So I am here in Chicago, and so far I am having a damn good time. I ate some Cajun food, I drank some criminally strong margaritas, and I won a game of Scrabble, so all is well with the world. On my way here, I was stuck with the middle seat on the airplane, and I wouldnt wish that on my worse enemy. i couldnt get an arm rest, I couldn't blog, because they were all in my business, and I couldn't go to sleep and liphang (a disease that occurs when you go to sleep, and your lips inexplicablly hang low and eventually open altogether). So I just sat there frozen and in fear..that is no way to be. Also, while I was at the bar, before I left DC, there was this fine Brazilian woman with inpeccable cleavage, who allowed herself to be picked by this dude who was twice her age. everyone, even the bartenders, were dumbfounded by this..this dude sweet talked his way into getting her number, and on top of that, he didn't pay for $30 tab..very impressive.

Anyway, its 1:41am, and i'm tipsy, so i'll stop now. more later..

Man I swear, I could NOT make this stuff up even if I tried. In yesterday's blog, I mentioned Micheal Ray Richardson as an example of a player who did not take the privilege of playing in the NBA seriously, becuase of his drug and alcohol abuse. Well apparently, Micheal Ray doesn't take his coaching job in the NBA developmental league too seriously either, because yesterday, he got in trouble for making anti-Semitic and anti-gay remarks in the same sitting.. This man is making me look good, I need to send him a bouquet of flowers or something. But seriously, I actually feel kind of bad for him, because he was finally turning the corner. Coaches who are in the NBA developmental league are basically grooming themselves for an NBA head coaching position, so Micheal Ray will be hard pressed to get a coaching job now, just on reputation alone. You can sit here and argue about whether what he said was right on not, but that's pointless. The head of the NBA is David Stern, who is a Jewish man, so there's no way in hell that is going to go without notice.

My boy Cliff commented that in the 80s, on the playground or in school, you could call another guy a "faggot", and it was no big deal. It didn't mean you were gay, it just was another insult like "jackass", "dummy" "big lips", etc. 20 years later, if you utter that word, you will have hell to pay, sensitivity classes to attend and the gay nation on your back(or maybe behind it). Times have definitely changed, and we as a nation are much more sensitive. You know the only group of people who can continue to say what they want..comedians(Michael Richards) is excluded. Good comedians can do racial humor in a way that makes you laugh, makes you think but doesn't offend. That kind of stuff is off-limits to everyone else.

It is hilarious to me when the weather changes, and the temperature drops from the high 70s, to the mid 50s, and folks STILL dress like its summertime, because they are in severe denial. There was this woman who had on a sleeveless shirt, and a skimpy dress, and she was doing the it-is-cold-outside walk..in other words her shoulders were hunched, her head was down and she was looking a scary Seal album cover.

i'm going to chicago for this weekend, so that should provide me with wonderful blogging material. Now that I have a laptop, and I actually accurately chronicle my always entertaining airport experience. Airports are the cure for writer's block man, I am absolutely sure of this. If anyone is having trouble coming up material, or if a comedian needs some joke ideas, the airport is THE place to be. People are coming and going, trying to find luggage, buying flowers at the 11th hour, having sex in the bathrooms, getting drunk before their flight, and then the actual airport employees take their jobs WAY more seriously than it really necessary. And yes my friends, I will be in the midst of all this craziness tomorrow. I can't wait.

777-9311 - The Time
The drumming on this song, specifically the hi-hat work, is quite spectacular. I think this song is the longest one I've ever linked in this blog.

God did not give me the talent or the height to play my favorite sport(basketball) professionally, so as a result I throw myself into watching and analyzing not only basketball, but any and every sport I can get my hands and eyes on(how's that for a run-on sentence). And since I am not able to play, I am extremely critical of today's athletes, because they repeatedly abuse the God-given talents and ability they possess. There are examples past and present of supremely talented individuals who perform well on the field/court, but their behavior(s) away from the game ultimately hinder them from getting the chance to display this talent consistently. An example from the past is Micheal Ray Richardson. Micheal Ray(and yes he spelled his first name Micheal) was considered to be ahead of his time as a point guard, but his inability to kick his addiction to drugs and alcohol cut short his NBA career. Players who played against and with Micheal Ray, say that he had a chance to be as good as Michael Jordan, but he blew it. A current football player who is doing the same thing is Adam Jones, affectionately known as "Pacman".. Adam Jones is brilliant on the field, but off the field he has been arrested about 10 times in 2 years for all types of dumb things, and it is about to cost him his NFL career, despite the fact that he is only 23 years old.

Athletes like Micheal Ray and Pacman, should take a trip to Washington DC, and follow me around for a week, and see how they like my life. I'm not unhappy, but I'm nowhere near the glamourous life of these two athletes. But they should get a taste of how the other half lives, and then maybe they would have more of an appreciation of the positions they are in..as I type this I realize that I am living in a fantasy world. As long as there are athletes with money, there will be both responsible and irresponsible ones. The ones who are irresponsible should be forced to hand over their money and women to me, and let me show me them how it should be done.

Oh and I forgot to mention, Micheal Ray was involved in one of the funniest interviews ever in sports:

REPORTER: What do you think is happening to the team?
Michael Ray Richardson: The ship be sinking.
REPORTER: How far can it sink?
Richardson: Sky's the limit.

Scarlett Johansson and her streak of can-do-no-wrong movies finally ended for me last night, when I saw the Girl with a Pearl Earring. The movie itself wasn't too bad, although it dragged at spots. But who cares about that, clearly I was in it to look at Scarlett, and it was nothing special. The movie was set in the 1660s, so a woman dressing or looking sexy was an unlikely sight, so Scarlett was severely handicapped from the start. She was pale, all of her attributes(except her lips) were hidden, and I just wasn't impressed. Her acting was good, and it was pretty sexy to hear her talk with Bri-tish accent again. But again I was disappointed. By the way, in case you're wondering, it is NOT easy being this shallow.

Foolish Heart - Steve Perry

Can someone tell me where the expression "touch and go" came from? Like when a doctor says, it was touch and go there for awhile..what the hell does that mean? I know it means that person was in and out of death, but seriously, how did the two words touch and go get nominated to capture that occasion? I need answers!

Yesterday when I left work, and enjoyed the beautiful day, I happened to notice this attractive woman walking down the street. She had on a nice blouse, and a light brown(I believe they call it camel) skirt that showed off her legs and all that good stuff. The only problem? This woman had her head buried in papers, presumably work-related, and she was not looking up at all. Now I am guilty of doing this sometimes, but similar to a news anchor, I read a bit from the paper, and then I look back up just to make sure no danger is ahead. Well this woman failed to get that memo(or maybe it was the last of the many papers she held), and she got to the end of the curb, and fell HARD. And this wasn't just any intersection she fell into, she fell on the corner of 13th and G Streets, which is a MAJOR traffic area. Not only did she fall right on her knees, she messed up her skirt, her earrings came out, and all of her beloved papers fell as well. A gentleman was right behind her, and helped her up and gathered her belongings. By the time I got close to her, I gently touched her arm, and asked her if she was ok. But somewhere in between the letters "o" and "k", I just started laughing, and I know that's dead wrong, but each step of her fall was playing montage-style in my head, and I just couldnt stop the laughter. Luckily for me and my exposed, unguarded groin area, the woman did not get mad, and she laughed along with me, although curiously the dude who helped her up shot me a mean glance. The woman said I should have been looking, its my fault, to which I quickly responded(in my head) by saying you got that right buddy!

A friend of mine mentioned to me yesterday that she was interested in driving cross country, and it got me to thinking about doing the very same thing. My favorite writer, Mr. Ralph Wiley, drove cross country with his son Cole, who was on his way to an internship with Mr. Johnnie Cochran(who was still living at the time). Both gentleman said that was the most they had ever talked, and now that Ralph has passed, Cole says that still is one of the lasting memories he has of his dad, and considering his dad died 4 days afterwards, I can only imagine. So I say all of that to say, I would very much like to do something like that with my son. In fact, I'd like to do that right before he went to college. We'd talk about life, sex, music, race, and everything else under the son. Of course I could do it before then, but the symbolism of doing it as he leaves for college would be more important.

I watched this movie last night entitled, Conversations with Other Women, and I found it to be very interesting despite his slow pace. It actually seems like more of a play than a movie, because 90% of the movie is focused on two characters who used to be married, meet later on in life, reminisce about what they had, but more importantly, they realize why they are no longer together. I'm glossing over details here, because I think its worth checking out.

Heaven - BeBe and CeCe Winans
By the way, I thought for the longest time BeBe and CeCe were husband and wife, not brother and sister. They used to do videos together, and they seemed to be touching each other in a married way, as opposed to in a sibling way. Creepy stuff man. Great song though.

I tried to put myself in John Edwards' shoes this morning. I thought to myself, if my wife had cancer, and I was in the beginning stages of a presidential race, would I drop out, or continue on business as usual. Its not just that Elizabeth Edwards has cancer, based on all indications she won't live too much longer. Now I am not a deeply religious man, but I do believe in the power of prayer and positive thinking. But at some point in my mind, it would hit me that I may not have my wife for too much longer, and I'd drop out of the race. Campaigning is draining enough as it is, but to have to worry about losing your wife, managing your kids' reaction to that loss, managing your own emotions, and all the while trying to convince the country that you're ready to lead them is just a lot to manage man. I'm sure he'll get some sympathy, but I'm also sure he and hislady will get quite a bit of criticism. And sadly, it will be very interesting watching how this plays out. I don't enjoy watching the pain of others, but this is entertaining on some level..if that makes sense.

Speaking of entertainment(that's just an impossible segue), I was thinking that it would be very cool if two of my favorite comedians right now(Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock) went on a tour. There would be no opening act, no local comedians who suck anyway, just Rock, Chappelle, and maybe a DJ who would play their favorite songs. I'm sure tickets for such an event would range from $75-100, but I'd pay to see them. They talk about similar issues and topics, but their styles are different enough, that I wouldn't get bored. Of course we already had something similar with the Kings of Comedy, but I think this would be better. Steve Harvey and DL Hughley just aren't funny to me at all, so I never really was interested in attending. But a Rock/Chappelle show? I'd give that a ringing endorsement. Just a random thought..

I'm a sucker for public displays of father/son affection, so when I saw John Thompson and John Thompson III embrace after yesterday's Georgetown victory, I was smiling big time. I'm biased because of my own relationship with my father, but I think father/son moments cannot be played up enough, particularly with black men. That's one of those soapbox moments that I'll always take an opportunity to put out there. Given all of the other images the market is flooded with when it comes to black men, a good father/son moment goes a long way in offsetting that..at least in my mind. And because of that, and the fact that I remember Georgetown in their heyday, I am rooting for them to win it all...

Listen to this original song first
Then listen to it being sampled here.

So I am sitting here in a coffee shop, drinking cranberry (pronounced cranburry) juice, typing away at my laptop, and looking about as pretentious as I can be. I have not showered, but my teeth are brushed, so I'm breaking even there. I have on no underwear and sweatpants, and I look like I am on my to a track meet. Yet all is well in the world, because i finally can lug this damn laptop everywhere I go, and type something any time a bit of inspiration hits me. It is my fantasy to be having mind blowing sex, and then mid-stroke think of an idea, and then i come right quick, and then get up, clean up, then sit down at my laptop buck naked and type the words, then I would minimize the screen, and go back to having sex. This of course will happen NO time soon, but I can be ambitious right?

So this morning, at about 7am, I said goodbye to my on and off girlfriend of 7 years. As documented in this here blog, around January, I wrote that she and I were going to try to make it work, I was going to move out there, we were going to married, etcetera, etcetera(in a cashmere sweater). Well as it turned out, we didn't make it that far. Our intentions were good, love was there, but it simply did not work out the way we planned. After I hit my hand on that wall, doubt about whether I was really and truly ready crept in, and from there it slowly deteriorated. I am very sad, but strangely I am relieved at the same time. There is still a chance that sometime down the road I may regret this decision, but for right now I think this is the right thing to do. And for now, that is all I am going to say about that.

It's a rainy Saturday, and I may quite possibly spend my entire day in here playing around on the internet..until the basketball games start at least.

By the way, do you believe that this man is 19 years old? Me either, but that's what his birth certificate says. Hopefully he will lead Ohio State to the promised land..

It's Over - Eddie Holman

Im off work today, because it is more important for me to stay home and be here for the delivery of my laptop. So I am sitting here on my friend's laptop, getting ready to watch Chris Rock's Never Scared, sipping on a mimosa. Once this laptop arrives, I will go somewhere and sit outside, so that I can play with it and set it up. Most of you who read this damn blog, probably already have a laptop, so you can't possibly understand the level of elation that I feel right now. As a writer, a laptop is as vital to me, as a gun is to an assassin(please don't get me Patriot Act). Now that I have one, I will be able to write all kinds of things, I will blog more, and I will definitely start a separate blog for just random articles I decide to write. this whole paragraph is starting to sound like an advertisement.

So yesterday, after I got my haircut, I stopped off for a quick drink at a Mexican restaurant. While watching the game, this woman sitting next to me proceeded to start hitting on me. She ordered my drink for me, she told the bartender that i should get a pitcher of margarita, and then she proceeded to bore me with the details of her life. These details included the fact that it was her birthday, she had just gotten an $100 ticket, and she was looking to have fun. She was very attractive, but to be honest, I was just trying to watch the game, not pick up anyone. At one point in the conversation, she commented on the number of ghey men who were in the restaurant, and then she looked at me and said if you're ghey no offense. I told her I was very much straight, and then i realized that she probably was feeling me out, since I clearly was not interested. Eventually, I paid for my drink that she ordered for me, and left. I know someone is reading this thinking that I am a jackass. But never underestimate the importance of watching sports, with a drink in peace.

I'm unfocused right now man, I need this laptop to hurry up and come.

It is funny to me that on my way to work I can be dressed in a jacket, a nice shirt, slacks and shiny shoes while carrying my briefcase, and be looking and feeling pretty damn professional. Meanwhile, the music in my headphones is playing this, and I'm mouthing the lyrics like I wrote the damn song. People all around me are reading the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the latest Zane (who isn't that much better than what I was listening to) or John Grisham book, and I'm listening to rap music with impressive amount of misogyny and cursing. Sometimes I need that to get my day started, and if my son were to ask me to explain to him why I listen to such music, I'd have no rational defense, except to say that life is full of hypocrites and complex people and I am one of them, now get out there and be a man.

I talked to this woman yesterday who has been married 25 years, and she mentioned that she had just seen the new Chris Rock movie, I Think I Love My Wife, starring Rock and the fine ass Kerry Washington. There is a section of the movie that presents marriage as boring, mundane, full of routines and conversations about dinner, kids and curtains. My 25-years-married friend, pretty much cosigned on all of these points. She said the honeymoon period for her lasted about 3 or 4 years, and then there was a 10 year stretch where her and her husband were raising kids, getting ahead in their jobs and occasionally they would incorporate sex and romance into their relationship, but it wasn't even in the top 10 of their list of priorities. She said that they both thought about stepping out on each other, not because they didn't love or still like each other, but simply because they wanted a fresh face, as opposed to the one they had been looking at each and every day and night. However, she did say that eventually, they stopped, talked, reprioritized(don't believe that's a word), and stayed faithful and true to one another. Listening to that story was both scary and inspiring, and I'm sure if I talked to 30 other married people, they'd give me stories that were both similar and different to the one I heard. So what's my point here? Absolutely nothing, I just file these things away in the dark crevices of my mind for later use.

By the way, that Chris Rock movie is just ok. I've been hearing that married and long time relationship people enjoy the movie much more, because it speaks to their situation. It's a comedy, but there aren't a string of jokes like most Rock movies..comedy is just a backdrop to the larger point he's trying to make, and it comes off as just ok. That's my movie review..

Median - Comfortable

They lyrics are just ok, but the beat and the sampling of this Luther Vandross song are quite enjoyable.

I talked to my Dad for nearly 2 hours last night, and I am realizing that there is still a lot that I don't know about that man. I know he has an office somewhere in Maryland, and I know he goes to work with a briefcase, and his cell phone stays ringing with clients, but I still don't know what the hell he does. I mean sure he gave me lessons to go with the Kareem book I'm currently reading, and sure we talked about sports and the NCAA tournament, and he asked me about my son, the status of me and my ladyfriend, my brother, and everything else under the sun. But I always come away from conversations and visits with him feeling like I'm not tapping into this relationship as much as I should be. I think when I was younger I was scared to overstep that father/son boundary, plus a part of me was scared of him anyway. Now? That wall of fear hasn't completely been broken down, and it probably never will(although I think its more respect than fear); however, I think my father and I are now friends, which means I can get to the bottom of some of these mysteries/questions that have been bothering me for quite some time including his divorce from my mother back in '93.

So what the hell does all this mean? This means that after I got off the phone with my dad, I wrote a sketchy outline and about 15 interview questions for a book about and with my dad. And since my new laptop is scheduled to arrive any day now, I will put that thing to use and start typing it out. The published blog will still be my first book, but the second one will be about my father. I have to think of a way to distinguish it from some of the other bulllshit father/son books out there, but that shouldn't be too difficult..I don't think. I do know that when my book(s) get published, I expect every person who knows me, knew me, touched me, read my blog, got fucked over by me, knows me indirectly through a friend, and all that, to purchase my book.

Of course this got me to thinking, once I get published, and if I'm lucky enough to make it on the talk show circuit, who would I want to talk to? My wish list? First and foremost, I'd have to go on PTI, then Oprah(she does huge numbers) David Letterman(I've been watching him for 16 years), Tavis Smiley(I don't like his show, but I know lots of potential book buyers who do), and Bill O'Reilly. Why would I want to go on Bill O'Reilly? So I can dazzle him with my intelligence and wit, discredit all of his pseudo points..and then the minute he cut one of my sentences off, I would backhand him, stand over him with my crotch right in his face, and calmly say, "Now what bitch?!?!?". I hear that kind of rowdy behavior does wonders for book sales and street cred, which is what I have been eternally chasing. Ok now I'm starting to get carried away..how about I write the book(s) first, and worry about everything else later..


Where Are You Now - Brandy (produced and all instruments played by Mr. Lenny Kravitz)

Freedom at last. I went to the doctor's office today, and he told me that I no longer have to wear the splint on my hand. It isn't completely healed, but he gave me a series of exercises to do, so that I can properly heal. I'll be hitting walls again before Easter.

Yesterday, before the blog Gods decided to shut me down, and deleted my one handed masterpiece, I was trying to describe the beauty of this movie I saw entititled, "For Love of Ivy". This movie starred Sidney Poitier(prounounced Pwa-tee-yay..i love phonetic spellings), and a jazz singer/actress named Abbey Lincoln. This movie is considered to be one of the first romantic comedies that had two black leads. The dialogue is corny at times, and the pace, as with all movies back then, moves a bit slow, but it is still an excellent movie in my opinion. What's the best part? It focuses on romance. The movie focuses on Sidney Pwa tee yay's relationship with this woman, from initial meeting, to the courting phase, to the awkwardness surrounding courting, and then the fallout that happens when you admit you're falling for someone. I don't always see movies today, that focus on that side of relationships, and I found it to be refreshing. Plus Sidney was so damn smooth..

The other thing I wrote about yesterday was this excellent book, I bought last Friday entitled, "On the Shoulders of Giants" by Kareem Abdul Jabbar. The primary focus of this book is the Harlem Renaissance, and its profound effect on Kareem. Through his own research, as well as stories that were told to him by his parents, he was able to put this book together, and I have learned a whole lot in the 44 pages I've read in 2 days. Kareem as always been an anti-sports jock. He was an academic All-American at UCLA in the 60s, as well as one for his on the court exploits. He's often pissed off sportswriters and teammates with his I-know-more-than you demeanor that's often times unintentional. But his ability to write and think definitely cannot be denied, so if you have some free time, and you want to learn(or learn more) about the Harlem Renaissance, I suggest this book as an entry point.

Most of my brackets, for March Madness are totally ruined, and it is crystal clear that for the 45th year in a row, I will not be winning any money off this damn tournament. Its a good thing I didn't really talk to much trash this year.


I Didn't Mean To Turn You On - Robert Palmer
Yeah I know Cherelle has a version of this song, but I like Robert's better. The music is better on this version.

I wrote an entire entry, and that shit didnt save, and now I'm pissed, so this will be short and sweet.
1)the weather prevented me fronm going to Atlanta
2)Yes I was pissed, disappointed and a bit depressed
3)I saw an excellent movie enititled For Love Of Ivy (1968)

perhaps tomorrow will go a bit smoother

Girl from Ipanema - Stan Getz featuring Astrud Gilberto

First of all, all is well with the world because Duke lost last night.. Words simply don't do enough justice for me to attempt to describe the depths of my hate for this team. Coach K is always so damn smug, and his players have this air about them like they are royalty. So to watch them lose last night put a smile on my face. This time of year is truly sensory overload. Last night I was watching golf highlights, the Nuggets vs the Lakers, and March Madness. I did all this while eating boneless wings and drinking a fine German beer. And most importantly? There were NO phone interruptions. Good times indeed.

So this evening, I head down to Atlanta to see my brother, his wife, and my nephew, and I must admit I am excited. I talk about all 3 of them in my blog frequently, but its about time I went to see them. I only have one hand working, but I still plan to pick up(and hopefully not drop!) my nephew Nazir. I'm not a big baby person, but this is my blood, and I plan on spoiling him and acting a damn fool. Its in the uncle's handbook to spoil kids, and be a bit creepy, and I have that down to a science. I can't say I am looking forward to hanging in Atlanta..I don't take too much of a shine to the city as a whole...although I've heard great things about their strip clubs, so I look forward to doing some investgative research..for blog purposes only.

By the way, I am collecting any and all records, so if you have any that you are looking to discard or sell(preferably discard), just let me know..our operators are standing by.

Voodoo Child (Slight Return) - Jimi Hendrix
My favorite lines in this song?

If i don't meet you no more in this world then uh
I'll meet you on the next one
And don't be late
Don't be late

My favorite sports writer right now, Mr. Bill Simmons, continues to write the type of articles that I intend to be writing very soon. [My strategy is to publish this blog, and then flood the market with writing samples on the strength of the published blog. A stretch? Maybe to you, but I'm determined and focused, plus I have made some recent contacts that lead me to believe a breakthrough cometh]. Anyway., not only does Simmons get to write about sports while dropping some pop culture references in the process, but he also gets his wife in on the act, by allowing her to make her own observations sports and otherwise.(hello run-on sentence) An example:

"Bill offered me a chance to pick March Madness even though I don't know anything about college basketball. Then again, I didn't know anything about the NFL and still managed to beat his football picks. Now he's back for more humiliation. I don't care if I sound like I'm rubbing it in because Bill beats me in everything we play and even cheats sometimes. The first time we played Scrabble, he flipped one of his letters over and played it as a blank -- I didn't even realize what happened until there were suddenly three blanks on the board. I couldn't believe it. We'd only been dating for six months. He claimed it was an accident. He also talks trash, which is a problem because I'm super-competitive -- one time, he made me so mad that I flipped over the board and stormed off. He's so happy when he's winning, it's really annoying. The minute he takes the lead in any game, he makes little digs even though he knows I'll get mad -- stuff like, "How many points will you get if you spell L-O-S-E-R?"


Now maybe that isn't funny to you, but I think its hilarious for a couple of reasons. One, I am the same type of Scrabble player. If I'm winning, I'm talking more trash than you can possibly handle, but the minute I am losing, I get quiet, and cheating becomes the name of the game..I'm competitive that way. The second reason I think her passage is good, is that you can clearly see that Bill doesn't take himself TOO seriously. He allows his wife to take a shot at him in his own column. I dig that, he's secure in himself AND his marriage..good times indeed. Alright enough of Bill Simmons...

When I first began this blog, my friend Brandon implied that I was doing it just to get women. He said I was showing sensitive parts of me, and women took a shine(an expression I'm determined to bring back) to that type of behavior. For a quick second I thought to myself that maybe deep down in my subconscious this was exactly true. Then yesterday, my friend Jolanda asked me to retrieve an older blog entry for her. While trying to find that, I started to read some old entries of mine, and I realized that Brandon was WAY off. If I was a woman reading some of these entries, I'd run like the Burger King man was chasing me. Women go in and out(not literally of course) of my life, I'm breaking my hand, not speaking to people I know in public, killing insects at will, and I avoid church like its a prostate exam. That isn't exactly the dream man blueprint..I write because I love to write, it just so happens blogs provide a larger forum for me to do what I've always loved. To quote my brother and Michael Jordan, I do it for the love of the game.


In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel

For the first time in a long time, I have little to nothing to share. My weekend officially starts tomorrow, when I ditch work and head to the ESPNZone to watch March Madness. And I will also be paying close attention to the women's tournament, specifically Candace Parker, one of the few attractive female ball players. If you're looking for a sleeper pick in the men's tournament, pick Texas. And you should listen to me, because I successfully picked the Super Bowl score.

Oh., and I'm buying a laptop next week

That's all I have right now

Crumbling Erb - Outkast

I am starting to really admire people who stay married even 5 years let alone 20, like my parents did or 65 years like my great aunt and uncle pulled off. I can't even get through 3 months without feeling anger, frustration, and all kinds of other emotions, and I've been stuck in this rut for quite sometime. And its not like I'm in the minority either, because the majority of my friends are single. Some of them are coming off heartbreak, some are voluntarily single, and others are stumbling and bumbling from person to person. For right now, my brother is my hero..I know he and his wife may have problems that he shields from me, but from my tunnel vision point of view, he and his wife are a happily married and proud parents. I'm smart enough to know and understand that path isn't necessarily for everyone, but its working for him. God Bless Him, and God Bless America...and nowhere else.

So Chris Rock was on the Inside Actors Studio last night, and it was pretty entertaining. I've watched many fine actors come on that show, and the movies James Lipton references are usually just as good, if not better than the actual actor/actress. Such was NOT the case last night with Rock. His comedic genius usually doesn't translate to the big screen(except for Pootie Tang). And at times, I felt like Chris was using that show to try out new material..and I guess that's understandable, since comedians are always "on". But I never got that feeling when watching Eddie Murphy or Dave Chappelle on there. I wondered if Chris would have started crying, if he had been allowed to talk about his emotions surrounding his dad's death a bit longer, instead of them going to commercial. I also wondered how Chris was able to pull such a good looking wife..I mean he's Pookie for God's sake. Clearly, I'm underestimating how much mileage a man can get out of making a woman laugh. Or maybe he has a smooth, Billy Dee Williams side that no one but his wife knows about.

Too High - Stevie Wonder

Now, this song came on my ipod right before I stepped into work today, and I highly recommend you listen to this song with headphones. Stevie plays ALL of the instruments from harmonica to drums to the keyboards. He is a genius, but he's still blind, which makes this feat that much more amazing to me.

This daylight savings thing isn't so bad, I don't too much care for it staying light later in the day, but I can definitely dig it being dark when I wake up now. It makes me feel like sleeping later is a viable option. Last week it was starting to get light while I was still in bed, and since I am not one of the nocturnal people, I need plenty o'darkness at night to sleep.

I had a damn good time at the show, despite the fact that I was clearly one of the few people who rolled solo. I was a little self-conscious about it while I was walking around before the show; however, once I sat in my seat I was just fine..the mini-glass of wine helped things along as well. Here is a quick, one-armed man's guide to the concert:

Lupe Fiasco: He's still rather inexperienced as a performer, and he needed to pull his pants up the whole time. And considering his biggest song is "Kick,Push", he should have brought the house down by performing that song last, and not third. Still, the music was good, and he had lots of energy, so it wasn't too bad. His hype man clearly thought the crowd should have been more excited than they were..to me that just meant he wasn't doing his damn job.

Chuck Brown: As my brother so eloquently said earlier in the day, I probably cannot properly appreciate go-go, and specifically Chuck Brown. He didn't do Bustin' Loose, but he did all his other hits. He had a full band(no hype man), and clearly he is a seasoned performer. You could definitely tell that the crowd(not me) knew all the words, breakdowns, etc..I just appreciated the good music.

The Roots: From the moment they made their high school band type entrance through the crowd, to their show-ending introductions done Soul Train line style, The Roots put on a damn good show. I didn't sit down once during their 75-90 minute set. They played their hits, songs from the new cd, they covered an anti-war Bob Dylan song, they had a brass section that played some James Brown type funk, and they threw in a little rock for good measure. I've been watching them perform for almost 10 years, and they keep getting better. I would have liked to hear Black Thought freestyle, but that's me nitpicking. Overall, I give the while night a B-.

I made the ill-advised decision to hit the concert afterparty. I had so much energy leaving the show, but once I got to the venue my energy quickly dwindled, and my 32 year oldness came shining through. I stayed about 30 minutes, and I rolled out. I did see someone I used to talk to in there, but clearly neither one of us felt it necessary to speak. I also noticed that the main bartender had an insane amount of cleavage out..I guess in an effort to get tips. I wasn't fooled. I now realize that I can't do too much hanging after midnight.

The rest of my weekend was uneventful..I bought some records, a Mike Tyson book, and I watched the movie Frida (a surprisingly good acting job by Salma Hayek), and I watched an insane amount of college and pro basketball.

Welcome to March Madness..oh yeah, join my pool. Go here, and scroll down for details on how to join.

One More Night - Phil Collins

The centerpiece of my weekend will be a concert I am attending this weekend. The Roots, Chuck Brown, and Lupe Fiasco will all be performing at Constitution Hall. There are few groups who put on a live show like The Roots, so I know I'll enjoy them. Despite the fact that I have lived in the DC area for 20 years, I really am not much of a go-go fan, but Chuck Brown has a damn good band, so I know I'll be able to appreciate his set. Lupe only has one cd out, and I am usually against artists who have the gall to go on tour despite only having one cd out. But since he is only the opening act, I can endure it. And on top of that, I was able to stumble upon some 4th row seats..good times indeed. I always have this fantasy that I'll be called on stage to bust a freestyle while The Roots back me up. I don't have many rhymes, but I could hold my own for about 2 minutes. Anyway, I'll be sure to blog about it thoroughly on Monday.

I really tried to avoid blogging this, but it is a joke for me to avoid it at this point. I am having difficulty with my ladyfriend. It is tough to shake the ghosts of our respective pasts and move forward at the same time. Its the equivalent of trying to put a fitted sheet on your bed with one hand, One side looks perfect and then you glance at the other side of the bed, and the sheet is not tucked in at all. That's all for now on this.

Biggie died 10 years ago today. I was getting dressed for work, when I heard the radio dj announce it, and I must admit I was de-sensitized to his death given that Tupac had been shot in the same fashion 6 months earlier. I don't consider him the best rapper ever, but he was well on his way to being ONE of the best before his passing. I wonder if his mother feels guilty at all for not keeping her son on the right path..I wonder how she feels period about outliving her son. I cannot imagine how that feels.

All I Do -Stevie Wonder.
Listen carefully to this song, and you will hear background vocals from:
1)Betty Wright
2)The O'Jays
3)Michael Jackson
You can hear it clearly at the 3:50 mark of the song.

If I looked and stared at women (and believe me I do) the way other women did, I am quite sure I would be classified as a creepy, sexual harassing man. This morning a fine woman stepped on the train, with a skirt that came right to the knee, and black stockings that appeared to be fishnet. Aside from me, and this other high school age looking fellow, no other men were around; however, there were at least 6 women around and they were ALL staring. Some had no shame and stared at this woman's legs with their mouths open, while others tried to sneak occasional glances over their magazines/newspapers. I don't know if these women were fascinated, jealous or what, but I found myself getting aroused at their curiosity. And of course, I was staring too, but I'm a professional, and of course I demonstrated a high level of tact. That's what I do..And as a guy, I've never stared at another dude in a nice suit. I may see it and make a mental note, but I won't be transfixed and entranced. Although one time (at band camp) I interviewed this brother, and he had a nice suit on, and I told him so. But we were in a controlled environment, so I do believe this frees me up from having the ghey. Staying with the ghey theme..

Yesterday, during lunch, I noticed this man here at work heating up a Lean Cuisine. Now, I have seen plenty of women big and small, eat these things for lunch and dinner, and I assume it works for them (although frozen, boxed meals like this have an insane amount of sodium). But never in my life have I seen a man bring, and then heat up one. My friend Raydiance said that maybe his girlfriend gave it to him to bring. If that is indeed the case, this dude should have smiled, put the Lean Cuisine in his bag as he left the house, and then ditched it, when he was out of his lady's eyesight. Now I'm not saying that my daily lunch of a sandwich and an apple is exactly oozing with masculinity, but Lean Cuisine the shit ain't.

Ive created a ncaa pool. if you'd like to join, go here.Then:

1)click on join a group
2)click on join a private group
3)the group id # is 54690
4)the password is fidelio

You may have to create a yahoo acct, but dammit I'm sure everyone has or has had one at some point. Good luck, I shall enjoy spanking that ass, Even if you know nothing about sports, play anyway.

Doobie Brothers - What A Fool Believes

I get the sense that people around me are growing a bit tired of me bitching about my hand, and quite frankly, I am tired of it too. But it is so damn inconvenient at times that I feel compelled to speak on it. For example, this morning it was 20 degrees, and gloves were needed. I attempted to put a glove over my handi-hand, but the splint is protruding in a such a way, that does not allow the glove to provide full hand coverage; so, as a result, it looks like I'm carrying a gun or something under there which looks creepy. Plus my hand was cold. I'm sick of this, and whatever lesson I am supposed to learn, it is working.

I saw Ron Artest got arrested on a domestic violence charge, and I realized that there is a very thin line between what he got arrested for, and what only cost me a broken hand. That is very scary man...to me at least. It also lets me know what can happen if I don't get help via counseling/therapy.

23 years ago, my mom and dad took my brother and I to see an up and coming trumpet player in New York City. After this guy's concert, we all went backstage to meet this trumpet player, and he allowed me to play his trumpet, and he took pictures with me and my entire family. 7 years later, we went to see this guy at Blues Alley in Washingtin DC, and he mentioned that he still carried this picture with him in his trumpet case. Fast forward to last year, when this individual appeared at George Mason University, and he spoke to my mother. He asked about my brother and I, and he said he still remembered us, because we were the first kids to come and see him. This guy's name? Mr. Wynton Marsalis.

I will always be a fan of Wynton, but he has been in the middle of two rather public beefs that have pissed me off. The first one was over 20 years ago, when he criticized Miles Davis for playing smooth jazz, rather than traditional jazz. NowI hate smooth jazz as much as the next man. But considering Miles paved the way for traditional jazz to be popular, and considering every trumpet player alive steals from Miles, Wynton should have given the man a pass. More recently, Wynton has chosen to criticize rap music by calling it "ghetto minstrelsy". He paints a broad brush by saying that all rap music is bad and offensive. Now he does have a bit of a point, because as a 32 year old man, it is hard for me to listen to some rap. But there is plenty of non-offensive rap out there for both me and Wynton to enjoy. You just can't rely on tv and the radio to play it, but its out there. I would like to re-connect with Wynton and have a tête-à-tête about this...I've already sent an email to his "people".

By the way, that homeless guy I was stalking earlier this winter is NOT interview friendly. He clearly has a severe mental illness, and a bit of a violent streak..how's that for irony. I feel bad for not taking that next step to help him out...

So What - Miles Davis and John Coltrane

Some morning observations:

-I still cannot understand why people who have backpacks, feel the need to roll them around, as opposed to actually putting them on their backs. There are two straps on backpacks, that conveniently allow the user to slip his or her hands thru, and then the bag rests easily on the shoulders. This woman in front of me on the train was rolling hers around like it was actual luggage, and I felt like kicking and bending it like Beckham.

-I can't stand Ann Coulter. I don't doubt her intelligence or her ability to put together a cohesive argument, but sometimes it seems like she purposely pushes the envelope to get a desired reaction..and it always works, which makes her even smarter I guess. But still, I wish people wouldn't feed the animals

-As I stood on the train reading ESPN articles, I noticed a woman right next to me who looked exactly like Fantasia. I realized it wasnt her when I noticed this woman reading over my shoulder.

-I used to hate it in college, when I'd volunteer to make a great point in class, and then some jackass would come along and say, "just to piggy-back off what Rashad said.." Get your point, why you riding mine? However, I'm about to piggy back off something my friend Jolanda commented on. Why is it when I blogged about breaking my hand, did I get the more comments than I have ever received in this here blog? What was that about?


The Dramatics - Ocean of Thoughts and Dreams

So on Saturday, I went out and bought me a shiny new record player, some records and a deluxe edition of Marvin Gaye's, "I Want You".. Every so often I go on these music binges, when I really want to be in my apartment surrounded by new music. I felt like a little kid on Saturday night and Sunday morning, while I played records. Most of the records I bought featured music from the 70s and 80s. They ranged from George Harrison to Lou Rawls, and in all I bought 20 records for under $50. I maintain that there is no better feeling than putting the needle in the record and hearing the scratchy sound of vinyl. I suppose there are better feelings, but I have tunnel vision right now. The Marvin Gaye cd I bought just gave me further insight into what Marvin and Leon Ware were thinking when they wrote and recorded "I Want You".

I was so smitten by my purchases that I didn't do any of the things I originally set out to do. No Josephine Baker exhibit, no Reno 911 movie, no nothing. I have one more weekend to do such things before March Madness comes. Then I get to bore everyone within earshot about college basketball.

And now, from my new Marvin cd: I Want You (vocal and rhythm)

Everyday It Rains - Mary J Blige

Want to hear some irony? About 6-12 inches away from where I hit my hand on my bedroom wall, is a framed copy of the Serenity prayer. Clearly I need to get that blown up even bigger..it hasn't even been in my room for 2 weeks, so I'll cut myself some slack. Plus God must be smiling on me just a little bit, because I didnt actually hit the picture.

Continuing with the one hand theme, allow me to list some famous one hand/arm people. I enjoy typing lists in my one handed state, because they seem much easier to type than the superfluous paragraphs I sometime write. On to the list:

1)Ronny Cammareri - I dont know how many of my readers have seen the movie Moonstuck, but it was a love story starring Cher and Nick Cage. Nick Cage played Ronny Cammareri, an oven-tender at a bakery. Ronny has one real hand and one fake one, and in the end he gets to marry Cher. Cher is a bit of a handsome woman, but I'll let that slide.

2) Jim Abbott - He was major league baseball pitcher in the 80s and 90s. He was born with two arms and one hand. Yet he was able to become a decent pitcher and on one fine evening he was able to pitch a no-hitter.

3)Bob Dole - Dole is by far the oldest person on this list..in fact I think Bob is the oldest living person on the face of this Earth, checking in at 578 years old. The Senator and former Presidential hopeful, was shot during World War II. This left his right arm paralyzed, which makes it hard for him to give out dap and handshakes. Speaking of making it hard, Bobby also dabbled in (and out and in again) Viagra ads.. Bob Dole. An American hero.

4) Musiq Soulchild/Slick Rick - Both of these men were born with two hands, but they get honorary props from me based on the success they have achieved with one eye.

Here's a list of one-handed observations:

1)When I log in, I have to hit control, alt and delete with one hand. Its like playing Twister with your fingers man.

2)People at work are looking at me (and justifiably so) like I'm Ike Turner o I'm just dude who fights all the time.

3)When I tell folks how I hurt my hand, everyone has a joke about how when you hit a wall, the wall always wins. Then they throw a sports analogy my way, then they break into a life's lesson speech.

4) I can't instant message with anyone too well, because I can't keep up with the fast pace. I'll think of something witty and smart to say, but it takes me 30 minutes to type it. By that time, the person you're chatting with has come up with 4 more jokes I have to respond to. IVE BEEN SILENCED MAN!!

5) I have more of an appreciation for women who have to shower delicately in order to not get their hair wet. Trying not to get this hand wet is quite a task, and thank God there are no cameras in the shower with me. Some of the poses I hit in there this morning were downright laughable.

6) On a more serious note, my boy Cliff and my dad had separate heart to heart talks with me last night, and they took it to me pretty good. They both forced me to look in the proverbial mirror and do a serious life audit. They weren't easy conversations to listen to, but I appreciated the love from both of them. I also appreciate my friends who have allowed me to vent about various things over the past few days.


This blog is going to be very interesting, when converted to book format...highs, lows, and everything in between. And I can release a CD with my favorite songs to accompany it. Good times!!!


MC Lyte - Cha Cha Cha