So, as I am going up the escalator in the train station, this man starts running towards me. Now granted, the escalator was only going up, and considering there was a people comng up, clearly this man wasn't paying attention. But he kept running towards me. To the right of me was a woman with a lot of bags, so I knew he wasn't going to squeeze past her, so I was bracing myself for confrontation. This man didnt say excuse me, he didn't attempt to sidestep me, he was just focused on getting on the wrong escalator and catching the train that was about to pull off. Now I suppose I should have gotten out of his way, and let him by, where is the fun in that? So as he kept running towards me without slowing down, I took my forearm, and planted it right in his chest, and knocked his ass down. He popped right up, got in my face, and was like, "What the f**k is your problem, i'm trying to catch the train?", and he pushed me a bit, which I allowed since I had knocked his ass down. I yelled at him, "You're going the wrong f**king way dumbass, and you need to slow your ass down". He tells me to go f**k myself, then he ran to find the CORRECT escalator, and he missed his train. Serves him right.

Now, I am dead wrong for knocking him down. I think I am also wrong for not hitting him again when he pushed me. But I don't care..I can't tell you how good it felt to have a justifiable reason to knock someone flat on their ass. That is how immature I am.

My brother is in town from Atlanta once again, to interview for jobs and to find housing for his wife and child. He just got in about 15 minutes ago, and the first thing he did was hand me a booklet of picture my mother made for me two weeks after my son was born. I thought I had lost all these pictures in the fire, but apparently my brother had this booklet. The above picture was taken two weeks after my son was born. I was 22 years old, and scared out of my mine.

For all my angst and complaining about going to yesterday's wedding, I can readily admit that I had a good time and it was beautiful. It was in a church way out in Olney, Maryland, and I just remember feeling real peaceful as soon as I stepped in there. Sure I was cracking jokes with my lady about the runner (aka the white carpet that led up to the altar), that kept getting wrinkled by people who were oblivious to it, and the creepy Christian rock music that was blaring thru the speakers. But other than that, I kept focused on the wedding. I think the part that struck me was when the pastor spoke on the various definitions of love. Nothing he mentioned was physical, but it was all about sacrifice, caring, remaining fair and calm and forgiveness. I didn't cry at all, but it forced me to check myself in a few areas, and based on our talk on the way home, but lady felt exactly the same. I wasn't quite moved to attend church on a regular basis(Sabin, I'm going to write that article), but I can say that I am thinking about getting back into the state of mind.

The most memorable moment of the wedding was when the groom got choked up. He was repeating the vows the pastor was reciting to him, and when he got to the "we are now one" portion, the groom just broke down. He literally had to take about 45 seconds before he could continue, and it was moving. The only time I have cried like that unexpectedly, is when I saw my son about 15 minutes after he was born. One minute I was excited and nervous, the next I was bawling. So I felt for the brother.

I must admit I have never attended a church with a white pastor, so this was a different experience. Based on the family members who attend this church, it looked to be a nice mix of both white and black families, but the pastor was white. He had this calm demeanor about him that I liked a lot. In fact he had one of those NPR voices that I wish I had..calm, smooth, very little emotion. Now who knows if I could sit through an entire sermon of a pastor with little voice inflection, but for this hour wedding I was definitely entranced.

The only downside of the wedding, was all the small talk afterwards. I had to meet like 10 members of the wedding party afterwards, and I only know the groom, and even then I only know him because of my lady. As long as I only had to shake hands, I was fine, but some people veered from the script and started asking me questions, and I would just wait for my lady to bail me out. And then there was this couple who was probably in their 70s, who chatted my girl and I to death. First they reeled us in with typical old people talk like where do you live, where did you go to college, what church do you go to(I hate that question..maybe its because i don't have one). But then the husband started trying to tell me about this business he had to help youngsters make money on the side. I kept trying to move the conversation to school, work and the wedding, but he was focused on getting me to pay attention to his damn business. Finally , I just asked for his card, hoping that would end things, but he kept talking. Luckily for me, my lady put her cape on, and saved me from this man's wrath. Those two old people were worse than Wedding Crashers..they came to the wedding to get their hustle on....it was kind of cute, but not really.

We Are One -Frankie Beverly

This stupid pregnancy pact story is exactly why I am so glad I had that sex talk with my son even though he is 10. I am not going to pass judgement on the parents of all those kids, because age 17 is about the age when kids think they know it all. But between being irresponsible with contraception and finding yourself with a baby at a young age is one thing. But for girls and boys who aren't married, have no job, and most likely live with their parents to intentionally sit around and say, "LET'S HAVE SOME BABIES...AND RAISE THEM TOGETHER..HOORAY"...that's just dumb. I realize I am far from the gold standard, but when I was 17, I was a freshman in college, and I know that I was WAY to immature to have a kid let alone tackle the responsibilities of regular sex. Even when i finally did become a father 4 years later, I was still immature in many ways, as was(and maybe still is) my son's mother. So I take that back, I am passing judgement on these kids' parents. This is just sad, and I hope all those kids that will be born to the 16,17 and 18 year women, don't turn into some angry hell raising kids, who shoot me in the ass, when I am 50 and trying to take golf lessons.

I am going to a wedding this afternoon, and I really wish I could bring the laptop. Weddings are just boring to me, and my lady said I don't have to go, but that's just not fair if I don't. I have made her sit through countless hours of NBA playoff basketball over the past few months, so what's an hour wedding really going to do to me right? Besides, I will be there making immature jokes about grown people, and if I am lucky, I will get to strike up a conversation with a crazy family member, who is looking to bail and get to the cash bar. I suppose I should be making mental notes about certain aspects of the wedding in preparation for mine, but that's easier said than done. I am convinced my wedding will be extremely small. I'll invite family and close friends, and then everyone else can come to the reception to dance, drink, and give me gifts..preferably sports related. I digress...

I am quite sure I have posted this video before, but I am going to do it again. The whole song is great, and all the guitar players are legendary. But Prince's performance is both brilliant and arrogant. I should have posted this earlier, when it was his birthday. His solo starts at the 3:32 mark:

As I walked into work this morning, I saw a homeless woman about 2 blocks from my job. She had bags and crates surrounding her, and she had on way too many clothes given how warm it is outside. Her hair was wrapped and in a scarf and she had glasses on, but the thing that stuck out most was the mirror and the makeup. This woman had one of this mini-mirrors that all women seem to have, and she was applying it to her face, as any non-homeless woman would. She didn't care who saw her, or how long it took, she was just methodically putting on lipstick, blush, and I am sure if I had stuck around long enough, I would have seen her full repertoire of makeup toys. I started to break out the camera phone, and snap a photo, but that would have cheapened the moment. She wasn't asking for money or begging for help, she only wanted to make sure she looked beautiful this fine Friday morning, and she did. I found it awfully inspirational. And now back to my regular complaining..

My son's mother lost her cell phone for the fifth time this year. I don't understand how one person (except for my former intern) can be so damn negligent that they lose their cell that many times. In fact, her carrier needs to revoke her privileges. When she loses HER phone, she borrows my son's cellphone that I bought for him, which is prepaid. I put about 500 minutes on that phone in February, and that system was working just fine for both of us. He only talked to me on that phone, and our convos never exceed 5 minutes anyway(we're men of few words), so that 500 minutes went a long way. His mother borrowed the phone on Monday, and by the time I attempted to call him yesterday, the minutes were gone. Now I have to put money on the phone just to speak to my son, and the his mother will continue to use the phone on my dime. I may just have to get him a regular phone, but I have no guarantees that she won't run up my minutes. This is reason number 4080 that he needs to be with me.

this is my favorite commercial right now..only because of the "ACE OF SPADES" which is uttered at the very end...

Yesterday my lady and I were much too tired/lazy to cook to we decided to order Chinese food. I usually get orange chicken, but last night I decided to venture out of my comfort zone and find something else to satisfy my voracious appetite. I decided to order shrimp with lobster sauce. I had a taste for seafood, and I wanted something creamy to go with it, so I thought this was the perfect combination. When my food arrived, I noticed no cream, lots of shrimp, and soup. Apparently in the Chinese food world, sauce equals soup, and I had no clue. This place also forgot to deliver an order of rice my lady requested, so she called to request the rice and to get clarification on this lobster sauce that had magically turned to soup. She informed my lady that this was indeed the correct order, and so I asked my lady to ask them why isn't it called soup, but we got no coherent answer. Then I asked if they could just re-deliver some orange chicken since because 1)it was cheaper than the magical soup/sauce I was stuck with and 2)they had to re-deliver the rice any damn way. They told me I couldn't do it, because I had already ordered the soupsauce. In other words, they were just too lazy..just as I had been when I started this damn journey for food. How's that for symmetry? So I drained all the soupsauce, mixed in rice, and ate shrimp/lobster/veggie combo that way, and it had my stomach hurting INSTANTLY. The lesson here? just come home and cook some damn food.

It would make me extremely happy, if you would say a prayer for my number one mancrush. He just came off a brilliant victory on Monday, and it turns out the whole time he had two leg fractures that will require surgery and extensive rest, which means he won't play until next year. /So this basically means I will be watching one less sport until next year. I'll be sending a giant, get-well card to each and every one of you, and when you get it, please show your love to Tiger.

If you are in the DC area, and you need something to do, come support my man Brandon's party. As per the usual, the probability of me actually attending is 50%.

Into the Groove - Madonna

Even non-sports fans had to appreciate that Boston Celtics' victory last night. Grown men, who all season were giving the media b.s. answers about their emotions and feelings, were crying, yelling and finally letting it all out. Paul Pierce and Garnett were crying because of how long they had been labeled as players who would never win, and on this night, they did it. Doc Rivers was emotional as he thought about his father who had died during the season. Even Kobe, who is usually smug and condescending, looked like a lost little boy as he spoke after the game about the loss. It was just a beautiful experience..one worth staying up until 1:30am, and writing an article for.

The NBA draft is next week, and then basketball ends until late September. Sure there will be summer leagues and all that, but it isn't quite the same. I'll have to dive head first in my fantasy baseball leagues now.

This going to work later business isn't bad after all. I have time to eat breakfast before I leave home, get some sensual seduction, write, watch a full ESPN, and still be 5-10 minutes early for work. Great times. I am also not going to feel bad about writing unspectacular blogs, because based on what I've seen, that sure as hell doesn't stop other people. If I had a soundbyte of that diabolical Vincent Price laugh at the end of Thriller, I'd link it here.

I still haven't wrote about Tim Russert passing..its just sad man, and these aren't sad times for me. Instead, I will speculate about who should take his place. I think it should be the current NBC News White House Correspondent, David Gregory. He's young, he's has a bit of a rapport with important people already, and most importantly, he was under Russert's tutelage before he passed. Tom Brokaw would be my second choice, but he's like 239 years old(a year younger than McCain), and I doubt he could handle the daily grind.

If The Papes Come - A Tribe Called Quest

How you get sized up at a new job

Female coworker (FC): Hey Rashad, you want to go to lunch today?
Her: No thank you I brought my lunch
FC: Oh what did you bring?
Me: sandwich and an apple, nothing special
FC: can i sit in your office with you, while you eat?
Me: Nah
FC: are you telling me now?
Me: Yep
FC: You must be whipped or in a relationship
Me: Yes and Yes, but that's not why
FC: then why won't you have lunch with me?
Me: I like to read the paper and relax and lunch, plus i'm not trying to see you chew
FC: Ok, i'll leave you alone
Me: good deal

I'm not falling for the banana in the tailpipe.

My schedule, my writing and other aspects of my life are out of wack right now. My new work hours are from 9-530, so I'm not quite used to that yet. The train is so crowded by the time I leave, that I think my genitals and ass were grazed at least 15 times..and I got no tip. I don't know if I have fully recovered from my father's day, in terms of sleeping patterns and such. And other behind the scenes factors in my life are on my mind as well. That being said, I hope that when game 6 of the NBA Finals starts tonight, I'll be back to "normal" again, and I'll be ready to write. Until then, expect my blog to suck ass. That's my disclaimer.

I had the sex talk with my son by the way, and it went about how I expected. I talked, and he looked absolutely bewildered. He knew some things about sex already, which was impressive, but otherwise he was uninterested. I explained to him that this will be ongoing thing, he said he understood. He starts middle school in August, and lord knows what kids are doing now at that level. He needs to equipped..so to speak. I hope he waits until he's 18..

I bought new underwear last week, which is not really blog worthy, except for the fact that there is no hole in the front. Most male underwear has a little peep hole for the johnson to breathe. These underwear suffocate the johnson, so when its time for a little urinal action, I have to go through great leaps and bounds, to free myself from captivity. And any extra movements at a man's urinal are highly suspect, so I can't buy anymore undies like this. how's that for tmi?

I can't stand first days on new jobs..the training, the new people, the introductions, the lost, overwhelmed look in my eyes..

I had an excellent father's day man, I hope everyone else did too. I spent quality time with my son and my dad, so nothing can really top that..except to have my brother and my nephew with me, but that'll come soon enough when they move here. I am incredibly tired, and on top of my fatigue, I start training for my new job in about an hour. I tried to come up with an excuse in my head, so I wouldn't have to show up. But I couldn't do it, so now I'm here, drinking this soy chai latte, hoping it wakes me up...

that's all for now

My son is here. no blogging til monday

Here are a list of things that have happened today, Friday, June 13th:

1)There was a fire on the train, so I had to walk to work

2)The power was out in spots of downtown dc, so traffic lights didn't work, parking garages were closed, and the building where I work was completely in the dark for 2 hours.

3)I came back home, and there were two people painting my walls...and I wasn't even aware this was going to happen today. I walked and said, "What the fuck is this?" (sorry i'm not editing that). They told me that I should have received a letter about work being done today and next week. I got no such thing.

4) I was supposed to get paid today, but there was some type of mix up, and i have yet to get my money. I need my money, since this is father's day weekend.

I wasn't a believer in friday the 13th jinxes before, i am now. This day just feels weird. I don't really feel like blogging right now, just wanted to share my misfortunes with the world

I have been at my current job for two and a half years, which means I have been a member of the water club for the same amount of time. The water club is an institution created by individuals who actually want to live beyond 50, and they demonstrate this by drinking spring water, and not the dreaded DC water. Each and every month we pay a fee, to drink wonderful Deer Park water, and I visit the water bottle at least 4 times a day. I also eat an apple once a day, so what does that mean? Rather than disrespect my apple by bathing it in tap water, I daily treat my apple to a spring water bath. I make sure to do it quick, so no one will catch and accuse me of wasting good water. Two and a half years I have been doing this, and I had yet to get caught..until this morning.

This morning, the day before my last day, one of my co-workers caught me rinsing my apple off in spring water, and they asked me what I was doing. I finished rinsing, turned around, and asked them what they said, which would give me time to come up with a good explanation. Finally, I just said that apple deserved only the finest of waters, and they didn't laugh at all, and I just walked out. The water I had used to rinse my apple was sprayed all over the carpet, and I felt a tad guilty. But damn if this apple I'm eating isn't clean as a whistle.

Here is my article on Game 3 of the Lakers/Celtics.

Show Me Love - Robin S.

Keep Coming Back - Richard Marx(featuring Luther Vandross on background vocals):

There is this woman here at work who is a member of the church my mother used to attend to before she moved to North Carolina. My mother dragged me to the 6am sunrise service on Easter Sunday last year, and this woman was singing in the choir and I recognized her from work..I think her job is to pick up and drop off mail. Apparently she recognized me too, because after church she came up to my mother and said "I know your son", and my mother was all happy, and we spent about 5-10 minutes sharing pleasantries. I shook the woman's hand, got her name, and then ignored both her and my mother the rest of the time. I wasn't purposely trying to be mean , but damn it was 7am on a Sunday, and I had just sat through a sermon. I was thinking about the bed, not meeting new folks.

Well since that magical day, I see that woman at work at least 3 or 4 times a month. I don't remember her name at all, which is embarrassing, because she knows mine. For that reason, I try to avoid her like the paparazzi, but she always corners me, and the conversations always go like this:

Her: Hey Rashad, how are you?
Me: Hey there buddy, i'm fine and yourself?
Her: I'm blessed, how is your mom?
Me: Oh she's fine I guess
**20 seconds of awkward silence**
Me: ok well let me run along now
Her: Ok tell you mom I said hi

Now when I do talk to my mom, I tell her that the weird lady from her old church says hello, and she scolds me. But the sad part is, not only does my mom know exactly who I am talking about, but she doesn't remember her name either. Anyway I saw this woman this morning, and she was about 50 feet ahead of me as I walked towards my building. I slowed my normally slow walk to a crawl, in hopes that she would go in the building and up the elevator, so I wouldn't have to chat with her...no such luck. She was lingering in the lobby talking to a security guard, and she chatted me up. And the conversation went exactly like the one above, except she told me I looked nice, which was sweet, but it wasn't worth the overall headache.

My larger point is, why can't people like that either diversify their conversation or leave me the hell alone? I see you basically once a week and you ask me the same shit? No comments about the hot weather, sports, Obama or something? And on top of that, I don't ask her JACK about her personal life, so why can't she take the cue. I know this sounds mean, but the world is full of enough small talk obligations as it is, why must they keep adding up? I would be delighted if she just said, "Good morning Rashad", and then I could see her and say, "Hey You!" What's wrong with that? It is pleasant, its concise, and everyone wins. She gets to say hi, and I get to do the same and keep it moving.

Perhaps I should have waited until the night time to blog yesterday, because my day definitely took an unexpected turn for the better. First off, I was able to attend the Washington Wizards workout and that continues to be both a fun and nerve-wracking experience, that I would NOT trade for the world. Secondly, I had a great talk with intern. I basically told him that he should have BEEN fired, but for some reason someone other than myself felt sorry for him. I told that if he was responsible 90% of the time, he would get the benefit of the doubt when something came up that caused him to leave or miss work. But when he is constantly irresponsible or missing in action, he starts to gain the rep as a bum. He kept apologizing to me, and I told him to save it, and just do better. Of course 10 minutes later, my supervisor lit into his ass something terrible, so he left work scared and looking like this We shall see if that actually translates into any action.

And then in a bizarre twist of fate, I found out late in the day on Monday, that I am being transferred to another floor in my building. I had met with my boss to see what other options were there for me, and the wheels had quietly been in motion since then, and yesterday it finally happened for me. So the new position will provide more of a challenge, it will give me new things to learn, and it will free me (and unfortunately this blog) of my beloved intern. This also pushes me one step closer to my ultimate goal of having a job that allows me to work in isolation, away from the cruel world of co-workers, office parties, and work happy hours. I asked my coworkers to not throw me a party or give me anything, but if they must, I prefer cold hard cash as my parting gift.

Yesterday I am watching NBC Nightly News, and Brian Williams was interviewing the 234 year old John McCain. He asked McCain a specific question about the rising gas prices, and then he peppered in some comments that Obama made about McCain's role in these high gases prices. So of course McCain took the bait, and COMPLETELY ignored the high gas price question, and he criticized Obama, then started talking about how he voted in the past 4 years in relation to this issue. I wanted to throw a plate of my delicious macaroni salad at the screen. Obama and McCain need to relax on criticizing one another, and they definitely need to talk a little less about what they have done in the past. Times are a bit more urgent than they were even 6 months ago, so if they want my vote, and I suspect it is this way for other Americans, they need to start laying out definitive plans of actions to cure the nations ills. If they doesn't happen, both candidates will see a curious number of prospective voters just stay home rather than vote.

Lakers/Celtics, Game 2

I got less than 2 hours of sleep last night, which is bad considering I didn't even get in the bed until 2am. Then I had to wake up 6am this morning, to finish my article about last night's game. I am supposed to return to the Verizon center to watch the Washington Wizards pre-draft workouts, but then when I got to work, I realized that it is going to be tough to get away at lunchtime. It is going to be 100 degrees today, and I have to wear a long sleeve shirt and dress pants to work. Meanwhile, the women here have skimpy dresses on, that they try to pass off as professional. And then top it all off, my intern was gone for 3 hours on Friday at lunch time, and he never bothered to come back. This morning he's all in my face like everything is fine, when clearly it isn't. I'm going to tell his supervisor, in hopes that they finally get rid of his ass.

but yeah besides that i'm golden.

Notorious B.I.G. - Kick in the Door

So last night, for the third time in the past year, I went to see Mr. Terence Blanchard. I went to see him at Blues Alley last August for my father's birthday, and then I saw him again at the Kennedy Center at the tribute to the music of Spike Lee's films. This time around I wanted to go see him, because my lady had never been to Blues Alley, so I thought well why not enhance her experience by taking her see one of the best.

So, we got there insanely early, in hopes of getting a seat right in front of the stage, and the host immediately disavowed me of that notion. He told me that all of the seats close to the stage were reserved for parties of 4 and up, and since my party was only 2 people, I had to sit towards the back. Just as a frame of reference, Blues Alley is not that big at all..its about the size of a gate at an airport, so sitting in the back really isn't that big of a deal. Still, I have been going to Blues Alley for almost 20 years, so surely I could negotiate my way into a better seat. The host wasn't budging though, so i stayed in the back. But I was watching how he seated each and every party that was smaller than four, so I could scream on his ass if necessary. No such luck though.

Once we sat down and got settled, a father and son sat down next to us. The father looked to be about my age, and his son was five(he told me so after the show). The father was dapper in his suit and and tie, and the little man also had a shirt and tie on with a vest to go with it. The kid was asking his dad a million and one questions like "Daddy, when does the show start?", "Do you see the instruments Daddy?", and the funniest, random question was, "Daddy is Kool and the Gang going to be here?". My lady and I were trying to not stare and laugh too much, but it was hilarious. Before the show, the father took his son by the bar, where Mr. Blanchard and his band were relaxing. The father got a cd signed, and then he introduced his son to Mr. Blanchard. It was one of those priceless moments.

Once the show started, the father put his son on his lap, and they watched the entire show like that. Sometimes the son looked to be sleep, other times he was moving and grooving on his dad's lap. I really wish I could have recorded that moment for them. I wasn't quite as young as he was when my father took me to my first jazz show, but I was just as wide eyed. It made me wish my son was there with me, because it something we could have appreciated too. After the show, I told the dad that he did a great deed by exposing his son to this kind of atmosphere. Then I went and shook the son's hand, and he called me sir(i am old), and then he told me his age. Before I walked away, I told him that once he got older, he would appreciate the good deed his father was doing for him. He had no idea what I was talking about, but he will one day..and then he'll pass it down to his kid. That's how these things are supposed to go.

Oh and the show was great.

Saturday observations:

-I ran into some Clinton supporters on the train and around my neighborhood, and judging by what I saw, gay people LOVE them some Hillary. I think they were coming from Hillary's concession speech today. I saw buttons, t-shirts, banners, etc. At one point, I looked at the gay couple next to me, and I asked them, "So how did things work out today?" And of course they went on talking about the speech and the atmosphere, and they just TOTALLY missed my sarcastic tone. So do they save all this Clinton paraphernalia until 2012, or do they just put it on eBay or something?

-Dragonflies are the WORST insects on the face of this earth. I don't know whether they sting or not, but I do know they fly around, buzz loud and quite honestly they scare me. Plus they can change directions and stop on a dime like Barry Sanders They are way worse than cicadas, because at least with them, I can swat and step on them.

- For the first time since last year's ordeal I purchased some tennis shoes. You have no idea how hard it is for me to find something I like. and my lady told me I should buy a few more pair, which will be utter agony. Speaking of shoes, I wish I could wear sandals. I saw so many men while I was out and about, with nice sandals and all that. Unfortunately my toenails look utterly horrible. I should take a picture of them, and scare everyone who reads this blog.

-If you want to piss off another couple, the best thing to do is buy flowers and then walk down the street. I bought my lady flowers, and on my way back home, I walked by at least 10 couples. Each of the women would look at my flowers longingly, and the man would look at me as if to say "Thanks a lot buddy".

That's all for today, its too hot to be writing

Glow - Kelis

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Latest article

What I did yesterday

The saga involving me, my lady and our neighbor is finally over. My lady informed me that when she left out yesterday morning, our neighbor thanked her profusely for the fine bottle of wine we bestowed upon her. She mentioned that she has never gotten such a thoughtful gift, and she was extremely thankful. She also mentioned that we were invited over to her apartment one day in the future, to enjoy a fine bottle of wine. I am still bothered that it took a chance meeting in the hall for her to say thank you, but I won't be an ass about it. There's no way in hell that I am accepting an invite to drink wine in her apartment, when the sweet confines of my own apartment are right across the hall. I just wanted her to knock at the door and say thank you, but that won't happen. I shall let it go now..finally.

My son graduates from elementary school next Thursday, and his mother called me to say that he wants to wear a suit to graduation. Initially, I was annoyed because she called to tell me this in the middle of the game, but a few minutes later I was able to appreciate this moment. Instead of sending the money for a suit, or buying one up here, and then sending it down, I do believe I am going to drive down to Hampton, and take the youngster to a department store, so he can get fitted for a quality suit, shirt, tie, shoes, etc. Kids his age usually detest the whole suit idea, and the fact that he is so gung-ho about it all, is quite encouraging. I may even have to take a picture of the youngster, and post it up here.

And yeah I know the Lakers lost, so I was wrong. sue me.

Yesterday my intern's underarms smelled and reeked of grim death. Other people in the office noticed it first, and eventually so did I. I had to give some serious thought about how I address this subject with him. I didn't want to embarrass the kid and make him feel bad, but at the same time there was simply no way in the world that I could allow the stench to hang around. So finally I just stepped to him, and the exchange went like this:

Me: I don't want to offend you or anything, but you did you put on deodorant?
Him: Yeah I did, but it must have worn off
Me(suppressing laughter): Well man you need to handle that, because I can smell you
Him: You can?
Me (in my best Obama voice): Yes, I can
Him: oh man
Me (opening my desk): I have some mini -deodorant that I keep in my desk, you need to get your from the drugstore
Him: oh ok, can I use yours?
Me: Uh, no

So the intern went to lunch and went to the drugstore and he came back with not just a mini deodorant stick, but he also invested in some mouthwash. He showed me both of them like a proud child, and I blew him off, like a crotchety parent. Someone commented yesterday, that since I am his boss, and he is young, I should be teaching him life's lesson whenever I can. I don't mind doing that at all, but a 23 year old young man, should have some deodorant that lasts beyond 9:30am. I still don't understand how he has a lady. I'm even willing to invite he and his lady out for drinks, just so I can see them together. Now THAT would be a blog moment.

I can't go into detail right now, but earlier today, I took yet another step towards being a full-fledged sports journalist, and I can't begin to tell you how good it felt. I was nervous, but I handled myself with great aplomb, if I may say so myself. More details later.

Oh and the Lakers are going to win game one tonight.

Eric B and Rakim - I Aint No Joke

I think there are similarities between Clinton's refusal to concede last night, and the woman who refuses to acknowledge I gave her a bottle of wine on Sunday. First, both women have some thinking to do. Clinton has to balance what is best for her with what is best for the Democratic Party. My neighbor is just moving into her place, and she probably has yet to find that time to think about any type of return gift. I understand that. Two, technically, neither woman has to do anything. Clinton could decided not to concede, not to help out her party and she can keep exhaust all of her options in an effort to wrestle the apparent nomination away from Obama. And my neighbor could ultimately decide that she does NOT owe me any kind of thank you or acknowledgement, and she could go in and out of her apartment, see me from time to time, and not miss a beat at all. Finally, both Clinton and my neighbor will annoy the shit out of me if they don't do something fairly quickly. I'm tired of this Clinton/Obama race, and I'm tired of coming home everyday wondering whether or not my neighbor is going to give me a card, come by and say thanks or something. I'm sure one of you reading this right now, is saying, Rashad, will you let it go for God's sake. And my response is that I will...eventually.

By the way, I had weird feelings on the train this morning. The fact that a black man could very well be the president, hit me in a way it hadn't really hit me up until now. It was a weird sense of pride I had while on the train, and it made me wonder what those people who still really don't care for black people may be going through. If I thought the Clinton/Obama process was tiring and annoying, I am definitely going to get sick of the Obama/McCain b.s. too. I still think McCain is going to win this election, but hey, I thought Serena would win the French Open too, so go figure.

Up until now, I have refrained from writing a single word about this damn Celtics/Lakers series. Since the last playoff game was played last Friday, up until today, every sports (and some non-sports) media member has talked about it, and I am sick of it. I just want the games to start, so I can write about them. And once the games DO start, please go over to this site, since me and a host of other basketball lovers will be writing and analyzing this joyous time of the year called the NBA Finals.

Too Much - Al Green

I suppose I should have done this before now, but I need to take some time to research what it is these superdelegates are all about. I want to know what the qualifications are, how much service you have to put in, how many people you have to sleep with, and if that title can ever be revoked. I see random politicans appear on television with the title of superdelegate appearing under their name, and I'm like who knew Perhaps there is a database that lists all of them along with their contact information. Personally I think from one year prior to the presidential election, right up until that magical November date, all superdelegates should be required to wear capes during their public appearances. This will allow uninformed people like myself, to truly understand what is going on, and it will also allow these delegates of the super variety to feel like the heroes they claim to be. Its a win-win situation.

How early in the day is it acceptable to roll the sleeves up on a long sleeved shirt? On my way to the train this morning, I saw people who had gone head first into the high sleeve roll, and it was barely 7am. Its only 55-60 degrees outside, and the warm weather isn't expected to hit until later on today. What drives someone to disrespect their outfit so early in the morning? Me myself personally, I refrain from such behaviors until a)the weather is warm or b)I have eaten lunch and I am trying to come up with any method I can to stay awake. I know this probably feels like I stole it from Seinfeld, but I didn't. This really crossed my mind.

By the way, does anyone actually read the wonderful blogs I have linked over to the right? If not you should

As I stepped into work this morning, I noticed that my intern was stuck down in the lobby of the building. He had lost his ID for the second time in less than a week, and if the security guard had not brought it to his attention, he would have left his cellphone in the lobby too. The loss of his badge is going to cost him some money, so hopefully that will teach him to be more responsible. I almost felt bad for the kid, but not really. Oh and on Friday, he tried to ask out one of the other students in my offce on a date...via email. I believed he asked her if she would "chill" with him. This man needs a reality show.

My neighbor finally moved in permanently, and once I saw this I promptly placed the fine bottle of white wine back in front of her door. Within 20 minutes, the wine was picked up, and now I truly feel like a charitable person. Now, the next challenge is to see when and if she says thank you. Mind you, I don't give gifts to get things in return, but still, some form of thank you is in order.

If there weren't creepy people in the world, I would put a picture of my nephew in this blog today. The last time my nephew was in town, he acted like he was scared of me. This time around he was much more playful and talkative. I also learned of his fear of motorcycles and helmets. Every time we would walk or drive past a motorcycle, he would start whining. Even if he saw any type of helmet on tv, he would start whining too, despite me telling him to man up. My fears when I was a youngster were of the Incredible Hulk show, and this Michael Jackson poster, in which MJ's eyes seem to follow me all around the room. Anyway, I had a great time with brother, his wife and my nephew, and I can't wait until they move here permanently.

So last night my my lady and I were chilling at a bar, minding our business, when I noticed a large party next to us. At first I paid them no mind, because they just looked like regular people drinking and having a good time. But upon a closer examination of the faces, I realized that these weren't just any group of people. I saw Thomas Boswell, then I saw Mike Wise, and sitting right near me was Dan Steinberg who writes the Sports Bog.

So I quickly realized I was in the presence of Washington Post employees, and I got excited. Its no secret that I aspire to be sports writer for a major publication, and the Post would be a damn good place to write. So I instantly wanted to switch from drinking to networking mode, although I must admit the buzz I was feeling would have made it a challenge. But it was clear that these Post employees were not in work mode at all, so I really couldn't figure out how to step to them without looking annoying. So I didn't. I just sat there like a jackass, hoping that one of them would walk close enough to me, so I could introduce myself and all that. But it never happened. My lady said it was just as well, and I would have made a fool out of myself. I have mixed feelings about it all this morning. Perhaps I should tried to plug myself a bit...

Ante Up - M.O.P.

If you haven't already, go out and buy the new Al Green cd. He sounds as good as he did 30 years ago, and with the production of my main man Questlove from the Roots he sounds even better. I haven't had sex to music since 1992, when Love Deluxe and Christopher Williams were out. This cd makes me want to have sex repeatedly. That's my ringing endorsement.

Take Your Time - Al Green featuring Corinne Bailey Rae

Here are my last two articles: One is an interview. The other is about the Pistons/Celtics series. Please read it and compliment, slam or constructive-criticize me.

Someone commented in my blog the other day, that is was possible that my intern had finally gotten his stuff together, thus sparing him from my inevitable wrath this summer. I would have loved nothing more than to see some maturity, but unfortunately, I have had no such luck. Yesterday was his first full day, and he annoyed me just as much as he did before. He must be boycotting his barber AND the brush, because he had no shape up, no facial hair trim, no nothing (although he later mentioned he was trying grow a beard). About 5 or 6 times during the day, I would catch him just sitting there looking into space, and I caught him in the hallway doing the same thing. I gave him about a 15 minute explanation of what I expected him to accomplish this summer, and I doubt he retained it. And then there were his glorious, creepy stories of him resting his head in his grandfather's ample beard(I'm not making this up). I asked him if he did this when he was younger, and he said that this was something he still did. I asked him if his grandfather was in any way a member of Catholic church, but he said no. And to top it off, he went the entire day without eating anything, but about 7 or 8 Now or Laters. I don't know if he was channeling his inner Gandhi or what, but the Now or Later diet just isn't the way to go. I don't know whether to leave him alone this summer, make his life hell, or attempt to mentor him once a again. I'll probably throw in elements of all three.

I feel like Woody Allen here obsessing over a bottle of wine that I bought for my neighbor, but for the fifth consective day, I have to talk about it. The wine was still sitting out there yesterday when I got home, so when my lady got home, I asked her to pick it up and give it a proper home in our kitchen. She wouldn't let me drink it though, but she suggested we wait until we know our neighbor is home, and then bring it over. But I get home a full hour before my lady, so that bottle is as good as gone today or tomorrow.

My neighbor clearly has not come home since Saturday afternoon. That bottle of wine is still sitting outside of her door, yet up until now I simply did not have the heart to take the bottle back and drink it defiantly. What kind of person moves in on a Saturday, and then stays away for a few days? I had an in-depth discussion about this with my lady, and we both decided that it would be wrong to take the wine back. But at least 8 times last night and again this morning, we looked outside the peephole to see if the wine was still outside her door, and indeed it was. I can honestly say that I won't continue to be generous like this, and if I come home today and the wine is there, I'm taking it back, bringing it back into my apartment, and I will give that wine the treatment it deserves. When my neighbor proves to me that she can be a consistent and present neighbor, then I will shower her with wine and welcome gifts. Until then, she gets nothing.

Speaking of my apartment, there is some part missing in my building's A/C unit, and the air won't be working for 2 weeks. 2 WEEKS! Nevermind that it was 85 degrees yesterday, and it will be 91 degrees this weekend, we are just supposed to suffer until they get their stuff together. I talked to people who are smarter than me in these matters and they basically said I'm stuck. I could go to court and open an escrow account, but by the time I do all that, the air will be back on. Ideally, I would like a discount on my rent but that ain't happening. I think a fair compromise is me buying a window A/C unit temporarily, showing the receipt to my rental office, and then subtracting that amount from my rent. I can't wait to own.

And to top off this cranky entry, I had to hear about a date my mother went on last night. I respect that my mother has needs and she deserves to be happy, but the thought of her dating simply disgusts me. She should have had a daughter if she wanted discussions like that with her children.

I'm tired, my AC in my apartment wasn't working once again, and this Tuesday morning after a long weekend feels every bit like a Monday after a regular weekend. I come into my job, turn on my radio program, and begin the arduous process of getting through my day. 10 minutes after I sit down, who shows up? My intern from last summer. This is going to be a long day and a longer summer.

Here is yet another story from the I couldn't-make-it-up-if-i-tried files:

I was in the crowded CVS trying to buy some items. While walking around the store I saw this black woman with locs and she was with this Hispanic brother. The woman went down another aisle, but the guy kept walking towards me, and he said what's up and so did I. No harm in that right? About five minutes later, as I am walking out the door, the woman tries to get my attention by asking if she can ask me a personal question. I hesitate at first, and then I tell her to go ahead. She asks if I give out my number, and I said no. Then she asked me was I sure, because the Hispanic brother who she was "with" thought I was attractive and wanted my number. I calmly looked at her and said, "first of all, I am straight, and second of all, I have a girlfriend". Her response was to say, "Well my name is Lisa, can I have your number?" and then she extended her hand. I just turned around and walked out.

Now, I suppose in this day and age I should be used to men directly or indirectly hitting on me, but I am not. And this may not be a PC thing to say, but whenever this happens(and yes its happened more than once) I want to wring the neck of the person coming at me like that. Then I calm down, and handle it like a responsible adult. I wonder how straight, non curious women react when they get hit on by other women? Perhaps I'm over-reacting a bit, but I don't care one bit. I'm not flattered at all by another man taking interest in me. I know my Hispanic brother was just following is heart and all, but still. This has happened enough to make me wonder what the hell I give off, to have been hit on by men so many times.

Caught Out There - Kelis

The bottle of wine my lady and I bought for my neighbor is STILL sitting outside of my neighbors door. We placed the bottle of wine outside of her door at 8:30 pm yesterday. It is currently, 11am, and the bottle was still there. Maybe she went out and had a long night, or maybe she's having marathon sex, and has yet to open her front door. If by 8:30pm today, she has not picked up that wine, I swear I will take it back, and drink all of that wine like a champ. Besides, the longer it stays out there, the longer one of our other neighbors could steal our idea, and leave their own bottles, thus making nullifying my gesture. The only thing that could make me feel better is some BBQ, and I've yet to receive an invite.

In other news, it is looking like my brother, his wife may possibly be moving to the DC area, and I could not be happier. I won't jinx by talking about it too much. But the possibility of being able to babysit my little nephew one night, go drinking on the town with my brother another night, then do ghey couple things with he and his wife on yet another night, is pretty damn cool.

About three months ago when I moved into my apartment, I mentioned that my new neighbor left my lady and I a bottle of wine. Initially I was annoyed that I was basically being forced to speak with this person, but eventually I appreciated the kind gesture. Yesterday, I noticed that someone moved in across the hall from me, so I think I will return the favor. We will purchase some wine, put it in a nifty bag with a note, and leave it outside her door. I hoping and praying that this doesn't lead to any annoying neighbor shit. As I'm typing this, my lady just came in and told me her name is Alex. A woman with a male name...STRIKE ONE.

I saw the movie Ironman last night, and I loved it. Tomorrow, I'll tackle Indiana Jones. Even though Harrison Ford is 89 years old, you can't pass up a movie directed by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas.

I was invited to a bbq on Friday night, and I completely forgot about it until today, and now I'm pissed. As it stands right now I have zero bbq prospects. So if any of you people in the DC/MD/VA area are having a cookout, please let me know so my lady and I can crash. We are excellent guests, we will bring fine wine, maybe a deck of card and Scrabble, and I can DJ. This is sad.

You know when you go the doctor's office, and you get to that inevitable part of the visit where a needle has to go inside you arm? They find a vein, wrap some sort of band around your bicep, rub alcohol in the area, and then they prepare to go in for the kill. At that point, you turn away, and you just wait for the needle to be inserted..but then for some reason the doctor isn't quite ready yet, because he's still looking for a vein, so you keep looking away, then looking at him, and the whole process seems to last an eternity. This is my bad and convoluted analogy to what it is like waiting for my goddamn stimulus check to come.

It would be different if I didn't know how much I was expecting or when it was going to arrive. Then I would just be minding my own business and BAM!, the check would catch me off guard, and life would be grand. But the IRS ruined all that, by giving you charts, bells and whistles that let you know via your social security number: 1)what week it should be mailed out/deposited and 2)how much you will be receiving. On top of everything else, I have closed the bank account my income tax refund was deposited in , and I didn't fill out a change of bank account form until earlier this month. So I will receive a paper check, instead of a direct deposit. I calmly called the IRS, and they told me on May 5th, that I should receive the check some time in the next 3 weeks. So now every damn day, on my way home, I get all excited thinking this could be the day, and I open the mailbox, and I see nothing but bills and Chinese restaurant menus. Its totally frustrating and I wish I weren't so damn neurotic about this all, but I am.

The age of 33 continues to be the gift that keeps right on giving. In the past 48 hours I have discovered a new nose hair, been diagnosed with a bulging disk in my back, and noticed yet another gray hair in my beard. The nose hair had me sniffing and blowing my nose like Marion Barry until I finally figure out what it was. My back issues, which are flaring up for the second time this year, have caused me to stop running in the morning. The funny thing about that is that I have actually LOST weight during that same period of time. The gray hair in my beard really hasn't changed my life as of yet, but I'll keep you posted.

I realized the other day that my family is going through some serious issues right now. My brother lost his job, my mother is dealing with the fact that her mother and stepfather, can no longer support themselves, and my father is dealing with health issues as well. I have faith that everyone will come through it, but it is a weird thing to deal with and watch. In the past, my family would have problems one at a time, but it never seemed to last long or be that serious. These current issues are very serious, and in the case of my mother, not only will they not go away, but I need to be paying close attention to them, since I will be in that very position. I'm not trying to depress anyone, I just think I needed to get this in writing and out of my head. There are enough thoughts in there as it is, every now and then I need to deposit some in this blog. That's what its here for right?

And since I dont want to end on a depressing note, I think I shall mention a juicy tidbit from my trip to the barbershop. During the week, my barbershop usually has sports on tv, which makes sense since 90% of the clients are males. On the weekends, since lots of parents bring their kids in, they usually have kiddie movies on, and I can tolerate that. Yesterday, during the same time of day that PTI is usually on ESPN, these fools had on the movie, 27 Dresses...I repeat, 27 Dresses. Not only was the movie on, but each and every person in that shop (including me) was totally captivated by the plot, and at several points during my haircut, my barber actually stopped to watch. 11 years I've been going in that shop, and I have never seen anything like it. I am used to seeing Tyler Perry movies, or action flicks, or sports, but a girly movie like 27 Dresses? Never. It was acutally pretty good though, so run out and rent it.

My Flame - Bobby Caldwell

He Had Game

There is a going away lunch for my boss today, and in preparation, a menu was passed around yesterday. Everyone was supposed to look at the menu, write down what they wanted, pay money, and then when the food arrives the next day (today) we would all sit around look at each other eat. That's my job's idea of a how to send someone off. Anyway, I missed the initial pass around of the menu, so one of my co-workers had to manually bring it to me, and explain what was happening. I asked her to leave the menu with me for a few minutes while I decided what I wanted to eat. When she returned five minutes later, I was undecided, so I quickly decided to get something called a Summer salad. As I was writing it down, I mentioned to her how manly of a meal a salad was, and she laughed. Then she said, "What happened to manly meals like fried chicken or something?"(yes she was white). Then came the following exchange:

Me: Fried chicken, really?
Her: *starts turning red*
Me: I didn't even see fried chicken on this menu, was it on there?
Her: On my God, I'm sorry Rashad, I wasn't trying to offend you at all, i'm so sorry
Me: Oh no its cool, just help me find chicken on the menu, because I didn't see it

*awkward pause*

Me: Ok, well let me get back to work
Her: I'm sorry again
Me: Whatever b**ch (in my head of course)

Now in defense of this woman, she has been nothing but nice to me since she's been here, and she's on the short list of people here I can actually tolerate for five minutes or less. Who knows whether she meant to be offensive or not. So in times like this, rather than going all Al Sharpton on people, I find it is best to use sarcasm and act like nothing happened, and then watch the offending party squirm and hang themselves with their own noos..I mean rope. Perhaps I handled this wrong, but it clearly would not be the first time I have botched a situation. About 2 hours later, I saw her in the hall, and I asked if she found that chicken on the menu yet, and she just awkwardly laughed. I think for today's luncheon I will toss the salad (pause) and stroll in with some KFC.

I wondered out loud to my ladyfriend the other day, whether or not I should begin talking to my son about sex. He'll be 11 this year, and the majority of his interests revolve around sports(what a shocker). But he's getting bigger and his body is developing and there's no telling what kind of hormones and unexpected erections he has flying around. I don't want tempt him too soon, but I damn sure don't want him going out there ill-equipped to deal with sex and sex-related issues. I know with women, the arrival of the first menstrual cycle tends to be the time when sex-related talks happen. I guess for my son, the wet dream could be the indcicator, but that's a dicey situation for a boy. We don't always know what a nocturnal emission is, and our first thought is that the Urine Fairy has paid us a visit, and as if we were on an episode of CSI, we immediately clean and clear all of the evidence.

I remember my dad giving me a b.s. talk about sex when I was 15, and on my way to journalism camp at Syracuse University. He went a bought me some condoms, and he said, if any of these women step to you, be sure to wear these. Mind you, I had lost my virginity about 5 years early(even though I hadn't had sex since then), and I had never worn a condom in my life. Still, I just said, "thanks dad", and then he dropped me off for a week. The first thing I did when I got back to the room is "manipulate" my genitalia so that I could try the condom on, and get my application speed down. Thank god there were no cameras on and youtube didn't exist. I struggled with the first one, then I grabbed another, and it was all good. And while I didn't expect my dad to give a condom tutorial, I did expect to hear more of a talk. So all that being said, some time in the next few weeks, i'm going to talk to the boy about sex, condoms, etc. This should be absolutely hilarious.

A year ago today I lost 99% of everything I owned in an apartment fire. I lost clothes, records, files, dishes, furniture and everything. My laptop was spared, as were some selected clothes but other than that everything was gone. I remember feeling totally lost and vulnerable for quite some time afterwards. i also remember how generous some of my friends were in terms of helping me get back on my feet, and making sure I had everything I needed, and even now, I don't talk to all of them, but I have never forgotten the help of each and every one who helped me. For about two weeks now, I thought about how I would write about and acknowledge this day, and I never really came up with anything substantive. And even though I lost a hell of a lot that day, I have gained much more. I have had my writing published, I have a much better relationship with my son, I have replaced some of the items I lost, but most of all, I have gained a beautiful woman who will be my wife very soon. So in that respect, I feel like some good came out of that tragedy. But I still have down days..I still miss some of the things I lost in that fire. I miss how cozy things were in my old apartment. And I still feel very blessed that I wasn't in the apartment the night in happened, because in the words of the firemen who boarded up my place, I "would have been a goner".

So, just in case God reads my blog, I want to thank him for sparing me on that day. And I would like to thank any of my readers who helped me get through that day. I appreciate it more than you'll ever know.

I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know - Donnie Hathaway

Just a few short hours ago, I got back from the grocery store and I saw first hand how the high prices are affecting people. In each and every aisle, I saw couples having long drawn out discussions about what they were buying. I overheard people discuss the amount they were paying, how long the product they were purchasing would last, and whether they were getting the best bargain. I know people normally do comparative shopping, but with the prices of food so much higher, people are have taken it to a much higher level. My lady and I spent most of our grocery trip trying avoid this woman and her husband. The husband was basically doing whatever his wife asked him to do. The wife was talking loudly about every damn product in the store, and at one point she tried to bother my lady and I. We were about to purchase chicken, and she took this time to get on her high horse, so she she could talk about how high the prices were. Bullshit conversations like this have no place in the grocery store, so we gave her some fake response, then we briskly walked away. Every knows prices are high, but everyone has to eat, so shut the hell up, shop and go home. No talking. That being said, we spent $50 more than we had anticipated. We won't need groceries until August, but it put a dent in my wallet.

And yes I'm discussing groceries in my blog. I know I'm not the only one who has felt the rise in prices.

I am starting to feel guilty when I don't write a little something in the blog, and I blame you, the customers. I read other blogs and they go 4 and 5 days without adding anything, and it never bother me. But when I attempt to do that on my own blog, I feel like an absolute slacker. There must be a way I can ignore that accountability and just not blog for a week or something.

I went to see the Roots and Erykah Badu last night, and neither one of them disappointed. I was a little disappointed that the Roots had to perform in front a half-empty arena, but it didn't stop them from putting on a great show. They performed old and new songs without missing a beat, and the both the band and Black Thought were on point as usual. By the end of their set, Constitution Hall was fully packed, but I could still tell that a large portion of the crowd was there to see Badu, not the Roots.

Badu was damn good. She sounds way better live than she does on her cds, her band was incredible(although i wish the Roots would have backed her), and her background singers complimented her perfectly. Badu started with songs off her new cd, and then she closed with older songs, and I loved them all. And, with apologies to my lovely girlfriend, I got several looks at Badu's ass...it was just aight The only down side of the night, was the hour intermission in between the Roots and Badu. Intermissions are for plays not concerts. They could have had a comedian come out there or something.

My lady and I then went to the afterparty, and proceeded to drink and dance the night away, which is why I am blogging at 7:40 pm and not am. It was good clean fun though.

How To Stop LeBron James

The Root - D'Angelo
Love Ballad - L.T.D.
Love Will Find A Way - Lionel Richie

Three songs from three different decades. Lionel and Jeffrey can sing their asses off, D'Angelo does something that resembles singing. So what do these songs have in common? During the last 2 minutes of the song, they repeat their choruses over and over again. This may not sound like a big deal to you, but this is a phenomenon not often heard in songs on the radio these days. All three of these songs have that component, and its absolutely beautiful, and it damn near puts you in a trance. So take some time out of your day, and listen to each of these songs, but pay special attention to the end. For the L.T.D. song, the good part starts at the 2:55 mark; for the Lionel Richie song, the magic starts at the 3:38 mark, and for the D'Angelo song the trance starts at the 4:37 mark. Its quite possible you could listen, and not hear a damn thing, but I doubt it.

Back before my father went into business for himself, he worked for Marriott Corporation in Bethesda, MD. He used to tell me that while he was there, he would do his best to mentor younger folks black and white, but especially black. There was this one brother who worked in the mail room, who came into my father's office to talk. The young brother explained that although he was in the mail room, he had much bigger dreams within the company, and he asked my father for suggestions on expediting that long process. My father gave him a laundry's list worth of advice, but the last thing my father said to him is, "You've gotta cut that mess out of your hair". The guy had his hair cornrowed, and my father told him that it simply was not professional. The young guy resented my father saying that, and told him that his hair was irrelevant, and what really mattered was whether he could do the work. My father said he was being naive, and the young brother insisted on being defiant and it was left at that. The brother applied for a job in another division, didn't get it, and shortly thereafter he was gone. Later on, my father learned that the people doing the hiring, said that all the candidates who applied for the job seemed pretty even, so they went with the dude who "looked the part", and that excluded the mail room brother. I told my father that sounded unfair, and he told me as unfair as it sounded, that is how business is conducted sometiems. He also told me then that part of keeping it real, is knowing how and when to pick your battles.

So fast forward to my workplace in 2008. There is this young guy in the office..we'll call him T, since he may or may not read my blog. He comes to work everyday looking like he's an extra for a rap video. The jeans are really baggy, he has a sweat jacket on, he's rocking the cornrows, and amazingly, he was a do rag on top of the cornrows. T is real energetic, real nice, but his appearance sticks out like a sore thumb. Either no one has cared enough to tell him how to dress in a professional environment, or he's choosing to ignore it because he is able to keep his job. I don't know what the hell he does, because he works on another floor anyway. But I really do want to say something to him, because the shit bothers me. I don't want to come off like a cranky old man to him(he's like 23 or 24), but I would hate to think that no one has told him how to carry himself either. I suspect many an older person goes through this same scenario with a young person somewhere. It should be an easy choice but it isn't always.

And now, a lesson on tact and public speaking by Mr. Shaquille O'Neal:

Lebron James - The 2 minute man.

It is truly amazing to me what threatening someone will get you in the world of customer service. As I have mentioned here before, I get the newspaper home delivered every Sunday; however, recently, the inserts of my paper have come up missing. The first weekend I just figured I was out of luck. The last two weekends, I have actually called up the Washington Post, and I asked them to re-deliver my inserts, but to no avail. So yesterday I called customer service, and asked them to cancel my subscription. I said that for all headache I've endured trying to get some damn inserts, I might as well go across the street and buy the paper for one fitty at the store. The guy gave me the standard, "Well sir I understand how that can be an inconvenience", and I wanted to say, "Do you really buddy?, but I took the high road like Denny Green. I asked them to cancel my subscription, and then all of a sudden, the customer service guy turned into Santa Claus reaching in his bag.

First he offered to reimburse me for the past 3 weekends, then he offered me two more weeks of free service. I said sir, all the free service in the world means nothing if I'm getting an incomplete product, but he vowed to rectify the sit-chi-ation. So this morning as I am trekking out of my apartment, what do I see? An early edition of the Tuesday morning paper, which is quite a shock, consider I only pay for Sunday. I must admit I was impressed..we'll see what happens Sunday though.

I have another item to add to the ever growing list of things guys cannot do together: Share an umbrella. Last Thursday, I was walking to a meeting in another building with my male co-worker, and I noticed the wind was wreaking extreme havoc on his cheap umbrella.. My umbrella was still working like a champ, and for a quick second, he looked longingly at mine. But then, he snapped out of it, and did his very best to fix his umbrella until we got to our destination. On the way there, some of our female co-workers were like, "Just get under Rashad's umbrella", and we both politely declined. I won't say that is ghey to share an umbrella, but it s a bit too familiar. My son and my dad have those privileges, but that's it.

I'll Never Turn My Back On You (Father's Words) - Terence Trent D'Arby

I made a deal with my coat, back in April, that it wouldn't see the light of day until late September/early October. I didn't care how cold, windy and rainy it was during the following months, I was going to remain steadfast in my stance. The way I see it, if the weather is operating the way it should, the temperatures in April should be in the 60s at the lowest, and then slowly ascend through the spring and summer months. With my apologies to Al Gore, that really hasn't changed despite the other magical things that are happening globally. So when I woke up this morning, and I saw that the temperatures were in the low 40s, almost two weeks into May, I was not a happy camper. I looked at my coat, and told it that it wasn't the boss of me, and I went to grab a sweater and a sports coat, and that held me down in the cold temps. Was I a bit cold? Yes. Is it possible that some type of cold will overtake me in the next couple of days? Maybe. But do I have the upper hand over my jacket? Hell yes.

I'm not even going to pretend I have a lot to say today. Its rainy, I'm operating one less than 3 hours sleep, and its Monday.

Fleetwood Mac - Silver Springs

I call my mother to wish her a happy mother's day, and she says thank you, and then she informs me that my grandfather may have suffered a mild stroke. In fact, at the time I called, she was sitting in the emergency room. I could hear the concern in her voice, and I instantly wish I was there with her. My grandmother's health is slowly declining, and my grandfather's health hadn't been too good when this happened. Before we got off the phone, my mother was thinking out loud about possibly moving back to Akron, to be closer to her mother and stepfather. I started thinking to myself, what I would I do? I still don't have an answer.

Some random Saturday morning thoughts..

Yesterday I sat here and wrote that this would be the first Mother's Day I spent without my mother in quite some time. Then, last night I read this blog entry from last night, and I realized that I wasn't with my mother last year either, and now I feel extra guilty. I'm going to have to book a flight to Greensboro, North Carolina sometime in the near future. This is just ridiculous.

Last year at this time I was still with ex, and I was working feverishly to convince anyone within earshot that I was happy. But in reality, I was miserable, I was cheating, and I was trying to make a long distance relationship work. I'd like to this time to apologize to my friends who had to listen to my numerous spin jobs about how happy I was.

I can't stand Sex and the City, and frankly I don't know any straight man that does. I had to watch the cast of the show on Oprah with my girl the other day (long story), and it just brought home how much I can't stand the show or the people in it. None of the women are attractive, they talk too damn much, and for the life of me I cannot figure out why women flock to this show in droves. Can you imagine how crazy it will be when the movie comes out at the end of the month? Only a Roe vs Wade rally could bring out that many women, but even that is a tame estimate, because gay and lesbian women won't feel left out at Sex and the City movie. And the really funny thing is, when you ask women to explain why they like the show, you can't get a straight answer. The male equivalent to Sex and the City, was this show called Dream On that came on in the early and mid 90s. It was a great show, and I tried to catch when I could, but it didnt generate anywhere near the press and hullaballo, that Sex and the City has..

that's all for now...

Rollercoaster - Everything But the Girl

At every job, there is someone called Mr. or Ms. Shut-It-Down. This is the person that does minimal work, and likes to go desk to desk spreading their joy and pain. They will talk to you death, and hang around your desk even when you make it painfully obvious that you have work that needs to be done. After a certain point, it doesn't matter how pressing your work is, you can basically shut it all down, and just listen to what this person has to say because they are going NOWHERE. As I type this blog entry, I can hear Ms. Shut-it-down parading around the halls talking about how its Friday and she doesn't feel like doing any work, and how the MAN is getting on her nervers.I am trying to look as busy as possible as to avoid her wrath, but I don't know if it will work. What is the mind state of people like that? You are miserable and a slacker, so you make it your job to be a cancer on the job, and make people join you? This is reason number 1080 that I need to be a writer and work from home. The office environment just is not for me anymore. When I was younger it was cool, because it gave me the chance to sleep with people without having to expend any effort. Now, it just feels like people are out to purposely annoy and frustrate me. I'm sure I'm exaggerating, but it wouldn't be the first time.

I'm not spending Mother's Day with my mother, and I am feeling hella guilty about it. I think this is the first time in about 10 years, that we have not been together. My brother and I sent flowers and all that jazz to my grandmother's house where she will be, but it still isn't the same. She couldn't make up her mind whether she was going to stay home in North Carolina or go to Akron where her mother is, and by the time she did, the plane tickets were way too high for me. I am pretty sure that sometime between now and Mother's Day, she'll lay the guilt trip of life on me, and say "It sure would have been nice to have my first born here", and I'll feel even worse...I can't wait to lay that kind of guilt trip on my son. I think it's a parental rite of passage.

Are we all witnesses?

A live LL Cool J freestyle from 1985
If LL still rapped like this, I would actually pay attention to him now.

Last night while I was eating dinner, my lady had the movie, When Harry Met Sally on the television. At some point, the question of whether males and females could be friends was thrown around, Billy Crystal's character says that is simply not possible. I have mixed feelings on the subject.

One my best friends over the past 5 or 6 years is a woman, and nothing has ever gone down between us. Granted, 90% of our correspondence takes place via phone or email, because neither one of us really wants to be bothered with all the face to face business, which can get boring. In the past, when I had women problems or issue, I'd bounce them off of her, and she would keep me out of trouble. Nowadays, she has a man, and I have a lady so we don't talk quite as much, but there are no hard feelings either camp. So in that respect, I'd say yes, men and women can be friends. My lady and I, can hang with her and her man, and there is no tension at all, just good times.

On the flip side, my girl and I, started off as friends. We briefly tried to get together a few years back, but it didn't workout, so we became good friends. Much like the friend I mentioned above, we never saw each other, we just emailed Monday thru Friday. We both went in and out of relationships, and we remained friendly. There was no flirting or anything like that, just good solid friendship. Every now and then we would share something that probably shouldn't have been shared, but it was harmless. Fast forward 3 years, I saw her out randomly, and I was interested all over again, although I never said anything. And then after the fire, we went out again, and then again, and we've been going on ever since. We are still friends, but we are also very much a couple, and she is indeed the one. But this doesn't really help that men and women can be friends argument.

In sports there's an expression that in order to be champion, you have to defeat the champion. The sentiment is that no matter how good you think you are, you have to clearly demonstrate that you are better in head to head combat. And even though she isn't a champion, this must be the stance that Hillary Clinton is taking. Despite the writing that is all over the wall, she refuses to quit until the bitter end apparently. And as annoying as that is, I gotta tell you, that if I were in your shoes, I would do the EXACT same thing, and I would be even more defiant. I might even drop a few f-bombs in the process. Hillary probably fees like this her only window of time with which to succeed, since she will be 65 years old in 2012. I don't blame for sticking around, although I clearly see the argument for her conceding too.

I'm In Love Again - Michael Jackson and Minnie Ripperton

There is this guy, we'll call him Greg(his real name) who comes up to my job about once every two months. Greg left my job back in March of 2006, and I took his place. He worked here on and off for about 7 years, and everyone here at the job absolutely adores him. Those same people haven't taken a shine to me as much as they had to him, but I certainly accept that, since I'm not always the sunniest of characters. Greg makes it a point to stop by my desk every time he comes here, and I struggle for 10 minutes to come up with small talk. And if I don't come up with small talk, I get hit with questions that would make Barbara Walters proud like, "So yeah what's been up?".."Is so and so still giving you problems?", "Do you still like it here?", and it is absolutely agonizing. Yesterday I got smart, and when I heard him coming down my hallway, I made it a point to call my brother, until Greg left. Greg still came by my office, and still tried to talk to me while I was on the phone with my brother. But I just said hi, and then I pointed at the phone, which was a clear indicator that whoever was on the phone was 100 times more important. I saw Greg's face drop a bit, and then he went on to his next victim down the hall.

For the life of me, I don't understand why anyone needs to visit their old job more than twice. The first time you go back, everyone misses you, maybe you left some items behind, and its good times all around. The second time, especially if you wait at least 6 months, the good times are still there, and its a surprise. Any time after that, I don't care how good of an employee you were at the old job, you start getting looks like oh...hey. The whole act gets stale, and you make it impossible to leave on a high note. So Greg if you happen to stumble on my blog in your internet travels, please don't come back. May I suggest a mass "What's been up" email cc'ing everyone or perhaps an intensive phone call campaign? You can reach all your friends that way and save me the trouble of having to humor you while you overstay you welcome once again.

the latest article

I'm well aware there were two primaries last night, but until there is a winner declared on the Democrat side, I am under a gag order.

I Love You - Keith Washington featuring Chante Moore

So the other day, I was sitting at home watching a documentary on how Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life was created. It was basically Stevie sitting in front of various instruments, and explaining how he came up with melodies, hooks, lyrics, etc. There were also interviews with some of the musicians who originally played with him on the album. While I was watching this, I was just amazed at the genius of Stevie. I mean I've know he was talented and a genius for quite some time, but to see him playing the keyboards, the drums, humming melodies and writing lyrics about things he has never even seen is incredible if you really think about it. Even when Stevie releases a CD that is garbage, you almost want to give him a pass, because of all the songs that he did that were simply perfect. And he does all of this, and still maintains a wonderful sense of humor. If I could write well enough to touch and inspire people the way Stevie has/does, I'll be a happy man. Here's an excerpt:



I think it would be interesting to take different people in this country, and track how and where they spend this stimulus package. I know some folks who plan to just throw it in savings, and act like they never even got it; I know people who are already planning trips and purchases with the money before they even get it; And then you have those people who bitch and moan about it not being enough given the soaring prices of everything from gas to orange juice (which I paid $4.99 for on Sunday). Still, if I had the resources, I'd like to track and analyze 10 people, and see what they did with that extra money, and then at the same time watch for any changes in the economy. This sounds like a school assignment or something. But I think that so many people are just happy to get money, that the long term effects simply get ignored.

Love's In Need Of Love Today - Stevie Wonder

Ooh Baby - X-Clan

I know I shouldn't post an X-Clan and a Stevie song together, but whenever I hear this Stevie song, I always want to hear the X-Clan one, and vice versa. Its not hard to figure out why. Take a listen

I had a bad day today. I didn't wake up and run, my outfit that looked so good on Sunday night, had me looking crazy all day at work. Before I could settle down at work, someone was already asking me to do something. I didn't stir my oatmeal all the way while I was eating, so I ended up tasting raw oatmeal which is absolutely nasty. And then later on in the day, I think I told an insensitive joke to a coworker, and although he laughed, afterwards I felt badly for even coming out of my mouth like that. Even when I called my lady at work, I let some of that moody behavior creep into our conversation. So I dedicate this entry to my wonderful, loving brother who asked me why I didn't blog. When he asked me, I wanted to hit him(with love of course) with a hose full of sand. But now, after I've played 90 minutes worth of basketball, and got all of my frustrations out, I can explain myself. I just had nothing nice to say, so I said nothing. things will be normal tomorrow I hope.

So, I'd like to take an informal poll here. Let's say you met someone, and you dated for about a month or so, and then they told you they were a virgin. Would you stick around? This is inspired by me watching 40 year old virgin a little while ago. I asked my lady would she stay if she found I was a virgin, and she said she'd bail on me in a heartbeat. So I decided to ask the 4 people who read my blog what they would do. I'll hang up and listen.

My beloved Washington Wizards succumbed to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and I was pretty bummed about it. Not only do I now owe my barber $10, but I have to watch Lebron James and his Abraham Lincoln beard on television for two weeks if not more. People who know nothing or who are less than passionate about sports, say stuff to me like "What's the big deal? Its just basketball". And to those insensitive bastards, I would say that its not just basketball. I have been following the Washington Wizards/Bullets since 1987 when I moved to the DC area. I have seen numerous personnel, coaching and front office changes. I have been to numerous games and I've watched them when they sucked and when they were contenders. So when they win, I'm happy, and when they lose I feel like I was on the court with them. Its almost like watching my son play...almost.

When I talking to my main man Ryan over at Hoops Addict, he told me that as I began to cover the Wizards more and more and bring myself more exposure, I'll have to make this blog more discreet. I don't necessarily have to tone myself done and become boring, but I have to keep in mind that people are watching. And I would hate for a major publication to not hire me to work for them because they see a blog entry like this. I started writing this blog, because I knew if at least one person read this blog more than once, it would keep me on my toes and force me to write. But my ultimate goal is to write and get paid for it. I know this sounds like I am getting ready to shut this blog down, but I'm not. I may move it to wordpress.com and make it a bit more discreet..i don't know what the hell I'll do. I'm rambling.

I just opened a bank account with my girlfriend today. The magnitude of that kicked in a few minutes ago. The "M" word is officially following me around, and soon and very soon, I just may have to sit it down and hear what it has to say.

Closer - Goapele

My lady just sent me this video, which perfectly captures my relationship with running in the morning.

Last year a friend of mine used to ask me how I came up with enough material to write a blog damn near everyday. I explained to her that some days I am typing what's on my mind, and other days people just do things to and around me, and all I am doing is reporting what I see. And then you have minor incidents, like the one that happen to me a short while ago, that I write about, so I won't scream on the people who annoy me.

Right up until I came into the building to work this morning, the day was going great. I had a great run, a good shower, good kiss from my girl, I was listening to new Roots on the ipod, and life was good. I got off the elevator, walked down the hallway towards my office, and I noticed two people having a conversation in the hallway. Now this particular hallway is such that three people in it at the same time is mighty tight. So tight in fact that I'm sure a violation of personal space would occur. Keep that in mind. Anyway, these two people were having a face to face conversation, and as I walked towards them, I realized that I couldn't walk behind either one of them, because the space was too tight. I knew I had to walk between them, which was ok, because surely as I got closer, one person would back up to make my walk through easier. That isn't what happened. They kept right on talking until I was basically face to face with both of them, and THEN i had to say excuse me to get by.

Now I am nice guy, I pay my taxes, I pray, and I have sex regularly, so I think I am entitled to a smooth hallway walk at my job. If you see me coming and you know you're blocking my path in a tight public space at my job, back the f*ck up and let me pass. Instead, these individuals stopped talking, breathed heavily like I had inconvenienced their world-changing conversation, and looked at me like I was Reverend Wright at a Obama rally.. Now for a minute I was doubting whether or not I was wrong in this situation, but in my unbiased opinion I was not. In my constant pursuit of a conflict free existence, I said nothing smart or mean, I just sat my ass down and blogged about it. Since everyone around here is so obsessed with meetings, I should call one and discuss hallway and personal space etiquette. I wonder how that would go over.

My Washington Wizards will live to see another day. Now I need to figure out who my lady and I have to have a threesome with to get some free tickets.

Lost & Found (Find Me) - Ledisi