Notes from a Friend's Town

1. Only in the eutopia of one's perspective uninterrupted could the status of "Untouchable" occur. Consequences follow actions, time's delay is an oven for anxiety. 2. If ya man's can't be held accountable because of phantom discomfort(s), you need new friends. If  said phantoms rest with you, ya need to put on an iron shirt & chase S(h)atan out of Earth. Make sure you swallow your ego first, least the shirt won't fit. 3. (Brethern) If you've got issues w/ ya moms, sister(s), grandmother, whichever woman raised you, then avoid women outside of professional contexts til you get that sorted out w/ professional help. 4. Roads in Louisiana historically supported an agricultural based economy. Generations of indigenous inhabitants learned this imposed system (roads are an infrastructural remnant of colonialism), by modifying (albeit slightly) behavioral patterns. You want to navigate the terrain in order to access the cultural tapas that justified y...

1. Wendell Allen      Trayvon Martin     James Craig Anderson As a man of African descent in the United States of America, I've never been a fan of law enforcement. This nation law's and their loose interpretation have always been in opposition to my life. I've friends in law enforcement and their presence there simultaneously baffles & angers me. These are 3 recent examples, 2 within less than 30 days of this post. 2.  This final semester of college has been a roller coaster ride from hell   that I'm anxious to end. My post graduation plans are still in their formative stages, not as because of fear. Rather from exhaustion. Petition the universe in the manner you do, should you feel so inclined, as I push through these next 40+ days. 3.  I've reached a new (read: remarkably tainted) sense of awareness about companionship, love, and absence. There was a time when I would critique such a view as being the result...

1.  Dreams money can buy, three racks just spent on my Marty McFly's     Now I’m back to the future, my career deja-vu you     When you muthafuckers thought I would hardly survive - Pusha T This isn't the time for me to be impressed with lyrical compositions and coded speech. Alas, I'm lightly amused. Escapism done right, in my humble opinion.  2.  Subgenres in Hip Hop as mythologies for inter-cultural groups. 3.   Too much of a good thing and it ceases to operate in a productive manner. 4.  Too Short spoke like a Pimp. Where is the problem? Ahh yes, the editors went public with his ramblings. Ethically responsibility and journalistic intergrity don't apply to print media centered around lifestyle marketing and consumerism, in short, there is no church in the wild. 5.  Soo many elephants in the room, the Ringling Bros. are jealous.  6.  When you only have what you want, much is lost.  7. I love how y...

Rock the Bells made a tour stop in New Orleans recently. Ghostface & Raekwon performing Only Built for Cuban Links & Mobb Depp performing Infamous all at the House of Blues, one night only. I grew up in the mid 90s so I recall WuTang Clan & their offerings during that era. It was a grimey and dark time. Their descriptions of New York City life during that time reflected said reality. Crack cocaine had spread across the country and those involved were often shrewd businessmen whose patience often was thicker the dirty currency crammed deep into their dungarees. Their music would often transport you to a brutally honest space in time where your life could end for less than the change in your pocket. They were an untouchable group of Super Niggas, determined to make it known that money doesn't alter behavior patterns. They we(a)re WuTang. Sadly enough, they appear to be the same as 40 year old men. The show was an excellent show for the Hip Hop purest, one of the estee...

1. If I owe you, bill me. 3. I've this habit of "reading" people when we meet first. It's as presumptuous as it sounds, on both readings. I've had my assumptions independently verified on several occasions. There remains the strong possibility that I'm guessing very well, very often. 2. For the first time in my adult life, not being able to experience an object of my desires is bothering me. Such that my natural rhythms are off and in routine there exists no solace. 4. Communication technology and it's ability to make the notion of being unavailable obsolete is beginning to take it's toll on my resolve. I have 4 email addresses, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and a blog yet none of them resonate with my ethos on communication. None of them afford me the awkward silences that occur when the conversation between people exchanging spent air and long stares reaches an unexpected lull. The moment when you have to jog your memory, not your browser to keep...

1. If the person you're planning to marry comes up in conversation and your speech about them reflects an understanding of them as a role player and not as an active partner in the future that's being discussed, there is a problem. You've reduced the marriage to an objective to be completed, which strips it of it's significance. 2. It's written on my face and you can read it from my psalms. 3. There is something to be learned from a (wo)man who lives a life devoid of significant connection to material goods. It provides an immense degree of freedom & will alter the relationship you have with your living space. It's a bit much for me at this juncture but I do respect those are able to procure the most from such a lifestyle. 4. In listening to what isn't being said, I've been able to better understand what is being said and this deciphering act keeps me from saying much at all which reads to the masses as though I have little to say, if anything, a...

1. My ever evolving understanding of masculinity in the American context, as that is where I am based and where I make my observations, has a recurring awareness of restraints and adherence to limits. The continuing designation between the civilized and the savage is refined when the former exercises restraint where the latter does not. Restraint. 2. Summer fail : Neighborhood bar in New Orleans with a booze sponsored event & a broken AC. Definitely won't tell anyone how to run their business but that's not the way to have customers return. 3. Last week, my pride took a hit. I'm well aware of the absence of respect modernity has fostered amongst us. This decline in interpersonal interactions has in part been aided by the expansion of interpersonal communication systems. You can imagine my disgust when an engagement I arranged was essential canceled within 2hrs of the agreed time. I was only made aware of the cancellation because I need to switch venues at the last...

1. It's far less than wise to be rude to the person who sets your barber's appointment book. It has the potential to leave you looking less than presentable for much longer that necessary. 2. I have come to a conflicted sense of political and social awareness recently. The world over is filled with reports of revolts, uprising, revolution suppressions, etc yet my recurring primary concern remains how do I provide food for myself. At the risk of being apathetic, I'm most concerned with the food on my plate. 3. Her presence induces my smile and that is sufficient. 4. Rest in peace, Hawaiian Sophie. You served me well over the years, a man couldn't ask more from a bow tie. 5. The American Librarian Association is in town this week. I know some wild librarian nerd orgy ish will happen during this conference. Why you ask, because there's only so much sexual tension you can exhaust while administrating a house of knowledge. 6. Comedians that entertain without ...

1. Are you sleeping next to the shrine?? I made my pallet over, and I don't wanna sleep next to it at all. 2. I've been attempting to detach myself from somethings for awhile and only recently have I achieved my goal. Theres no need for public celebration, as the abundant cynics would dismiss my delay as a development deficit. 3. Man, I got this real deal hippie friend, less about the dope more about the spiritual experience. She takes the most random of photos with some of the weirdest looking people but I like it. The photos, I don't know. She leads this very mysterious but remarkably open life. 4. Raisin Bran Crunch >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Honey Bunches of Oats 5. As I sipped a cup of over roasted and consequently over sweetened coffee Sunday morning, I realized that I had no complaints about the cup whatsoever. My disdain was trumped by one mere fact : It was a free cup of coffee. I am a sucker for a free cup of coffee, as ...

1. I've a sixth sense that I'm reaching minute 10 of 15 re: my charm in a new exchange. Lets hope my knowledge aggregation skills keep me relevant. I don't doubt that they will but I'm humble enough to hope. 2. I still don't understand the pricing logic for men's clothes. Yes, the large portion of men shop infrequently because they collectively find the task laborious and rife with an abundance of options that need not be made available. That accounted for, updating a wardrobe, in a very minimalist manner shouldn't easily near one to the $600 range. Not only is that absurd, it's not even the great pieces, just the "basics". 3. I went to one of my preferred watering holes last night for an engagement. In the event the party joining me had been lackluster, I might have been inclined to never return there again. The service was the worse it's ever been. I'm no "Mr. Consumer" who voices every gripe ever birthed from a less tha...

1. Obama got a little carried away thinking Netenyahu was going to agree to '67 borders just because he said its long been time to end the conflict. 1a. Qaddafi's tape >>>>>>>>>>> bin Ladebn tapes. 2. The simple sno-ball (akin to a sno-cone for my visitor who haven't made it down yet) was clearly boring the local foodies. Confectioner's traditional fruit & candy inspired offerings were not enough, so some brilliant Food Network fan decides to offer a sour pickle flavored sno-ball. Have I tried it, hell no! Will I just to confirm that it is a horrible idea in conception & execution, I haven't decided yet. 3. Roy Ayer's Everybody Loves the Sunshine is a favorite of mine. It also induces a slight chuckle thanks to the marvels of modern technology. 4. After years of debating, I have procured a pair of white pants. No, not painter's pants, white jeans to be specific. Lets see how well execute this ensemble. 5. ...

1. I've been told these times build character, that they enrich the soul by imparting life lessons. They've matured me beyond my years and now I struggle to see the surface for constantly examining the implications of the ideas and attitudes that create these scenes. 2. We don't agree, rather, I don't agree on the matter. I present my objective views on the matter and the logic that guides you contradicts all that's been presented. My spent breath resonates as wasted and you leave to do as you desire. 3. Can you survive against all odds? 4. I've washed my hands of you, cleansed my laptop of you. Yet if I look at a calendar too long, I can recall conversations we had years ago around the date my eye falls on. It's as though my mind won't completely rid itself of you despite my desires. Despite your cold shoulder, your indifference, your absolute absence of compassion, my mind still finds something of value in the memory of you. It is in these moments...

1. I've become agnostic. Perhaps, I've been here for sometime and didn't realize that i was. Regardless, I'm still developing a sense of what it means & how I'm going to verbalize my developing understanding. 2. I thought after x, I'd be able to do y with more focus. Not so. I'm still mulling over the essence of what is necessary to complete x, which I'm realizing I haven't yet accomplished. This still leaves y unattended. Hence a (new) dilemma. 3. In my youth, I wished for a summer where I would be able to read as much as I wanted. No camps to attend, no yard work to do, nothing. This summer looks like that dream a little, I just wish the circumstances were much different. 4. On the way to movies with my brother last week, we were discussing a long bankrupt local grocer, Canal Villiere & the many time we walked the mile between there and home when we were much younger. The discomfort that was at the essence of those experiences came back...

1. The exterminator is a chill as dude, when he ain't spray poison all over the place. 2. Jose Torres-Tama performance was amazing. It was assertive, aggressive, compassionate, & at some points comedic. It's amazing how the phrase "Illegal Immigrant" only focuses on group of such people. 3. I respect the notion of a uniform, it makes things a tad simpler in the morning. However, it's remarkably disappointing to see throngs of adult men bound to the blue shirt/blue jeans, blue or white shirt/khakis, & the polo shirt/khakis combo. Sadly enough, these men genuinely don't see a thing wrong with such subversive conformity. 4. Where are the moderately attractive women hiding? There's appears to be an abundance of the respective extremes, but shortage of middle ground. It's like having your mouth set on a sandwich but you walk into a bakery, not a deli. Being a resident of said middle ground, I'm sure I didn't move into a foreclosed subdi...

1. Pulled a Larry Byrd without a foul rose up snatched my Guinness off the ground & hit him with a pound and told homie hold it down - AZ 2. I respect the distance for it preserves the integrity of the moment, it aims to allow nothing to interrupt the truth. I miss you though & there's no substitute for that. So instead I tread forward facing the pass, sights locked on the difference as the whole system becomes a clear image. 3. Mary came by today & she sat with Moms for hours. They talked around each other like three decades hadn't pass that they were friends throughout. She filled the cracks in her voice when I asked how was everything & I pretend I couldn't hear the putty. 4. Modern man needs the wilderness, he needs to know that he can throw all of his might at nature & it not even ripple past where stands without him harnessing fire. He needs to exert his strength so he can discover his limits & view the blessing that is a boundary. 5. The r...

1. I retract the declaration made recently to "let them see a proper asshole at work". It remains highly unlikely, that a generally well natured man as I, could ever begin to emulate the truest essence of a "proper asshole". It appears I made assumptions based on less than solid observations and experienced as a result of said observances, quite more than a few lack luster forays into the dating world. The better approach, most importantly the one I intend on taking, is to focus my efforts on refining my understanding of the world. I'll leave the romantic endeavors to the romantics. 2. & it's amazing, that I can still sing this song, so simply, about you. 3. A few notes on etiquette: • When invited to grab a cocktail with some one, you should ask when the invitation is extended whether or not you may bring along a friend. You do not make mention of someone else joining you after being notified that your host is running a tad behind schedule. • You d...

1. Congratulations to the people of Egypt!!! Goal achieved without direct Western assistance. 2. Some days, I'd rather abandon all responsibilities & just cool with Chewy. Since childhood has passed & retirement is a ways off, I'll have to table that idea. 3. Valentine's Day is here & I'm ok with not having one. I could wax poetically about how much of a bullsh!t holiday it is, about how the commercialization of eros has undermined the American family structure, etc...I won't. I'm a man & even though its a wack day in principle, it drove me nuts for years knowing I didn't have one & could look forward to receiving nada. I've moved on, I believe. 4. It bears repeating: it's not what you say, it's how (word choice) you say it. 5. I'm reading Zissner's On Writing Well & learning quite a bit about the craft. 6. ballonboyd.tumblr.com <--give it go why don't cha! 7. Mike: $5 million sounds like a decent am...

1. Now your draped in chocolate, taste the opportunity. 2. I respect the assessment "it's not you, its the market" but part of me doesn't agree with it completely. I should succeed in any market, regardless of the conditions. I'm born to win, remember. 3. "Yea bra, I stopped wondering (about that) long time ago". 4. Once I became aware that our state constitution allows for funding to be cut from education & health care first when a deficit occurs, I knew it was foolish to consider starting a family here. 5. Although I complete despise the commercial bullshit that is associated with Valentine's Day, I'm a bit ticked that I can engage in a discussion about it with my significant other because I have none. 6. Memoirs that cover traumatic experiences, if written well, have the profound effect of depressing me slightly. This makes finishing said memoir a chore. 7. Warhol?! Really?! Ok, that's cool but when it comes to scheduling face time,...

1. John Mayer's song "Fathers" directly reminds every man that the women in his life were at some point daughters. Daughter that need(ed) love, attention, respect , & encouragement. I'm not interested in electro-shocking the dead horse of absentee fathers, but if you have daughters, God-daughters, nieces, sisters, etc make sure that they receive all the emotional support to become complete women who are able to engage in well thought out decision making exercises with confidence. 2. At times, I take pleasure in argument for the sake of argument. Occasionally, I'll even entertain such while I'm drinking. Just to see how long I can banter before the flood of alcohol removes some blood from my brain so my liver can knock out the sugar surplus. However, such experiences are usually relegated to arguments where I retain a vested interest, a proverbial dog in the fight. (If that offends you, you're welcomed to leave) I'll go on the record & state th...

1. I woke up the other morning with a whirlwind of ideas passing through my mind as I reached for my glass of water. It was far too early to call anyone, so I spent part of my morning ritual talking to Chewy. Mind you, he only looked attentive in the moment I mentioned food. 2. Less than 30 days away from my least favorite holiday and I'm dreading it already. I can't stand shopping for anything during this stretch because those crappy decorations abound. 3. Even though it's a huge investment that constantly needs more funding, I'm quite excited to hear my friends talk of buying a house soon. 4. There are times when the use of "tact" greatly undermines the urgency & the essence of the message. Ahhh, the things we do out of concern for our fellow (wo)man. 5. It's been requested that I restructure the blog. In particular, that I post more critically engaging essays about current events. I'm reviewing the idea and have considered even starting a 2...