(ThyBlackMan.com) There are four major giants that control the majority of popular sports in America. They are the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), National Hockey League (NHL), and the National Basketball Association (NBA). The NFL has 32 teams; while the MLB, NHL and NBA each have 30 teams apiece. Out of those 122 teams, there is only one black person who has majority ownership and control of a franchise; his name is Michael Jeffery Jordan. The basketball icon bought the Charlotte Bobcats in 2010 from  B.E.T (Black Entertainment Television) founder Robert Johnson, who was the first black to seize control of a major sports franchise. The transaction also made Michael Jordan the first former athlete, of any color, to become primary owner of a team/.

Middle of the Paint
“That part of being the first athlete to control his own team is secondary in terms of me trying to provide a winning program here in Charlotte” Michael Jordan said. “For me everybody just wants to see us win. Doesn’t matter if it’s me, doesn’t matter if it’s Bob, doesn’t matter if it’s anybody else, he continued. “I’m happy to be in this position and given this opportunity by Bob.” Acknowledgement by Michael Jordan regarding the significance of this event would be very un-Jordan like.

Throughout his playing career he was known for remaining unbiased on just about everything. He almost never said nor did anything that would ruffle the feathers of his corporate sponsors, who helped him, become the wealthy man he is today. I mean could you imagine Jordan encouraging his teammates to silent protest for Rodney King, similar to the way Lebron James and Dwyane Wade tweeted pictures of teammates wearing hoods in support of Trayvon Martin.

I know I can’t. Instead of verbalizing his feelings, Michael spoke through his play on the basketball court. Instead of preaching for racial harmony and social justice, he was able to bring people together by simply playing basketball with grace and style and at a higher degree than anyone before or after him. I guess Michael Jordan figured if he just shut his mouth, play  basketball, and excel at a level no one has ever seen, everything, from his race, to his gambling, would be obsolete. And he was pretty much right. His accomplishments, wealth and popularity give credence to his philosphy.

Life Goes On
But Michael Jordan doesn’t play basketball anymore; and although he has maintained his status and money throughout his retirement, most former athletes aren’t able to say the same thing. In fact according to businesspundit.com via madamenoire.com, 78 percent of NFL players and 60 percent of NBA players are broke five years after retirement. Legendary basketball player Julius “Dr. J” Erving and former all-star football player Warren Sapp were the latest to become part of this statistic.

Both former athletes have hit hard times financially and had to sell their championship rings and other memorabilia in order to pay creditors and relived some of their debt. The transition from the playing field to the real world becomes difficult not only from a financial standpoint but emotionally and physically as well. It seems that the bigger the star the athlete was; the harder it becomes for that athlete to gracefully walk away from that spotlight.
 
Terrell Owens former all pro wide receiver, who got injured and was deemed too old and too invaluable for any NFL team to hire, was last seen crying on various television shows, including his own reality TV show. Former NBA all-stars Allen Iverson and Antoine Walker could last be seen in Turkey and Puerto Rico respectively. Both players are now playing for foreign basketball leagues in hopes of returning to the NBA and recapturing some of that past glory and money. What about former basketball all-star Stephon Marbury?

He has found recent success playing ball in China, but he could be seen before that making youtube videos of himself eating Vaseline. Even more tragic are the onslaught of lawsuits toward the NFL by former players, who major claim is that the concussions suffered during their time playing in the NFL has caused lifelong damage to their health and well-being.

According to nflconcussonlitgation.com, over 1,800 former players are listed in over 70 complaints toward the NFL. As a result of the concussions, these players claim destitute living, physical and mental illness, including depression which ultimately has contributed to a few of the player’s demise.

One being former Chicago Bear standout Dave Duerson, who was 51 last year when he committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest; before his death, Duerson wrote a note that requested his family to donate his brain to experts who study the effects concussions have on human beings. Another more recent tragedy was the suicide of hall of fame linebacker Junior Seau, who on May 2nd 2012 killed himself at the age of 43; also dying of a single gunshot wound to the chest. It was reported that he tried to kill himself once before in 2010 by driving his SUV off a cliff.

Presumptive and wishful thoughts that he moved pass that horror were shattered with his untimely death. Stories like these are less prevalent in baseball and hockey, who also have less black athletes than football and basketball. 8.5 percent of baseball players in Major League baseball are black, and 2.8 percent of the hockey players are black. Compare that with 65 percent of all the players in the NFL being Black and 80 percent for the NBA. The numbers suggest that there is some type of correlation between black athletes having money and not be able to keep it.Or is it simply that the support system for former players in the NFL and the NBA are inadequate in comparison to MLB and the NHL. I would like to believe that the disproportionate numbers are based less on race and more on distribution of wealth. According to a 2010 Harvard Business School/Duke University; the average wealth for a white household was 20 times greater than a black household and 18 times greater than a Hispanic household.

I would like to believe that these black athlete’s are giving back to some of those less fortunate families and investing in those communities, as oppose to spending money on cars, jewelry, groupies and nightclubs. With that said; Michael Jordan ascension to the ownership seat represents a moment of triumph for the former athlete.
Billionaire Boys Club

It also represents an opportunity for the Michael Jordan detractors to criticize him every chance they can get. Throughout his playing career and up until now, Michael Jordan has been known as the greatest basketball player ever; but as an executive, he has been labeled as the worst ever. His Charlotte Bobcats finish the 2011-2012 NBA season with a 7-59 record; the worst in NBA history. In addition to losing on the court, the Bobcats are also losing money and fans; they lost about 20 million last season and ranked 22 out of 30 teams in terms of attendance. Because Jordan is the majority owner, it should be noted that he is not necessarily always involved with the day to day activities of the ball club.

Like most owners, Michael Jordan delegates responsibilities to different individuals within the organization and trust that they will make the right decisions. His organization has already been through three coaches in two years and will be looking for a fourth throughout the off season. He hired Richard Cho as his general manager in 2011, Cho who is a Harvard law graduate, was the first Asian to become a general manager in the NBA. He was originally the GM for the Portland Trailblazers in the early part of 2011.

The hiring of Richard Cho represents a departure from the alleged practice of Michael Jordan hiring only his friends and colleagues to help run the team. This alleged practice, some have said, is one of the reasons the Bobcats have suffered. One of those critics has been hall of famer, basketball analyst and longtime Jordan friend Charles Barkley.  “I think the biggest problem has been I don’t know if he has hired enough people around him who he will listen to,” Barkley said on “The Waddle & Silvy Show” on ESPN 1000. “One thing about being famous is the people around you; you pay all their bills so they very rarely disagree with you because they want you to pick up the check.

They want to fly around on your private jet so they never disagree with you. I don’t think Michael has hired enough people around him who will disagree.” Barkley continued to say “I love Michael, but he just has not done a good job.” Another person who seems to agree with Barkley is hall of fame coach Larry Brown, who also was hired by Michael Jordan as the Bobcats coach in 2008. The journeymen coach, who coached for seven different teams over a 14 year span, has been quoted saying that Jordan is “around people who don’t have a clue” and that the people he worked with “made me sick.”

I wonder if Detroit Lions owner William Clay Ford faced this type criticism when his team went an imperfect 0-16 in 2008. Or were there any suggestions for Joe Ricketts to sell the Chicago Cubs after his squad didn’t make it to the World Series for over the 100th year in a row. The point is; there always have been bad, losing teams throughout sports. There will always be a team in every league that the competition can count on for a win when times get tough.

In most cases, the owners are the last people who get blamed; so why so hard on Jordan? Some will point to his three year tenure from 2000-2003, as President of Basketball operations for the Washington Wizards, they will use this as evidence for Michael Jordan lack of competence in the front office. While with the Wizards, Jordan was ridicule for drafting NBA bust Kwame Brown as the number one pick and making other questionable basketball decisions like trading NBA all-star Richard Hamilton. Despite those moves, he was still able to turn a profit for Wizards owner Abe Polin, even if it meant he had to suit up and play again at age 40. 
I think Michael Jordan’s problem has less to do with the team’s performance and more to do with race and lack of money. Michael Jordan is the only black dude in a fraternity of rich white billionaires. He has estimated worth of 500 million according to Forbes.com. A drop in the bucket compared to the aforementioned William Clay Ford who is great grandson of Henry Ford (Ford Motors) and the grandson of Harvey Firestone (Firestone Tire Company)  or Paul Allen who is the co-founder of Microsoft and the owner of the Portland Trailblazers. Matter of fact if you combined Jay-Z estimated worth (450 million), who also happens to be a minority partner in the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets with Michael Jordan estimated value; it still wouldn’t come close to most of the other sports owners.

Maybe that’s why New York Post writer Phil Mushnick wrote an unapologetic rant against Jay-Z, questioning his leadership abilities. Here is one of the quotes from that column:  “Why the Brooklyn Nets when they can be the New York Niggers? The cheerleaders could be the Brooklyn Bitches or Hos. Team logo? A 9 mm with hollow-tip shell casings strewn beneath; Wanna be Jay-Z hip?

Then go all the way!” Obviously this man has some issues, but unfortunately his sentiments are shared by more people than you would believe. And a lot of these people are in the media and places that shape public opinion.  So when I hear criticism about Michael Jordan executive skills, I’m starting to believe it has less to do with distinguishing a bad owner from a good owner, but more of distinguishing a rich Black man from a wealthy white man.

Written By Jarrod Horton

(ThyBlackMan.com) I was saddened to read about the fake suicide attempt by Terricka Cason Cromartie, wife of NFL  star Antonio Cromartie.  Mr. Cromartie is known as much for the many places his sex organs have traveled as he is for his prowess on the football field.   By having 8 kids with 7  woman, plus another four with his wife, Antonio Cromartie represents both the very best and worst of what that black men can be.

On one hand, Antonio Cromartie deserves credit for settling down and having his last four kids under the umbrella of marriage.  He is at least a little bit better off than the ridiculous man who has 30 kids and is now begging for help to cover massive amounts of child support.   But the truth is that Antonio Cromartie will end up spending the next 30 years of his life paying for decisions made in his youth.   Terricka may think she won the prize by getting Antonio Cromartie’s hand in marriage, but she may have won the boobie prize  instead.  Her experience serves as a teaching and learning point for all of the young women who are being swooned by the alpha male dream boats in their midst.

Here are a few things that Mrs. Cromartie might have to look forward to as she experiences the drama and trauma of marrying the man that all women seem to love:

1)  An undisciplined husband with gobs of female attention:  Comedian Chris Rock always joked that “a man is only as faithful as his options.”  While I disagree with Rock’s assessment (a mature man realizes that having all the women you want is not always good for your physical and psychological health), the truth is that beautiful women can be like crack cocaine calling the addict out of bed in the middle of the night.  A gluttonous, fertile man who hasn’t been taught family values never gets tired of adding yet another woman to his Rolodex, and the woman that he is with finds her feminine instincts buzzing like a fire alarm at every turn.

All the while, the man is smooth enough to convince her that she is the crazy one, driving her even crazier in the process.  The next thing you know, she’s faking her own suicide to get attention, slashing the man’s tires or going through his cell phone looking for prohibitive text messages.   There is no quicker path to insanity than dealing with a mate who doesn’t respect you.

2) STDs anyone?  If you have that much unprotected sex with that many woman, most statistical data says that you’re probably going catch at least two or three venereal diseases.  Herpes and HPV are a good start, but HIV is always a possibility.  Making matters more interesting is that a lot of brothers have a lot of sex and haven’t gotten tested for anything since that math exam in the 12th grade.  Then, if the test does happen, getting the license of being “HIV free” becomes a blank check for more unprotected sex, while no one has said a word about being tested for all the other venereal diseases that can kill you. Yes, this is a recipe for disaster and nearly anything done in excess usually has a consequence.

3) Her man will probably go broke: Antonio Cromartie, a man who has already paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to his sperm donees (the New York Jets had to pay him $500,000 in advance, just to cover back child support) , is going to be paying huge sums of money long after his body has given out on him.  Then, he will become like Terrell Owens, who finds that the sexual prowess of his youth was both the gift and the curse of a lifetime.  When a man goes broke, the first ones to pay the price are the people who live in his home, at least that was the story told to me in an email sent from a former Basketball Wife who is now living at home with her parents.

4) Most of his kids are probably going to hate him:  Not only do men pay a financial price for spreading their seed in an undisciplined manner, their children pay the ultimate price.  Children who don’t get time with their fathers are more likely to be hurt, angry, depressed and self-destructive.  The next thing you know, Antonio Cromartie’s son is following in his dad’s footsteps, ignoring his father’s pleas not to “repeat the mistakes that have destroyed my life.”

Here’s a bit of “fatherly advice” for young women who have at least one Antonio Cromartie in your life (these guys get around, and you’re not the only woman he is chasing):  Avoid these brothers like the plague. You can find another man who is just as attractive, but who who might also be educated, intelligent in his choices, disease free and not headed down the path toward financial destruction.

For the guys who look up to men like Antonio Cromartie, I encourage you to realize that you don’t have to share your sex organs with any willing vagina in your path.  A lot of women come with pretty faces, “slamming” bodies, psychological issues, a long list of diseases and enough venom to murder a rattle snake.  Any woman you lay down with has the potential to be the mother of your child, so I encourage you to choose wisely.  Sex is one of the most powerful forces in the universe, and anything that powerful must be used responsibly. There isn’t much to say beyond that.

…

(ThyBlackMan.com) It’s really frightening how many Americans are willing to listen to a guy like Ron Paul. The congressman is clearly one of two things – he’s either a typical demagogue, or an unthinking ideologue. He specializes in combining fact with fiction by pointing out everything that’s wrong with all of the policies that are contrary to his agenda. Then Ron Paul claims that his irresponsible solutions are a cure for all of the nation’s problems – solutions drawn from an outlandish philosophy, which, on its face, is a corruption of the U.S. Constitution, and would constitute an exercise in national destruction. Ron Paul is quoted as saying the following:
.
“The most basic principle to being a free American is the notion that we as individuals are responsible for our own lives and decisions. We do not have the right to rob our neighbors to make up for our mistakes, neither does our neighbor have any right to tell us how to live, so long as we aren’t infringing on their rights. Freedom to make bad decisions is inherent in the freedom to  make good ones. If we are only free to make good decisions, we are not really free.”
.
Ron Paul’s entire premise is flawed. Total personal freedom was clearly not the intent of the founding fathers. They had the good sense to recognized that a society, or a civilization, as it were, is defined as a “GROUP of people who have joined together to pursue a common interest or goal,” and they clearly set out their intent in the preamble of the United States Constitution, which bears absolutely no resemblance to Paul’s interpretation. The preamble reads as follows:
.
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare [not just make Ron Paul happy] and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
.
Thus, if Sen. Ron Paul doesn’t like the rules we’ve set up to “promote the general welfare,” he has the freedom to move to the wilderness and not live among us. But according Ron Paul’s philosophy, he thinks he should have the right to pee against the wall in the middle of Times Square during rush hour, and the government should be precluded from stopping him.  Because you see, according to Ron Paul’s  philosophy, and his flawed reading of the United States Constitution, that should be his inalienable right, since he’s not hurting anyone else.
.
So in essence, Ron Paul wants to have his cake and eat it to. He wants to take advantage of the benefits of living in an ordered society, while not having to adhere to the rules that make it a society. For example, he contends that the civil rights laws that prevent him from refusing to serve certain groups in his restaurant abridges his right to private ownership. But on the other hand, he has absolutely no problem with the fact that the group that he bans is forced to pay taxes that support “his right to private ownership.” If his business catches on fire, he’s going to expect the banned group’s tax supported fire department to come put it out.  And if he’s robbed, he’s going to expect the group’s tax supported police department to come to his aid. But the fact is, Ron Paul can’t have it both ways. If he’s not willing to adhere to society’s rules, he can’t expect to take advantage of the benefits of living in an ordered society.
.
Sen. Ron Paul also wants to abolish the Department of Education, which is essential to maintaining a “more perfect union.” His philosophy also dictates that we should simply “trust” corporations not to grind up rats in our ground beef, or pollute our air and water.  He says, “Just let the free market handle it.”
.
Well, that sounds like a plan, but we saw how the free market handled the Wall Street fiasco, didn’t we? The free market created it, and we paid for it – dearly. The only thing free about the free market is the freedom of ruthless and greedy capitalists to take advantage of a naive and unsuspecting public – and then they tell us we’er un-American if we complain about it.
.
Thus, Ron Paul’s philosophy represents the rantings of a selfish, unthinking, greedy, and totally irresponsible lunatic. Therefore, if he wants total personal freedom, it’s well within his grasp. He can vote with his feet and move to the wilderness. Then he can pee against any tree in the forest at will – but he shouldn’t expect us to come to his aid if a snake decides to latch on to his pecker, because that’s the price of total freedom.

Staff Writer; Eric L. Wattree

More thought provoking articles feel free to visit; The Wattree Chronicle.

(ThyBlackMan.com) The rush to acquit rogue, self-appointed vigilante George Zimmerman of the murder of Trayvon Martin—long before a trial has been non-stop. The latest effort came with the release in quick succession of fresh photos of George Zimmerman’s alleged head and facial injuries at the hands of Martin and an autopsy report that found traces of THC a chemical substance in marijuana in Martin’s system.  This was more than enough for the legion of Trayvon Martin bashers to sprint forward with a new round of see-I-told you that George Zimmerman is innocent digs at Trayvon Martin’s family, supporters, the Reverend Al Sharpton, the media, and of course George Zimmerman’s prosecutors. Add this to the long litany of veiled and not so veiled hints, innuendoes, digs, and crass, snide, accusing comments, remarks, slander and outright lies about Martin’s alleged bad background.  The aim in pumping out the barrage of supposed damning “new” accusatory information about Martin is not just to absolve Zimmerman of any culpability in the murder of Trayvon Martin. But to reinforce the image of young black males, such as Martin, as irresponsible, crime prone, and violent.

The image assault on Trayvon Martin and remake of George Zimmerman swiftly kicked in virtually moments after Sharpton and other civil rights leaders answered the appeal of the Martin family and attorneys to help bring public and media exposure to a case that was clearly going nowhere in the hands of an inept, insensitive, and even hostile Sanford, Florida police  department. The professional race baiters and bashers slurred that Martin’s hoodie got him killed. He was branded a possibly a dangerous troublemaker. President Obama was ripped publicly by then GOP presidential contender Newt Gingrich and a slew of right wing talk jocks and bloggers for playing the race card for his sensitive remarks about Trayvon Martin.

The attacks have had some success in transforming George Zimmerman from an aggressive loose cannon vigilante to a tragic victim of Trayvon Martin. The image remake has been so convincing to those who look to grab at any excuse no matter how flimsy to justify George Zimmerman’s murderous act that they have poured tens of thousands of dollars into his PR and legal defense. This makes the climb even steeper for federal prosecutors weighing possible hate crime charges against Zimmerman. It also raises the ante for state prosecutors to try and prove that George Zimmerman acted with brutal malice of forethought in gunning down Trayvon Martin. The steady churning out of inflammatory and potentially damning facts about Trayvon Martin to cast George Zimmerman in a sympathetic light and that made headline news are widely seen, heard and read by a wide segment of the public. This makes it hard, if not impossible, to find jurors that haven’t heard something about the case. That something more than likely will have been one of the many negative nuggets dropped about Trayvon Martin.

But what has all the image massage of George Zimmerman really changed? Even if it’s conceded that Trayvon Martin smoked marijuana, and fought like a tiger to defend himself against George Zimmerman, it doesn’t change the irrefutable facts. George Zimmerman disregarded the admonition of a dispatcher not to pursue Trayvon Martin, and by his own admission confronted Martin. There is absolutely no evidence that Trayvon Martin had committed any crime. The campaign of innuendo and attack against Martin and defense of George Zimmerman bolstered by alleged new facts about the shooting come weeks after the killing and puts the prosecution and Martin family supporters in the awkward and unfair position of having to fend off every hint or outright accusation of wrongdoing by Trayvon Martin while George Zimmerman’s image of a zealous troublemaker continues to get scrubbed cleaner.

The painful proof of that is Trayvon Martin’s alleged drug use and George Zimmerman’s alleged battle wounds are headlined in the reports. But buried in the same public reports and glossed over are the statements from an investigator and former associates of George Zimmerman that he was a bully and a racist, and that he himself was taking prescription drugs for various disorders. The Martin family attorneys brought this out, and it was buried at the tail end of media reports on the “new” negative facts about Martin.

The ultimate trump card that George Zimmerman’s army of defenders and Martin detractors can and will play is George Zimmerman himself. He’s alive, Trayvon Martin isn’t. He will be able to tell whatever story he wants to tell on the witness stand. He will be amply armed with the storehouse of officially released and unofficially leaked “new” and damning information about Trayvon Martin to bolster his tale. He can thank the never ending rush to acquit him for that.

Written By Earl Ofari Hutchinson

One can find more info about Mr. Hutchinson over at the following site; TheHutchinson ReportNews.

Also feel free to connect with him through twitter; http://twitter.com/earlhutchinson

(ThyBlackMan.com) You have trouble sleeping, but you really don’t want to take sleeping pills. It’s okay! There are plenty of other ways to get a better night’s sleep – and they’re all-natural.

Awareness Breathing

Does your mind race with thoughts and worries in bed? This isn’t helping you sleep. Instead, try focusing on each breath and how it travels through your body. As it turns out, this type of conscious or awareness breathing may help you get to sleep faster, say experts

“Breathing techniques help turn off the mental chatter,” says Dr. Teitelbaum. “Focusing on breathing is relaxing and a good way to disconnect from the stresses of life.” How does it work? By following the air as it moves in and out of your lungs, your mind, which generally can only focus on one thing at a time, will be occupied with your breath—not your anxieties. And it’s not as  intimidating as it sounds. Simply take slow and steady—deep—breaths, focusing your thought on the natural inhale-exhale rhythm, and watch as your body and mind calm down.

Yoga

What can a few downward-facing dogs do for your sleep quality? A lot, say researchers. Past studies have found a correlation between yoga practice and decreased symptoms of insomnia, including one study from Harvard Medical School researchers, who found that daily 30- to 45-minute yoga sessions significantly improved symptoms for those suffering from chronic insomnia. In another recent University of Rochester study looking at cancer survivors, a demographic that frequently reports sleep disturbances, researchers found that the movement, breathing and mindfulness of yoga significantly improved the quality of the study participants’ sleep.

Passionflower

This exotic-sounding herbal supplement is commonly used throughout South America for help with sleep and relaxation—it’s even found in some sodas. “A number of studies support its calming effect,” says Dr. Teitelbaum, who also points to evidence that the herb may have pain-relieving qualities, helping to control muscle spasms, and even menstrual pains. Passionflower (also known as passiflora) is available over the counter at most health food and drug stores that carry herbal supplements. Dr. Teitelbaum recommends taking 90 to 360 mg of the extract at bedtime to help with insomnia.

Total Darkness

Even a flicker of light in your bedroom, from streetlights outside, your husband’s book light, the dim hue of the television, according to researchers, can affect your sleep cycles, disrupt our body’s natural clock so much that even the dimmest light in the bedroom may lead to weight gain. Banish excessive light in your bedroom by turning off the TV; try to avoid falling asleep with lamps or even bright nightlights on; and consider investing in blackout shades (which can be purchased inexpensively at any department store), which can eliminate outside lights better than blinds or curtains.

Meditation

Meditation is simply focusing on a calming, peaceful image or thought. Why can it help you sleep? It stimulates alpha brainwave activity followed by theta brainwave activity. In effect, this is slowing down the frequency of your brainwaves, the same process that occurs when one moves from waking to light and then to deep sleep.

How do you do it? Just get comfortable, take deep breaths through your nose, and let your mind go quiet for a while. After a few moments, your mind may start becoming distracted (thinking of things that happened during the day) and when it does, focus on each breath to draw you back to a place of peace and calm.

Valerian

You’ve heard of Valium, a powerful sedative, but how about the herbal supplement known as valerian? “Valerian’s effectiveness has been compared to a Valium family medication (oxazepam), without the ‘hung-over’ feeling present with most Valium medications,” says Dr. Teitelbaum.

“It is commonly used as a remedy for insomnia, and a number of studies show numerous benefits, including an improvement in deep sleep, speed of falling asleep and quality of sleep without next-day sedation.”

Dr. Teitelbaum suggests taking 200 to 800 mg of the extract before bedtime. “Most studies suggest that it is more effective when used continuously rather than as an acute sleep aid. It has a calming effect and can be used during the day for anxiety as well.” As with any alternative medication, be sure to talk to your doctor before using.

Aromatherapy

“Many essentials oils not only help you fall asleep quickly, they also induce a higher quality of sleep,” says Cher Kore, a Boston-based professional aromatherapist and instructor. “If you wake during the night due to noise or a full bladder, many scents may lull you back to sleep.” Her top picks? Roman chamomile, which has a bright, apple-like scent; clary sage, with its rich, sweet scent; and the floral notes of geranium and lavender (all available inexpensively at most health food stores). “The best method is to put two to three drops of essential oils on your pillow, under the pillowcase,” she says. Refresh the drops on your pillow every few days to once a week—about as often as you wash your sheets.

A Warm Bath

Simple, but still a sleep-inducing classic.

“A bath causes your muscles to relax,” says Dr. Teitelbaum. But it’s what a bath does for your nervous system that may really help. “There are two main parts of our nervous system,” he explains, “the sympathetic nervous system, which is the adrenaline part described as the ‘fight or flight reaction,’ and the parasympathetic nervous system.

Shifting from the adrenaline to the relaxed part of the nervous system is critical for entering into sleep, and a hot bath shifts your brain into sleep mode. It’s best to take a bath before bedtime to give your body’s natural thermostat time to cool off. After your bath, setting the thermostat in your bedroom no higher than 65 degrees can also help.

Written By Brittany Gatson

(ThyBlackMan.com) Some very strange things happened in my life this week. Things that turned my whole world upside down.  It was a time when wrong became right and the sun revolved around the moon in a counter-clockwise fashion.  It was a week when the “Vh1 basketball wives” actually decided to act like they’ve got some damn sense and I just couldn’t believe it.

The week started with “Vh1 basketball wives” Executive Producer Shaunie O’Neal admitting that the next installment of the show isn’t going to consist of as much fighting as there has been in the past.

This was a shocking thing to hear from the woman who has been laughing all the way to the bank as other women of color make absolute fools out of themselves.

Shaunie O’Neal is the ultimate businesswoman, so to hear that she was walking away from her cash cow of violence told me that something might be up.

Then there were the ever-so-reflective remarks by the deeply bitter Tami Roman, who said that she has deleted her Twitter account so that she doesn’t have to wake up and deal with negativity every day.  Tami Roman swears she’s not a bully and that she is simply a product of abusive experiences in her own past.

Sorry, Tami Roman, but every bully says this.

The truth is that every murderer, rapist, and child molester usually has a terrible story to tell about how their own abuse fueled their desire to hurt others.  Not that we shouldn’t have empathy, but perhaps those of us who are encouraged to continue the cycle of abuse need to seek productive psychotherapy instead.

Finally, there is the “amazing” Evelyn Lozada, who made remarks about how she has become reflective of her behavior on television.

I am not sure how deep those reflections went, for I am sure that she was only reflecting on how empty her bank account will be if she continues down the road of unpopularity.

The fact is that all of this reflection, contemplation and deep revelation by the ( Vh1 basketball wives ) Basketball Baby Mamas (almost none of them were actually married to any athlete, making them either groupies, ex-girlfriends, or child support recipients) is likely due to the financial pressure of losing corporate sponsors because of the activity on their show.

The world has stood up to the bullies of reality TV and told them that they aren’t going to take it anymore.   A petition started on Change.org led the way, and people around the country have let corporate sponsors know that they are not interested in supporting companies that finance a show that teaches young girls how to bully one another at school.  Beyond this, there is the constant struggle for women of color to overcome their own negative images in media, and this challenge doesn’t get easier when women are signing up to behave like angry football players.

The calming of the ( vh1 basketball wives ) Basketball Baby Mamas is a lesson for both the bullies on this show and for the rest of us.  It says that if we want something to change, we should demand it.  It also says that if we want a better future for our children, we must fight for it.  It’s time to rise above this psychological poison.

(ThyBlackMan.com) On May 17^th the world lost another iconic performer from the music industry. According to The Associated Press Summer died of cancer Thursday morning in Naples, Florida. Her family released a statement saying they “are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy.” Donna Summer passed at the age of 63 after fighting her battle with cancer.

Donna Summer was born LaDonna Adrian Gaines, December 31, 1948 in Boston, Massachusetts to parents Andrew and Mary Gaines and was one of seven children.

As of today she recorded a total of 17 albums, including a number of compilations. She was a five time Grammy winner at the time of her death she was working on an upcoming album. In the 1970s Donna Summer  became   known as The Queen of Disco.  Summer gave us hits such as “Last Dance,” “Hot Stuff” and “Bad Girls.”  She was also the first female artist to have back-to-back multi double platinum albums.

Summer’s entertainment background is an interesting one.  Moving to New York after high school with a band called Crow that later separated; she performed in a production of Hair which took her to Munich. After finishing her run with Hair, Donna Summer went on to sing background for the 1970s trio Three Dog Night. She later on signed a deal with the European label Groovy Records and recorded her first album Lady of the Night in 1974. This album was released only in Europe.  While aboard singing and performing Donna also learned German fluently.

In 1978 Donna Summer appeared in the film “Thank God It’s Friday,” which won the best original song Oscar for “Last Dance.” Summer also appeared in the television sitcom “Family Matters,” playing Steve Urkel’s Aunt Oona in a reoccurring role.

Unknown to some Donna Summer was also an avid and talented painter of abstract art. In 2010, she told Atlantic City Weekly that she sold her first painting for $38,000 and thought, “I may want to stop singing now.” Summer estimated she had sold close to a million dollars of worth of artwork. Her artwork has been shown at the Parkwest Gallery and can be found online.

In regards to her artwork Donna stated, “I paint people from the inside out… from what I see in people… that’s why my paintings are abstract and not well defined… because who can truly know the heart of another person?”

Donna Summer is survived by her husband, musician Bruce Sudano, her three daughters and four grandchildren.

Staff Writer; Eleanie Campbell

(ThyBlackMan.com) Brain McKnight is a sexy and talented balladeer that leaves some women grinning from ear to ear after hearing his melodic songs as he performs on stage.  Since coming on the scene in 1992 with the release of his first self-titled album Brian McKnight, McKnight has recorded numerous other chart toppers.

Brian McKnight is a multi-talented musician, songwriter, producer and of course a smooth crooner.  He plays various instruments such as the piano, guitar, bass guitar, drums, percussions and other instruments.

So why did Brian McKnight post a You Tube video about a woman’s private area? He says that he has thought about recording an adult mix tape so he came up with If You’re Ready to Learn. If You’re Ready to Learn expresses how bad he felt for women that are in unsatisfying relationships.

According to TMZ.com he came up with the video parody in order to kill  time.  He was healing from surgery on his Achilles tendon. He said “I’ve been home for a month… I’ve got this boot on my foot… I’m having fun because basically I have nothing else to do.

Some of his listeners did not appreciate this move, but apparently the adult entertainment industry thinks differently. Brian McKnight became the hottest thing in adult entertainment. TMZ learned, the singer was asked to perform his new X-rated song at the OSCARS OF PORN … aka the AVN awards.

But McKnight isn’t in a hurry to chomp at the porn bit — telling TMZ, “I don’t know what specifically I will do with this track in the future … and I don’t see myself ever performing it live, but I am flattered that people have embraced it and are having as much fun with it as I am.”

Now I’m wondering what happened to the love songs that made you cry. I always said if I could have any artist to sing at my wedding it would be Brian McKnight.  Maybe I’ll need him for the honeymoon instead.  Now will this stop me or others from listening to Brian McKnight and no longer buy his music?  Did it shut down the careers of Michael Jackson, Chris Brown or R Kelly?  Of course not! I still love his music. I’ll just look at this as one of those tracks on the CD that I skip over.

Just as one You Tube viewer questioned, has Brian sung himself right out of a BET Life Time Achievement Award?  Who knows only time will tell on that one.

I can see some other R and B artist singing this type of song, but not Brian. Brian if you are desperate for a comeback, even though I never realized that you were ever gone, I would love for you to get back to writing those beautiful songs that you are known for.  If you do that you’ll do just fine. Your loyal fans and those that love your music would appreciate it.

Staff Writer; Eleanie Campbell

(ThyBlackMan.com) Whenever I hear a person claim that President Obama is a slave to the corporatist Wall Street culture, I know immediately that he’s one of three things – he’s either ignorant, blind to reality, or he’s promoting his own agenda. Of course Obama is a slave to Wall Street – we all are.
.
You can’t live in this society without being a slave to Wall Street. But there are two kinds of slaves. There are slaves who are subservient and content to simply do what they’re told, and then there are slaves who engage in a constant struggle to free themselves and their people. So, while I’m not always happy with some of the day-to-day decisions that President Obama makes to promote our cause, I’m convinced that Obama is one of the latter. If he wasn’t, they wouldn’t be trying so hard to get rid of him.

The fact is, if you’re a casual observer sitting at home and keeping score based purely on your attitudes, prejudices, and feelings, it’s easy to pass your  uninformed judgment on every decision that any politician makes. But the reality is, anyone who decides to go into politics has to be practical, and a huge part of that practicality entails recognizing the fact that you’re going to have to dance to the music that’s being played, and it’s Wall Street that leads the band. So regardless to who we elect, they’re going to have to have, at the very least, a working relationship with the corporate establishment – and ironically, it’s our own fault.