Before it's too late,

I'm making a quick entry. I'm headed to St. Louis tomorrow and there's no access in the apartment I'll be in. And that sucks.

My brother gave me his Olympus C-725. Two words: it's on (devil-ish grin).

Um. There was other stuff.... but I forgot.

Why do peanut-head, Alan Keyes-voiced negroes so dominate Fox & Friends? I just don't understand how people don't see Rupert Murdoch's perpetual inside joke. Grand sarcasm. The knuckleheads that watch it are the same one's that will complain about the content of Fox or FX. That guys a comic genius. Really.

Ok. I need to look through this script.

The Rockets Suck...

And I don't necessarily mean the players. At what point did the Rockets management become such poor judges of talent? I mean this is the club that realized what steals Sam Cassell and Mario Elie were.
Now you're shipping out your good players and hoping to find good ones in free agency and via trades - and generally failing.
Then, when you actually manage to succeed (Mike James) you trade before he's even with you for a year? You had a guy that was JUST on a championship team. Isn't that the kind of dude you WANT your young players around?
And they gave him up for what, a dude that's two years younger and with two more years on his contract (psychological problems notwithstanding).

I guess it's a sign that the only times they've picked the right personnel were flukes. They got lucky. This coming June, the Rockets will be 10 full years from their last ring. They won't be getting back there again any time soon. Alexander, Dawson and the rest have no idea how to assemble talent - at least not for the sake of winning a championship. Les certainly knows how to make money and will, therefore, keep Yao Ming on the roster for the next 57 as long as the Chinese continue to send money his way. But I'm already prepared for when McGrady gets fed up and demands a trade.
Or the management, on the spur of the moment, trades McGrady, a chocolate bar, 6 pallets of IBM Thinkpads, and a Tiffany vase for a power forward that scored 30 points in one game 15 years earlier.

Random *ish (again)

If you need to replace your headphones and don't want to pay alot, try these jawns called SparkPlugs by KOSS. Big sound for little money. Ridiculously efficient little monsters...help you save juice on your portable device 'cuz you don't have to turn it up as loud. Can be little tricky to get the fit right, so READ INSTRUCTIONS. Also, they block the ear canal, so maybe not that good if you have to pay attention to your surroundings. As I sit here, I'm supposed to be getting ready to head out tomorrow, but I can't 'cuz every time I start to be productive something with a banging beat comes on and I have to sit, hear, and head-nod to the glorious sound coming from these little things. If you go looking for them, don't do so at Best Buy - straight rip-off. The want more than what the KOSS asks for on their website.

I finally found a fish & shrimp joint out here on the island. To make it even better, it turns out to be a fish & bbq joint. Take make it glorious: REAL LIVE BLACK PEOPLE WORKING IN THE KITCHEN. Not that have a problem eating food cooked by the other flavors of my minority bretheren, but lakefood just feels better when pulled out of the deep frier by a cat that looks like he could be your cousin. If it's tex-mex, I prefer spanish speakers; if Thai food, almond-eyed folks; if Caribbean, well, just about any description could fit that - but I figure you get the gist.
When I opened the box everything looked well-seasoned, but that was a little misleading. It needed a shot of Tony's or something, still pretty good though. Freshest whiting I've ever had (but why no CATFISH!!!). The shrimp were a little overcooked, but the tartar sauce was realer than traffic jams during a transit strike. They also had sweet potato pie. Unsure whether I'd be making it to Grambling before heading to MO, I decided to sample. Not bad... The filling needed to be whipped more thoroughly and it needed to set a little bit longer in the oven, but serviceable at $2.50 for down-home-sized slice.

You do realize that people in New York City are actually stopping and letting strangers into their cars so they can drive without getting a ticket, right? Do you REALIZE how un-New York, yet completely New York that is?

Should you ever happen to be in NYC during the winter based holidays and want to set out to view some of the world-famed NYC holiday window displays, check out Bergdorf Goodman on 5th Ave. at Grand Army Plaza. It's not one of the more well known stores for seasonal decoration, but their windows have a sense of design that you don't get from most of the other stores.

Ok, I'm starting to feel woozy. I must go start packing now. Travel sucks. I still haven't decided if I'm going to stop in SC.

Right when I was cheering for this dude

Tiki Barber has been announced as a regular contributor on "Fox & Friends". I saw him on there the other morning and got suspicious, I just remembered to search it just now and found out that this has been going on periodically for a minute and is now officially (though not O-Fishully, mind you) the case.

Polish them teef nice and whyte, negro. You on teevee.

And while I'm in the subject, is he really that good or are defenses just that bad this year? KC had a run of like, 20 games without allowing a 100 yard rusher, and they all the sudden start letting this dude beat them 9 players at a time?

ah, well. back to this script i go.

Beck - "Hell Yes"

Iffin yoo ain't seen this video yet, make an appointment to do so. The nerd in you will find it glorious. The kid in you whose favorite character was Twiki on Buck Rogers will find it glorious.

just glorious

the video can also be found at his website - go to the "video" section,

but you need a fast connection and a speedy computer to really appreciate it.

Glorious!

just so you know, those are Sony's (boo) QRIO.

edit 42108: Check out "Nausea" as well. Puppets!

Byrdie Green

"Return of the Prodigal Son"

copit

I just got my script

for Yellowman. I got a little giddy opening it up. I guess after getting the call about my travel expense check and it arriving, it's starting to seem real. I have a tendency to believe that people are going to change their minds when I get cast for something I really want to be in.

I just wish I had time to stop in St. Stephen, SC to soak up a little local flavor. I might still try.

Reason #2,342 Why I Need an Accountant

or a gf thass good with money:

SAG has apparently already sent me not only the check I've been expecting since summer, but another in October as well.

You know how many lbs. of ribs I coulda smoked with them checks?

(self-inflicted gas-face)

addendum

NOT that I'm rich or anything. I just need to do a better job of making sure I'm getting paid when I'm owed money (biz-owners and otherwise self-employed folks, signify)

This isn't a rabbit, I'm just relaxed...

According to a program I saw on Discovery Channel, male arousal happens when nitric oxide is sent from the brain to "the area". The musculature of the penis is spongy, as opposed to the more fibrous nature of other muscles. When flacid, the penis' muscle is actually taught, restricting blood flow. The nitric causes the muscle to relax allowing free blood flow and the resulting expansion.

There are those with additional letters behind their names who hypothesize that female physiology works similarly.

Viagara actually works by maximizing the effect of nitric oxide, though there are concerns over it.

Since it is basically an issue of blood flow, the same issue can be addressed with vitamins/exercise.

Basically, you'll be happier if you live healthier. Yeah. Big news.

?

Last night I had a dream that I was trying out for an adventure game show of the Survivor variety. During these things they always take your picture.

Weird thing was that they were taking the pictures of you nude. I was the only one there that seemed to question this. I could understand why they wanted to see people in swimsuits ('cuz , you know, it's TV), but I seemed to be the only one questioning the need for complete nudity. I determined to defy by posing in my underthangs, but I started coming out of the dreaming depth of sleep.

Always at the good part...

Introducing Sean Edward Bennett

That's prolly Robert Edward's thumb on the side of his head. You can see his big sister Lauren's torso in the background. They're about the same number of years apart as me and Cassandra. We have a strange way of doing that on the Bennett side.

P.S: 6lbs 8oz

Peanut Butter Jelly Time

In the event that you're wondering what Brian singing in that banana suit on Adult Swim is about, click here.

Ted Lange

I missed my chance to network with Ted Lange, better known as Isaac the bartender from Love Boat, last night.

I have got get a manager.

I just ain't one for hobnobbin'.

My newest nephew

appears to a bit apprehensive about making his extra-maternal debut. Please send up shouts of encouragement when you have a moment...


(though I can't say I really blame 'im)


Ed.: He's here. Sean Edward Bennett. Stats and pics to come.

"My Ebony Princess"

by Jimmie Briscoe & the Little Bea.

yeah.

cop that.

ESPN GAMEDAY IS AT THE CLASSIC

ESPN Gameday is in Houston for the Bayou Classic?!??!?? What!!!!?!?!??!

(ridiculous glee)

What Is this for?

For all of my jumping up and down about how ppl should blog and how blogger is at least ridiculously easy, I cannot figure out how to get MySpace to do what I want it to.

Which, basically, is to point to this blog.

I'd care less, but, like, er-body is MySpacing now. Which I don't like. I don't like seeing things centralized at one site. That's what's gorgeous about blogging. You got options.

I want my MySpace blog to point here.
I've already got two years and change invested in this one.

But I feel obligated to keep the MySpace acct 'cuz, as previously stated, errybody (I give a nickel about) has one.

'Least it makes more sense than Friendster.

(jinkies)

I apologize for not being able

to spend more time at home as I planned. I got cast in a play.

My bad.

In other news, ladies who are tired of being harassed by men: this seems like a good idea. In addition to making camera phones seem useful.

(although the quality would be SO much better with a cheap digi cam)

LIFE - Spongbob Edition

they made a Spongebob version if LIFE!!!!!!

Free Housing?

Read

Blog Spammer Dedication

It would appear that someone has either figured out a way around word verification for comments or these nitwits are focused enough to actually go through wach page individual-like to post garbage.

Guard your blogs carefully....

Fridays suck

at this job.

& that just ain't right.

(cue the K. Sweatt)

Something only those who never got whipped could be mad at...

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/3466665

One girl's very public punishment

Mom's approach to her daughter's behavior, grades causes controversy

By SEAN MURPHY
Associated Press

EDMOND, OKLA. - Tasha Henderson got tired of her 14-year-old daughter's poor grades, her chronic lateness to class and her talking back to her teachers, so she decided to teach the girl a lesson.

She made Coretha stand at a busy Oklahoma City intersection Nov. 4 with a sign that read: "I don't do my homework and I act up in school, so my parents are preparing me for my future. Will work for food."

"This may not work. I'm not a professional," said Henderson, a 34-year-old mother of three. "But I felt I owed it to my child to at least try."

In fact, Henderson has seen a turnaround in her daughter's behavior in the past week and a half. But the punishment prompted letters and calls to talk radio from people either praising the woman or blasting her for publicly humiliating her daughter.

"The parents of that girl need more education than she does if they can't see that the worst scenario in this case is to kill their daughter psychologically," Suzanne Ball said in a letter to the Oklahoman.

Marvin Lyle, 52, said in an interview: "I don't see anything wrong with it. I see the other extreme where parents don't care what the kids do, and at least she wants to help her kid."

Coretha has been getting C's and D's as a freshman at Edmond Memorial High in this well-to-do Oklahoma City suburb.

While Henderson stood next to her daughter at the intersection, a passing motorist called police with a report of psychological abuse, and an Oklahoma City police officer took a report. Mother and daughter were asked to leave after about an hour, and no citation was issued. But the report was forwarded to the state Department of Human Services.

"There wasn't any criminal act involved that the officer could see that would require any criminal investigation," Master Sgt. Charles Phillips said. "DHS may follow up."

DHS spokesman Doug Doe would not comment on whether an investigation was opened, but suggested such a case would probably not be a high priority.

Tasha Henderson said her daughter's attendance has been perfect and her behavior has been better since the incident.

Coretha, a soft-spoken girl, acknowledged the punishment was humiliating but said it got her attention. "I won't talk back," she said quietly, hanging her head.

She already had been forced by her parents to give up basketball and track because of slipping grades, and said she hopes to improve in school so she can play next year.

Donald Wertlieb, a professor of child development at the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development at Tufts University, warned that such punishment could do extreme emotional damage. He said rewarding positive behavior is more effective.

"The trick is to catch them being good," he said. "It sounds like this mother has not had a chance to catch her child being good or is so upset over seeing her be bad, that's where the focus is."

Cool

here's a pretty interesting photoblog I just came across. Good way to make backgrounds (for those who spend 5 hours a day making new bg's - like me).

the Black Eyed Peas gives Southern Food a bad name

so I'm going to have to develop some readily recognizable, but wholly insulting derivative of the name so I can crack on them and still enjoy dinner on New Year's. Although it really shouldn't be a problem since I don't really spend a great deal of time thinking about them.

That said:

While BEP is quite nausea inducing as the Barney & Friends of the pop rap world, they seem even more pitiful trying to be risqué.

"My Humps"? What?

First: get a singer who can visually sell the concept of having curves worth referring to as humps.

Second: Stop trying to add to the cultural lexicon. The cool youth have a bad habit of eschewing corporate attempts to add to their culture.

Then again, I guess purple dinosaurs have to copulate, too.

No, actually, they don't (no nuts).

I'm going to start a new line of hate-wear aimed at college-aged, well-to-do, white kids.

It's going to be called Bah & Bollocks.

Then I'm going to manufacture a pop/rap group to market it called

The Wack-ass Cheese.



Haters Unite - Funk the White House (Laura would appreciate it)



PEace: ceederble

Run's House addendum

Ok, I take it back. There's blatant setuppery. Looks like it anyway. Still watchable for some reason.



I didn't even like RUN-DMC. I liked Down with the King. But I don't think that counts.

Run's House

I never thought I'd be admitting to liking a reality show, especially on on MTV, but Run's House is the jawn.

It does, at times feel, set up (see the "sportsmanship" ep). For the greater part though, it's nicely normal.

But not in a "see how normal these rich people are" type way.

OK. No more talking about TV. I can feel my sentences fragmenting.

"English is the language of success"

so sayeth the Conservative half of Hannity and Colmes.

Somewhat strange to say considering it seemed to be intended to support the need for immigrants to be willing to assimilate in France.

France.

France

I don't, at all, think this dude believes anything he says. It's all pandering to the intended Fox audience.

The overall deal had to do with "the media" not being willing to refer to those participating in the French uprising as Muslim; how we must be willing to focus on Muslims since they're the ones causing all the trouble.

Aside from the general violation of what I've always been told are American ideals in that line of thought, what I've heard from the news is that those involved are mostly Black and Arab from North and sub-Saharan Africa. I was tempted to call or write to clue homie to the news that not everyone of African decent is Muslim, but I remembered that dude just says whatever he thinks will appeal to the intended demographic (and invites guests who do the same).

I wonder if, during Vietnam or Watergate or the entirety of the 80's, the words "end of the American empire" were thrown around much.

Like 80's R&B? - (Joy, stop frontin')

This is pretty nice stream. Click on the rather small speaker icon in the top right corner of the page.

:)

Returning home, I did something I usually do: looked somewhere I already had.
vv
My ID's and pics were in my bag. Not sure how it came out of the wallet, though.

Happy
glee
thanks
relief

ok, enough of that. back to the hate.

Curtis "50 Cent" jackson is a moron.

I wonder how long before somebody tries make him "the next Tupac"...

dipshit.

:(

I just realized why my wallet felt so much thinner last night. My ID insert fell out somewhere. If memory serves I heard a slap on the ground somewhere during this past week while walking around NYC. I'll check the places I went yesterday, but I fear it is quite gone. Which means all my pictures that were in are gone also. Hopefully it's at home on the floor.

Been meaning to put those in an album for a minute...

:(

The Adidas Ozweego

is the perfectest fitting on my foot shoe ever. I went slipped one on today and was reminded of what made my pay fullprice almost nine years ago. It hasn't happened again since.

Why can't I find a casual moc-toe boot that feels as good on my foot as the Ozweego?

I think I'm gonna just buy some and paint them dark brown.

It really is the best feeling shoe ever.

And while I'm talking about being good to the foot...

Why do women wear heels that cause their ankles to turn? Don't that @#$# feel scary? I break it down to one knee like James whenever I even think my ankle's about to give on the x-axis. And how do you walk around NYC with that on all day? And you WONDER why you're pigeon-toed?

A hypothesis: one should never wear a shoe with a narrower heel or forefoot area than one's own heel or forefoot.

Seek health not vanity.

Balance AND stability. (metaphorically and literally)

Uh, somebody call Jesse, I just wrote him a banger.

Boondock Follow-up

Upon the 3am viewing, I realized that an egregious though not uncommon (in the 80's low-budget stuff) mistake was made.

While Grandad is explaining that they're all going to the garden party, the same voice gets used for Huey & Riley. It could be a result of Ms. King having gotten confused. It could've been a script mistake during v/o taping. Whatever the case, it should've been caught. Of course if the characters were better (more distinctly) voiced, that catch would've been easier.

Alas, we'll see how the next few go...

Squidbillies

is the JAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWN!!!!!!!!!!

especially the "Chalky Trouble" episode

if only boondocks was this good (sigh.....must.....reserve......judgement........)

Boondocks Cartoon Review: First Episode

First Segment

"Hush nigger" was funny.

John Witherspoon is only sorta getting on my nerves at this point.

Regina King's voicing is NOT working. Who made that decision. Why would you make that decision?

The jokes seem to be a bit over-the-head-with-a-blunt-object for my taste. Part of what's funny on the strip is that you CAN'T say "nigger", or certain other things. @$%@# makes it funny. (d@mn, it)

Second Segment

"I think the 'n' word is ok if they say it," was funny

Charlie Murphy voices a white dude: funny, but he could've been used on a better character. Neverthelss, Charlie Murphy talking - anytime - is hilarious.

Summary

First ep's are usually sort of dragged down by plot setup, but there wasn't much here. Still series can improve as they move into the third week, so I'll reserve judgement.

Of what I've seen so far, however, I ain't real enthused.

So they said nigger a lot. I can go and hear that !$!# in damn near any public school 8th grade homeroom.

Wow (name)

There is a member of my alma mater's current football team whose first name is

SirVincent

That is not misspelled, miss-capitalized or mis-spaced.

I need some backstory on that one...

Respitory problems suck

'nuff said.

Fun with staring

Over the past couple of months, people have commented to me about people staring at them.

Yesterday was my turn.

I noticed the whole time I was out yesterday that people seemed to be taking more than usual notice of me. There never seemed to be any disgust involved, and I wasn't wearing anything out of the ordinary: hoodie, tam, jeans. (shrug)

I was walking through Chelsea on my way to rehearsal and, as they passed, two male toddlers started pointing at me and sing-saying "there's the clown". I would've gotten krunk with the parents, but I realized they were out with their nannies, and nannies really don't give a $@*# as long as their bratly wards aren't interrupting their conversations with the other nannies.

Ladies, if you use this, please keep it to yourself

I recently came across Gizmag.com, a site that chronicles mankind's inventions (not burdensomely geek intensive at all).

While perusing it I came across this.

More "mature outlook to basic bodily function" notwithstanding, let's hope commercials for this don't turn up during daytime tv in the US.

My father is a deacon

and (if I remeber correctly) that makes my mother a deaconess.

I wonder...

does that work in reverse?

Wow

"I think that's about all I'll say about that..."

Astroworld is Closing?!!?

Again, nobody tells me these things.

The last time I rode a roller-coaster was AstroWorld. I went with Leslie. I would call it a date, but I was busy doing my annoying little brother thing. More like two twenty-somethings out sweating giving themselves neckcramps with pre-teens because there was nothing better to do.

The tube slide at WaterWorld was the jawn.

2005 sucks.

The f#$2?!?!

I accidently surfed past the 10th Annual Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards* on VH1 just know. Toni Braxton was "performing" (a fairly transparent job of lip synching 0 but it is Soul Train) some new song that she's hoping catches on. During this, she's holding her pinky aloft to emphasize some point contained in the song (stop trying so hard - it's all negated by the fact the you're LIP SYNCHING). Near to her was some dancer in mime makeup who obviously had not been trained in that par-ticular form of clowning.
But that is all ancillary information. The main point is this:

what the @$%@% was she wearing?

Toni, you got your figure back. We get it. Please, move on. Sing some songs that don't suck and get over your self (prolly in reverse order) and maybe, just maybe you'll become relevant again.

(sigh)

*Could not the "ladies of soul" be covered as part of the main Soul Train Awards? And why are there still the Soul Train Awards? Does Shamar Moore even still watch it? Doesn't VH1 already have it's own "soul" awards show?

(incredulous look, wait for answer...)

(sigh)

TOYS!!!!!

When I get home I should two fresh boxes waiting for me to tear into. Some shoes I ordered (Tiff, I really do mean to keep them but I can make no promises - I demand perfection) & a spanking new DVD Burner. Not only will I be able to watch DVD's again, I'll be able to pirate them as well! Yay, capitalism! Mad shout-outs to Barbie Doll (the Mom Wonder) for financing that particular electronic purchase.

One can only hope that I'll enough sense to not spend all night installing a DVD burner while breaking in new shoes. I got to get up and work again tomorrow, albeit later and much closer to home.

(big cheeze)

A 64 year old man covered in and lying in a pool if his own blood,

and they cops pleaded not guilty.

I wonder which one is going to take the responsibility for erroneously claiming he was drunk.

Teaching is, apparently, hell.

All three of my close friends who are currently teachers are now actively seeking other emplyment.

Their first complaint was the other teachers, then administrators and finally the kids.

The Afformentioned Recantation...

Last Tuesday, I had a rehearsal at a theater near Times Square. I worked in the Bronx that day, so I had to find a way to kill the couple of hours between getting of the train from work and the beginning of rehearsal. I went and got a burrito in a bowl, but that only killed an hour. So, I decided to partake of my most recent in-city passtime: playing Madden 96 on my iPaq (something your ipod cannot do).
In order to do so, I needed a place to stand still. I chose a subway entrance at the corner of 8th and 44th. I felt strangley conspicuous standing there. This is generally in keeping my habit of being places I shouldn't.
After a few minutes of standing on the corner of this busy NYC street at 7 p.m.-ish on a Tuesday with rabble of locals and touristy types going to see gen-u-ine B'way shows and get gouged at the local eating establishments, I noticed a woman walk up and stop at the corner of a building a few feet away from where I stood. She had on a mini-skirt, high-heeled riding boots, irridescent little purse with cellphone clipped to, a bit weavey and a mite make-uppy.
I continued playing (tearing the through the 1996 NFL season with a furious airborne attack). After watching her scan and walk back and forth for a moment, it began to occur to me that this was indeed a prostitute. I was trying to figure out if whe felt I was in her spot (because, as a little brother, I tend to assume I'm in somebody's way). One might suggest that she was wondering if she should proposition me, but I assure you that there's something about me that let's people know I hate anything remotely fun. I can't get NO action at the club. Um, anyway...
There is a young Central American-looking man that passes us heading toward my left. Without much intent she walks toward the direction he did. She then returns to her spot. The young man returns past her and they almost catch a glance. He continues and she again walks in the same direction, this time with slightly more intent. Realizing the opportunity, I hesitate not in persuance.
At first they maintain distance, but the lady makes ground up on him without particular exertion. They are now walking together as though they are acquainted, and I continue in pursuit maintaining enough distance to not be noticed (yes, I am purposely trying to make this sound like a nature documentary; feel free to assume the narration is in British accent).
They turn right on 43rd. I just barely regained sight of them after turning onto that street when several men in bulletproof vests come from a parking lot betwen buildings and, without great effort or fanfare, pull the young man over the side of a building to arrest him. The alleged prostitute is escorted by one man across the street toward a school.
I continue on down the street wondering if anyone besides me has noticed the sting that just took place.

the further adventures of me in the city...

I must remember to relay the recount of my having suspected that I was standing next to a prostitute on a corner near Times Square on the still somewhat seedy side....

Marry Your Baby Daddy Day

Marry Your Baby Daddy Day

this isn't made up

it actually happened

and was covered on the local cable news channel

I can't choose a reaction so I leave it to you:

(sigh) or WTF?!?

Hip-Hop Honors

I just watched the Kane performance from VH-1's little shindig. Save for TI's little contribution, it was pretty hype (yeah, I took the slang back). TI was ok, Common was out of breath - although the windmill at the end saved it, and Black Thought was on point to the point of being priceless. Then Kane came out and did it all including the dance moves. Hot like fiyah.


Did I mention I was in a lobby last week and Common walked in?

The price of late-night online classified scouring

I am currently at work

In the Bronx

I've been here since 8a

Which means I left on the boat by 6:20a

Which means I've been up since roughly 5a

Which means my alarm was going off since 4:30a.

I have a show to do tonight...

Why is it only 2:30p...

E-mail be damned, the first thing

I'm going to do when

I get home tonight

At (very optimistically) 11:30p

Will be to collapse atop whatever is

Currently strewn across my bed

Without even so much as

A cup of pink cashmere.

(gasface)

No, really tell me to stop looking at bikes on Craigslist

While looking around Craigslist.com, I found this: http://newyork.craigslist.org/que/mcy/99690030.html It's basically what I'm looking for, and it's in a price range that, at least in the immediate future, I can afford.

I really need someone to remind me that I'm supposed to be saving money to join SAG/take VO lessons. Oh, yeah. There's also that shool loan thing.

And they really need to be quick, because I'm coming up with some REALLY good rationale focusing on how much sense it makes to buy the bike now that the riding season as over so I have plenty of time to register it and get licensed before Spring.

I SO need 2 or 3 $20K commercials.

Looters?

Am I stupid for wondering where the concern for "looting" in Houston comes from? Is there a sense of desperation that I'm missing?

If theft was going to take place, wouldn't it be at retail businesses?

The fear of those wild, unruly, unpredictable negroes continues.

Guess I'll go loot me a shower so I can go do this play tonight.

(sigh)

payingbillsblows

What is it about engineers

that causes them to be unable to return the copier to its closed position after use? Is there something about copier design that I, a mere mortal, do/can not understand that would make leaving it open advantageous?

All Time High Hits for the O-Fishul

While the primadonnas were collecting their Emmy's last night, the stats for the O-Fishul are in for last week. While not the absolute most hits for a seven day period, there does seem to have been an unusually high number of new IP addresses registering in the counter. The balance between new and returning visitors was only different by one. I like that.

Thank you for making me feel loved.

Now give me money
When I'm in need
Then you'll be a kind of friend indeed

I got a blog viewer
waaayyyy over town
and they good to me, oh yeah.






(what?)

Darn Fine Display

You know, my blog looks really good on this 19 inch LCD at work.

Yes, this blog entry is this first thing I've done since arriving...besides turning on the computer and straightening my tie.

Hmmm... Methinks I'll order some new markers today. Spending other people's money is fun.

Cíao

Construction Engineers are Geniuses

A comment just heard from the top guy in this office to the top guy from a consutling company:

"I'll go home tonight and douche myself in your honor."



wow

I have been working at this construction

company off and on since May, and I have just today found out that there is a Golden Krust Bakery just up the street from the office. Why am I just now finding this out? Why I tell you. Why?

In other Construction temp job news, the temp that comes in on the days I don't is apparently a quite an attractive young woman. Certain members of this generally all-male-but-one office were greatly disappointed when I returned after the first time she came here. I got jealous for a second, then remembered that, not only can I not compete with boobs/booty for the attention of these engineers, I prefer not to: a)compete for their attention (ugh) or b)compete with boobs/booty.
I appreciate the rich culture of boobs/booty and the contribution that boobs/booty has made to our society. If only I could ever manage to decipher the intricacies of the mystifying and complex boobs/booty language...

Entreprenuerial Philanthropy

Little girls on the Upper West Side collected $900 selling Paul Nueman's Own lemonade on the street for people in the Gulf States today.

Over at eBay people are having auctions on behalf of the survivors.

As sorrily as the federal gov't has performed during this, the states, cities and individuals it represents (sic) are proving impressive.

MTA pitches in

Local news outlets are reporting that a caravan of 70 NYC buses (not just the regular buses either - they're the express buses that are basically Greyhound buses that take MetroCards) are headed to New Orleans help get people out. They'll be headed down escorted by NYPD and supported by MTA maintance trucks.


Thank You, NYC.

A Brilliant Idea!!!!

Why doesn't George W. set up the remaining refugees at his ranch on Crawford, TX!

There's plenty of space, sunshine and there's got to be at least one nice, clean freshwater lake on that property (ok, probably five).

Come on, show some more of the good ol' Texas hospitality, prezzy!

While there he can school some of the more morally corrupt with glorious morality...

give-money-not-stuff

Another bloggers take on the best way to help. interesting points. and basically what everything increasingly comes down to:

GIVE MONEY NOT STUFF


i promise i'm going to go over my lines now.

and if i didn't say it before

PEACE

Helping in the networked age

I see many people are posting room/donation/offers to call relatives on Craigslist. I don't really see how that's going to get to the people who can use them, but I guess the one's that got out early might be able to use it.

Somebody mentioned that it was important that the media not just focus on the NO refugees, but hte other places in the Gulf Coast as well. True. And I bet the networks were clamoring for bragging rights to being the first network to focus on the "other" victims.

As much as I preferred CNN's coverage, the "Hurricane Headquarters" thing was corny to say the least.

For this past four years, controllers of American might, claiming to be led by God, have worked to protect us from damage on this scale perpetrated by those who claim to act on behalf of God, and the destruction instead ended up coming from --- God.

I tend to not think of hurricane Katrina as catastrophe. It's a hurricane. They happen. Sun happens. Dirt happens. It's natural process.

What IS a catastrophe, is the woeful job that public officials have done in preparing people for the inevitability of such a powerful hurricane in a urban area and the grindingly slow reaction of our federal government in rendering aid.

I thought that THIS is what FEMA was for?

Well, we've certainly learned a lesson. Yet again, we should thank a poor Black mass for acting as the control in a biological experiment. Our Tuskeegee Experiment forefathers would be proud.

Why the hell was every news channel referring to the first bus that made it to the Astrodome as a "Renegade" Bus. This was a group of people who were told by members of the NOPD to take the bus and make their way to Houston. It was strangely enough, populated by people brown faces. Hmmm....

We learn a lesson in storm preparedness AND we get to revist the topic of "race" in the media? A windfall. A windfall indeed.

(end of indignant sarcasm section)

As more people are moved into organized shelters, the use/need for volunteers seems as though it will increase, so those of us who've felt helpless through this may soon have a chance to do something other than wax endlessly on the internet. (Oh, wait....)

I'm still trying to figure out if my desire to be back in the South right now has more to do with the survivors or me. That I wanted so to go down there when I knew another mouth to feed would would just be piling on has left me feeling selfish more than once. I don't just want to be down there, I want to be down there NOW. When I think about finishing the show in October and going straight down then, I feel like, "what's the point? All the action will already be over,".
I remember a similar sensation when Houston flooded in 2001. I guess it's got something to do with feeling like I should be witnessing this firsthand since these are places I have a connection to.
Did I mention that I'm not contractually obligated to finish this show? I can leave anytime. If only the whole cast/crew was from Louisiana. I'm sure we would've voted to tank it by now.

It just occured to me: where will the Bayou Classic be played now?

Will There Ever Be a Child Named Katrina Again

What to say what to say what to say.....

I was at work today, and took a break on the computer to catch up with what's going on in NO and saw that the worst reared its head after we were told be the media outlets that the city had escaped Monday.

I'm watching the cable coverage now. The only channel I can stomach for more than a few minutes is CNN. This jackass Scarborough in MSNBC, CNBC whichever it is, was showing just how useless he is. He's one of these talking head commentary show knits who wouldn't know journalism if he was run through printing press. He was the first to start talking about the looting, expressing his outrage at the idea that city officials weren't taking the proper stand & disparagingly mentioning that city officials were choosing to concentrate their efforts on saving lives. He made the comment that he couldn't imagine Rudi Giuliani would let it happen. No time like the present to politicize an issue, is it...
So, Fox jumped on the bandwagon of flashing the same videos of people leaving stores carrying cloths and boxes. Strangely enough the stories on these channels all seemed to shift to that at the same time. Ironically, I went to the Times-Picayune website about 30 minutes later and there was already a story up about Gov. Blanco vowing to end the looting and violence featuring a shot of an officer standing outside a store holding a shotgun, appearing to bark orders.
Something I found interesting in that story was this line:

"At one store, hordes of people from all ages, races and walks of life grabbed food and water."

Interesting to me because all I keep seeing is video of Black folk running amok. I guess White people are invisible when carrying stolen goods. The only images I saw that seemed to imply White looting was very pixelated digital video and that spot was focusing on the assertion that the looting was initially people breaking into stores to get food and water.

Part of what has me so taken aback with this is that the VAST majority of faces you see in these images (regardless pf the theme of the accompanying story) from NO are Black. Black people on roofs begging to be picked up. Black people waiting with growing impatience to be bussed to refugee centers...

I can't understand why, if the expectations for the storm was THIS bad, why wasn't more done to get people who didn't have means to leave or places to go get out of the city. At the risk of politicization, I wonder how much more man/machine power would be available for this effort were there not such a military presence in Iraq.

I'm in a play that's opening on the 15th. I'm nowhere near off-book. Frankly, I have no urge to study lines. Everytime I resign myself to the fact that there's nothing I could really do, I start watching again and want get in my truck and go. I just watched the video of the first busload of people to get to the Astrodome.

I thought I was going to have something constructive to say about what happens when the underlying anger in poor people has an opportunity/excuse/reason to manifest itself, but I don't.
I'm trying to figure out what people who are stealing merchandise plan on doing with it. You won't be able to sell it - who with money is still there? There's no point in stealing electronics for personal use - no electricity for what, a month? Jacking ambulances? The line between real close to and way past crazy is real, real thin - especially when hell has broken loose. But BLack people PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZ!!! STOP IT!!!!!! Minister Farakhan, get your bassboat and head to Orleans Parish. A Million More warmup is needed in the delta.

Well, it's 12:45. I'm watching Fox Sports now. I may just muster the desire to look at my script.

Oldest Settlement of Freed Slaves in US...

I just found out that the oldest community of freed African slaves in the U. S. is right here on Staten Island.

I would say that I wish I'd known sooner, but I know now.


(and knowing is half the battle....)

why isn't lunatic pronounced with the stress on the second syllable?

(see, strange behavior has long been associated with the moon - particularly when full. "Luna". Get it? You do know "luna" means "moon", right?)

Today's musical paradox

So, I was shirking my line-learning duties just now (as I have been for the past 5 or so hours) and scanning some audio streams. Something wack-ish came on so I clicked on AfroRadio, and on popped Love TKO. Yay.

So, as I swayed and I began to croon (hah!) along to the verse. I came to the realization that this is one of those songs that people will probably never really hear the words to. Oh, the words will be memorized and sung - but the only thing anyone ever really listens to is the molten-granite-smooth beat.

A beat which is, well, directly indicative of sex. It's drawz gettin' music if ever there was.

The words, however, are all about Teddy throwing the big, fat middle digit at love. As fed up as the two-time loser sounds, it seems like luscious nether regions is the farthest thing from his mind. Le proof (from the second verse):

Tried to take control of the love
Love took control of me
'Cause you lose all thoughts, sense of time
And have a change of mind

Takin' the bumps and the bruises
Of all the things of a two-time loser
Tryin' to hold on, faith is gone (<- damn, bruh, don't give up...)
It's just another sad song (<- then again, you know what, you're right. Eff it.)

Not really mood music....

Now listen to this.

Once it gets into the chorus, you'll probably notice your hips begin a small, involuntary swirling motion.

By the time you here "TKO", the pugilistic metaphor makes a quite different inference from that apparently intended by the writer.

Don't play. You know you've wondered on more than one occasion what it would be like to have some nookie that would cause you to blackout for 8 to 10 seconds (male tendencies toward post-coital slumber, notwithstanding).

It's like somebody in charge of the money told Teddy, "OK, man, continue to write all this sad, woeful, the-whole-town-is-laffin'-@-me stuff if you must, but it's time to sell some concert tickets. Make me a banger."

Bang, indeed. Bang.

Bang Bang Bang.

BANG

I'm just sayin'...

Craig Brewer - Expert on the Black Experience (sic)

From now on, I'm going to tell all the Black folk I know that have been trying for years to get their screenplays (which generally involve Black folk) produced to contact one Craig Brewer.

He's seems to have figured out the mystery.

The past week

Went to see March of the Penguins. It contains the best directed, least gratuitous love scene to ever leave an image on emulsion (aka: film).

After seeing said film, sat on a bench at 110th and B'Way 'til about two in the morning. During this time I witnessed my first purse-snatching. Didn't see the grab itself, but I saw this cat hot-footin' it across the street with these people hollering "thief" behind him. I thought for a moment if I should take chase (even though I was prolly too far away to help), but there was no need. The dude that was yelling "thief" was actually catching up to the snatcher. The really impressive part is that he was deccked out in full Ambercrombie regalia: worn baseball cap, polo and - I kid you not - flip-flops. He ran dude down in flip-flops. He had people applauding his performance; Jeremy Wariner's influence extends to public safety.

Day before yesterday: I was coming up from the train tunnel at South Ferry. A young black man asks me am I an Isrealite. This is due to the current state of my facial hair, where there's no mustache, but there is a beard (albeit a thin one). Why's this of note? Only because it's something I've not been asked before. Of course, you really have to see them preach on the street to understand...

Um, not much else. My checking account got down to $8.20. That's always fun.

I hate reclining chairs office chairs

Due to two back strains and having taken classes in Alexander Techinique, I now despise chairs that recline on a spring.

Sit up. You'll get more done that way.

Should you happen to need to lean back, go here.

For the Good Times

(as in "Lay your head on my pillow)

I just looked up the lyrics for this song ('cuz things can get a little indecipherable when Rev. Green really starts feeling all that soul).

This song is deep.

But I am partial to sung prose...feels more sincere in a way.

To me, at any rate.

IMPORTANT BOONDOCKS NEWS!!!!!!

Cartoon Network is showing stills from Boondocks during Adult Swim; along with saying that i'ts coming to air in October.

I'm led to actually believe it might happen this time.

Someone just asked me

to prepare two small foam balls for shipment to Paris.

foam balls

Paris?

please tell me there's someone else in the world is stupefied by this

On this Cover of the October Black Tail Magazine:

"Phoenix and Butter: Bubble-Butt Booty Sisters Go Clit to Clit"

Now, aside from my general disparaging view of pornography, I must give them their due for headline alliteration that would impress the editors of the Daily News (fine NYC fishwrap for those who don't know). They even manage to include some fine intentional creative redundancy (<--- see, redundant).

This was displayed at a news stand with the bubble-butts on the cover obscured by a neighboring publication. I wonder, given the propensity for magazines aimed at Black men to be covered with Black women's butts, if the proprietor of the stand didn't realize that it is a pornographic magazine.

Or maybe he/she just a connoiseur of a well crafted language...

Bidpay Sucks

Make sure that, before you bid, you look at what forms of payment the seller takes.

Bidpay is the wack, money order-based alternative to PayPal.

Instead of making money off the seller, it off the buyer; but it allows fewer options. You can only choose between two brands of credit card to purchase the money order, the money order costs more, and you have to wait for it to be delivered.

It is the payment system of cheap-ass sellers.

And, yes, I've sold before and gotten hit with the charge for accepting cc payments through PayPal. If you don't want to pay that 2.5%, just say you won't take cc payments in the auctions/sale.

Just to clarify - Bidpay sucks.

Today is my first year anniversary

for moving to NYC.

(Toot. Streamers. Glitter. Debauchery)

I'm back at that

temp assignment I hated so much 2 months ago.

This time they had me coming 15 minutes earlier than the agency told me so I "prepare breakfast for everyone".

This time I succumbed to the urge to inform the lady at the agency that food prep was not listed as one of my skills. Since it was my fault for not asking if they were offering the same cash, I told her that the next time Psyop calls, I'll need more money. She replied saying that she'd see if she could get me another dollar but could not promise it. I question my worthiness of so great a feat on my meager behalf...

Well, I'm here now. The food prep seems to have been successful. It was rainy when I got here and I was wearing porous shoes, so I was expecting it to be a bad day. So far, it actually been fairly without annoyance. I guess, since I was expecting it to be crap, it's not so bad this time.

Of course, if my Fairy Temp-Assignment Godmother could give more precise information, I would've known what to expect the first time...

As always, we'll see how it goes.

addendum:

I'm far more entertaining when I'm thoroughly pissed ...
("pissed"meaning "annoyed" for our British viewers)

i feel fat.

Gizmo was just standing in my

doorway, and I told him to "come here". He looked at me and walked away.

It was then that I realized that Gizmo is like a cat.

That barks.

And doesn't use a litter box.

Without the grace.

I have a classmate

named Flordelino Lagundino (who just happens to be on the cover of this month's American Theatre Mag).

We talk for and hour or two every month or so. It's generally actor stuff, but they're usually rather stimulating discussions. Not necessarily revolutionary stuff, but hearing stuff you already know said by somebody else can be helpful.

Hell, maybe some of it is revolutionary.

I think they'd make good transcripted discussions (the like you might find in American Theatre Mag...)

In local climate news....

I will now O-Fishully stop claiming Houston, TX to be the most humid place on Earth.

Today, when I was on the bus getting ready to get off at the ferry, there was a fog as thick that of a Spring morning before a thunderstorm

at noon

with the unobscured sun at noontime high

in the middle of summer.

Sticky to death

I was just walking on Manhattan at 8pm, wearing a short sleaved cotton shirt and thin, loose-fitting cargo shorts, and I was still dripping. Dripping like drops of sweat falling from my back from 'neath my shirt.

That ain't a metafor, that's what happened.
This is ridiculous.

I'm watching one of the many

shows on food that comes on WLIW here in New York. This one is on sandwiches. I started surfing and came back and as soon as looked up, I new this segment was in Houston. The weren't showing anything particularly recognizeable, but I knew it. It just looked like Houston. And it was.

The spot was about a place called Thelma's that I've never heard of before. The next time I'm in Houston, however, I must go. She has a catfish sandwich that has TWO full filets on it.

Damn.

Damn, I miss home.

There's like NO catfish in Manhattan.

DAMN.

After a week full of decent amounts of sleep

and waking up at almost normal hours, I prepare to go to the Bronx to work for 8 hours with nary a hour of sleep.

joy!!!

At this moment

I'm sitting in my room with toilet paper in my ears because Gizmo is still barking (non-stop) at fireworks that were set off about an hour ago.

If you try to put him somewhere in the house where he can't hear them, he'll yelp on a high pitch that, I'm fairly certain, actually makes ears bleed.

Fireworks set off by geniuses who seemed to have failed to notice that the 4th of July is officially a week in the past.

Yesterday I spent time with a Chow mutt that is a third Gizmo's age, yet seems to have 3 times the sense: he actually got quiet when commanded to. I was amazed and wistful.


Small dogs are morons.

I miss Frick.

Marvin?

So, Marvin Gaye go this relatively unknown song call "Sanctified Lady" that I was listening to on the ol' internet the other day. I've heard it before, but on this day I heard more...:

in it are the lyrics:

Some girls suck, some don't dare.

Some girls f^ck, some don't dare.



Why am I just now hearing this?


and you thought hardcore started with the nwa....

he musta been listining to some prince when he made that joint.

New Yorkers continue to encourage the stereotype

Me: (answers phone with biz name)

Caller: (requests office head)

Me: One second - (remembers, pause) who's calling?

Caller responds with what I initially think is "Sid Matta". In fact he's just said "shouldn't matter"..."He should take the call".

Just the kind of thing thats going to get me a (perhaps self-prescribed) invitation to leave early.

Assholes shouldn't be allowed to use the phone this early in the morning.

must not one eat to work?

I was just looking at this documentary about pollack fishing in Alaska. It was your basic environmentalist v. industry story. In this case it was over the dwindling numbers of stellar sea lions in and whether this was due to overfishing of the fish that most likely is in your filet.

The last part I saw, a lady whose position seemed to be that the lower sea lion numbers is due to climate change made a statement regarding human needs.

She stated first that "people must work" (i.e., you need a job). Then she stated that "people must eat".

money first, then food...

But, when was the last time you tried to work without eating? I wonder how universal is the tendency to think about the "need" for money rather then the need for things that actually sustain human life. Not that I don't do it too.

Doesn't it seem like there should be a place that you can just go up and grab a snack, just cuz you need it, where money's not even a question?

Oh, wait they already got that: (insert gregarious family member's name here)'s house.

pray, eat, sleep, work

in that order

peace

Why is it

only 10:26?

Perhaps if I worked in a morgue, I'd have to worry about people worrying me less.

Working sucks

Work sucks.

It sucks.

It sucks.
It sucks.
It sucks.


Sucks.

Sucks, sucks.

sucks

And ties suck too; them and their damned top buttons.

I should be trooping through Philly with John Kay right now,

but I'm stuck.

at WORK.

Forget universal healthcare, I want infinitely paid rent.

There's a whole lot I don't like right now - auditioning/acting, New York, most New Yorkers, tourists, me -

but the thing I'd have to say I'm feeling the least is work.





And next week I'll be begging God for some more.

So I can pay rent.

And my CC bill.

And my cellphone bill.

And my car ins.

And try to put something away toward my loans.

And try to keep some money to eat with,

for gas,

to catch a periodic film or play or music.

Nevertheless,

it's still only 10:35.

Luther sings his last...

So, being a perennial passenger on the late bus (and because I forgot to update AvantGo on my iPAQ before leaving for work Friday), I just yesterday found out that Luther Vandross finally passed.

A portion of a text message I sent someone pretty much sums up my position:

"... I'm sittin' here listening to his stuff, getting sadder and sadder. I guess I'm just at the age"...


When I was little, I couldn't stand LV (or any slow songs for that matter). That changed right about the time I started noticing girls.

I'm sick of people dying.

(sigh)

I have officially given up on

photography. My first camera crapped out and is in pieces after I tried to fix it.

The second camera I bought turned out to be much less than I wanted.

The one I just bought lasted about 4 hours before it crapped out. $37.50 down the tubes. They want $150.00 to fix. Uh, huh.

And, so, I take my leave. Maybe I'll keep my lenses with the hope that Pentax puts out a decent digital soon.

Este ritmo

me hace feliz.

You can't measure speed without measuring distance.

Go ahead.

Try.

You can't do it.

For a Reebok?!?!?

Either someone at the Reebok website made a small typo, or them @!%$#s done lost they minds.

Click here. Then click the Nautical Python shoe under "What's New"

Remember the little sister from Family Matters?

Yeah, the original cute kid before Urkel became the star and before they brought in that was replaced by that little attempt-at-reinvigorating-ratings-look-he-dances-like-Michael Jackson-kid with the hair that was about twice as many years too late as he was old.

Her name is Jaimee Foxworth. And, for a while, she was doing porn.

How is it I'm always the last to find out abou this stuff?

Gotta be on

the 6a boat to make it to the Bronx for this job. Its 3:10a. It's going to be on of those days.


Today I was in the lower east side kind of north and west of Little Italy (whatever that's called) so I could get an inner tube for my bike. I was trudging aroung for a Chase (tm) bank and found one at Spring and B'Way. It's one of those places in the town where everyone likes to dress like their poor, yet spend Dolce & Gabana money doing it. As I head in, there's a woman there who opens the door for me. She's doing this for everyone, announcing that one of the ATM's is out of cash but still good for deposits, and shaking a change cup in one hand. If the last item on that list didn't make it clear for you, this lady is NOT an employee of JP Morgan Chase.
So she's doing her thing and, on the way out, I hand her a dollar and tell her, "I like your hustle". She mentioned that she was enjoying it, too, with a short breath and went back to her self-assumed duties.

For her creativity, she gets the very first O-Fishul(c) Nice Hustle of the Week Award.

Thinking of going to an Amusement Park

this summer?

Perhaps you should peruse this website.

Or this one.


Or, if you've already collected e'body's money and got the non-refundable group rate, you shouldn't.

Random *ish

* At approximately 3:38pm on Thursday, June 2, 2005, I realized that the name PM Dawn is a paradox.

Unless you live really close to one of the poles.

* Watched the beginning of the Tony Awards tonight and saw someone that I auditioned with for an Olive Garden commercial performing in the opening medley of musicals.

It seems that the Tony Awards are consistenly less clumsy than other award shows. Who would have figured that live stage performers would be best at presenting a live, staged show.

* Are you aware that Hampton University has a dress code?

I'd laff at them, but there were certain times when I wish that such a code existed, not merely at my humble alma mater, but as a key piece of the Constitution.


* NYC finally hit a legitimate 80 degrees F. The downside to this is that downtown Manhattan will feel 2 degrees warmer while the subway feels 10 degrees warmer and 70% stickier.

A Warning:

I think talking to me may cause people some sort of mental/emotional disturbance,


Perhaps I am crazy, and have never realized it, and make other people crazy


with my craziness, or they go crazy trying to understand my craziness,


Or they end up going crazy trying to work around my craziness.


But I'm probably just an ass, and use crazy as my excuse.


(aknfawm23@%<@ $ 2'n @VT<.......wmlah)

Random ramble

First, perhaps those posting comments anonymously would be good (brave) enough to tag the end of your posts with some form of differentiation so we know which posts are to be associated with others...

Now other stuff:

There seems to be some misunderstanding about the temp assignment that stank: it's over. It was only a three day deal. Well that one was only 3 days. Of course, I was asked if I could come in next week. "Unfortunately" I had "something" to "do".

With regard to the callbacks mentioned a few weeks ago: I've been cast in a showcase (small pay, not bound by contract) play to go up in September it's called Giant-N-Variation (no pics, yet, but other useful info....maybe).

The other piece I auditioned for that week did not cast me. One day people will believe me when I say that I can tell when the director is not seeing what he/she wants. The callback was fun (at times), but I kind of wish they hadn't called me back. Still glad I did the audition, though.

This week is "Fleet Week" here in NYC (which basically a mass shore leave or a tribute to the military men & women of the seas - depends on your personal view). It's unique this year becasue the Pakistani Navy is partipipating. No doubt to show us just how much closer they are to being true homo sapiens thanks to the glorious and ordained intervention of our leader and father "Dubya".
It's been kind of a strange experience for me seeing them here. I wonder if I'm the only one that notices them so much. Today I was watching them and realized, even this city of every shade and combinatin thereof, these men were like aliens to me. Admitedly I had the thought of what if one fo these cats wants to do some kill Americans type-stuff. But it NYC - you will, some point suspect every person you meet here is about to try to kill you. Urban charm.
What really struck me about these cats, is how muchseeing them was like seeing American sailors, but not in an assimilated way. Some of them had these long beards that American military muscleheads won't be allowing for at least 75 years. It was just the way they were sticking together, chatting with each other & whatnot. It was just kind of plainly human...yeah, I was on some 'ol' we are the world, everybody's the same type stuff

Lastly, I went and auditioned for the little indie film, and the lady who's doing it turned out to be from Arcadia, La. Which, if you're familiar with La. and the fact that there are like 12 million people in this city, you understand the fairly low odds of this happening. She said "Grambling" and it was the first time I'd heard the way it was supposed to sound in some time.

Yay, suthen folks.

peace

Update on this job I hate

It was going unusually pleasant. I got some free Thai food, but as soon as I heard it was there I knew that meant there would be that much more cleaning to do.

Well, tonight's pissedoffdedness started around 7p when I got about 3 calls at once and had the audacity to page someone instead of send them their call directly - which I would have been doing if she would plant her ass in the general vicinty of her desk with relative permanence.

Then came 8 o'clock and those dishes. After picking up a few dirty dishes from downstairs (which could easily have been taken upstairs before nukkas left for the day), I went to put them near the sink and saw that some genious had placed a damn-near half-full plate in the sink right underneath the faucet which meant subsequent genious ran water directly into (anger is sparked). The trash can really is only five ginger steps to the left. Then there was the table that had all the food on it. At first it wasn't a big deal, but the more I touched food containers and got various forms of curry on my hands and saw how much of said curry was on the table itself, the more it occurred to me that I was going to have to fight the urge to call a meeting at this place I'll never see again, and suggest to them that they might consider washing their owners dishes as they used them (anger rises).

The last straw was pretty much after getting all of the glasses from upstairs (understand, I'm now on the third floor) that seemed to not be in use. This exercise was forcibly interrupted by people trying to get a dog to be nice to me. Understand, I'm not EVEN concerned with this dog. But since it growled (barely) at me, this dude actually takes stuff out of my hand so I can pat the dog. The dog is walking on three good legs. Why would I be worried about it. If it tries to get crunk, the bitch (yes, it is a female) will be down to 1 - especially while I'm trying to get this $#1t put away so I can leave.

So, I get downstairs and, as I'm unloading the dishwasher (the poor design of which really doesn't allow much of a load), a glass on the counter slips and shatters before I can catch it. The topper? While I'm sweeping, I go to wipe what must be water running down my hand, but I notice that it's a nice, bright red (anger peaks). So now I really want to curse somebody. After I get a makeshift tourniquet on my finger and go back to loading the machine, bunny of "send my calls up here" fame brings down some glasses. After her last trip, she's gives a split second "goodnight" and runs her sorry ass out de do'. Now if you hear some glass shatter and then see somebody with an entire paper towel 3M(tm) taped around their pinky (not and exaggeration) gingerly foolin with a counter-full of dishes, might it occur to you to at least ask if a bwoy might could use a hand? Perhaps by this point she could sense my displeasure. To her credit, on one trip she did comment that the people there were pigs, so her I guess she did at least try to commiserate.

I will be definately clarifying my marketable skillset with ol' temp girl tomorrow.

lawd havissmercy 'pon muh soul...

COMMON album release appearances

Various places along the nor'eastern corridor you can catch Common (as in Sense) doing signings and performances for his al-bum release (BE).

Click in this general vicinity if you'd like a sample of said al-bum.


That nukk betta send me a tour T size LG fuh all this here free cyber-street promotin' I'm doing....

I just don't see how I'm going to make it....

Dude :"Can we, ehhh, introduce the policy that you'll let us know before you transfer the calls?"

(as opposed to, "Please let us know who it is before you transfer a call")

Me: "Sure"

Two minutes later

PA who's doing two or three jobs who's also assigned to show me how to do 1.5 of her two or three jobs: "Make sure that you tell them who it is before you transfer a call".

Me: "Yeah. I got it."

Me On The Inside: "!@#dammit I heard the first mo$%^^#$!@#$ what told me that s$@."

Then, being pissed off, I goof up a simple call transfer.

I see absolutely no way that I'm going to make it 9p tonight, much less 9p Tuesday.

And I haven't even had to deal with logging a package yet.

Did I mention that I was told how to call the car service? Again: I type shit. I answer shit. I copy shit.

That's it.

In roughly that order.

this assignment is currently sucking it

Reasons this already sucks:


It's dreary outside

I got here 40 minutes late

After answering the first three calls fine, I've completely botched the last two

I'm apparently expected to pick up dishes/food, load and start the dishwasher before I leave, and "check with the clients in the conference room to see if they need anything".

the !@#$ !?!?!?!?!????

That doesn't really sound like clerical work to me and I believe those services cost a bit more than the $11 per I'm getting for this.

Having this internet access is cool and all, but I can wait 'til I get home if I have to put up with this @#@#.

American history fun pt. 1

Did you know that Kentucky was NOT part of the Confederacy?

Don't push...

This one's an audio post. It's something I've been meaning to do for a while & and I had a nice experience to start with yesterday.

This entry was recorded about a minute after it took place.

Enjoy

Oh, yeah; it's about 1.3MB, so slower connections beware. I'll try to record them smaller in the future.

And, if you haven't figured it out yet, you have to click on the first sentence.

To those who've heard me speak before: I'm not trying to sound like that on purpose, it's just what happens when I stay in the same place too long. Imagine the fun when I move to Scotland. Though my vocal malleability is sexy, no?

To those who ain't herd me speek b'fo: if you think hearing this will ruin the glorious veil of mystery, typed transcripts are available for $10.00.

Bow down to my technical superiority.

PEace

This week

is starting off sucking it.

Of course, the last time my seek started off really sucking it (week before last) the subsequent it ended fairly decent.

We'll see how it goes.

Jeeves, get me my walking trousers, I believe I'll go for a jaunt...

3 things that made me smile this week

In chronological order:

1. After disembarking the boat, I was walking to my bus stop when I saw a Black Jewish man in front of me wearing one of the flyer yarmulkas ever: dark mauve leather.

Yeah.
What.

2. This past Wednesday night I was leaving the Whole Foods in Union Square. As I was walking to the subway entrance I saw guy with a real, live ghetto blaster. It had "AFRO" spray painted on the front and he was blasting ---- More Bounce to the Ounce (big, teary, doe eyes of joy). He got to a spot, set the blaster down and started working on his pop/lock.

Again, Hollye, I am not making this up.

3. Today, while in the groshree sto, a lady and two small girls passed by me. One girl was in the higher single digits, and the other was closer to the 4-6 range and was riding in the buggy. As she passed by me, she points and says, "pretty hair".

(cheese)

(blush)

shut up...


& One thing that made me mad:

After returning home from this shopping trip, I heard a domestic disturbance. This is not the first time I've heard this and believed it to be coming from the apartment right above mine. When I heard slamming in addition to a child crying I went upstairs to see if I needed to alert authorities, but all was quiet on that floor. I then went to the second floor and heard the argument. I believe it was an Asian couple that I've seen in the building before. The thing that really got me was that I believe that child I heard was actually a grown woman sobbing.

Hollye, Erika....be nice.

As of 8:30p tonight, 3 callbacks (and counting...???....)

(eyes wide open)

I went to the callback for "Driving on the Left Side" today. I pretty much just got home. While I was just playing with the dog I missed a call. Checked the msg.

And it was Boomerang Theater inviting me to a callback on Wednsday.

After nothing, two in the same week. This was the first time that I've auditioned with Shakespeare in the city. I don't know whether to glad or mad at all the other classical piece auditions that I've missed....

(eyes still wide open)

Murphy's Law loves me

Of course, after a week of ranting at every opportunity about how pissed I am that I paid my $130 in union fees this Monday, I get a callback from an Equity Principle Audition (required auditions for Equity members for union shows). It's for a play called "Driving on the Left Side" (Joy, stop singing Pass the Dutchie"). It required singing, preferably a reggae song. Since I neither knew by heart nor had the music to a reggae song, I had to bring some of that actor-in-NYC-on-the-spot-audition-type hustle: I did an island rendition Lord's Prayer sung (Sister Mahalia set the precedent - a fact I was ready to present those watching, if necessary).

Today I auditioned for the part of an aspiring rapper in an indie film. They asked the auditioners to bring in some East coast rap to perform. Unfortunately, I only read the full e-mail this morning, so I only new this a few hours before the audition. All that I know off-hand is Cee-Lo's verse from Cell Therapy. It would have to suffice.
So, I went in, did it - had to start over once 'cuz I didn't give myself time to feel the beat right, and then did it. It proved to be quite cathartic - and I'm not even sure what I was being cathart-ized from. I really enjoyed performing that. Actually, every time I perform that verse - as poetry, rapped, or whatever - I enjoy it.

We'll see how it goes...


PEace

Well, like a dummy, I went and paid my (in-)Equity dues for the year.

So much for that extra money I made to get some service done on the truck....

Last week I was in an elevator with Samuel L. Jackson.

No, I did not speak to him.

He was speaking to his wife. And as one would normally do in this situation, I left the two to their conversation.

One person I mentioned the occurrence to claimed that, if he/she see someone who's (famous), he/she is going to approach/speak to them. She seemed to feel that regardless of whether or not this celebrity appeared to not wish to be bothered.

I, however, choose to be far more selective about whom I choose to jock.

Most of the people on that very short list are dead, anyway.

what can I say. I'm hard to impress.

That, or I think people should be treated as people regardless of whether their profession happens to cause many, many people to know their names.

About Boyd....

A gentleman by the name of Boyd Vance passed away last night. He was the executive director of ProArts Collective - one of the few organizations focused on producing and encouraging the arts among people of color and certainly the main producer and facilitator of Black theater in Austin, TX.

Probably without really realizing it, Boyd helped me believe that I could be a professional actor. Before meeting him, I'd never been in a Black play. Before meeting him, I'd never paid my rent by performing on stage. Through an associate introduced to me by him, I received the opportunity to join Actor's Equity (and again get paid for performing on stage).

Boyd helped me have fun, helped me make a living, introduced me to people who touched me, helped me grow as a performer and was the object of what, I think, is still the greatest one-liner I'll ever deliver (I wonder if anybody from Jitney remembers it).

Yet, I'm only one of a rather large group of people who can say Boyd did the same for them.
The measure of Boyd as a singer, actor, entertainer, director, producer, etc. is not what I feel he should considered by - and there are plenty who rate him fairly high in those. That measure should be of his impact as a catalyst. Boyd created and gave people chances. And I can now only hope that he hears me when I give thanks in my prayers tonight for all that God, through him, gave me.

I believe that is how we will continue to know Boyd Vance, as a catalyst.

Well, that and being a certified, absolutely unrelenting nut....

Thanks for the cookies and punch, bruh.

Peace: C. Walker, Jr
aka "Shealy"


(after 11 years and the advent of  Wikipedia, someone had done this.

it makes me happy to know someone did. 

jealous

editor's note: At the user's request, comments were disabled on this post because, well, it's just not "that kind of post". Apologies for hurt feelings should be considered offered. - ed.

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jealous.

Mystery posts

I just found two posts that were never posted. One of them is about corporate America and how they will kill you. Don't even TRY to tell me it's a coincidence.

Here they be:

Feb. 10, 2005

Nov. 15, 2004

(scroll down to the second entry on this one)

I think I may have accidently color-coordinated the O-Fishul....

I have a strange affinity for brown....

(ramblerambleramble)

Masters pursue their craft constantly - it is first and foremost in their minds. They pursue it relentlessly – at times to the detriment of their most intimate. Their concentration so draws their focus from the average daily chore of life that it can induce to be social impairment…

And I've realized that I'm not that way about anything, acting included - not that I'm going to stop acting or that I'll never be that way about acting. I just know that I'm not that way about it now.

I went into grad school intending for acting to be that "thing" for me, but I guess you can't really choose it. Although, I guess that assumes a "thing" exists for everyone.

Maybe only some of us are given to the focus that leads to mastery of craft.

OR... maybe we CAN all achieve some great level of mastery, we just have to make the decision to be a master - like, mastery is its own achievement separate from a field of achievement like acting, etc.

Of course, like everything else in the world, it's probably something in the middle.

Or - whatever...

!

I just found a check for $250 from January that I never deposited.


um,... (gulp) is that you, God?

The next new hotness

The new junior high fad gaining momentum in NY and coming to a rap-wear/mall kiosk near you: Scrolling LED belts.

That's right. Now you can personalize your style at the waist daily via the latest in light emitting diode technology.

http://www.nycscrolls.com/


I saw two girls with these on on the bus already.

Hollye, I can't make this stuff up.

Look at Cartoon Network Be Progressive

Justice League Unlimited on Cartoon Network just started by showing a mixed couple (BM, WM)climbing up a mesa in Nevada. Of course, they immediately ate it - sucked into some mechanical, parasite-mass type thing that can replicate using any substance (Stargate Replicators, anyone?).

Maybe Bruce Wayne and Supes will figure out a way to re-form them by the end of the episode - but I ain't holdin' out hope.

I'm beginning to understand how New York winters drive people crazy.

It's not really through sheer intensity (though it can, on occasion, impress that way to).

It's through ridiculous longevity.

It's almost the second week of March, and we're still getting consecutive days of snow.

Not a lot, but...


It's like water torture...with snow.

Here comes the snow again
Falling on my head like a memory
Falling on my head like a new emotion...

So, I'm starting yet another week off wack...

Was late to a meeting (that wouldn't have taken place on time anyway; still, me and tardiness MUST un-acquaint ourselves).

Didn't manage to yank my largess out of bed until 2pm today.

Just realized that, for at least the past few days, I've been handing out resumes that don't have any contact info on it.

In other news, this actually happened to me:

I was walking down a stairwell at the 14th St. orange line stop. I stopped halfway down to rethink getting on the subway. While I was in thought, a gentleman enters the stairwell and says:

"Yo, look out man. Watchya back, man, I gotta go."

And he begins urinating in the stairwell.

In one of those blissful hour-long 3 millisecond moments that we have where we realize what someone is doing/saying, it occurred to me to vacate. I think I did so in time to avoid splatter. Said gentleman did not appear to be homeless or particularly unstable.
So, New Yorkers really do treat the subway like a toilet.

Ingenious, I tell you. Ingenious.

cable PUBLIC ACCESS channel, Time Warner Staten Island

12a eastern


I'm flipping through the channels when I see a woman completely naked jiggling around a stage. Jaw agape, another comes out, of color. At some point I see on the backdrop that this is some sort of "Ms. Black Nude" contest. I hit "info" on the cable box and it tells me "Industrial Television". I've watched this show before and flip back and forth a few times trying to see if the title is wrong. I've seen these little goofy looking wet T-shirt contests on one of these access channels before, but NOTHING like this. While back on the station trying to figure out what the hell is going on, two white men in black face and babble in what is, at best, the worst depiction of black dialect I've ever heard.

Then they show an old Looney Tunes episode featuring a jungle bunny stereotype.

Then they show an abridged version of a movie that seems basically to be about a Black Panther-type group starring a young Billie Dee Williams... and containing a love scene that features yet another nude black woman (got pissed off and changed it, turned back).

Then:

- a Cool Whip commercial featuring Bookman from Good Times

- a Crest commercial with a Black professor and his two sons

Next movie: "Way of the Black Dragon" - again the intro featuring to white men in blackface (speaking a pidgin' that I've never heard emanate from the mouths of black folk), except now they're wearing chinaman eye glasses - certainly hate to leave out a minority group.

Next movie: a silent movie having something to do with a trading post in Central Africa, which means, of course, more naked Black women. In the event I need to clarify: this had nothing to do with anything that actually takes place in Africa, it was just early film era masturbatory material.

And to finish: a "burlesque" film of a black woman.



So.... should I be upset?

Does it makes sense when I say I have a willingness & desire to work hard, but I don't know where to go do it?

I can't remember what I wanted to say..... Oh, well. Your loss.

I want to be a regular on Reno911!

Saying "it's not bragging if it's true" is absolutely moronic. If it weren't true then it'd just be lying.

It should be against the law to use the phrase "girl, girl action" or the variant "girl on girl action" in earnest.

Sore throats aren't very pleasant when one has to sing. Loudly.

Ossie Davis
1917-2005






And so, the sunset of a king.

Thank God -
Thank you God, for a king.

As though "American Idol" wasn't already annoying enough, now there's LL.

(sigh)

In other news, a make-up artist working on Jimmy Kimmel's show has alleged that Snoop and his boys messed her up with spiked champagne and gang-raped her. He's suing for extortion. Look this up on the internet. The story gets pretty deep with the details of her allegations.

Mere moments ago did I realize that the Black doctor that gets cut in half in The Omen II is none other than Meshach Taylor.

Damien... that little scamp.

As of yet, I've never completed a show with the feeling that I would repeat a production with all the same people involved. Often, I'm running headlong for the door.

Lemme guess: that says more about me than the stuff I've done. Right?

That may be a slight exaggeration....

I guess it could just be the throbbing pain going down the left side of my cranium talking.

DAAAAAAAAAYUUUUUUUUUUUUUM, Faith Evans lost a lotta weight!

innocent eyes?

I helped out as a reader for the class taught by one of the major casting directors in town last night. She was having her class read Dave Chappelle and I was reading - you guessed - Dave Chappelle (insert black actor here).

She stated that she felt part of the attraction with Chappelle is that he has these "innocent eyes", so he can say these outrageous things and you don't hold it against him.

Okay...

Well, each student was doing a practice screen test, and at the end the the teacher/CD had me do one. Afterward, a student made basically the same comment about me as the teacher made about Chappelle.

So I have "innocent eyes"..... then why do I keep scaring white women and small children when i walk down the street?

And you know what else? Headshots suck.

You HAVE to get 100 shots at $1 each. "They can't print just 50"? What? And digital retouching is $35 PER shot retouched - for like 5 minutes of work. And that's a deal? My stretch-marked ass that's a deal...

I'm supposed to by auditioning for the Barbershop TV series. We'll see how that goes.

If today isn't a better day, I'm gonna catch a brain tumor trying to keep from snapping at somebody.

Enthusiasm, at some point, will always get shitted on.

Ok, so, like, there's somebody who I wa
nt to like me, who I think they don't l
ike,who I'm not sure whether or not I l
ike them, and I'm mad 'cuz I don't thin
k they like me,and I don't know if I sh
ould say something 'cuz I gotta see the
m on a regular basis for a while, but i
f I don't say something then gonna feel
stupid for not saying something........

uh.

yeah.

You know, the web used to be far more intersting than it is now. Now it's like watching cable TV - the same thing over and over again. I find myself wasting hours at a time looking at stuff I want but cant' afford... just lke TV.

I'm in a bad mood.

Girls are mean.

I hate rehearsal.

Rehearsal sucks.

Don't go to the Park in New York at night

Alright, I think I've finally healed enough to tell this story...

Back in December, I was going to a poetry reading in Harlem (I'm trying to do a better job of fulfilling my duties as an artsy Negro). I got there early and decided to walk down 125th. Particularly if you live somewhere that doesn't have much in the way of a black population, 125 on a Saturday is amazing, maybe even surreal. You walk down the street and see nothing but black faces go in and out of stores that are being managed by and employing mostly black faces. You see philosophical and religious debate going on the street as the 12 Tribes, NOI, (insert your favorite religious/political/separatist group here), etc. continue to try to save black folk from themselves and the occasional passerby challenges their particular doctrine. You walk past black sheets covered in stacks of the newest CD's @ 2 for $5 or 5 for $10 and two week old movies already on DVD (sometimes it's hard for an actor to fight the temptation...). You may also see groups of 12-yr-old boys up against store walls for trying to steal (out of need for recreation). I really had to make sure that I was awake when I looked up at St. Nicholas and realized that Michael Bivens was crossing in front of me (personally, I would've gone into hiding after Hootie Mac).
The reading was taking place at a new culture store that was right next to the National Black Theater (that has a façade that should be considered as one of NYC's must see statues). Down from that I noticed a large structure that I decided to investigate. I go down to it and realized that it was the swim center in the middle of Marcus Garvey Park. I decided to explore around the park to kill time before the reading. Now, at this point it's about 6:30 in the pm, and it's fall so it's already nighttime dark in the city. I walked a little and found a path leading up a round the swim center, so I checked that out. While looking at the swim center, I see this baby carriage just sitting on the path ahead. This is where things begin to get "interesting". I see this carriage and think, "I should check this out to make sure that something hasn't happened. The carriage is up that path toward a less lit part of the park. Up ahead toward the left is this cat that appears so talking on a cellphone - and there's nobody but us there. So, I go a little closer to this carriage and decide that people in New York consider strollers disposable and leave it alone. I've also decided that old dude on the phone ain't interested in me. There's some steps leading up this rock hill type situation, and I decide to investigate that. Thinking that it's a path that I'd already been on when I was in Harlem before I kept heading up. However, I realized that it wasn't the path I thought when it ended at this big plaza with a VERY few lights.
I didn't see anybody there and I thought, wow, as out of the way and unlit as this is I'm surprised there aren't people up here doing things that they shouldn't. Across from me I could see a ledge and headed toward that. On my way I realized that there were four or five people about 50 yards off to my left. There were no big groups and I thought they were just couple standing around and some others scattered around, though the spider sense was still set to alert status. I went to the ledge and looked, it wasn't really high enough to see much other than the park, so I headed back. On my way back, one of the people had crossed and headed to the stairs. I looked back over to the couple and realized that one of them was now kneeling in front of the other. In about 3 milliseconds, it occurred to me that this might be the place the crackheads service johns at, and I decided to move faster. On my way down the stairs, the person that had crossed was standing on the left side. As I passed him, I said wassup. Just as I did so, he turned and I noticed his right hand at about crotch level. I just caught of his jimmy johnson in his hand and finally realized that this was the place that the outdoor freaks came to engage in their public acts of sexual gratification. To make matters more fun, he started coming down the stairs as I was leaving. I got the distinct impression this dude was trying to catch up with me. When I got back down to the street, I quite conspicuously crossed before the intersection, so if I followed me, I knew that he was following me. Instead he crossed to the other side of the street, but heading in the same direction as me. Right before I crossed 125, I glanced over and he seemed to be looking back at me like, "don't tell nobody I was over there".
In summation: don't go to Marcus Garvey park after dark. Unless you want watch people masturbate. In that case, by all means.....