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A Little Southern Comfort…

Bedford and Shaw bring southern comfort to The Barbershop!!

Carter Bedford and Carwin “Scooby” Shaw bring their unique perspective to daily events and hot topics with the premiere of their new radio show The Barbershop Hour this January. As these two childhood friends come into their own as career driven fathers and husbands, The Barbershop Hour allows you to hear the true and sometimes wild views of two African American men much in the same fashion of sitting at your corner barbershop.

Anyone that knows the duo, can plan for a very exciting and edgy hour of radio which will feature subjects that can be too controversial and taboo for most normal talk radio programs. Joining the duo, is lead contributor and fellow fraternity brother, Giani Clarkson, who once hosted a radio show with Shaw at their college alma mater. The southern comfort that will be provided into listening to two of Shreveport’s finest is knowing that they claim not to be experts or pseudo intellectuals in any subject. Instead Bedford and Shaw are sincere world citizens who search for answers and truth while giving audiences a few laughs along the way.

“This show ain’t about us getting rich but if Steve Harvey drop dead….then we just want to be waiting in the wings”, jokingly says Bedford.

The Barbershop Hour will make its debut on blogtalkradio.com on January 19, 2010 at 10:00 PM (11 EST). Listeners can hear The Barbershop Hour via www.blogtalkradio.com/barbershop.

No worries if you miss us live; you can always download past shows!

The Invisibility Syndrome of America

I was reading through a 2005 report from the City University of New York and a passage really caught my attention.  I thought it would be a great post for the blog that I need to get in the habit of updating.  I am going to aim for weekly with Saturday morning writings.  We will see how that goes!

The study is final report that was sent to the Chancellor of the CUNY System and is titled the Black Male Initiative.  Here is the part that caught my interest; it is from the Report of the Working Group on Social Relations.

“I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allen Poe; nor am I your Hollywood movie ectoplasm.  I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids – and I might even be said to possess a mind.  I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me…When they approach me they see only my surrounding, themselves, or figments of their imagination – indeed, everything and anything except me.”

The previous is an excerpt from Ralph Waldo Ellison’s classic novel, Invisible Man. The was also some commentary from Dr. Anderson Franklin pertaining to Social Relations and the black male.  He draws some interesting conclusions and uses this passage to point out the invisibility syndrome.  The point he makes is that one must not mistake invisibility for absence!!!  This brings into account a list of questions in terms of black males in colleges across the United States.

What do you think about the passage from Ellison??? This study outlines some areas to help in the Black Male Initiative for college campus.  I will list them in a seperate blog but when you read Ellison’s work what how does it parallel with the Black Male outside of Sports and Hip Hop?

Amazing!

As I come to another day of looking at my online blog I started to wonder…how far we have come!  I remember being in college and getting my first email account and I thought is was sooo cool.  Now everything we do seems to evolve around the internet.  We search for jobs, cars, clothes, games, and some even look for love.  I wonder how life would be if the internet ceases to exist.  Great question huh?  No online blogs, news forecasts, cell phones with internet, etc.  I am going to ponder that thought and come back and ramble about it at some random time.  So the question for all the online bloggers to think about is Life without Internet…wouldn’t that suck!

Process

 -Courtesy of Bryant Robertson, UT Arlington graduate

(Open Your Mind for This One, read it slowly and understand it.)

Process, noun: a natural phenomenon marked by gradual changes that lead toward a particular (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

This word is a key element to live life expectantly and to understand purpose thoroughly. When we understand this word we gain higher insight (wisdom), inconvenience without complaint (patience), and character.

There are processes in life that when we come to understand, we
acquire this higher insight, this wisdom, that only seems apparent in more seasoned human beings and almost obsolete in our generation. Though some in our generation understand process, the majority of us do not open their mind to the understanding that it assuredly provides. When process is thought about, the first thing that may come to mind is steps. One step must be completed before another step is taken. When one step is rushed, the ultimate result may end up in tripping and falling. Remember our definition of process (natural phenomenon, gradual changes, particular result). Another consequence to skipping or rushing steps may be taking steps backwards because of failure to complete or fully understand a previous step. When a step is comprehended, especially when completed under ones own adeptness, YOU FEEL GOOD!!! You feel accomplished, you feel knowledgeable, and you can teach (I wish I could go in depth about that). When a series of steps is completed (a process) and the “particular result” is evident, the ability to look over the steps and analyze what appears effective and ineffective, proficient and non proficient, beneficial and not beneficial, is WISDOM. You actually KNOW (v: to perceive directly; grasp in the mind with clarity or certainty).

Everything in life becomes a series of steps that lead to a particular result, a process: School (diploma), work (promotion), team (championship), leadership (vision), mind (understanding), character (patience), relationships (LOVE{main step skipper}), christianity (god-like).

1.
Understanding that movement, motion, action, physically or mentally, though they mean the same thing, is the only solution to move up the steps, to start, engage, and end the process. This, first off, is what some fail to do. Take Action, move!
2.
Hardship will come during process, but hardship is what builds character. When you endure you grow physically and mentally. Gradual change builds character because it allows you to understand. If the definition of process read quick change then understanding and knowledge will be destroyed. Have you ever rushed through something? Think about the true end result!
3.
When process is complete and looked upon, when each steps meaning is understood and valued into learning, then wisdom is obtain. Wisdom is defined as the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting; insight. Commen Sense!

When we say, “That is a wise person” we are saying that they have been through processes and know its properties. They know that process are natural phenomenoms that bring hardship that builds character, gradual change that builds patience and understanding, and discernment of the particular result that gains wisdom.

(Bryant; thanks for the thoughtful words.)

My Big Brother…

“So here’s a few words from your kid brother
If you admire somebody you should go ahead and tell um
People never get the flowers while they could smell um”

-Kanye West, from the song Big Brother

I was driving home to Louisiana with the iPod on shuffle and Kanye West’s Big Brother comes on. Although I have listened to his newest album several times this time the song really hit home. Not really for the lyrical expertise (I don’t think any rappers today really exhibit this with all of the broken English and use of Ebonics) but for the message that he was looking to convey to the listeners.

He goes on about his relationship with Jay Z and how he looks at him as a “Big Brother” The opening line to this blog sums up the message that I about to expand upon. Through most of lives’ accomplishments and letdowns we all forget sometimes to thank the people who helped to pave the way. The “Big Brother” could be anyone…from the person with the wisdom in the neighborhood to a family member, or the person who you have never met who gave you inspiration somehow. The thing that I urge readers to do is make sure you let those people know before its too late. The world can be cruel and hopefully we will not be in a situation where we wished we told someone how much we cared. So if you admire someone for whatever reason you should go ahead and tell them…

My Big Brother was Big’s brother
Used to be Dame and Big’s Brother
Who was hip hop’s brother
Who was No I.D’s friend
No I.D my mentor
And that’s where the story ends

Annoucement!

To the few people who read my posts…

 I WILL DO A BETTER JOB OF POSTING ITEMS. 

trust me (big smile)

Greetings from Carter!

Greetings everyone!  Thank you for visiting my page.  This is a forum for discussion on hot topics and issues and also a place to receive updates on me and my travels.  Please visit often.

Carter