New At Clutch 8/31

A Motivational Piece....


Kanye West: Hip Hops Motivational Speaker

Vita.MN Summer Writing Contest

So I entered this Summer Story competition for Vita.MN Needless to say, I lost. LOL. But, here is my entry. The theme: About Last Night. . My assignment was to write an interesting and wild story about that theme in 500 words or less, however I wanted to write it. So... I took a bit of a risk with my angle for the piece, but here's what I came up with.




Dear Bearers of my $1,000,

Please don’t confuse the headline with arrogance, my mother always taught me to believe the things I say, so I’m just utilizing the Power of Suggestion. I was browsing through a Vita.Mn- which I quickly learned should not be confused with vitamins, although I hope your staff is keeping on top of their Flintstone intake. Anyhow, I ran across this competition that calls for a reflection of my wildest journey through Last Night.

Wild, you say? Well, I’m from a town quite like Pleasantville, so it’s hard for me to discern the exact level of excitement you’re in search of. I’m sure needlepointing without a tapestry needle doesn’t qualify as edgy living. And when I’m not trapped in my Sudoku puzzles, I spend most nights watching Mork and Mindy.

But believe me that prize money would come in handy.

You see, I need new material to finish up my Sandra Dee costume before Grease returns to the Orpheum. Somehow I hear better when I dress in character. I also want more Twilight trading cards to add to my Team Jacob scrapbook. New Moon comes out this November!

I already know what you’re thinking and no, I’m not a prude. I’ve been known to walk on the wild side a time or two. I’ve worn white after Labor Day, taken my shoes off without untying them, and once I even double dipped a potato chip at my grandparents 40th Anniversary. Crazy… I know. And I’m not ashamed either.

So as I was sitting in my bedroom, contemplating my destructive journey towards the finish line in this wild competition I began to see my plans draw closer to reality:

“I’d jump in my car, forget to buckle the seatbelt, get to an intersection and do an illegal “Rolling Stop.”

After that, I jaywalked through the traffic to a restaurant, ran inside, and budded ahead of the couple in front of me. I nearly gave my waiter a heart attack- my elbows resting on the table. I demanded more time with the menu and after his 4th attempt to get my order, I finally settled on milk and chili cheese fries- I’m lactose intolerant.

I excused myself to the restroom where I carefully lifted up all the toilet lids before running my wet hands over the courtesy mints next to the towel rack. I was an untamed beast but at least I left my waiter a tip. Normally I carry a calculator- don’t forget, the standard is 10%. But since this time around I was being wild and free, instead of money I scribbled a few words on a napkin: “Here’s a tip buddy, don’t quit your day job.” Oooh, I’ve always wanted to say that. You see, the madness never ends.”

…but as I continually pondered the shoulda coulda wouldas that reside at the avenue of my wildest possibility, I saw the sunlight peaking through the shadows of my fantasy and realized that my midnight through contemplation had caused my Last Night, to unfortunately escape me. It was now the morning after.

I hope this doesn’t make me ineligible to win. I fell short, but for only a second. That doesn’t mean I’m a loser, does it? I was a Wilderness Girl until I was 18. Our leader taught me a lesson I’ll always remember, “The intent to do wrong, is just as bad as following through.” Then I was only going to eat a grape without paying. At least this time around I was on the verge of crazy. Well, thanks anyway.

Nanu Nanu,
Daisy Openstein



© A. L. Lewis
Cover Art/Illustration by Dwitt of www.Dwitt.com

New At Clutch 8/17

Check out this link to read my interview with artist Letoya Luckett, formerly of Destiny's Child. Phenomenal woman, definitely worth the read.

Letoya Luckett: A Celebration of Lady Love

New At Clutch 8/10

Check out this article weighing the pros and cons of whether or not you should tell a friend that you saw their boyfriend cheating...

Should I Tell Her?

New Boyz Interview- "You're a Jerk- I know"

Hot off the internet and onto mainstream success, Warner Brothers newly signed duo are smashing up the charts with a hot debut single and dance craze to back it. In the spirit of Soulja Boys, Crank That, New Boyz, the young rappers behind the newest club anthem, You’re a Jerk, found capital stardom after creating a single to ride over the Cali Dance movement known as Jerkin’.

Less then a year ago, Ben J and Legacy were regular teenagers who had dual dreams of having a career in sports or a career in the music industry. An inevitable turn molded by their infectious new single You’re a Jerk, paved a road towards unprecedented heights that has them coasting towards a cemented position as the newest faces to watch in this competitive music industry.

Sweeping through the nation with a new sound and new imagination, You’re a Jerk, is a sign of things yet to come for the duo, and is only the tip of the iceberg in discerning their mass abilities. Already living up to their hype with their new single Dot Com, proving that they’re no “One Hit Wonders,” and fresh on the heels of lead roles in an upcoming blockbuster film, they’re steadily standing behind their original moniker and poised to prove to the everyone that when it comes to them, it’s truly out with the old and in with the New Boyz. I sat down with the burgeoning group, to get a fix on the world of Jerkin, their music, their shoe line Spectros, and everything else that interminglea with these phenomenal artists.

For starters, introduce yourself to the world.
Ben J: I’m “Ben J” the cardinal one.
Legacy: This is Legacy, the light skinned one.

And who are the others?
Ben J: There ain’t no other ones.

Oh, my bad. Yall were talking bout some “Jerk” stuff, I just figured there’d be more of you, since there’s a whole bunch of “Jerks” in the world anyway. [Laughs] But that’s cool, just two of you representing, I like that.
Legacy: [Laughs] Naw, there’s just two of us.

Your song “You’re a Jerk” has become a viral hit, that’s not only sweeping through the nightclubs, but it’s also taking over the airwaves. How did you come up with the song?
Ben J: We made the song in our studio. We didn’t make up jerkin’, that dance move was already out. We wanted a jerkin’ song, and the first song we made was I Jerk. That song was just a particular jerkin’ song where we were talking about jerkin’ in the club and a lot of people were doing the same thing. We were like, ‘we gotta do something different, something jerky because we were trying to put jerkin’ on the map’. So we thought of You’re a Jerk. You’re a Jerk is a double meaning, because not everyone knows what jerkin’ is yet. We made the song to relate to the people who know how to jerk, by saying, “ Oh yeah I can jerk, so I’m a jerk.” And for the people who don’t know how to jerk so they can relate to the song like, “Oh yeah, my boyfriend calls me a jerk all the time. My girlfriend calls me a jerk all the time.”

Now I heard an interview about how that song was born. If I’m correct, neither one of you were supposed to be recording music at the time, but you snuck and did it anyways. Can you elaborate on that story?
Legacy: As far as the story, we were being ungrateful with our parents because we didn’t like the clothing they bought us so they put us on a kind of punishment- a restriction from using the better microphone. We needed the good mic in order to make this song what it is, so we snuck in our parents room- broke in. We switched the bad mic with the good mic and recorded the song. They got mad at us for doing it, but look what it is now, it paid off.

Some people spend their entire life trying to nab a record deal especially with a company like Warner Brothers, how’d you guys swing such a good look?
Legacy: In L.A. jerkin’ is a movement, it’s like a culture. We had music, and we also had a huge following. We had people jerkin’ on stages, everyone saw it on Youtube and just like Crank That they started making Youtube videos. They saw over hundreds of people make videos and dancing to our song You’re a Jerk, and they saw how people were gravitating towards this jerkin’ thing, so they figured they could do something with this.

Did you know when you wrote the song that it was going to take off like it did?
Ben J: Honestly we just wanted to make music, and it was just another song we did. That was our first dance song too, we made like 10 other songs before that.

Now in the beginning, both of you were set for a career in Basketball and Football, what made you transition?
Ben J: I wanted to play football all my life. I started playing football when I was 6. Rapping was something I always knew how to do, but when I hooked up with my partner rapping was something he always wanted to do. I just enjoyed coming home from football practice and recording in the studio. After a while I just felt it. I knew I was going to do something in rapping instead of football so I just switched over and made it my main priority.
Legacy: I wanted to rap all my life, basketball was pretty much a secondary thing. So it wasn’t that hard for me to stop doing it.

So what’s your new single, and how are people receiving it?
Ben J: Our new single is called Dot Com and it will be out next month on the radio but when we first put it on our myspace, we had like 300,000 plays over night and now we’re at like 1 million plays.

When are you expecting your album to be complete so you can drop it for the world?
Legacy: August 8th, be on the look out for Skinny Jeans and a Mic.

Are all the songs going to be like You’re a jerk, or are you going to switch it up a bit and give the world something different?
Ben J: Naw we’re switching it up a bit because like we said before, we did music before we did You’re a Jerk. That was our first dance song. We have different styles and make different types of music for all listeners. The album is going to be a mix. Everyone expects it to be a jerky album, but we have different concepts. We’re going to bring some different things, so everybody needs to get ready for this.

Are there going to be any features we should watch out for or is it just going to be the two of you doing your thing?
Legacy: We have like local artists and underground people, but it’s really going to just be the two of us. We want to show the world the New Boyz and not anyone else. We really don’t need anybody else to get up on the track to make us famous.

What’s it like nowadays for you two, in being chased by adoring female fans, and having your posters plastered on the walls of teenage girls all across America.
Legacy: It feels good, but now that we’ve been in the industry for a couple months now, it’s starting to get normal to us.
Ben J: This is the life we chose, so we’re happy to deal with that.
Legacy: And I love girls!

So what’s next for you gentleman apart from music, I see both of you have enough charisma and personality to enter into the world of television or film, what do you think?
Ben J: We have a couple things going on right now. We’re working on an album, and other than that, we’ve got people who want us to audition playing lead roles in movies. We have a movie coming up called 818, and that’s officially us in that movie. It’s going to be big.

What’s that about?
Ben J: You know how they have the whole Streets of L.A. with the police and gangs and the crime scenes? This is not L.A., but it’s a different part of California which none of the movies ever show different parts of California like the 818 area code. We’re going to show gangs and police and how they react to everything out there. I play a lead role. I’m basically the O-Dog in the movie, and my partner wants to be the leader of the gang. We also have our own shoe with Vlado Footwear called Spectros.
Legacy: We also have the modeling thing going on. We’re trying to get a lot of stuff going because New Boyz are not one hit wonders like everybody thinks.

How do you think what you two have accomplished so far, is paving the roads for young cats who want to follow in your footsteps?
Legacy: Honestly it feels good because I’ve always been a role model to my little sisters and my little brothers. We have to stay focused and it feels good to have little kids look up to us and want to be like us. I never would have expected this.

Any final words to the readers of Yo! Raps who want to follow in your footsteps?
Ben J: If you’re trying to rap, just stay dedicated and focused. Not everybody gets signed in 7 months. Either than that, you can hit me up at twitter: Twitter.com/BenJNewboyz
Legacy: I’m at Twitter.com/ThaLegacy

Book Review: Pleasure by Eric Jerome Dickey

When crippled by an insatiable appetite, the hunt for fulfillment carries a significant quest to quickly satisfy ones fervent desires. For Nia Simone Bijou, a successful writer residing in Atlanta, the thirst for Pleasure drives her sexual curiosity from the lifeless pages of a fictitious book, to the tangible corridors within her silken boudoir. Synonymous to the adventures of her personal idol Anais Nin, Nia embarks upon a tantalizing journey to accommodate her body's silent call for a life of uninhibited erotica.

Through her eyes you are invited into a world of risk, fantasy, seduction and consequence. Mark and Karl, her identical sins and Kiki Sunshine, her unexpected inamorata, aid in Nia's desire to convert her unrestrained fantasies into a quenchable reality. Yet remember, a life without limits is the perfect enemy to a world with open reservations. As with any salacious desire, the heat behind Nia's irrepressible actions evoke a consequential promise of an intruding nightmare.

The answer to each page reads like a bridge towards everyone's unspoken fantasy. Dickey doesn't disappoint when portraying the hidden potential that rests in the whisper of an extreme intimate encounter. The rhythm within each passage reflects the rapacious hunger that drives one towards the peak of sexual insanity when on a search for a resounding Pleasure. Although the plot takes a quiet backseat to the celebration of erotica, there's never a dull moment or a pause in the heat to give the reader an opportunity to dry the sweat from their own hungry eyes.

Be aware, you may be easily swept away by the silent undertone of your own burning desires as they intermingle within the rising steam of Dickey's vivacious storytelling. To say the least, pleasure is an erotic lullaby teasing you with a sensual song through out the long and restless night. It'll hold you captive within its pages, until your own mind chooses to awaken itself from the fantasy to press onward unto the dawn of a new chapter.

© A. L. Lewis

Mr. Relevant- An Athletes Choice to Wait...

“Virginity spotting”; quite a ridiculous notion.

When it comes to picking out the people who are abstaining from sex, as oppose to those who aren't, that choice doesn't offer symptoms to be read so easily by the critical eye of a curious observer. It doesn't have a name, a face, an attitude or a specific residence. But no matter what you do, or however you package it, there's always an idea at the surface of this sensitive subject that collects a biased opinion on what a Virgin actually looks like.

Thanks to Steve Carell and his tireless struggle as a the infamous 40 Year Old Virgin, most will generalize when it comes to discerning what the image of “purity” typically resembles. Not everyone collects action figures, rides a Schwinn bicycle or finds solace behind the trimmings of a striped Lacoste Polo Shirt. In reality, a fine line must be drawn between the Andy Stitzers of the world, who due to lack of charisma and bravado are somehow forced to wait for a chance to extinguish their innocence, versus the select few courageous individuals, who go against the societal grain and make no excuse when it comes to the choice to hold on to their innocence.

In theory, the face of virtue lays within the trademark personas of your high schools less desirable. From the Barbie Doll toting crossing guard to those glee club singing goody two shoes, both fit the profile of what we'd typically consider the Last American Virgin. When it comes to anyone over the age of 18, the thoughts on who's still holding onto their “elected moral goodness,” seemingly hides behind the smiles of other obvious candidates; the unattractive computer geeks or those prim and proper Sandra Dee's. The list could go on but it would only amuse the stereotype, so I'd rather we end that longstanding affair in the world of quick assumptions.

What's obvious about anything is that nothing is truly obvious about everything. When it comes to the Card Carrying members of “Club Virgin,” the reality is, they're just everyday people. They're amongst the outstretched legs of the Alvin Ailey Dancers, to the faces in the cubicles behind you at your Brokerage Firm. But as hard as it is to believe due to all the temptation surrounding professional sports, Virginity also resides within the twinkling eyes of an attractive NFL football player.

“When women find out I'm still a virgin, their first reaction is 'Yeah right, you're just trying to get in my pants',” says Ryan Hoag, a former Minnesota Viking Wide Receiver. “I have people to this day that come up to me and say, 'I still don't believe you.' ” But in knowing an athletes endless opportunity to score both on and off the field, even as it slips from Hoag's honest lips, would you really believe him? If you ever met this gentleman, after a few words I'm sure you could.

At the tender age of 29, Hoag is definitely a rarity. Most single people in the world, including myself, that are rounding out their 3rd decade of living, have already tasted the forbidden fruit from the tree of sexual opportunity. When it comes to any athlete, the jock title quickly draws the lines of assumption; you instantly want to categorize their convictions amongst those projected by the masses. “I've always prided myself on being the exception; being different from everybody else because I don't like to be compared to anyone else. That's kind of where it all manifested, from that little mentality. I didn't want to be like him, him or the next him and here was how I could do that.” Hoag says about choosing to wait. “I've definitely had opportunities to change that, but I've stuck to my guns of committing to waiting until marriage. That aspect of my life is uncompromisable. I'm not willing to give that up for any reason or anyone.”

Prior to his days of tossing around the pigskin for teams like The New York Giants or The Washington Redskins, this Gustavus Adolphus alumni, who was both an All American in Academics and a 3 time All American in Sports, was considering a career as a Lutheran Pastor but changed his direction when he realized he could positively impact lives with a degree as a teacher. “I'm an athlete, yes, and it's a passion, but competitiveness is just something that's in my nature but it doesn't define me,” he states. “What makes me happiest in life is making others happy. It truly makes me ecstatic when I know I'm making someone's day or changing their life in a positive manner. That's why aside from football, I also work in a school setting. You see the impact you can potentially have even if you don't always achieve it on a day to day basis.”

Certainly his wholesome nature could be perceived like a needle in the haystack in the typical world of the NFL, but when Hoag received an opportunity to be apart of the ABC series The Bachelorette, he hesitated before jumping at the idea, because he knew then that his personal convictions would become common knowledge to the entire world. “I was kind of at a crossroads in terms of, 'do I really want to do this,' 'do I know what I'm getting myself into,' but then ultimately the bottom line is, ten years from now, would I regret not doing it, and I said ‘probably’,” he offers about opting to go forth with the experience. “It's one of those things where I'm happy I did it, but I wouldn't do it again.”

Most people weren't aware Hoag was still a virgin because it's not the first sentence he rattles off in general conversation. After the show aired late last year, Hoag's honesty in front of the camera earned him a badge of respect amongst millions of surprised viewers. I guess when you're handsome, an athlete, a model, and a teacher, the world would sooner expect you to have fathered 7 or 8 children rather than be waiting patiently for marriage before pursuing any activity that will bring you closer to fatherhood.

Still hard to believe right, especially when you replay the fact that he is a handsome 29 year old athlete living in the 21st Century? But everyone's different, and the opposite of our own norm is not always easy to consider or accept as the truth. Nowadays, people drop their virginity in the Sea of Life, as easily as they throw pennies in a wishing well in search of instant gratification. As priceless as our innocence really is, it's sometimes disregarded like the spare change hiding within our pockets. Tossed from the depths apart our fingertips, and left to tear through the surface of life's murky waters. But as I said before, what's obvious about anything is that nothing is truly obvious about everything. So understand that this statement is only true for some.

After Hoag was eliminated from the show, by Deanna the 2008 Bachelorette, the real journey began after he ventured back home. Bombarded with both negative and positive feedback based on the average person's inability to understand the truth about his choice to abstain, has helped him grow thicker skin, but also forced him into a position of being an unofficial role model to others who are at a point of questioning whether or not to wait or take a swim. “The same people that make a big deal about the fact that I'm a virgin in public, are the same one's that pull me aside and put their arm around me and say, 'Hey, I wish I could say the same thing,” he states. “I've been flooded by wonderful letters from people who are inspired by my honesty. It's still fun going out and getting noticed by people who say,' hey aren't you that guy from the Bachelorette, thank you for being so honest. Or having the special opportunity to do interviews with wonderful people like you.” (Hey 'I'm just happy for the opportunity to get lost inside your eyes and your smile Ryan.)

As this single, half African American and half Czech/Caucasian athlete, sets a new standard within the stereotype surrounding the typical virgin, he's still finds himself looking for that unique addition who will be comfortable enough within their self to stand by his side permanently. “Part of the problem I run into, especially when it comes to relationships, is that when you've lived your life a certain way, and you meet someone who is generally a good person but has made some other choices with the things in their path that differ from what I've chosen to do- right or wrong I'm not worried about the things that they've done before me, yet after we move on to dating, they somehow feel like those choices are put in the forefront and they begin to feel like they can't do enough to keep up with me.” He says, “Right then I know, it's not going to be a good match if they can't feel comfortable enough in their own skin when they're around me.”

So Hoag, is still waiting patiently. “I've waited this long and had this much discipline so I know in my heart that I can wait a little longer.”

In a generation of “Sexting,” a lot of parents are at war with their teenagers when it comes to breaking through with a message of maintaining their chastity. Even some adults frown at the idea of practicing celibacy or implementing our favorite Girlfriend Joan's infamous “3 month rule.” But remember, this is a generation that allows individuals to make their own choices. As an adult, your actions don't have to be rendered to anyone else's judgments, but it's still nice to know that we're surrounded by a few who are still holding out for marriage.

Although Hoag’s choice may rest on the other side of many of our coins, the idea of freedom of choice is a simple philosophy that even he carries under his personal umbrella. “I'm not out here to promote myself, or place judgment on anyone else or say that one way is right and the other way is wrong, that's just not in my belief system, that's up to God's decision making. As long as you're comfortable in your skin, and you are confident in the choices you make and have heart behind it, people are going to be able to understand that and feel it too.”

So for a man who was once titled Mr. Irrelevant in 2003, due to being the last pick selected in the annual NFL draft he has far since succeeded that underdog title. To be able to stand firm in your beliefs, not care about negative opinions, whilst clinging to a treasure chest of dreams and maintaining a passion in possibility, makes Ryan Hoag one of the most Relevant people I have ever had the opportunity to sip coffee with. Look for him in the future playing on the field near you, as he embarks upon a new journey with a new team in the United Football League.

© A. L. Lewis

New at Clutch 8/3

A lil something for the brothers...

What I Love About Black Men

A Rainbow Trapped in Midnight...

I met him in the school yard…

But the him that was then, could never amount to this moment of now I am forever faced with. This age of ever-changing excellence, that is good to only those that yield to its final conclusion. He was the image of a man, a black man, that shook the inner walls of my steel plated fantasy. I was hard up for success, and creeping underneath his core was a mirror-esque ere of pictorial triumph. Like a photo finish captured solely on record, he was like a motion picture reminding me of how much I liked my Brown Sugar. A decade trapped in grace had spawned the image of black velvet; so smooth at the edges, yet complex in nature and he was now interlocked in the iris of my eyes only desire. I wanted him.

But as my reality so aptly whispered…

I didn’t stand a chance to ever get swept away unto his incomparable magic. I was trapped in a vortex of impossibility, heaving at the shame of losing a battle to a nameless figure. Like the complexity of a rubix cube, his heart and mind were a scattered array of magnificent colors jaded by a continual fantasy. His heart was led by a whimsical pillar of a fate less ordinary. It would only formulate on command when awoken by a whisper from her…

A her that had yet to be determined, who quietly magnified the bubble around my fading confidence in capturing a rainbow trapped in midnight …

© A. L. Lewis

Last article at Insight News... for a while, but not forever!

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