Better late than never: Listening to all of Adele's albums for the first time

April 06, 2016 by Soul On Ice

There’s a famous quote that states “ignorance is bliss.” To that, yes. There is a beauty in discovering something for the first time; a curiosity and, when embraced with no preconceived notions, it comes less of a task to tear down and more of a joy when finding out or, in this case, listening with virgin ears. It is within this context that a 33-year-old man who loves damn near all things rhythm-and-blues, soul, romantic, love (and heartbreak), listened to Adele for the very first time in January of 2016.

Doing hood rat stuff with friends: WrestleMania edition

April 04, 2016 by Soul On Ice

Anticipation is a hell of a feeling. Sometimes, the feeling of anticipation itself is more memorable and fun than the event itself. Other times, the event supersedes the anticipation. It could go along with the whole “It’s the journey, not the destination” logic, but that is not necessarily accurate here. See, there are some events that are concrete in regard to how long they have been a part of the 33 years that have been spent on earth (excluding family): the love of reading, writing, basketball, football, and wrestling. There are friends of mine who have their passions as well, with one shared one being professional wrestling or, as it is called now, sports entertainment. Well, one of those events took place this weekend, an event known around the world as WrestleMania.

Tales from the needle: Volume II

April 01, 2016 by Soul On Ice in Tales from the needle

Tales from the Needle is a weekly series which will highlight people and their tattoos. Some people have a favorite tat, their most memorable ink. Some people put more emphasis on the needle from a tattoo gun penetrated their skin while others have one they wish they never put any ink on their body.

Every Friday, the blog will have a first-person story of a person and their tats of choice, using only images of their tats keeps the theme of this being a faceless site. The images seen here will merely aid in bringing nuance to the numerous layers that compose the person.

I am not a role model: 20 years later

March 30, 2016 by Soul On Ice

A role model is defined as a person whose behavior, example, or success can be emulated, especially by young people. A role model isn’t confined to how much money a person makes, how many material things one can buy, and what profession one plies their trade in. A role model is simply someone who does things in a positive way, someone who people can look at, with universal respect, as someone who takes pride in what they do.

Nike made this clear in a 30-second commercial back in the early-90s when Charles Barkley announced to the world six words that reverberated loud and clear:

I am not a role model.

In 1993, as a ten-year-old kid two months shy of turning eleven years old, it made sense. Charles Barkley played basketball, played basketball as well as anyone in the NBA and was a great example for anyone who played the game. However, as a kid, it was never a thing to say “I want to be like Charles Barkley.” Even at ten years old, it was obvious that Sir Charles played the game and that was it (Newsweek Staff, 1993). He was paid, in his words, to wreak havoc on the basketball court.