Hey thREADERS,
We had a great show tonight on the topic of college and its value. We also had some thought-provoking input from our audience. If you missed it, you can listen to it by clicking the play button below. If you listened live, you can listen to “The AfterShow”, which featured TheKingsLaw, ChadStanton, and yours truly towards the end. Thank you for your continued support, and be sure to hang with the Threaders next Monday at 10pm Central.
-23
“Being perfect is about being able to look your friends in the eye and know that you didn’t let them down because you told them the truth. And that truth is you did everything you could. There wasn’t one more thing you could’ve done. Can you live in that moment as best you can, with clear eyes, and love in your heart, with joy in your heart? If you can do that gentlemen – you’re perfect!”
Today is obviously not Thursday. However, it is Friday and I’ve got fifteen fancies for the thREADERS. Let’s move…
Perhaps the biggest news of the week is President Obama’s announcement of his support for same-sex marriage (1). In the, what, 36 hours since the interview, I have seen so many vituperative remarks on Facebook and Twitter. People have just been spewing all sorts of ignorance, and it really is sad. On top of all of that, many of these people call themselves Christians. Now, I pride myself in not getting too political with my weekly columns. I’m not here to tell people how they should feel or hurl my beliefs and opinions on them. I value people’s opinions; I merely express mine here. With that said, it saddens me that this topic seems to bring the worst out of some people. Whether you agree with gay marriage or disagree with gay marriage, to me, the underlying issue is human rights. I have come a long way as far as my feelings toward this issue because of my desire to be open-minded and progressive. It’s not my place to stand in the way of people who want to be happy and have the rights afforded to their heterosexual counterparts. You can quote Bible verses and tell me what “thus said the Lord” all day, but I also believe in tolerance, acceptance, and love. Like I have said several times here in the past, we need to do a better job of taking care of each other. We’ll talk about this more Monday night on our radio show.
Graduation
It’s graduation (2) season. Around this time every year, I am reminded of this because of the flurry of graduations I find myself attending. Along with the congratulations and well-wishes, the rude reminder of the economic state (3) taps me on the shoulder. Every April/May/June, a new article or study comes out with depressing news for recent graduates. This year is no different. One in two college grads can’t find work. Ugh…when will my generation catch a break? Maybe we won’t. Perhaps, college is no longer the guaranteed answer. The education system churns out more graduates than the economic system can keep up with. The Thread has decided to team up with PootKat Radio to investigate this issue with a special radio show (4) Tuesday night. Is college still worth it?
Sports
Last week, I talked about the Brooklyn Nets’ new logo and what I thought of it. Obviously, I wasn’t the only one. Phil Mushnick of the New York Post (5) wrote an editorial that suggested that the Nets be renamed the ”New York N—–s (6).” What’s worse is that this man has been defending his racist remarks. He has said,
“I’m never comfortable using that word [ni----r]. That’s the way I was raised. Shame on my parents,” a sarcastic Mushnick writes. “The ONE time I spelled it out – for accuracy – I was widely condemned as a racist. So either way, I’m a bigot. I know what’s in my heart and my head, the way I was raised, and the way I raised my kids. But you’ve painted me a racist. Good work, James. And good work, if you can get it.”
There’s more…
“Such obvious, wishful and ignorant mischaracterizations of what I write are common. I don’t call black men the N-word; I don’t regard young women as bitches and whores; I don’t glorify the use of assault weapons and drugs. Jay-Z, on the other hand…..Is he the only NBA owner allowed to call black men N—–s?”
This guy still has a job. Mushnick is stirring up a hornet’s nest, and I would advise him to stop. His logic is extremely flawed and has no place in any publication. To suggest something so absurd, demeaning, and disrespectful is disconcerting. To base such a reasoning on Jay-Z (7) is asinine. I’ve had countless discussions, read several books, and attended several forums concerning the N-word. However you feel about the word and its use, the fact is that it’s not going anywhere. The problem with Mushnick is that he assumes that Jay-Z is the figurehead of the black mass public. If he has a problem with Jay-Z lyrics, I think he should take that up with Jay-Z. He should not implant such a ridiculous notion like calling a basketball team a derogatory name.
In other news, the “geek chic” (8) has been displayed in full force these past few months. I found this article describing many NBA players’ adoption of the new style of looking professional, looking “dorktastic”, and challenging stereotypes. Players like Kevin Durant, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James are now rocking glasses as accessories, skinny ties, vests, and shirt buttoned all the way up. I must say that it is a welcome site. I’ve even bought into the style. I honestly hope that stereotypes concerning black athletes are being rewritten.
Speaking of the NBA, these injuries (9) are beginning to pile up. We’ve seen several star players go down at an alarming rate this season/post-season. David Stern (10) contended that the number of injuries is no different this season than any other a few weeks ago, but he seems to be backing away from those sentiments now. I think we’re seeing the ramifications of a shortened season over a shortened amount of time with no training camp. I’m interested to see where things go from here and what kind of changes we see made.
In more disturbing NBA news, Chris “Birdman” Andersen (11) is under investigation by an internet child pornography unit. I realize that Anderson has had his issues with drugs and whatnot, but this is a completely different animal. I’ve watched enough To Catch a Predator episodes to know that this is serious if they’re searching his home and removing computer hardware. I don’t want to speculate too much, but this situation sounds disgustingly bad.
Music
Justin Bieber (12) is a part of Floyd Mayweather’s “Money Team.” Can we talk about this? I used to hate on Bieber all the time for being another singer for the teeniebops, but this young man is doing things. He’s part of Mayweather’s entourage, carrying his belts, and looking faded in the process. Then, I stumbled upon his new “Boyfriend” video. I talked about this song on Twitter a few weeks ago, and it is dope. Seriously, Justin Timberlake needs to return to music because Bieber is taking his style spot.
Chris Brown (13) and Rihanna (14) are at it again. I know, I know. I’m sick of them, too. Brown released a song that uses Kanye’s “Theraflu” beat, and he references his “old b—-.” Rihanna took exception to this and unfollowed him on Twitter. He returned the favor. Anyway, here’s the song if you care to listen.
Mother’s Day
Finally, I’d like to acknowledge and thank all of the mothers out there. This is your weekend, and I wish all of you a very happy Mother’s Day! Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!
Here are my favorite “Mom” songs:
5. “Mother” by Pink Floyd
4. “Blueprint (Momma Loves Me” by Jay-Z
3. “A Song for Mama” by Boyz II Men
2. “Dear Mama” by Tupac
1. “Hey Mama” by Kanye West
-23
We’ve finally made it to the Top 10! Here are the first and second installments of “The 25 Best Cheating Songs from the Cheaters Themselves” playlist if you missed them. How did we get here? Let’s do a quick rundown of the first 15:
25. “She Don’t Have to Know” by John Legend
24. “Maybe I Deserve” by Tank
23. “Second Chance” by .38 Special
22. “The Other Woman” by Ray Parker, Jr.
21. “Human” by Human League
20. “Unfaithful” by Rihanna
19. “Infidelity” by Trey Songz
18. “You Know I’m No Good” by Amy Winehouse
17. “Never Keeping Secrets” by Babyface
16. “Ooo Baby Baby” by The Miracles
15. “Confessions Part II” by Usher
14. “Heart Turns to Stone” by Foreigner
13. “Creep” by TLC
12. “Picture” by Kid Rock featuring Sheryl Crow
11. “Thin Line Between Love and Hate” by The Persuaders
Leave your judgment at the door and step on into my Top 10 cheater songs. With no further ado…
10. “O.P.P.” by Naughty by Nature – Yeah, you know me. I had to put this song on the list and put it high. It just might be the most light-hearted, realest, and hardest-hitting song of all 25. Hell, I’ll go ahead and call this one the anthem. First of all, this isn’t a gender-specific song. Men cheat. Women cheat. The only difference is what you choose to let the last “P” in the acronym stand for.
Favorite Line: “That wasn’t the thing; it must’ve been the way she hit the ceiling / ‘Cause after that, she kept on coming back and catching feelings / I said, ‘Let’s go. My girl is coming, so you gotta leave.’ / She said, ‘Oh, no, I love you, Treach.’ I said, ‘Now child, please.’”
9. “Listen to the Clock on the Wall” by The O’Jays – I didn’t know The O’Jays had this kind of song in them. I must have been too busy chasing money, taking the stairway to heaven, crying with my woman, looking for my euthanized dog, Brandy, and waiting for the love train. Somewhere in the midst of all of that, I discovered this dark song. Two married people step out to see each other regularly and imagine a day they won’t be rushed by ticking clocks and oblivious spouses.
Favorite Line: “Girl, you better hurry / Your husband might get worried / And my wife, she doesn’t see / The change in me”
8. “I’m Gonna Miss You in the Morning” by Quincy Jones featuring Luther Vandross & Patti Austin – Before Luther Vandross was known by one name and before Quincy Jones was known by one letter, there was this romantic ode to unfaithfulness. Patti Austin lends her angelic voice to this and mixes with Luther to create one sinful, soulful serenade. Once again, time is of the essence and spoken-for lovers find themselves stealing away…if only for a short while.
Favorite Line: “I’m gonna miss you in the morning / So, baby, love me tonight”
7. “Bad Habits” by Maxwell – One of the most confusing songs lyrically that a lot of people still don’t understand. Based on the steamy video and cryptic lyrics, I’m able to surmise that this is another regretful ballad inspired by cheating. Comparing the other woman to a bad habit is something we have yet to hear from anyone else. Maxwell has a way of making bad things sound so…alluring.
Favorite Line: “You’re my bad habit, baby, you’re my / You’re takin’ my soul down to the letter ‘O’ / Can’t escape the way you got me locked out, baby / I gotta break from you, break from you, break from you”
6. “As We Lay” by Shirley Murdoch/Kelly Price – I went back and forth trying to decide which version of this song to use for this playlist, but I couldn’t decide. Off the record, I enjoy Kelly Price’s slower version a bit more than Shirley Murdoch’s original. Although Kelly and the man she refers to in this song both belong to someone else, the man’s wife takes precedence. Kelly seems to care more about not hurting the man’s wife more than she cares about hurting her own man. Oh, what a tangled web we weave…
Favorite Line: “We should have counted up the cost / But instead we got lost / In the second, in the minute, in the hour”
5. “Secret Lovers” by Atlantic Starr – The recurring theme of this playlist aside from cheating is time. This classic doesn’t stray from that worn path. Here, we have a man and a woman singing to each other about their hot affair that is reignited nightly in secrecy. Unfortunately for them, time constraints always leave them wanting more. Well done and perfectly formulaic.
Favorite Line: “In the middle of making love, we notice the time / We both get nervous ‘cause it’s way after nine / Even though we hate it, we know that it’s time that we go / We gotta be careful so that no one will know”
4. “Your Love” by The Outfield – This is my surprise pick. Imagine this setting, if you will. If you’re over the age of 23, you’ve probably been to a bar or wedding where they play this song and everyone sings the chorus at the top of their lungs. You point to the object of your affection or the closest pulchritudinous person and sing, “I just wanna use your love…TONIGHT! I don’t wanna lose your love…TONIGHT!” Newsflash: This isn’t a warm and fuzzy song. This song is about infidelity. The first line tells us that the singer’s woman, Josie, is away on vacation. He then invites an ex (“you know I’d do anything for you”) to…keep him company and stay the night in his current girlfriend’s stead. Of course, he asks her to keep this transgression a secret as she leaves.
Favorite Line: “I ain’t got many friends left to talk to / Nowhere to run when I’m in trouble / You know I’d do anything for you / Stay the night, but keep it under cover / I just wanna use your love tonight / I don’t wanna lose your love tonight”
3. “Me and Mrs. Jones” by Billy Paul – I have a confession to make. This song almost didn’t make the cut. One line in this song gave it its rightful spot on this list, and that is, “Because she’s got her own obligations / And so, and so, do I.” By the “Mrs.” in the title and the majority of the lyrics, you would think that Billy is just the other man and therefore, not a cheater. However, he sings about how much it hurts and how wrong it is, so I’m led to believe that he, too, has a woman back home. It doesn’t seem to hurt unbearably bad because the forbidden lovebirds have a date set for the same time and same place the next day.
Favorite Line: “Well, it’s time for us to be leaving / It hurts so much, it hurts so much inside / Now she’ll go her way and I’ll go mine”
2. “If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don’t Want to Be Right)” by Luther Ingram – Pick your poison. Millie Jackson? Bobby “Blue” Bland? Percy Sledge? David Ruffin? Isaac Hayes? Rod Stewart? LeAnn Rimes? All of them covered this song, but Luther Ingram struck gold first on this musical staple of adultery. This is one brazen and unremorseful song. Ingram, in this case, has a wife and two kids, but calls his woman on the side “the best thing he’s ever had.” At least he doesn’t make any excuses for his feelings and behavior like some of the other people on this playlist.
Favorite Line: “Your friends tell you there’s no future / In loving a married man / If I can’t see you when I want to / I’ll see you when I can”
1. “Part-Time Lover” by Stevie Wonder – The most deceptive, slickest, craftiest, and most lyrically complete song on this list comes from none other than Stevie Wonder. Much like my sentiments toward The O’Jays, I didn’t know Stevie had this kind of song hiding behind his shades. Shame on me for thinking this superstitious, I’ll-be-loving-you-always, happy-birthday-singing, signed, sealed, and delivered crooner couldn’t create this kind of masterpiece. I’m sorry, Stevie. I truly am. This song serves as the cheater’s handbook to not getting caught. 1. When your part-time lover gets back home from a night with you, have her call, let the phone ring once, and hang up. 2. Blink the lights so your part-time lover knows that you’re not with your girlfriend, and tonight is her night. 3. If you’re with friends and you and your part-time lover happen to cross paths, she is to pass you by and not speak. 4. If there’s an emergency, tell your part-time lover to have a male call and ask for you. This is all so scandalous…and impressive. Just know that “two can play the game.”
Favorite Line: “If she isn’t with me, I’ll blink the lights / To let you know tonight’s the night / For me and you, my part-time lover”
To repeat, I do not condone nor do I advocate cheating. However, tell me there haven’t been some great songs as a result of cheaters recounting their transgressions. We’ve seen contrition, confusion, regret, happiness, bitterness, and everything in between as a result of this topic. Let me know your thoughts or if there is a song that didn’t make my list.
-23
“Mama always said, dying was a part of life. I sure wish it wasn’t.”
Junior Seau
This Junior Seau (1) situation is truly sad. It didn’t really hit me until I read players’ tweets and watched interviews on TV. Marcellus Wiley (2) was in tears talking about the type of human being Seau was. The details are still sketchy, but it appears that Seau was battling depression and committed suicide at his home. Junior Seau was never my favorite player, but I had a lot of respect for him. At a time when the NFL (3) is being sued by former players, coaches are being suspended for an entire season, players are being suspended for multiple games, and investigations are ongoing for alleged cheating; the timing of this apparent suicide probably couldn’t be worse. I know I wondered if Seau’s death was somehow related to a brain injury or some other form of trauma he sustained as a player. I pray for his family and friends. I also pray for the Chargers organization. Since 1995, eight former Chargers have passed away. All of them were under the age of 45. David Griggs died in a car crash; Rodney Culver died in a plane crash; Doug Miller was struck by lightning; Curtis Whitley died from a drug overdose; Chris Mims had an enlarged heart and died from complications with that; Shawn Lee and Lew Bush each had a heart attack and passed. *sigh* Rest in peace, Junior.
Scattershooting
So…there’s a church…in Tulsa, Oklahoma…at a bar…called the Drunk Monkey Tavern (4). After my initial shock, I got to thinking, and it’s not a bad idea. A local church streams its service to the bar every Sunday. The bar doesn’t serve alcohol during the service, which is nice. As a Christian, I find this to be progressive. You’re not always going to reach people at a typical church with pews, preachers, and judgmental parishioners. I respect the effort to be fishers of men.
Lil Boosie (5) is about to have his day in court. He has been charged with first-degree murder for plotting to have someone killed. I’ve seen a surge in #FreeBoosie hashtags on my timeline on Twitter. Each time I’m tempted to unfollow these people. There are causes to take up, there are people to rally around, and there is Lil Boosie. Sorry, the justice system can keep him. He hasn’t been proven guilty yet, but he was stupid enough to talk about the murder in his music. See: “187″
Speaking of music and controversy, I watched VH1′s documentary, which highlighted the LA Riots (6) and hip-hop’s role in them. Watch “Uprising: Hip-Hop & The LA Riots” here. I was really impressed with it. When the LA Riots were going on, I was at an age where I didn’t completely understand what all was going on. I didn’t have my head buried in the sand, but it was before my time. The documentary did a great job of explaining everything from the Rodney King beating, the subsequent acquittal of the policemen who beat him, the Korean lady’s exhoneration after killing Latasha Harlins (7), and the racial turmoil in Los Angeles during that time. All the while, there was music. The music that told the world what was really going on before it gained national notoriety. VH1 went a step further and compiled a tracklist of the songs that defined the LA Riots.
Thirteen people have now been charged in the hazing death of Robert Champion (8), the former FAMU drum major who was killed in November. This whole situation sucks. I had and still have so much respect for FAMU’s band, the Marching 100 (9) and I hate that this is how many people will remember it. Currently, the band is indefinitely suspended. No matter what happens, no one will win here. A young man has lost his life, parents have lost a child, several students are facing felonies, and the school itself is tainted by this. This will get ugly.
Sports
The Brooklyn Nets (10) unveiled their new colors and logo that Jay-Z (11) helped design. I’m not impressed. First of all, it’s extremely plain. The black & white color combination is even worse. The Spurs already wear those colors. Ugh…I was expecting better.
These are pathetic.
Entertainment
There’s a push for “The Bachelor” (12) to feature its first African American. Lamar Hurd is a former professional basketball player from Oregon, who is in the running to be the next Bachelor. Here’s an interview with him from CNN and here’s his YouTube video.
“The 25 Best Cheating Songs from the Cheater Themselves” Honorable Mention (13)
I’m dropping the top 10 (25-18; 17-11) of this list tomorrow morning, but I figured I’d tease the thREADERS with the songs that missed the cut. These are great songs, but three of the four couldn’t make it to the list simply because they are not from the perspective of the cheater. They’re still great songs, so I’m showing them some love.
1. “It Wasn’t Me” by Shaggy – This song met the criteria, but it couldn’t quite crack the top 25. Perhaps Shaggy’s denial is what kept this song off the list. His girlfriend had all the evidence necessary to prove that her man was cheating, but he spends the entire song denying it.
2. “Follow Me” by Uncle Kracker – I really like this song, but like the next two songs, it doesn’t meet the criteria for this playlist. He’s the other guy who is convincing the woman to leave her husband. It’s so lovey-dovey sounding that you forget that it’s a song about secret lovers.
3. “Down Low” by R. Kelly – This song was literally sitting comfortably in my Top 10 until I realized that R. Kelly wasn’t a cheater. There is no mention of a girlfriend, wife, or anything. However, there is a paramour. What a tragic tale this becomes when you watch the video.
4. “My Little Secret” by Xscape - Before Kandi was a “Housewife” and selling sex toys and before Tiny found T.I. and fell victim to plastic surgery, there was this jewel of deception. Instead of the quartet representing the woman who steps out on her man, it represents the side chick homegirl messing with a man who has a girlfriend. What’s more intriguing is that she likes being in the same room as the couple. Messy, messy, messy…
-23
Here’s a recap of the first installment of “The 25 Best Cheating Songs from the Cheaters Themselves”:
25. “She Don’t Have to Know” – John Legend
24. “Maybe I Deserve” – Tank
23. “Second Chance” – .38 Special
22. “The Other Woman” – Ray Parker, Jr.
21. “Human” – The Human League
20. “Unfaithful” – Rihanna
19. “Infidelity” – Trey Songz
18. “You Know I’m No Good” – Amy Winehouse
17. “Never Keeping Secrets” by Babyface – This is the most ambiguous song on the playlist, but it’s a classic. Babyface never actually says that he cheated, but all of the signs are there. Why else would he be begging to get back with his ex and swearing that he’ll never lie or keep secrets? Reading between the lines, he got caught cheating and made this song to convince her that he was a changed man. Bunch of promises…good luck.
Favorite Line: “Momentary insanity must be the reason why I did you that way, babe / So now I’m telling everybody that I know I was a fool / To take a chance of ever losing you / And I can’t take losing you”
16. “Ooo Baby Baby” by The Miracles – If we’re talking bad lyrics, some of the gems from this song just might take the cake. I expect more from Smokey Robinson, but this song came out during the Motown era and probably got watered down to cater to a larger audience. The worst line? I’m thinking, “Mistakes, I know I’ve made a few / But I’m only human / You’ve made mistakes, too.” There’s that pesky “I’m only human” excuse again. Oh! And he backhandedly justifies his wrongs by saying that his girl has done wrong, too. Not the best way to go about improving things, Mr. Robinson. With all that said, this is still a timeless song.
Favorite Line: “I did you wrong / My heart went out to play / But in the game, I lost you / What a price to pay”
15. “Confessions Part II” by Usher – Not only does Mr. Raymond have to tell his girlfriend about his cheating ways, but he also has to tell her that he’s having a lovechild. We’re eleven songs into this countdown, and this is the first mention of a consequence of this kind. Usher just upped the ante on this playlist.
Favorite Line: “Third thing was me wishing that I never did what I did / How I ain’t ready for no kid and bye bye to our relationship”
14. “Heart Turns to Stone” by Foreigner – The birth of a woman scorned. Hell hath no fury…The singer had a great woman who stood behind him, stood by him, and supported him, but he cheated on her. In turn, her heart…well, you know the rest.
Favorite Line: “All the hurt inside, the wounded pride / Oh, what she went through for you / You cheated and lied as her love slowly died / And her heart just broke in two”
13. “Creep” by TLC – Yet another vindictive song for the playlist. The crazysexycool ladies tell the story of a woman who loves her man, but she knows that he is cheating and lying about it. What’s a girl to do? Put on silky pajamas and get hers on the side, too. She doesn’t dare tell anyone about it, though. Except us. Shh…
Favorite Line: “I’ll keep giving loving / ‘Til the day he pushes me away, never go astray / If he knew the things I did, he couldn’t handle it / And I choose to keep him protected”
12. “Picture” by Kid Rock & Sheryl Crow – Ah, yes…a painful, drug-referencing duet. Up until this point, I can say that this is the song that illustrates the most torment. Kid and Sheryl are both cheating on each other, which is nothing new to this playlist, but something is different with this song. Maybe it’s the fact that both singers admit to hurting each other. Powerful track.
Favorite Line: “Since you’ve been gone, my world’s been dark and grey / You reminded me of brighter days / I hoped you were comin’ home to stay / I was headed to church / I was off to drink you away”
11. “Thin Line Between Love and Hate” by The Persuaders – If you looked at my favorite line from this song first, you’d think that the guy was the one being cheated on. Wrong! His sweet woman got fed up with his infidelity and put him in the hospital. *cue Lynn Whitfield trying to kill Martin Lawrence*
Favorite Line: “I didn’t think my woman could do something like this to me / I didn’t think she had the nerve, so here I am / I guess actions speak louder than words”
The top and final 10 songs of “The 25 Best Cheating Songs from the Cheaters Themselves” will be coming at you soon…very soon.
-23
If you’re a regular here, you might have seen a few playlists that I’ve done in the past. Here are a few in case you missed them: Father Playlist, Grown & Sexy Playlist. I decided to make this one my most well-researched one yet. They couldn’t just be any songs, though. There are a million songs dealing with this subject. These songs had to be from the vantage point of the actual cheaters involved in the cheating. That also means that songs about being cheated on (i.e. Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats”) did not make the cut.
Disclaimer: I do not in any way condone cheating. At the same time, this list is not intended to insight judgment. Songs inspired by strong emotion tend to be some of the best, so I felt that I would discover and rediscover a myriad of incredible songs. Obviously, I couldn’t put every good cheater song on here, but I certainly got a lot of them. Anyway, let’s get to it…
25. “She Don’t Have to Know” by John Legend – I could have used any number of his songs (“Number 1”, “Again”, “Another Again”, etc. However, I decided to go with this one because it captures that feeling of knowing you’re wrong, but lying to keep from getting caught.
Favorite Line: “Girl, I know you’re doing the same thing, too / But I won’t tell your man the things we do”
24. “Maybe I Deserve” by Tank – Tank put an interesting spin on this song by going around the fact that he cheated. He never actually admits it until towards the end of the song. Instead, he creates an imaginary tale of his girl doing what he did to her in real life. Impressive.
Favorite Line: “Maybe I deserve for you to say, ‘Yes, I cheated on you.’ / And I won’t care ‘cause after all I put you through”
23. “Second Chance” by .38 Special – I can’t help but laugh at some of these lyrics. It’s amazing how many feelings the same kind of act spawns. This song provides some of the weaker excuses for cheating, but it’s a good song, nonetheless.
Favorite Line: “I never loved her / I never needed her / She was willing and that’s all there is to say / Don’t forsake me; please don’t leave me now”
22. “The Other Woman” by Ray Parker, Jr. – “Who ya gonna call?” Well, if you’re Ray Parker, Jr., you’re obviously going to call the other woman. He messed up by falling in love with her, though. If you’re looking for a song filled with begging, pleading, and remorse, this ain’t the one for you.
Favorite Line: “Oh, this affair is unique / All my life I never met such a freak / She keeps going strong for so long / When I get home, it’s all gone”
21. “Human” by Human League – Now that I’ve established that some of these lyrics are weak, allow me to present Exhibit B. I get a kick out of some of the justification I read when I look at some of these lyrics. What’s the excuse for cheating in this song? “I’m only human.” Well, now that you said that…
Favorite Line: “I wouldn’t ever try to hurt you / I just needed someone to hold me / To fill the void while you were gone / To fill this space of emptiness”
20. “Unfaithful” by Rihanna – “Once a good girl goes bad, she’s gone forever.” RiRi wasn’t lying when she resurrected a Jay-Z lyric. Here, she is cheating on her lover, and he knows that she’s cheating on him. The worst part is that she’s happy with the other guy. Fortunately, she doesn’t want to cheat on him anymore. Out with the old, in with the new, I suppose.
Favorite Line: “I say, ‘I won’t be long. Just hangin’ with the girls.’ / A lie I didn’t have to tell / Because we both know where I’m about to go / And we know it very well”
19. “Infidelity” by Trey Songz – This song is for the good lovesick girlfriends everywhere. Trey’s girlfriend loves him no matter what he does. He decides to do the admirable thing, which is to break up with her. “[She] can’t be mad at that…” Brutal. Poor girl…
Favorite Line: “With all my infidelity / You loved me so incredibly / Inside I’ll fall apart / If you ever love someone instead of me”
18. “You Know I’m No Good” by Amy Winehouse – Unhappily married and stuck together is how I’d describe this song in short. Amy goes back to an ex-boyfriend and does everything she can to make her seemingly dumb good husband divorce her. At least he knew what he was getting into.
Favorite Line: “Upstairs in bed with my ex-boy / He’s in a place, but I can’t get joy / Thinking on you in the final throes / This is when my buzzer goes”
Look out for songs 17-11 on the “25 Best Cheating Songs from the Cheaters Themselves” playlist tomorrow.
-23
“Tower, this is Ghost Rider requesting a flyby.”
Disclaimer: Now, usually I don’t do this but uhh…there was a lot going on in the world of sports this week, both on and off the fields/courts/rinks of play.
The NFL Draft (1) is finally here. Unlike some of my fellow Threaders, I’m ready for it to be over. Seriously, the coverage has gotten ridiculous. Let us remind ourselves that the draft is merely a crapshoot for potential. Potential. What these cats did in college does not directly translate to the NFL. It could. It might. But it’s a gamble. I don’t need to look at numbers. I don’t need to look at trends. I don’t need to look at logarithms. The draft is a game of chance, and it has completely dumbed down my ESPN viewing experience. Let’s get this over with. Meanwhile, by the looks of things, the New Orleans Saints (2) may be in hot water yet again with the latest allegations of cheating. For their sake (and I’m not even a fan), I hope it’s not true. Who am I kidding, though? It probably won’t matter. If these allegations are true, Roger Goodell (3) will suspend the parties involved, and once again, it will be business as usual at the NFL nation under Goodell. Dear Saints, may the odds be ever in your favor. Oh, Mr. Goodell. He’s flexing his muscles by moving to suspend the Pro Bowl (4). Now, I can rally around this idea. What a bloody shambles that game has become. Players don’t play. The players that play don’t play hard. The players on Super Bowl rosters don’t even go. It’s just not the honor that it used to be. Hell, it’s not even in Hawaii anymore. We toyed with the idea of doing away with the Pro Bowl in one of my grad school glasses, but what do you replace it with? I don’t know what would make people watch. I’d be interested to see some kind of cool NFL field day type situation, though. Who’s the fastest player? I want relay races. I want head to head 100-yard dashes.Most bench press reps. Who has the best arm? As far as I’m concerned, this would be better than a sorry touch football game.
Damn, she's still fine in a mug shot.
There’s never a week that Twitter doesn’t deliver me a gem. This past week was no different. Deion Sanders (5) showed his insatiable appetite for attention again this week. He tweeted, “Pray for me and my kids now! They just witnessed their mother and a friend jump me in my room. She’s going to jail n I’m pressing charges!” That tweet just sounds like it came from a kid even as I read it. Look, I don’t know what made Sanders’ wife attack him. I don’t know why they’re still living under the same roof. I don’t know whose side to take. I’m glad Deion didn’t hit her, but this whole situation stinks to high heaven. Deion and Pilar should both be embarrassed and ashamed of themselves. Pilar and her friend shouldn’t have attacked Deion. Deion shouldn’t have brought his children into this situation by Tweeting a picture of his sons filing complaints with him. What an ugly and terrible situation. Who are the adults in this situation? Please, reveal yourselves. That divorce needs to hurry and be settled for the sake of everyone involved.
Ron Artest Metta World Peace (6) did it again. He demonstrated how unstable he is mentally. I’ve seen “the elbow seen ’round the world” too many times to count at this point, and each time I see it, there is no doubt in my mind that it was intentional. What bothers me more is the lack of remorse he showed after the elbow, though. Instead of checking to see if Harden was okay, he was squaring up with Serge Ibaka. Now that I’ve seen his interviews since the incident, I’m even more perplexed. He has said all the right things, apologized to Harden (not personally) and the Thunder organization, and accepted his 7-game suspension. But…Something is just not right with this guy. At all. He’s like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Just when I thought Artest World Peace had turned a corner, he goes back to his old habits. I want to like Dr. Jekyll, but Mr. Hyde keeps taking over and rearing his ugly head entirely too often. Someone get that shrink he spoke of a few years ago back on the line…
With that said, I’m excited about the NBA Playoffs (7) for some reason. This has been a shaky season full of inconsistency and lackluster performances, but the stage is set for an entertaining playoffs. The Rockets weaker teams have been eliminated, and it’s time for the best to emerge. I’ll go ahead and make my finals prediction: Miami Heat (8) vs. San Antonio Spurs (9). Give me the Spurs in 6. *Commence the implosion of Miami’s Big 3 and more slander at LeBron James’ (10) expense.* And can we keep the season at 66 games? I’m just saying…
Speaking of playoffs (Playoffs? Playoffs???), the NHL Playoffs (11) are already underway. This wouldn’t normally matter to me, but Joel Ward (12) of the Washington Capitals made the game-winning and series-clinching goal last night, much to the dismay of Boston Bruins fans. To add insult to injury, Joel Ward is black. *gasp* Several Bruins fans took to Twitter to express how upset they were and dropped plenty of N-bombs in the process. Really?? I asked if the NHL (13) had a race problem on Twitter. I quickly came to the conclusion that it wouldn’t matter even if the league acknowledged that it did have a problem. Non-whites aren’t exactly the target market. It’s quite unfortunate, but what can we do? I respect the Bruins and Capitals for releasing statements denouncing the kind of ignorance displayed by some of the Bruins fans last night, though.
Until next time, folks. -23
Follow The Thread on Twitter!
Hey thREADERS,
Here is our “Think Like a Man” episode. If you listened live, you will find the show (including the After Show) in its entirety. Once again, thank you all for your continued support. Join us for another show like only The Thread can do next Monday at 10PM Central. I hear 3 new Threaders will take the plunge into this “radio thing.” Much love! -23
A lot of us have read the book. A LOT of us saw the movie this past weekend. Now, it’s time to discuss this Steve Harvey phenomenon. Was the movie realistic? Unrealistic? Can we apply what we’ve read and what we saw to real life? Whether you’ve read the book, seen the movie, or done neither, we’ve got something for you! Join us tonight for another round of thought-provoking discussion!
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/threadradio/2012/04/24/think-like-a-man-he-saidshe-said
-23
“Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it’s my very good honor to meet you…”
Music
It’s been a quiet week (thankfully), so this set of Thursday Thoughts will largely dwell on the past. First and foremost, Dick Clark (1) passed yesterday at the age of 82. Although he was before my time with the exception of New Year’s Eve every year, I must take a moment to salute the man. Clark basically made it acceptable to bring black music by black people to white households on television. American Bandstand (2) was one of the first shows to allow blacks and whites to perform on the same stage, have black performers, and a desegregated audience. My prayers are with his family and friends.
Coachella (3) started this past weekend, and the biggest news came during Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s performance. A hologram of Tupac (4) appeared during the set and performed “Hail Mary” and “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted”. Technology has come a long way. It certainly gives credence to the idea that one’s legacy lives on and never really dies. It has subsequently stirred up some debate, though. Personally, I have to give Dre credit for giving us this glimpse of ‘Pac again. Along with his Beats headphones, he has had a huge couple years. Now…about that Detox album.
Perhaps one of the more unheralded performances last weekend came from The Weeknd (5). I really didn’t mean that as a pun. As some of you know, I am a HUGE Weeknd fan, so I was looking forward to hearing his performance. Watch it here. His live vocals need work, but it’s worth a look, since most fans have never seen him perform live. The Weeknd is still a bit of an enigmatic character. His cryptic and often disturbingly obscure videos on YouTube don’t give us a good idea of who this mysterious Canadian really is. I’m almost holding out hope that he stays the shadowy artist that he is. If he blows up, I fear the limelight from the mainstream will severely cripple the dark persona that he has meticulously created.
Sports
In news that isn’t really news, the wife of Antonio Cromartie (6) announced that her and her husband are expecting twins. For those of you keeping score at home, these will be numbers 11 and 12 for Cromartie; three and four for the couple. As for the other eight, they are dispersed between seven other women. My head suddenly hurts. Now, I’m not one to judge, but…do none of these people believe in some kind of birth control?? There was talk of a reality show featuring all of the mothers, kids, and Cromartie, but apparently, he declined the idea. I’ll just put this out there. Cromartie shouldn’t decline any form of income. He won’t be a cornerback forever and that $252,000 a year in child support will start to hurt soon if it doesn’t already.
Major League Baseball celebrated its annual Jackie Robinson Day (7) earlier this week in which every player dons the number 42. Every year, this commemoration brings with it negativity concerning the lack of African Americans in baseball. As it stands now, 8.05% of all MLB baseball players are black, the lowest in 60 years. Enter Marlon Byrd (8), Chicago Cubs outfielder. I will just quote him because I think he hit the nail on the head, and I can’t say it any better myself.
“If you want to take polls, then take polls asking how many black lawyers do we have now, or how many black judges or black doctors there are now. Just because we’re black doesn’t mean we have to play sports. You can go through other avenues. If the decrease (in baseball) is because they’re going into academic fields, so be it. More power to them.” -Marlon Byrd
He is absolutely right. More power to you, good sir.
To wrap up sports news, a basketball legend stepped down this week. Notice that I said basketball and not women’s basketball. Pat Summitt (9) stepped down from her post as head coach of the women’s basketball team at Tennessee, and I’m honestly pretty sad about it. I don’t pretend to be the biggest women’s basketball fan, but she was one of the best and most dominant coaches, and it is a shame to see her go because of health concerns. She is battling early onset dementia. I pray for her and her family. Well done on the press conference today, Tennessee.
The Week of Tragedy
Today is April 19, 2012. Can you believe it has been 19 years since the Waco Tragedy (10)? Can you believe it has been 17 years since the Oklahoma City bombing (11)? I was a kid, but I still remember those days like they were yesterday. There are haunting images firmly entrenched in my head from those days. Waco is like a second home to me. Seventy-six people lost their lives, including 27 children on this day in 1993 at the Branch Davidian Compound in Waco. Two years later, 168 people lost their lives in Oklahoma City. Hundreds more were injured. I was fortunate enough to visit the memorial in Oklahoma City a few years ago, and I advise everyone to experience that place. It’s amazing that they were able to create a space of such peace and serenity when it was anything but on that tragic morning of April 19, 1995. We observed the five-year anniversary of the Virginia Tech shooting (12) this week (April 17, 2007) as well. On the day we all became Hokies, 32 people lost their lives, while 30 more were injured. I was a junior in college. I remember being in the library when I heard the news of a gunman on a rampage on the campus of Virginia Tech. We have lived through entirely too many of these depressing events. The 13-year anniversary of Columbine (13) is tomorrow. Fourteen students and a teacher died that day in Littleton, Colorado. Sadly, It takes times like these to remind us just how precious life is and how quickly it could end.
-23
