Notes from a Friend's Town

1. Once you begin to develop a feminist understanding, especially as a man of color, it becomes very difficult to view things outside of that context. More often than not, the lens of scrutiny causes the most discomfort when you place your familial reality underneath it . 2. It's amazing the shit you'll accept when you think a dream has come to fruition, even if the dream isn't actualized in it's entirety. What kind of dream doesn't come true completely? It's unfortunate that fear & emotional issues prevented the possibilities from being explored completely, off paper, in the five dimensional world. 2a. Fuck niggas, bitches too, all I trust is my pride & this'll do. 3. The quickest way to compromise contentment is to introduce the situation to inquiry. 4. What's the score with the false friends?? It shouldn't be that much of a chore to maintain a vested interest in the person you declare your friend. It shouldn't take an act of congr...

1. Seriously, I live less than 100 miles from a large body of water & the humidity has hovered between 37-48%. This is some bullshat. 1a. There is indeed a limit to your love, much like a map with no ocean. 2. It's imperative to clear one's subconscious of any lingering doubts, desires, & disappointments before transitioning from one phase to another. It makes the arrival much smoother & allows one to focus all their energies on the present. 3. All beauty & no brains shorten much the courting game. All brains & no beauty absolves one from courting duties. 4. Make your own informed decisions, stand by those decisions, & dismiss any rebuttals to those decisions that are void of logic. 5. I've been reviewing my own understanding of the phrase "Only men can raise men". At one time, I believed in the notion whole heartedly, that only men can produce men. Then I was forced to acknowledge the men I knew that were raised in homes without thei...

1. Well, now that that's done & yes it's quite early, but trust me on this one. I'll take something brown & old on ice. Cheerio!! 2. She called & we walked thru the civilities before she proceeded to let me have a piece of her mind. No banned words, no front row seat to the resurrections promises. Her voice was calm, her breaths measured. My head hung in shame as though she stood before me. 3. The more I understand how it works, the less mystique lies in the whole of the experience. I'm very much a fan of the mystique and appreciate the enrapturing nature of the allure. 4. Once I take care of the people on my Christmas list, I'll be good. It's not that I don't want anything, it's that my most immediate need is one that I'll take care of soon. 5. Never underestimate the physiological effects of a physical place on your productivity. I once thought it foolishness until I started paying attention to how much was being accomplished at o...

1. Nothing is more pointless than saying hello,in passing, to a person whose calls you refuse to return. Save the civilities for high tea as I've no use for them. 2. There are things which no man is allowed the luxury of complaining about. So I'll move on to the next point. 3. There only remains one. One that may very well remain unattended, unreconciled, disconcerted & disconnected. 4. I'm considering law school. Not because I have some undying interest in mastering legal interpretation, not because I need the thrill of going to trial, not because I lust after some ridiculously large salary. I'm considering law school because the work is steady, the pay is family building friendly, & some days, I just prefer the pragmatic option. 5. Tracie Ellis Ross should you make it down to my fair city in the hopes of avoiding the paparazzi, do allow me the luxury of your company over a few drinks. Your boyfriend is welcome to play in traffic while the signal light is ...

*These are actual Japa Mala beads 1. Many thanks & much love to all who celebrated my birthday. I'm still receiving cards & gifts which means I'm loved much. That holds much weight in my world. 1a. When I invite you to a gathering of my friends, don't attend if you plan on just sitting on the side w/ your friend and not engaging the group. If I wanted to bump into you & your home girl, I wouldn't have invited you out. I would have asked where you were partying tonight & met you there. 1b. Don't you ever, ever, ever waive a gift in front of the birthday boy & then tuck it away like it doesn't exists. I'm a gentleman so I'll behave accordingly but I know some less than gentlemanly men who aren't inclined to respond so kindly. 5. There comes a time when you should consciously & actively begin separating fiction from reality. This usually begins around the age of 12/13 or immediately afterward when puberty comes into fu...

Who going to make that cake happen for real?!

1. Being on the receiving end of a drunk call is immensely entertaining when a) it's before 11pm & b) the caller's accomplices fight for caller allotted 2 mins of call time! 2. There is nothing I can compare, in my short life, to waking up out of sound sleep that I entered 4 hrs prior sans adrenaline and starting my day. 3. I earnestly want to hold out hope but in the end, I'm no fan of unrequited love. Far too many writers have two sentences in their bios referring to this matter, so there's no need for history to repeat itself. 4. You must always be self aware enough to assess your friendships & acknowledge those to which your contribution merely isn't enough. It's the civilized thing to do. 5. Where o where is my hair brush?? 6. Put'em all in a room, provide beverages, & see what happens next is the outline for most social gatherings. What makes it even more interesting is when you add a twist, like a reason why everyone is together... 7...

1. Stepped out this weekend on two consecutive nights & discovered much to my surprise that I'm not as rusty as anticipated. I suppose somethings are never forgotten. 2. Opium addiction accounted for, Sherlock Holmes is one bad ass dude. Shaft was a towering brother whose presence alone would cause encourage your complete cooperation. Holmes is an average built man, whom you were under no inclination to acknowledge until he started rambling about most personal matters of your life after having met you for merely five minutes. Each dangerous in their own right but certainly not equals. 3. There's nothing like coming very close to losing your mother to put all of life's trivialities into perspective. It all became clear as a bell within 2hrs. 4. I'm asked ever so often what makes up the substance of my dreams. The honest answer : I dream of the days when all of my friends, near & distant have succeeded in accomplishing their goals and the most stressful conversa...

1. Everytime I hear someone order a Grande non fat (insert flavor of choice) latte, it sounds like "I want my coffee to taste like squash & hot water ". 3. I suspect I've been going about this the wrong way for quite sometime now and that explains the lack of desired results. Not that this moment of clarity has provided me with the perfect approach, I'll at least know what not to do. 4. Speak your piece on the matter, be at peace on the matter and move forward. They'll be no peace until you've cleared your conscience. 5. "He didn't grow up with brothers, so he doesn't understand the importance of relaying his decision to make a life altering change" - Haynes 6. The only thing I love more than watch the sunrise in the cold sans shirt is rolling back over in the bed and sleeping on that idea for another 3 hrs. 2. I double dog dare you. 8. When the fighters are all around, all the lovers are underground - Lupe

1. There exist, most certainly within the range of the appendages of my arm's appendage, all that my soul, mind, & body require to operate as a efficient & content collective. 2. Detachment doesn't always indicate a negative response. There are times you must employ a bit of distance to respond effectively. 3. Walking sticks should always have character. I don't look forward to the days when I'll need the assistance of one but I do know without an ounce of question that my walking stick will undoubtedly be the "coolest" walking stick two eyes could fall upon in that part of the century. 3a. I'm most interested in an excellent walking partner for that time as well. Quite frankly, much more than I desire the previously referenced apparatus. I suppose one must earn one of those much earlier in life though. 4. I have heard from trusted sources & tortured souls alike that in routine, there exist comfort. That we revert to routine in trying times ...

1. Abita's SOS was so-so, definitely expected a bit more from them. I know Pilsners go well with seafood but this didn't have enough kick. That's some resilient people along the coast, the charity brew should be equally as strong. 2. God bless the caregivers. Grant them never ending strength & rest that is always restorative for their lives are not their own and they aim only to comfort those in pain. 3. The fact that the news media was aware of the threat that would be posed to American Military personnel by publicizing the ramblings of a disturbed church leader intent on burning the Quran on the anniversary of the Sept 11 attacks & they insisted on looping the story for 5 days is a major problem. Their collective desire for improved ratings is going to create greater difficulty for the poor shleps working in combat zones. 4. Lesson #?? of adulthood: Physical exhaustion is the excuse children employ because they have yet to learn how to separate their bodies from ...

1. There must be a cold front lurking somewhere near by because this heat is ridiculous. 2. For what it's worth, I miss you. That doesn't erase the last piece of unresolved business between you & I but I'm man enough to say it in this impersonal digital medium with no clear clue as to who you are. That's how our exchange began through an impersonal digital medium with seemingly no clue whatsoever. 3. I've bought Chewy organic dog food. I'm hoping I don't become one of those obsessive pet owners I've spent years finding amusement in observing. 4. It's family time in my group of friends. Engagements are well under way, children are due, birthdays & month milestones are being marked. & I'm standing on the side, with my dog, realizing that he's the most likely to ride through thick & thin. 5. This whole business of transcending desire troubles me. I'm actually quite fond of desire as it is attached in part to my creative im...

1. I saw an older couple walking down the street today. The husband walked a solid clip for his age while his wife lagged behind a bit, slowed by the need to use a walking cane. He turned around realizing she was behind him, albeit by about 15 ft, & waited. Once she caught up, he extended his hand & walked with her at her pace. 2. In the routine, we find peace. In the details, we find ourselves. In part(s). 3. 9 days from Nirvana, 4 days til class begins & 2 days until the weekend. Yes, it appears my life has been reduced to a series of countdowns. 4. I'll stop laughing when I cease to find it amusing. Not a minute prior. 5. I requested some gift giving advice from a trusted source. Much to my dismay, I was told what I had suspected all along, regarding the appropriateness of my intended gift, was indeed correct. Oh how infrequently one longs to be wrong. Alas, such a victory was not provided today. I have instead, chosen to settle for the "lesser" gift. ...

1. If you didn't want to play anymore, all you had to do was say I'm out instead of just not showing up at the usual spot anymore. You could've left a note even. 2. It's ridiculously hot these days. The air is thick, refusing to cool even if you move it with a fan. Where, I ask, is the beautiful month of October? 3. Way too excited about this new recycled fire hose chew toy coming for my pet monster (Chew Wu!)! We'll see if it's as durable as the website claims, he's already demolished in 60 days a calf shin bone that was supposed to last a year. 4. The best approach remains show & prove not discuss then deliver. 5. *late pass* Why does J. Timberlake sound like a fake ass Ginuwine? Why get the knock-off when you could just buy the original? 6. I want to start collecting art from aspiring artists. Not so that I can brag about having an early piece once they achieve a degree of notoriety in the art world, although I might should that happen. It's m...

1. If I make an apple pie, substituting cherries for apples, is it still an apple pie? No it's not, it's a cherry pie. 2. I'm only mildly intrigued this time, so I'm barely invested which means I expect smalls returns. Funny thing is, it's the little things... 3. Coral will be the color for Spring 2011. We've seen pink, orange, greens (lighter end), turquoise, yellow & most recently purple (lavender) in the past decade. 4. Gift giving is an art. Too generic, it comes across as an afterthought, go too specific & you come across as obsessive. 5. Just because there are sights to be seen doesn't mean you need to allow your gaze to linger. 6. There are times when you could use someone right there by your side. In the event you come to that point sans support, the only thing left to do is move forward. 7. I hate hearing the right thing from the wrong people. It's not that they're wrong, it's just the weight of the words is off.

1. The inability to produce a summer beverage that retains it's flavor profile in the presence of ice is grounds for my mother to ban you from the kitchen. It doesn't matter if it's Kool Aid, Iced Tea (bag or powder mix) or iced coffee. Waste a gallon of water making something refreshing that tastes like tainted water in the presence of ice and you'll be banned from the kitchen until soup production season. 2. Summer brings out my sweet tooth like no other season. Lemon Meringue Pie, Peach Cobbler, Apple Pie just about any concoction that involves fruit, dough, and sugar is fair game. I may even try my hand at dessert production this year. 3. Chocolate City is looking less chocolate these days. Much to my dismay, I suspect this was going to happen when I returned 5 yrs ago. 4. This Oscar Grant verdict reads like salt in an open wound. The jury acquits, Gov. Schwarzenegger tells the Mayor of Oakland that the state of California, which is in record breaking debt, has ...

1. If an exchange is riddled with more stock replies than TD Waterhouse, chances are the deal has fallen through. 2. Whole Foods makes grocery acquisition exciting yet depressing. The layout is welcoming but, why wouldn't you want to spend $200/wk to feed one person? 3. Still don't understand how people were so-so about Michael Jackson before he died then became die hard fans post-mortem. If you were down with Mike, you were there for the good publicity as well as the questionable accusations. I'm not declaring his innocence or his guilt, just don't be a sunshine/bandwagon fan. 4. This Twilight phenomenon has gotten out of hand. I appreciate a good series as much as the next story lover but obsession is never the business. You don't go about neglecting reality & the people in your life for a TV series. That good people, is stupid. 5. As a kid I use to start off every summer by getting a new pair of sandals. Open toed shoes symbolic of the freedom that was m...

1. For the love of strawberries! 2. I picked up my duffel from the baggage claim carousel & all I wanted to do was go home and sit with my woman. Just sit down on the sofa & watch tv before tv started watching me sit with my woman on the sofa. 3. My return flight was filled with visions of me accomplishing my goals with my dog being the only person at my side. No girlfriend, no wife, no lover. A sprinkling of friends, my immediate family, & my dog. It's as though I expect to go at it sans the boost that comes from an intimate partner. I'm most surprised at the absence of surprise at this dream, it as though as I've known this for sometime. 4. Networking means nothing if you're not expanding access to resources. 5. Ever notice how the sunset & the sunrise look alike as they sit on the horizon. 6. The silence isn't disturbing, it's the small sounds like a rock shifting that resonate louder because there are no competing sounds. Th...

1. I've nothing against burning bridges ,metaphorically of course. I've torched a few in my day with great joy. Truth is, it's not always the best approach. Now if I could only find a hiding place for my matches. 2. I think I prefer the act of writing over the act of typing. Ink bears no permanence but once I begin writing something out, it as though the thought must be completed. Now I'm beginning to wonder if my word choice & sentence structure differs between my hand written & typed pieces? 3. It's not that my reality just set in, i've been aware of it for a minute. For some reason, tonight it became remarkably clearer, crystal clear. 4. and I hope by chance I see you once again/I'd love to kiss your lips once again... 5. That breakfast easily belongs in the top 5 fast breakings I've participated in. Coffee not tea, ha!

Chew Wu!! No need for an alarm clock now

1. Hard work always beats talent if talent don't work hard. 2. Disappointments & struggles are relative. Their impact can be minimized through comparative reasoning, at least its not (fill in the blank). The unknown is what is truly unnerving, as there is no point of reference. 3. There is such a thing as over analyzing a situation. I suspect I've come to this realization long after the milk has been spilled. 4. I'm not sure if I like the way HBO's Treme portrays New Orleans. While the factual representations of the city appear accurate, as best I recall, there's still something that's not quite right. 5. Brand loyalty is the rationale maintained my Blockbuster Online subscription instead of using NetFlix. Blockbuster filed bankruptcy. Seeing no need in lingering on a sinking ship, I am now a happy NetFlix customer, the Watch Instantly feature puts all sorts of otherwise unknown films at your fingertips. 6. My reading list can be completed if I finish at lea...

1. I really wish I would have learned to enjoy the moment for what is a lot earlier on. I would've saved myself much confusion & disappointment. 2. To be critical or to be creative, that is the question. 3. In the event someone ventures to ask you what their take home message should be from a given exchange, respect their willingness to acknowledge the limits of their understanding & give them the blasted message. It doesn't matter how simple it is, just relay the message. 4. Is there such a thing as too much pop Chinese cuisine? The answer is yes, yes there is such a thing. 5. Every time I think to text you, I immediately remember that I don't care if I ever hear from you. I'd delete your number but I love the surprise of feeling that every time it happens!! 6. Touareg + Gun Powder= Yess!!! 7. Hand crafted items always rank higher in my book than mass produced goods. I suppose it's the old world charm that captures my attention, knowing ...

1. I could potentially make a small fortune at country festivals, just by infusing them with a little culinary variety. No Cordon Blue action, just something a bit more exciting than greasy corn dogs & roasted turkey legs. 2. There's a point where you realize that you're behind the curve a bit, out of the loop so to say. There are several possible approaches: attempt to catch up sans a sense of urgency, plan & execute some extreme information overload, or remain in the dark. 3. The journey (process) is more important than the destination (final result). 4. It's funny no matter how old you are, whenever a new exchange is developing there are always late night calls. 5. It's spring time, which means it's time for shorts. Know thy thighs & legs as they exists in the eyes of the rest of the world. Acquire the size that is most comfortable. 6. Boogie Man Music!!

1. He's a black republican in one of the most conservative states in the country (clearly below the Mason Dixon) & she's a California liberal who laughs at conservatives to make traffic less stressful. I'd put money on the expiration date of their dynamic, but that would be too easy. I'll report from the press box instead. 2. Lesson learned, kinda. In a fit of spring cleaning, I came across a old assignment that I never got clarity on. I need to get in touch with that professor but I've missed placed my old syllabus. 3. In the event I get these notions on paper & get some paper behind them, oh the impact they'll have. 4. Loose tea + cast iron tea pots = my latest interest. Loose leaf Chai in t-15 minutes 5. Sushi or middle eastern. Gelato or daquiris. short term returns or long term returns ± growth opportunity. Fresh or frozen. Curly or straight. Direct or mannered. Rhymed or un-rhymed. main focus or periphery. Colombian or Ethiopian. moment passed or ...

1. Tearing down the 'jects/creating plush holmes/ my circumstance is somewhere between Cabrini n Love Jones - Common I passed what was once the projects recently & they've been replaced with new construction described as affordable housing. Their predecessors lacked significant aesthetic value, even from the minimalist perspective. A rather bland composition of bricks, concrete, wrought iron & and steel. These older structures survived a hurricane & all that landed on shore with it as the remainder of the city was annihilated. The new structures are wood framed & non insulated but aesthically acceptable. I never called the structures home so I have no concrete understanding of how efficient they were at being called such. I just don't understand, outside of the obvious economic advantage, what the impetus was that justified replacing brick & mortar structures with wooden ones in a land that is not completely protected from being flooded once more? 2. The...

1. I'd really like to learn acoustic guitar & study Arabic. Summer's soundtrack may sound like unconnected noise but at least I'll now what it should resemble. 2. Finally caught Clooney in Up in the Air. The man is damn good. I'll leave the film geeks to elaborate on that more. The scenery was dull enough to make you focus on the story itself and it was done so smoothly. The film highlighted the personal element of the impersonal. 3. Non-Academic research interest don't always translate well into funded research. The lesson learned is substantive even if the grant isn't. 4. Once this health care bill hits the fan, as it will, there will be a strong bit of backlash. I don't want to prevent anyone from going to the doctor but the reality is being healthy cost money & the more the state covers, the more sway they hold in dictating public opinion & minimizing rebuke. 5. Distance = Comfort 6. Festival season is nearing & I'm ready to spend my...

Oft I wondered under the weight of dawn what held your gaze and feed your song where did your arms, tanned as a fawn did find themselves as the moon grew long. Of these simple mysteries my mind did score as a new days beginnings did spur my mind while eyes sat refreshed, fixed on the shore. In all these follies how quickly I forgot time, these simple musings no longer need bear their mass against my curl's dark home for as the morn was filled with care the noon anchored my mind to Rome her plans tis said found no filling in a day as I so gladly threw your shit away

Props to Know the Ledge for the info

1. Michael Sterling Eaton is director for Gil Scott Heron's Me & the Devil which in my humble opinion is an awesome audio-visual  experience. 2. Kanye's latest video for Coldest Winter works out quite beautifully as well. 3. Swizz Beatz, an art officado ?! 4. Stussy put together a nice 3 part documentary on J Dilla, give it a gander and learn a new thing

1. Don't celebrate, announce, declare, swear, or in any other manner make it know publicly that you love someone on Valentine's Day. No matter how genuinely you may feel about the manner, you're asking for a raised eye brow reception esp if it's one sided. 2. Don't steal a man's wife regardless of how you feel about him, her, or the institution of marriage. The fact of the matter is this: He made a vow before whom he understands to be the divine power of the universe, if you interfere with him keeping his promise you're asking for defeat. 3. I don't wanna get caught pretending but I keep forgetting my lines! 4. I'm exhausted & we've only just begun. 5. You don't care & I can't make you. That's all well & good, but stop staring at that which you refused to be involved in. I'm sure you'll find a much more rewarding source of amusement elsewhere.

It's Valentine's Day!! I've put together a short list for you play as you celebrate "love" today. I'm sure you're resourceful enough to find, if you don't already have, most of these tracks. Made for Love - Jose James I Want You (Accapella & Congo Mix) Marvin Gaye After the dance - Marvin Gaye Makings of you - Curtis Mayfield Teach you a lesson - Robin Thicke Sweetest taboo - Sade The Point of it all - Anthony Hamilton Who Needs Forever (Thievery Corporation Remix) - Astrud Gilberto Hypnotic - The Roots Turn ya lights down low - Lauryn Hill They don't know - Jon B

1. John Mayer, Really? I'm quite alright with Mr Mayer's lack of sexual attraction to black women. It's how he express his feelings that are the issue. I'll leave the gender studies theorists to provide a more sound academic explanation. TBH, I could give 2 sh!ts about who John Mayers screwing because our realities are soo far removed that it'll never directly affect me. This hyper sensitivity to all things racial is pissing me off, because had he claimed his member thought like Huey Newton there would be nothing but applause. His apology leaves much to be desired, tis a shame songwriters aren't encouraged to be grammaticians for hoof & mouth moments like this!! 2. Remember Dilla! His musical genius has definitely influenced my musical taste. 3. The beauty of being outta the loop is that you're actual influence the next trend without being the least bit concerned. 4. Emergency dental surgery + 1st day of incarceration = I don't want my jaw...

1. Gil Scott Heron's Me and the Devil is my current guilty pleasure. His voice brings so much of life's experiences with it that I can believe that he and the Devil went walking side by side. I'm no fan of the Devil but it's an interesting concept very artfully executed. (ihmo) 2. New Orleans Saints = Superbowl 44 Champions!!! If my enthuisams regarding this makes no sense to you, take a gander @ the New York Times' Sports section and catch up. 3. Love to touch your body, love to touch your body, love to touch your body...of love, of seduction, of the things lovers do ( source ) 3a. I genuinely despise the sappy notions associated with Feb 14 but there really is no escaping this shit. It's as though you'd have to live in some reality that was void of contact with the rest of the world, whether it be through print news, the web, or even radio. I'm still trying my darnedest to avoid it all, we'll see how successful I am in my endeavor. 4. This list...

1. It's the allure of the game that keeps calling my name. The injuries from last season tend to keep my ass on the bench. 2. Christmas 2010 (or sooner) I think I want Apple's latest creation, the iPad. I'll wait until Christmas to make sure the kinks are worked out. 3. Saints Super Bowl is definitely the way to kick off a new decade!! 4. This business of studying the English language, it's grammars & syntactical details, & the like have the potential to become my next obsession. I'm hoping to connect some theories to further my own understanding. 5. I picked up Corinne Bailey Rae's latest album, The Sea and am quite happy. I'm really just a sucker for her voice, she could probably read me the details of a UN resolution & would have nothing short of my full attention. 6. She spotted me like paparazzi & shot me a glance in that cat woman stance. It was the remnants of the coldest winter. 7. I've only been at this business for 3 da...

inside eye there lies a source of continuous reflections like a mirror over the water's edge, stretching off into the infinite nothingness of light waves as light waves interrupt my surface. through familiar places i wander hoping to find something eye want to believe eye dropped. a token of affections past or perhaps the missing papers to my long book covers. these places covered in light, bathed in yellows & greens dressed up as fluorescent lights hide no truths and explain no tales like story tellers who've forgotten their arts. Eyes filled with refreshments like once again disc played mints and hard candies hoping to draw precious waters from their reservoirs scan through texts in search of text that forms the beginnings of sympathies, there is none. Readings from right to left direct these eyes to read left to right as reading left to right tells these eyes that they are allowed no holiday & rewarded with no prize. Eyes as weathered as these are offered no respite ...

1. It should be noted that I strongly despise being vindictive. There is, in my humble opinion, no reason for reasonable adults to conduct themselves in a manner akin to the antics of grade school children whose good will has been quite readily ignored. The sad fact remains that I am indeed human & as a result, occasionally relish in listening to all that the silence carries to my ears. 2. There are blogs which exists for a purpose & blogs which exists for the author air their grievances with the world in the hopes that some like mind person will offer their sympathies & echo their frustrations. This blog, for the most part, is neither. 3. One of the most annoying things about being recognized by your peers as "brilliant" is that until you achieve something monumental, they will not find acceptable the minor accomplishments that encourage "ordinary" people to smile. The notion of impressing your friends is akin to the notion of impressing your mother, ...

The moon's light held in her sights all that made wrongs right all that reduced journeys to short drives & flights all that moved my lungs to descend into my chest away from the light all that my arms held when my finger decided to write all that strengthened my knees & lifted my back when my strength would only allow both to crack all that my eyes desired to behold as their swollen shut lids demanded a towel that was cold All that i've known was before me in the moon's light just pass the tips of fingers