light because her mother was white. We talked a few more times and she invited me over.

She lived in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, a predominately Jewish section. She invited me in to her nice little cozy apartment. She offered me a little red wine and I accepted. Of course my  d_ _ k was already hard but I tried not to let her see that. It was freezing cold so it could have been the wind too. She was ready, with her loose pajamas. We started to talk and I was really trying to be so conservative. She laid her feet across my lap. Some of the most beautiful hands and feet I have ever seen in my life. Trust me, I am not so quick to massage a woman’s feet. I’ve seen quite a few feet that look like they’ve done ten years in “Afghanistan”. She seemed to enjoy the massage but quickly let me know why I was invited. Before I could blink another eye she stood up and down came those pants revealing everything. It was time for Poppa to go to work. Yes it was just like another full time job because she just wouldn’t stop. Like Erykah Badu she went “On and On”. If I was smart enough to charge her by the stroke I would’ve been a millionaire. That women was wet too. Soaked up her entire robe. She even texted me the next day and said she was going to call me “Campbell’s”, “Um,Um,Good”. So I didn’t find the “Love” I was looking for but damned that sex was good.

I was just here in my closet looking at my wardrobe. If I was to invite some of you to look in this closet I would feel totally embarrassed. Almost fifty socks in the the draw and not one match. If I decide to go to church this Sunday please don’t look down at my ankles. You might see one white tube sock from “Footlocker” on the left ankle and a black “Louie Vitton” dress sock on the right. They say it’s not about what you wear but I won’t take any chances. I’ll make sure I get a seat all the way in the back. The last thing I need is for one of these church pimps to start talking about my socks on the pulpit. I may have to jump on the pulpit and introduce homeboy to the book of “Revelation”. Speaking of a revelation; when I looked in my draw I had to ask myself,”Where are all my underwear”? Did they walk down to the unemployment office to look for a job? The elastic on my underwear stretched so much you can wrap them around your butt twice. Forget about “Fruit of the Loom”, I think they said “Fruit of the Doom” or something like that. I can’t even read the letters from washing them so much. The crotch is starting to sag right in the middle from washing them with Clorox. When I last counted I was down to six good pair. So that means either I have to wash one pair twice or wear one pair twice.

Well family what do you think? If I decide to just wear one pair twice look at all the perks I’ll get from living in New York. If I decide to get on the train the entire train will clear out . How can I resist a perk like that with the fare going up. The entire train car to myself.

I would never have to worry about a stick-up. I just aim my butt at the perpetrator and bamm he’s dead! I could single handily be responsible for reducing crime. Don’t get me wrong family, I only have six pair of good underwear but I’m “Thankful” to say the least. When I looked in the closet at my shoe collection things were even worse. I’m here looking in my closet now at these fake leather dress shoes. The shoes look like they been in the ring with “Buster Brown”. The heel tilting to one side. If I walk down the street the family might think I’m the ” Eiffel Tower” in Paris. Well how did I even get to this point? Well I’ll tell you how. Thinking about everybody but myself. I’m sure all of us have been in that boat one time or another. I see it all the time here in New York. The barber cutting hair but he needs a haircut. The dentist fixing teeth and his teeth are crooked and yellow. The beautician doing hair and she’s wearing a wig. Even though sometimes we neglect ourselves isn’t this time of year all about giving? My wardrobe looks like a bat out of hell but I still have to be thankful. I have my health, this blog, my music and some good friends. I would be one “Jive Turkey” not to understand how blessed I am. What about you? At times are we being a little ungrateful? Do you deserve the “Jive Turkey” award this “Thanksgiving” ?

What about mayor Bloomberg? Does he deserve the “Jive Turkey” award this “Thanksgiving” or do the people that voted for him? When he choose Cathy Black to become the new chancellor of the Board of Education, what did he do wrong? He did what any insensitive arrogant billionaire media mogul would do. He overlooked every qualified educator that’s been putting in “Blood, Sweat & Tears” and chose a friend within a media empire. We talked about power and control in some of our previous post. When the mayor was seeking mayoral control of the schools what do you think was the purpose? To make it easier to pick and choose the people that would suit his agenda. Lets not forget that this is a man that totally stepped over the process and voice of the people and won another term in office. Why was he so determined to have an extra term? The answer is simple. There was a well thought out agenda and the power needed more time. After winning his extra term he then decides to rescind his view and now feels there should only be two terms. If that is not a display of arrogance and power than what is? Every voter in New York had a chance to vote for who they thought would be best to serve the interest of New York City. If you didn’t vote for Bill Thompson who was clearly the better choice than shame on you. Maybe we ought to stop looking at the color of a persons skin and look at the record. People with this kind of money and power are only interested in one thing. More money and power. So the “Jive Turkey” award doesn’t go to Mayor Bloomberg it goes to all the idiots that voted for him.

While were on the subject of the Board of Education let’s take an even deeper look at what’s going on. I’m not sure if some of you are aware of the big education summit that took place in Washington a while back. I attended that summit in Washington and heard all the beautiful rhetoric about the changes that needed to be made to improve education. I even went to introduce myself to Joel Klein and he brushed me off like a burnt turkey leg. Immediately this says so much about the leadership of the Board of Education. They don’t want to take the time to hear the concerns and views of the average person. The only thing that seems to be important is keeping up with this public relations charade. What these “Jive Turkeys” have to understand is that the truth will come out. This is really about 700 billion Federal dollars that is pumped into education each year. Twenty Three billion of which goes to New York City. This is not about the 1.1 million students that attend public school. Presently only 42% can read at grade level. The math went up a little but still only at 54%. Overall there’s been a big plundge in standardized test scores. Although teachers pay was raised 43% largely due to Klein his approval rating is only at 39%. Most of his disapproval rating is due to his efforts to make teachers earn tenure based on merit. Presently 98% of teachers get tenure regardless of performance. If we factor in the “Rubber room” where teachers get paid while going through disciplinary hearings. Two months off with pay . Sweet sick time and maternity perks this is an offer that can’t be refused. This is one major reason why the B.O.E. has been a haven for nepotism and favorism. The end result has been nothing but poor school performance and multiple school closings. To add insult to injury the mayor has announced teacher layoffs that will throw the system in more turmoil. So who deserves the “Jive Turkey award in this case? I’ll let you decide.

“Jive Turkey”, that was a phrase made famous by comedian “Flip Wilson”. There was also a group out of Dayton Ohio called the “Ohio Players” they had a song called “Jive Turkey” on a classic album called “Skin Tight”. If you’re a serious music collector that’s one album that should be in your collection. If you’re white and you invite some black friends over pull out the “Ohio Players” “Skin Tight” album. Trust me they will say ” Where did you get that”, and they will worship the ground you walk on. If you don’t believe me just ask Charlie Rangel. He’s been listening to “Skin Tight” for how long now? That congressional committee has just been on that man’s ass. Is it any surprise that they finally got him on something. You know when the power wants your ass they will get your ass. Let’s get real here, not many people can sport a hairdo like that and not be noticed. He should at least had sense enough to wear a hoodie while he was committing all those crimes. However, I must have a little respect for all of Uncle Charlies years of service and ask this one simple question? Was this about the crimes he allegedly committed or the fact that he’s been in one place too long?

You know there’s a “Quincy Jones” classic that goes “Everything Must Change”. Do you think that’s the song that was playing in Uncle Charlies background? Tell me, what has Uncle Charlie been doin that hasn’t been going on for years in politics? This is not about what Uncle Charlie did. This is about we need your ass out. Ironically Bill Clinton just took out another ten year lease on his Harlem office. So family you put two and two together. That strangle hold that uncle Charlie has had on Harlem needs to be loosened. This is not about some crimes Uncle Charlie committed. Most of the politicians have been doing the same damned thing. So lets at least have a clear blueprint of what this Charlie Rangel saga is all about. Harlem right now is on the agenda of a lot of people. Not to mention that Charlie is what; over 75 yers old. Now you know people can smell blood. The exodus of Charlie Rangel is the Genesis for so many. So do I give Uncle Charlie the “Jive Turkey” award? Well I’ll let the readers decide because I’m not about to have Uncle Charlie haunting my ass when he’s gone along with Micheal.

In closing I hope everyone of you have a happy and safe “Thanksgiving”. Please take a moment out to pray for someone less fortunate than you. Let me quickly make one request to comedian Steve Harvey. Please stop promoting those canned “Glory” collard greens like they are the best thing that happen since the “Green Giant”. Poppa will do a taste test and put his “Poppastep Collards” up against those greens any day. There’s no greens in a can that can stand up to some fresh cleaned collards seasoned to perfection “Poppastep” style. I invite all of you to take the taste test. Our new single “Strength” came out the box on Jango radio very strong. Visit jango.com/music/poppastep to view our growing family. We’re approaching a new year so expect a new look. Yes Poppastep.com will be undergoing a face-lift so stay tuned. Your comments have been the backbone of this blog so keep them coming. Finally there comes a time when free blogs like this need a little financial support. I will be setting something up in Pay-pal for the real supporters to at least help Poppa cover some minor expenses. This out of pocket is killing me. That way I have the resources to post more frequently. Love you all…Poppa.