I hate shaking hands, I really do, hell I wish we would just bow like the Japanese or even kiss the air by each other cheeks… like cute Latinas do. I admit it, I am one of those freaks who would rather not shake hands with you… but the socially awkward penguin within me does not make me strong enough to just refuse. Want to know why? Consider this scenario: I am networking heavily at a conference of peers when the panel breaks for lunch within the next room. The lunch for the day comprises mostly of finger foods and I am starving and anxious to eat. The line for the food is extremely long however and my partners have to depart… so naturally we shake hands and the only thought within my mind is the dirty, icky feeling that comes with hand to hand contact. It lingers as I stand in line, until it… [Read more]

Right now there is a documentary being run on The History Channel called “Vietnam in HD”; while it is easy to blow it off as yet another film on the old war, I have to say that as a history buff and documentary watcher this one is different. There has only been one other documentary to affect emotion out of me the way I felt watching Vietnam in HD and that was “Reich”. The context of these 2 shows is in giving it to us raw with no chaser, no punches pulled and most importantly the cause and effect of both wars. Movies and Documentaries – Depicting Life In Reich I learned of what Germany was going through prior to Hitler and how he systematically came in as savior, then moved on to cleaner, then finally became complete authority. The pace in which he moved and made decisions was blindingly fast and before you knew… [Read more]

As a blog author it can be easy to get lost in the shuffle of pushing out content, relaying news and doling out advice. Oft times we build a community and trade commentary as if it were our castle (or Hall) and nobody on the outside can see. When I first started writing I had to make a hard decision as to whether I was going to keep it real or keep it care bear; of course I chose the former and as much as I love my denizen fam I run the risk of offending someone every time I write – and I am perfectly fine with that. One thing you have to learn is that you cannot please everyone. One of my lady friends started reading this space and called me a misogynist (buzz word of the year), but then she kept reading and realized that I love women. Not everybody will keep… [Read more]

Las Vegas, city of sin, the house that Bugsy built… it was a place I knew of only from movies like Ocean’s Eleven and The Godfather, yet there we were: 4 young men, 3 of us single, being treated like kings in Sin City. We were green, opting to wear suits when everyone else was dressed for the hot desert weather. We played hard, won hard, lost hard and at the end of a week were considering extending our stay indefinitely. You know the old mantra “screw work”, well that’s how Vegas felt, why leave a king’s life to return to the reality of pauper living? Anyway, it was on the last night of our trip to paradise, I was up about 300% on what I originally brought out there, feeling good about myself, when we ran into some friends from work. Now we were about 12 deep and yucking it up by the entrance… [Read more]

Recently I have been reading a lot of articles on other sites that discount relationship advice and hold their givers to a level that is practically impossible to attain. People hint at the fact that if you aren’t perfect (in their eyes) then you cannot be qualified to advise anyone on love and relationships. Of course I cry foul to this as an advice giver myself but this isn’t to say that the people dissing the advice are wrong, I am saying that you cannot counter with such a hard point because let’s face it advice is there because someone asked it originally. Experience breeds mastery and while one man’s experience may vary from another, there is still something to learn from the person who has “been there done that” in order to make one’s struggles a bit easier. Friend of The Hall Antonio Maurice Daniels wrote an excellent piece about the other end of… [Read more]

1. Alimony Celebrities aka The “Wives” Reality Shows I can’t watch these things and I am not coming from a place of ignorance in my avoidance as I have tried watching a few and they are so contrived it’s a wonder that the moniker of “Reality Television” is still fooling people. This is not reality people, it’s an edited, scripted show that uses… you know what never mind. The rise of the alimony celebrity is more disturbing than 2010’s sex tape celebrity – yup Kim K. Half of these women are not wives on the shows, they are ugly inside and will probably keep men single out of fear of landing one of these liabilities and being forced to pay a 6 figure allowance to her for years. Only the people can affect this change and women LOVE and support these shows so I guess I shouldn’t hold my breath. 2. Social Network Lynch Mobs… [Read more]

2010 what a year… can I say good riddance to one of the worst years ever socially? For the Hall 2010 was HUGE and I am appreciative but in life… Let me explain… 2010 Boomer Racists Came Out Of The Closet It isn’t so bad that I turn a year older as it is that I worry that 2011 may be the same thing all over. It seemed that when Barry Obama took office it was akin to an exterminator setting off a bomb and all of the little Baby Boomer era racists started scattering out from their hiding places. I mean it’s been a mess this year and a major hit to the “post-racial” debate circle, seriously I couldn’t even make this up – wanna see for yourself what 2010 wrought, just check the archives of any News Blog. It’s been an ugly year, and it goes to show that when people lose a… [Read more]

Editor’s Note: This is probably the most controversial topic I have touched on in my writing here on The Hall. I reread it days after writing and found that it is 100% Greg Dragon in terms of being blunt, offensive and harsh. I did not and will not be changing what I have written to make it palatable because it is honest, and I feel that me being less than honest is a disservice to both you my readers and myself the bleeding heart. This is an entry into the mind of someone who is extremely bitter with religion in general and I hope you take something away from it other than a wont to argue with me. Thanks as always for allowing me to express myself, it is a freedom I don’t take for granted. – G.Dragon To be honest I never had it, like many other children I was raised into my parent’s… [Read more]