J. Dakar

Broccoli Is the Leading Cause of Sex!

Bereola — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 08:03:17 +0000

Merely a catchy title ladies & gentlemen….or is it?! A healthy diet does lead to a healthy physique, which leads to a healthy mindset, which leads to a healthy swag, which leads to healthy living, which leads to a healthy sex life!

Bereolaesque living is as much about the exterior as it is the interior. My team is an advocate of living a quality life, and a quality life includes a quality diet! I recently picked up a copy of LL Cool J’s Platinum Workout, and I learned much more about healthy living than I thought I knew. My job as a contemporary gentleman is to report to you, the reader, all things Bereolaesque. Although I’ve already penned the guide for contemporary gentlemen, I continue to do my research in order to keep you informed.

I’ve always been on the healthy lifestyle tip, but I learned from the Platinum Workout how much what you eat affects who and how you are. Being in shape and eating right helps — it helps your business, it helps you make money, it helps your discipline, and it helps you as a gentleman. Most vegetables consist largely of water, making them low in calories. They are excellent sources of fiber, vitamins A and C, potassium, calcium and iron. The food that we put into our bodies shapes how our minds and bodies function. That may sound like a no-brainer but six nutritious meals a day can literally translate into sex six times a day (married, of course).

So the next time someone calls you a vegetable, tell them you are what you eat! Instead of a bouquet of flowers for the missus, show up with a bouquet of broccoli instead. Eat it, exercise and create a Bereolaesque lifestyle for yourself…you’ll thank me later.

Crash

J. Dakar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:51:53 +0000

Crash, the first original drama series from Starz, premieres October 17, but you can check out the first episode online.

I loved the movie, but after seeing only one episode of the TV show, I think it might be even better.

Post Title Download
Mark Isham - “Crash” from Crash

iBereolaesque

Bereola — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 05:28:03 +0000

Production and supply are at an all-time low while consumer demand has skyrocketed. Music industry executives have attempted to superficially fabricate it in their artists and have failed miserably. The cigarette and tobacco industry also made a valiant effort to formulate it and have failed miserably. They all try to bottle it up, package it and put it in a box…but they all found out that you can’t manufacture sexy!

But you can manufacture Bereolaesque, and that’s the metaphor for sexy!

A lot of the readers have been a bit confused as to which posts are authored by J. Dakar and which posts are from this Bereolaesque guy. This post is just a simple reminder of who I am — an avid connoisseur of sexy; a casual author; an introverted artist; and somewhat of a perfectionist in all realms, learning lessons but staying honest. Because I’m shameless, I’m an open book and because I’m sharp, I’m self-restrained; humble but quite often ostentatious, I come off as a walking, talking dichotomy which makes me absolutely Bereolaesque, just like you. Get familiar with it:

[Be-re-o-la-esque] –adjective/verb: Highly appealing to the human senses or mind; provides pleasure or delight, esp. in appearance or manner; pleasing; charming; alluring; attractive.

Anytime you see the trademark torso with the yellow tie, you are reading my words. I penned the highly anticipated Bereolaesque: The Gentleman & Etiquette Book for the Urban Sophisticate. The book is for every male and every female who believes that chivalry is NOT dead, individuals that understand how the world works and are willing to learn exactly how far something as simple as being a gentleman and proper etiquette can get you in life. The hardback goes into production soon and will be available nationwide December of 2008. So next time someone tells you that you can’t manufacture sexy, show them the book.

iBereolaesque. Do you?

Ad Infinitum

J. Dakar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 09:26:55 +0000

I’m a big fan of mellow music. And one of the greatest albums filled with mellow music hits stores today.

Leucocyte is the last album from international jazz trio E.S.T (the Esbjorn Svensson Trio) after Esbjörn Svensson’s accidental death while scuba diving earlier this year.

Childhood friends Esbjörn Svensson (piano), Dan Berglund (double bass) and Magnus Öström (drums) do classical, melodic jazz in a way I’ve never heard before — both aggressively and melancholically, a combination that one would think would be an utter mess. Instead, it’s an utter masterpiece.

With Svensson’s untimely death, you can’t help but feel sadness while listening to this album because E.S.T. would have only continued to get better with time. Fortunately, this is good music and good music lasts ad infinitum (to infinity).

Post Title Download
E.S.T. - “Leucocyte: IV. Ad Infinitum” (M4A) from Leucocyte

Throwback Love

J. Dakar — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 17:18:48 +0000

Part of me wants to talk about how disgusted I am with the state of music right now, but another part wants to mention that music has always had its ups and downs (and will continue to do so).

For this week’s Sunday Share, I’m throwing it back to the 80s, which was the best decade of music thus far with its soft rock ballads and adult contemporary styling.

1980: Kenny Rogers - “Lady”
from Greatest Hits
Written and produced by Lionel Richie, “Lady” is one of country singer Kenny Rogers’ greatest hits. The soulful nature (both musically and emotionally) of this song are just what you need, fellas, to pledge your love to your lady.

1981: Phil Collins - “In the Air Tonight”
from Face Value
Genesis frontman Phil Collins released “In the Air Tonight” as his first solo single and it remains his most popular. I honestly don’t know anyone who doesn’t love this song, and if I did, I wouldn’t want to know them.

1982: Stephen Bishop - “It Might Be You”
from Tootsie
“It Might Be You”, the theme to Tootsie, was (to date) Stephen Bishop’s last hit. After all, it is hard to top perfection. I first heard this song on the “Blue Harvest” episode of Family Guy.

1983: Bonnie Tyler - “Total Eclipse of the Heart”
from Faster Than the Speed of Night
Bonnie Tyler achieved her greatest success with “Total Eclipse of the Heart”, and it is considered one of the greatest songs of the 80s. This is another recent find: one of my college roommates was playing this and I had to have it.

1984: Foreigner - “I Want to Know What Love Is”
from Agent Provacateur
“I Want to Know What Love Is” is British-American rock band Foreigner’s most successful single, and features the New Jersey Mass Choir and Jennifer Holliday. Fellas, this is another one. Trust me.

1985: Alexander O’Neal - “If You Were Here Tonight”
from Alexander O’Neal
“If You Were Here Tonight” was Alexander O’Neal’s first successful hit in the UK, but it didn’t receive the same praise here stateside. Personally, it’s his greatest song ever. And fellas, we have the trifecta.

1986: Anita Baker - “No One in the World”
from Rapture
No 80s song list of mine would be complete without one of my favorite singers, Ms. Anita Baker. “No One in the World” is one of my favorite Baker Classics. Check out this performance of the song.

1987: Whitesnake - “Is This Love” (M4A)
from 1987
Rumored to have been intended for Tina Turner, “Is This Love” was one of the biggest hits of 1987. The music video featured lead singer David Coverdale’s future wife Tawny Kitaen, who also appeared in “Here I Go Again”.

1988: Chris Rea - “Josephine”
from New Light Through Old Windows
“Josephine” was written by Chris Rea for his daughter of the same name. Just read these lyrics. That’s poetry, man!

1989: Chris Isaak - “Wicked Game”
from Heart Shaped World
“Wicked Game” has been Chris Isaak’s only hit in the U.S. to date. But it’s okay because this song is great and some call the music video for it the sexiest ever.

Post Title Download
Tank - “Throwback Love”

Marriage Is the New Single

Bereola — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 23:48:05 +0000

Remember the day when being single was in style…when investing in the sexiest women in your portfolio increased your stock? Remember when being a player was a necessary component to your swag…when the words, “I do” were only used when asked if you like sex better with a few more girls involved? Well guys, hold onto those memories because the S-word is going out of style and the M-word is quickly becoming the new trend.

Big banks are closing and the player card is getting denied across America! Diamonds and gold are becoming the only safe investments. Nick Cannon, Usher and Jay-Z recently traded in their player cards for a much wiser investment, while ‘Punk’ from I Love New York 2 soon plans to liquidate his assets. Brad Pitt, Will Smith and a long list of other celebs capitalized on their investment long before the market crashed.

Pop-culture has positioned marriage as fashionable, glamorous and desirable…it is indeed making a comeback. But for us common folk, classifying such a sacred covenant of marriage as a ‘Hollywood trend’ is an offensive gesture. But hold on folks…let’s be a bit more optimistic. Marriage exponentially decreases the amount of single family homes and deadbeat fathers — furthermore creating an environment more conducive to the existence of a properly groomed and distinguished gentleman! This is obviously good for a society plagued with rude behavior, divorce and infidelity.

Those stress-relieving invites to hang with the fellas have turned into wedding announcements. I’ll be attending more weddings than clubs this year. Gentlemen, if you’ve been “dating” your significant other for 5+ years, liquidate your assets and go get her that shiny ring that she’s been waiting for…do it before someone else does! Women are ready fellas, so before you go out of style, go out in style and grab what’s left because the good women are going fast…I already got mine…

Don’t Miss You at All

Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad

J. Dakar — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:49:35 +0000

Yesterday, I was just thinking how great a day I was having…and then I received an email that proved otherwise.

Back in July during the Essence Music Festival, I met a few people (including Angel, who I’d known online for years but never had the chance to meet face-to-face). Most were pretty cool, but few were those I’d be interested in keeping in contact with in the future.

One of those latter individuals is Peter. We’ve emailed each other a couple of times to stay up-to-date with our recent goings-on, so when I received his email yesterday with a subject that read “To Those Who Care”, I thought it was going to be big news about a project of his or something. Unfortunately, it was nothing of the sort.

He was informing us that his 25-year-old police officer nephew committed suicide yesterday morning.

I immediately responded that my condolences are with him and his family, but I couldn’t help but think back to a few years ago.

I’ve never told anyone this, but I thought about committing suicide.

I was a freshman in high school, and what seemed like the burden of aiming for perfection almost got the better of me. I had planned how I would do it, but I wasn’t quite sure when although I knew I didn’t want to leave a note whenever I did. How could I possibly explain to my friends and family that I had decided to give up on everything, including myself?

I didn’t think there was anyone I could talk to about this, so I didn’t. In retrospect, I guess I was afraid that they would think I was crazy. In a way, I probably was crazy. I imagined what they might say after I was gone: “He was so smart. He had so much promise. He left us too soon.” Now I know this is going to sound crazy, but it’s those thoughts that brought me back from the edge. I realized that they would be speaking about me in past tense, without even having the opportunity to see what could have been…what I could have been.

So I prayed.

And I asked God to deliver me from that state of mind. And He did, and every morning, I thank Him for allowing me to see another day.

I now realize how selfish and cowardly I once was. I know death is inevitable for us all and that can be scary, but I also know how great life can be. There are numerous outlets to help anyone considering suicide realize that they have a lot for which to live, although it may seem like nothing at all.

Fortunately, I am a living testimony to that.

Post Title Download
U2 - “Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad” from If God Will Send His Angels

Change

J. Dakar — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:49:13 +0000

It’s time for a change.

In all honesty, I thought about calling it a day and closing up shop here…until something Jose said, or wrote, I should say, changed my mind.

Lately, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, I haven’t been writing much either here or at Concrete Loop. It seems I had lost my motivation, especially here. But I’m glad to announce that I’ve found it: me.

Allow me to explain.

For the longest time, I have been writing with an audience in mind. That was not the case when I had Write State of Mind, N-Retrospekt or any of my other now defunct websites. Those were avenues that allowed me to express my thoughts and feelings, but with JDakar, I was more concerned with those of my audience. That’s all good and everything, but somewhere along the way, I lost my voice. I lost part of why I’m even doing this.

I have a lot going on right now, and I would have loved to have told you all about it from the beginning. But I was too caught up with trying to do what everybody else was doing that I ignored the personal aspect of this site. I’ve come to realize that everybody else is doing what everybody else is doing, and I should be doing what I should be doing (Profound, I know).

That’s why JDakar is taking a more personal approach.

I have a promising new career, and I highly enjoy what I do at Concrete Loop. Not to sound too cocky, but political posts at Concrete Loop (and the other sites who later followed suit) are having an amazing impact on how the American electorate is changing. Additionally, it really means a lot to have so many people tell me that they look forward to the Black History Spotlights.

There’s a lot to be done with Concrete Loop. Yet, I had taken it upon myself to launch another blog. Add to that a “real-world” job, and you’re looking at burnout from it all, which is exactly what I was experiencing. That’s without even mentioning the other projects I have running in the background currently. Fortunately, I have some direction and I know what to do.

I’m going back to the start.

This is the way it should have been from the beginning, but I was too stupid to see that. Thank goodness I did before it was too late. In the coming weeks, you’ll know exactly what I mean and I hope you come to understand. I undoubtedly believe you will appreciate it, and if you don’t…well, it’s all good.

Not only am I changing professionally, if you will, I am working on a physical change, too. I am 6’5” and 295 pounds. That would be great if I were still playing football. But I’m not. So I’m looking to change that. I’ve started working out first thing in the morning (with weights and everything!) and jogging, on top of doing yoga. I also do pilates in the early evening to unwind from my day job.

I also want to be fiscally fit. I’d like to get rid of my credit card debt within the next two years and own a home by the time I’m 27. I’m hoping to drive my car until the wheels fall off as I have no intention of purchasing a car for quite some time.

Maybe all this isn’t so much changing as it is growing…

Half-Assed

J. Dakar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:26:20 +0000

Ne-Yo’s latest, Year of the Gentleman hits stores today, and I can’t bring myself to write a full review of it.

I wouldn’t necessarily consider myself a Ne-Yo fan, per se, but I will admit he is talented. It’s just that for every song he releases that I love, he also releases one I hate. What’s up with that?!

Such is the case with his new album.

For every song I love, there’s one I hate. Fortunately, there’s twelve tracks so the love (or lack thereof) can be shared equally. It’s as if he needed to make the album 48 minutes or else; I would have greatly appreciated half the time with nothing but great songs, instead of him adding filler.

I’m so sick of artists recording crap and expecting us to just listen to it. I say no more! Demand that your favorite artists give you their all or nothing at all.

Keep it up, Ne-Yo, and you can join Tevin Campbell wherever the hell he is! Wait…he’s working on a new album, you say? That’s okay, Tevin, we’ll pass.

And Ne-Yo, just because you’re a talented singer-songwriter and producer, don’t think the same can’t happen to you. In all seriousness, though, please don’t let this happen again. You’re actually too good for that.

J.’s Joints: “Closer”, “Miss Independent”, “Why Does She Stay”, “Fade Into the Background”, “So You Can Cry”, “Back to What You Know”

Visit Ne-Yo on MySpace and his official site.

Post Title Download
Ani DiFranco - “Half-Assed” from Reprieve

Year of the Gentleman

Timeless

J. Dakar — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 13:35:09 +0000

I listened to a few new albums yesterday, and I was thoroughly disappointed with each and every one…except Kenny Lattimore’s Timeless. That’s why I’ve picked my favorites from the album as this week’s Sunday Share.

Timeless marks Kenny’s Verve debut and is another cover album in which he puts his spin on classics from Al Green, The Beatles, Jeff Buckley and Donny Hathaway, among others.

“Something”
Originally recorded by Al Green

“Everybody Here Wants You”
Originally recorded by Jeff Buckley

“You Are My Starship”
Originally recorded by Norman Connors ft. Michael Henderson

“And I Love Her”
Originally recorded by The Beatles

“Come Down in Time”
Originally recorded by Elton John

“Undeniably”
Originally recorded by Terrence Trent D’Arby

J. Dakar

Broccoli Is the Leading Cause of Sex!

Related Posts

Crash

Related Posts

iBereolaesque

Popular Posts

Ad Infinitum

Popular Posts

Throwback Love

Related Posts

Marriage Is the New Single

Related Posts

Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad

Related Posts

Change

Related Posts

Half-Assed

Related Posts

Timeless

Related Posts