“White people love making people sex slaves and shit.” - GET OUT Movie Review

“White people love making people sex slaves and shit.”

Broaden that statement beyond sex and this one-liner summarizes the entire movie.

Get Out, a movie by first time director, funnyman Jordan Peele, is anything but just funny, as it pushes the envelope on racial tension. I mean really pushes it. In fact, I’m pretty sure that the envelope fell off of the entire table. If the first five minutes doesn’t have you slightly sinking with discomfort into your seat then I don’t know what will.

Peele begins the film with an intense but brief scene immersed in musical jump-cues usually reserved for 1980’s stabbing horrors by openly invoking the death of Trayvon Martin (as stated repeatedly in more than one interview), a black 17-year old killed in a gated community by a man who assumed he was a criminal because of his skin color.

As the movie progresses, the racial tension thickens and micro-aggressions become as common as the strange behavior of the characters. (If you’re black, you may find yourself occasionally looking around the theater to see the reactions of your white counterparts).

 

 

Without giving much of the movie away, Get Out touches on a lot of psychological issues and important social lessons that can be easily missed if you focus too much on the racial aspect of it. For starters, the reoccurring themes of weak social ties vs. strong social ties and action vs. inaction are blatantly overshadowed. There is a part in the movie where a young black man goes missing and instead of active searches for him, all that is mentioned are missing person posts and photos on social media. Almost immediately after the display of the posts, a joke is fired off by Rod, Chris’ black, comic-relief, TSA-employed best friend, side-railing any chance of the audience fixating on why people (especially his family) weren’t physically looking for him. (Sidebar: I’m pretty sure recruitment for TSA is going to increase after this movie. They made that job look awesome. Marketing done right. *thumbs up*)  

As far as some of the psychological issues, if the main character, Chris Washington (played by Daniel Kaluuya who is most noted for his role in the Black Mirror episode “Fifteen Million Merits”) had previously dealt with his past emotional demons then he may have not been in a relationship with sociopathic-eyes, Rose in the first place. Chris’ sense of self-responsibility or lack thereof was lightly touched on during a scene where Rose, his girlfriend of only 4-months questions him about the efficiency of his packing then later stands up for him after having his license requested by a cop (He only had a state id. Why would you go on a road trip with someone you barely know and only have a state id? He might as well have given her a card with the words “here is all of the responsibility for my safety” scribbled on the inside and called it a day).  

During one of the conversations between Chris and Rod, they poke fun at the avoidance of therapists, shrinks and hypnotherapists by Black people, further tugging at the lack of concern by many for professional mental health help.

(Sidebar: Actually, if all of the characters took mental health seriously and handled their insecurities…...there would be no movie…..so never mind).

Once the Armitage family turns sinister, it becomes a bit apparent that their motives aren’t necessarily based solely on race, despite how it appears.

Overall, Get Out is worth going to see. Depending on your own personal feelings, it has the potential to either spark an amazing dialogue or validate a tightly held prejudice.

 

Either way, it’s entertaining!

LGBT dance protest targets Trump Hotel

With music blaring from two large speakers perched in the back of a pickup truck, several hundred people gathered on the sidewalk in front of the Trump International Hotel in downtown Washington Friday night as part of an LGBT “dance protest” against policies of President Donald Trump.

 

After dancing and listening to speakers at the site of the hotel, participants followed members of the D.C. LGBT group WERK for Peace, which organized the event, in a procession along Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., to the White House. Leading the procession was the pickup truck as it continued to play dance music.

 

D.C. police quickly closed surrounding streets long enough to make way for the colorful procession, which included some wearing T-shirts and leotards despite temperatures hovering in the low 30s. Organizers said they didn’t apply for a permit to secure street closings in advance of the protest.

 

“We are here today to celebrate in solidarity our intersectionality and our resistance,” said lead organizer Firas Nasr in opening remarks as the crowd assembled outside the Trump Hotel.

“We are here to send a clear, clear message to Donald Trump and his administration that we will not tolerate discrimination, hate, or bigotry in our country.”

 

See full story here

Sales of Milo Yiannopoulos’ book soar after violent college protests

Sales are soaring for the upcoming book by incendiary right-wing commentator Milo Yiannopoulos but details of his promotional tour — assuming there is one — are a mystery for now.

A spokeswoman for Threshold Editions, the conservative imprint at Simon & Schuster, declined comment Thursday when asked where Yiannopoulos was expected to appear on behalf of Dangerous. Publishers would usually be anxious to share details about a book just a few weeks from publication, March 14, and in high demand from the public. Dangerous was No. 1 on Amazon.com as of Thursday evening.

See full story here

Get Dangerous Here

Relationship Issues: Are You Guys Even Compatible?

Usually when we start a new relationship, our companion can seem like the perfect match. They're funny, sweet, romantic, caring….blah blah blah. But after a few months, little differences start to show that make you realize your (famous celebrity) might be a (famous celebrity dead weight) after all.

In most cases, this is simply because everyone is on their best behavior in the beginning of the relationship. They're showing you all their good traits, pleasant attributes and you’re doing the same right back to them. However, once familiarity and comfort set in, so do real personalities.

But what do you do if you discover that the “real you” doesn’t mesh well with the “real them”? What to do if the two of you truly aren’t compatible?
Incompatibility doesn't always mean that you have different goals or hobbies or interests. It could simply mean that you two have different objectives in life.

 Some couples agree to be tolerant of the other's beliefs or goals. Other couples make the change to one or the other person's way of thinking.
 
The level of incompatibility between you and your partner is truly only something that you will know. 

Unfortunately there can be much deeper issues to overcome if your partner doesn't want any children and you want four, plus a dog. Your partner might be into sexual fantasies that involve rubber chickens and gummy bears – or any other array of props – and you just can't bring yourself to go there.

Your partner may also have issues with substance abuse, physical abuse or other deeper psychological issues that you don't want to be a part of. These deeper incompatibility issues can be reason enough to consider looking for a new partner.
 
Being incompatible on some issues doesn't mean the relationship needs to end. You may simply need to work on communicating your needs and preferences to your partner. However, when there are deeper issues involved, it may be time to question whether you're happy to compromise your own values for the sake of a relationship.

Being incompatible also doesn't mean your relationship has to end, but there will be some things that need to be addressed.

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Relationship Problems: “In too Deep & Too Fast”

 

How many times have you fallen head-first in love with someone only to learn that they're not quite in the same place emotionally as you? It's a common story that often leads to heartbreak and misery.
Despite the fact that you feel as though you've found Prince Charming or Miss Right, your partner’s love meter may still be stuck on “just for fun” and when there is a blatant difference in love meter speeds, one partner may begin to feel insecurity while the other feels pressured. If not addressed timely and effectively both of these symptoms can eventually lead to a break up.

So what do you do?! A variety of things (with open communication always being at the forefront of the equation).

It is important to remember that everyone will not feel the same things at the same time. Expecting your partner to fall in love at precisely the same rate as you is unrealistic. (Don’t. Be. Unrealistic!)

Far too many promising relationships end because one person is overly eager to express feelings of love, devotion and wedding planning before the other is even capable of making sense out of their own feelings. This lack of synchronicity usually leads to arguments and feelings of rejection by the person who is feeling more intently at that time.

The truth is, you're not being rejected at all. You're simply dealing with a person who may have more issues to deal with before allowing feelings of love to come to the surface.
Before you give in to an emotional outburst and demand to know why your partner doesn't love you yet, give it some more time. Spend time doing fun things together that will allow your partner to appreciate your qualities and allow the feelings to develop freely and naturally.

Remember that the happiest relationships involve respect for each other’s feelings and needs. 

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How to Avoid a Home Foreclosure

People normally take a loan keeping in mind their income and monthly budget. A foreclosure happens when one faces some sort of surprises in life after taking the loan. It could be the loss of one’s job, reduced income, health issues, family issues and so on. As many of us know the future is unpredictable. Many try their best to avoid the state of foreclosure of their home because a home is one of the most basic of all necessities. In such a financial situation you will not be able to even think about buying another home.A good location is very important while selecting a home to live in. It must be a place of choice and one which is well within the financial resources. It is deemed one of the wisest decisions to be made in life. A foreclosure can be avoided to a great extent by spending some time and money while making this decision.
One of the best ways to avoid falling into loan and interest traps is to be pre-qualified in financial matters. It is usually a good idea to consult a lender before making a final decision on the source. The lender reviews your financial status and current credit situation and then judges how much you can truly afford. You can get an insight on the fee and costs involved in taking a loan and the variation of interest rates while using variable rates v/s fixed rates of interest. These discussions will boost confidence levels considerably and the final decision will thus be much closer to the perfect one.

A buyer should first decide on the location and the type of home he can afford. It needs to satisfy his particular needs and must meet the estimated price. It is at this is the stage the buyer needs to be very careful. Detailed inspection of each and every feature of the home is to be done. One should not end up in a situation where there is a need to pay the mortgage and make payments for repairs to the home as well.
 

Many of the home owners who bought home in the last two to five years have ended up in foreclosure due to ‘liar loans’ available at that time. The buyer has no clue to what is hidden the loan agreement he signed. Each loan had traps hidden which were impossible for the borrower to identify. It is the responsibility of the borrower to have extreme clarity on the agreement he is signing especially on the adjustments offered on the interest rates.Preparing a budget before the actual search for a home is of utmost importance; it will be really good if the estimated price of the home is less than what is actually affordable. Home loans are not only about principal and interest but it is also about understanding the PITI (principal, interest, taxes and insurance). Other than the principal and interest, expenses come in form of homeowner’s insurance demanded by the lender and also the property tax imposed by the county. After making the basic budget for the home, one must also include the additional repairs that are to follow along with expense on cars, household expenses and maintenance cost. The buyer will then get a real idea on whether or not he can afford the home. These steps can help avoid a lot of foreclosure on homes.

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Introduction to Foreclosure Auctions

Foreclosure auctions are a legal activity prevalent in American and European countries.  These days a lot of real estate investors are showing interest in foreclosure auctions because of the increased number of properties up for auction. This will in turn result in buying properties at reasonable prices. Many people buy houses in foreclosure auctions for either self-occupation or merely to make profit out of it.

The first stage of foreclosure is something like this. The owner of the mortgaged property begins to miss payments. He receives notifications from the lender regarding the missed payments. If the owner continues to default, the lender begins preparations for filing the foreclosure, during which the owner may try to sell the property. If for some reason the sale of the property fails, the pre-foreclosure or default phase terminates.

The foreclosure auction occurs after the default phase has ended. The lender decides to regain its losses by selling the property to the highest bidder in the auction. The amount received from the sale is received by the lender who initiated the auction in the first place. Any additional amount is spent on any other expenses or liens on the property. The rest of the amount after resolving all encumbrances against the property is given to the home owner. Foreclosure is the best place to buy houses at great bargains.

Foreclosures can be classified as judicial and Non-Judicial, the main difference being the time taken by the lender to foreclose the defaulted loan. Judicial foreclosure is longer than the Non-Judicial process. In a Judicial foreclosure, legal instruments called mortgages are issued and the whole process takes place through court. In the latter process, deeds of trust are issued, and the title remains with the lender as long as his payments have been settled. The lender also has the power of sale by which the trustee can sell the property quickly and thus recover the collateral of the lender in timely manner.

Homes can be bought at the pre-foreclosure phase also and is something which happens quite so often. Once the foreclosure has been filed the property is in public records. Interested buyers can be a helping hand for the distressed home owners. In most cases, the owner is dealing with a negative event in his life that has caused him to fall behind in his mortgage payments. Adding foreclosure to the credit history of the home owner will make buying another home or establishing any sort of credit a tough task for a long period of time.

Buying directly from the owner for an amount higher than the mortgage balance will end up in the owner receiving more than that he would receive through an auction because of the fee and expenses involved in the process of reaching the stage of auction. If the amount received from the highest accepted bidder cannot pay off the lender, then the owner is liable for the deficiency which may result in garnished wages, seized assets and potentially even federal income taxes. Negotiation with the owner is a critical factor in the pre-foreclosure phase. Even though it might not be an attractive deal for the buyer, the relationship he builds up with the owner may result in many other investment opportunities. A proper analysis of the property is also required before making a pre-foreclosure deal. The amount you agree upon must benefit you as well as the owner in the best possible manner. Before closing the deal the title must be thoroughly verified for clarity and only then the money should be released. Agreements will be signed and you will end up having the satisfaction that you made a deal below the market rate and the owner will have a relief of paying off the mortgage.

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