This is your one and only spoiler alert. I hate spoilers so don’t spoil me either.

The Review

The show has many themes and I can appreciate how they bridge historical relevance. Admittedly, before watching the show, I didn’t know Ireland’s history during the time periods leading up to World War 1 (WW1) and after. I rate Series One a 7.1 out of 10.

The Plot

A negative of this first season is the sheer amount of characters it introduces. It’s the first season, so I get it. However, I think it fluffs up the story when most of these characters are temporary. The plot is kind of confusing as the writers tie in a lot of history around Ireland and the military relationship with Great Britain in the early 1900s. After doing my own research, the plot starts to make sense but could’ve done better in tying in the information. Between the history and random characters, the show can be easy to walk away from.

You’re introduced to Thomas (Tommy) Shelby and off the bat you know he’s the main character. Some would say he’s a heartthrob (I wouldn’t but hey, it’s subjective). Through this season you see Tommy struggle with PTSD. This brought up a good question, when did PTSD become something people were aware of? Through Tommy’s experience we know that WW1 soldiers were faced with inhumane conditions and expectations.

Tommy is trying to grow the family business — take the Peaky Blinders from the small betting pond to the bigger lakes. With that, he takes on several large risks. One such risk is when Tommy’s crew recovers a secret shipment of guns from the Crown to another country. What says big money like a large shipment of weapons. Something this large triggers the Crown to send Inspector Campbell and his cronies to investigate.

Tommy’s ultimate goal is to take over the horse racing tracks that Billy Kimber currently owns. The war between the Peaky Blinders, the Birmingham Boys, and Inspector Campbell is your stereotypical “Art of War” or “48 Laws of Power”. I give kudos to Tommy. He had a plan. But, you can tell he was someone who started to look at the bigger picture after his return from war. Through his interactions with his Aunt Polly, (she ran the Peaky Blinders while the men were away at war) you can tell Tommy was a different person before the war. Tommy creates ally-ship with Campbell to overthrow the Birmingham Boys. When plans back fire, the Peaky Blinders preserver with Tommy’s leadership.

Overall, the plot isn’t bad, but the show feels exhausting given the run time of each episode. With it being the first “series”, I understand the character introductions but it’s so many and some seem useless to the story. Almost like they were swinging for “Game of Thrones” world-building which is tough to do when you’re dealing with reality. The end of Series One is a “plot twist” but I feel was poorly executed; it does create for a neat opening into Series Two.

Character Spotlight

I already spoke a decent amount on Thomas Shelby and I want to quickly highlight a few characters as they impacted my watch.

Grace

Grace is our heroine and the normalcy Tommy craved. If you didn’t know, when it comes to criminal organizations, love is an easy undercover agent. Correctly executed, Inspector Campbell employs Grace to gain access to the Peaky Blinders. Through Grace, we see what Tommy missed so much in his previous life before the war.

Inspector Chester Campbell

One of the main counterparts to Tommy. Inspector Campbell constantly lobbies his similarities to Tommy. I agree with Campbell’s opinions that him and Tommy are alike, but equally, there are obvious differences in character and morals. They are both similar in their choice of women 😉. A ruthless character in his investigations, the risks Campbell takes don’t play out the way he wants — obviously because he’s not the main character. He was an okay member of the main triad this series.

Aunt Polly

Auntie Polly ran the Peaky Blinders while the men were away at war. She battles misogyny and patriarchy when the men return. She was able to successfully run the gang for a few years and felt she had right to contribute to the gang’s direction. She disagrees wholeheartedly with Tommy’s vision, and rightfully so, Tommy was swinging for the fences. Aunt Polly’s core mistake is thinking she understood who Tommy was post-War. She’s loyal to what protects the family.

Final Thoughts

“Series One” was okay. I plan to watch Series Two soon and I’ll report back. If you’re looking for a show that may take you some time to binge, and you like crime organizations, then, “Peaky Blinders” may be the show for you. Enjoy (or get over) the accents!

Hummingbird is a small kitchen and craft cocktail bar located in Dock 1053 warehouse in Raleigh. The restaurant focuses on New Orleans cuisine. Chef Coleen studied under famed chef Emeril Lagasse (IYKYK) and other notorious New Orleans restaurants. You can find out more about who they are at their website. My wife and I chose this place randomly for brunch on a Saturday. The menu called out to us so we said hey, why not.

Let’s get into it.

What we ordered

• Paloma ($13)

• Chai Latte ($5.50)

• Chicken and Waffle ($18)

• Shrimp and Grits ($23)

The Review

Paloma ($13)

This was a great drink. Kudos to the bartender. I’m not a grapefruit fan but could order three of these if I wasn’t the DD. The grapefruit kills any alcohol aftertaste but there’s enough tequila that you feel it. Please drink responsibly. I rate this a 9.5 out of 10.

Chai Latte ($5.50)

The Chai Latte itself is $5. My wife had it made hot with Oat milk and vanilla flavoring ($0.50). She rates it a 8.4 out of 10. She says it was good and would taste better “dirty” (espresso shot). Hummingbird does offer this for an additional $2.

Chicken and Waffle ($18)

I’m going to do this in two parts. I don’t eat my Chicken and Waffles together — I separate them on different plates. Don’t be a weirdo (I kid, eat your food however you like it 😉).

The waffle was great, it was a “Curry from deep… BANG!!!” moment. It had a slight crisp but soft. I could’ve used more syrup as they pre-add the syrup to the waffle. I’m not a fan when restaurants do that. Given the New Orleans background, the waffle reminded me of a beignet. I rate the waffle a 9.6 out of 10.

The chicken was… okay. My first few bites I enjoyed it. As I kept eating it, my impressed feeling kept going down and down. It was fried well but didn’t hold up its own like the waffle. I rate it a 7.9 out of 10.

Shrimp and Grits ($23)

I want to preface this review that my wife is a shrimp and grits connoisseur. Meaning, if it’s on the menu, there’s a 85% chance she’ll order it. Not many Shrimp and Grits stand up to her taste palate.

She said it had a lot of depth and flavor. The grit’s consistency was just right. The gravy added a creamy feel. She rates it a 9.4 out of 10. The negative, they left the tails on the shrimp… WHY… WHY…WHY. Any who, with a rating this high, from the Shrimp and Grits Queen, you know what that means, you GOTTA TRY IT.

I did eat the Shrimp and Grits next day for breakfast and it was really good. The flavor held up well. My second-day rating is a 8.5 out of 10.

Final Thoughts

Hummingbird doesn’t lie when they say they’re a small kitchen and cocktail bar. Most of the seating is in a covered, outdoor patio. There is indoor seating with a small, tight bar. However, the vibe is cute and cozy, and makes nice for a date. The service was friendly and we witnessed regulars come and go. I noticed solo-diners too.

We didn’t make a reservation before going and they didn’t have any availability so we sat at the bar. Keep that in mind if you’re planning a date.

My overall rating is a 9.1 out of 10. I definitely recommend Hummingbird and I will likely go back sooner than later.

LongLeaf Swine is a local, Raleigh, NC barbecue restaurant and bar. You can find out more about their restaurant at their website. This spot has been on my list for some years, and my wife and I finally made it there for lunch on a nice sunny Friday afternoon.

Let’s get into it.

What we ordered

• Brisket Melt Sandwich with fries ($18)

• Spare Ribs tray with pimento mac-n-cheese ($17)

• Curried Tri-tip Soup special ($5)

• Drinks (I can’t remember the exact cocktail my wife had)

I didn’t snap the brisket sandwich, my apologies :(

The Review

Curried Tri-tip Soup special ($5)

My wife ordered it because it was $5. I don’t have much to say about the soup to be honest. It was flavorful and would probably taste better on a cold day. It didn’t move me too much; however, the tri-tip will melt in your mouth. I rate this a 7.0 out of 10. My wife took it to-go and she ate the leftovers two days later. She added both tangy and sweet barbecue sauce before we left. With that, she rates this a 8.2 out of 10 and this is two days later.

Brisket Melt Sandwich with fries ($18)

The Brisket Melt Sandwich was a well crafted sandwich. You got about 2-3 slices of brisket. The toppings and condiments didn’t crowd the sandwich. I rate this sandwich a 7.7 out of 10. While it was a good sandwich, my biggest issue with the sandwich was the “horsey” sauce didn’t shine through. I felt that was the lacking component. Some bites had the sauce and those were realllll-y good bites which is why I deducted as many points as I did. The sauce distribution could take this sandwich into mid 9s range easy.

The fries were great. I thoroughly enjoyed the crisp and the malt vinegar aioli. I rate the fries 9.0 out of 10. I wanted more of the aioli, there wasn’t enough to dip.

Spare Ribs tray with pimento mac-n-cheese ($17)

My wife said the ribs were good. The portion was smaller than other barbecue restaurants (you get 3 small to medium-sized ribs). She rates the ribs 7.4 out of 10. She liked the spice blend the most on the ribs. She said the ribs pair well with the sweet and tangy barbecue sauces.

I didn’t try the ribs but I did try the pimento mac-n-cheese. My wife wasn’t a fan of the jalapeno flavor. I thought this was your standard “STEPH CURRY FROM DEEP…BANG!” to quote sports commentator Mike Breen. I rate this 9.4 out of 10. My only negative was the fried saltine topping — it was unnecessary. This was an unexpected highlight on a Friday.

Final Thoughts

For a random pick on a Friday afternoon when you’re hungry, they didn’t disappoint. The service was nice. The food came out pretty quick. They do week-day kitchen specials. Friday was “Fish Fry Friday” (FFF). We all love an FFF. So I’ll be back to try that.

My overall rating is 8.5 out of 10. I definitely recommend you try them out.

Joanne Chesimard didn’t “fight for justice.” She murdered New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster in cold blood, then fled to Cuba to escape accountability. The FBI never stopped calling her what she was: a terrorist.

Kash Patel - Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

Growing up, my mother emphasized learning Black history. I took a lot of that history for granted as I was learning Black history but not how our history affects the present. A period of Black History I gravitated towards were the Black Panthers. At 17 years old, I dove head first into learning about the organization and their contributions and downfall. Mostly surface level, I learned about key players but never peeled the layers back — I would say I passively consumed Black history.

Ashamedly, I learned Shakur’s name but never knew her significance. “ASSATA: An Autobiography” peels many of those layers on who she was and what should she stood for. The autobiography centers around the 1973 New Jersey State Turnpike incident while splicing in flashbacks of Shakur’s childhood, adolescence, and her revolutionary years. Throughout the read, I found myself narrowing in on recurring themes and topics:

• How severe of a culture shock was it for a Northern Black person that frequented the South during Jim Crow?

• The United State’s role in attacking Black activism and Black societal collaboration.

• The lack of penological studies with respect to incarcerated women.

Shakur’s experience with the various activist and revolutionary organizations reflects the general treatment of Black women in our communities. Black men weren’t fighting for their people but fighting to have a certain power over their people. Knowing a general history of the Black Panthers means you should know they did not acknowledge women’s opinions; it’s a patriarchal organization. Ultimately, that led to the downfall of the organization. Shakur touches on how those beliefs transcend race and led these pivotal movements astray. Something I appreciate from Shakur’s recount, is her overwhelming love for Black people. Even though what you read can be painful, it comes from a warm place.

The Rating

I recommend every Black person read this book if you haven’t.

I give this book an 8.9 out of 10. I appreciated learning what I learned about the turnpike incident and Shakur’s personal life. However, I felt at a certain point, the book became a pure recount of the case. Given Shakur contributed to various organizations and revolutionary movements in our country, I wanted more insight to her personal experiences regarding the Black Liberation Army. Regardless, it was a great read and I will most likely reference her story in my future learning.

The Essay

I mentioned the book made me think seriously on three topics (scroll up to refresh yourself). With those thoughts (and New Year’s Resolutions to challenge myself), I wrote an argumentative essay using the autobiography as the basis for the paper. I ask that you take some time and give it a read. I do recommend reading the novel first but not required.

"Assata An Autobiography" Essay

84.7KB ∙ PDF file

Download

An essay to discuss and highlight the effects of 1950s-1960s racism on “Northern Blacks”, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) role in attacking Black activism and Black societal collaboration, and the lack of penological studies with interest to incarcerated women.

Download