Parkside Q

It's Been A Long Time, I Shouldn't Have Left You

Hey people, I know I fell off for a minute, but now I'm back with a vengeance! The past couple months have been a bit of a whirlwind for me, and I ended up neglecting the site for a while. But before I jump back into the regular posting cycle, I wanted to get a bit of housecleaning done.

I've been doing a lot of thinking during my hiatus, and I want to redirect the focus of my writing a bit. Yes, I will still post about random bullshit, some drama-type stuff, and the usual stuff that I see as compelling/random enough to snark at. But, seeing that we are in one of the most important election years ever, I also want to channel some of my newly discovered intrigue in the political happenings of our time.

Again, this shift is not to take away from what Parkside Q always was and is always going to be: the world as I paint it through the hottest keyboard in Brooklyn. I just want to expand the range of my art, not so much deviate from it. Just expect to see some more of my politics shine through, although if you have seen my previous posts you were already aware of that side of me seeping into the Q.

Now that that's out of the way, I return you to your regularly scheduled bullshit.

The Game Of The Name

I read a post on Jezebel today which referenced a fascinating blog post at Daisy's Dead Air. In the article, "Daisy" (her pseudonym) recalls instances over the course of her life where people have discriminated, belittled, and straight up hated on her solely on the basis that her first name sounds "Black". Now, we all know that America's so racially sensitive/intolerant that the NYPD was just acquitted of criminally shooting an unarmed Black man... again. Sadly, this institutionalized, ideological idiocy identified as race is so ingrained and internalized that people will make character judgments/assassinations off something as trivial and arbitrary as a given name (I use that term on purpose to highlight the fact that 99.99% of us don't choose the name that's given to us by our parents).

Daisy's story is a textbook example of this travesty. While she has never had to brush up on her bullet dodging skills, she has faced bigotry that can just as easily tear a person apart. Daisy has experienced everything from having to amend her name on resumes to secure job interviews, to being told that her name is "a nigger name". Here's the kicker in this whole story: Daisy is a blond haired, blue-eyed, Midwestern white woman.

But you wouldn't know it from her real name, which is apparently so Black (whatever the fuck that means) that people questioned whether or not she graduated high school. I wish I was joking. Next time someone tells you racism is dead, ask them (especially if they're white) if they'd ever name their daughter RaShondra, as well as why or why not. The only good excuse not to do so is if you hate seeing red spell-check squiggles underneath proper nouns.

I mean, I know back in the day names had meanings and shit, but those days are over. Example: I know several Black and Latina women with names like Natalia and Natasha; those names are of Russian origin. Similarly, Sasha has historically been a dude's name, but recently I've seen more women than men with it. If names are so dynamic, why are we using them as ways to further divide society in the name (pun intended) of finding "desirable" people, both in terms of looks and skill set?

Moving Weight Like I'm Oprah's Son

This is my weight now:

Admittedly, I am closer to 185 without clothes, wallet, etc. on my body, but still you get the picture. It would be fine if I was 6'2"; I'm only 5'9". Therefore, I need to cut back, both in pounds and in dietary indulgences.

And I only have nine weeks (count 'em!) to get to my ideal weight of 170 lbs.

It's All About The O (No, Not "Orgasms")

As an educated Black person, I like Barack Obama. To me and many other people, he exemplifies all that is good in America, especially Black America. I am not naive enough, however, to believe that Obama's campaign for the 2008 US Presidency has been all peaches and cream, despite his hype being greater than Jordan's first comeback.

His major recent setback stemmed from some controversial comments his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright, made that leaked through the press and was  circulated widely on the Internet. This type of incident, while not as titillating as other recent political scandals, had the potential to unravel months of strategy and campaigning efforts by Team Barack. Some people (highly unwarranted, I might add) damn near went Queen of Hearts a la "Alice" on his ass.

So how did Big O handle this potential hot mess? Well, he took his lemons, cut them up, and used them as garnish on a refreshingly crisp Long Island Iced Tea. Instead of imploding like lesser presidential hopefuls could (and would) have, he stepped up to the plate and took the time to address the nation's concerns head on (you know, kind of like a good President would do). He tackled such a sensitive issue as race with the precision and care of an eye doctor performing Lasic, packaged in the honesty we Americans deserve.

Grand Re-Opening!!

Hello, faithful readers!! To quote my girl Eve, "just check out how my format is done!" I finally gave the site the Top Model treatment and gave it a makeover in its second week. The standard format had zero personality; the new look definitely fits the format and info that this blog delivers straight to your face.

I know it's been a hot minute since I updated, but it's been hectic for the past week or so in my personal life (plus, Super Smash Bros. Brawl came out the other day), but I'm back and I promise to share some of the highlights of my adventures as soon as possible. I'm going to bed now, I gotta go to work in like 7 hours.

~Leon

Allow Me To Re-Introduce Myself

What's up, world! Welcome to Parkside Q; I'm your host, Leon Hart. Okay, that's not really my name, but I think having an alias allows me to be less  self-censoring in my posts.

Anyways, now that the introduction's outta the way, let me break down what Parkside Q is all about. This is my personal outlook on life as it happens around me, directly from the center of the universe (a.k.a., Brooklyn). I'll comment on my random experiences, celebrity shenanigans, political incorrectness, and the general view of the world through the eyes of a young professional Black man (that holds a degree AND a job, what?!).

This POV, I feel, is severely lacking, and I'm just the man to bring it straight to your face. If you like it here at Parkside Q, we'll all have great times together. If you hate it here, tell your friends to check out how much I suck (see what I did there?).

Again, thanks for taking a ride over to Parkside Q: the next stop is a place called awesome!

~Leon