This is VEGAS

What’s really good people?

I missed you all last week so what went down since we last kicked it on the blogspot? Hmmmmmmm let me recap; one of my brothers got hitched 9ice! My Super Eagles almost gave all of Nigeria a heart attack after a dismal performance in world cup qualifying (btw I called it). It is very simple, if I am not following a Nigerian football match to help set the tone we are doomed. What’s next, yeah everybody’s NCAA basketball bracket got busted after the opening tip. Now this is truly some real March Madness going around and finally, your boy “Big P” headed out west to Vegas and did it very B.I.G. Man life is Good. West West yall.

Ok people; let me get focused…

Over the years I have visited and been to many countries and cities but the one spot that always gets me shaking in my boots is SIN-CITY. Las Vegas is like no other place if you come to think of it. I mean it is like X-mas year round with all the lights, Thanksgiving with all the food & buffet, Carnival in Rio with all the scantily dressed women, Mardi Gras with all the booze and New Year’s eve with all the beautiful people out to have a good time partying. But there is the not so fun side of Vegas that many people don’t want you to know about. I mean when was the last time you got off a plane and was not even at baggage claim yet and in front of you are slot machines as part of the welcoming committee.

I hear that there are four types of people you will find in Vegas; the LOCALS who go nowhere near the Vegas strip because well let’s hope it is because they know better. I tend to think it’s the latter; many of those locals have had their lives ruined by them slot machines and terrible casino Black-Jack dealers. Next you have the “OUT OF MY LEAGUE” type; these folks are the pretenders, yahoooos that deserve Oscars because they more like actors. One thing I was taught by my elders is people that are NECESSARY never talk about themselves. My brothers always tell me “There is money & then THERE IZ MONEY O”. The following group of folk is the ones I can relate to best, these are the knuckleheads that can “NEVER WALK AWAY”. Many years ago, my brother said something to me that has always stuck and resonated with me, “all you need is one good shoot”. That has got to be the worst piece of advice he has ever given me. Lol. Finally the TOURIST; these are the people that come from like Europe or some cold a** country traveling over 20 hours, wearing their Hulk Hogan fannie packs along their waist side who stop to take pictures of everything all in the middle of a crowded sidewalk. Just ignore these folks, bless their little hearts because they just don’t know any better.

In closing, fellas please “DO KISS & TELL”. It is true what happens in Vegas should be broadcasted for the rest of the world to know your binness. It is not your fault you are out having a good ol’ time while others are hating or miserable because they are not able to experience Vegas. But when you loose everything in Vegas make sure you tell that story too with the same fervor and excitement because that is how you can truly help others from falling for the traps of this great land of temptation.        

Next time you in Vegas ask for my man “ACE”

Body Language & Facial Expressions

What’s really good people?

We got big things POPPIN’ this week in the MY OMO NAIJA camp people. Am talking about grown folk BINNESS here; Black Love and getting my Sam “Ace” Rothstein on. That can only mean one thing and one word “VEGAS” Baaaaaaaby. Ahhhhhh yes; can’t wait to touchdown with the wife and get busy in SIN-City next week. The fact that the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament also kicks-off next week means it is really going to be some March Madness going around. My only concern is figuring out how to follow the Super Eagles match versus Kenya while am away from home in my lucky seat. For some reason this next match has got me very concerned and worried. Most important rule you are taught in sports is to “Always Respect your Opponent”. UP Nigeria & UP Naija!     

Ok people; let me get focused…

I got to thinking recently of all the times over the years people around me commented or remind me of my body language and facial expressions and how it gave off one message or another. My first response typically is I don’t give a you know what…The body language stuff actually is fairly innocent. As an old running back; you ask anybody that grew up playing American football, there is one thing we all have in common and that is our very slooooooow gait and our need to loaf and lollygag when not getting beat on playing the game we all so love. Now as for the facial expressions, I can only attribute that to my strong Nigerian genes I guess. All my life I hear people over and over make comments about how Nigerians have these very strong facial features to them and how scary or intimidating we come across at times. Am like shoot that is good for us. That means you know not to f**k with us. Looool. I find all of it to be so amusing to be honest.

I personally feel too much is put into trying to gauge or read someone if these two behaviors are the sole criteria you choose to judge someone. My take is that we have grown so comfortable in settling on these indicators as a means to quickly dismiss people or cast him/her in the box we wanted them all along. I mean if we all were a bunch of walking stiffs looking to give off an image or looking to sell ourselves as if we were on a job interview life would be so lame and full of corn balls.   

I definitely don’t want to come off as trying to defend poor body language or uninviting facial expressions. I think they are important tell tale signs. I mean these same behaviors are the things we bank on when courting someone that sparks our interest right? And in the famous words of the so called great coach Tony Dungy, “men if she ain’t WINKING at you at 11:59pm she sure ain’t coming home with you at 12:01am”. BTW; I love that quote.

So clearly we can make good use of facial expressions and body languages at times to cut down on the work and haggle of trying to talk to a female. This just reminded me of one of my college years when my mates and I would go out and one of my homeboys always kept to his rule of thumb “I only go after the chicks that look vulnerable and look like they could use a hug” LMAO!

Ahhhhhhh; too be young again…
 

OVER Promise & UNDER Deliver

What’s really good people?

I came across some fantastic news mid-week that the “Super Eagles” of Nigeria will be heading to Houston, Texas to play in a friendly versus Mexico May 31^st. How cool and exciting is that? I get to travel to H-Town for a weekend to take in the beautiful game and watch Nigeria whoop up on the Mexican national team? Sign me up I beg, the only problem I foresee is what to do when the Mexican drug lords and Nigerian 419 Yahoooooozeeee boys decide to try and take matters off the pitch. Hmmmmm; I don’t want “My Omo Naija” peoples body parts getting severed and bagged in trash bags getting tossed into the Gulf of Mexico like that crazy boy Dexter on Showtime.    

OK people; let me get focused…

This week in the DMV turned out to be the big snowstorm that never was. All the hype of 6-10 inches of snow, school and government closings and the rush to buy all the milk, water and bread in sight was another trick to make us spend some dough to boost sales for retailers. As I see it; in recent years more and more people have increasingly grown too comfortable to OVER-Promise but yet UNDER-Deliver time and time again. Snow and meteorologist folk aside, we need to really start to examine and hold more individuals that part-take in such behaviors accountable from parents, friends, co-workers, politicians and even the athletes we aspire to emulate.

Let me start with the parents; please remain mindful of this very flawed behavior towards your children especially if you find yourself inadvertently part-taking in it. In kids eyes, parents you can do no wrong because they adore and love you. It is your responsibility as adults to keep that invisible, irreplaceable and trusting role in tact.

Now let us discuss friends; if you have people like this in your camp you are best off immediately cutting and chopping that a** up like crazy a** Dexter. Look rather that setting yourself up for a massive disappointment down the road, you need to cut your losses early and move on from the situation. You will be better off seriously.   

I like to consider myself a team player but whenever my work requires partnering with people things can get very dicey. I have no patience for slackers, whiners and most importantly EXCUSE makers. The most important rule when it comes to BINNESS is “don’t f**k up da money” and when you have people that exhibit high probability of UNDER-Delivering then you have to discharge them kia kia noni.

When it comes to discussing politicians, I believe this has now grown to be the norm rather than the exception. I see this everywhere; from life in Nigeria to here in the United States I have lost any sense of belief and trust in leadership. The word politics should simply translate to “blood sucking parasites” as that is what these yahooooos do best.

Finally I will simply just say this about athletes, the next time you read in the papers or see on television an athlete swearing up and down, guaranteeing victory and vowing to make his/her country proud you should simply just turn the page or change the channel. These types of characters are exactly whom my older brother has so warned me about over the years, we like to call them the “Joy Killers”.    

Please REFRAIN…  

REAL Brothers Do REAL Things

What’s really good people?

My sincere apologies for flaking on you all in recent weeks people. I must do better, I gotta do better and I will do better. Today is March 1^st and that means spring is right around the corner. Looking forward to this year’s March Madness, Nigeria getting back on the pitch for World Cup qualifying and good times with "Mrs. P" and friends in Vegas. Wait, did I just say Vegas? YES I did and it is going to be another Nasty African “My Omo Naija” TAKEOVER.

                                                                           

Ok people; let me get focused…

In the three years I been blogging, I have shared with you all that my siblings and I alone can almost field a team of Nigerian Super Eagles and with some additional recruiting we can damn near have a reserve team of our own. Loooooool. Now the best thing about coming from a big family is not only all the play, extra-curricular jocularity and fun but the life lessons and the actual growing together. I have my blood brothers, I have my dudes that are like brothers and I have my little man’s who I look after like my brothers. Now when you put a bunch of males together in one setting the testosterone and competition can at times become aggressive, volatile and extremely edgy but its always LOVE. Well that is after a black eye here, missing tooth there and an emergency room visit every now and then just to put body parts and limbs back together.     

Here it is the other they I had one of my brother's say to me “if I can’t talk to my own brother to teach me and to learn life lessons from whom am I to turn to”? My first thought and response was like WHOOOOOOA slow down “Johnny” – “Am just your brother not your daddy”. There in lies the power of Brotherhood, the ability to dialogue or banter for the sake of killing time, seeking answers, holding each other down or pushing forward in the pursuit of life ambitions. Brotherhood time is organic and can never be duplicated. Like the times when shoot the breeze on how to MAC/RAP to a female or reaching that point in life when you thinking about settling down. Like the times when you come home after catching a beat down all for your brother to say we going back out there and you gonna point out that n***a. Like the times when you low on dough and you need a little pick me upper to get through those difficult times and you get broken off just because your brother wants you to stay SHINNING. So with an army of REAL men holding me down over the years it only makes perfect sense for me to handle my BINNESS and DOMINATE because that is what I was put in this world to do. There are no excuses is how I see it because the LOVE from my brothers is strong.

Let me close out on this quick thought, the most sensible way to reverse today’s state of a dying black fatherhood presence in our homes and communities is to teach our young boys and men the responsibilities of good and meaningful brotherhood. Quality parenting and responsible fatherhood is the wholistic big picture outcome we look for in men with children. However; these skills and lessons are better learned over years during periods of horseplay, video gaming, athletic competition or plain old talking s**t.    

I Love my brothers don’t Love no…