Sport coat and other ramblings....

(Sports coat)

(Warning going to be rambling for quite a while in my introduction before I get to what the title suggest. My professor calls it having to big a porch for the size of your house)

Ever have a moment where the importance of everything just shifted? When you knew what was important before just wasn’t as important anymore? Ever been arguing with someone and then get a phone call and whatever you were mad about just became so insignificant that it faded away into nothingness.

Well been there done that this past two weeks. So in shifting gears I’ve completely dumped my blog readers. You see I carried on another blog under my real name somewhere else. And during this shift it became painfully apparent to me why the creative writing expert I saw on the local news said that blogging should be done anonymously. It was a follow up story on the murdered VCU freshman, Taylor Behl. Behl had apparently met the 35 year old murder suspect through blogging. Apparently that’s how the police also found her body, from pictures of the old house the suspect had on his blog.

So I used to run this anon blog concurrently, but now it’s the only show in town for me. So if you’re reading this and you know my true identity consider yourself one of the chosen few.

So here we go. I used to work for a fortune 500 company in their IT department. While I was there I worked with some contractors. These contractors were an interesting bunch. If you’ve ever worked with any then you know what I mean. They did PC imaging for this company. It was a real simple project and if anyone’s used Symantec’s ghost then you know what I’m talking about. My job was to help test the images for the fulltime employees that created them. The contractors, just had to slap the images on new computers. Needless to say this was not intricate time consuming work for them. This almost brainless work left the contractors with a lot of time to talk.

And I sat between two of the most loquacious of them all. Banks and Don. Now Banks was an Army Ranger, so he was crazy. Rangers maybe the closest thing that the army has to a marine (Looking forward to Jarhead.) We were in a bullpen like area so all of the conversations were open and Banks would talk to everyone. He most often calls Don, by his name Don but he also referred to him as Don Juan (who I found out recently was in search for the perfect woman) then I he started referring to him as ‘Coat’. You see Don was known for having lunch with the finest women down at the job every day. Maybe after a few weeks into my job I finally asked Banks, the question …”What does coat mean?”

Oh! Coat is short for sport coat.” Banks explained with a nonchalant tone that seemed to suggest that his statement cleared up all ambiguity. So I went on a little further and asked Banks again. “Oh see when you come home from a hard days work, and you and your lady have been fighting, what you have to do is check under the bed for a pair shoes, to make sure that Sport Coat hasn’t been by your house.” With still not enough to go on I ask him to explain. And he did, and now I’ll pass it on to you.

Sport coat. (AKA sports coat, coat)

First off the name’s significance may throw you off, because it does describe a certain type of gentleman. Now I subscribe to the GQ style guy’s mantra, a man’s blazer should be cut from the same cloth of his pants. So then why is this the moniker for this particular brand of player? Simply put, have you ever been at a casual event? One of those outings where guys always have a hard time dressing for? You know it’s not appropriate to wear tennis shoes and a sweat shirt, but between that, khakis and suits, what do we wear that says dressy but not too dressy? Typically we find some sweater or long sleeve button up shirt, depending on the weather, and some jeans and semi casual dress shoes, if we own them. A conundrum to say the least for most guys. So once we’ve gotten our outfit together, we show up and when we see other guys similarly dressed you start to feel comfortable. Ah, but atlas, there is, as Devin the Dude says, always one in the crowd, typically a late arriver who shoes up, dressed a notch above the rest, well maybe several. Because not only is he dressed supremely causal without jeans, but he also has a blazer on that matches the patterns of his shirt, shoes and pants. This, my friend is the major identifiable characteristic of what we know to be a sport coat.

Now he may sound very akin to a metrosexual, but the name kind of gives him away. Sexuality is in question when dealing with a metro sexual, else why would sexuality be a part of the name? You see a metrosexual is really particular, he gets his eyebrows waxed and has manicures and pedicures done on a regular basis. He likes to shop just as much or longer than women. This is not a sport coat. Now a Metro sexual can fall into the category of a sports coat but all sport coats’ are by no means metrosexuals.

(*Now before you get mad at me, I never said that a metro sexual is gay, I said his sexuality is always in question.*)

You see a sports coat knows what the rock song says is true “every girls crazy bout a sharp dressed man.” So he makes sure that his dress is always a step above most whenever he goes out. Whether it’s tennis shoes that match his jeans and shirt or if it’s wearing a color or a style that’s just flashy enough to get him noticed without creating too much of stir.

Enough about dress, let me tell you what really is at the essences of a sport coat.

You see a sport’s coat has some distinctive missions rules, and proclivities..

1. He’s never attached.

(I was going over this with some of my class mates and they wanted to argue about this part. I’m thinking to myself how are you going to argue with me on something I’m defining for you?) The point is this guy never has a girlfriend or at least not a steady one. Commitment doesn’t work for the sport coat, he’s always looking for the best looking girl. No matter who he’s with at the moment there is always a better looking one out there. The thing is there’s never a better looking girl than the one that is already attached. Which leads us to point two….

2. He specializes in girls that are attached.

Girls that already have a man present a challenge to this guy. He’s the one that when he meets your girl and she says she has a man, he doesn’t flinch a moment. He pursues even harder. You see the thing for the coat is the challenge of prying a girl from her boyfriend.

3. He is flamboyant.

This goes beyond his looks, and his money and anything else. It’s goes to what we call being the peacock. He doesn’t really care who peeps game. Matter of fact that’s a part of his success, he’s unashamed. And his bravado attracts other women.

Now I must pause to say, that the sport coat wouldn’t be successful if it weren’t for the relationship. You see, the women that a sport coat pulls are in a relationship that isn’t altogether tight. You see if it were, the sport coat wouldn’t have any room to operate. And there in lies the benefit, if there is one, of the sport coat; he shakes the relationship tree to see what will fall out.

You haven’t to worry if your relationship is all good, because why would your girl want to leave you for a sports coat? Nine times out of ten women can smell a sport’s coat a mile away. But that’s the point. A wise man once told me, men never play women, women play men.

Now I’m not a sports coat. I don’t have the money to dress that well. And I’m the type of guy that definitely does not date attached women. Now don’t get me wrong, I have been a player in a former life. Didn’t mean to be but it just sort of crept up on me. But I am a believer in Karma, and so I’ve been a victim of no less than three sport coats.

Truth is I would have never been a victim if I were in solid relationships.

(Henry the Chicken Hawk )

How to spot a sport coat:

Always scouting. These guys, no matter where they are, or what they are doing are always on the look for the next victim. I call them chicken hawks. Remember the little character on the Looney Tunes’ fog horn leg horn? “I’m a chicken hawk and I hunt chickens!” It’s easy to tell if you’re having a conversation with them in a high traffic area, look for the head on a swivel.

Peacock behavior. They will have loud, flashy clothing, or extravagant jewelry. A sports coat will be flashing cufflinks and accoutrements. Loud talking. Always joining in other peoples conversations, typically used to get into close proximity of his victim. Always out front, in the spot light.

Attentiveness. Always pays close attention towards the victim, seemingly totally obliviously to everyone else in the social circle. Even if he’s married (married doesn’t mean attached in his mind) this guy doesn’t care who sees him when he’s on the prowl. That’s what the victim likes, the unabashed attention that he shines her way. Women are suckers for attention and the sport coat knows this and uses it to his full advantage.

So ladies, communicate your unhappiness, uneasiness, and dissatisfaction to your man. Give him a chance first. I know you showed signs and gave hints, but we can be so thick in the head. You’ve got to spell it out for us. And know this that the Sport coat, might be good for a minute but he’s not going to stick around for long, you’ll eventually have to either go back to your man or find another one.

And fellas it’s kind of like Dave Hollister says, “you’d better take care of home,” before Jonnie ‘JT’ Taylor sings “ain’t no sense in going home, Jodie’s got your girl and gone.”

Cot Damn!

It's a new day.

This is and will be the rebirth of my blog.
Coming soon....
"Sport Coat."

Slowly Surely

(That’s Jilly from Philly.)

Before I get started, they say that imitation is the highest from of flattery. Well then I guess I should be flattered. I have a couple of many me’s out there. Have taken my blogging style, my shout outs, my incorporation of lyrical content into their blogs, even the idea to blog came from me. Egotistical on my part? Maybe, but maybe it would be all right if they’d stop writing to me. Responding to my blogs, sending veiled threats my way, spilling the tea.

Must I quote El Presidente again? (BTW did you hear, he’s already coming back?)

There's never been a Ni$$a this good for this long
This hood, or this pop, this hot, or this strong
With so, many different flows there's one, for this song
These f**ks, too lazy to make up sh!t, they crazy
They don't, paint pictures, they just, trace me
You know what? Soon they forget where they plucked
they whole style from, they try to reverse the outcome
I'm like - TOUGH!
I'm not a biter I'm a writer for myself and others
I say a B.I.G. verse, I'm only biggin up my brother
Biggin up my borough, I'm big enough to do it
I'm that thorough, plus I know my own flow is foolish
So them rings and things you sing about, bring 'em out
It's hard to yell when the bar-rell's in your mouth
I'm in - new sneakers, dual-seaters
Few divas, what more can I tell you?
Let me spell it for you
W, I, double-L, I-E
Nobody truer than, [R-E-G]
And I'm back for more, [DC's] ambassador
Prime Minister, back to finish my business up - Jay-Z “What more can I say?”

I remember when I first heard this “Beautifully human” artist. It was a weekend where Rod Dog, L and some other friends of theirs decided to get together for the weekend, celebrating going back to school. It’s funny, none of graduated from Howard but we all got our educations from there. I rode with L and his girlfriend as we traveled from U st. to Adam’s Morgan. Another friend from FAMU brought the CD with her. I remember seeing it in the store and looking at the girl who’s hat covered her face and wondering, since she was amongst the featured CD’s just “who is Jill Scott?” That night I would have my first introduction. Then a little while later, still not quite a believer, I had a private listening party. She played for me, “Do you Remember”, “ A Long Walk” and “He loves Me (Lyzel In E Flat” and I was mesmerized. It was so beautiful, music like that I had never heard before, at least not in so long that it felt like something I had never heard before.

One of those classic CD’s, that you can listen to all the way through and all the songs were good. I remember having the privilege on the way to a mutual friends grand parent’s funeral, of sharing this experience with Bird. She had never heard her before and that was a great joy.

I also remember me and La La (not that one, I wish) went to go see her live. It was the night before she cut her second CD Experience. It was awesome; it defied being captured in words.

She was able touch hearts because, true to the Baldwin quote, her art comes from a place of love. She describes love in a way that resonates with your spirit. And even in this example she describes, I won’t call it not love, but a misplaced, ill-formed kind of love, so perfectly that it resonated. So much so that I had to post it.

It’s amazing how we can see the speck in someone’s eye but can’t see the 4 x 4 in our own. How we can see how someone else has done us wrong but can’t see how we’ve been foul ourselves. I’m not even going to go into it, so don’t ask. And I know there will be some that will ‘ask is it I? Did you post those lyrics about me?’ I’ll say it again, like I said it before. If you wear a size nine and these happen to fit, don’t blame me. It applies to anyone that’ it's befitting. Anyone.

Slowly Surely
Artist: Jill Scott
From her debut album Who is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1

Slowly surely,
I walk away from
that old desperate and dazed love
caught up in the maze of love
the crazy craze of love
thought it was good
thought it was real
thought it was
but it wasn't love

I just don't know
Where i should go
So

Slowly surely
I walk away from
self-serving
undeserving
constantly hurting me love
deserting me love
you said, I said, we said
but

Slowly surely
I walk away from
confusing love
misusing love
abusing love
this can't be

Slowly surely
I walk away from
self serving
undeserving
constantly hurting me love

I just don't know
where I should go
No
I just don't know
know, know, know
Where I should go
so

Slowly surely
I walk away from
that old desperate and dazed love
caught up in the maze of love
the crazy craze of love

thought it was good
thought it was real
thought it was
but it wasn't love

I just don't know where to go
So

Slowly surely
I walk away from
I walk away from
Slowly surely
I walk away from love
Oh

slowlyy, surely one step at a time
but surely
I will pass the old love aside
and love me
slowly,
surely I walk away from
slowly surely I walk away from desperate and dazed love
caught up in the maze love
crazy crazy craze of love
slowly surely, I walk away from [repeat 5 times]
Slooooooowly Suuuuuuurely, slowly surely

Lyric of the week (Week 7)

(Apparently Amazon's selling the cd for 21% off, lol)

Right before I left to come to school, I went to dinner with Bird and Lil’ Kim [Not the Jailbird. Don’t be a snitch right?] We got to talking about lyrics and great song writers, I think we started with Smokie Robinson, because he was playing on the speaker system in the cheese cake factory.

Then we moved onto Stevie Wonder and Luther Vandross. Our conversation turned to how the quote in my blast from James Baldwin was so true. We discussed how we knew Smokie loved women and that Stevie was married but couldn’t explain Luther’s great lyrics. Not to speculate on his love life, and God bless the dead, but we never heard of Luther's love life.
Later on I thought about some of the great songwriters of our time:

· Nick Ashford & Valerie Simpson (Ain’t no mountain high enough, your precious love, Ain’t Nothing like the Real thing, You’re all I need to get by, etc.)

· Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff (I love music, For the Love of Money, Hope that We Can Be Together Soon, For the Love of Money, Me and Mrs. Jones, Backstabbers, Love train, Bad Luck, Now that we found love, etc.)

But I hadn’t thought about any white guys. Until I put in a cd today to study to. They covered his music (along with Gamble & Huff) a couple of seasons ago on American Idol. And he was on Regis with Ron Isley (who is in court facing tax evasion and 20 years, pray for Mr. Biggs) the music was oh so pretty with him singing it. I wound up blogging again today because of it. This white boy has it going on. Here’s just a small list of his catalogue.

Anyone Who Had A Heart - Dionne Warwick
(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me - Sandie Shaw
Walk On By - Dionne Warwick
What The World Needs Now Is Love - Jackie DeShannon
What's New Pussycat? - Tom Jones
I Say A Little Prayer - Dionne Warwick
The Look Of Love - Dusty Springfield
Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head - B.J. Thomas
I'll Never Fall In Love Again - Dionne Warwick
One Less Bell To Answer - The 5th Dimension
Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) - Christopher Cross
That's What Friends Are For - Dionne & Friends
A House Is Not A Home
Make It Easy On Yourself
Close To You
In Between The Heartaches

Well any way, this one spoke to me today. And since I’ll be gone for the weekend and I owe you a couple here we go…

The Lyric of the week (Week 7)
(*And no, I didn’t see the movie, but I’m sure it’s based off of the song*)

Artist & Composer: Burt Bacharach
From his latest Album: Here I am: Isley meets Bacharach
Alfie

What's it all about,
Alfie?
Is it just
for the moment
we live?
What's it all about
when you sort it out,
Alfie?
Are we meant to take more
than we give?
Or
are we meant to be kind?
And if
only fools are kind,
Alfie,
Then I guess it's wise to be cruel.
And if life belongs only to the strong,
Alfie,
What will you lend on an old
golden rule?
As sure as I believe
there's a heaven above,
Alfie,
I know there's something much more,
Something even non-believers
can believe in.
I believe in love,
Alfie.
Without true love we just exist,
Alfie.
Until you find a love you've missed you're nothing,
Alfie.
When you walk
let your heart
lead the way
And
you'll find love
any day,
Alfie,
Alfie.

Like Superman (October 12)

“Like Superman, fly high, way up in the sky…”
Do super heroes get old?
Do they retire?
Do they ever lose their powers?

My superman is aging. I remember when I was a kid, he rescued me from the overwhelming suffocation of nurture and femininity (My momma and sister) that can cripple a young boys life. He was always super human. He bathed me, and listened to me every morning when I’d wine about wanting a dog. He eventually bought one. He worked very hard to walk the line between giving me things that I wanted and spoiling me. He would take me everywhere he went. Although looking back, it couldn’t have been everywhere. But I would go to work, to church, and to the barbershop. Ah the barbershop, that last bastion of black maleness. I learned so much there, and with him and his interaction with other men, although mere mortals.
He was my superman.

And he still is. He’s just losing a little bit of his powers. I remember the day he took me to the 84 Lumber Store [They still have one in Frederick.] and he participated in a contest with the rednecks to see who can hit a nail through a piece of lumber with the fewest strikes. I don’t even know where he placed, but in my mind he won, because he was superman.
When he went to the office, he seemed to run the place. You couldn’t tell me that Mr. Nelson didn’t run the D.C. Government. He might as well have been the mayor (they say he looks like him, I always denied ), because to me, well he was superman. It wasn’t until my brother told me about his boss and some other bosses that would routinely pass him up for advancements because he refused to kiss butt. Isn’t that like older siblings? Always debunking myths for their younger siblings too early. He also told me he fought superman, and the mere fact that he was still alive assured me that it wasn’t true.

I see the kryptonite. I see what cripples you; after all I am your son. Now does that make me super boy or something like that?

Well this weekend, while we were moving that fridge, and for the first time I realized that you needed me to take the heavier side.

Wow, I realized that I might be physically stronger than superman. And I know I’m no superman. So it hit me, you may not have superhuman strength.

I guess after many failed household projects I realized that you couldn’t do everything. But for a long time I believed that you could. And you’re two grandchildren are teen’s and you don’t have anymore. It’s hitting me that I’m going to have to become someone’s superman.

And I know that after three kids, you realize better than me what you have passed on. I’m sure that you worked on you as much as you could, while you provided for us.

I understand you so much better now that I am a man.

And I appreciate you so much more, even though you are actually doing less, but in a way you’re not.

I know it’s tough watching your fishing buddies die, and I know you can’t help but wonder if we’ll make it with out the consummate fisher man.

But don’t worry, you did your best…and when you look at us, we’re all in service. We all are excelling in our industry. We can provide for ourselves, and we love ourselves. All due in large part to you being superman. Well at least to you doing the best that you can.

Don’t get me wrong, we’re not ready to let you go on your last fishing trip. Just when we were moving that fridge Monday, and when I saw, heard and felt how much it hurt this weekend loosing one more fishing buddy. I thought what better time than now?

So,

I just wanted to let you know… I love you superman. How many sons wish they could go back and say that? Well not me, even if I start off in not the most intimate place at least I said it. I love you Dell.

The Undisputed Truth (October 12)

(That's the name of the band. I can't claim "undisputed" truth in this blog)

This weekend I met with my mentor. I am sad to say that I’ve gone more than a year having a tenuous relationship with him because I let my weakness and my tendency to not trust get in the way. Moreover I let certain people exploit those tendencies. And so, after almost two years of keeping each other at arms length we finally talked about it. It’s funny we seem to be so alike in some ways that stuff like that will happen and at the end of the day we both understand each other.

Greek I know. I guess the whole point is that honesty always is the best policy. Being honest doesn’t just mean not lying. Being honest is not withholding information. Being honest is revealing feelings and circumstances that may initially hurt relationships, but in the end, if withheld, would damage them all the more.

My mentor taught me a lesson that he learned from his wife. He didn’t tell her something because he didn’t want to make her angry. Her response “you should love me enough to withstand my anger.”

So I let my feeling of mistrust cloud my judgment. But of course, my mistrust was misplaced. Jay-Z says [I quote Jay-Z more than I quote the bible.]

“Just be a man of your word / you got your word and your balls / before you act on the word / please consider the source / please remember the flaws / any day could be yours / death don’t discriminate / eliminates all.” -- Excerpt from “Problem Houston” El Presidente and Aztec. From DJ. Carmelo’s “the connected mix tape.”

So it woke me up at 5 in the morning (my bad roomie.) That at least three people that I thought cared about me, maybe unwittingly but I doubt it, lead me to believe things untrue about my mentor. For whatever selfish reason, professional advancement, personal hurt, or that desire that Puffy described like this they’d “rather see me die than see me fly”

(*Don’t be trying to figure out who they are either. The number three which is a true representation should throw you off enough. Things aren’t always as simple as you think*)

I said that School’s getting in the way of Blogging. So if I have to go to the lyric early to have a blog, then I gotta do what I gotta do. And I’m going old school this week. If you know me, you know I’m a young man (does 29 still count as ay young man? Sike, I know it does) with an old soul. So here it goes. If you’ve lived in D.C. and ever listen to WHUR you’ve heard this song.

Artist: The Undisputed Truth
Song: Smiling Faces Sometimes

Smiling faces sometimes pretend to be your friend
Smiling faces show no traces of the evil that lurks within
Smiling faces, smiling faces sometimes
They don't tell the truth uh
Smiling faces, smiling faces
Tell lies and I got proof

The truth is in the eyes
Cause the eyes don't lie, amen
Remember a smile is just
A frown turned upside down
My friend let me tell you
Smiling faces, smiling faces sometimes
They don't tell the truth, uh
Smiling faces, smiling faces
Tell lies and I got proof
Beware, beware of the handshake
That hides the snake
I'm telling you beware
Beware of the pat on the back
It just might hold you back
Jealousy (jealousy)
Misery (misery)
Envy

I tell you, you can't see behind smiling faces
Smiling faces sometimes they don't tell the truth
Smiling faces, smiling faces
Tell lies and I got proof

Smiling faces, smiling faces sometimes
They don't tell the truth
Smiling faces, smiling faces
Tell lies and I got proof

(Smiling faces, smiling faces sometimes)
(Smiling faces, smiling faces sometimes)
I'm telling you beware, beware of the handshake
That hides the snake
Listen to me now, beware
Beware of that pat on the back
It just might hold you back
Smiling faces, smiling faces sometimes
They don't tell the truth
Smiling faces, smiling faces
Tell lies and I got proof

Your enemy won't do you no harm
Cause you'll know where he's coming from
Don't let the handshake and the smile fool ya
Take my advice I'm only try' to school ya

Lyric of the week (week6)

I figured out why this week has been a different week for my blog. Simply stated I need prayer; my loved ones and I. So, instead of asking me the details, can you just pray for us? So many times people want to know the details of your situation, but I don’t know if that’s necessary for prayer. Doesn’t God already know? You’ll just be asking Him to do on my/our behalf.

Did I tell you that I am a private person?

Well any way, the lyric of the week is coming early, because I’m just about all blogged out this week. And I’m going home this week to be with my family.

It is related to me and why it is that I do what I do. Simply stated, but so true in every phase of life, I am what I am because of the sovereign foundations that God has lain in my life.. I do what I do because children and the adults they have grown up to be or will grow up to be. I have been one, and I’ve dealt with them so much. In fact, I think I have been the children in this song.

What about the children

Artist: Yolanda Adams
From her debut album More than just a Melody

Tears streaming down, her heart is broken
Because her life is hurting, so am I
He wears a frown, his dreams are choking
And because he stands alone, his dreams will die
So, humbly I come to you and say
As I sound aloud the warfare of today
Hear me, I pray

Chorus:
What about the children
To ignore is so easy
So many innocent children would choose the wrong way
So what about the children
Remember when we were children
And if not for those who loved us and who cared enough to show us
Where would we be today

Sir, where is your son
Where lies his refuge
And if he can't come to you, then where can he run
Such a foolish girl, yet still, she's your daughter
And if you will just reminisce your days of young
You see, it's not where you've been, nor what you've done
Because I know a friend who specializes in great outcomes
See His love overcomes

CHORUS (2 times)

Where would we be today
Where would we be today
Where would we be today
What about the children

Strength for today, bright hope for tomorrow (October 5)

Why I like to blog. I like to blog because to blog you don’t have to be grammatically correct. (Although it helps.) To blog you don’t have to have an introduction a body and a conclusion. You don’t need to finish your blog with kerygmatic content (the Gospel story.) Blogging does not require an imperative (what you should do) although it does have an indicative (a statement of what the situation at hands looks like)… You don’t need a thesis, a proposition, premise or organizing observation (although they help.) Don’t have to expose the ethos and mythos of your blog. Don’t have to be able to read the living human web of your blog readers either. Just wanted yall to know that I’ve been going to class.

Today, my roommate and I had a conversation with a US immigrant. I don’t mean that in a demeaning way at all. He opened our eyes to the world’s view of America, and awakened the conspiracy theorist in me. He talked about the international radio and news stations that he’s privy to, and how they tell the truth about the way that our government behaves and the way that the [not so] free world is run by a select group of billionaires.

But the overwhelming message that I kept hearing in my mind was that there is hope. There is the basic hope, generally shared through out humanity, that God’s love has the infinite potential to shine in their hearts.

Even our enlightened sales person himself, a naturalized us citizen an Afghan, saw hope for our world (America.) Would you argue that your world is bigger than America, your state, your county, and your community? Well you might be right, but most of us don't have that kind of "big picture vision."

I guess I agree with Soul brother #1 (my one white professor.) The over arching story is ultimately about the beginning (creation) and the conclusion (consummation of creation.) But it would be boring with out the body, the problem (sin) and the solution (salvation) that all fits in the middle. The hope that salvation intervenes in the story makes it all worth while.

Oh well the sleep man cometh, it’s 2:41 am.

Show me the money (October 4)

Mayor Nagin is firing half of the city employees in New Orleans.

They’re going to have send notice to them through FEMA. Maybe they already figured they weren’t going to have jobs. And I guess it doesn’t make sense to spend the relief money on salary for city employees. I don’t know, I can’t pretend to know what I would do if I was in his position. He’s the face of the firing though, and look at how sad that face is. He’s doing a heck of a job putting on face. Don't know if he was responsible for this decision or not. It really doesn't matter thought does it? Please don't take this as me being critical of him.

I thought I was going to leave Katrina alone. But a sad situation just keeps getting sadder. It’s kind of like when some one dies, they are all on your mind the week of the death and funeral, but the weeks after they tend to fade from your memory. I don’t want them to fade but I don’t want to deal with the anguish either, and it’s not getting better.

So they are firing half of the city staff. Who would want to be Ray Nagin right now? Not me, but we need to pray for the brother. I want to know what they are going to do for them and there jobs, if the city government is laying folks off how does that bode for the economy as a whole?

This blog is short because I’ve had to write three papers and I’m almost written out.

So…how about a little humor?

Jon Stewart on Hurricane Rita:
"No matter how anticipated, sequels are always less compelling than the originals. Katrina? You got your mayhem, your devastation, your city wiped out. Rita? Yes, there was some damage, but where was the zazz? It was the Ghostbusters 2 of hurricanes."

I love Jon Stewart. If you watch the 10 o’clock news try to stay up and watch “the fake news” on Comedy Central; the daily show. Very entertaining. Only an half hour. It’s hilarious, but it’s so true, and if it’s not true it’s so ridiculously false that you can tell. At least they are honest about their mistruths. Not like the other news that you watch.

Letter to the Editor. (October 3)

You said, “You didn’t come to the meeting.” When I saw you, I said, “you didn’t send me the e-mail. “

Actually, I really thought that you didn’t send me an e-mail because you weren’t interested in having me as a writer. I was excited at first when I met you. From my hometown and you were proud enough of your position as managing editor of the school newspaper that you told me. Not thinking that I would get excited and offer uh…my services? But then I thought about it. Me telling you I have a blog was probably not impressive. Alright, it’s certainly not impressive. You said you’d help me write but when you think about it; if I need help do I need to be writing for the school newspaper? And, is it appropriate for a graduate student to write in the school paper? Will I get unwanted attention because of it? Does anybody besides my friends (and it’s only a few of them) want to hear what I have to say?

My pros were:

• I could write social commentary.
• Help people in relationships. (As if.)
• Give some spiritual insights.
• Help some to believe in hip-hop again or at least better understand it.
• Bridge the gap between the undergraduate world and the graduate world here on campus. (Although I think they have it purposely separate.)

But if we are a community why can’t we be together? Dr. Kim, the newest faculty member at the seminary preached about community this past week.

My cons were:

• You didn’t send the promised invite.
• Maybe I bogarted my invitation to the meeting out of you.
• I’m 11 years older than the average freshmen. Whew!
• To help people believe in hip-hop again I would have to be honest about the artist and their art. Not always popular in mainstream media. (Does the school newspaper count as mainstream media?)
• I’d have college co-eds interested in me. (Come to think of it is that a pro, a con or both?)
• I would have all of the professors and my classmates judging, critiquing my every word.
• I went back home when you had your meeting any way.
• Maybe you really aren’t interested in having a self-absorbed, preaching, blogger as a writer in the first place. That wouldn’t be too far of a stretch now would it?

Alternatives.

• Maybe I can use my IT skills to help with the paper’s web presence.
• Maybe I can just do grunt work for you guys so that I can learn the trade. (Can you see me fetching coffee for 19 year olds?)

Or I could just audition by putting you in my blog.

So what do you think gang, do I have a shot? Let me know which entries I should share and which ones I should remove to get this non-paying gig with the school newspaper.

Lyric of the week (week 5)

Back to Ye. So I've been being nice. And I haven't unleashed a lyrical flurry on anyone. I'm going to keep being nice. But...

I am an underdog. I was diagnosed with ADHD as a child. I was slow in Math and English (can’t you tell?), only excelled in science. Graduated high school only hitting the honor roll twice or three times at the most. Struggled through almost a decade of the school of engineering, didn't graduate. Made it to grad school and now I'm here. No wonder I can feel Kanye so much, “I’ma be late though!”

I say all that to say, that no matter what the odds I've found a way to persevere.

I used to kid my mentor (actually he didn't know I was kidding when I said it) and say "everybody loves Raymond." Referring to myself, and the way the people in the community treated me as if I could do no wrong. But the thing is I always knew that it wasn't true. That everybody did not love Reggie. I kind of always felt one day that some people's love affair with me would end. Both literally and figuratively.

People treat you one way when you are doing, being and saying what they want and altogether differently when you are no longer.

Not saying I didn't do anything wrong, cause I did a whole [ ] load of wrong. Not absolving myself either. The point is I'm still me, the same person I was now, even though I’m not doing what you want or what I used to do.

For some that's not good enough, you have to be their "Reggie." You can't be you; you have to be the version of you that works for them. Operate in the function that works for them, stay in the place that works for them. Some people don’t give room for you to be free or to evolve.

I could’ve used the Ohio Players as the Lyric of the week.

And speaking of which....

Hey, this is supposed to be the lyric of the week not a full-fledged blog.

Well any way, some people handle change well and some don't. So here's the lyric
I bring to you the lyrical stylings of Kanye West.

(I saw VH1's "Driven" on Kanye this week. Did I say tell you that he’s the people's champ?)

Bring me down

Artist: Kanye West featuring Brandy

From his sophomore release “Late Registration.”

[Chorus: Brandy]
I always knew that one day
They'd try to bring me down
Wo-oo, one day, they tried to bring me down
Always knew that one day, they'd try to bring me down
Dooown, way down

[Kanye]
We gon' to mass today, we have to pray
Besides what the pastor say, I have to say
Since Pac passed away
Most you rappers don't even deserve a track from me
You see, if you ever wanted to ever be anything
There'd always be somebody that shoot down any dream
There'll always be haters, that's the way it is
Hater ni$$az marry hater b!tches and have hater kids
But they gon' have to take my life 'fore they take my drive
'Cause when I was barely livin, that's what kept me alive
Just the thought that maybe it could be better than what we at at this time
Make it out of this grind, 'fore I'm out of my mind
And get some leeway on the “he say she say”
You girl don't like me, how long has she been gay
Spanish girls say "No able ingle"
And everybody want to run to me for their SINGLE
It's funny how these wack ni$$az need my help
Wasn't around when I couldn't feed myself
Dog, If I was you, I wouldn't feel myself
Dog, If I was you, I'd kill myself
Made a mill myself, and I'm still myself
And I'ma look in the mirror if I need some help
Ask me from the heart, y'all all frontin
Everybody feel a way about K but at least y'all feel somethin

[Brandy]
Why you come here, I bet it only it was forget to get ya
What kind of dream we found, see I'm often at your cross way
forgetting it was that heaven let ya. They tried to bring me down

I always knew that one day
They'd try to bring me down

[Chorus - 5X]