Amadeo Sogni

“What makes community organizing especially attractive is the faith it places in the ability of the poor to make decisions for themselves.”
Paul Wellstone

Dear Mrs. Palin…Fuck You….

Community organizing is a process by which people are brought together to act in common self-interest and compel others to join them. While organizing describes any activity involving people interacting with one another in a formal manner, much community organizing is in the pursuit of a common agenda. Many groups seek populist goals and the ideal of participatory democracy.

Here are some community organizers you may be familiar with:

Martin Luther King Jr.
William Wallace
Paul Revere, John Adams, John Hancock and the Sons of Liberty
The Goddamn FOUNDING FATHERS OF THIS COUNTRY
The Newsboys of 1899

Shut your dumb ass up. Community Organizer do that work that people like you and McCain come and take pictures in front of for publicity. Community organizers thwarted you as mayor when you tried to fire that Librarian. I pray you get eaten by a polar bear…that is all.

“The body is shaped, disciplined, honored, and in time, trusted.”
Martha Graham (1894 - 1991)

So I’ve been considering exercise. Not like, “hmmm…maybe I will”, but more of what I want to do. You see, I have a fear. I’m scared of having bourgeois muscles. A mentor introduced this concept to me many years ago. If you’re physically fit your body becomes capable of a lot of things. However there is a difference in the body of a person that just works out and someone who works. For example, if you ever see someone who’s so muscle bound they can’t straighten their arms…that’s Bourgeois muscles. As oppossed to someone who looks like this:

I like to use the term “Country Cut”. A strong person who isn’t bulging everywhere and isn’t chiseled…but could hamstring an Ox, whoop your ass and eat a thanksgiving dinner and then go back and work somewhere. These are the cats who gained their physique from work, not a regimen. These are the cats that you really want to have your back…the type that openhanded slap someone and take a layer of skin off cause their hands are calloused. These dudes maybe able to bench press alot, but they also have flexibility. That’s what I’m trying to get to. I’m going to run…but I’ll try to focus on more core exercises and rely on weights a little less then in the past. I realize that the times I was most fit were from action that wasn’t geared towards getting fit. Working in a warehouse, riding my bike instead of catching the bus. Mind you I could go get a warehouse job…but I wouldn’t like the check. I actually thought about buying a bike…but haven’t made up my mind. Riding a bike to work would be cool…save that it’s all uphill on the way home and it wouldn’t mesh for days I wake up late. I almost want to do a Rocky IV thing where I go to snow woods and cut down trees and run in the snow and what not. I could learn to do wood carvings at the same time. When I think of the ultimate in this category it’s always Bruce Lee. With a shirt on dude looks like he’s a skinny ass little guy. But his cuts are the tale of someone who’s done crazy exercise and has pushed his body to limits. The thing is I don’t think he’s done much with weights. His body retained it’s form, it just moved to the peak possibility of that form. I usually wonder how much could he bench press. The thing is most of his form comes from doing. Like those old Kung Fu movies or even Karate Kid…no one says…go hit the gym. They give you some weird ass task that ends 2 months later with you being strong as hell.

” Here go down those 1000 steps and get two buckets of water….500 times and wear these. “

Or one of my favorites:

“Hit this….when you break it you’re done…if you hand breaks…switch hands.”

Perhaps I’ll try to come up with a cross country, calisthenics program where I carry a dwarf holding twenty pound weights in a book bag and pick fights with latinos and islanders playing soccer, then I’ll steal the ball and let them chase me. Maybe.

WWWD:

“Hard to keep my edge up there with nothin’ more threatenin’ than bunny rabbits and bambis.”
Wolverine

“I would like to make a toast to lying, stealing, cheating and drinking. If you’re going to lie, lie for a friend. If you’re going to steal, steal a heart. If your going to cheat, cheat death. And if you’re going to drink, drink with me.”

“Let’s drink to California, way out by the sea, Where a woman’s ass, and a whiskey glass, made a horse’s ass of me”

Anonymous

If I don’t get a Sidecar soon I’m going to kirk out and beat a waitress to death with her serving tray. Twice in 4 days I’ve tried to get one and they both looked at me like was retarded. Look, I know you’re used to dumbasses ordering Fuzzy armpits or Sex in the Backseat or whatever stupid ass drink that Cindy and Todd have 5 of before they end up at an abortion clinic a few weeks later, but come the hell on. This shit has been around since World War 1. If you were at a high class establishment you would have to know how to make it…or at least know to take the order and then find out what it is. It’s a drink not a homemade bomb…I’m sure it’s not hard. Hell I could make one and I’ve never been to bartending school. Next thing you’ll be telling me you can’t make a Gin Martini…I’m sure if I asked for a Apple/Mango/Pinapple/Fruitsalad-tini you could bring me that shit. Additionally if I can tell you what’s in it and at what proportions why are you still looking at me like I just ordered grilled baby arms? This is the problem with being almost 30. Establishments fall all over themselves trying to get 18 - 25 people year old into their clubs and to buy their clothes. The only ads targeted to me are for cars (I’m going to kill the people that put the “black” car ads on BET - so what if I know where I come from I still don’t want a damn Ford!!!), home loans and phone service. Them cat’s don’t have the disposable income that I do!!!! Ya’ll better get your priorities straight. It was bad enough when I was young and asked for a shot of whatever and I’d get a plastic cup. It was bad enough when you wouldn’t have Guiness. It’s killing me that all these places have Sam Adams but only the plain lager. Now I can’t get a damn Sidecar. I swear that I will bring the Wrath of a medievel God down upon the head fo the next person who doesn’t act like they get tips for bringing drinks. Don’t ya’ll have one of those elementary school drink cards with pictures that show you how to make drinks.

Here you go everyone get your pen and paper ready:

Esquire Drink Book
1956
SIDECAR (1)
2/3 Brandy
1/3 Cointreau
Dash of lime juice
Shake with very fine ice; strain into frosty cocktail glass

SIDECAR (2)
(50 Million Frenchmen…)
1/3 lemon juice
1/3 Cointreau
1/3 cognac
Shake with cracked ice; strain

I’ll go with this one:

1 1/2 ounces Brandy (cognac)
1 ounce Cointreau
1/2 ounce lemon juice

I also had one that was an once vodka, an ounce Brandy, an ounce Cointreau and a dash of lemon juice.

“The Sidecar was developed during WWI, when a certain regular customer arrived at the Ritz on his motorcycle (replete with sidecar), and asked the bartender for a cocktail that would help take off the chill. The bartender was caught in a dilema, a drink to remove a chill would appropriately be brandy, but brandy was traditionally an after dinner drink, and his patron was wanting something before dinner. So he combined cognac, cointreau, and lemon juice to mix a cocktail whos focus was on the warming qualities of both the brandy, and the cointreau, while the lemon juice added enough of a tartness to make it appropriate as a pre-dinner cocktail. So a properly made sidecar should betray its roots as a drink that warms your palate if not your bones.”

The customer was an American Army Captain…can Cindy and Todd tell you who invented or first ordered the Flaming Dr. Pepper? An Incredible Hulk? A Sex on the Beach? A goddamned flying fruit fantasy-tini?!?!?!?! I think not. Either you guys get some class or I will climb behind the bar, make the drink myself and use my Zippo to burn the place to the ground.

WWWD:
“Goin’ feral don’t mean I’m goin’ stupid. It’s just that I’m beginnin’ to see other people in a different light… I’m beginnin’ to see some o’ them as prey.”
Wolverine

“In giving advice, seek to help, not please, your friend.”
Solon (638 BC - 559 BC)

Write down the advice of him who loves you, though you like it not at present.
English Proverb

So as usual when I surf the interwebs I have come across controversy…not really. Most internet controversy is never really controversial. It’s just a reimagining of Godwin’s Law:

“As a Usenet discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one.”

This one involved Black Women and relationships. This topic always brings about chaos and thrusts the souls of those nearby into purgatory for however long they keep reading. I won’t go into what started…I don’t have to. Just say black women and marriage or relationships, discuss…you’ll probably end up with the same basic comments. Instead of rehashing I’d just like to build on something I’ve noticed. So here is my message to black women in general:

Who said you were a good woman? - That’s right. Mind you no one denies the existence of dead beat dads, lame brothers and so forth. It does bother me that I see large groups of women discussing them and wondering why they can’t find a good man. I heard that Micheal Baisden asked this question, but I don’t listen so I’m asking it myself. Who said you were a good woman? I mean if you use a class room analogy - there a some A students, some D students but the majority are B and C students. A students never have to complain about the bell curve, it’s the B, C and D students that it bothers. Elementary my dear Watson. If you take a random sampling of 50 black women…how often are all of them truly good women?

To put it another way…take an actual good women then count out 49 women she knows that are single…how many of them would she be willing to try and hook up with her brother (if we consider that he is actually a good man)? I’m pretty certain she’s going to whittle that number down a nice amount. She probably wouldn’t be willing to call all of them her friends. I’m pretty sure that there would be at least 15 out of the group that the sister in question would tell her brother he should avoid at all costs.

All of you are not angels and plenty of you suck. Those of you who may not suck should not let the ones who do slide.

You’re young and obviously not ready - What’s the deal with all the complaints I see from people younger then 25 about how there are no good men and they may never get married? The average age of a college graduate is about 21…probably older. So why the hell would your entire life be set less then 5 years after you graduate? Hell, some of you haven’t even been legally able to drink for longer then a year!!! You are not close to being an old cat lady. You are still, in fact, young…if you are not married by the time you are 24 it does not mean you’ll have to be artifically insemenated. Slow down. This also leads to my next topic:

Come to the Grey area there’s plenty of room - It’s fine to have standards. It’s ok to create lists of traits you would like to see in a mate. The problem is if your list is too specific and not meeting every quality means automatic exclusion from your dating pool. You are not going to find a deaf/mute with a 5 pound dick and a trust fund. You may find a spiritual, educated man with a career and a home…but he might not be 6′ 3″ and like dogs - get over it. Additionally stop putting things on the list that you don’t have. If you live with your mama you can’t demand a man who owns a home. If you don’t want someone who lives with their mama…why would someone who doesn’t want you? If you list starts with money, homes, cars or career…prepare to end up with an asshole who spends all his time away from home. Having priorities and standards is required…having specific physical traits, salary requirements and educational levels is pretty dumb. A college education does not ensure intelligence…if you went to college you should know this. Every professional person I know works for or with a very well educated idiot….all that school means is someone was able to remember and recall information that was given to them. There are people working at Starbucks that I trust more then some executive directors. I understand not wanting to be with a broke ass person…but really the more money someone makes the bigger the chance they are an asshole. Mostly because people like you held that trait in such high esteem that they n0w feel like they can get who and whatever they want…thanks.

100 ways to please/get/keep a man by…some lady - It’s a good thing that you are willing to take advice…really. But get some better sources.
Here is a list of people not to take advice from:

Your bitter ass friend who can never keep a man.
Your bitter ass friend who recently got divorced.
Most magazines.
Your friend that is the only one who doesn’t know her man is crap.
Unmarried single mothers with 6 kids and 7 baby daddies.
Single people who have had a total of 3 relationships…the first one during high school, the other 2 lasted a total of 2 years.
Dudes who are trying to sleep with you.
Your guy friends, who you’ve never met a girl they were dating (see above).
Your friend who gave up on even dating, much less having a relationship.

Good sources of advice:

People (men or women) who are happily married and don’t pretend their relationship is based on fairy dust and kittens.
Old married couples who are not crazy and have only thought about killing each other (they never actually tried).
People who admit to their own personal faults, have regrets and tell you what you should do instead of what the other person needs to do.
People who will point out the mistake your Significant other and you are making.
Guy friends who are not assholes and are commited to a woman (not just with, but actually commited).
Me (I keed, I keed)

He did it, He did it - Frankly, unless you have authority over someone blame is useless…you can’t make them do anything so it doesn’t matter. Time would be better spent focusing on ourselves and the choices we make. All of these issues are cyclical and rely on both sexes accepting behaviors from the other.

If every man got himself together, soon so would every woman because those men wouldn’t be trying to deal with trifling women.

If every woman got herself together, soon so would every man because those women wouldn’t be trying to deal with trifling men.

What we have is a situation with shared responsibility, you can never look at it from one side and assign blame to the other. All are accountable. Since I personally can’t change anyone all I can do is hold myself accountable for my actions. I suggest we all do the same.

WWWD:

“If yer expecting me t’ run over an’ give you a lovin’ embrace, yer barkin’ up th’ wrong tree.”

Wolverine

“Memories don’t live like people do…”
Mos Def

Fuck John McCain. Fuck his medals and his military service. That’s right. I said this about black leaders who did something a few decades ago, but only talk shit these days. My problem is not so much with them and what they do, but with the peopel who want to say things like, “You didn’t do what they did so you have no right to criticize.” Look here short bus, if people can follow around someone who acts or puts out records and take pictures of the gray hair on their ass for public display then I sure as hell can criticize anyone who casts or allows themself to be cast as a leader. Especially if you are running for president. Now old Jim Bob who served in the war and was never quite right when he came back can get a pass. If all he does is sit on his porch and dive for cover when cars backfire…cool. Let’s remind people where he was give him his props and move on. However, if you’re healthy (or appear to be) and allow people to paint you as a War Hero…then we can get all up in your shit. Save for a few people. Audie Murphy for instance. When your list of medals reads like this:

Medal of Honor
Distinguished Service Cross
Silver Star (2)
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star (2)
Purple Heart (3)
French Legion of Honor[1]
French Croix de Guerre (+ Palm)[1]
Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 Palm

You may be a war hero.

When your list of medals reads like that and when you come home you end up starring a move, playing yourself, about what you did in the war. You are probably a war hero….even more so when you suggest someone else (Tony Curtis) play you in the movie about you…despite the fact that you now make your living as an actor.

You know what really clinches it? The fact that in the 60’s Murphy was trying to call attention to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Something the military is still bitch made in regards to…especially when you start talking about health benefits. You know people weren’t trying to talk about it back then. That’s a Hero.

Then in his Auto-Biography dude praises the other men in his platoon and doesn’t mention his military decorations.

Dude lied to get in and had to fight to become active:

After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Murphy (then just 16 years old) tried to enlist in the military, but the services rejected him for being underage.[4] In June 1942, shortly after his 17th birthday (sister Corrine adjusted his birth date so he appeared to be 18 and legally allowed to enlist, and his war memoirs, To Hell and Back, maintained this misinformation, leading to later confusion and contradictory statements as to his year of birth), Murphy was accepted into the United States Army,[3][4] at Greenville,[6] after being turned down by the Marines and the paratroopers for being too short (5′5″/1.65 m)[2] and of slight build.[3][4] He was sent to Camp Wolters, Texas, for basic training[1][6] and during a session of close order drill, passed out. His company commander tried to have him transferred to a cook and bakers’ school[5] because of his baby-faced youthfulness, but Murphy insisted on becoming a combat soldier. His wish was granted: after 13 weeks of basic training,[5] he was sent to Fort Meade, Maryland for advanced infantry training.

All of that makes someone heroic. His daddy wasn’t an admiral and he wasn’t kept in the service despite crashing an amount of planes that would have gotten most pilots kicked out.

Soooooooooo….if people keep calling you a war hero and you won’t even say, please don’t address me as such and then you claim that your service makes you a better candidate…we will get all up in your shit. Expect us. I graduated in the top percentage of my class and had the third highest SAT score in my high school…I don’t run around presenting that as proof of my intelligence. I used to be able to stay awoke for 3 days straight before there was any negative effect…doesn’t mean jack for my abilities these days. If I were to use any of the previous statements to prove something about myself now, then I would expect people to look into my claims and challenge me further. It also doesn’t help when alot of the people who criticize McCain are Vietnam Vets. What have you done for us lately? For those who will ask…Yes I have hge fucking balls. I have the minerals. Fuck his military service. Put up or shut up on what’s going on today.

WWWD:

“It ain’t that simple, toots. The world ain’t black an’ white.”
Wolverine

“The tyranny of an object. It doesn’t know I exist.”
Deckard
I’m not going all artsy on you, but I could. I’ll name this blog Kamehameha and won’t talk about the King or Dragon Ball Z. Don’t push me. Anyway, I’m talking about a book: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick Better known to the populace as the film Blade Runner. The two share some things, but like many adaptations some things were left out that, while I like the movie, make the book so much better. The things and subsequent themes that were left out don’t break the movie…it is more of a cult classic anyway, but they are actually quite relevant to today. I keep thinking about the contrast of Mercerism to the Internet. The view of the ownership of animals and even the thought of owning an electric one to keep up the illusion remind me of several things around me. The biggest difference I could point out is that the book is just more complex than the movie. If you like the movie you would love the book. If you don’t like the movie you may still like the book. I especially love the exploration of the disregard of Chickenheads (Dude came up with that phrase a decade before I was born) while stressing empathy. Even the androids who aren’t considered as alive disregard the Chickenheads. I know my man D.P. is down with the movie. I hope ya’ll get down with the book. After the movie came out they changed some printings to “Blade Runner”, but unless it says it’s the movie novelization you’re good.

WWWD:
“I’m a creature of the wild. I hate cities… hate civilization with all its idiot rules. Gimme the free, open, elemental spaces of my mountains where a man holds his fate in his own hands. No lies there. No deception, no compromise. So why, I wonder, do I love this land, this city? It’s probably the most structured on Earth, laced tight with centuries of tradition and ritual, covering every conceivable aspect of public and private life. I was born to one world. But I choose to be part of the other.”
Wolverine

“… here hundreds sit and play Bingo; here the bright lights of Broadway burn through a sea haze; here Somebodies tumble over other Somebodies and over Nobodies as well.”
For the State of New Jersey, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)

Ahhh, so I am back at work. Sigh. So I dug A.C. I understand also why it would be a bad idea to have slots in Baltimore. Atlantic City is like Baltimore with one added vice that just throws alot of things off. Sitting on the Boardwalk reminded me of being near the Inner Harbor. Tourists, locals, bums and characters….lots of characters.

I also wonder why so many places are trying to be young and hip…it was like a baby boomers convention most of the time. All them folks want is comp and buffets. Which made for a lot of akward elevator moments. I have to ask: If you need a room key to get to certain floors in the hotel and a y0ung black couple is going down from one of these floors…do you really think they’re going to rob or hurt you? In a Trump hotel no less. I’m sure that would work out wonderfully. Especially since on every floor afterwards there are security guards. Yeah.

I didn’t get rich, obviously or I wouldn’t be at work now. I did win some money…but I got caught up. Luckily the Vixen was cautious and I reinforced that so she got to leave with some cash. I would recommend that move to people. We split a few bets and those actually won the biggest, so by splitting them she got to walk away with some cash. I also learned a lot about gambling. Those penny and nickel progressive slots pay folks. I got to spend some time on the beach and even though it wasn’t bad…even minor sunburn on a black man sucks. It wasn’t enough to hurt, but still. Had some nice meals…if you’re there I recommend Cuba Libre in the Tropicana…very nice. I’ve also noticed that people on trains are stupid. If you have walked up and down the aisle 3 times….no seats are going to open up. People disembark and then you board so if the only seats are next to people just deal with it. All in all it was good. Now I just have to deal with working…again.

“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

“A wise man’s question contains half the answer.”
Solomon Ibn Gabirol

So I’m watching The Daily Show last night and Scott “Babyface” McClellan is on. The longer I watched the more I realized… Jon Stewart probably does better interviews then anyone you can see on a major television station. I keep wondering if his magic is a branch of the Ali G effect. If any of you don’t know Ali G is another Sacha Baron Cohen character (along with Borat). On his show on HBO he would have interviews with some big muckety mucks…and ask them some of the most ignorant questions ever. I used to wonder, didn’t Boutros Boutros Gali’s people know who they had set him up with? But even American politicans and administrators weren’t safe. I couldn’t help but think, did no one watch this show before booking the interview? In the case of the Daily Show…it’s more popular, but I think everyone just thinks, “Oh it’s Comedy Central…fake news.” Yeah, what’s the worse that could happen on a fake news show? Jon Stewart could bitch slap you with real questions aand have the guy the whole White House is shitting on for putting them out there sound like he’s defending them. I swear at one point in the interview, while trying to get a question asked, Stewart did a Dr. Evil “Zip it” move.

Why the hell can’t all the “real journalists” do that? Some politician is going on and on working the hell out of his spin and the interviewer says, “What the Fuck…answer the question…thats not the answer….answer….ANSWER!” It would be much better then some of this crap I see right now. I wonder if anyone ever shat themselves when Stewart started asking them harder questions than someone on C.N.N.? I swear I’ve seen dudes trying to locate the exit. The funny thing is McClellan is ripping the administration so most people are just riding his wave, not Stewart he’s pushing. This is one of the few people that I’ve seen go on a show and rip the whole show with facts. Plenty people try to be edgy or tough. He just smacks them with truth.

Ever see his appearance on Crossfire? Probably the reason the show got taken off. The only equivalent would be if someone went on O’Reilly and yelled at him until he cried…cause you’d have to yell when he cuts off your mic.

In January 2005, CNN announced that it was canceling Crossfire. When asked about the cancellations, CNN/US’ incoming President, Jonathan Klein, said about Stewart’s appearance on the show, “I think he made a good point about the noise level of these types of shows, which does nothing to illuminate the issues of the day.” Soon after Stewart quipped on The Daily Show that “I fought the law, and the law lost!”

WWWD:
Wolverine: “The X-Men are here and we’re down to kick butt and take names!”
Beast: “I wouldn’t put it so crudely!”
Wolverine: “Okay, Beastie — Let us pummel these louts severely about the head and shoulders!”

“I can sense that you’re a terrific lover, and it intimidates me a little.”
Lame Guy

I wrote this in a post yesterday and I got to discussing it with someone…this post is the continuation of that.

4) They just want to see a woman get in. (I’m sure there is a dude out there campaigning for Hillary and getting much ass from it - “Women are equal baby…let’s talk more at my place”.)

me: “Hey…let’s get together…and talk about how Hillary’s gonna win.”

me: “I’ll pour the wine…you talk about potential v.p.’s”

me: “You right, they are being sexist…another drink?”

me: “She’s worked hard for what she has and she really cares…I identify with that caring…are you comfortable?”

Breez:“Let me take your sweater”
(clinton supporters always wear sweaters. ALWAYS)

me: “It really hurt me to know that Bill cheated on her…how could he do that?”…(tear)

Breez: “You seem to be carrying some tension in your arm muscles…do you need a massage?”
me: “I think it’s from carrying the burden of the world”

WWWD:
“I never take anything on faith or at face value.”
Wolverine