A.T.B.L.

Giving the world a peak into my mind..

[kevcoleatbl]

Meanwhile, in America: Net Neutrality Rollback

To Wu-Tang, I have no choice but to wholeheartedly agree, cash rules everything around me. No, this isn’t about the GOP’s tax plan – there will be another writing on this topic to follow. This is about the possibility for a net neutrality repeal as announced by Federal Communications Commission’s Chairman Ajit Pai, who once served as Associate General Counsel at Verizon for a short stint earlier in his career.

With the world becoming more digitized as information is beginning to more rapidly make its transition from physical copies, because of a number of reasons – saving trees, space, etc., to soft copies, the internet is essentially becoming one of our most vital resources. As of now, access to the internet, and all of its information, is available to all of those that can afford it – unfortunately, it remains elusive to those in poverty-stricken areas, the same areas that are typically on the lower side of the education scale – with little restriction. We can thank net neutrality for this equal access across the web.

What could potentially happen if net neutrality is repealed? Internet service providers could either block access to certain sites and content, or charge more for access to certain sites and content. This might not seem like a big issue to those that can afford a possible change, but what about those that either can’t afford internet now, or are barely able to afford access?

Again, the internet plays an important role in today’s world. That’s why you hear stories of companies like Facebook attempting to provide access to many all over the world. The issue with rolling back net neutrality is that it could potentially take us a step back in the wrong direction, especially with companies like Verizon, which have mentioned charging more for access before.

This rollback will play an enormous role in furthering the education gap between the haves and have nots. In a country where the have nots already lack proper funding for education, they typically lack textbooks, buildings that don’t fall apart, the same amount of enthusiastic educators – compared to their counterparts, attention from government officials, and laptops/tablets – a move that more of the haves are beginning to make.

Let’s say that they were able to get tablets. This would possibly free up more money down the line as there will not be a necessary need for hard copy books if these schools decide to go the digital route. Great, but what happens when some of these kids have to go home, and, in order to continue their studies, they need internet access? You guessed it! They will be out of luck. With net neutrality giving internet service providers the possibility of charging more for certain sites, some of these kids won’t be afforded the same educational opportunities as their counterparts as they will not have the same resources. We already have an overwhelming amount of evidence on what the lack of equal educational resources does. This is a potential issue that can arise from a rollback of net neutrality.

It should be mentioned that some on the side of ending net neutrality, like AT&T – yes, the same AT&T that once blocked FaceTime, have said that this won’t change internet access or services as we know it. Plus, it has been said that this move would only lighten the involvement and regulations imposed by the government; however, internet service providers will be forced to maintain a certain level of transparency with their practices. Whatever that means.

The vote on what to do with net neutrality takes place on December 14th. Should we fight to keep net neutrality, or are we making a big deal out of nothing? Could a move like this force some of the new age companies like Google, Facebook, and whatever company Elon Musk – the reincarnation of Nikola Tesla – would create (just an assumption for fun) to partner up in order to provide an alternative? What do you think?

Find out next time on: Meanwhile, in America!!! Not really though.

More from Kevin L. Cole, Jr. at: https://medium.com/@kevlcole Photo courtesy of Khlobystov Alexey/Shutterstock

[kevcoleatbl]

Meanwhile, in America: The US Refuses to Condemn Nazism

In an unsurprising move, the United States has decided not to condemn nazism, again. A country known for its hypocrisy and racism happens to not see a problem in racism, white supremacy, hate, etc. The trump administration’s vote against the United Nation’s resolution, “Combating glorification of Nazism, Neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fueling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance”, isn’t astonishing in the least bit. The action of this administration just helps further speculation – honestly, the evidence of white supremacy within this administration is blatant, but it takes some people a while to catch up – that this country still has a lot of growing to do.

Since Chester Cheetah’s lace front-wearing cousin’s presidential run, the “return” of racism, and reemergence in practicing white supremacy publicly have taken the country by storm. Leaving some to wish for the good old days before protests against law officials not being held accountable for murdering children, women, and men; before “third-world” problems such as poisoned water in certain communities broke headlines; before human beings were beaten for protesting a pipeline out of fear it leaking oil into the environment – spoiler alert, that’s exactly what has happened; before Brodie and the Crew decided to hold a Tiki torch rally after finding offense in people being offended by their hate.

 SN: All of this didn’t start during trump’s presidency or his run – for those that want to find flaws in this writing. Some of these examples are just to provide examples of racism not having to return because it has never gone anywhere.

 Why though? The truth is, one doesn’t have to go back to the 60’s to find days like these. These days are just like the ones before, and watching ‘Remember the Titans’ or opening a can of Pepsi won’t make things better.

What’s the new excuse that the United States managed to draw up for their reason in voting against the resolution? Apparently it raises issues over free speech protections – something that isn’t a concern in regards to the players in the NFL.

The issue in voting against it at this time, is the simple fact that this year has provided an enormous amount of evidence that nazism and white supremacy from white nationalists and the “alt-right” is still out of control. If that wasn’t enough, trump has been reluctant to completely condemn the actions of these groups while condemning the freedom of speech of those that oppose hate.

The president of the United States isn’t the only one that is incapable of acknowledging a problem with racism; however, he is the one that has unwittingly become the poster child for its “return”. The administration’s reason for voting against the resolution will come off as hypocrisy as they continue to attempt to shut the mouths of those calling out the same racism that they protect.

In other news, water is wet.

More from Kevin L. Cole, Jr. at: https://medium.com/@kevlcole Photo courtesy of Denis Balibouse/Reuters

[kevcoleatbl]

Meanwhile, in America: Get Out, Best Comedy?

February 24th, 2017 should be a date that is recorded in history. What’s the importance of this date? It is the date of the initial theater release of Jordan Peele’s directorial debut, ‘Get Out’! Okay, maybe it’ll be a little much to mark your calendars for an annual celebration; regardless, the release of this masterpiece has done a lot for film, black art, and conversations in regards to racial issues in the U.S. at a time when most non-black people realized that the election of Barack Obama didn’t completely eradicate the racism that “magically” made its return with the election of donald trump.

As a black film nerd I often find myself let down by the film industry and its lack of movies outside of documentaries, biopics, comedy, and dramas that typically just deal with slavery or a life of crime. This isn’t to say that there aren’t films outside of these categories. We do have writers and directors such as, Donald Glover, Issa Rae, Ava DuVernay, Ryan Coogler, and Tariq Nasheed making strides. Plus, you can always find a variety of films and shows on sites like kweliTV (www.kweli.tv), or while digging around on YouTube; however, there’s still a lack of movies with a melanated star/cast in genres like Sci-Fi, Horror, and the newly created branch of Comicbook/Superhero.

‘Get Out’ isn’t the first horror film with a black protagonist, but it is the first one that has been well-accepted on a large scale. The thing that helped propel this film into the spotlight of being called one of the best of 2017 is its portrayal of the horrors of a realistic social issue such as racism. This film could’ve only been created, written, and directed by someone with the experience of being black in the U.S. – unfortunately, we’re rarely in the writer’s rooms of films that display black people and our plight.

Finally seeing a film that shied away from blatant racism – you know, the only racism that white people seem to notice – and took the route of displaying the subtle racism that we face on a day-to-day basis all while eloquently painting the realistic peril of black bodies going missing was truly amazing. Not to mention it artistically alluded to organ harvesting – refer to the case of Kendrick Johnson when beginning your research – with the film’s villains taking over the brains, and, subsequently, the bodies, of our missing black people.

With that and all of the other socially relevant themes the film skillfully touched on, you can only imagine my dismay in hearing the news that the golden globes placed the film in the category of “Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy”.

Wait, what? No. No. No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. How, Sway?

What film did they watch because there is nothing hilarious about racism, no matter if it’s subtle or blatant? Maybe the whole overtaking the body idea made it “unrealistic”, Lil Rel. The irony in this decision is that this film seems like it had a purpose of beginning a conversation on subtle racism, yet was subjected to subtle racism by being placed in a category for musicals and comedies instead of drama – since there is technically no category for horror/thriller.

Despite what category ‘Get Out’ shows up in, it was an amazing film with realistic elements regarding racial/social issues. Not only did the release of the film help push the topic of subtle racism into a few more circles and create college-level courses, but the category placement is making sure that this conversation continues to push forward.

More from Kevin L. Cole, Jr. at: https://medium.com/@kevlcole Photo: From the film ‘Get Out’

[rebellloudwiththecrowd]

A legend

[kevcoleatbl]

“Your Time Is Up!”

[kevcoleatbl]

Time can be a beautiful thing if you let go of the fear of losing it. Enjoy now because there is nothing else.

[kevcoleatbl]

There's no ownership in Love

[kevcoleatbl]

“Ahh…Murica: Jason Stockley, Lawful Injustice, and the Lack of Accountability”

[kevcoleatbl]

DACA Repeal: An American Dream Deferred – Kevin L. Cole, Jr. – Medium

Originally I intended to write this as part of my “Ahh…Murica” series, which highlights the absurdity of society in the United States. I…

[kevcoleatbl]

To Whom It May Concern: Keep Pushing – Kevin L. Cole, Jr. – Medium

I know what you’re feeling. You’re in pain, right? You feel as if the world is against you at this very moment. You have slowly become…

[lovesexandrelationships]

Just letting you all know…

[mysideofthepillow]

A Season vs. A Lifetime.

& If only you knew how I felt… </3

It’s been… years. However, whenever I see your face (on the computer), I get the same tingles that I did when I first met you.

Curious much?

I thought it was somethin that was for the best of us… but I found myself in a rut as we grow older just because of the simple fact that… there was never a reason to back away from you. Honestly the distance scared the hell outta me, and at the time I felt it was best that we went our separate ways and enjoyed our time without being committed to one another being that the physical distance was tremendous. 

New things came around, new relationships formed, and of course our big jump into college distanced even further. Can’t say I don’t blame u tho… it’s what I wanted, right? For us to be a part… but deep down I’ve come to regret that decision, and I’m not sure how you would take it if I came around almost 3 years later and told you that it was all a mistake.

And I’ll admit: I was jealous. As time progressed, I wanted to tell you how I felt all this time, that everything that I said was out of fear… but you seemed happy as you were. Who am I to come between that? 

All in all I will carry this with me like a note in my pocket, close to my heart for safe keeping…

“Some only come in your life for a season, then stay around… giving you a reason to take temporary and… think that it’s forever.

But you’ve given me someone that I can believe in, I know there will be times we can’t come to an agreement,

But I know we’ll figure out the ups and downs.. tell me are you ready to take a chance, baby if so..

Here we go.

Let me take you in my hand.

Come on…

I wanna be your man.

Let’s do it right.

So I can be with you… a lifetime…” -Our Song.

[mysideofthepillow]

Who would’ve thought we’d double back… my Love. :)

9 years later and you’re mine again. I’m not letting go this time, I will always tell you how I feel, and this is my promise for a lifetime.

Edit: I should’ve said “I can’t say that I do blame you” lol.

June 2008:

June 2017:

[kevcoleatbl]

😊

[kevcoleatbl]

Riding off into the Sunset

What a time to be alive! As the end of this chapter in life draws near, I can’t help but reflect on what all has taken place for me over the past three years. During this time period I was presented with a number of opportunities to grow as an individual in a number of different ways.

There was me graduating from the best university that always seems to produce productive people, Prairie View A&M University, there was me moving to Asheville, NC where I had neither family, nor friends, there was me turning down possibly one of the best job offers any person could ever receive because I saw more in myself, there was the stint of depression that I oddly needed in order to work on becoming who I am and who I hope to one day be, and there was the point when I DECIDED that I would go for anything I felt was right and would make me happy without care of what others might think, amongst many other opportunities.

Here we go…

May 10th 2014 was one of the most exciting days of my life, so far. It was the day that I got to walk across a stage with a Bachelor’s in electrical engineering! Although it was an exciting day, it was also a day that filled me with a tremendous amount of worry even though I had what any graduate could ask for, a number of job offers that were just waiting on me to say “I accept”. Good problems, right?

True, these were good problems to have; however, I wasn’t worried about having a stable future. No, I was more worried about having a future that I truly wanted. Did I want to spend my life working for someone else? Did I want to put in the work, just to see their pockets grow fatter? Maybe the problem wasn’t working for another person, or making a tremendous amount of money (I know for a fact it wasn’t this; again, I turned down an amazing opportunity – a little more on this later). Perhaps it was the fact that I’ve always wanted to create something of my own since I was young (SN: Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind by Scott Barry Kaufman and Carolyn Gregoire is an amazing book worth reading).

I needed to find a way to create something of my own…

In a matter of two months I found myself in Asheville, NC, a place that I knew nothing about that could also be considered the polar opposite of PV. Long story short, the opportunity that I was referring to earlier, required an extensive background check and they let me know that it would be wise to work another job until everything cleared. Then I could just quit and work for them – their words, not mine.

After this conversation I decided to choose a job that was in Atlanta because I figured that the city would be an exciting place to live in as a young black professional. Literally within two hours of signing with this company and letting other companies know that I respectfully declined their offers, they let me know that their Atlanta – Peachtree City – location was in a restructuring process, and my position had been dropped (more on this in “A Thousand Miles from Comfort”). Hence the move to Asheville, NC where there was an opening for a different position for the same company.

With me being a person that tends to go with the flow, especially with things that I can’t control (#bars, I ain’t a rapper though!!!), I had no issue with this change. I figured that it was meant to be. Plus, I wouldn’t be here that long, right?

Wrong! As time went on I found myself pushing back the opportunity with the other company by making excuses like, “My current company has given me a signing bonus of $5000 and gave me $5000 for my moving expenses. If I don’t stay for at least half a year, I’ll have to pay all of that money back. Is there any way for me to push this back a few months?” They agreed, but I soon found myself continue to make some sort of excuse to pause the process. This went on until I finally realized that I didn’t want to accept this opportunity because I feared becoming comfortable, and putting to bed dreams of creating something of my own.

After months of pushing them back, I finally found the courage to tell them that I would be turning down the offer, respectfully.

Oh s#!t, now what?

You’ve guessed it! The depression began to kick in. There were a number of thoughts running through my mind at this time. Leaving me in a “cerebral prison” while keeping me stagnant. This was horrible. I turned down an opportunity that I wanted a few months before, which left me in a city that I didn’t necessarily want to be in, working for a company that I ultimately chose because they had a location in a city that I wanted to experience. All of this while being a thousand miles away from friends and family – no shade to the friends and family that I gained in Asheville, I was just getting to know all of you beautiful people that have showed nothing but love at this time. Plus there was a break-up and other issues that just decided to hit at once.

Although I didn’t want to be in Asheville, it’s exactly what I needed. The adversity, the feeling of being alone yet having people around, along with the wise words of older people that I came across is what drove me to begin thinking about my happiness. From these people I learned that I didn’t want to get to a point in my life where I looked back and said that I wish I would’ve done this or that.

No, I wanted to be about action. I wanted to actually reach my dreams, or die trying because merely living not doing what you love without who you love is dying in itself.

Courage began to overtake my body and engulf my attitude. I finally decided to take the steps needed to start my entertainment company, rEvolutionary Arts, with the help of Jerry Nichols, founder/CEO/artist of Imani Arts and partner in The Visionary Effect. I also decided to continue my education in software engineering in hopes of opening a few businesses dealing with website and app development as well as offer cyber security solutions, down the road. I decided to do both mainly because people say you can’t be an engineer and artist at the same time. Watch me!

With the closing of this chapter and the beginning of Part II, Chapter II, I can’t help but thank the Most High for everything that has taken place over the last three years. Again, I didn’t want to necessarily be in Asheville, but it was exactly what I needed to slow things down. I had to be still in order to grow, and I really feel that I’ve gotten the opportunity to do that.

I came here on my own with a fear of what the future holds, but I’m leaving with an extended family that I love deeply with the courage to reach for anything. I love you Asheville, and I will greatly miss you. I will always carry your oddly free-spirit with me everywhere I go from here.

L.A., here I come!

[melaboveall]

this is important to encourage 

[kevcoleatbl]

Today is a new day. Yesterday no longer matters and tomorrow isn't promised. Be great!

[kevcoleatbl]

What are your views on universal basic income? Will it be needed in the years to come? Will it help, or hurt society? Should Hawaii and other states adopt the practice?

[kevcoleatbl]

Follow:

@_revolutionaryarts (IG) @kevlcole_ (IG)