Ghettoblaster has moved

 If you are reading this, you came to look for a new blog post. I've decided to discontinue my Ghettoblaster blog page. The archives will remain. I have a new blog and writer's page called Guerrero Writes

Be sure to click the link and check out my new content as I prepare to write my first book. You can also subscribe to Guerrero Writes for updates and new posts. Thanks for your continued support throughout this transition.

Respect: It Doesn't Cost A Thing

 Does privilege exist? Do you think you are better than anyone? Do you think people in the service industry are your equal? When you go to the grocery store, do you say hello to the people that are serving you? Do you ever ask how they are doing? Do you even care to acknowledge their humanity, or do you only care about the organic hummus you’re looking for? Are you the type of person that just walks up to random employees and bark off an item. No excuse me, no can you help me? Just walk up to a person that is stocking a shelf while their back is turned and hollar Peanut Butter! Then when they turn to you bewildered, you give them a look of disgust because you haven’t been instantaneously teleported to a wall of peanut butter. So they say, what was that? Now you’re annoyed, PEE NUT BUTT ERRR. First of all we’re not death or stupid. You interrupted our work and concentration. You didn’t even think to excuse yourself. Now, I have to politely escort you to the peanut butter. 

What are you scared of?

 I think I’m scared of success. I think that growth makes me nervous. I have so  many things I want to accomplish but I keep making excuses. Not enough time. No money. I can’t possibly do that. At my age? Why do you do this? Self doubt is a dream killer. Why aren’t we trained to believe in ourselves? Why don’t we say to ourselves. Make time. Get the money. I can do anything. Success has no age limit. Some of us go through life and never reach our full potential. We have skills. Great ideas, but never take that first step. What are we afraid of, failure? You can fail a million times, but you only have to succeed once. The problem is you don’t know if this time you will succeed. There’s only one way to find out. You have to believe you will be successful and put all your effort into it. Taking a chance and not giving all you got is like not trying at all. If half of us took more chances and believed in ourselves more, we’d all be doing better, because the other half would see that it can be done and be inspired to try.

Mental Health Check

 Metal health check. How is everybody doing? Are you good? Ok? Aight? Maybe you’re not good at all. That’s fine too. Admitting to not being ok is the first step towards addressing the issue. Most people won’t admit they’re not ok because maybe they don’t want to appear weak. Some don’t want to be that person who is always not good. There are many reasons not to be ok. Especially in today’s society. Health. Social Injustice. Cicadas. The economy. Guess what, you can not control any of those things. You have to focus on what you can control. The factors in your daily life that affect you mentally and or physically. First start at home with the now. How is your partnership holding up? Is it stronger or weaker than it once was? If it’s not what you want it to be, what are you doing to remedy the problem? Date nights, sex, gifts and money will not fix the problem. You have to start at the core. 

You don't see color [I see racism]

 I’m beginning to think that staying on the straight and narrow fundamentally hindered my life. You're raised believing that being a thug or knucklehead is going to mess your life up. That if you keep fucking up you’ll end up in jail or dead. We drank, we smoked and sold drugs. We were content with doing that for the rest of our lives. Nothing our folks said was going to change our minds. We all heard, what if your friends jump off a bridge? Shit, we were down for whatever. Loyal to each other until today. We eventually were pressured into believing that being upstanding citizens was going to make our lives that much better. I call bullshit.

Staying Organized [Kinda]

 Staying organized and staying focused on a goal is not as exhausting as I anticipated it to be. The issue I have that I’m running out of things to put in my to do list. In the last 2 weeks I’ve gone from watching TV 5 plus hours a day to getting up 2 hours early everyday just to write and do other things on my list. I don’t miss television. I watch 1 hour a day and other than that I’ll  have a documentary or podcast on in the background while I work.

Vacci-nation

 What's the best nation in the world? Vaccination. At least that is what it seems like right now here in the states. Employers are giving incentives for employees who get vaccinated. Krispy Kreme donuts will give you a free glazed donut every day for the rest of the year if you get vaccinated. After you get your second shot, if you take your completed vaccination card to Staples or Office Depot they will laminate it free of charge.

Money: It's a drag

When I was a kid all I wanted to do was grow up. Be an adult. Be free. Make my own decisions. Go where I wanted, when I wanted. I'd have money, friends, nice things, love and be happy. It never occurred to me that none of that was realistic or sustainable. 

Decluttering your mind and life and writing down your goals

It's April 2021. We cycled over a year or pandemic life. Quarantine, masks, hand sanitizing and all other Corona prevention methods you take, are getting old and annoying. With the advance of vaccinations across the country and other parts of the world it seems that we are inching towards a more normal and less fearful existence. However we can forget about going back to the way things were prior to a year ago. 

As folks start going back to work and restaurants and venues start to reopen we can start looking forward to things again. Like date nights and hanging out with friends and family again. This is also the perfect time to start over. Reinvent yourself. Maybe not outwardly but in your day to day life. Time to get organized and on a schedule again. Get back to being active. How do you suppose you're going to do that? By writing it down and planning.

Concrete Cowboy [A Review]

     If I told you that in Northern Philadelphia, in the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood, there is a horse riding club of Black Cowboys called Fletcher Street Riding Club, would you believe me? Then I'll tell you the Fletcher Street Cowboys have been around for over 100 years. This unique and relatively unknown phenomenon is the back drop for Netflix's latest Release, Concrete Cowboy. A heartwarming coming of age story set at the margins of the ruff and tumble streets of Philadelphia, and the stables on Fletcher Street. What makes this film is the stellar cast supported by real life riders and members of the Fletcher Street riding club.

     The core of the story is the fractured relationship between an estranged father and his son. British actor, Idris Elba personifies the patriarch, Harp. A veteran of the streets that in his later years found riding and horse keeping to channel his energies that in his youth had led him down the wrong path.. His son is Coltrane aka Cole, played by Caleb McLaughlin, which is known for his work in the Netflix series, Stranger Things. A typical teenager acting out and in need of structure and discipline while being beckoned to the streets by childhood friend Smush. Latino acting phenom, Jharrell Jerome, known from the film Moonlight and his Emmy winning performance in When They See Us, brings Smush to life. He's caught up in the street life, but has a big brother relationship with Cole. He also has aspirations of leaving the game and Philadelphia. Trinidadian Actress Lorraine Toussaint rounds out the cast. You've seen her in everything including Orange is the new black to Selma. Toussaint plays stable owner, Nessie. You'll also recognize, neighborhood cop, Officer Leroy portrayed by Clifford Smith Jr aka Method Man of the Wu Tang Clan. The cast also includes members of the Fletcher Street Riding Club and community. One of the standout performances come from Jamil Prattis who plays Paris. Being relegated to a wheelchair does not diminish his love of and appreciation for caring for and riding the majestic animals. Esha is fellow rider who helps Cole assimilate to the cowboy life is played by another Fletcher Street rider Ivannah Mercedes. The unsung cast members are the horses used in the film

     The main theme of the film is redemption and how the comradery of riding and caring for these amazing animals saved some of their lives and kept them off the street. Its a story about men and boys, fathers and sons overcoming adversity and finding purpose. Definitely worth a watch. A good date movie or with the family.