The Deck Part 44 (4th of July/Birthday edition)

Good to be back on the deck between the 4th of July and my 48th birthday having my morning coffee and mantras. Here's what we're talking about. 

4th of July overall recap

Hash quality 

Wedding guests

USA v Belgium World Cup

Braves slump

YMCA?

Famous track star connection 

Know your friends

Big Tigger

I will likely go back on the deck before returning to work next Monday but we will start here. 

Ok despite the usual 4th of July controversy and the milestone being the 250th anniversary of our country it was still a great weekend. Listen if anyone paid attention in history class we all know Blacks were still in slavery 250 years ago. We do know that Blacks were not considered equal at the time the Declaration of Independence was signed. I nor anyone else should excuse this. However, people of all cultures still celebrated. Whether be independence, family, or simply a weekend of good food, family, cooking out, fireworks. etc, who says you can't celebrate? You are in America, this is 2026, celebrate whatever you like (even if it's Juneteenth the remix, Juneteenth 2.0, 704 day, my birthday, family reunions). Staying inside and doing nothing nets you nothing, period. 

I'm seeing more and more folk in South Carolina make and sell hash. For my next batch, I've decided to add two more ingredients, one you will immediately recognize. I think this is awesome given just 30 years ago where if you didn't make it out by 9am to your favorite hash place you were out of luck. Now hash (beef/pork, etc) is a South Carolina delicacy that's mostly enjoyed on the 4th of July and now even year round. Basically it should have at least beef, butter, onions, salt, pepper and some potatoes. I currently make mine without potatoes and it gives a different taste and texture. 

I like the debate about wedding guests. I always think it should start with close family and friends. One married couple is only inviting those that know them both. I see nothing wrong. Weddings are uber expensive and some people aren't coming for your best interest. They are coming to see and be seen. The plus one deal is another topic. I'm ok with a miscellaneous plus one. I like what my accounting guy from the WU said a while back about RSVPs, gifts, etc. Either way, invite whom you want (including no children), keep it under budget and remember whose day it actually is. 

The USA's FIFA World Cup run ended with a loss to Belgium. I do love how our country has come together over the past few weeks and how soccer is becoming more of a norm in youth sports. One day, one day!

The Atlanta Braves are in a downspiral after not losing a series from April-June. Going into All-Star break we need to see if we should keep Acuna Jr or not given his injuries. It's also time to go after another big star, a leader. We need that presence at the moment. 

Man listen the YMCA is where it's at! I'm glad I can finally enjoy along with keeping my current gym membership active. It's a modified all access pass, great facilities, staff and also a pool to go to from sun up to sundown.  Sun tans and better diving here I come! 

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden put the track world on notice by beating ShaCarri Richardson in a recent 100 meter face off. ShaCarri of course is well known, Melissa is mostly known around our area as she's from Coastal Carolina. Best part, my friend/current gym manager was her former coach. I'm over the moon for them both! 

In the wake of all of these mysterious murders and going back to Kenneka Jenkins and those, KNOW YOUR FRIENDS! I'm friendly with lots of folks but I trust few. Especially without my phone, where I am outnumbered in minority, and near clear danger. I'm not making this a racial thing (yet). Everything does add up. We as adults and parents have to be viligant regarding whom our children associate with. I can see now why my mom was so protective. She was ahead of her time and knew what could go wrong. We have to see discrepancies and red flags before it's too late! 

The Deck Part 43 (Independence and Freedom)

We sit here on the deck after a much needed 5 days off from work before Prime Week. I took a small social media break also. Let's dive in and not just the pool. 

7on7, Braves, Knicks, racism, next 36 days, Spud, pools in bigger cities

I get so tired of not only white privilege but the blatant racism. My people and DEFINITELY myself have educated you all on systemic racism and our struggle for 6 years now. At this point if you know me and still fail to see this, it's a choice. Again I'm tired and the justice system is far too unfair on Black folks. The evidence and metrics are there. Reading is fundamental and all one has to do is read to listen and understand, not read to react. I do not pretend to fully understand another culture or females. Please don't act like you understand my lifetime struggle or think I'm not seen as a Black man in society.  I am biracial, I know exactly who I am. I have to move accordingly and advocate for the Black experience though. 

7 on 7 tournaments in high school football have really heated up over the past decade. Speaking of things, concepts I cannot understand is this. Maybe because I'm old sure and a purist of football. I realize the game has changed in rules, speed and conditioning development due to full adoption of the spread offense and compensating for lack of hitting and tackling drills. I'm good with 7on7 tournaments, weight lifting meets, lineman camps and the like. What I'm not good with are fans/parents treating them like they're games. They are not, sorry. They are glorified, extended spring practices/mini camps. I do love getting the teams together and building that camaraderie, seeing other schools, etc. But competition, winning trophies? Nah man you just won a backyard two hand touch football game. You didn't win an actual football game and let's not forget what the actual sport in real time stands for. 

I am soo happy, proud and elated that my New York Knicks FINALLY broke the 53 year championship drought and are NBA world champions. I don't care how they did, if the NBA is rigged or not. The universe came together for long time Knicks fans like myself. Last Saturday hanging with friends all day and watching the Knicks close out that championship was one of the best days of 2026 thus far. 

On that note, all the small dogs on 260/270 are now gone in under a two month span. First Roxy, then Bud and now Spud. Those dogs really gave me comfort and emotional support when I needed it. Although one of my best friends has a Jack Russell terrier, I didn't realize how much I liked them until now. I still thankfully have my cat Mosey. It goes back to a saying I heard years ago about us as humans being a dog's entire life. 

People talk and get outraged about all of of the annexing, small town growth and such. My question is why don't these cities have more local pools? I'm a country boy and I'm a huge fan of creeks, rivers and swimming holes. Sometimes when I'm out, I would like a good public swimming facility to go to. I have friends and families with pools (and even a neighbor). However they work full time during the day, have lives. The Y is pricey but I may have to go that route for my water therapy. 

Ok now we are what I call the 36 days of independence and freedom: the stretch between my dad's birthday (June 17) and my mom's birthday (July 21). In between are Juneteenth, Father's Day, the 4th of July and my birthday on 7/11. Many are choosing to celebrate one but not the other. To me, that's fine.  America turns 250 years old this year and I live in walking distance of the very grounds the Revolutionary War was won on. Many Blacks take issue with that. I have a podcast episode already about that. In short, you don't have Juneteenth if America isn't free from Great Britain. It took far too long for Blacks to be free from slavery, that's a fact. It's still okay to celebrate being in America and love your culture.  Good grief Charlie Brown!  

Ok I may not be back onto the deck until after the 4th of July ironically. Please enjoy celebrating independence, freedom or whatever else these next two weeks. That's your choice and the purpose of having frredom. 

The Deck Part 42 the ✊🏾Cookout!

Back from Washington, DC, back on the deck for ya guy. This is not talking about cookouts but it is cookout season. At black cookouts, the conversations can get serious. This will be one of those deck roundtables

More racism/system imbalance

Racial boycotting

Small town growth issues

I needed to get away for a few days and I'm grateful my company did that for me. Between the young lady in Shelby and of course young Cyrus getting shot and his Asian murderer getting away with him, I am emotionally drained. It's always tough to be a person of color in this country. It's even more tough and traumatic seeing stuff like this continue to happen. That's why we as a people must continue to vote, run for these offices, have our REAL IDs (trust me on this one), have meetups and roundtables with your elected officials. This especially holds true at the local level. It's not always about Republican and Democrat either. We need folks in office that are going to stand for equality and not nonsense. I'm just tired man, so tired. 

Now of course we have come with boycotting. This is now boycotting Asian services (nail salons, restaurants, etc). Ok whoa, whoa, WHOA!!! Now if this was similar to the NFL or the recent DCEU boycott then yeah that's different. We cannot cancel ALL Asians for the behavior of one. I'm all about uplifting the Black community but canceling an entire culture for the behavior of one? Nah I'll sit that one out. What I won't sit out our boycotts period. Someone told me the DC boycott is a trap door and that boycotts are rarely effective. Since when? Let's go back to nearly a year ago when Cracker Barrell tried to change their logo. See how quickly that was halted. Other boycotts that have proved effective are Papa John's, DirecTV, and currently Target. Google is free, AI is so reliable. It's hard to make you feel welcome to the cookout when not only do you make statements like this, you can't back them up. 

I'll save some iPhone nonsense I saw for another day. Meanwhile,...

Data centers and even a 1.2B dollar company that's coming to Blacksburg and Cherokee County is causing problems. Up to 400 new jobs will be created but much of the old guard is mad. Now I've watched this happen in Rock Hill and Fort Mill. All growth isn't good growth and I'm very skeptical of data centers. However, when resources and jobs are created, it benefits even a small town. Residents are more likely to pour back into the town when they have reason to and don't have to drive to the next largest city.  I remember just in the 80s we didn't have to go to Spartanburg, Gastonia or Rock Hill often, not even for work. The textile mills provided stable employment and more small businesses were around. How many would rather live near their jobs while paying lower taxes and have more businesses closeby? Don't thikn too hard now. 

Ok this is an action packed month and I nearly forgot it's also Men's Mental Health Month and Black Music Month 

The Deck at 260 Volume 41

Happy Memorial Day weekend on the Deck. Earlier this week it felt like July. Right now it feels like October with the rain and cooling off. 

Speaking of folks and things that need cooling off, 

3 albums Drake?

NBA playoffs so far

Prom v formals

Graduations or promotion ceremonies 

Drake not only released "Iceman" last Friday he released 2 other albums. This was after the much hyped beef with Kendrick Lamar in which Drake filed a lawsuit. I'm not a Drake fan, don't care for much of his music personally. This is good for the current generation of hip hop fans and summertime. He's already ruffling feathers including with adult entertainment star Cherokee D'Ass. 

Honestly even with my Knicks in the fold the NBA playoffs have been meh thus far. Boston, LA, Dallas, Golden State and Denver are all eliminated along with Minnesota and Ant-Man. It's truly a transition that I don't think many were ready for. Wemby and Brunson are rising as expected. This is truly a different generation of NBA stars. 

Ok I feel like we have to do this every year. A prom is different from a formal or a ball. I'm very happy for Mook and Meek that they went to their head start and 5th grade dances. They are NOT proms so let's ensure we have defined this clearly.  Prom is in high school. Just like graduations. 

Congratulations to all of the high school graduates! I'm good with honoring kindergarten graduates and every age below that. However, after a while these are PROMOTION ceremonies, not graduations. It just bugs the Heck out of me. Certain people tell me it's because I don't have kids and perhaps that's the case. I'm also neodivergent so certain small things bother me more than others. It's one of the reasons I have this outlet.  

Cheers to the unofficial beginning of summer! (yes I know summer isn't until June 21, I'm actually ok with calling this the beginning of summer)  

The Deck at 260 Volume 40

Maan can't believe we've been on the Deck for 40 sessions. It's mid May and it's chilly. Had some rain so now I can have a good bonfire tonight. Here's our lineup 

Michael movie reception/talk

100 years of Blacksburg High School (SC)

Hantavirus and cruises

Mother's Day recap

Shootings and being outside

AI is here like it or not

VOTE please!

You all know I'm a huge Michael Jackson fan. It's MJ 24/7/365 over here at 260, always has and will be. The Michael movie got all MJ fans (diehard, fair weather, bandwagon, etc) talking. Biggest things I've seen are the women MJ slept with and how their father really controlled them. Now although Michael claimed to be a virgin until 35 and was likely neodivergent, I'm sure if he didn't sleep with many of his close female friends (i.e., Diana Ross, Brooke Shields), there was other stuff happening.  Mike loved Diana, big facts. He included her in his will. It's been documented many times the control and abuse Joseph Jackson had on those boys late into adulthood. Now I'm seeing all of the LaVar Ball, Williams dad, etc comparisons. Yes many black parents back then (and even now) administered BTA whoopings. I believe in corporal punishment but ABUSE is abuse and control and manipulation is real.  Joseph did all of that to those boys and Michael may have gotten it the worst. That said, I'm ready for part 2 when it really goes beyond the music and dancing. 

I love food trucks and food truck festivals! There's literally been 4 in 2 days within close driving distance of me. I only did one and stayed disciplined. I try to support my folks the best I can even when I can't/don't attend. Best believe if you have a food truck, I likely know where you set up at on the regular.  I found that BBQ truck and maan I don't regret it. I only regret not finding it sooner. 

The hantavirus is the latest epidemic and guess what, it's occurring in an election year. I haven't heard of it and it's apparently administered by rats. Now my cat Mosey kills rats every night here. I've seen and been around these rodents my entire life. NYC and other areas are infested with them. What makes that one cruise ship so different? Also y'all when are we going to stop being scared of cruises due to isolated incidents. There are many that are frequent fliers, skydive, bungee jump, ride ATVs and motorcycles, swim, etc. But you won't take a cruise? There is something else going on and not just isolated incidents. Please don't deviled egg this up and mess up another person's good time. 

Ok we will talk about AI. It's everywhere, those ChatGPT flyers are getting old, many workplaces (like mine) are adopting it full time. For those that are skeptical and hate change, AI is here to stay and it's the current technology wave. There will be ups and downs but it's best that you learn it, adapt it to your lifestyle, and even use it to help you earn money. Gas is currently on the high end, you may as well benefit. 

Mother's Day has come and gone. It's harder for me obviously. However I don't think anyone argues about it being overcommercialized nor anything else. Only thing is you know you better plan accordingly if you're going out to eat that day or even shop. Even at the JOB with a limited engagement budget, I knew I couldn't fumble the recognition of our awesome mother figures. 

It's the time where people are out more and don't know how to have a good time without shooting. South Carolina is now open carry without CWP so it's more hayware. I'll just say protect yourself accordingly, don't cause nor take any mess and really be careful where you go. 

Last but not least, VOTE! This shouldn't be a question with all the redistricting of voters and areas. If you do/do not want a person in office, we must collectively find ways to get them in or out. This is not exclusive to party affiliation either. Stand on your vote/decision/candidates. 

Dang next weekend is Memorial Day weekend!

The Deck at 260 Volume 39

This is one of those weeks out on the Deck where the conversation, discussion, is more natural and free flowing. 

Meg and Klay

SC State and all that's developing

Various student protests

Finally rain! 

Annexing update 

Iron City BBQ has breakfast! 

Okay I need to go back months ago and see what I said about Megan the Stallion and Klay Thompson lasting. First let's be real. Regardless of what happened, Klay was wrong. Regardless of your race(s), you cannot cheat on your mate. When you're a POC it's magnified. Second Meg is heartbroken like any of us would be. She's human at the end of the day. It is a coincidence that she is dropping music around this same time but this does seem genuine. People please stop bashing either one of them. They are humans at the end of the day. Humans outgrow each other, have character flaws, and vent. Y'all are way too invested into folks lives you may never meet. 

Last week it was Winthrop (da WU) getting all the bad publicity. Now it's also Coastal Carolina and more notably SC State. I'm loving these student protests! I witnessed Winthrop's in real time and maan it was beautiful and I'm so proud. They aren't standing for this BS and nonsense. It makes me more hopeful for the next generation. 

This SC State horsecrap (much like the annexing) continues to develop. So much to unpack here but in short it's manipulation, money driven and racism all in one. Why did the board think it was a good idea to invite this type of person to speak at graduation? Let's for ONCE put aside politics or even race. Certain things do not go together and the Lt Governor of South Carolina whom is against DEI speaking at an HBCU makes no sense. Second, you have board members at the state house voting to try and defund SC State. I tell you, I already work in North Carolina but I have my roots in South Carolina. It makes me want to move, this is so embarrassing. 

Rain is finally falling in this complex area! Those that know me know I'm not a fan of heavy sustained rainfalls. I do realize the necessity though. My grass was crunching too much and the pollen was upsetting my allergies too much. I can't remember which summer it was but it was becoming like that. It was so dry I probably had to cut grass 6 times the entire period. Balance is necessary. 

The annexing saga continues. Now the Cherokee County Council is meeting in the AM hours to attempt to block the annexing. I don't know all the logistics here but I am learning. I do know I am locked in and this will be a Quentin Tarantino style ending that makes no sense and no one is really happy.  I do like how the Grassy Pond community is pushing back though. 

Iron City BBQ (whom we're attempting to get on the return of the #imjustdrew podcast) is NOW serving breakfast! My uncle and I both love small breakfast spots and this is another good thing for the town of Blacksburg. Waffle House still fits in well as we all know it's not about just breakfast with the Awful Waffle. 

Stay tuned for the next updates in this saga! 

The Deck at 260 Volume 38

April is ending and I can't even hang on my Deck without a mask due to this thickening pollen. I've had to wear a mask the past two days and will likely have to due to lack of rain. 

WU, new license plate, pollen thickening, MJ movie , Kendrick v Drake 2?

This pollen is out of hand, driest April I can remember.  We need a good week of rain. Not just for the farms and plans, to end the burn ban, etc. These allergies are legit killing folks. I won't lie I can't hardly stand it. I pray for those that have to work outside because I cannot. I love the outdoors also. 

Racism is showing out almost as bad as the pollen. First we have the controversial Revolutionary War license plate for the state of South Carolina. It's commemorating the 250th birthday of our country. Now while not completely historically accurate nor blatantly racist, it's triggering. The images of those soldiers represents a time for black people where our ancestors did fight in the war but were not free. We were servants, in the cotton fields, etc. Our freedom would come decades later (largely because of winning the Revolutionary War). That said, I have no issue with the license plate but I understand the oppression. 

Now this nonsense going on at Winthrop University (the WU) I take great issue to. If you're not already aware, please follow @projectcato on Instagram for more. To sum it up, these comments/slursmade by board members and high ranking officials have been a long time coming. If you went to the WU when I did, it was evident that certain people in power were uncomfortable with the Black community, our organizations, values, styles etc. I've watched it all close up and afar. Removing the benches in front of Richardson and Wofford Halls. Restructuring the parking lot so that loud, vehicles couldn't park in front but still parked in the giant X in front. When the campus was remodeled, it was done in a fashion so that people/Rock Hillians couldn't cruise around during the day with ease (I wasn't very upset with that one.). Letting organizations such as SGA, AOE, and even some NPHC organizations go under. The manner in which WU Homecoming tailgating has been treated for so long once more and more Black people started coming and staying for a long time like a tailgate should be. Changing the official logo of the university from the Tillman Hall clock and allowing the WU Black Alumni to have a huge, successful 2025 celebration (still wondering why nothing happened in 2026). Now we have this mess. I'm over it now, I want answers, I want the folks that FINALLY decided to show their behinds to be held accountable. This is not a good look for the university I hold near and dear to my heart. They do not stand on what they're supposed to. Until further notice, I'll continue to support certain university events, games, Homecoming of course, alumni mixers. But no #drewfromdawu and I'm not giving the University any extra monies nor donations. I encourage ALL Winthrop alums to join me in this until this is made right! 

Ok now that I got that off of my chest, I will say the new Michael Jackson movie did not disappoint at all. Great performances, acting and choreography. It really focused on Michael in the early years until the late 80s when he FINALLY broke away from the controlling, abusive father Joseph Jackson. I am so awaiting how they are going to frame the 2nd part. 

The Internet debunked the rumors but will Kendrick Lamar actually release a "Fireman" type album to combat Drake's "Iceman"? I'm here for it if K.Dot does. It's been two years since Kendrick won that beef and I think it would boost both of their streams, sales and tour proceeds. 

Until next time