Real Talk: Two Substance-less Arguments

I argue quite a lot, about a lot of different things. It's not because I'm just randomly argumentative or get off on being right. Many times it's to get a reaction from others or sometimes just to add humor to a boring situation. But even moreso,  I like seeing how people defend their arguments. I can admire a worthy opponent for providing valuable insight or perspective even if we disagree vehemently. You're not going to agree with everyone; you might as well gain something from the argument. But in the last few years, there have been two major arguments that continue to arise which have virtually no substance beyond the superficial. One of them is sports-related (by in large inconsequential) and the other is a much large human civil issue. The first is the "I hate LeBron, I'll never respect him after "The Decision", he's everything that is wrong with modern sports. The other is "I'm so disgusted by the idea of gay marriage, they're such sinners. I could never support that." Yep, I'm going there. But let's start with LeBron. Get over "The Decision" and the pep rally already. It was a "look at me" move - a "look at me" move that raised over $2 million for the Boys & Girls Club), but a "look at me" move nonetheless - and I understand how anyone from Ohio is heartbroken that he left and furious that he announced it on National TV. Everyone else, shut up. But why is noone mad at Dan Gilbert, the Cavaliers owner, who didn't put talent around him (Mo Williams, the 2nd best player on that team, became the 3rd string point guard for the Clippers the year after LeBron left)? Why isn't anyone mad at the other players in that locker room who hid from him the fact that one of his teammates was sleeping with his mom? I wouldn't trust teammates hiding shit like that from me.Why wasn't anyone mad like that when other all-time great players left small market teams to win in larger markets (Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem, Shaq, etc.)? You mad about what he said at a pep rally? Any high school football team makes outlandish promises at pep rallies. The point of pep rallies is to hype up the crowd, period. Professional athletes (all eras, all sports, men and women) are a bit vain. After all, ever since Bird & Magic brought the NBA back into the national spotlight, players (especially superstars) are praised by those who live through their successes vicariously. Many of the greatest players ever have personality traits much worse than LeBron's - Jordan's bullying competitiveness and gambling issues, Oscar Robertson's condescending obsessiveness, Wilt's selfishness, widespread infidelity across sports, etc. None of that matters to fans then, why does it now? There are professional athletes getting in trouble for drugs, guns, murder, rape, steroids, etc, where's all the anger then? If you don't like him, say you don't like him. He's the best player in the world and has dis-proven everything people said he couldn't do (win, hit jump shots, hit game winners, make clutch plays, etc). If you're a hater, say that, stop acting like there's any substance to your argument. Next, the homosexuality issue. Crazy enough, I'm going to keep this one shorter than the sports issue. Christianity is being used as a reason to oppose gay marriage beyond judgment. But look back, Christianity was formerly used to oppose interracial marriage, marriage across religions,etc. It was used to support slavery, segregation, the ugly process of colonization, and more. The KKK modeled their hoods after those once worn by European priests. The Bible was written in an age when marriages were widely arranged (between teenagers largely), hormones and mental makeup was not understood, there was no thought of equality or fairness towards women or many ethnicities. With caring for your fellow child of God being a key principle of the religion, the Bible was written in a time period which differed from that mightily. Although it recorded the actions and words of God, the Bible was written by men, each with their own flaws, prejudices, and biases. Religion is not flawed because of any flaws with God; religion is flawed because man is flawed, period. Homosexuality is sin...so is pre-marital sex, telling lies, etc. Why is homosexual monogamy seen as so much more sinful than a heterosexual casual sex and the lying that's often involved? I don't believe people are gay by choice, I believe they're gay by hormonal makeup. We now live in an age where marriages aren't arranged, you can marry who you're attracted to and compatible with. So naturally, if those who are gay don't have to deal with the burden of their families telling them who they're going to marry at age 13 during puberty, they have the choice to choose for themselves. If you're attracted to the same sex, you will probably figure that out soon after puberty and pursue that sex. Would you rather they fake it, leaving them unfulfilled and possibly cheating to satisfy their desires outside of the relationship? Deciding to be unhappily married to someone you're not attracted to may make for more comfortable family pictures to send your parents, but leads to much bigger problems. Heterosexual marriages have about a 50% success rate, do you honestly believe heterosexual marriage will do worse? And here's the big one, the question to end all questions before I end this entry. Let's say you're a preacher standing on the doorstep of your church as people walk up to your door, what is less Christian: A) the fact that that two God-fearing women approaching are in love and married? or B) you shunning away a couple trying to get closer to the Lord because you don't like the fact that they're happily married? Real talk.

Stop Me When I Start Lying: The Perfect Celeb Female Friend

Rihanna. Gorgeous man-eater. Femme Fatale herself. Hot-headed Rock Star Queen. Untameable beautiful beast ...best female friend imaginable? Rihanna....let that sink in. Robin "Rihanna" Fenty, 'Femme Fatale' herself. She's like Poison Ivy from Batman reincarnated as a Caribbean rock star. Let's list some of the detractors we've learned if you're a guy trying to make her your lady (Hello, Chris Brown, Matt Kemp, etc). She's erratic. She's impulsive and simple arguments can become fist fights quickly (That Trinidadian in her) . She's a drinking, smoking party animal who's "open minded sexually"; a nice way of saying she fucks who she wants, when she wants, regardless of what anyone (including he boyfriend/main guy) thinks about it. She's a man-eater who'll love you hard and break your heart if you're shooting for hers. I know all this...but if I was in a room with her. That Poison Ivy potion might pull me in too. That's what makes my guy Wale brilliant. I heard him in an interview recently telling why he loves being platonic friends with her and hasn't attempted anything more. Rihanna is always fun to be around, got her own bread, probably provides alcohol and weed everywhere she goes(I don't smoke, but ppl I know who roll with weed always have friends) rolls with other beautiful party animals (probably safer one night stand/fling candidates than her), she seems a little bi-curious (you could be front row to some interesting drunken sights), likes strip clubs, likes sporting events, knows music (also Wale's passion), and got connections worldwide. On top of all that, she can help you make a hit single and she'd probably beat some chick's ass if she hurt you. It's perfect. Whether you're in the mood to see some naked women, a ballgame, party, or just get blown and listen to music at the crib, she'd be the perfect female road dog. By not getting involved in her convoluted love/sex life, you're gaining all the advantages while avoiding the downfall of the Black Widow's venom. I salute you, Mr. Folarin. You've figured out that by being cool as hell with her but not fucking her (probably not the easiest to resist), you may  be one of the first guys to get very close to her without the inevitable heartbreak, unsatiated lust, and distraction, violent episodes, etc. I know, sounds crazy telling someone to get close to Rihanna without getting any of that glorious vagina; it does sound crazy but I don't know if the ends justify the means. Stop Me When I Start Lying...