June 9, 2008
“You got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to folk ‘em, know when to walk away and know when to run.”
Kenny Rogers
In 48 hours from now I may be trying to sell a kidney so I can get back on the tables. Me and The Vixen are going to Atlantic City. I’m pretty sure I won’t get up any retirement money, but perhaps I can finish paying student loans or something…or buy a tank of gas. Since I don’t know how to count cards I’ll have to rely on luck…or not drinking until I’m done. So after tuesday don’t expect anything from me till sunday at the earliest. Maybe I’ll post something from the hotel. Maybe not. Who knows…I’m sure to have some pictures when I come back…so you will forgive me…I command you. Until I post again..ciao.
WWWD:
“I don’t play games.”
“Never mind the music, bub — just keep dancin’.”
Wolverine
August 20, 2007
(Freedom,) freedom
(Give to me)
That’s what I need, um…
(Freedom,) freedom
To live
(Freedom,) freedom
So I can give
Jimi Hendrix - Freedom
So I’ve had something change over the weekend and I’m feeling pretty damn good. Instead of running my mouth I’ll let pictures speak.
Additionally, these things are good.
Mari Luna and their Sangria Tea.
Caprese Salad.
The Vixen. (who made the caprese salad)
The Jetta GL 1.8 Turbo. (I probably shouldn’t be allowed to have a turbo on any car.)
Seeing my man Ike who I’ve known since the 5th grade. (That’s a long time.)
August 6, 2007
June 25, 2007
“I love Rock and Roll, put another dime in the Jukebox baby!”
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
I have professed my love for Rock n’ Roll before on this blog. In addition I have gone over the fact that Chuck Berry and Jimi Hendrix are the easiest reasons why people should never call it “White” music. So I now present some of my favorite songs in the genre.
*Disclaimer, don’t bash me and ask how come I didn’t put on a certain song…this list is really infinite and no one wants to read all that.
“Castles made of Sand” Jimi Hendrix
This is a good song and a great message, while the majority of the songs seems to be from a negative standpoint and have people losing out, the last verse flips it around. It’s like saying what’s reality will always win out, good or bad. (I wanted to keep it to one but I gotta mention “Angel”)
“And so castles made of sand, fall in the sea, eventually…”
“Mouth” Bush
This song speaks to something I’ve known all my life, a womans tongue can be the sharpest sword. Something many men have come to learn and even studies on child behavior confirm. Boys hit each other, girls strike for the heart without even yelling.
“All your mental armor drags me down/we can’t breathe when you come around/all your mental armor drags me down/nothing hurts like your mouth”
“Welcome to the Jungle” Guns and Roses
This is one of the best It’s-crazy-around-here-so-watch-your-back-songs. I love it in GTA: San Andreas, however, the best placement of this song has to be in “Lean on Me”, Fair Eastside had some issues and you knew it as soon as you heard this song in the beginning. Pretty good description of any hood. (gotta mention November Rain)
“If you got a hunger for what you see/You’ll take it eventually/You can have anything you want/But you better not take it from me”
“Fortunate Son” Creedance Clearwater Revival
This song has been misused as some sort of patriotic anthem when it’s nothing close. It talks about how all those patriotic people are usually “privledged”. Most of us can identify with this song. I know I have a great mother, but in the sense of this song, “I ain’t no fortunate son”.
“It ain’t me, it ain’t me/I ain’t no senator’s son/It ain’t me, it ain’t me/I ain’t no fortunate one”
“Summer” Alien Ant Farm
Great song about not being able to work it out. You messed up and despite your good intentions it’s over.
“Tried to give you summer, but I’m winter/Wish I could make you spring, but I fall so hard”
“Under the Bridge” Red Hot Chili Peppers
This song is the one that even the people who called Rock music “white people music” liked this song. This was the one that people in the hood knew about. I’d be surprised if anyone that reads this has not heard this song.
“I don’t ever want to feeeeeel, like I did that day/Take me to the place I looooooove, take me all the way”
“The Warmth” Incubus
This is the “there-are-bright-spots-song” I’ll let it speak for itself…
“So don’t let the world bring you down/Not everyone here is that fucked up and cold/Remember why you came and while you’re alive/Experience the warmth before you grow old.”
“Bullet with Butterfly Wings” Smashing Pumpkins
It was hard for me not to put Disarm on here, but this song has one of my favorite titles. It describes quite well what this song is all about. This is a song I speed to, this joint I want to mosh to. If my life is a movie, when this comes up in the soundtrack I’ll be breaking things…then I’ll break down.
“Then someone will say what is lost can never be saved/Despite all my rage I’m still just a rat in a cage”
“Whatsername” Greenday
I am a sucker for ballads and songs that put me in a certain moment or state of mind. I have found myself thinking about an old flame and wondering what was going on with them at the moment. This song takes me there.
“I made a point to burn all of the photographs/She went away and then I took a different path/I remember the face, but I can’t recall the name/Now I wonder how whatsername has been”
“Jeremy” Pearl Jam
I always credit this song with documenting Columbine before it happened. This is a good example of how elders don’t listen to what youth are saying until something happens. This was the warning.
“Clearly I remember pickin’ on the boy/Seemed a harmless little fuck/Ooh, but we unleashed a lion…”
“Dream On” Aerosmith
As I tell my clients no that’s not “Eminem’s song” he sampled a great band. While Aerosmith has a lot of good songs (Sweet Emotions, Love in an Elevator, Janie’s got a Gun, etc.), but this one was always one of my favorites (besides Walk this Way for obvious reasons).
“Sing with me, sing for the year/ Sing for the laughter, sing for the tears /Sing with me, if it’s just for today /Maybe tomorrow, the good lord will take you away”
“Iron Man” Black Sabbath
How could I forget Ozzy. This is a sick story…I love it. A hero sacrifices himself for humanity, is subsequently ignored and then…well peep it…
“Now the time is here for ironman to spread fear/Vengeance from the grave kills the people he once saved”
“We will Rock You” Queen
Though people look at me funny when I say I’m listening to Queen, or ask what “she” sings…everyone one knows at least the beat and chorus to this song. Used in a million stadiums and by me at open mics without bands. This in the top 10 list of “That was a great idea!” for simple yet killer songs. Stomp, Stomp, Clap. (many great songs, but I love to mention “Fat Bottomed Girls”)
“You got mud on yo’ face/You big disgrace/Kickin’ your can all over the place”
What’s a song that has to be on your list?
June 4, 2007
“Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better.”
King Whitney Jr.
So in the middle of my work day on friday, I went to an interview for another job. Funny thing is I probably needed to be looking around, but this one basically walked right up to me. Money wise it might be a negligible percentage less and when I say percentage it may be 1 - 3% less - but that’s what negotiations are for. Everything else is a total upgrade. They are taking the one person control factor out and giving creative control to the staff as a whole - thus negating something that has been the most visible issue in every youth oriented program I’ve worked for. They have their own building and don’t have to trip over other programs. Another bonus: There are several guys there. This means that if something happens that I won’t be one of two people who can step in. It also means I won’t be one of two people who can perform manual labor type tasks. They are trying to use their creativity to build a program and not just trying to satisfy some numbers. I realized that there are three places I’ve been longer than this job: My momma’s house, elementary school and Baltimore City. I’ve only been in the world of work for about 11 years. More than half of that has been here. I haven’t even managed to stay with a woman for more than 6 months! I didn’t have a car for as long as I’ve worked here. The only other steady commitment I’ve had in that time is to Sprint. Even if they wouldn’t bump me up the measley percentage, I don’t really care anymore. It’s like I’m in a war and people are doubting the strategy, have no faith in the general and even the platoon leaders are giving up hope. I still want to fight and I believe in the cause, but I at least need to be sent to another unit. My ideas don’t matter as much anymore. Everything we can come up with has to be approved before we can implement it. Meanwhile I sat in this interview on friday and the guy had to remember where he was in the interview because we kept getting off track…and off track was still about the vision of a program and the situations of young people. This job used to be that at one time. Not anymore. It’s hard to convince the young people to be optimistic when you can’t be. Even when you can help them find a vision for their lives, you have something in the back of your mind telling you that you’ll have hindrances in the way you would help them get there. That’s not McDonalds. I gotta do my thing. Like I tell the young people, “You can’t stagnate, you gotta move forward.” If things work out, I will.
May 30, 2007
“Both the cockroach and the bird would get along very well without us, although the cockroach would miss us most.”
Joseph Wood Krutch
Dear Bird,
Look I know you and your mate are trying to raise your family. I understand that. The problem is, I take my smoke breaks in the alley by your tree. I know you want to protect your youngins and all that jazz, but that doesn’t mean it’s cool to buzz me everytime I get within 10 ft. of the tree your nest is in. I mean there are only 3 trees over there and you picked the shortest one to build a nest in. What type of planning is that? When I realized that you were there I tried to give you room. It seems that every inch I give you want another foot. It was one thing when I couldn’t sit in my usual spot. Now I can’t even stand in the alley at all. This is not cool. As much as I respect nature and everything, you guys are going over the line. I flinched on tuesday afternoon when a bird flew past me…and I was around the corner. Not to mention that you still came and sat on the phone line to ice grill me. I’m trying to be nice here, umkay. My man told me you pecked him the other morning. I’ve seen the movie The Birds. I am not afraid of you. We have to learn to coexist…frankly you really do, especially seeing as you’re lower on the food chain. I have enjoyed cornish game hen in the past…I’m just saying. This cannot continue. You even ice grilled me when I was standing in front of the building. What’s the deal!?!?! This is just a notice. I will not be forced into one little area when I want to come outside. Get it together. For real. I have a cat at my house. She’d love to play with you. Chill out.
Sincerely,
Amadeo
March 19, 2007
“To have little is to possess.
To have plenty is to be perplexed.”
Lao-tzu (604 BC - 531 BC), The Way of Lao-tzu
So I have now moved. I was joking with my Ace about how it always takes less time to move either of our stuff than any one else that we help. Both of us are from the school of “does that really have to come?”. I’ve moved twice in three weeks and left things behind both times. Amongst the things I moved I’m finding things that I think I could have left. Sentimental value…Hell you say!?!? I will leave some stuff behind in an instant. Additionally I am now Ikea’s bitch.
I bought 4 things from them over the last two weeks and I plan to go buy like 3 more things. I scare alot of white people in Ikea as well, I guess cause I know what I want and I’m moving faster than all of them, but the browsing folks seem very slow. Thanks to those folks I know I have a lot of CD’s. I bought a holder that’s taller than me and when I was more than half way finished realized I had two more boxes left. I heard the most hilarious thing ever today…I called to get my Directv transferred and the recording that directed me said I was an A-list customer. I just wrote it off until I had completed my transaction with the customer service cat and he says “It’s always good to do business with one of our A-list customers. I don’t know what I did, but I that shyt needs to show up on a brothers credit report somewhere. So I’m wondering what the hell I would do if I had a house full of things to move. I only know of one dude that will faithfully help me move and I know I’m on his list as well. I’m not sure if that’s just what happens when you’re the ones other people call to help them move…or if I’m a sucker cause I keep showing up to help other people.
February 27, 2007
“To know what you prefer instead of humbly saying Amen to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to have kept your soul alive.”
Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 - 1894)
It’s not just the boots. I like them and think they look cool, but they are not the motivation. I was considering buying a motorcycle, not a crotch rocket mind you, and taking off. I was considering a list of places that I wanted to go and things I wanted to see. A motorcycle would make sense to me. It’s like the modern day horse. Anyone who had dreams of being a cowboy should buy a motorcycle. I would a .45 revolver to that, but I know I’d get stopped and searched somewhere in middle America. I think this is one of those times where being black would hinder me. It’s enough to be the strange guy who rode his motorcycle into town, but being the strange black guy who does that can’t improve my standing. It’s like leaving messages for apartments, I’ve considered taking the bass out of my voice and using my first initials and last name. That way they’d think I was a jewish guy. As it stands I think they usually can’t pronounce my name and just say the hell with it and call someone named Bob or Steve. My name is a street fight in Palestine and that would be the third thing to cause me some problems. Then again I could just do the biker thing and have a nickname. Of course…that means I’d probably have to bang a bunch of white chicks. I mean who wants to run through some podunk town trying to find the one woman of some ethnicity…who’s probably married to the dude in town with the most power or something. Plus I have to worry about the local folks getting mad cause “they don’t want me messing with their womenfolk”. Plus it might be hard to find Guiness Stout. Maybe I should just buy a Charger, paint it black with a red, black and green flag on top, call it the Hannibal Barca and call it a day.
February 5, 2007
“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.
Harper Lee (1926 - ), To Kill a Mockingbird, 1960
Ehren Watada is hardbody. Alot of people feel like he feels or believe what he believes, but he went the distance. Dude, after starting a promising military career, basically upon learning that he would be sent to Iraq followed a lesson he was taught. Dude studied the stituation so that he could better lead his men. After reviewing the situation he made is his mind up that the administration falsified information and the war is immoral and illegal. So unlike the troops (that we don’t hear about) who have gone A.W.O.L. Watada first tried to resign, then ask to be sent to Afghanistan. When both request were denied he considered filing as a C.O. (Conscientious Objecter), but since he didn’t have a problem with bearing arms he figured that wasn’t the right thing to do. So money refused to go…publicly. He stated as follows:
“Though the American soldier wants to do right, the illegitimacy of the occupation itself, the policies of this administration, and the rules of engagement of desperate field commanders will ultimately force them to be party to war crime.”
Dude made it clear that he did not blame the military, as they are doing what they should following orders. This makes his position that much more unique. By taking a stand in this manner he knows he’ll face court-martial. He has a complete understanding of what the military will do. This is a case in which public sympathy will mean nothing. He will be found guilty and he will have to serve time. He is the only soldier to publicly refuse to go to Iraq. The only time a soldier has faced similar charges was during the Vietnam War, however, he was simply caught at an anti-war rally. Watada basically went as hard as you can go. Saying no to the military after your enlisted is not something people do. I’ve known cats that just bounced and went A.W.O.L. and I know someone who was caught and sent to jail for it. Officially declaring that you will not participate in a war is something else though. No sneaking, no running. To paraphrase Hamlet, money took arms against a sea of misfortune. Though his opposition has not ended them. Perhaps though he has slain the demons in his mind and spirit and that may be enough for him. Understand though…this is a Japenese movie ending, the hero does not avoid jail, he does not get the girl…as a matter of fact this is one of those movies where he fights to the end and still dies. I always respected those endings and I gotta say…I respect Ehren Watada.
December 19, 2006
George’s Boss: It has come to my attention that you and the cleaning woman have engaged in sexual intercourse on the desk in your office. Is that correct?
George: (pause) Who said that?
George’s Boss: She did.
George: (long pause, obviously thinking of something to say) Was that wrong? Should I not have done that?
In honor of all those who just can’t wait to get the week the hell over with I present: ways to waste time at work.
So if for the moment you still care about giving the appearance of doing something than the following is for you.
1) The copier is my friend - When I do an intake there are about 30+ forms that I have to use. I spent the first half of the day simply making copies of those forms. I wouldn’t want to run out at the wrong time now would I?
2) Computer Clean-up - In these troubling times. our computers face so many threats. I find it imperative to run virus checks, delete old documents, Defragment, check for spy ware, re-organize files, and any thing else that will kill time.
3) A Cluttered Desk - When I say that other people tend to put things on my desk that is true. When I say I’m usually too busy to put everything away this is also true. I have found that having a cluttered desk gives you a chance to clean up. This could take quite a while. Some of these papers may be important…you never know.
4) The File Cabinet - Y’know despite alphabetical organization sometimes the files aren’t always properly placed. It’s important to make sure everything is in it’s correct spot. While you’re there you might as well look through the files to make sure everything is up to date. Who likes out of date files.
5) Re-Stock - Nothing is better than coming back to work and knowing you have everything you need. So at times like this I like to take a healthy look through the supplies to see what may be missing from my desk. Hey look we have rulers…not that I use need one.
6) Correspondence - As a professional one most continue to network and build strong ties, perhaps via email, Instant Messenger - hell you may even need to leave the office to go see people. Always keep your name on their lips. I’ve found that people who aren’t your boss tend not to care that you’re slacking off at their office. Yes I’m blogging, but I’m sharing ideas with other professionals!
7) Re-organize your drawers - You might be amazed at how much space you can gain by moving over the paper clips and putting pens in another drawer. For those of you who’ve noticed a pattern and are complaining: “But I’m always organized, I can’t do some of those.” Too bad no one told you to be neat at work. I just found a card from last Christmas in my desk.
8) To Do List -To some of you this may seem like actual work. For me, I’m the type that writes list and then can’t find them so I need a good memory anyway. Besides my goals remain the same. I don’t need a list to know what I have to do. It’s an excuse to zone out and then claim that I was thinking.
9) Organize your Calendar - Yeah another one. Well hell we’re moving into a new year. Might as well look ahead and start adding some things to your new calendar. Plus I tend to write numbers on mine so now is a good time to put them in the Rolodex.
10) Retrospective - I find that at these times it’s good to look back at the things you’ve done all year long. See where you’ve been so you can define where you’re going. Like I’ll take a look at some of my posts on Making Work Fun so I can write one tomorrow about things to do when you don’t care if it looks like you’re working or not.
