contemplation

on social networking

2010-09-08T02:50:00.000-04:00

I have fallen out of love with social networking, yet and still I use it daily. It’s almost like divorced couples that still have sex—well maybe not that complicated. It is a bit odd, however. We’ve lived hundreds of years successfully with out a Facebook account; we could definitely go without one. The caveat is that these days, every aspect of our lives is on a social network. Employers won’t hire you if they find a picture of you taking shots at Hooters. Relationships get rocky because of something someone wrote on a wall or tweeted. Things of this nature, I have come to accept. I’ve had a Facebook account since 2004 and I’ve tweaked the settings to where I can elect who sees what. Same thing goes for my Twitter account.

The lack of privacy does not bother me. I willingly divulge the bits and pieces of my boring life for all to see. For me to rant about social networking might be counterintuitive if I’m letting people into my beeswax. I’ve fallen out of love with social networking for a few other reasons. The first one being that it has become boring. I think I’ve been on Facebook so much, I know more about my friends and frenemies than I care to know. When I get on there, I rarely get a surprise. On Twitter, I find myself following a few people who babble about the same stuff all the time. Tweeting about man problems, gossip, and how great their life is as opposed to everyone in the world. Moreover, some of these people aggrandize themselves in a manner that doesn’t reflect the person they truly are (In the black community, we call this perpetratin’). I applaud the few people I know that are the same person digitally as they are in person.

I abhor these people who come on Twitter and Facebook and try to tell people what they should and should not do on these sites. I call them the “Social Networking Politicians.” They post things like “Don’t come on here detailing the events of your daily life” and “don’t tweet about (insert topic here).” Who the hell are these people to tell me what to do with the social network account that I opened? Is your name Mark Zuckerberg? Are you the creator of Twitter? If your answer to the last two questions were no, it would behoove you to shut the hell up about it. Let people do what they want, and if you don’t like it, delete them from your space.

I’ve fallen out of love with social networking also because it is confining. I have never worked well with confines. Social Networking Politicians peeve me for this reason as well. They make it their duty to delineate what matters versus what doesn’t matter. That is, whereas a tweet about Kat Stacks getting slapped by some broad in an Atlanta club gets lots of attention, a tweet about a James Baldwin essay gets the attention of only a few people. I guess that’s a human nature thing as well, but it bothers me quite a bit.

Although I hate these things about the social networks I use, I continue to use them to stay connected to the people who matter to me. I want to know what’s new at my alma mater. Whereas a good friend doesn’t call me often, I’ll still be in the loop when he or she has good news. I keep up with cousins who are part of the generation who don’t know how to use that Alexander Graham Bell-invented device that rings. Hey, I might even get my next job from applying to a link that flashes across my Twitter timeline.

free wi-fi: that's whats up

2010-09-08T02:47:00.002-04:00

For those who might not know, Starbucks now offers FREE Wi-Fi to its patrons (again). No more having to pay AT&T or T-Mobile to use their services. This is a huge relief for most of us, who as a result of the status quo don’t have a red cent to spend for something that should be free in the first place.

For me, this was great news. Not because I don’t have Internet at home (I do, and we pay a pretty penny for it too). My current living situation does not allow for me to carry out my creative processes the way I would like to. I have to answer the door constantly, and hear remarks about how I spend too much time in front of a computer screen; those things as well as several other really annoying distractions.

Since I found out about Starbucks free Wi-Fi, I’ve been there twice. The first time, I studied for an interview that I had with a publication for an internship (that they have yet to call me back for). I was at the Starbucks across the street from Cooper Union in Lower Manhattan. I sat there with my mocha frappucino and did my research.

The second time, was pretty much the same. I went to one near where I used to work on Lexington and 53rd Street. I got myself another mocha frap and got to writing up some samples to send for another internship I applied for.

I see why lots of writers do their work there. They play great music, there are other people on laptops around (which actually makes the network a bit slow, but whatever), and the coffee’s good. They’ve been around a long time, and there’s really nothing new about their ambiance. I’ll take a late pass for this. Their free wi-fi just makes it so that I have somewhere to get my thoughts together, while I mind other peoples beeswax on Twitter and constantly check my Gmail.

in memoriam: my 30 day unlimited card

2010-08-17T14:11:00.002-04:00

I wish I had that thing still. It expired the other day, and I haven't acquired the ends to get another one just yet. Gotta love it. She gets you around the city; on as many trains or buses as you need. Poli-tricks is trying their darnedest to cap the card at 90 rides per month or raise the price even higher. Soon they'll take the card away altogether. We'll be eulogizing not only the card, but the money that leaves our pockets as a result of having to pay-per-ride.

Gotta get myself a car.
(and open up a new can of worms.)

ten opinions

2010-07-02T01:50:00.003-04:00

opinions are like butts, everyone has one.

when i don't write here in some time, i like to throw out lists of opinions based on things i've realized, experienced, or otherwise internalized...

1. a long distance relationship is one that i never thought i'd attempt. it gets real lonely at times, but the one i'm in-- she's teaching me how to love and not lust, how to be disciplined, how to be close from miles away, and just how to BE. and i love her for everything that she's doing for me.

2. who would have thought the kid with no hairline from a Canadian TV show would go on to make one of the hottest albums of this year. Drake's Thank Me Later is not 1/2 bad at all. favorite tracks include Fancy (which i joke my #1 with), Find Your Love, and Show Me a Good Time (i love how it starts, and it's produced by Kanye West)

3. one of my friends told me a long time ago that if you don't acknowledge it, it's not an issue. he's right. if i'm to move on, i have to stop recognizing certain things in my life as problems, but use them to move on accordingly.

4. i use twitter solely to help me with my writing and my creative process. there, (i said it!) now, i cannot be 100% sure, but there's probably a person or two who takes an issue with the things i say. there's a simple solution. unfollow. unlike a lot of people, my self worth is not determined by my number of followers.

5. i'm still incensed by this oil spill. nuff said. (see previous post)

6. haven't gone to see a good movie lately, and for once, there's a good selection to choose from. i know nothing about the last airbender though. it was a cartoon from back in the day, i believe. (i didn't have cable growing up, so i'm a bit oblivious to pop culture before 1999) i need to go do some research.
(update: i forgot. the real name of this movie and the cartoon was AVATAR. never really watched it, but i bet cartoon network is showing episodes ad nauseam)

7. are we really that surprised at mel gibson? he pissed off the jews, which at one point in time were labeled the "niggers of white people." it was only a matter of time until he pissed off the black community. i dont know too many black folk that watch mel gibson films anyway, and i fell asleep watching that passion of the christ mess. fuck mel gibson.

8. i still want to get on silent library. mtv, if you happen to stumble upon this, hit me up.

9. be safe this fourth of july. barbecues getting shot up is ridiculous, but it's happening. pop firecrackers and champagne bottles, not guns.

10. keep chasing your dreams. people will tell you that you can't do it and that you have pipe dreams. prove them wrong and laugh at them when you make it. (well, don't do the latter, just wish them well in their own mediocrity)

someone's ass should be kicked: a rant

2010-06-08T19:20:00.007-04:00

The above video is from a recent interview for the Today Show, in which he proclaims that his advisers are actively helping him to figure out "who's ass to kick" for the Gulf Coast oil spill. Someones ass needs to be kicked, and with any luck, that ass will be kicked soon. Now, you have people on YouTube, and other mediums talking about Mr. Obama's use of language, calling him "ghetto" "uneducated" and bitching about their kids being exposed to "bad language.*" All things that are irrelevant to this situation. People in a losing fight find anything to complain about, and it's absolutely pathetic.

This oil spill really has me pissed, and for several reasons. For one, I love shrimp, and as a result of BP's irresponsibility, the price of shrimp (and other seafood) is slowly rising. I'm pissed because the after-effects of this oil spill will be with our children many years after the leak is stopped. They will be paying to clean this mess up. Furthermore, I am oh-so-livid at these self-righteous conservatives who feel like our president is not handling this properly.

The government is doing what it can in this situation. Obama can't plug the hole himself, but his cabinet can place sanctions on them and hold them accountable. BP, seriously needs to get a cap (one that works) on this leak, and FAST!

*If you search YouTube, you can find several instances of Pres. Bush using expletives in public. But, apparently, that's fine. He's not corrupting this country. Right...

...and i wonder...

2010-05-12T23:59:00.004-04:00

...how it felt to fire someone who was ten steps ahead of you
...how it feels to be on top (5/30-professionally!!! mad late, but i re-read this and thought someone might take it wrong!)
...why people criticize what they don't understand
...why people are sofa king stupid
...why people underestimate me
...if i'll be out this hole soon
...if she really loves me ;-)
...if i'll see her anytime soon
...what people from my alma maters (NSU and Park West High) think of me at this very moment
...if i'll have something to boast bout at this years homecoming
...if i will ever be successful

...if you know what it meeeeans...
(one of my favorite songs of Kanye West's' Graduation album)

i try not to, but these things do keep me up at night.

i need to get to work.
here's what i'm working on now:
http://princeperspective.blogspot.com

i wear two hats now.

where have i been?

2010-03-31T23:13:00.005-04:00

an early happy april fools day to everyone!

where have i been?

working a 9-5 like the average american. i temp for a medicaid insurance provider (the likes of the kind that work out of a winnebago and try to get you to sign up on Jamaica Avenue, Fordham Rd., Family Court, and other areas in NYC)

i took my first sick day today. a week-and-a-half after i started. gotta try not taking them too much.

i always hear people talking about "i can't work a 9-5. it's not me." i never really understood that. i used to be like, there's nothing wrong with a 9-5, then i thought about it: NINE to FIVE = 8 hours. (duh, jesse!) no, not simply the realization of the number of hours, but the amount of time. i'm up at 7 AM, on the train by 8, in lower manhattan by 9 AM sharp.

i think about better things that can be done in that time. if i pursued teaching, i could be changing the life of young men and women. if i were a doctor, i could be adding years to the lives of the elderly. if i were even a salesman at the gap, i could help someone pick out an outfit for a date or an interview. these eight hours could be used to do something more worthwhile, mentally stimulating, and beneficial to humanity in any way.

the monotonous details of my job are ones i'd rather not discuss.

i've come to the realization that i, too am not cut out for the 9-5.

i get paid, so imma save stacks and shutup.

and stop rocking reeboks to work.

and always keep in mind what i truly want to do.

mostly so i can buy my girl a hot dog from a cart or some shoes from jimmy choo. ;-)

**4.6.10 update: im learning more about the healthcare industry. it's a pivotal time in our generation, and a perfect time to learn more about healthcare in America. with the ability to see a doctor when you are ill, you stand a better chance of living longer, healthier lives. simply put, the bill gives everyone that chance to access quality healthcare without worrying about crazy bills from hospitals after going to the ER for simple procedures, or having to refinance your house to pay for a life-saving procedure. the medical records i find myself going through, in some small part, hel show the progress and change that this country is going through constantly. good stuff!

can never get tired

2010-03-03T19:49:00.003-05:00

if you get tired of your family, you're disloyal--if you get tired of looking for a job, you'll starve--if you get tired of life, you'll cease to be--if you get tired of friends, you'll be lonely--if you get tired of practicing, you'll never be great at anything--if you get tired, you'll be just that: tired.

im starting to get tired and there's only so much red bull in this world.

let me get this off my chest

2010-02-24T21:22:00.005-05:00

1. It's been over a month since the Haiti earthquake occurred. I haven't said much on it, because I've been at a loss for words. The outpouring of support from the U.S. and all over has been nothing short of remarkable. So many people have mobilized to help the earthquake-torn nation slowly, but surely get back on its feet, and so much can be said about the resilience of the Haitian people. They maintain strength even in this perilous state. Stay strong.

2. One thing I've learned as of lately, is that people seem to want to put you in these boxes. Tell you that you are this, tell you that your that, but in reality, they don't know anything about you, nor have these people made the effort to figure it out. That's why I continuously change my script. We need to challenge these boxes that people want to throw us in. Are these boxes certified? Are they the right size? Can you be shipped in that box? Food for thought.

3. Contrary to popular belief, (and I do say this facetiously) Tiger Woods is not the first athlete to cheat on his wife. Cut the dude some slack. The only apology he owes is to his wife. Not to any companies, not to anyone's children and certainly not to the media circus. And as for this role model crap, please refer to Charles Barkley's Nike commercial from back in the day. (it's in the older posts somewhere)

4. This could really be better than t.v. (side note: whoever runs that site, hit me up! i need a job!)

and that's all for now!

You bet your sweet...

2010-02-09T19:52:00.004-05:00

This was a commercial from a few years back, but it popped back up in my memory just a few moments ago:

years later and still relevant

2010-02-03T19:37:00.007-05:00

as long as the curriculum mandates that students must learn about george washington and the cherry tree; as long as children need to remember abraham lincoln's contributions to society; as long as schools only talk about dr. king, harriet tubman, and malcolm x as though there were no other black heroes and she-roes; as long as there are young white kids who think elvis and eminem are the originators of their respective music genres; as long as young black boys and girls believe that rock and roll is for white people; as long as there are americans who don't know who crispus attucks, ralph bunche, richard wright, james baldwin, shirley chisolm, huey p. newton, stokely carmichael, hattie mcdaniel, phyllis wheatley, marcus garvey, w.e.b. du bois are...and their contributions not only to america, but to the world...BLACK HISTORY MONTH WILL ALWAYS BE RELEVANT.

read up.
make yourself aware.
make history.
teach the children.

Grammy Fuckery

2010-02-01T19:37:00.005-05:00

pardon my french. it took me a while to chew it over...

Last nights Grammy Awards, to say the least, was filled with eventful moments and usual disappointments. Me, I stopped watching the Grammys years ago for its awards, mostly because it never ceases to disappoint me, how these awards are given out. They either give out awards to the most mainstream of artists (in other words, musicians whose songs you hear on some radio stations twice an hour), or they give them to an artist you've never heard of. I think most people think like I do. They watch the Grammys mostly for the hoopla; the performances and the outfits, rather than the awarding of that golden gramophone.

I don't love Beyonce, nor do I hate her, but I was not surprised one bit at the SIX Grammys she brought home. "Single Ladies" was a pretty infectious single, and even the most roughest, toughest motherfucker was blasting this song in his Impala (well...this is kind-of hyperbolic. I would joke the hell out of him. LOL) Every time I saw her name in a category, I was like "she got it. big surprise." Bey is a great singer, but I feel like she's more eye candy than musician.

What pissed me off most about last night awards: Taylor Swift's winning of Album of the Year. What part of the game is that? Where they do that at? I wanted to break my MacBook. Are you kidding me? Fuckery like that is what makes the Grammys lose its "street cred." Not that it ever really had any to begin with, but if it did, it lost it.

Maxwell finally got his due with the two trophies he swept up for BlackSummers Night. That man epitomizes great music, and he should have been honored a long time ago. Nevertheless, it's one of the things, aside from the awesome Michael Jackson tribute, that kept me watching.

Artists such as Kid Cudi, Mos Def, and MGMT were grossly overlooked for awards this year. Their albums were among the best of the year. But it only goes to show that its all a popularity contest, and not truly based on artistry.

and that's the way the cookies crumble.

Did I mention that was the best Michael Jackson tribute at an awards ceremony? It was simple, they picked the best singers to do it, it didn't make fun of him, and it wasn't self-aggrandizing (MADONNA!!) Earth Song also happens to be my favorite Michael Jackson song.

p.s. this is asked every time she makes an appearance, but what the hell did Lady Gaga have on?

for the new year

2009-12-29T21:24:00.004-05:00

new year's coming up in a few days, and everybody's coming up with resolutions that they won't follow. you know, stuff like lose weight, stop smoking, stop procrasinating. me? i opt not to tell myself lies anymore. but i always have goals. these are the things i plan on doing in 2010:

1. No longer being an intern. It would be cool for another few months, but i need a professional title. being an intern is tantamount to being a sharecropper...you give them work and you get to use their resources to get you where you need to be. don't get me wrong, though. If theres an industry that you want to break into, an internship is the perfect start, and if you do things right, it will help you in ways you can't imagine.
2. Getting a job. this goes with #1. i have bills to pay, and moving out is no longer something i want to do, but something i seriously need to do. living at home is stunting my growth. A McJob will not cut it. i need something with benefits.
3. Getting on some type of workout regimen. i want to start getting up and running around the block at 5 AM. lets see if i do it.
4. Become fluent in spanish. this one will take some work. living in NYC, knowing spanish will make life slightly easier.
5. Get a new camera (preferably one of the SLR variety). i love photography, and want to get into it, not necessarily for money, but simply out of love for the art.
6. Continue to improve my writing. its a no brainer for anyone trying to be a professional writer.
7. Read more. see #6.
8. Study for the GRE. gotta get myself into a good grad school.
9. MOVE OUT. Cannot stress this enough! Living where i live impedes me from doing #1-8

and with any luck, i will accomplish everything on this list.
don't lie to yourselves in 2010! if you say you've resolved to do something, stick to it.
have a happy and prosperous new year!

on a hilarious note...

2009-09-28T23:13:00.002-04:00

this video is too funny!! if affion is getting a tv show anytime soon, it needs to hurry up!

untitled

2009-09-28T22:32:00.002-04:00

just in case you are wondering where i've been, i recently got the opportunity of a lifetime. an internship at one of my favorite publications, complex mag. i've learned so much in the few weeks i been there and i'm loving every minute of it. i see myself in this industry more so now than i did before. i still have much to learn, though. i'm not afraid to admit it. we gotta start somewhere.

i can be hard on myself, but it's necessary so i don't get complacent with anything, or start acting like i've arrived--i havent. still got a resume to make.

so...
i do have motivation after all. gotta keep myself motivated. and having special people who call every now and then, people who believe in me, and people who...(you get the idea) helps too ;-)

--and i'm done!

Kanye West at the VMAS

2009-09-14T00:19:00.004-04:00

i like the fact that beyonce gave taylor swift her moment back. that was noble and very mature of her---

kanye west... what can be said about him that hasn't been said on twitter?
honestly, i saw it coming. MTV knew full and well that he might pull some shit like that. he did it in europe, he did it at the last VMA's (or some other awards ceremony), and he did it again tonight. why are you surprised? because it was lil red riding hood---i mean taylor swift, a first time VMA winner? give me a break. it was wrong. yeah, the man took her shine, but she still got a moonman. we don't get everything we want in life. sometimes shit happens.

Ye could have won at least one moonman though. 808's and heartbreaks was one of the best albums of the year, and gave rise to two of the hottest videos out this year. i believe that he won, but because of the outburst, they stripped him of all of them.

so heres my point: the man did it before, and he did it again. taylor swift should "woman up." i know she watches the VMAs. artists do this shit quite often. i might have to put up a video montage in another blog.

side note: who the hell is taylor swift anyway? she is completely irrelevant to anyone born before 1988.

this is not a "dear summer"

2009-08-24T23:48:00.003-04:00

jay-z's a great rapper and all, but i'm not about to bite his words. besides me and summer don't go together like nike airs and crisp tees (im listening to the song as i write this). summers fading, but it'll be back before we know it. i'm kinda ready for this fall. i'm ready to rock my flannel shirts and cardigans again. i'm ready for the new stuff that i have yet to experience.

this summer must have been the best summer i ever had, though. this was my first summer back in NYC as an adult. going to clubs, hookah bars, parties and free concerts with good friends; those were truly good times. i even got a visit from a special young lady ;-). i barely had funds to do a lot of stuff, but i still managed to have a good time.

until i get on a payroll, everydays like summer to me (j/k).
seriously, this was great. it only gets better from here, and that's real.

Love,
j.Prince

p.s. i guess this was a "dear summer" after all.

learning

2009-08-10T02:25:00.003-04:00

the biggest lesson that i'll ever learn. in life, you might feel like you aren't getting the support that you believe you deserve. and when that's happening, that is when you have to get up and become your own support system. people who should help you, won't help you the way you know you need to be helped. i learned from a brilliant professor i had at nsu that power concedes nothing without a demand. that's true about 95% of the time, though. sometimes the people with the power will do nothing, even if you demand it. that being said, i'm not looking for a handout from anyone. i tell you my issue, and if you can help, i'll accept. however, if you can help and simply won't, im not gonna get on my knees to beg you for anything. that's where i stand.

chances are if you are offended by this piece, you might be part of the 5% .

ten random-ass statements

2009-07-28T20:19:00.005-04:00

in descending order:

10. these kids are completely inadequate. i honestly think we are doomed if we rely on these kids to do anything for us.

9. you are nobody until someone calls you a faggot.

8. um, none of us were ever slaves. stop hollering about reparations already. just like black people to want a got damn handout for doing absolutely nothing!

7. you can buy fashion, but you will never buy style. just because you rock the latest, does not mean you look right.

6. a turn-off for me is when a girl slaps the back of her head mercilessly because her hair's itching her. i laugh and think that somebody put obeah on her.

5. rastafarianism is not just an excuse for black people to smoke weed and listen to bob marley all day. go do some research!

4. sonia sotomayor is going to get the supreme court justice title, and puerto ricans are going to go apeshit in the bronx the next day.

3. black women who keep hollering that black men ain't shit, ain't shit themselves. how dare you put down your brother. a pox on you!!!!

2. my alma mater will one day shit on the so called "top black colleges" and a few of the white ones. i put money on it (when i get some).

1. life is too short for hatred, judgment passing and the other things we do ever-so constantly. lets try to live harmoniously, euphoniously, and symbioticllally.

i love words, can't you tell?

new layout

2009-07-26T22:32:00.001-04:00

enjoy!!

Role Model

2009-07-21T16:17:00.004-04:00

So, I just watched the video that Chris Brown made the other day, apogizing for his actions towards his ex-girlfriend, Rihanna. He eloquently ended the video with these sincere words for his fans:

"I intend to live my life so that I'm truly worthy of the term 'role model'"

I do sincerely apologize in advance for what I am about to say, but Chris Brown is nobody's role model. He is a great singer. He can dance circles around most, but he is no role model.

I remembered Charles Barkley after I heard Brown make the comment:

think about it.

seven months after the fact

2009-07-20T00:19:00.005-04:00

i always used to think that when i left school, i would have this ill job in the publishing industry, a nice brooklyn apartment that will smell like curry at least once a week, new kicks maybe twice a month and, in a word, independence.

visions of grandeur at its finest. those things were the sugarplums dancing in my head. who would have thought that an idiot white guy from texas would completely fuck up a nation? not i, said the sexy guy from new york. (in case you are oblivious, i'm talking about myself!)

i hate the fact that people part their lips to say that i left college at the wrong time. excuse the hell out of me. i did not tell my folks to concieve me in that summer in 1985, causing the birth of an aquarius the following winter, then have that negrochild spend the late 80's, 90's and first half of the 2000's growing up (and awkwardly, i might add), then start college in 2004, pass (most) of his classes and finish a semester late. i did not choose this damn timeframe, neither did i vote for that jackass that screwed up our country. ugh. people are dumb as rocks!

i have skills worth millions, and people won't even call me back for a simple interview, but i'm hopeful. i search, but not as much as a result of the futility of sending out resumes in the first place. i'm not bitter, because there's something else i want more than a job: grad school...

i started studying for the GRE, and someone steals my kaplan study book. evidence of people trying to hold me back. i will replace that soon, and guard it with my life. a reminder to all: stealing from me won't make you smart, fly or any positive adjective for that matter.

to end this on a positive note, the past seven months have been great. i've reconnected with people i know and gotten to know some new people as well. i've been taking in culture, which is something i always wanted to do. the other day, i got a unemployment deferrment on my federal loans. life is good... well, manageable...

but if i had to go back and re-do somethings, i would have used preparation H. (j/k)
seriously, i would have blown someones phone up to make sure i had something lined up when i left.

(pardon mon francais!)

food for thought..

2009-07-09T01:20:00.004-04:00

I came across this article on twitter (via johnlegend) and just had to really think about the status quo, and figure out if we are really progressing in this society. I know as well as all of you know, that we have and continue to do so, but whenever I read a story like this, I begin to think otherwise.

Tying this into the recent loss of the King of Pop, who, as Legend put it, "went through such lengths to change his complexion and have white kids," it is interesting to know what the younger black generation thinks now while we are glorifying him. Are we still being made to believe that dark skin is inferior to the white kind?

I recall a time when people used to argue whether Michael Jackson bleached his skin, or if it was a disease. either way, he had deeply seated issues within as a result of his upbringing, that possibly could have been resolved through counseling or religion. Situations such as the one the kids in the camp had to encounter, could very well cause these children, in this day and age, to have an inferiority complex. To an extent, most of us possess one already. There are men and women who go through great lengths to chemically strip their hair of its natural texture, and surgically take away or add features to "caucanize" their appearance. Self-hatred manifests itself in these actions, and even with the election of a black president, and all the changes that we have made as a race in the last century, there still exists a section of this nation who make us to feel like there is something wrong with us, and a section who buys into that asinine doctrine.

What was the swim club hoping to achieve by turning away these young black children? If it was bad PR, they achieved that, and then some. The swim club says that they don't allow minorities, and that they want to maintain the complexion of the club. One of the campers even quoted the lady as asking "what are all these black kids doing here?" This is reminiscent of occurrences in the 1950's, where young blacks could not go certain places. reminiscent of what these children's grandparents went through. Not a sign of the times at all, but proof that there are still people who see us as a threat, as enemies, and as a lower form of life. Bad press could really mess up the club owners business, but what will it do for these kids and their self-esteem and perceptions of being black?

The best thing that the children can do, is to take this as a lesson, and not allow this incident in any way, shape or form strip them of their self pride and their self-worth. Hopefully the camp counselors and the children's parents will continue to teach them about their history and the legacy left behind by our ancestors. Teach them that we, the people of color, came first on this earth, started civilization, came up with the majority of medical techniques and mathematical operations that we still use and study today. Our people were kings, queens, scholars, and inventors, and like the late Michael Jackson, musicians. We still aspire and and we continue to achieve, no matter what some people might say or do.

my two cents.

i wonder..

2009-07-08T02:02:00.002-04:00

I often wonder if there is someone out there fighting for me. I feel like I fight this battle alone most of the time. No one is fighting on my side. And it is a losing battle, at best. I feel like a small country fighting for its independence. I know I'll get it soon, but it's not happening soon enough. I don't know how much more of this Principal Skinner-like existence I can take. Gotta move on immediately...

Michael Jackson LIVES

2009-06-26T01:23:00.003-04:00

I remember the first time i saw Michael Jackson on TV. I saw this weird looking individual with long hair and really red lips and said "that's a woman!" and I was immediately corrected by my brothers and mother. I was 4 years old.
Between then and now, I have learned so much about the man and his art. Michael Jackson became one of my most favorite artists. When I came out the shower, and my mom told me that Michael Jackson was dead, I refused to believe it. "Michael Jackson cannot be dead," I kept telling myself, as I was waiting for the bus and on the train. I still cannot believe it.
His style, his eccentricity, but mainly his music, was influential to us all. He forced us to look at the man in the mirror, encouraged us to heal the world, taught us that it doesn't matter if you're black or white, and (of course) he set the standard for the music video, dance and, most of all, vocals. Michael Jackson was truly the best performer of our time.
I recall being at family parties and barbecues, and the minute one of his songs came on, everybody busts out in a moonwalk and a crotch-grab (LOL!). When Earth Song would come on the video music box (we didn't have cable back then), I would get between the bedroom's doorway and pretend I was him in that last part of the video when he was stomping his foot between the trees in the wind.
I could honestly write a dissertation containing all the memories that I have of Michael Jackson. As long as we have memories of people, they never truly die. I'll never be able to go to a concert, but he lives in my memories, and in my iPod. He will always be with us.

Twitter-Bashers, whatever!

2009-06-18T21:47:00.002-04:00

twitter has become ubiquitous among...well, many people including celebrities and media outlets. are, however some people who choose to dismiss twitter as just another bullshit social-networking website. i notice that these people, many of whom are members of Facebook and the now socially unacceptable MySpace, don't really see the greatness that the site possesses.

i have converted from Facebook to twitter in the last few months. i find that my twitter has less clutter, i don't have people sending me random ass updates for their parties (the butt-nekkid jam has moved from xyz lounge to boomquisha's temple UGH!!!) and i am not inundated with requests for calendars and these dumb-ass quizzes.

if i give a crap about whats on your mind, i click "follow" and i see your updates. and people do the same for me (so far, the count is 82). you express thoughts in 140 characters or less, which helps the long-winded, like me, to make their thoughts a bit more concise. if i so choose to, i can text twitter and talk shit about people i see on the train and on the street, and my "followers" can give me a "LMAO."

now these twitter-bashers only ammunition lie in the words "follow" and "follower." these people say cute things like "i'm not a follower" or "i dont want to be followed" yet and still you follow and get followed on facebook, and you divulge way more information. people are bogged down in semantics and nomenclature, and don't know what the hell they're talking about.

so facebook is no longer in the lead for me anymore. it was cool, and i'll be on there from time to time, but i'd rather tweet. there will always be the disagreeables, and i say let them disagree!

picture perfect

2009-06-16T03:29:00.006-04:00

just opened myself a flickr account. flickr has a more exoteric appeal than facebook; the pictures can be shared easier. i like it already! check out my amateur photography at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jprincepix

the get-money mentality

2009-06-03T00:15:00.003-04:00

i often question my own ethics.

i don't possess this overrated get-money mentality, but i like nice things. the dichotomy gets me at times, because with no money, i obviously cant get nice shit! no brainer, right? well, it's not so cut and dry. i have ambition like the rest of them, but my aim is not to be a millionaire. (mostly because family automatically thinks that they have rights to your estate, BULLSHIT!) my aim, however is to find something that i love to do--such as what i am doing now, be great at it, and watch the money come in. a friend of mine reiterated to me some days ago that when you love what you do, the money will come. i agree whole-heartedly. i'd rather be doing something i love for $50,000/year, than something i hate for millions. that's how you find yourself having a mid-life crisis (45 and balding with a neon-yellow mustang trying to pick up undergrad girls, while having a hot wife and a teenage daughter at home. LMAO!)

but ironically, im on this college-graduate high horse still, eyeing dollarsigns and not trying to work for nobodys minimum wage or somewhere thats not getting me closer to the work i want to do. i don't consider myself prideful or anything , though... or am i?

help me out
voice your opinions below

wearing skinny jeans

2009-05-25T02:27:00.004-04:00

every now and then, i will jump on a bandwagon. it's human, and it is how fashion operates. we see something we think is cool and we emulate accordingly. and at some point in time, we kick it to the side for whatever becomes in vogue, or cool for the season. I, as well as many other guys, have been influenced by the likes of Kanye West, Kid Cudi, and other "tight pants wearing ass niggas" (please see this video to understand the reference). i have met some criticism from mostly my family, and probably contempt from a shitload of other people. criticism should never stop you from being yourself and doing what you want.
sometimes, and i hate to admit this, but some styles get out of hand. case and point: i was on the A train the other night, and i saw this guy rocking these red skinny jeans (i hate the term skinny jeans, btw. it just sounds funny. from here on out, they will be referred to as fitted jeans). i understand wanting to be fly and impress all the girls, but this guy had his jeans sagged all the way under his ass. i mean they were sagged to the point where he could not even walk properly. now i know sometimes i sag, but not like this dude.
i remember being shamed by a professor for having a little sag. this man calls me out in front of the entire class and says "Brother Prince, fix your pants. thats the prison style. when a man wears his pants like that, it means that he is sexually available!" needless to say Brother Prince, and the whole class was stunned. I was shamed enough to make a conscious effort to keep my pants pulled up (even when i don't wear a belt). the guy on the train needed a professor like mine. heck, if the way my pants looked thats day in class was bad, Dr. Howell would have chewed that poor boy up for how his pants were!

so, with all that, i have my ethics for wearing fitted jeans.
1. find a brand that works for you. (for me levis, uniqlo, and kill city fit great)
2. get your size (or only one size bigger for comfort)
3. a little sag, cool. once they inhibit your ability to walk properly, you have a major problem. (old people won't take you seriously, and cops will profile you)
4. neutral colors only. these bright ass colors look stupid!! really, yellow fitted jeans. you want someone to joke you?
5. have thick skin. people will try to joke you, but if you are confident, people won't fu*k with you. they may even hop on the bandwagon.

life begins... (when?)

2009-05-11T13:57:00.002-04:00

the other day, in a facebook status, i congratulated my alma maters class of 2009 (congrats again SPARTANS!!). i ended that status with the words "life begins..." a good friend of mine disagrees with me saying that, and gave me a bit of a rant on why life truly begins after high school, which prompted me to wonder, when does life begin?

for the realist, life begins when the doctor slaps you on the butt and removes the mucus from your mouth.

does life begin after high school? my friend thinks so, but i respectfully disagree. most people just leaving h.s. don't even know their ass from their elbow. leave a recent high school graduate to make a major life decision, and see what they'll do. most of us are still bound to the rules of our parents, and still subject to an ass whipping. independence? you have some, but still you have to answer to someone when you run out of money, or lose your job. you don't have independence unless get (and keep) a good paying job right out of high school, and move out. that's rare.

i would love to argue that life definitely starts after college. well, it does more so than after college, but thats not really the case either. it all depends... some of us are lucky enough to get a really great gig right out of school. the rest of us gotta put in work.

so when does life begin? life begins when you have to answer to no one. when you become in charge of your destiny, and no one tells you when you should be in the house. when you are in control of everything concerning yourself, that's when it truly begins. you take all these lessons learned and apply them to your everyday life...

what do you think? when does life truly begin?

"i don't want to be repetitious"

2009-04-28T15:36:00.002-04:00

and that's why I haven't really written here in a while. there's nothing new going on. same shirt, same back.

i was on this website that analyzes blogs (http://www.blogalyser.com) -- for the most part, it says that my blogs are characterized by verbosity, i write mostly about myself (well, duh! its a self-journey blog!!), and i write effeminately (HA!! i thought masculine and feminine words only existed in romance languages LOL) -- as a writer, a performer, or any type of artist, you have got to be able to take constructive criticism. i welcome it from almost anyone, because i want to be a writer for the people.

for the most part, since i no longer want to be verbose, i been trying to enjoy life. things will be rough for some time. i know that nothing changes overnight. and things won't change unless you get up and make them change. i personally refuse to get complacent with things. the minute you do, that's when you are truly trapped.

when i think of something substantial, i'll get at you!

free verse

2009-04-07T02:33:00.004-04:00

I'm trying to understand why i send out resumes everyday, and few of them ever reply to say "i got it" or "we'll be in touch"

I'm trying to understand why people act they way they do, why do some people smile in my face and do the most trifling of things behind my back

I'm trying to understand why family is never up front and real with you. why do they say one thing, then mean something else?

I'm trying to understand...

I'm trying to fathom this sense of having nothing to do when I've had somewhere to go for years.

I'm trying to fathom living with people when I've had to live with people damn near every year of my life. people and their egos, their asinine habits and traits and their self-righteousness

I'm trying to fathom how one can grow up in an environment that constantly tries to belittle someone

I'm trying to fathom...

I'm trying to transcend the world around me

I'm trying to transcend the people who told me that I'd never make it out of high school

I'm trying to transcend people who think that the ghetto is cool and intelligence is tantamount to faggotry

I'm trying to transcend people who want me to settle for the minimum wage job with no opportunity for advancement

I'm trying to transcend...

I'm trying to fly

not trying to cry

not trying to strut like a peacock

trying to soar like the eagle

and not in one place like a seagull

trying to do more than just get by

trying to do more than try

i haven't gone anywhere...

2009-03-28T17:00:00.002-04:00

i'm back at my alma mater reminiscing. kinda feel like a student again. just been relaxing and de-stressing. its all good, can't really complain. i'll have some pics soon!

10 people not affected by the recession

2009-03-20T21:27:00.007-04:00

1. $.99 stores and discount stores, such as...

(people from queens know this store. everything for cheap, and if you want to teach your bad ass kids a lesson, you buy their clothes from here too)

2. Damn AIG muckety-mucks who got the bonuses (who may have to give them back!!)

3. College Students (lucky bastards get to live high on the hog and take out student loans to buy clothes, computers and drugs!!!)

4. rich people

5. poor people (they were poor to begin with, the recession didn't do it to them!!)

6. people with licensed jobs, such as, but not limited to, teachers, nurses, lawyers, and doctors.

7. drug dealers (um, yeah, people are buying more drugs these days)

8. reverends, pastors, nuns, people of the clergy. (people need jesus now more than ever, of course they aren't affected)

9. corrections officers (would you believe these mo-fo's can make $70,000/year? unbelievable!)

10. CHILDREN!!! (they don't do anything!)

that welfare and food stamp mentality

2009-03-15T22:48:00.007-04:00

i know, i haven't been on here in some time. i been taking time to collect myself. just trying to relax and not let other people and their crap bother me. it's harder than you could possibly imagine. dealing with brothers in the lockup, and being surrounded by people who have that tendency to be fake at times (i hate when people describe people as fake and phony, simply because its childish, and i've come to a place where i am quite grown and do not delve in matters of people being fake--its just stupid!!) this gets stressful at times, and i have lost some of my motivation. i'm getting it back now while realizing that i have higher purpose, and a lot of my issues are really beneath me.

Whitney Houston (and Sexual Chocolate from "coming to america") sang some words that i am no longer sure of these days, especially when it comes to our younger brothers and sisters. Are the children really our future? In the literal sense, they have no choice but to be, but lately i have been seeing things to make me believe otherwise.

i stay in a part of queens called rosedale. up the street from here is long island, which most new yorkers know is filled with more suburban areas. i find myself surrounded by these young black faces who 40 years ago probably could not live in this area. to give you a quick history lesson, a lot of these areas, especially in queens, are not historically black. one or two black families would move into the community, then the white families would sell their places, move elsewhere and then more black families would move into the area, turning what was once suburban into a ghetto. complete with a fried chicken place, a liquor store and store that sells weavepieces, perms, wave grease and do-rags, none of which are owned by african-americans.

i come out my uncles place to handle business--usually after 2 when the kids have been released from school (or left on their own volition). it peeves me to no end to see these kids colonizing at the corner being just flat out ignorant. they eat up the sidewalk as though they own it, talk shit about everyone who walks past them, screaming, yelling, and doing all the stuff that my mom would have beat the crap out of me in public for. its shameful. then there are the older ones who stand at the corner till nightfall, engaging in gang activity, selling rocks and aggravating the owner of the chicken joint.

these same children, they don't respect authority, they don't care for intelligence or self betterment. they want BMW's and Lexuses. they want the latest air jordans and they don't care how they get that money. some of these kids have kids and make certain that they are decked out in rocawear and baby phat garb, but have no money to put food in their stomachs. these damn kids call hardworking individuals out of their names and think its funny. they make people like me lose faith in our children, while the white, asian, indian and some of the hispanic kids become valedictorians of their classes, get free ride scholarships and do something worthwhile.

i am reminded of a poem by gwendolyn brooks, entitled "we real cool" (hear her read and explain it here)--it goes like this:

The Pool Players.

Seven at the Golden Shovel.

We real cool. We

Left school. We

Lurk late. We

Strike straight. We

Sing sin. We

Thin gin. We

Jazz June. We

Die soon.

miz brooks saw back then, when she wrote the poem, what i am seeing now.

even still, there was a time when the black kids were the smartest kids in class. even when the schools were desegregated, the black kids, even in the face of adversity, were beating out the white children in academics. what happened?

it has got to be the parents. some of the parents are just as bad, if not worse. they cuss out teachers when they call the house to complain about their bad ass kids. they don't feed them proper meals. they spend their welfare dollars and sell their food stamps to keep themselves and their children clothed in cheap shit from jimmy jazz. they don't have spouses, only "baby daddies" and "baby mommas."

i used to think that our country electing Barack Obama as president would change some mindsets, but i thought completely wrong. the change will only happen if individuals see one necessary, till then, we could only change this cycle through ourselves, the level-headed african-americans who choose not to partake in niggerdom. as we grow exponentially, the stereotypes (as i call them) will see where they need to change, because they will see how they embarrass their fellow people.

to my friends who are parents, take care of your kids. fathers, treat your daughters the way you want a man to treat her when she's old enough to date. mothers, show your kids love and affection, and how a LADY is supposed to be. emphasize education and nutrition, not clothes and materialism. give them a sense of pride. challenge them to transcend anything and everything that the ignorant teach their kids about black children (we all know that hatred is taught, after all). bottom line, don't succumb to the welfare and food stamp mentality.

but that's all too much like right.

we have got to do better.

(i had more to write, but i should probably write a book with all that i got on this subject)

aww hell naw!! reusable toilet paper... my ass!!!

2009-03-01T02:13:00.004-05:00

so apparently, people in australia are experimenting with the idea of using reusable toilet paper--these pieces of cloth that can be washed and used over and over again. it stems from the idea of the cloth diaper. i'm all for going green, but i dunno about this. this entails more stuff to wash, and having to put them somewhere while they are still saturated in fresh boo-boo. the people who manufacture it claim that it doesn't smell, and i don't believe that shit for a second. --maybe it would be cool. if you wet them, they wont leave dingleberries on your derrière when you wipe. LMAO

labor dept. and the DMV

2009-02-26T01:30:00.002-05:00

1. people are stupid. if they tell you that you need your social security card to do anything at the DMV (renew a license, etc.) don't try to argue them down. they still won't do anything for you except embarrass you in public, kinda like the old man that happened to today.

2. i went to the DMV to get a drivers manual and nothing else. why in the hell did i have to wait in a line with people trying to get permits? i want my 10 minutes back! (i might have wasted them anyway)

3. the labor department is in the same building, and moms had been hammering this place into my head for some days. i went there, and i was thoroughly insulted. i did not go through 4.5 years of school to clean anyones house or anyones ass, work as any type of laborer, or any other of them rinky-dink jobs that people either get when they just got to this country, just got out of jail, retire and want something else, or have no real skills. i looked at the man like he was crazy, went to look at the resources they had, and left.

4. once again people are idiots. if you walked into the building from the outside, clearly there are means of egress from the same building. this man asked me if there was an exit. i was so tempted to tell him that once you walk in, they keep you in there forever, and there is no exit.

another day in the life...

i love college

2009-02-21T03:19:00.005-05:00

(before i say anything, lemme know if you like my new pic!! felt the need to switch it up a bit)

this "i love college" song...

good job Asher Roth! i get flashbacks listening to this song. its a good song, but i feel kind of sad after i listen to it. yeah, i definitely miss being in school right about now.

you go to a party, get inebriated, throw up, then go to class in the morning. and if you want to, you can do it again the next day.

but even though some of the best times i had at NSU were at some parties, i was never crazy about the whole club scene. i preferred a good house party any day. it was just a matter of logistics to me.

think about it

you get up one day, see a flyer in your door (or under), then say "hey, why don't i call up some of my homies, see if they trying to go to this (lets call it the all turquoise ball for the sake of this--you know they all have some theme)" they all agree, but nann of them got they money straight right now. they all wait until the day when the party tickets have risen to $20. bear with me--thats $20 out of your pocket so far. then you realize that you have NO turquoise attire, and neither do any of your homies. now the day of the party, you and your boys (or girls) have to run to the mall to get something fly in turquoise that no one else will be rocking. this entails shelling out between another $20 and >$100. (we are now at a total of btw. $40 and $120 or more). next thing, you and your friends must get buzzed before the shindig, and you have volunteered to buy a bottle of aristocrat, but your friends call you a cheapskate and pressure you to buy Bacardi. ( i believe a handle of bacardi is like $30) assuming you just bought yourself say $200 worth of clothes, (including some turquoise nike dunks you found on sale and a nice shirt from h&m, or the girl equivalent--trying to keep this example unisex, lol!) your grand total so far is $230! and we aren't done yet! if you are driving to this place, which you probably shouldn't after 5 shots of bacardi, you might want to gas up--luckily gas is cheap, so $25 will fill up your 1998 black nissan maxima with your brothers NSU sticker on the back (giving you visuals!! we at $255 now, by the way!). so now you are at this party, and pretty livid b.t.w. because no one has on this dumb ass color!!! (really, TURQUOISE!!!!) you try to make the most of the party anyway. you wind up buying yourself 3 beers @ $4 each and (if you are a dude) you buy a sexy young female who won't even have the decency to tell you her name, let alone the fact that she's not into dudes anyway an amaretto sour. the drink costs $5. (ttl. now =$272, still $255 if you're a girl because guys will buy you drinks!) you leave this party bent and you ask your friend who does not drink to drive (like a responsible individual) you get back on campus, go to sleep, get up the next day and feel like you have been raped.

mostly because you were. raped out of damn near $300 that you could have done something else with.

i never truly experienced that though (well, actually i have--sort-of). that's what foresight,experience, and a closet full of clothes will do for you! -- and thats why i like my house party. you buy a bottle of liquor or a case of beer, show up and call it a night.

i see on facebook some guys are throwing a party based on the song. good stuff! i'd go if i were in VA. and speaking of parties, NSU parties specifically, lets just say i know that the jews in norfolk are making beaucoup dollars off the kids throwing them. don't ask me how i know either--its not a bad thing though, just wish i was on one end of this money train here---feel me?

man do i miss college...

about her... (the one black girl from the real world)

2009-02-19T01:30:00.002-05:00

being a recent college grad (whose last name is not hilton, or simmons) in a time when work is scarce means that i have a whole lot of free time to start following a tv program. i would follow house m.d., but i can't remember when it comes on. so, i decided to follow real world brooklyn. this season is funny as all hell to me. the whole idea that they put a transgendered individual on the show, and the cast members spent a good set of the episodes trying to figure out whether or not she used to be a he.

all that controversy is well and good, and makes for good entertainment, but the biggest irk factor on that show is devyn, the ONE black girl on the show. she pisses me off to no end. first of all, she does not epitomize black female whatsoever. nothing about her says that she is proud to be black. from that ugly weave to her overall prissy white female attitude (no offense to anyone!). she is a definite misrepresentation of black people. not saying that she needs to fit black stereotypes, but she ought to act like she is proud of who she is. (like Ryan, for example. he is not ashamed of being a war vet and coming from a small town, and he shows it; and Katelynn, who is proud to be a transsexual--even though her stripper pole tendencies are a tad bit disturbing). the one thing you get from devyn immediately is a black girl with a serious inferiority complex.

secondly, devyn is dumb as rocks. when she opens her mouth to say anything, i want to throw something at the tv. the episode before the last one, she gets into an argument that she had no business being in to begin with. she tries to school JD (dude that works for sea world or something) on the cognitive abilities of young boys and girls, after which she was corrected by him. she tried to sound really smart by saying that she studied psychology on the COLLEGIATE level in college and in high school; making certain to use the word COLLEGIATE more than once. little did she know that the guy studied psychology while he was in college. she tries to play him in the worst way possible by telling him that he thought like a girl when he was little, a comment which was very ignorant, especially when he is gay. he puts her in check by calling her a college dropout---

college dropout (n.) - a person who does not (nor intends to) complete the course of study prescribed to be considered a candidate for any degree at any post-secondary institution

makes sense, right? not to her. this broad goes off and claims that its a negative term, she's still COLLEGE educated, blahzay, blahzay, blah. the guy does the right thing and walks the hell off.

i was glad with tonight's episode. (spoiler alert!) the male cast members put a mouse in the dumb girls bed to scare her. the house was having rat problems, and get this: she caught herself trying to play two dudes at once. she had both of them calling the house and one of them spent a few days with her. she tells everyone in the house to write down when the other dude calls so she wouldn't seem suspicious (as if the man can't read if God forbid-or maybe not-he sees a message for his girl from a dude named jim laying around the place). so, while david (devyn's "guyfriend") is playing pool with the male roommates, shes reading an e-mail from the other guy while one of the male roommates is reading too. the roommate proceeds to tell the other guys the nickname her other guy calls her in the message: sugarbutt! the guys of the house mock her all night in front of her company and it eats her up inside. the male roommates decide to put the rat in her bed as punishment for what she's doing to these guys. serves her right, if you ask me.

she only seems to date token white guys, which makes sense because as a black man, i wouldn't even want her, and most of us wouldn't want to deal with someone like that: ignorant, backwards and unrealistic. the first episode, she was like "its easier to get into heaven that it is to get into devyn." shit, i'd much rather be in heaven, then!

i have a major problem with the fact that they casted devyn out of many other black girls and guys that sent in videos. she does absolutely nothing for the show, except make herself look foolish. additionally, she doesn't even look good with that horrible looking horses ass on her head. i think i would have been a bit happier with a more stereotypical black girl, than this broad.

fkn livid!!! LMAO!

2009-02-17T23:50:00.002-05:00

i got hungry looking at the benihana website!!!!! LOL

on celebrities

2009-02-17T15:24:00.003-05:00

"the only difference between them doing something stupid and you doing something stupid is publicity"

the truth.

2009-02-15T19:19:00.001-05:00

hopefully im not overkill with these youtube videos. i'll have something else for you guys soon!!

My Tribute to Black History Month

2009-02-09T15:24:00.002-05:00

I found a few videos on YouTube that I feel are exemplary of the black experience in America --
This one is a spoken word piece by Gil Scott-Heron

This one's Paul Robeson - a true renaissance man. if you do not know anything about him, i encourage you to research him like NOW!!!!!

This is an interview with James Baldwin, Author of such books as "The Fire Next Time" and "If Beale Street could Talk."(i read one in High school, and the other in college) once again if you dont know who he is, I URGE YOU to research him!!

Last, but not least, my idol, President Barack Obama. This is a comic piece. Now that he's president, he doesn't have to worry about too much ridicule for...well, you'll see in this video

"is chris brown gonna have to choke a bitch?"

2009-02-09T13:38:00.004-05:00

^i was thinking about that all morning, LOL

yeah, i don't plan on blogging about celebrities much, because as my Ericka would attest to, i feel that celebrities are just regular folk like us (in my words "they ain't nobody")---with the status that WE gave them. think about it. would chris brown and rihanna be as big if we didn't buy their records and go to their concerts? DUH!!! it only makes sense! (for the record, i do not own either one of their records, and what do i look like being at a chris brown concert)

so chris brown is beating on rihanna (as confirmed by MediaTakeout) --- just like regular ass people(well not regular people). i don't advocate domestic violence at all, but it happens. he'll learn(well, he should know already, you don't beat up on girls!!!). btw-- like me, rihanna is west indian! she probably beats up on him too (both verbally and physically)--wait lemme not perpetuate a stereotype, because i've only seen my mom cuss out my dad one good time and never seen domestic abuse in my house.

anyway, this story is funny to me. just the idea that he turned himself in, and all the rumors surrounding the story (he slapped her for giving him herpes, etc. ). i think this is one thing that the news people could have bypassed.

in other news and on a more positive note, i will be putting up a black history tribute soon.

at the store...

2009-02-07T22:35:00.008-05:00

check out the moves on this guy

and i picked up this

some real music for y'all asses! people don't really know what that is anymore. a shame...

last night

2009-02-07T22:14:00.002-05:00

Had a night with the high school buddies, had lots of fun--then woke up with a sore throat.

remember this movie? this was at virgin mega store--i have a video of dude dancing to Michael Jackson's "Bad" at the front of the store--anyway, this movie is rightfully priced, aint it?

then we went to ruby tuesdays--mostly because red lobster had a 45 minute wait. (its behind juan valdez, some of you guys are too young to remember who that is--the colombian coffee dude)

ate this - well most of it (its salmon with crab meat and i asked for some extra shrimp that came up to $6 more. ruby tuesdays knows how to beat people in the head)

then we went to Sahara East (now i don't have to ask shomari for directions anymore! LOL) and smoked this

then i rode this and got home

up next: what i got from virgin megastore

and another one

2009-02-04T16:00:00.002-05:00

wait a minute, i appreciate the sentiment, but does Mr. Fiasco really think that kids are gonna call in and snitch out their friends who decide to play hooky? Things that make you go hmmmm....

great rapper though. can't really dispute that.

anyone remember this

2009-02-04T15:54:00.001-05:00

what i got for my birthday (my first tat)

2009-02-03T00:57:00.002-05:00

it didn't hurt much (in case you were wondering)

don't really give a damn about the superbowl

2009-02-01T16:10:00.004-05:00

two reasons:

1. the Giants aren't in it

2. i don't really keep up with professional football in the first place

on a totally unrelated topic, i hear the knicks are doing pretty well this season

go knicks!

no income

2009-01-31T16:49:00.004-05:00

all i've got is outcome--

outcome of no job is no income!

so until then, these damn student loan bills can kiss my ass!!

talking about some how do you want to pay us back...

i turn 23 on monday, 02/02.

happy b-day to me! and my moms (hers is tomorrow!)

free shit

2009-01-26T00:04:00.005-05:00

i do always want free stuff--

can you really blame me for that?

millionaires and celebrities get free shit

so i came to the conclusion that i have a millionaire mentality.

so when i ask for free stuff, you should hand me the free (insert item here)-- because thats just me practicing for my future status!

hopefully one day ill get a free louis like the one to your right... (note: if you have connections where you can get this for me for free...hit me up, because at $1,400, that shit ain't cheap for me...yet)

--edit

in case someone's wondering, thats not a man purse or anything like that.

my new theme song

2009-01-25T13:49:00.001-05:00

catharsis

2009-01-23T20:48:00.002-05:00

the title, i think thats one of the best words in the english language--its a process that we should all go through both mentally and physically--purgation of everything that bothers us or will eventually bother us--we need to let it go before it manifests itself into something that can cause us to be sick--like a colon cleanser, we clean our colons so that they wouldn't become cancerous--we need to clean our minds in the same fashion--so our thoughts won't become cancerous--

its friday night, and i'm pressed to go out and chill--get fly--go bar hoppin in the city--get intoxicated and talk to girls--haven't got much cash though--this is real, i been bored like hell since graduation (well except for the past few days i was in DC)---i miss school, miss living in the suites--doing random shit--taco bell at 3 am--ill house parties--wake up the next morning like "wow"--this after college shit--its liberating, but its picking up s l o w l y--need to find something to do like yesterday--------------------

everything is temporary

things happen in seasons

this just ain't my season

inauguration

2009-01-22T14:36:00.011-05:00

the 5 am throng of people at L'Enfant Plaza

6 am

the moment of truth

my friends

finally getting back to the metro

it is the realization of a dream
its what Dr. King, Harry Belafonte, Malcolm X, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Shirley Chisolm -- the collective and individual efforts of these people-- what they fought so long and hard to make reality
Barack Obama achieved this at noon on the 20th of January 2009
when he said the words--I, Barack Hussein Obama do solemnly swear...i felt a shiver down my spine, that didn't even come from the cold --
we no longer have excuses. the MAN isn't out to see us falter because the MAN has had to jump through the same hurdles that most of us have had to: sometimes being poor, not growing up with a father, etc.
--all that aside, i went down there, met up with some friends and had some fun.

more pix on facebook!

Back in New York

2009-01-17T22:27:00.000-05:00

...and don't know what to do!

bored as hell

any suggestions?

bored as hell

2009-01-11T15:25:00.003-05:00

im in the detergent district (cuz everything in this town is whiter than white! thats from Florida on good times! photoshop later) and i am oh so bored. somebody get me!!!

Graffiti at the Louis V store

2009-01-08T21:43:00.004-05:00

(photo courtesy of hypebeast.com) The Louis Vuitton store in SoHo--

is that cool or what?! i was there the other day and was thinking to go back down there to take a picture. i might still do that.

irrelevance

2009-01-08T00:16:00.004-05:00

^ i had that index card on my door for the entire last semester of school. i found myself with this new consciousness, this new philosophical way of thinking that helped to propel me through that last semester. fast forward some months later, that little quote has more meaning than i thought.

i thought up this blog today when i just thought of some things, and the path that my life is taking as of right now. i just graduated, and things are starting kinda rocky. things aren't going how i want them to. i hit the breaking point yesterday, and it took a good friend to call me out on my sh*t. i was so wrapped up in my own issues, i didn't see that she was going through something that was worse (she's fine now, thank god!)

after our conversation, i had to examine everything and figure out how i'm gonna act now. my friend, she put me on to this song by janelle monae entitled "letting go". i decided to do just that: let it go. all the trifling shit happening around me, imma let it go. stuff not going right, i gotta let it go. now i don't allow songs to dictate my actions, but she got that one right. i also talked to some other friends that night, and watched some low-budget jamaican public access shows that had me going.

so, in the spirit of the quote on the door, a lot of the stuff from college has become irrelevant. all the who f*cked who, the he said she said, the other random crap, it don't even matter now, because i got more pressing stuff to handle now. its all about how i'm going to handle it..