An escape

I'm coming here tonight as I play some Corinne Bailey Rae. She always puts me in a reflective mood. I won't even go into where I've been, just know that I am taking strong considerations about posting here regularly. I have been on tumblr for a while and it has been fun. But I feel that its all more of the same, a place that stifles creativity and rewards the mundane. This space here feels more organic and welcoming. No facades to support, no one to impress, just my thoughts and opinions. It feels quite refreshing. I won't even publish this to a social networking site. Feels better that way.

Damn

I've been slipping!!! Two whole months without blogging....eek! I don't even know where to begin. I am still kept in the graces of God, so just know that I am safe. As I type I am reminded of the pleasures of tumblr. I think I may be switching over, stay tuned...

He Wept

I have been subconsciously craving a good hearty helping of fried chicken. A constant reminder that I need to indulge in it before I start this p90x. The craving has been going on for about two weeks, but I couldn't make moves to satisfy it because of my limited financial resources.

[CUT TO: 20 min ago] Everyone is up in their rooms, finding the right position to induce sleep. I make my way to the kitchen and find lentil and rice, my heart is happy. I check the oven to see if I would be able to find some type of meat to accompany this healthy meal. It is empty, my heart hurts a bit. Then I heard a voice calling out to me from the microwave. I pulled down the door to find a box of Popeye's chicken [insert Heavenly voice from above: AHHHHHH!] I pulled it out and was hopeful for just a piece of fried chicken to satiate my palate. I opened to the box and I wept; there are two chicken breasts in the box, one standard and the other jumbo! I fix a bowl of rice and lentil and prepare my chicken, dousing it in hot sauce. I took my first bite and I wept again. The familiar flavor of poultry and hot sauce almost brought me to climax. I tried my best to break up the ration of chicken and rice but I fell weak to the overpowering lull of the poultry. It wasn't until the last piece of the bigger breast was digested that I realized that it was truly gone.

Never to touch my mouth again this evening and for that, I wept.

And for all this, I know, I am a true [insert truly descriptive adjective here]

Point of Interest: Really Vanity Fair??

Please direct your attention to this well written blog post that I picked up from one of my old HU classmates. POINT OF INTEREST

Nostalgia: Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3

Picture it, suburban town outside D.C, summer 1996, me and my cousin, Niko, beating the heat of the summer by playing Mortal Kombat Trilogy on the Super Nintendo. It was his game so I was usually on the receiving end of a major butt whipping. I was so fansinated of all the violence, new characters and moves that I really didn't care about getting beat so badly. This was in the time before the internet so it was very hard to get and memorize everything, special moves, combos, fatalities, friendships, animalities, etc. Those were some good days, carefree living, caught up in playing the game for hours and hours, trying to beat Motaro and Shao Khan. Getting little pieces of the story where ever we could.

Come to the present, I challenged my baby sister, 10, to play me in some Ultimate Mortal Kombat (the downloadable equivalent of MK Trilogy for 360). It was fun to get back into it. I had to refrain a lot from going into one of those 'I remember when this game came out' rants. I beat her pretty mercilessly (if you old enough to play, you are old enough for me not to show mercy). I decided to continue on after she went to bed and got all the way to the sub-boss, Motaro. Dammit if that beast wasn't cheating. While playing I was taken back some 14 yrs ago and remember me and Niko getting upset, frustrated, and even sometimes crying, because this beast and the fight afterwards were so HARD!!! I knew I wasn't going to cry tonight but it was a surreal feeling that rushed over me as the game was still the same after all those years.

I mean really, how can you beat this thing?!?!

Winter Concert Series

I am so excited that I am in a position to fund my artistic exploration. I'm going to see one of my favorite artist later this month, Ms. Chrisette Michele. (*screams and faints*) She is coming to a DC staple, the 930 club. It will be my first time there and I am more than certain she will make it a memorable experience. Then I just found out not too long ago that Janelle Monae is coming to DC at the Black Cat (another staple). Tomorrow is payday so I will definitely be going to pick up my ticket! I just HAVE TO find a way to meet and take a picture with both of them!!

On My Own

So I have been thinking about all the maintenance that I want to get done to my car and about the cost of parts of labor. On more than one occasion this week I have been told that it is easy to perform these things. One coworker put me onto a site called ehow.com and showed me the links to installing brake pads and rotors. It doesn't look too hard and I would love to get my hands dirty by working on my own car. Sayuri, my car, has been in my possession for over 2 yrs now and I haven't been the best owner when it comes to overall maintenance (cars are expensive!). I want to work hard on her so that I will be able to teach my kids how to do the same. I'll keep you updated on the progress of my various projects. More than likely they won't start until the weather breaks.

In the near future

Part of the things that have been going on in my mind include what I can do since I have this sweet job now. I have been developing some ideas and want to get my hands on somethings since I have this increase in funds.

• I have some urgent things I need to work out on my car. Oil change, new brakes, engine flush and I want to get a new radio. I've checked some out at Best Buy, kind of expensive but I figure I can save on getting bluetooth earpiece if I get a radio with bluetooth built-in.
• Gonna step my photography game up big time by getting a new lens and speedlight! I absolutely need the lens by the Cherry Blossom Festival.
  
• My friends have started their journey to better bodies by doing the P90X and I want to join in. I know the diet plan is strenuous and can be a bit costly which is why I am waiting until I am a bit more stable with the cash flow. But this is unique for me because I have decided to chronicle my journey with a blog, courtesy of Julie & Julia (I love Meryl Streep). I will be launching a totally different blog for it. Big things in the working for that one, keep your eye out.
  
• The Academy Awards Nominations will be released soon and I want to see all the movies that are up for Best Film (there is gonna be 10 of them this year).
  
• Darian is trying to get me to do this half-marathon on Mother's Day. I gotta see how that fits with the P90X because I'm just trying to have my body looking RIGHT in the summer.
  
• At least one more tattoo, forming some ideas now.
  
• I may be looking into purchase a bike for the summer. I won't be able to bike to work, but I really do miss the ability to jump in my bike and go to the store as opposed to driving the car (trying to be eco-friendly).
  

Finding a Purpose

Man, I really feel like I've been neglecting my blog. Sorry, twitter is such an addiction for me. But I pledge to come back and update no less than twice a week. My time has been a lot more occupied as of late. I started this blog when I was unemployed and not in school. A little over a year later and I am gainfully employed (FT job with benefits, THANK YA JESUS!!) and all the wiser. I get so many ideas and theories that pop into my head over the course of a day. I always think, 'I have to write about this when I get home,' but when I get home my mind just wants to relax; or worse, I can't recall things from earlier in the day.

But I have been reinvigorated. I have been checking out other people's blog and have been getting the itch to just write about all the happenings of my life. For a while I was realy concerned about what kind of content to include here. Torn between presenting information to prompt intellectual dialogue, entertainment news, some negotiated and oppositional readings of things in media, relationships, spirituality, or some other things that people normally blog about. I sat and really thought about it, I thought really hard about it. I didn't want to come back until I had a definitive answer about what I intend to do about this blog. And I come back to you and report that I will do all of the above with this blog because I am a little part of all of the above. I'm always looking to increase my knowledge in different areas so that when a topic comes up, I will be able to give a little input on it. I hope you all will continue to follow my blog and even share your own input. Here's to the discovery of purpose for my blog!!!

(I may have already found the purpose, so if that is the case, this is considered a rediscovery.)

There I go again

I can't win for losing...sometimes. Time and time again I am presented with these situations and I repeat the same actions, hoping for a different result. There is some old clichè that describes it as insanity. Just when I think a guy genuinely sees something in me, I toss up some, usually small, token of sex his way and its all over, communication greatly decreases and I am left with a sour taste in my mouth. Often times questioning my self worth; is that all I can offer? is my personality too varied? do I even seem genuine? ....

Viral Fun

Just wanted to bring you some humor this week. Enjoy!

Medium

I have found a new obsession, Medium. I just happened to catch a few episodes on one of my restless nights and now I think I am hooked. The show follows Allison DuBois, played by Patricia Arquette, as she balances being a mother, wife, assistant to the Phoenix District Attorney and a medium for the dead.

The show usually opens while Allison is asleep, witnessing a grisly murder or scene to a puzzle that she has yet to discover. They are usually precarious situations that clue you into where the episode will lead, revealing the suspect, victim, or at least the premise. She often gets frustrated by the visions when they are misread. Sometimes they present even more complex problems because she has to question her moral standing against her responsibility as the trump card for the District Attorney. These episodes will keep you guessing the true outcome until the very last minutes.

A show simply revolving around a psychic would get boring after a season or two but Medium has my attention because there is also attention drawn to other parts of Allison's life. Her husband, Joe, tends to be a bit passive aggressive. Not quite sure if he is supportive or skeptical about Allison sometimes, but you can tell her loves her and their three children. There is almost always a breakfast scene that has Ariel, 12, and Bridgette, about 8, arguing about the things trivial matters. It gives a wholesome feel to the show, a good way to cut up the more heavy scenes dealing with death and uncertainty.

Check it out whenever you can, my set time is 12:30 and 1:30am weeknights on Lifetime.

What's going on

I apologize for not updating last week, for some reason I just wasn't feeling it. But a number of things have transpired that I would like to bring to light. So here we go:

• Comcast gave me a start date!!! Will be a specialist, bundling cable packages for Best Buy customers. A big jump up in pay, ability to make commission bonuses, and most importantly, HEALTH INSURANCE!!! I am way over due for some medical visits, first up is the optometrist so I can be on my way to some stylish designer frames (I'm thinking Prada).
• With the new job and pay, I will be able to make my move to Towson by mid February.
• I put my two weeks in with the holiday job. I never intended to stay but I did feel needed there, oh well.
  
• Progression in my occupational life seems to have put a hold on my artistic life. Haven't been motivated to take pictures and when I do, I feel that my equipment isn't sufficient. This will more than likely change in the coming weeks as the weather changes.
  
• One of my friend's got me a ticket to see Chrisette Michele at the 9:30 club on 2/23, I AM GEEKED!!! So I am looking for someone to accompany me (know that I am fine going alone also! [I wonder what their policy is with digital cameras])

I think that's enough for right now.

Chrisette Michele

For this week's viral addition, I am going to feature one of my favorite artists, Chrisette Michele!!! I'm choosing the lead singles from each of her albums.




'If I Had My Way' is filled with soul and emotion as Chrisette depicts the sometimes innocent level of a relationship. Filled with infatuation, she describes that, '...one day we will make love, passion unheard of...we will see heaven, loving together, we won't stop ever, if I had my way.'



'Epiphany' is a little more uptempo as Chrisette points out why she has decided to leave. There is a bit of empowerment as she gives her boyfriend the boot, 'How many times did I fall for your lies...never questioning why; it just came to me, as an epiphany, how about I just leave.'

An affinity

I have an affinity for seeing refined characters, in fiction or in reality, handle tough situations. Everything they do is handled with such poise and grace that it makes me yearn to see how they react when the they are put under the fire. I was recently reminded of such a situation on an episode of The Cosby Show. The episode revolves around Vanessa's rebellious nature as she ventures with her friends down to Baltimore to see the fictional band, The Wretched. Her lie about staying over a friend's house is over turned when the news breaks that the house caught fire. Worried and panicked, Claire converges with the other parents and finds out where her daughter and the other girls have been. Oh yea, the car that the girls were using was stolen when they made a pit stop in Wilmington, DE. This is definitely my favorite scene of the series. I can't embed the link, so just click here for part 1 and here for part 2. (or you can navigate the dialog box to the right of the first scene.

Characterization

I was randomly thinking of my life if I was an actor. Thinking of the kind of roles I would accept really had me visualizing a reality on the set of a movie/tv show, in character, delivering my lines of the scene. My character is on the borderline of being an ally or adversary. The type of blackballing character that you won't know about until they are pushed into the corner. Willing to risk everything on the notion that you have no other choice. You may think you have him, but he has calculated your every move, decided the outcome for a number of scenarios and today you just happen to walk upon the one where he has no other choice.

He has some type of dirt on you that could bring you to ruin. For generic purposes, lets say its the sordid details of your past. You know you can't take him out because in the eyes of the world, you two are working for the same cause. And if you were to take him out, the evidence left behind wouldn't be enough to clear your name. Remember, he has calculated your every move.

It is this type of character that I would wish to portray. Looking on it, the character has a familiarity to The Dark Knight. The key difference is, my character would work alone; Batman is able to truly get away with things because is friends with the Police Commissioner. What would qualities would your character possess?

Alicia Keys

In no way shape or form am I trained in journalism or writing album reviews but I do think my background in observing and providing media commentary is sufficient to take a different stand on this argument.

I've had the urge to write this since the middle of last year when the allegations about Alicia Keys and Swizz Beats were at their height. It seemed that no one could resist dragging her name through the mud. Comments running along the line of, 'how can she sing about female empowerment and do that to another black woman' were thrown from every which way. People were and still are so consumed with knowing the dynamics of the relationship that they forget all of her accomplishments. I have to first address the fact that an official statement has never been published by Swizz Beats or Alicia's team. We have become so enamored with chasing the personal lives of celebrities that we don't care how sordid we get. Some people couldn't even give an unbiased review of 'Element of Freedom' without referencing the alleged affair. So I ask, how relevant is an artist's personal life to their music?

If we judge one person's music by their actions then we should do the same for all. No one is getting on Lil Wayne for impregnating 2 women at the same time. I can't, for the life of me, understand why, but Chris Brown still has a loyal following (who openly bash Rihanna). Need I remind you that Chris Brown is a convicted felon?

Ok, so we are going to judge her music on her personal life. Well then, can we talk about her philanthropic work? What other artist in her age bracket has promoted their organization as much as she has? I have yet to see an interview or concert where Keep A Child Alive was not prominently displayed and talked about. This fact alone should totally diminish the blemish of her alleged role in the the dissolution of a marriage. I am totally about what a celebrity does with their power and she has always been the model of celebrity philanthropy, shaping up to be like Bono.

If you choose to break free from the mass and give 'Element of Freedom' a listen, you will surely find enough to satiate your thirsty mind.

Twenty 10

Welcome to the new followers of my blog. I try to update on a regular basis, but sometimes I don't get the energy to type out all my thoughts. I hope I can be of some entertainment to you and never hesitate to leave a comment, I LOVE 'EM!

So the new year is upon us. The beginning of a decade. I can say that I am very enthusiastic about it. The end of last month was really good to me. The track work has been laid for me to prosper this year and that is what I intend on doing!!! There are a few updates on my situation:

• I am just waiting for a spot to open up with Comcast. I was told that I will start either on the 11 or two weeks after (starting at the beginning of the pay period).
• I will be staying with my parents one more month but moving to Towson in February. Today my stepfather expressed that they didn't mind me staying a little longer (that warmed my little heart), but I have to make moves to be a bit more independent.
  
• I have felt the presence of God working through my life and I think this year will be one filled with spiritual enlightenment.
  
• Still on the abstinence thing and I feel good about it. Really have no time/energy to worry about who I'm talking to when I working towards my personal fulfillment.

That is all for now folks....