SETI vs POLIGHT: Who Won?

By S-Dot for The S-Dot Files

WHO WON?

Did General Seti rag doll him?

(((sDOTtv))) now playing Seti’s Warning to Polight!!!! HD 720

Or did the Young Phenom cause an upset?

(((sDOTtv))) now playing 2 Middleweights Brother Polight vs. Sara Suten Seti

S-Dot was right there in the second row when Sara Suten Seti and Brother Polight went toe-to-toe in their IS THE WHITE MAN THE DEVIL or ARE WE OUR OWN WORST ENEMY debate. He saw, heard and experienced it for himself. Now you can get firsthand knowledge of what really went down. If you missed it. You don’t want to miss this… Stay tuned for a play-by-play account on the next THE BLACK LOVE EXPERIENCE with S-Dot on Wednesday, December 12, 2012 @ 8 – 10 pm (EST) call-in 347.308.8527 or click by and join in the live chat discussion.

SURVIVING FAMILY DRAMA

By S-Dot for The S-Dot Files

Missed flights. Bumper-to-bumper traffic. Cell phone chargers left home. Food spilled in vehicles.

This week marks the kickoff of the “holiday” season and there will be countless family members in crisis mode. People who aside from being blood-related have little, to nothing, to do with one another otherwise will come “together” to commemorate and celebrate the “gift” of family.

There will be a lot of fake smiles, air kisses and half-hearted hugs.

You will witness the culinary cook-offs between family members (“who made the potato salad?”), hear rumors (“you know auntie is messing with Mr. So-and-So”), observe travesties (“your cousin is out there with his friends smoking weed again…”) and be pulled into conflicts (“isn’t this turkey dry?”).

Some will give those who accompany them sideway glances and others will have to inebriate themselves in order to restrain their urge to spazz out. In the interest of minimizing conflict, I would like to share a few helpful tips on Surviving Family Drama.

MEDITATE & PRAY before you leave your house. While en route bring along some soothing music or a motivational CD/MP3 to keep your spirits lifted. Focus on the positives even if you know you are headed into a negative setting.

DON’T SHOW UP EMPTY HANDED. Even if you can’t or don’t cook, bring something. A dessert, bottle of wine (be careful if they’re super-religious) or apple cider, fruit salad, anything besides your Tupperware.

GET THERE EARLY and make it known in advance that you have to “make a few more stops” to enable you to make a quick exit. Leave before those difficult relatives arrive. Remember, most of the drama typically begins when the late-comers arrive and try to play catch up with their accelerated drinking, etc.

REHEARSE YOUR CONVERSATIONS in order to work through the snags that will likely trip you up and lead to saying regrettable things. Avoid politics and religion, if possible. If not, remain neutral in your responses listening to others and appearing to be in deep thought about their remarks. Practice en route with your spouse, significant other or children. Use role playing to prevent and resolve verbal jousts.

ELIMINATE TMI by not over-sharing information which will likely contribute to a hostile environment. It’s not necessary to brag about your promotion, point out how well your children are doing in school or volunteer that you’re making $______.

DEVELOP A SIGNAL ahead of time with those who accompany you, which clearly indicates “it’s time to go” and agree to stick to the escape plan without deviation. Maybe one of you can be the “subject changer” and another can be the “ready to go” person, but make sure your signal isn’t blatantly obvious. When the signal is used, be cordial and get the hell out of there.

FAKE AN EMERGENCY by prearranging a scheduled call. Have this individual call the phone of someone else in the house claiming they “couldn’t get a hold of you” and this way there is even more legitimacy to the urgency of the “emergency” when you hang up and claim to have to go immediately.

DESIGNATE A DRIVER if you’re going to drink. This is a long holiday weekend and getting a DWI and arrested is not a good look. Spending the weekend in a holding cell is so 2008.

REMAIN FOCUSED when others try to pick fights with you say, “I came to have a good time with family, not discuss…” and make certain to smile while saying this.

Remember, you choose your friends, coworkers and neighbors – not your family.

WHEN OBAMA SPEAKS...

By S-Dot for The S-Dot Files

It's important to keep your team motivated. This is a great, heartfelt example of how to keep the troops on the field.

Watch and learn. He'll show you how to do this son...

YOU NEVER KNOW WHO'S WATCHING...

By S-Dot for The S-Dot Files

Congrats to two of my FB fam who I introduced a year ago that got engaged over this past weekend. I am overjoyed for you two.

I’ve watched you both separately for years transition from two people constantly complaining about “what’s wrong with Black Love” to actively doing the work necessary to becoming worthy of being in Black Love. Unlike many who gripe about the state of disunion between Black men and women, you each have rolled up your sleeves, looked in the mirror and said, “I have to change myself,” which is how you got to where you are today.

Sadly, a lot of folks continue to not see what is right in front of their faces. They change jobs, move into different living spaces, go in and out of relationships – but never look in the mirror. They are Down With O.P.P. (Other People’s Problems) which prevents them from addressing their own.

I’m glad you each have learned what some never will. I look forward to witnessing your Black Love journey, and I know that awesome things are on the horizon for you. Y’all need to name your first child after me or something (just kidding…not really – smile).

OPEN MESSAGE TO MY FB FAM…

What are you doing to become the change you desire to see? Are you cultivating an atmosphere of chaos and confusion posting the most negative things about Black people, and passing along gossip, disgusting images without being mindful of who is watching your social interactions? I am. Others are too. What are you putting out there?

It’s time to get out the window worrying about what ______ is doing, and move away from that rearview mirror looking at the regrets of the past. The reason it’s called the “past” is because it has come to pass. The reason it’s called the “present” is because it’s a gift. Don’t lose sight of the reality that today will be tomorrow sooner than you realize…Do the work to be worthy of Black Love.

HELLO BROOKLYN

By S-Dot for The S-Dot Files

Hello Brooklyn,

Tonight we make history… Those of us from the most thorough borough who have endured so many years of being counted out knew the one thing to count on is we would stay on that “Brooklyn sh*t.” As we come out tonight to welcome one of our own home at the Barclay Center, let’s S-T-A-N-D U-P and remember all those who did not make here.

Pour out libations to lost, but not forgotten generations.

Bay Ridge, Brownsville, Bed Stuy, Bensonhurst, Brooklyn Heights, Bushwick, Canarsie, Carroll Gardens, Clinton Hill, Cobble Hill, Coney Island, Crown Heights, DUMBO, Dyker Heights, East New York, Flatbush, Fort Greene, Fort Hamilton, Gravesend, Kensington, Marine Park, Midwood, Mill Basin, New Utrecht, Ocean Hill, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Red Hook, Sheepshead Bay, Sunset Park, Weeksville and Williamsburg…

S-T-A-N-D U-P!!!

S-Dot

On that Brooklyn sh*t since 1968

GETTING YOUR MIND RIGHT (GYMRx)

By S-Dot for The S-Dot Files

REACH > INSPIRE > TEACH > EQUIP > EMPOWER – these are the cornerstone objectives of my GYMRx (Getting Your Mind Right) ladder of personal growth for collective development.

1) It is important to REACH out beyond your comfort zone to those most in need. 2) It is necessary to INSPIRE others by walking with purpose when sharing your truth. 3) It is essential to TEACH by example to demonstrate what is to be learned by practice. 4) It is vital to EQUIP those responsible for doing the work with the right tools for their tasks. 5) It is liberating to EMPOWER thinkers to become pursuers and doers.

B*TCH BAD...WOMAN GOOD

By S-Dot for The S-Dot Files

The new song, "B*tch Bad" by Lupe Fiasco is fast-becoming quite a staple in much-needed conversations with the up-next generation about the power of words and images. Using a sonic backdrop that is right-now relevant, a sing-song flow and his usual crisp cadence, Lupe delivers yet another thought-provoking piece. Check out the video and lyrics for yourself and share your thoughts...

(((DotTV))) Lupe Fiasco “B*tch Bad”

B*TCH BAD, Lupe Fiasco

[Intro]

Yeah

I say bitch bad, woman good, lady better

Hey, hey, hey, hey

[Verse 1]

Now imagine there’s a shawty, maybe five maybe four

Ridin’ ’round with his mama listening to the radio

And a song comes on and a not far off from being born

Doesn’t know the difference between right and wrong

Now I ain’t trying to make it too complex

But let’s just say shawty has an undeveloped context

About the perception of women these days

His mama sings along and this what she says

“Niggas I’m a bad bitch, and I’m bad bitch

far above average”

And maybe other rhyming words like cabbage and savage

And baby carriage and other things that match it

Couple of things that are happenin’ here

First he’s relatin’ the word “bitch” with his mama, comma

And because she’s relatin’ to herself, his most important source of help,

And mental health, he may skew respect for dishonor

[Hook]

Bitch bad, woman good

Lady better, they misunderstood

(I’m killin’ these bitches)

Uh, tell ‘em

Bitch bad, woman good

Lady better, they misunderstood

They misunderstood

(I’m killin’ these bitches)

[Verse 2]

Yeah, now imagine a group of little girls nine through twelve

On the internet watchin’ videos listenin’ to songs by themselves

It doesn’t really matter if they have parental clearance

They understand the internet better than their parents

Now being the interent, the content’s probably uncensored

They’re young, so they’re maleable and probably unmentored

A complicated combination, maybe with no relevance

Until that intelligence meets their favorite singer’s preference

“Bad bitches, bad bitches, bad bitches

That’s all I want and all I like in life is bad bitches, bad bitches”

Now let’s say that they less concerned with him

And more with the video girl acquiescent to his whims

Ah, the plot thickens

High heels, long hair, fat booty, slim

Reality check, I’m not trippin’

They don’t see a paid actress, just what makes a bad bitch

[Hook]

[Verse 3]

Disclaimer: This rhymer, Lupe’s not usin’ bitch as a lesson

But as a psychological weapon

To set in your mind and really mess with your conceptions

Discretions, reflections, it’s clever misdirection

Cause, while I was rappin’ they was growin’ up fast

Nobody stepped in to ever slow ‘em up, gasp

Sure enough, in this little world

The little boy meets one of those little girls

And he thinks she a bad bitch and she thinks she a bad bitch

He thinks disrespectfully, she thinks of that sexually

She got the wrong idea, he don’t wanna fuck her

He thinks she’s bad at being a bitch like his mother

Momma never dress like that, come out the house, hot mess like that

Ass, titties, dress like that

All out to impress like that

Just like that, you see the fruit of the confusion

He caught in a reality, she caught in an illusion

Bad mean good to her, she really nice and smart

But bad mean bad to him, bitch don’t play your part

But bitch still bad to her if you say it the wrong way

But she think she a bitch, what a double entendre

[Hook]

[Outro]

Bitch bad, woman good

Lady better, they misunderstood

You’re misunderstood

Bitch bad, woman good

Lady better, greatest motherhood

(I’m killin’ these bitches)

GET DISCIPLINED OR BE CONQUERED

By S-Dot for The S-Dot Files

“A discipline I have observed is an attitude of love and reverence to people.” – Bessie Amelia Emery Head (7/6-37-4/17-86)

Discipline [dis-uh-plin] is pursuing and doing absent recognition. It is self-determination. Discipline is getting up at the crack of dawn, throwing on a tattered hoodie and well-worn sweats to hit the pavement for that much needed cardio. Not waiting until the gym is filled to run on the treadmill adorned in a high-end sweat suit and over-priced athletic shoes. Discipline is about being focus when all eyes aren’t on you, knowing that at any given moment all eyes might be on you. It is about self-conditioning. Discipline is preparation with the expectation that anything and everything can and/or may happen at any given moment. It is about being ready, able and willing to not just react, but also to be proactive when necessary.

Discipline turns a deferred dream into a preferred destination. It is affirmative answer to a call-to-action away from distraction. Not just talking about problems, but walking with purpose towards a solution. Discipline isn’t hitting the snooze button. It responding to the wake-up call and eventually rising up before the rooster.

Discipline isn’t just about calculated, calibrated regimens; it encompasses adaptability for growth and development. It is being ever-learning and always discerning whatever the circumstances. It is a corrective process of training towards gaining constructive output as the result of productive input.

Discipline is liberation from stagnation and procrastination.

EXERCISE SOME DISCIPLINE

For the next 21 days challenge yourself to become disciplined in your inner monologue (self-talk) and outer dialogue (conversations) with others. Stop referring to yourself as a __________ (n*gg* or b*tch for instance).

This might sound simple, but if you’re accustomed to addressing yourself in this manner, it’s likely others around you do as well. In fact, for the first 24-hours jot down in your journal the amount of times you hear others around you using this term. On the second day, take a moment to reflect on how rampant this phraseology is in your life. Now, I encourage you to become disciplined in the words you speak.

CAUTION: It is highly likely you will NOT be able to do this on the first attempt. In fact, most people have shared it took up to 5 or more attempts to even get through the first 7 days. Do Not Be Discouraged.

GENERATIONAL REHABILITATION

By S-Dot for The S-Dot Files

After decades of being reared on niggativity – a consistent diet of self-hatred, defeatism and degradation this lost and trapped generation is in dire need of rehabilitation. A lot of culturally disconnected people plug into the Hatrix through their sensory deprivation earplugs everyday and tune out the truth of their own love-blocking behaviors and life-limiting beliefs.

(((sDOTtv))) now playing TALES FROM THE HOOD

Love vs. Hate

S-Dot for The S-Dot Files

Slavery won’t end as long as slaves are willing to remain enslaved. - Sister LeTava Mabilinejo

As long as you’re picking cotton and submitting to whippings they will continue. No one is going to voluntarily stop taking advantage of you. Why should they? Just because you groan occasionally and whimper while they put their foot in your *ss doesn’t make them feel bad enough to stop mistreating you. You are a slave and a slave in their mind is a sub-humanoid deserving of the most grotesque form of abuse.

This is a classic joint from Brand Nubian "Love vs. Hate" that says it all...

(((sDOTtv))) now playing Brand Nubian "Love vs. Hate"

Martyr Music

S-Dot for The S-Dot Files

In remembrance of the life of TRAYVON MARTIN (R.I.P.)

((( sDOTtv))) now playing Jasiri X "Trayvon"

Arrest George Zimmerman N-O-W!!!

Til The End of Time

By S-Dot for The S-Dot Files

This song is dedicated to Sumbula...thank you for being in Ma'at with me. Loving you grants me balance as we walk in truth.