Compete Deez...

*and the winner issssss.... Alise of course, what were you thinking???*

So what's up party people? Life trating you alright? Glad to hear it! I want to share a little bit about myself with all 3 of my readers, to let you get to know me and shit: I am super competitive. This past weekend I paticpated in a slew of competitive activities and it was really sad and pathetic interesting.:

• Game of pickup football with a bunch of little boys under the age of 13. Do you know these little boys tried to clown me. When I would have the ball to throw they would move up as if I couldn't throw a football (I mean, I guess if I was a teeenage boy and this big rusty 30 year old woman came up, then I'd of reacted the same) Guess what? The joke was on them, I was a BEAST! I was throwing the ball around and running like the wind. True, I felt the pain later, but I had to prove a point. Anything to get that Heisman self satisfaction of winning.
  
• Spades... no explanation for that one, just know that Spades brings out a side of me that is lethal, I dare you to say something negative or salty regarding my Spades game, or I'll be forced to thrash you because I gets busy!
  
• Pool... I think I caused a grown man to almost cry. (Like for real) When I play pool I am a terrible sport (not a sore loser though, because in the words of the poet laureate of my inner thug (Jay-Z): "I WILL NOT LOSE." I taunt, tease, trash talk, and alliterate. Something comes out of me and I turn into a asshole complete cocky crazed alliterating person.

• Scrabble. Le sigh. First let's talk about my love for the most fabulous board game in creation. I have been playing scrabble since the tender age of 8 (so like for 10 years, lol), and endured years of utter destruction, demoralizing ,domination, and alliterating by my mother. This ego bruising over the years made me strive to be all I could be in the Army. So now I play Scrabble like it is a contact sport.

The moral of this pitiful story is I am a tenacious opponent. Take for instance, I am fighting some adversity now, but I know I will be alright, because I refuse to lose. In life I am just as competitive, I should be, I've had lots of practice whooping up on fools all my life!

This game is rigged....

*I am a beast, I can (and have) won a book with this bama a$$ card! *

No old school video today.
I have been trying to find a way to put "The Wire" in every conversation this blog and finally I have succeeded. (don't judge me) A conversation Tiha and I had yesterday about HBCU's led us to talking about our favorite college past time: drinking Spades. Then out of the blue we started talking about how life is a lot like a game of spades. The clip below is D'Angelo Barksdale explaining chess in terms of the drug game. I will attempt to break down the game of Spades in a similar but different fashion. Please enjoy the clip of my favorite show of all time:

Now that we have gotten "The Wire" formalities out the way, here goes:

*Partners Matter : The key to winning the game of Spades is having a compatible partner. Pay attention to the company you keep, it will definitely make or break you. Can't have partners that cut your books, not cute, that can get you cut in my hood. (I don't live in the hood, but suburban folks are gangsta too!)


*Bidding your hand: You have to know what you are holding (talent, knowledge, drive) and its worth. You have to evaluate in your head that some of those Kings are going to get in but you also need to know you can't always depend on those cut books, because your competition may flip the script and pull your trump.

*Just go 10, 8 is for suckas! : You have to take risks. Haven't you heard that scared money don't make money? That is the truth and right now I am going 7 and 8, knowing I am holding a monster of a hand. If my life were a Spades hand I would get ridiculed by the whole table for sandbagging and underbidding!

*Talk Some Shit: Not literally, you can't ridicule other folks all the time and get ahead, but you need to exude confidence. I have done successful "on the fly" presentations at work or have been part of last minute projects, and 90% of the battle was being confident, not letting the folks see me sweat.

*Renegging is Counterproductive: Integrity is key. You can scheme, cheat, steal, and lie, but when you get caught please hand me the paper and allow me to subtract your score. Have you ever seen the look of disgust on the partner of someone who reneges and the roasting that ensues. Life is the same way.


*The Game is Rigged: Sometimes you just have to realize the game is rigged, folks have been known to set decks and talk across the table. My advice to that is just keep playing, you will win eventually. Word.

And I also want to leave you with one more "The Wire" clip.