NoDaysOff

Influencers Film

2010-11-07T22:50:00.001-06:00

"The places where people assemble based on passion I think are usually the places you see the most influence."

Influencers Film

Put This On

2010-09-28T21:51:00.002-05:00

Cognitive Dissonance.

More here, but specifically, here.

(hat doff, @dctobc)

Stuff No One Told Me

2010-06-24T10:02:00.000-05:00

Courage is the mastery of fear - not the absence of fear.

Stuff No One Told Me, But I Learned Anyway

From The Westside With Love

2010-03-25T22:37:00.000-05:00

Dom Kennedy. From The Westside With Love.

Download NOW

I've got a history. Trust me.

Bonus: From SXSW With Love

Tell a friend to tell a friend.

Escape

2010-03-04T23:58:00.000-06:00

Don't get stuck. There's more.

No Suit, No Tie.

Flickr via FYP

Someone Else Died Today

2010-03-03T17:00:00.001-06:00

Who is going to do the things Someone Else did?

No Days Off.

When The Morning Comes

2010-03-02T13:00:00.002-06:00

This is actually how my brain works. I did a science project/book report on Rube Goldberg and his book "Inventions" when I was in elementary school and have wanted to do one of these ever since.

I'm on an indie rock kick lately and this isn't bad. Rap wise, wait for Dom Kennedy "From The Westside With Love" and George Young, "We Talkin' 'Bout Practice Vol. 2."

More coming soon.

Hi

2010-01-13T00:17:00.001-06:00

We're still here. Hi.

Google Ads Objectify Blacks? Gays? Thugs?

2009-10-08T11:18:00.003-05:00

When you see it, you'll...

You can't make this stuff up people. This was an actual exchange between a friend of mine and some friends of his. He e-mailed me the screen shot. You can see that he was actively responding to a message and the cursor stopped because he was taken aback when he noticed the ad. It's funny because it's outrageous, especially considering I know all the parties involved and the subject matter of the email (all identifiers have been redacted for public consumption, of course) and nothing connoting the circled portion, or the non-circled portion, is logically connected.

Oh, and I'm not lauding Google or anything of that nature, but it just gives me a timeout and a laugh for a genuine WTF moment. "Find Blackgay (one word) Thugs at Great Prices. www.Pronto.com."

Now, I didn't click the link to see what's at Pronto because, well, rest assured I don't see and signifiers that there could be anything remotely of interest for me, but let's go ahead and run through a checklist of what's off-base with the ad link.

1. Prostitution is illegal. I assume that's what they're selling? (Reaching)
2. Slavery is illegal. I assume that's what they're selling? (Reaching)
3. What's a "Blackgay"? (Dead-on)
4. What could possibly be Google Ads' algorithm for this?
        a) I Built A Solar Panel
        b) Free Beat Downloads
        c) Serbs Claim Independence
        d) Blackgay Thugs

I don't wanna hear any explanation about bots picking up on relevant topics, there's no possible conversation that could populate such randomness. I dare you to come up with one. Also, as mentioned above, the conversation from the email wasn't indicative of anything relating to those topics. (I hope you can derive that from the email clip posted. If I'm tripping, tell me.) Maybe it's time for some new programmers over there at Adsense. Maybe The King's English is a lot more nonsensical to robots. Maybe I'm reaching. One thing I know is that you guys over there at The Google are reading this so I hope you consider re-programming The Google Adsense algorithm because I have actually found legitmate, time-worthy investments through your ad placements. Now please excuse me while I investigate an urgent matter in the form of this link from a gmail ad, "Dead Broke to 50K a Week." Thanks, Google, I'm twenty weeks away from being a millionaire. Results typical.

*I bet my word cloud is going to look a week bit different after all of those keywords.
**Despite whatever made you click on this entry today, no, this blog is not about that. Whatever that is.
*** Props to Cabby, who is neither black, nor gay, nor thug.

You Need To Work Hard...

2009-09-29T17:32:00.001-05:00

I am a generation older than you. You need to focus on one word in your post. Entitled. You aren’t entitled to s***, and being smart doesn’t make you worth anything to anybody. You need to work hard. You need to love something and do whatever you can to make it happen. You need to stop whining. Nobody cares that you are self-aware or that you filled your head with ideas you can’t seem to find a use for. Except maybe your parents.

The world is full of people struggling just to survive. If you don’t understand the depth of that, stop reading blogs all day and go take a trip. And don’t just go shopping for skinny pants on that trip.

Go find your own path. You can’t hate on office drones for finding their own happiness between the lines. Because the reality is (coming from somebody who has never really had a normal job, and who has managed to support themself by one form or another of whoring out their creativity and thinking) all that is really important are the little things. The other s*** you think is so credible, important and worthwhile is just empty. Go be a hit BLOG house artist. You’ll see how quickly that demystifies and how full of s*** people are.

Find somebody and something to love beyond yourself.
-old person

I haven't looked at Hipster Runoff in probably a year or so, mainly because I don't identify with the core demographic ("alt bros", "hipsters", "blipsters", etc.) and my aversion to the lingo (look at the last parentheses), but today I came across this gem of a post entitled "My job/career does not align with my personal brand [Generation Y and the mainstream workplace]." Pun intended.

(More after the break)

First off, you should know Hipster Runoff is meant to be "ironic" or whatever buzzword you need to comprehend that nothing posted is to be taken at face value. The premise is grounded in satirical musings meant to make readers laugh while relating at the same time, akin to SWPL. Plus, I'm pretty sure Carles, the author, is from Austin (click the comments) where I spent my "formative adult years," so I can understand the surroundings from which his perspectives are derived. Keep Austin Weird.

Just Another Day in Austin, TX.

Least offensive/whiny/innapropriate snippet:

I always thought that I would work ’somewhere cool’ like a record label, MTV, or at worst, a Fortune 500 company. It is just really demoralizing to work at a business park on a suburban side of town. Looking out the window at a bunch of Honda Accords and SUVs that are driven by people who have large families. I knew I wouldn’t move away to the city because I would ‘get famous’ but I still thought I had a change to have a meaningful city life if I just ’sold out’ and got a ‘mainstream job.’

Feel like I am sort of just ‘floating.’ I feel too lazy to ‘make my life better’, but I still feel like I will some how ‘get rich’ or at least ‘find happiness by making a career change.’

Read the full post here.

Regardless of your stance on the author's sense of entitlement, it should make you laugh/think if nothing else. Probably both. You can't see the drafts in my blogger and traveldrive usb, but I assure you there's a nifty little write up in there about the creativity that comes from your lost years and the time spent searching for life's meaning and I'd say Carles is onto something here. At least he got the commenters talking about something outside of that sub-language he's created. It certainly says something about our generation's mindset. Not to say that I'm exempt, but didn't/don't you feel like you deserve something more/it all? No? Yes?

Why?

Think about it.

You need to work hard. You need to work hard. You need to work hard.

You need to work hard.

One more for good measure. You need to work hard.

Hat doff to Free Darko for the inadvertent dime. You get a hockey assist for that one. Oh, and do yourself a favor and click that "dime" link and get another spot on assessment of why "we are all witnesses to marketing."

Kind Of Like Mel Gibson And Danny Glover

2009-09-09T14:03:00.007-05:00

Andre 3000: Simpsonized and Stigmatized

Usually this type of art is questionably offensive, but since Dre has been disputing these type of claims since the 90's, this piece gets filed away in the fuzzy (and subjective) realm of social commentary. At least take a minute and revisit a classic and remind yourself (read: myself) why 3000 is one of the most enlightening MC's to bless a microphone. New age preachers, anyone?

Lyrics below. Pardon the french, but it serves a purpose. Oh, and as far as dialects are concerned, southern vernacular is unparalleled.

[Dre]
It's the return of the gangsta. Thanks to...
Them n's that's on that blow
That run up in yo[ur] crib which contains your lady and an 8 month old child to raise,
Plus you['re] true blue [a]bout this music, but
They do not want to hear it because...
They'd rather be bouncing and shooting and killing and bouncing and s'.
Get down.

Return of the gangsta. Thanks to...
Them n's that thank [think] ya'll soft and say ya'll be gospel rapping,
But they be steady clapping
When you talk about
B's & switches & h's & clothes & weed.
Let's talk about time traveling; Rhyme javelin';
Something mind unraveling.
Get down.

Return of the gangsta. Thanks to...
Them n's that got them kids
That got enough to buy an ounce, but
Not enough to bounce them kids to the zoo or to the park
So they grow up in the dark never seeing light,
So they end up being like
Yo[ur] sorry a', robbing n's in broad a' daylight,
GET DOWN.

Return of the gangsta. Thanks to...
Them n's that get the wrong impression of expression
Then the question is, "Big Boi, what's up with Andre?
Is he in a cult? Is he on drugs? Is he gay?
When y'all gon' break up?"
When y'all gon' wake up, n'?
I'm feeling better than ever. What's wrong with you?
You get down!

More simpsonized "No Homer" posters (with less/more social commentary) here.
Format Mag's previously posted Classic Hip Hop CD covers recreated in LEGO here.

Previously: It Ain't Hard To Tell The World Is (Not) Yours

It Ain't Hard To Tell The World Is (Not) Yours

2009-09-01T00:19:00.005-05:00

A classic is built at the juncture where music takes us to a place we can't take ourselves. It ain't hard to tell. The world is yours. Carpe Diem.

I keep falling, but never falling six feet deep.
I'm out for presidents to represent me.

Nas is like the Afrocentric Asian; half man, half amazing.
Cause in my physical I can't express through song
[I] delete stress like Motrin, then extend strong.

Every Other City We Go

2009-08-31T00:58:00.003-05:00

Focus.

One Over Jordan

2009-08-25T09:14:00.002-05:00

How I felt.

How I feel.

But, for the record.

Good day. Pause for praise for another year on the books.

* This pertains to age and basketball. Yes, both. Mike > Kobe > Bron.
** Personal CURRENT Favorite: Wade
*** Free Darko

Feeding My Seeds 3.5

2009-08-21T15:56:00.005-05:00

You better have money or a plan. You should really have both, but if you don't have a plan, you better have money.
Keep separate fingernail and toenail clippers.
Have emergency cash. For running out of gas. For bail. For when the ice cream truck comes by.
Courtesy flush.
Work first, play after.
Cornbread; ain't nothing wrong with that.

Super Cali Fragi Listic

2009-08-15T14:08:00.005-05:00

Expialidocious.

Pic.

Sweet. Mercy. Me.

Thanks to a swift assist from Lady Day, I was refreshed on this video. A couple months ago, I ran into this video on yooouuutuuube (yes that's spelled correctly) and was in an actual trance. Trance music. Trance.

For the love of Jimi Hendrix, funk and the psychedelic movement please click here. Yooouuutuuube. Because I've dabbled in music production in the past myself, I respect the craft that much more. Especially chopping and crafting samples. "Alice" here consists of 90% samples from the movie Alice in Wonderland. That's quite and undertaking in itself, but the final product came out smoother than a foot post-ped egg.

But that's not even where my excitement kicked in. It was when I clicked through to some of his other videos and ran across this gem right here.

This right here. This right here. (c) Katt Williams. I'm a huge fan of musicals. I was raised on them and Annie is one of my favorite movies. I'm absolutely not kidding. I caught Mary Poppins on tv earlier this year and sat up and watched it in it's entirety. I'm 23, so you have to know that it did it for me. The production here is phenomenal. I strongly suggest you download it. It's free.

Expialidocious ← DOWNLOAD.

No really, it's free. Pogo, the artist, offers it up himself, with a slew of his other works, including, but not limited to, songs made from The Sword and The Stone and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

I suggest you download his catalogue because even his completely original work is well worth the download. As you know I boogie with the Foreign Exchange, so this was a natural progression.

You can find his catalogue here. You can stream from his myspace here. You can subscribe to his youtube videos here. I honestly hope he offers his music for sale so I can donate some money to the arts.

You can download it from the link provided above or grab a conveniently zipped file with all of his work by clicking the picture below. Cracker Jacks always had such great prizes. Click for gold.

Funny pic, but the real cracker jacks picture can be found here.

You Live To Learn And You Learn To Live

2009-08-14T17:57:00.003-05:00

In a very brief exchange with a friend who I've come to professionally and creatively admire for her lifestyle decisions, I was taken back to a thought that I’ve been meaning to expand on. Purpose. Not in the sense that I’ve typically approached these topical words, but in the sense of searching for purpose. I think anyone with a blog, opposable thumbs, between the ages of 13-65, breathes oxygen, walks upright, eats food or is made up of two thirds water should either have been, or be currently searching for purpose.

You can’t find purpose without change. Can’t. If you already new your purpose you wouldn’t need to change. If you didn’t need to change, you’d be perfect. If you’re perfect, you’re Jesus. You see where I’m going here (← Let the record show, that is very poor logic). We’ve all come up short. But the mission is to strive for purpose. To strive for greatness. To do more. To figure out why we’re here. I can’t put my finger on my purpose just quite yet, but occasionally I get flashes. Like someone is leading me in the right direction, but I’m blindfolded so I’m just accepting the nudges. The only times I’ve been able to say for sure I was doing the right thing it hurt. It’s that much easier to maintain than to change. Not because it’s necessarily hard to do what you’re supposed to do (it sort of is). You get no praise for doing what you’re supposed to do. Sure, you may catch flak if you do the wrong thing, but doing the wrong thing is easy. According to cliché, nothing good comes easy. Oh, and clichés may be cliché, but they’re based in truth. Seemingly akin to stereotypes, which slippery slope into prejudices, which continue on sliding towards racism and bigotry. But once again, that’s another story for another day.

Seeking purpose should be a lifelong mission. I have a personal belief that the best works of art came from those seeking purpose. In musical terms, limited to hip hop for allusion’s sake, it’d be the penning of Reasonable Doubt, Illmatic, Aquemini, Trap Muzik, Below the Heavens, and College Dropout. And those are a few stellar examples of artists that have continued to seek a higher level of understanding proven by their stellar follow ups. The Blueprint. Stillmatic. Stankonia/Speakerboxx. Late Registration. Just to name a few.

[End cohesive thought]

That’s just to name a few. In the aggregate, the problem is complacency. Besides a handful of “artists” that continue seeking purpose and striving for purpose, the overwhelming majority get confortable and settle. Since I am constantly ingesting music as a form of catharsis, I’m often drawn to that which I can relate. I enjoy my fair share of ignorant and/or silly music as well, but nowadays, more often than not, I’m looking to relate with what I'm listening to. Hence, my recent discovery that I can appreciate Maxwell's music in its full sense.

I’m at a point in my life where purpose is wide and varied. Most of the artists I’m into are making/made their best music when they were in a similar stage. So I’ve decided this is a good stage. Healthy confusion, if you will. Art is often influenced by pain.

Confusion breeds pain. Pain breeds art. Art breeds creativity.

It’s a pretty vicious cycle, but it’s true.

“There is no growth without change; there is no change without fear or loss; and there is no loss without pain…Every change involves a loss of some kind: You must let go of old ways in order to experience the new.” -Rick Warren-

[End cohesive thought]

This post was drafted about 8 times and never came together. Instead of trying to tie it all up neatly today, I’ll just leave you to do the juxtaposition. Think of it like a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book.

Its almost fitting though, right? If I had any of the answers I wouldn’t be searching. Should I discover my own mission here on earth, I'll be sure to relay it. If you find mine, I hope you'd do the same.

In minorly related news, I'll be co-hosting an online radio show with Devin tonight at 10 PM on Blog Talk Radio. Tonight's topic is "Are You Fulfilled". You can check it out on the Devin After Dark channel. If you miss it, you can always catch the archived version here. It's my first go at this radio thing, so if you get a chance to listen let me know what you think via comment (↓) or Twitter.

Last Week, [Messed] Around And Got A Triple Double

2009-08-13T10:00:00.002-05:00

Just waking up in the morning, gotta thank God.
-Ice Cube- "Today Was A Good Day"

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Homeward Bound

2009-08-06T16:52:00.002-05:00

Hotel California, originally uploaded by oybay ©.

Just another day out in sunny LA...

From the Lone Star State to the Golden State, I'll catch you on the other side.

Living Of The World Had The Malicious Overwhelmed

2009-08-05T10:17:00.004-05:00

Malice in Mass Appeal - April 2006

Mary Mary ft Malice (of the Clipse) - God in Me (Remix)

Its the God in me, I couldn't keep it to myself
When I was on top, I squandered the King's wealth
So many chicks, so many notches in my belt
Living of the world had the Malicious overwhelmed
How could I ever forget who's at the helm?
But now I'm a soldier, boy, I've got to tell 'em.
With the God flow, I raise the dead
What I give is food for thought, we're breaking bread
The time is now to believe, shake a leg
He loved us all like a son, now make your bed
See I was wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked
Without the Lord how could i make it?

1. I can't say I didn't see this coming.
2. My stee-lo.
3. New age preachers are as follows. Malice of the Clipse. Blu. Andre 3000.**
4. Stand by for proof on #3.

All credit to H.E.R.

**Not in the MC Hammer, Pastor/Murda Ma$e way.

Pardon The Interruption

2009-08-03T12:24:00.009-05:00

...but can I mention some shoes?

Vans Vault x Taka Hayashi No Quarter LX

Proper has come through for me without fail since 06'. Good customer service. Lightning fast shipping. Top tier collaborations. Quality inventory.

I try not to post too many sneakers here and stick to interesting "in real life" happenings, my/our musings on life and other miscellaneous content I/we find thought provoking, but "yoski woahski." (c) 3000. I'll take the brown and khaki hi tops for 500, Alex. The No Quarter LX makes me reminisce of the glory days of 6' Timbs and Polo Ranger boots...with added 09' style points. Coming up in my household, you weren't getting more than a pair of casual shoes and basketball shoes, as necessary, which probably led me to my present ownership tally now that I have a marginal amount of disposable personal income. Even so, my consumption rate has slowed significantly since joining "the real world." My entire lifestyle is somewhere between sneakers and dress shoes so my bank account will have to empathize. Or force-quit. Whichever comes first. Plus, ordering from SoCal is a fitting way to prep for a weekend mini-vacation to the left coast. The thing about style is that everyone has their own. So if you don't swing this way (||), pay me no mind. Regardless, I'm amped, suited and booted.

It Ain't Where You're From, It's Where You're At

2009-07-31T09:14:00.009-05:00

Cali Born.
Golden State Warrior.
Houston Bred.Eighty's Made.
Louisiana Nurtured.
"Yeah, I know that I'm not from the hood, but then again, I don't live in Friendswood. I know I'm not doing as good as I should, but I've got dreams as big as my foot." -Dbo-Austin Grown.
Clutch City Resident.

We've all got to have some place that we come from.
This place that we come from is called home.
We set out on our travels.
We do the best we can.
We travel this big earth as we roam.

We've all got to have some place that we come from.
I said, this place that we come from is called home.
Even though we may love this place that's on the map,
I said, "It ain't where you're from, it's where you're at."

Mos Def - Habitat

City Of Syrup

2009-07-29T22:55:00.007-05:00

Pandering to the locals.

Marketing sells. Houston knows it's demographic. Even the local Walgreens' promotional materials advertise Promethazine. Are you surprised? Spotted July 29, 2009 at the Walgreens in Midtown.

View Larger Map

Bonus prize with picture click.

H-Town Sneaker Summit 09

2009-07-28T14:37:00.012-05:00

In lieu of the upcoming H-Town Sneaker Summit Summer 2009 edition, it is only right I reflect on the summits' of past. The last few seemed very well received and honestly, in my opinion anyway, they get better each time. The venues get bigger and the talent gets better. As far as OG’s go, it doesn’t get too much better than Bun B the Ombudsman. He’s a Houston rap staple since the times of yore and our resident oldhead sneakerhead (if you have to classify these things. No shots). I won’t get into my thoughts on what makes a sneakerhead these days, because I surely don’t know anymore. Then again you can’t see the qwerty keys through my jeans, so that probably has something to do with it. But, to each his own. Do you. I just like sneakers anyway. All the labels and whatnot fall by the wayside.

Bun hosted part of the Winter Summit with a raffle giveaway of a pair of his 1 of 1 “RIP Pimp C” Nike Dunk ID’s. He’d already had an in-store at Premium Goods the day before for his t-shirt release in conjunction with The Hundreds.

Screwed Up records and Tapes. Up the street from Active Athlete.

You can see more pics of the event over at The Hundreds. (Editor’s note: Chris from San Antonio in the video below actually probably had the best weekend ever)

All breeds of sneaker enthusiast were in attendance so it made for good people watching. I was with my partner Cabby of Sneaker Lab and 3Kings fame, so as expected, a good time was had by all. The DJ’s played to the home crowd and it felt like 99’ all over again. I had a chance to run into my boy Thomas from The Tipping Point and Bun B the Ambassador himself. As you can see in the video, Bun is very comfortable in the city as he calls out “lames”, berates an onlooker and disses the State’s/America’s dream team, the Dallas Cowboys, all while receiving cheers from the crowd.

Let’s hope this Sunday’s Summit is even better. I’m a Dom Kennedy fan, as you already know, so I’m even more amped to see the performance. In addition, on Friday night, Pac Div, B.o.B aka Bobby Ray, Kid Cudi and Asher Roth are performing at the House of Blues. You already know we’ll be in attendance, so it looks like a grand time to be had for all. I personally think Kid Cudi is meh, but I won't stop the show over one monkey. B.o.B. gets great acclaim and, though I haven’t given his music much burn, people compare him to 3000 and 3000 is top 5. I’ve seen Asher and his live show is bananas. For whatever flak he may get about his music, I respect the energy. Pac Div. Well I can’t say enough about them, so I won’t. Why they’re opening instead of headlining is beyond me, but I’ll be at the venue bright and early to catch they’re performance. Tennis shoes, great performances and surrounded by good people. I can’t really ask for too much more out of a weekend in clutch city. Expect an update post Summit.

Bonus: Push the pictures, receive a treat.

Props to Dub CNN

Reference: Sharing Is Caring

Straight Street Hoops Volume 3

2009-07-26T22:44:00.005-05:00

Pic

Continuing with our Mike and Mike theme, I just thought I'd drop this gem off. Now this is streetball. F[orget] what you heard.

Via BBC

On September 15, Nike Created a Revolutionary New Basketball Shoe

2009-07-23T23:32:00.001-05:00

NBA Hoot

Church League Champions

2009-07-17T08:54:00.005-05:00

What it is one time, It's Pac Div.

Church League Champions is here.

One Shoe Can Change Your Life

2009-07-14T16:20:00.007-05:00

While sitting at my workstation a few weeks ago my boss handed me a stack of papers he had printed out from his email. Sometimes he shares HR case studies or other career oriented literature. Other times it’s the typical pictures of Barack Obama from around the world/inauguration celebrations. In more recent memory, there was MJ’s Memorial program. You know, the usual stuff. So, while de-cluttering my desk today I ran across a list he had given me in passing and really gave it a thorough look over. It was an email forward claiming to originate from Regina Brett of “The Plain Dealer” fame in Cleveland, Ohio. After a simple Google search, the origins proved to be valid. I was expecting Snopes to shoot it down, but hey, who knew some email forwards weren’t riddled (used loosely here) with lies and exaggerations. Anyway, she had a lot of good points and I’ve taken the liberty to extract some of them here and paraphrase others. You can check out her full unadulterated list here.

Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
When in doubt, just take the next small step.
Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
If a relationship has to be secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
Whatever don’t kill you really does make you stronger.
When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
Today is special.
Over prepare, then go with the flow.
Be eccentric now.
No one is in charge of your happiness, but you.
Always choose life.
Forgive everyone everything.
What other people think of you is none of your business.
Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
Believe in miracles.
Get outside everyday. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
The best is yet to come. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

Here’s an extra morsel for your pallet if you’ve made it this far. You can apply it as you see fit.

One shoe can change your life.
-Cinderella-

Spotted on the receptionist’s paperweight. Take it for what it’s worth.

Pic

Dear Old People That Run the World...

2009-07-10T12:24:00.007-05:00

No Slugs.

Dear Old People That Run The World,

My generation would like to break up with you.(1)

Everyday, I see a widening gap in how you and we understand the world — and what we want from it. I think we have irreconcilable differences.

Pray do tell.

You wanted financial fundamentalism. We want an economics that makes sense for people — not just banks.

What else?

You didn't care which communities were capsized, or which lives were sunk. We want a rising tide that lifts all boats.

You wanted to biggie size life: McMansions, Hummers, and McFood. We want to humanize life.

Furthermore...

You wanted more money, credit and leverage — to consume ravenously. We want to be great at doing stuff that matters.

Read the whole article and follow the links. It should spark some life into you or awareness at the least. In talks with a friend, we've discussed that their has to be more, there's got to be more. what that "more" is for you, well I don't know. I'm not even sure what it is for me, but I'm certainly on a quest for it.

In the same light, another buddy of mineput me on to Playing For Change. While it's hard to quantify the actual difference any of these "We Are The World" medleys ever make, I must say it's honorable. I like music. I like movements. I like peace. See how that works together?

Watch the introductory video "Stand By Me" here:

Watch the rest of their project in motion here. Oh and they performed on The Tonight Show last night too.

Article spotted via Peter W Knox(1)

What Time Is It? Party Time

2009-07-09T23:53:00.012-05:00

MJ Passes. The whole world dances in sorrow/celebration.

Sometimes the passing of a great hearkens us to revel in the the glory days. It does for me anyway. Being on hand for Houston's Michael Jackson Dance Party Tribute has certainly made my mind race back to a time when things were simpler. (Aside: Click that link. If you look close you can catch Vanessa, Enchantee, and Holly around the :15 mark in the first video.)

T-Pain - Time Machine

I'm going on a trip. I'll be back, homeboy, I'll see you later.
Going back to a time when I know everything was straighter.
And everything's great now, but back then it was greater.

One day you're going to recognize T-Pain is on some higher level thinking, but I'll save that lesson for another session.

To the point, the good ole days were just that; good. I firmly believe many suffer from the fear induced by nostalgia (which I swear is going to be in a future post) , but some things are as romantic as you remember them. Remember when you could not only get by "raising the roof", but you were actually on the up and up.

Check. Those. Cameos. In the labels to be specific.

Back when Stuart Scott was hip. For real, for real. (Did you notice that first guy sounded awfully like Trick Daddy? Or was that just me?) When you were out there searching for a "roni", riding the train was wholesome (?)** and your idea of dirty dancing was doing "da dip."

You've got to respect that. While we're on the subject...

Rome - "I belong To You" was my joint. I'll never ever call another song my joint, but you've gotta feel me.

Time keeps on ticking, ticking, ticking into the future.

**Upon further inspection, not so much. Youthful innocence and naivety FTW.

Sometimes I Write Fast, Sometimes I Write Slow

2009-07-09T16:29:00.002-05:00

Evrenye Fighter :), originally uploaded by Hodolomax™.

But I shine like I got a Bruce Leroy glow. You know.

It Was All Good Just A Week Ago

2009-07-08T09:34:00.003-05:00

Whose World Is This?

2009-07-07T00:04:00.005-05:00

Every time I take a gander into the complexities of my existence I muddle the lines of ideology and reality. What am I talking about? Well in theory I/we live to be like Christ. In reality I/we live in the world around us. I was thinking about an article I read on the 13th Floor (yes, I frequent that blog. Full disclosure: We're close) and it made me think. Without delving too deep into the psychological realm, some may find it weird the different spheres in which one person can relate. I suggest you read that first article referenced and then continue over here.

I'll wait.

Ready?

Take for instance some of my personal favorites, music wise.

Mary Mary - God In Me

The words are literally moving if you take the time to listen (c) Khaled. Pay Close Attention (c) Clinton Sparks. I've been meaning to post this song for about 6 months now. I must admit the first time I heard it I asked myself was it T-Pain singing gospel, but hey, sometimes you have to play the game.(Aside: T Pain is A GENIUS. I'll save that one for another day)

And then there's Blu.

Stan status, no doubt about it. No gas folks, dude is the truth off the project roof (c) Hura.

Yo, I'm trying to get this place that my grandpa told me bout as a child
Told me only few can make it and the faithless ain't allowed
Be a star out your gang & aim above the clouds
And if you miss, you'll at least be amongst your own crowd
I smile cause now I see what he meant
I see it in the eyes of mothers when they uncover their sins and repent
Getting closer to Jehovah on they're old knees bent
Praying our mind frames switch and these times change quick
But I hate to say it brother, but the youth is too stubborn
Too stuck on themselves to ever think about others
They must uncover the scales on their eyes called lies
Leading the deaf dumb and blind
To a place my mom told me about (hell)
Where your sins get cleansed cause they bathe in flames
And the only route out, is to shout out His name
I was trained to be a soldier for God
But as soon as I used my own thoughts
I kinda got lost in a smog called reality
Where hell is a fallacy
And heaven is a fantasy created by man
So don't believe in it
You came here with nothing
And you leaving with nothing
So retreat from this world of deceitfulness
My people it's time to rise
Realize it's a heaven whether you think it's inside
Or in the sky,
Reach for it before it's gone internally
And you're stuck here below the heavens for eternity

Whose world is this?
Whose world is this?
Whose world is this?
Whose world is this?

Somebody once told me that I'm already in hell
Freedoms a state of mind and just the heart of me's in hell
I freed my slave mind so a part of me's in hell
So even when it's hard to breathe, a part of me inhales
So pardon me
You gotta' try hard to be yourself
'Cause you can't get to heaven being anybody else
And I was raised by a reverend yet the lessons didn't help
I had to get 'em for myself
I was told hell is hot, But had to feel it for myself
So I left home, as a young child smiling as I stepped on
Facing the world butt naked, without my weapon
I lost my smile and in exchange, I put a vest on
Now that my premature stress is gone
I got problems to face as a man
I was told you either stand or you fall
As long as you know when you walk you holdin' hands with a god
That alone can turn the dark to a walk in the park
I only talk from my heart
So open yours when you listening
Every man has his own heaven the difference is the way that he envisions it
So if you make your heaven pictureless
By the time you die
You'll be driftin' in an imageless field
So build your heaven full of blessed thoughts
That's real, you can stress it or just let it walk
I got a question if a man can make his own heaven
Can he make his path to get to it too?
I only spit fluent truth
And I spit it for the listeners
So I'm spittin' to you
You say it's hell
I say it's bulls' we getting through
Just think about it every man has his own heaven
But s' you gotta' go through hell to be a man first
And understand first
Hell is what you choose to call the present
That's why you're going through it
I just choose to call it stressing
To tell you fools the truth
I don't feel that why I'm destined
So you can call it hell but bro
I'll just say I'm below the heavens

Soak that in for a minute people. Put it on repeat. Let it marinate (c) Cabby

And then there's this.

Which I watch frequently. Why? What's the greater message? How is this empowering?

What ties the 3 together? Nothing. I guess it goes to show the state of duplicity we live in. No conclusion folks, just thoughts, just opinions (c) Justin.

I Told You Life Was Beautiful

2009-06-26T15:57:00.003-05:00

Cynical Optimism: Reality before ideology. A state of existence in which one questions or rejects the qualities and values of the world, all the while retaining a utopian outlook on life. Usually results in genuine joy as opposed to perceived happiness.
syn. Positive Skepticism

...Clothes that you rap about, s’ that I stayed in.
You n’s get love, but that’s the s’ that I was made in.

Well, they told me I was beautiful
I told you I was beautiful
I told you I was beautiful
I told you I was beautiful

Like Stevie on the keys,
Isley on the strings;
Every time I see you it reminds me of them things.
Every time I see you it reminds me of my dreams.
Everything is fine, [I] hope I find you when I leave.
Just because I style, they think I aint broken.
And just because I smile, they be thinking I be joking.
I pass on the blunt and n’s think that I be smoking.
Bust my A’s hat and n’s think that I’m from Oakland,
But I’m just athletic; Just as Reddick.
And when I say you’re fine, I’m talking just aesthetics
‘Cause it’s kind of a façade.
You steady going out. Chest be poking out,
When you know you got a job
And you barely got benefits
Talking what you fitna get
It’s all cool now, but I want you to remember this…
…Sin a bit, pray more. Thank you for this day, Lord.
Only answer to You, so I shouldn’t have to say more.

And I told you life was beautiful
I told you it was beautiful
I told you I was beautiful
I told you I was beautiful
I told you I was beautiful
I told you I was beautiful

Pause For Praise

2009-06-19T09:54:00.001-05:00

No Disrespect To You, I'm Just Enjoying Me

2009-06-18T17:48:00.007-05:00

-Malice of the Clipse-
(Monster on the Mic, Vlog of the Year, Poor Twitter Persona)
Pic Via

Disclaimer: I strongly suggest you listen to the music as you read. Consider my posts the soundtrack to your reading session.

Clipse – “I’m Good”

Download: http://www.divshare.com/download/7691876-ed6
Via Complex

Now I am not an expert on all things. I personally agree with most things I do. As much as anyone should agree with the things that make them, well, them.

I know I look good, ‘cause I feel real good. And when I’m feeling real good, I wish somebody would. I’m just like that.
-Cool Cutta- (One of my favorite tracks, from a classic cd)

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Embody that for a moment. But I digress.

The Clipse are one of the hardest rap duo’s out. Ever. I’ll cash out on that one. They’re religiously slept on; exist in a perpetual sense of label drama and disappear for what seems like years at a time. But they keep growing. Their particular brand of rap is potent enough to give a spiritual man like myself dissonance at times. But what can I say? They make some darn good music and that’s what I’m listening for. Pusha T might be the best rapper out, period. It’s not particularly fair to the elder Thornton because they both have “unorthodox” styles, but Pusha T spits that lava. To spare you a pseudo-blasphemous Jordan comparison, let’s just say Scottie Pippen was one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. And I’ll leave you to make your own allusions.

I say that to say this: Malice is a beast. And showing growth you have to have empathize with to appreciate in its entirety. Noone’s perfect, so I must reiterate that these are slightly misguided, but I like the direction he’s headed. It may help some people to visualize the deep, dark depths of the mindset embedded in “the life” in order to apply it to their own. Call me crazy, but somebody told me that we are blessed through our testimony. Not only does he have the most thought provoking video blog (by a rapper) out, but he’s writing a book that I’ll buy for the title alone. “Wretched, Pitiful, Poor, Blind and Naked.”

I’m a firm believer that sometimes you can show people better than you can tell them, but when it comes to inspiration, saturation is welcomed. He talks a good game. I hope “I’m Good” takes off because, for one, I like it, and for two, if he continues down his current path, he might just enlighten the youth in the same vein reformed convicts redirected the waywards on Scared Straight.

What’s your name? Bridgette. (1:00-1:50)

For those of you unfamiliar, Malice is verse 2 on the song.

“I’m on cloud nine, and I ain’t even high. Told my shorty I’d be back and I ain’t even lie…I see you flirting baby, them jeans is painted on her. Mama looking right, but I don’t even want her. No need to take it personal, but that’s just how it be. No disrespect to you, but I’m enjoying me. Finally, I’m free. All my dues paid…And I’m looking good. And I’m feeling good. Try and stop my shine; I wish a n’ would.”

You have to respect it because it’s descriptive enough to let you know where he’s coming from. You have to feel it because it’s freeing enough to let you know he’s not sweating it. And even more so you have to love it because it sounds good and feels good to witness growth. We all know how I love growth.

Episode 4. I suggest you watch it to the end.

Malice Video Blog 4 from Malice of the Clipse on Vimeo.

Refresh yourself on Episode One here
Play catch up and stay up to date here.

BONUS: In the spirit of my 8th grade year in intermediate school, I looked up the infamous line.

“Hold my pocket” (3:45- 5:00)

On that note, I don’t want anything to do with jail and I remember why.

Feeding My Seeds 3

2009-06-18T09:18:00.005-05:00

Brushing without flossing, is like showering without soap.
Your body is a temple. Your temple. Treat it as such.
If you run out of IT, just add water. Water stretches EVERYTHING.
The refrigerator is not a time machine. The freezer is.
Use 2 ply. No more than 3 squares at a time.
Paper towels do not flush.
Look like you're listening.
Read everything that comes through your hands.
If He brought you to it, He'll bring you through it.
Faith is nothing without works.
Get your hands dirty. Then wash them.
Patience builds character. Perseverance builds success.

YouTwitFace

2009-06-04T10:16:00.003-05:00

In celebration of the return of great late night programming, I present to you...

More embedded videos.

You may or may not know that I love all things Conan O'Brien. The man can do no wrong. He's comedic genius in the likes of the writer's of the Office, 30 Rock, Chris Rock, Dave Chappele, Dane Cook (yes, Dane Cook) and Stephen Colbert. I could go on, but I won't.

Not only did he bring back Andy Richter, the underappreciacted and long-missed prodigal sidekick, but also Max Weinberg and the Weinberg 7. In addition, they've also added new weirdos and the salvaged the internets second favorite bear.

"Don't spit on that twit
Don't flush Twitter down the..."

And the highlight of the day, the new and improved, "In the year 3000". A certified classic Conan sketch revamped for relevancy. If you don't appreciate Richie the Trombonist's soothing falsetto, you don't appreciate the gift of hearing.

"In the year 3000...

Youtube, Twitter and Facebook will merge to form one super time wasting website called, 'YouTwitFace'."

Welcome back, old boy, and cheers to your your continued success.

In other news, Hit Me on Twitter. If you're into that sort of thing. @smilupe

Heaven

2009-06-03T23:09:00.002-05:00

"Heaven" - Unkle
Directed by Spike Jonze

Boom goes the dynamite.

At this point, you should know to watch every video posted. Cinematography, my friends.

Let's Go Back, Back to the Gap

2009-06-03T22:55:00.006-05:00

The leg we're grounded in. This song remains Ye's best work to date. Glad to finally see a video. Not to mention, the ending was epic.

Spaceship from kwest on Vimeo.

Origin

Sharing is Caring

2009-05-04T23:58:00.004-05:00

Some videos are so good that I wish I had a voice to the masses to force them to pay close attention. Without further ado.

Foreign Exchange - Take Off The Blues/Valediction
Buy

The Foreign Exchange feat. Darien Brockington - "Take Off The Blues" from The Foreign Exchange on Vimeo.

via The Smoking Section

Mayer Hawthorne - Just Ain't Gonna Work Out
Learn
Vinyl (Warning shipping is 27.99)
Hype

Via Herfection

Dom Kennedy/Pac Div/Carter x The Hundreds - Everybody Knows Us
Dom Kennedy - FSDS (Disclaimer, I haven't run it yet, but I have a feeling I'll like it.)
25th Hour (Same Disclaimer)
Learn

Via The Hundreds

Blu - Blu Collar Workers
Just because I stan this guy.

And lastly some wisdom for the youth, albeit misguided.

Malice Video Blog 1 from Malice of the Clipse on Vimeo.

Via Play Cloths

Feeding My Seeds 2

2009-05-04T20:41:00.006-05:00

Relax and take notes.
Always wash under the door handles. (Editor's note: In this case I'm talking about cars, but feel free to use this bit of advice in any realm of life. Take that for what it's worth.)
Males: When urinating in a public restroom, always angle your back to the door. Trust me.
Older people are not always smarter than you. Keep that in mind. Alternatively,, often older people have experience that lends them wisdom which goes a long way. You need to keep an open mind and remember that they were not always old, they've simply lived your life many times over at this stage, so more often than not they know what they're talking about. Listen.
You don't have to be social to be sociable. (Mental note: expand on this)
Write down your thoughts. You're going to have some great ones and forget some great ones many times over.
Keep that. You're going to wish you had later.

Feeding My Seeds

2009-04-07T17:30:00.005-05:00

Things I must remember to teach my children:

Talk to the "little people."
Always lather off the top layer of soap before you start washing. Think about the last body part you washed in previous shower and the first body part you'll wash in your current shower. This does not apply when using body wash.
Tie your shoes tight when playing sports.
Think first, speak second.
Do something tangible.
Listen.
Do not share food, utensils or cups.
The 10 second rule does not apply unless you 1. Rinse off the food in question. 2.
Say, "God kiss it, devil miss it." 3. Never applies to gum.
Fish is a meat. As are eggs.
Never accept inferiority. Don't settle.
Reading is better than television.
Help people.
People > money.
Quality of life > things.
Towels can be used more than once.
Stretch.
Smile.
Write down your thoughts and date them. It will make sense later.
Never shake hands in the bathroom.

Hopefully I'll periodically add to these thoughts and look back on them when I need them.

I am to blame for war

2009-02-27T14:43:00.002-06:00

I am posting this in response to the movie Body of Lies I saw last night. Pretty good movie… Hang back and enjoy.

Question: How can we solve our present political chaos and the crisis in the world? Is there anything an individual can do to stop the impending war?

Krishnamurti: War is the spectacular and bloody projection of our everyday life, is it not?

War is merely an outward expression of our inward state, an enlargement of our daily action. It is more spectacular, bloodier, more destructive, but it is the collective result of our individual activities. Therefore, you and I are responsible for war and what can we do to stop it? Obviously the ever-impending war cannot be stopped by you and me, because it is already in movement; it is already taking place, though at present mainly on the psychological level. As it is already in movement, it cannot be stopped- the issues are too many, too great, and are already committed. But you and I, seeing that the house is on fire, can understand the causes of that fire, can go away from it and build in a new place with different materials that are not combustible, that will not produce other wars. That is all that we can do. You and I can see what creates wars, and if we are interested in stopping wars, then we must begin to transform ourselves, who are the causes of war.

Circumstances can be controlled by us, because we have created the circumstances. Society is the product of relationship, society changes; merely to rely on legislation, on compulsion, for the transformation of outward society, while remaining inwardly corrupt, while continuing inwardly to seek power, position, domination, is to destroy the outward, however carefully and scientifically built. That which is inward is always overcoming the outward. We are not mere victims who are caught in this society that is dark and corrupt; society is the way it is, because we are the way we are. It is a reflection of our being, a manifestation of our thoughts and behavior. That brings us to the following question; “Is society there for us, or are we there for society?” I believe society is here for us, for without it we would be lonely, and feel purposeless. Unfortunately, it is this very notion that makes society the way it is. The behavior we are seeing from humans is natural, and therefore logical. “Why would I need to take care of something that is meant to be there for me?”

What causes war – religious, political or economic? Obviously belief, either in nationalism, in an ideology, or in a particular dogma. If we had no belief but goodwill, love and consideration between us, then there would be no wars. But we are fed on beliefs, ideas and dogmas and therefore we breed discontent. The present crisis is of an exceptional nature and we as human beings must either pursue the path of constant conflict and continuous wars, which are the result of our everyday action, or else see the causes of war and turn our back upon them. Leave the oil where it Is!

If once we really felt the responsibility of our own actions, how quickly we could bring to an end all these wars, this appalling misery! But you see, we are indifferent. We have three meals a day, we have our jobs, we have our bank account, big or little, and we say, “For God’s sake, don’t disturb us, leave us alone”. The higher up we are, the more we want security, permanency, tranquility, the more we want to be left alone, to maintain things fixed as they are; but they cannot be maintained as they are, because there is nothing to maintain. Everything is disintegrating. We do not want to face these things; we do not want to face the fact that you and I are responsible for wars. You and I may talk about peace, have conferences, sit round a table and discuss, but inwardly, psychologically, we want power, position, we are bound by beliefs, by dogmas, for which we are willing to die and destroy each other. Do you think such men, you and I, can have peace in the world? To have peace, we must be peaceful; to live peacefully means not to create antagonism. Peace is not an ideal. To me, an ideal is merely an escape, an avoidance of what is, a contradiction of what is.

To bring about peace in the world, to stop all wars, there must be a revolution in the individual, in you and me. Economic revolution without this inward revolution is meaningless, for hunger is the result of the maladjustment of economic conditions produced by our psychological states – greed, envy, ill-will and possessiveness. To put an end to sorrow, to hunger, to war, there must be a psychological revolution and few of us are willing to face that. We will discuss peace, plan legislation, create new leagues, the United Nations and so on and on; but we will not win peace because we will not give up our position, our authority, our money, our properties, our stupid lives. To rely on others is utterly futile; others cannot bring us peace. No leader is going to give us peace, no government, no army, no country. It does not matter if his name is Barak or not. What will bring peace is inward transformation which will lead to outward action. To put an end to outward war, you must begin to put an end to war in yourself.

"Now What I Look Like..."

2009-02-09T12:13:00.006-06:00

Believe it or not, this is a graphic representation of us over here at No Suit, No Tie. All of our published posts anyway. (We may very well have more drafts than posts). I couldn't have done that if I tried. If you want to make one for yourself, or have your blog visualized, then head on over to Wordle .

Now if only I can get them to give me the Graffiti Research Lab treatment (via 2dopeboyz)...Or even the LA Pop Art Treatment (Home Site)

No Suit, we go hard, we go hard...
No Tie, we go hard, we go hard...

Permalink: http://www.ilike.com/artist/Jay-Z/videos/254047002

Check out these other ones randomized based on our URL.

Don't Be Like Me, Be Better Than Me

2009-01-07T10:47:00.010-06:00

One for the Money

Two for the show

Three to get ready

"But for real, my ____, don't be like me, be like Jesus."
-50/50 Twin-

Today I read an article today about a man who first came on my radar, presumably, a year ago. I'm hesitant to admit this, but the article was re-brought to my attention by the roundtable discussion on this morning's broadcast of "The View." Let me be clear, I do not, and would not have watched this show had it not been playing in Mrs. Kim's Deli while I waited for my eggs.

Add Beyonce and Rosie the Riveter and call it a movement.

You may read the story here. As a general rule of thumb (from here on out), here's my primo excerpts:

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Rev. Ed Dobson has spent most of his life following Jesus. But only now does he realize how hard it is to live like him.
The retired megachurch pastor and one-time architect of the religious right has spent the last year trying to eat, pray, talk and even vote as Jesus would. His revelation: Being Jesus is tough.

"I've concluded that I am a follower, but I'm not a very good one," Dobson said. "If you get serious about the Bible, it will really mess you up."

Now that's real.

The normally teetotaling Dobson also allowed himself an occasional drink, noting Jesus was accused by critics of being a "glutton and a drunkard" who partied with pagans.

"If I'm at a party with a bunch of people who don't know the Lord and they offer me a beer, I'll take it," said Dobson, adding, "People at bars are wide open to talk about anything, including God."

That one floored me, I must admit.

Obeying the biblical command not to trim beards, he let his grow as long and shaggy as an Orthodox rabbi's.

"It's a pain in the neck when you're eating spaghetti," he cracked.

But a messy beard was the easy part of living like Jesus.

"The hard part is trying to live up to his teachings," Dobson said. "I've realized how far I fall short."

Don't we all.

"Jesus is a very troubling individual," Dobson said.

Jesus' troubling teachings influenced him to vote for Barack Obama — his first vote for a Democrat for president. Though disagreeing with Obama on abortion, he said, "I felt, as an individual, he was closer to the spirit of Jesus' teachings than anyone else. (Obama) was a community organizer, so he was into the poor, the marginalized, the oppressed, which Jesus is very much into."

Alright, I'll leave the rest of the article for you to read yourself. It's interesting, to say the least. I must say that the effort to follow Jesus' commandments isn't an easy task at times, much less to live the life that he did. We all know the age old adage that says, "Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery." I just don't think any of us will ever live up to His grace. Feel me?

It All Comes Crashing Down

2009-01-02T13:23:00.003-06:00

I don't mean to ruin the assumed high spirits everyone is in with the start of this new year/new day, but I've been meaning to post this video since I first saw it.

Sooner or Later

It is pretty apparent that this song was not originally written with the intent to describe the recent imploding of Wall Street, but the parallels make for a nice visual representation. Sonically, this is a masterpiece, in my humble opinion. Lyrically, it's not advanced, but the lyrics are personal enough for it to break the greatness barrier for me. The approximate 3 plus minute riff at the end of the CD version of the song are nothing short of sheer blissful anarchy for the ears. I couldn't ask for more.

Anything Worth Having You Work At Annually

2009-01-02T13:00:00.004-06:00

Sometimes all you need is a new start. More often than I'd like to admit, I suffer from "the little hater."

(Embedded for all you non-link-clickers out there)

"Procrastination is what you call it when you confuse being busy with being productive."

There is absolutely nothing productivve that spawns from self-doubt or laziness. There is also no impetus more efficient than self-drive. That is, if you care to save yourself the heartache of forced change. With that said, It's 2009. Let's start this thing off right.

Message, fantastic. Lyrics, NSFW.

I can't stress enough the cutting edge that Cee-Lo has habitually been ahead of. [/Yoda]

Please take this time to "get your mind correct" for 2009.

Thank you. We will talk again sooner than later...

Sooner or Later

2008-12-13T13:54:00.001-06:00

This is going to be very groovy.

Sooner Or Later - Behind The Scenes

And The Last Shall Be First

2008-12-13T10:12:00.006-06:00

Digital Gravel:

3Sixteen are holding a funeral service for the death of creativity and you're invited! Streetwear brands continue to feast on each other's concepts and the same ideas are recycled over and over again. Just like they say, there's nothing new under the sun. The sun is represented with a contrasting metallic foil print. by 3Sixteen.

3sixteen: The New Royalty
Blog
Newsletter

With mantras such as "A Time to Kill/Heal" and "The Last Shall Be First" and "You reap what you sow", you'd be a fool to doubt the sincerity of their product. In my opinion some of their graphic tees are hit or miss, but I respect their direction.

I use that as a segue to my feature point. There is truly nothing new under the sun. We go through this life and create our stories everyday. More often than not, we end up like our parents. I don't want to get caught in the narrative that was set before me, but I often see parallels.

I have a healthy awareness of life. I learn a something new everyday. Sometimes I wish that translated on a resume, but that's a different story. I'm learning not to point fingers. There's the age old adage that if you point your finger at someone else, you're pointing four fingers back at yourself. Lest we forget about Matthew 7: 1-5

1 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

To the point, there's not too much that hasn't been thought of before, but who's to say you won't do it better? As a resident Graduate Professor at DoYouniversity, I want to take this time out to tell you to be yourself. No other purpose to the post except, "Don't judge, lest ye be judged" and do something different with the talents you're blessed with.

Also, the 3Sixteen brand is constantly evolving and I support what they're rooted in, so go invest in quality threads. That is, of course, if you're into that sort of thing.

BONUS: Their lookbook videos are too exquisite not to throw in this here gift basket of literary knowledge. Taste and see that it is good. No blaspheme.

3sixteen Fall 2009 Photoshoot from 3sixteen on Vimeo.

2008-11-11T00:04:00.003-06:00

I have a list of things on my mind that I've wanted to talk about. A lot. They're all supposed to be addressed in order. Sometimes you can't go with conventional chronology and just have to let the spirit lead you.

When you realize its not about you, you're going to find a whole new life.

Contradiction.

I can't see them coming down my eyes.

Comprehensive.

Divided we fail.

Duplicity.

Anything is possible.

Extrasensory perception.

Just to name a few. But all of those are staying on the back burner for another day/week/month/never. Today's topic: I don't have a title for today's topic. Or a theme or anything. I just have my thoughts. Here goes.

Have you ever woken up and realized you're everything you never thought you'd be. (You may be able to see where this is going.) You wake up, or snap out of a nap, or nod your head at work and think to yourself, "How did I get here?"

I have.

I woke up and realized that I am not the same. I am not the person I thought I would be at this point in my life. You think about being a "grown up" when you're little and it looks a whole lot different than it does when you're "grown." Thank God they tell you the world is a certain way when you're young. (<--future blog post?) They say you can't have regrets because without the things that have happened to you and the decisions you've made you wouldn't be who you are today. Nah. I side with Sean Carter on this one. "In this life you've gotta learn to live with regrets." I can't even pretend that I'm ok with all the choices that have gotten me where I'm at now. The ends don't justify the means. (<--another blog post?) I wake up in my parent's home. I've always been the main opponent of moving back home when I finished school. So I didn't. I hate asking for handouts. So I didn't. I'm independent. So I do things my own way. Then you realize you're that guy who stuck around too long. You're THAT guy. You graduated before everyone you knew. You have no plan. You always have plans, but they're short-term. You managed to jump 20 pounds twice. You live in excess and have an extraordinary sense of pride. You look in the mirror and you're not who you were. You've changed. You're THAT guy. You see what's wrong and you see it's your fault. You've stolen, cheated, lied, coveted, and that's just off top. The 7 deadly sins sound more like a checklist. You work hard for nothing. You work less for little. "No health insurance, scared to get sick." -Rapper Big Pooh- You pride yourself on being a people person, yet don't talk to people. You've lost a lot of the personal touch. The one person you want to be able to see "it" will never be able to see "it" again. Not correctly. That's poor.

Then it hits you. You're me. And I'm not who I was. At all.

I've come along way. A really long way. I moved back to Houston. I live with my folks. It saves money. It's not bad. At all. I needed it. I have a family that loves me in a more personal way and reaches out to know me and tries beyond what I could ever ask for to be there for me in every way imaginable. I eat good. I sleep good. I can feel it. I don't have that weight. Not like I used to. I'm there for you. If you need it. Holler at me, but don't scream. No qualms. If my sisters need anything, I'm there in the blink of an eye. Like I always wanted to be. me and my brother are good like when we were knee high...to the tree high [Sonnier]. I was darn near 22 before I got a car. I always wanted one and to some its nothing, but to me it's everything. It's one of the countless blessings I can't thank God enough for everyday. In addition to breathing, walking, talking, etc. She lives 3 hours away, but I jump out there as frequently as I can. For one, the sheer monumental blessing of having the opportunity to have the honor and privilege to call her mine is a testament to how far I/we've come. The fact that skipping town is a mere post-work-weekend-warrior is another blessing in itself. Let's go. What more could I really ask for? "I've seen fire and I've seen rain. I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end." -James Taylor- What I don't have in the most superficial of categories are far outweighed in the areas that matter. I've got that feeling in my soul that lets me know what life is supposed to be like. I have a God that loves me unconditionally and has given me another chance at life in addition to a small fraction of wisdom that I can't say I ever thought I'd have at 23. I've got a renewed faith. Boy if you know that feeling, you feel me. I have guidance from everywhere. I have a peace in my soul that trumps the discord in my pocket. I have a family that I couldn't ask for in my prayers. I have a set of friends that care for me and hold me down in ways I couldn't articulate if I tried. And I have a lady that loves me despite. Now you tell me what I see in the mirror when I wake up. I wake up and see that the only thing guaranteed is change. I wash the sleep out of my eyes and see the light. Literally and figuratively. I can't see the future but I can see past the past. And that's a testament in itself.

You look at life everyday and you see yourself in the mirror and you can't see the change. But if you mark the wall to see your height and you come back a year later you see you've grown 6 inches. I've grown 6 inches. 12 inches. And I'm just getting started.

Now that's a change I can believe in.

Drumroll Please...

2008-11-03T20:32:00.006-06:00

So today is Nov. 3rd, 2008. While those who know me know that I've been very closely following the election this season, I have become aware that perhaps anyone who happens across this blog may not be someone who knows me "very well."

Now, I am only one third of the current collective that comprises the nosuitnotie entity. While I'm only at liberty to speak for myself, Smiley, I am going to go out on a limb and outright speak for the whole. I (read: we here at nosuitnotie) endorse Barack Obama. I know, I know. That's the impetus that all you undecided voters have been waiting for.

But on the cool, lets be serious. I have taken a larger interest in politics the older I've gotten. Or perhaps the more I've had classes and found something that peaked my interets about the process and the inner workings of politics as a whole. Or found the differences that the process makes in our actual lives. Who knows what it is. I remember having a small amount of interest in the last presidential election, but realizing I was registered in the wrong county and couldn't vote. That was wack. I had gotten a nice talk from a highly respected cohort of mine and it struck a chord with me that was stickier than any marketing ploy. Vote or die. And not in that Diddy way. Literally vote or die. Your father or your grandmother or someone else down your lineage, via the civil rights movement, the woman's suffrage movement or whatever it may be...we've all had someone struggle to get us where we are in this life. To afford us the civil liberties that we all take for granted. The right to eat in the same restaurants, work at the same jobs, accrue the same wages, own property, vote for elected officials, etcetera etcetera. We've seen our ancestors disenfranchised with poll taxes and grandfather clauses. More recently we've seen our election decided by literally less than 600 votes. Votes that may have been counted was it not for hanging chads. Or were it for recounts. We've seen attempts to disallow eligible voters to qualify in THIS very election season. We've seen all sorts of faulty polling booths; booths that switch tickets; booths disregarding your presidential selections; booths that are unverifiable and hacker-prone. We've seen it all. But we're still turning out in record numbers across the country to vote for change.

A change we can believe in.

I'm not one to try and convince you who to vote for because I feel it's important that everyone vote for what's important to them. What is important is that YOU vote. You can't have a stance on anything if you're not willing to make your voice heard. Otherwise you may as well complain in a soundproof room. If a tree falls in the forest and noone is there to hear it, does it make a sound? Umm maybe? Who cares? Noone knows? It doesn't make a difference. If you don't stand for nothing, then you'll fall for anything. Excuse the colloquialisms. I just know that if you care abut the issues, the issues that matter to you, then you need to make your voice heard and your vote count. Take a stand for where you stand. Whether it be abortion issues, marriage rights, health care reform, energy dependence, the state of the economy or the no-end-in-sight war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Whatever your issue may be. What's important to you is at stake. I personally am a stickler for health care reform, energy dependence and advancement and the state of the economy because those are the issues that matter to me. I voted for what I think is best for me and on top of that what I think is best for America. I am part of the struggling middle class and if the day comes where I'm not a part of it I'm going to do my best to remember where I came from and why my stance is what it is. Obama's dedication to mandatory health care is a stance I strongly support. No he's not a socialist. He's not making everything free and shared and it's all redistribution. You have to pay for your own health care. You HAVE to pay for your own health care. He'll have tax breaks for the majority that qualify and if you have health care you get to keep it if you like it. No penalties. I've had times when I wished I had health care of my own to take care of anything that comes up and didn't have it and I think it's important that everyone have health insurance available. I listened to a woman say she supported McCain on the strength that if everyone had health care there would be a lot more people at the doctor and it would delay the attention she needs. I can't imagine wanting others to suffer so I could potentially have faster care. I'm not from that and I won't become a part of that. Restructuring where the tax breaks fall is not socialism. If you were paying attention 95% of you will not see your taxes increase. 95%. I was taught that democracy is about the greatest good for the greatest amount of people. Unless the tenets of democracy are now the tenets of socialism, then I smell foul play in this socialist name-calling session. Also, tax redistribution is a part of darn near every presidency and it's really just going back to the tax breaks of previous presidencies. Don't believe the hype. I'd like to believe that the capitalist dream of free markets and trickle-down economics always works in the log run just like the next man, but we've seen first hand from the sub-prime mortgage crisis, the fallout of the major financial institutions (taking huge gambles risky derivatives) and in the actual hoarding of cash by big banks post-bailout that, without guidance, de-regulation isn't naturally going to work. Everyone doesn't naturally have integrity or do the right thing. It just doesn't happen. Now I don't know exactly where I stand on government intervention, but I know that where I stand right now I'm ok with mandated health insurance and reorganized tax breaks. Something is not working with the guidelines of the current administration so at some point you have to sit back and be open to different and changing ideas of what is right for us now. In this time of economic distress I have paid very close attention...even before I knew the full scope of the mess that we're truly in...and I have scrutinized to the full extent of my personal patience what each candidate has in mind. Mind you, I get disillusioned with politics just like the next man and I know full well that neither has a plan that's perfect, but I am also aware of who has kept a level head and sought out a more steady and clear plan for our economic future. That person is Barack Obama. This is a personal thing, but I have a strong inclination to fight pandemonium. I may be a natural skeptic , but the idea of having a leader of our nation that gets caught in the panic and makes erratic decisions based more on feeling than forethought does not reflect the characteristics of the person I want to lead my country. I've seen that for 8 years and I've had my fill. Now I don't think either candidate is perfect by any means or has reacted to every challenging situation in the "right" way, but I've seen enough over the campaigning period and throughout their history as public officials to have come to a rational and fully informed choice that, of the two candidates, there is a clear choice for who should be in charge of my nation state.

I'm prone to disillusionment with my politicians and I'm only 23. But I'm somewhat excited. Not in the bandwagon way. Not in the bumper sticker way. Not in the "My President is Black, My Lambo is Blue" way. I'm genuinely excited that this is a change we can believe in. I, like everyone else, know that one man can't do that much. But I, like everyone else, know that one man can do that much. Whether that one man be George Bush...or Dick Cheney...or Sarah Palin..or Barack Obama...or Me....or YOU. Everyone makes a difference. If I vote(d), and YOU vote, and you vote and he votes and she votes...then we can elect this person and these people and then maybe next time those people. You see the swing states this time. Believe. If you want, yes we can. Turn Texas Blue. I'm a self proclaimed Democrat, who was raised to answer "I'm an independent" and have been told I have Republican leanings. So at the end of the day I'm voting for what matters to ME. Just like you should vote for what matters to you. From the polls (which I don't believe in), to the turnout, to the monetary contributions in the campaigns, to the cultural phenomenon and fashion statements, it seems that the majority of America...and the world for that matter..can see what I see. That we need this. I know to some degree we're voting for a figure head, but we're voting for someone that I genuinely believe is going to guide our country in the right direction in a clear and thoughtful fashion. I hope in 4 years I can look back and say we made the right decision. I know we have to make the right decision now to even have that hindsight. We have to make that decision tomorrow. Please don't neglect your opportunity. You don't need to listen to anyone else say it. You don't need to listen to me say it. But please, if you care about...whatever it is you care about, then vote. If you don't then you can't be mad when your cause dies. When what you believe in doesn't go the way you want. So forget vote or die. You don't have any other options.

DIE OR VOTE.

Let's Go.

And So Began Our Reign

2008-10-29T15:02:00.004-05:00

Stop talking, start doing.
Keep doing, start talking.
Stop running, start chasing.
Stop worrying, start planning.
Stop depending, just do it.
Matthew 6: 25-34
Stop uncertainty, get familiar.
Little things can make a big difference.
Tommorow is not promised.
...So I live for the moment.
The only certain thing is change.
Trouble don't last always.
It woulda been me, it coulda been me, it shoulda been me.
I live everyday in the overflow.
Ain't nothing to it, but to do it.
Chase with the intention to catch.
What he eat don't make you s___.
If you don't stand for something then you'll fall for anything.
Don't have your lights out, be a lighthouse for someone else.

More later.

words of wisdom

2008-10-21T10:17:00.002-05:00

Words of wisdom do not always come from TD Jakes, Joel Olsteen or Yolanda Adams. often they come from your next door neighbor, Ms Mary, or your supervisor or from the most unlikely of places. I've found plenty of times that I've gotten the words I needed from somewhere I didn't expect it or from the person I didn't expect it from and it's always come right on time. Other times it comes from those who have the most influence in my life. But it's all good work.

God works through people.

With no further delay, words of wisdom. Pay close attention.

Tootie's Quoute of the Day

Don't run from life. Run to life.
If you live in the past, you can't have a future.
God's will be done.
We live in fear of the unknown, but if we knew the unknown what would we
live for?
Don't regret any of your yesterdays because they let you be who you are
today.
Don't cherish WHAT you have in your life, but cherish WHO you have in your
life.
Never [mess] over those who help [you] because everytime someone helps you it
takes from them.
Don't expect of others what you aren't willing to do yourself.
Everytime there is a struggle it is a preparation for what is yet to
come.
A man that is lazy accomplishes nothing, a man that is willing makes it
through life, and a man that is determined acquires everything.
A persons' conversation is the mirror of their thoughts.
We often find our destiny where we hide to avoid it.
You've got to hate to lose, more then you love to win.
Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery. Live in the moment.
Nothing beats a failure but a try.
God helps those who help themselves.
We as people want things to happen when we want them to [happen], but we as
people must remember that we are not the holders of time. GOD'S will be
done! When He's ready! Not us!
Know your worth, and don't settle for less. Why should you?
You only deserve what you're willing to work for.

Desmond's Scripture of the Day:

Always starts with, "Good Morning Family" and ends with "You are Blessed"

Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and
it will be yours. Mark 11:24 Trust God.
Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do
wrong...Psalm 37:1 Don't be like others. Change them.
"Lazarus, come out!" John 11:43 Sometimes God has to call us out of our
comfort zones and remind us how great we are.
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Proverbs 17:17 Do you put others first? God does.
Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life.
Proverbs 22:4 Follow God and let Him exalt you.
God is with you in everything you do. Genesis 21:22 Others recognize
God's favor in your life. Do you see it?
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not
turn from it. Proverbs 22:6
Before you were born I set you apart. Jeremiah 1:5 God handpicked you
for greatness. He didn't make a mistake.
If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength! Proverbs
24:10 The storm is always rough before it ends.
No one can serve two masters. Matthew 6:24 Put your trust in God not
material possessions. God will not fail you.
Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory. 1 Corinthians 15:57 Claim the
victory in every area of your life.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own
understanding. Proverbs 3:5 God don't make mistakes.
Everything is possible for him who believes. Mark 9:23 Believe in your
heart that you can do anything. Dream big!
Who am I, that I should go to Pharoah? Exodus 3:11 What we believe about
ourselves directs our steps. Believe the best.
When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 1 Corinthians 13:11
Rise above the world around you. Expect more!
We rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces
perseverance. Romans 5:3 Trials make us stronger.
As we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people. Galatians 6:10
Helping others is the way we show God's love.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Romans 12:14
Forgive others like God forgives you.
Carry each other's burdens, in this way you will be fulfilling the law
of Christ. Galatians 6:2 Take time for others.
With man this is impossible, but not with God. All things are possible
with God. Mark 10:27 Claim victory in your life.
Get up! Pick up your mat and walk. John 5:8 Let go of past failures and
woes. Choose to succeed with God's help!
I will remember the deeds of the Lord. Psalm 77:11 Be thankful for what
God has already done in your life.
A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
Proverbs 14:30 Be happy with what God has given you.
Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4 You
and God make a majority for any obstacle you face!

Sometimes it comes in casual conversation:

Mike:

14: for if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will
also forgive you. 15: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses,
neither will your Father forgive your trespasses"
Mike: Matt: 6:14-15
Mike: im sure uve seen it cuz its right after the Lord's prayer
Mike: but yea thats in red words bro. and obviously there's more
logistics to it or w/e but at the end of the day you have to forgive
people of their wrongs
Mike Jones: dont mean u gotta like everybody but in your heart u gotta
truly forgive which is i guess kinda hard to gauge outside of yourself

Holly:

Blessed is the man whom god corrects; so do not despise the discipline
of the almighty. For he wounds but he also binds up; he injures, but his
hands also heal. - job 5:17-18
Then he comes to men and says "i sinned, and perverted what was right,
but i did not get what i deserved. He redeemed my soul from going down
to the pit, and i will live to enjoy the light."

...and this is after disaster...

2008-09-17T18:41:00.003-05:00

The power came back around 2 or 3 am. I was dozing and confused....on the Nyquil...so the times are unclear.

In the midst of hurricane season, they tell us to keep our gas tanks full and we don't heed there warnings. When we have the city shutdown for scattered showers (Eduoard). When our friends and family in the boot continually get hit. When we don't even talk about Haiti not existing. When Cuba is getting beat to hell. When we're so disillusioned from Eduoard and aren't affected by Gustav so it doesn't hit home like it's supposed to do. When we're so ambivalent that we manage to shake off the promise of "certain death."

When we go to work everyday...but we're still struggling to pay all of our bills. When there's the sub prime housing crisis. When Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac need to be bailed out by the fed. When AIG has to be bailed out by the Fed. Or does it? When one of our oldest and most trusted financial institutions declares Chapter 11 bankruptcy despite having survived the Great Depression a recession WWI II III and IV. The same weekend Merrill Lynch is bought out by Bank of America. When people are so scared of investing that even when the gov't steps in to help it only serves to further scare investors. When the dollar is once again worth that much less than the Euro and the peso and the rupee. When inflation went up by 5.1 % but the wages earned only went up by 3.7%. When we're in a recession because they report that the unemployment rate if 6.7% but when you factor in underemployment of those past 2 years or those who lost jobs who werent full time, etc its really more like 10.1%. That's when we get hit by Ike. Utter disaster. Disaster zone. Obliteration. The Bolivar Peninsula doesnt't even exist anymore. Galveston doesn't exist for the most part. Beaumont, Orange....the list goes on. When you get out the bulk of the storm and call to report your damage and the insurance company is in Pennsylvania and they say, man we just got hit by the hurricane too, we're expecting 10,000 claims today. When it hits the gulf coast, but they're reporting record rainfall in Chicago.

That's when you realize you're blessed.

I got off work at 5 today. Because I had to go to work. Not my folks, nor the majority of the city. But I had to trek to the downtown area on my half tank...knowing there's no gas to go to work. There's no gas to go anywhere. Because you don't work, you don't eat. But the ride was smooth.

I put on for my city. My city puts on for me. When you realize that the people...the individuals are just as, if not at time more important...as the news outlets. When you can look to Peejster, Tracking Ike and Chron, not to mention chron.com, that blessed Chron. I put on for the Houston Chronicle because they show why theyre Houston's leading news source daily. I put on for click2houston and their team. Twitter saves the world when you need up-to-the-second information.

In a time where I realized that we have so much to be worried about, we have that much more to be thankful for.

Today as I rode to work I was a little jaded. I was happy when I woke up because the power turned itself on last night mysteriously and we'd been living in the dark to the sounds of a few generators prior to that point. You never know how much you value power until you don't have any. I washed my face and brushed my teeth with ozarka. It sounds bourgeois, but in reality the water boil notice hadn't come down and there's no way to boil water without power and though it sounds extreme you don't want to be washing your face with the same water dead bodies are floating in. The reality of people having been here with no power and calling (when the circuits arent busy) to say "i'm safe, now let me get off my cell phone b/c I'm trying to conserve battery life b/c who knows when the power's coming back"..well it's all stuff you never think about until disaster strikes.

So I drove to work. The ride was smooth. I used cruise control all the way there. The streets were sparse. I was 20 mins early. You forget that the missing signs and the tree damage isn't going away even though the city starts to look a tidbit better everyday. It's still a disaster area, but you're getting used to it. Because this is life. You forget that despite the clean ups theres some things that arent fixed. And arent gonna be fixed. You forget that even though it's called the city of syrup that it's now the city of lean. Yes, all the trees lean. And not in the same direction so you know the hurricane brought tornadoes. You stop noticing that there's traffic signs missing. Not stop sighs. But traffic signs. Oh you need to know where you're at on the HOV? No there's no sign for that anymore. In fact there's no HOV lane. You can't use that when there's nothing powering the in/out gates. You don't realize when you get to work that there's going to be missing windows. You don't even notice that the windows downtown are missing until they begin to board them up a week later. You don't even think that not only your house, but your office building and every other building everywhere has water damage. But that's not important. It's the people that are important. So i know I'm blessed. When you realize that everyone scrounging for gas is not only so they can get from point A to point B, but because their generator only runs for 8 hours at a time. That it's been a few days and they've spent hundreds on gas just to keep their food and medicine cold. When you you realize that it's really not even close to ok. It;s a disaster. when you realize that over 2 million people are without power and yet everyone's doing their best to hold their heads. I know I'm blessed so I say i'm blessed. Amidst coworkers paying $10 a gallon for gas and price gouging running rampant. State to state even. Food price gauging even. When your coworkers go to PODs and work half days because they live in the hood and looting is rampant. When theres been an amazingly small amount of accidents to say that no traffic lights work. When you run traffic lights without even realizing they were once there. We're gonna make it. It's crazy because the trees look bad, the cities on lean and everything is generally in that much more shoddy condition. My whole city has a blue roof. But you turn on the radio and the people are appreciative. they just wanna know when theyll get power. Oh in a week or 2. Oh word, thanks Jimbo. and it hits you, they're happy because they even can communicate by phone. we're gonna make it.

So i ride home after work.

I exited 45 at scarsdale like natural and there was no point. The ride is smooth. every other car, almost literally, is a truck to fix the electricity. the radio is playing great, even upbeat and inspirational music. Of the stoplights that still exist even some of the broken ones are flashing now. Others are just broken, but thats cool too. 97.9 the boxx (shelly wade...the boxx) is very informative and people call in to say they appreciate them, even when they deliver bad news. They still take it as good as they possibly can. everyone attests they're blessed regardless because no matter what it could've been worse. We beat the water. The wind. The tornadoes and the storm. We have little gas and little food. The trees, the ones left standing anyway, in parts or in segments, look bad. And it's not just ours; it's yours; its everyone's . There's not enough PODs and FEMA isn't picking up and when they do the wait is sometimes hours. The neighbors are bonding, not only because we need each other, but because we literally have no boundaries anymore. Your yard is my yard. I got off work, to go to work .And you know what. I'm blessed. Beyond my wildest imagination. I love you. I love my family. My God is good. My city stands.

I put onnn for my city.

Can't keep running away

2008-09-07T13:01:00.004-05:00

Man the internet is a monster,
Excuse my flow, its my stream of conscioussss
I keep veering off on topics
It's just because ya'll my favorite people to talk with
-Murs- "Murs Inatra"

Don't tell me you're sorry cause you're not
Baby, when I know you're only sorry you got caught

I hate that song. Really, but I've been ready to speak on it for a good while and I knew today was going to be the day, but then I happened to have a conversation that solidified it even more immediately pre-blogging.

I've heard about the 11th commandment being "Thou shalt not get caught" for a lot of people. And it's true. People live there lives this way. I think a true sign of maturity is to stop running.

We've all known someone who runs from their problems. Either subverts them or outright runs. You switch high schools, you leave your college, you move cities, whatever you need to do. The older you get the more it happens. Hell, anyone could really say I'm one of those people. But only if you really boogie with me will you know that I completely understand that "I guess knowing when I'm weak is when I'm really being strong." I don't know anyone who hasn't hit a point where they need a clean slate, and if they haven't gotten there yet, then God bless them. But you can't shake your past. You can't juke the mirror and you can't lose your shadow. It's always your past. Ironically it's called your past, but sometimes it feels impossible to get past it. Regardless, I've hit a point where I don't try to run. Which is a lot harder than it sounds depending on where you're coming from. Not everyone has to face their indiscretions everyday. But you reap what you sow. And you can't really get to your blessings without giving your whole testimony. Not your half testimony, but your whole testimony. That's what they tell me anyway. You can't be held accountable if noone knows where you're coming from. Because you can easily slip back into the things that held you down if noone knows what you've been dealing with. So I've decided it's just a part of my life that you know where I'm coming from. And you probably know where I'm coming from. So since you know that, you can hold me accountable. So you reap what you sow, then I'm sowing accountability, honesty and humility. We'll see what I reap. If nothing else, virtue is it's own reward. Funny thing is people run from everything. Well it's not funny, it's true. You can see it in your politics with cover ups everyday. You can see it in your goverment. You can see it in history. So it's got to be fairly difficult to really submit and hold yourself accountable. Virtue is not as easy as it seems and standing up to deal with everything is not as easy as it sounds. But it has to be done. Sometimes you can show people better than you can tell them.

No act will ever be free of consequence,
It don't cost a dime for you to use your common sense
-Murs- "Free"

Can't keep runnin away.....

I must admit on some occasions I went out like a punk and a chump
Or a sucka or something to that effect
Respect I used to never get
Cause all I got was upset
When n's use to be like "whats up fool!" and tried to sweat
A n' like the Lip for no reason at all
I can recall crip n' throwin c's in my face
Down the hall, I'm kickin it in the back of the school eating chicken at three
Wondering why is everybody always picking on me
I tried to talk and tell them chill I did nothing to deserve this
But when it didn't work I wasn't scared just real nervous
And unprepared to deal with scrapping no doubt
Cause my pappy never told me how to knock a n' out
But now in 95 I must survive as a man on my own
F around with Fatlip yes ya get blown
I'm not trying to show no macho, it's shown
But when its on, when its on, then its on

Can't keep runnin away...

There comes a time in every man's life when hes gotta handle s' up on his own
Can't depend on friends to help you in a squeeze,
Please, they got problems of their own
Down for the count, on seven chickens s' don't get to heaven til they faced these fears in these fear zones
Used to get jacked back up in high school
I played it cool just so some real s' wont get full blown
Being where I'm from
They let the smoke come quicker
Than an evil red-neck could lynch a helpless colored figure and

As a victim, I invented low-key
Until the keyhole itself got lower than me .
So I stood up and let my free-form form free.
Said I'm gonna get some before they knocking out me.
I don't sweat it I let the bulls' blow in the breeze
In other words just freeze

Can't keep runnin away...

Its 1995, now that I'm older
Stress weighs on my shoulders
Heavy as boulders
But I told ya
Till the day that I die I still
will be a soldier
Thats all I told ya
And thats all I showed ya
And all this calamity is ripping my sanity
Can it be Im a celebrity
Whose on the brink of insanity
Now don't be wishing of switching any positions with me
Cause when you in my position, it aint never easy
To do any type of maintaining
Cause all this gaming and faming from
Entertaining is hella straining to the brain and...
But I cant keep runnin I just gotta keep keen and cunning...

Can't keep runnin' away...

The REUPs be like birthday parties...

2008-09-06T22:45:00.002-05:00

Strictly business as we get started up again.

Bob Marley Discography (I won't even try to provide the links, grab them yourself, site is NSFW)

Pimp C - Greatest Hits - Chopped and Screwed

The Love Guru (site NSFW)
Speed Racer (site NSFW)

Wall-E (site NSFW)

The Happening (site NSFW)

Video Game: Spore (From the creator of the SIMS) (site NSFW)

Hello here I am

2008-08-22T13:56:00.003-05:00

Hello here I am the hungry hooligan from Hoofddorp born in Amsterdam. Listen to what I have to bring; I have the voice of a poet, the smile of friend, the thoughts of a brother, the cry of a son, the care of a father, the heart of an athlete, the blood of a slave and the mind of a king. I am the found child, the lost soul, the keeper of secrets, the anchor of information. I am the cliche, I am the definition of dedication. I wish you could see what I see. If the world has covered you eyes, reality will start slipping, in order not to get lost, you have to keep listening. If the opportunity were to present itself, I might just have to reinvent myself. Many people’s life is on pause, only thinking about the problem, never the cause. That is why at night they turn and toss, not listening to the boss. I try not to break the laws, I try not to have any flaws. While I maintain to be fond of the metric meter, as of now, I measure distance in yards. Life for me has never been hard, the way I was raised is my only wildcard. I don’t sleep allot, I’m rarely off guard. Cheeseburgers and action figures are my vices, to see my daughter smile is priceless. I try to always stay calm in times of crisis. We are fighting for this American pie, with not enough slices. I don’t want your fish, just teach me fishing. Work is aggravating, play is abirritation. Repetition can keep you stuck in the same position. I compete, because I love competition. Same old life, same tradition. Same old Syd, same old mission.

We Talkin' Bout Practice Vol. 1

2008-07-24T23:36:00.004-05:00

Hip Hop Saved My Life

We Talkin' Bout Practice Vol. 1

I put on for my city.

Love in America

2008-07-10T13:16:00.005-05:00

Love in America by Sydmil E. Harris

The ever so popular idea of love is similar to the idea of democracy. It works great in theory, but the reality is, it more often than not fails. Especially in America, the country with the highest divorce rate on the planet. America has propagated democracy for decades. The same goes for love. For either concept the result is often not satisfactory. The reason that is true in my opinion, is that both consist out of a virtually unlimited number of compromises, something that most are just not always willing to do.

The secret of making a success out of democracy and love in their practical applications is to allow for a fairly wide margin of errors, thus patience. Let us also not forget that Americans have a tough time submitting to any type of uniformity for any length of time. After all, why should they? They live in the land of the free and the home of the brave. But this does not satisfy a nation that, in spite of its devotion to practicality, also strongly believes in perfection.

Yes, I realize that it may seem a tad odd for me, a foreigner, to speak of the troubles Americans face in their social life. But the truth is that I had always been sure I would find love here, which I did. Despite the obvious problems, Americans are still rather optimistic. And why should they not be right? Life here is good, for some…

Before landing here I had seen a great deal of American movies. These movies all gave me the impression that love in America is mostly triumphant, and that, in spite of many unfortunate accidents, a love story cannot but end very well indeed. Of course the movies always show struggles and problems, but things never stay wrecked. Even when the happy couple is compelled to divorce, this is not the end of everything. In most cases it is only the beginning. Very soon they will remarry, sometimes with one another, and always —without ever an exception —for love. I know what you are thinking, how can one think that movies give a reliable picture of what actual life is like? The truth is of course they don’t. Even movies based on actual events are hardly ever representative of the truth. (Take a look at the real Frank Lucas, the main character from American Gangster, nothing like Denzel) All I am saying is that American movies do represent the image people want love to have. This Image consists out of three basic principals; 1) love is the only reason why a man and a woman should get married 2) love is always wholesome, genuine, uplifting, and fresh, like a new born child. 3) if a relationship, for some reason or other, fails to keep you uplifted, wholesome, and fresh, the only thing to do is to begin all over again with another partner.

Tell me, am I the ignorant foreigner, tactless for questioning the validity of these premises? The truth is that I felt completely transformed the moment I took my first stroll on the UT Campus. My European skepticism evaporated with each step I took. And now that I am still young, but live an “old man’s life”, I am happy to find that maturity and even old age are merely (perhaps European) conventions of thought. I am slowly but surely adopting the American method, which is to be young and act young for the rest of my life —or at least until the expiration of my green card.

Whenever I go back to the Netherlands and listen to the radio, I am always surprised to find that so many songs can be written on subjects other than love. I have no statistics on the subject, but I am willing to bet that at least 80% of songs in America are about love, whether it is love gone bad, or love gone right, the topic is love. It seems to me that love, like everything else, is sold to the public. And because this is a consumer society, the very word, when heard so many times, becomes like an obsession. It penetrates one's sub consciousness like a subliminal message.

All of these factors contribute to the nationwide misunderstanding of the word love. However, there is one aspect that makes everything slightly more difficult, if not impossible. Men have never believed this, and have learned to be happy without it, women, especially American women, have. The American woman still entertains the delightful illusion that there must be some man on this earth who can understand her. It seems incredible to her that love, within legal bonds or outside of them, should not work out as advertised. It took my wife a while before she realized that the big wedding, with the white dress, and the grossly expensive engagement ring, are not indicative of future happiness. Success —the constant effort to make things work perfectly and the conviction that they can be made to —is the great national fixation. It is the foundation of the American Dream.

The American dream entails the notion that success has a universal formula. As we mature in life, we realize that the formula is not universal but more like buying a suit; There are several sizes that are close to your dimensions, but some tailoring is usually required to make it fit they way you want it to. For instance, I am a 46L. To make my suit fit me the way I want it to though, it take it to my Russian tailor. I always need to get several things adjusted; I have a small waist but big thighs, my jacket also need several adjustments. She does an excellent job. But, I digress… Another perfect example is the difference between an American cookbook and a French one. A French recipe seldom tells you how many ounces of butter to use to make anything. French cookbooks are full of mysterious measurements such as a pinch of pepper, a suspicion of garlic, or a generous sprinkling of brandy. There are constant references to seasoning to taste, as if the recipe were merely intended to give a general direction, relying on the experience of the cook to make the dish turn out right.

American recipes look like doctors' prescriptions. Perfect cooking seems to depend on perfect dosage. Some of these books give you a table of calories and vitamins —as if that had anything to do with the problem of eating well! It seems to me that love is approached in the same way.

Thus the problem of love in America seems to be the result of conflicting and rather unrealistic ways of approaching it. Too many songs, too many stories, too many pictures, and too much romance on the one hand, and too much practical advice on the other. It is as if the experience of being in love could only be one of two things: a superhuman ecstasy, the way of reaching heaven on earth and in pairs; or a mental condition to be treated by specialists.

It is not easy, nor perhaps of any use, to draw any conclusion from all this. I am but a simple European who has perhaps lost the fresh point of view of the visitor because he lives here, and who is not quite sure of what it means to be a European any more. I sometimes wonder if there is any real difference between the way men and women get along on either side of the world. I do think that the reason for the high American divorce rate can be traced to a cultural source. It is the strong feelings of revolt against human inadequacy to be perfectly happy, with anything. In Europe people are taught that compromise is not synonymous with defeat,but compromise is un-American.

Of course nothing is lost. There is no reason to think that love will always be a national problem in America. The Nation is after all barely five centuries old. All it takes, is for people to realize that love is not what Hollywood shows us, nor is it what professors tell us. Love is something that has no formula, (if it does no one knows it), no solution, and no definition. It is what binds us and drives us, it is what defines us as human beings. It is our purpose in life.

Lots of Love,

Sydmil E. Harris

The sky is falling, ain't no need to panic

2008-07-09T21:58:00.003-05:00

I met a gypsy and she hipped me to some life game
To stimulate, then activate the left and right brain
Said baby boy you're only funky as your last cut
You focus on the past your ass'll be a has but
Thats one to live by
Or either that one to die to
I try to just throw it at you
Determine your own adventure
Andre,
Got to a station, here's my destination
She got off the bus,
The conversation lingered in my head for hours...

Ten times out of nine, now if I'm lying fine
The quickest muzzle throw it on my mouth and I'll decline
King meets queen, then the puppy love thing,
Together dream bout that crib with the goodyear swing
On the oak tree, I hope we feel like this forever
Forever, forever-ever, forever-ever?
Forever never seems that long until you're grown
And know this that the day by day ruler can't be too wrong
Ms. Jackson my intentions were good I wish I could
Become a magician to abacadabra off the sadder
Thoughts of me, thoughts of she, thoughts of he
Askin what happened to the feelin that her and me had,
I pray so much about it need some knee pads
It happened for a reason, one can't be mad
So know, just know, that everything is cool
And yes I will be present on the first day of school, and graduation

I love who you are I love who ya ain't you're so Ann Frank
Let's hit the attic to hide out for bout two weeks

Please Don't Shoot Me Down

2008-07-09T18:40:00.005-05:00

Please don't shoot me down
Cause I'm flying
I'm higher

My perception is everything.
Perception is all that matters.
Perception matters most.
What you don't know won't hurt you.

Slippery Slope. This is where things start to get really tricky.

I have come to think that it is better to deal with reality no matter how unpleasant it is.
-Dennis Quad as President Staton on American Dreamz-

This one is real tricky. We'll start with the first one. "My perception is everything."

"My perception is everything"
It is. To you. It's a cold world. It really is. But if you don't want it to be it doesn't have to be. Let's say you see the world as a great place with great people. Then that's what it is. To you. You sort of decide for yourself. So anyone can be anything if you perceive them that way. Ok agreed.

"Perception is all that matters."
False. Completely. For awhile I thought this to be absolutely true. And I've got to say that it seems rational. Even you agree(d). But it's just not all that matters. Because perception easily skews truth. I tried to rewrite this paragraph many times over to make a "notsoclosetohome" allusion and failed miserably. Perception isn't all that matters because even if you think I'm the greatest, when I'm not the greatest it doesn't matter what you perceive me as. Then when I am at my all time best, just because you can't see it, it doesn't mean I'm not here. Perception is not all that matters. At all. No conclusion here. A lot of varying thoughts, but no conclusion. Maybe another day.

"Perception matters most."
I'm still in between on this one. Because as you perceive is as it is. Sort of. If you think I'm great, it doesn't matter what I do. I'm great. Well I guess it matters what I do, but you know, just don't do THAT. And I'm great. But then I'm not great. But maybe what you think of me and what I think of me is all that matters. No matter who you are. It's not all that matters, but if we both think I'm good then I'm good? Not cosmically though. Because that's absolute. And in that case, Perception doesn't matter at all. Next post though. Absolutes.

"What you don't know won't hurt you." "Ignorance is Bliss." Etc.
Well I get real confused here. I finally grew up to realize that everything matters. It all matters. Sometimes I live my life like I live my life...as if things are temporary. It's been a long time coming, but change came. I can see the big picture. I see what it's about. Long term. And it's not about me. It took a lot of maturing to realize it's not about me at all. Selfish sucks. Selfless rocks. I'd rather deal with reality. Really. In real life, things are not what they seem. Sometimes you don't even realize that life is what you make it. I've been every idealistic for the majority of my life. Up until a few years ago. And then it got cloudy. I mean I thought it was scattered showers, but it was more like overcast. Maybe if all you see is overcast you forget it's overcast though. Anyway, sometimes the clouds clear to see that while the sun shines bright, it's actual surface is full of burning craters and blemishes. Just keep looking at those from a distance for as long as you can though. Until global warming catches up to us all. What you don't know hurts. Because it's still there. If you don't know you're wrong, you're still wrong. One day recently I learned that just because you don't know you're sinning, doesn't mean you're still not sinning. But if you know the difference God holds you more accountable.

Does it take Action or Intention or Both to Sin? Ponder on that. I know the answer.

But think twice, that's my only advice

2008-07-08T23:14:00.002-05:00

I remember when,
I remember, I remember when I lost my mind
There was something so pleasant about that place
Even your emotions had an echo
In so much space

And when you're out there
Without care,
Yeah, I was out of touch
But it wasn't because I didn't know enough
I just knew too much

Does that make me crazy?
Does that make me crazy?
Does that make me crazy?
Possibly

And I hope that you are having the time of your life
But think twice,
That's my only advice
Come on now, who do you,
Who do you, who do you, who do you think you are
Ha ha ha, bless your soul
You really think you're in control

Well, I think you're crazy
I think you're crazy
I think you're crazy
Just like me

My heroes had the heart
To lose their lives out on a limb
And all I remember
Is thinking, I want to be like them
Ever since I was little,
Ever since I was little it looked like fun
And it's no coincidence I've come
And I can die when I'm done

Maybe I'm crazy
Maybe you're crazy
Maybe we're crazy
Probably

...them same wrongs helped me write this song

2008-06-28T21:29:00.005-05:00

Epiphany: E-P-I-P-H-A-N-Y. Definition one, The manifestation of a supernatural being. Definition two, a sudden moment of insight or revelation. Marinate on that though.

-T-Pain-

First off, I really like gaining insight from very unexpected sources. People are full of all types of wisdom if you can just filter it from the rest of the crap they're spewing.

I've been meaning to make this post along my stream of consciousness series for a while. So back on task. I was driving home from the JO the other week and I was riding around with no music trying to think about life. Sometimes you need to be able to hear yourself think. Alot of things I already knew and I already had formulated opinions on, but I just took some time to be real clear with myself about everything.

I was riding home and realized that I didn't know how to get home because it was my first day of work. Where I went at the beginning of the day and where I was leaving from were not the same so I had scoped out the area during lunch so I could have an idea of how to get home. Needless to say come punch out time I didn't remember how to get home. I couldn't remember right or left at a certain light so I went left. I needed to go right. So I said I'll just turn around at the next intersection, but I couldn't get over. So I took another left and drove on the next road over that should've paralleled with the highway I needed to ride home. I told myself I'd just take a left to get to the highway at the next intersection. The next intersection never came and the road got farther and farther off course. So I said at the next main road I'd just take it and go back towards the highway since I was too far down the road to turn around. I'd just find an alternate path. I missed that road too. So I said I'll ride this a little while longer and maybe I'll hit a main road. It didn't happen. I turned off just right before I was gonna get to the next highway. I saw it as I turned but I saw it in my rear view. So I went back to the last main road and rode it for a long time. It wasn't hitting the highway. By now I'd lost my original path and the thought of driving until I got to where I could take another route even if it was longer and contrary to how I needed to get home. So I finally think to flip out the SK and Google where I'm at and how to get home. This is 45 mins later. I've been so far off path I've wasted 45 mins of my life and gas. I still had the music playing at this point. When I thought to finally look it up is when I cut off the music. And that's when everything hit me. That's also when I found the path home. I found the right path. Long after I got off path. It was a really long drive from there. When I finally decided to ask for help. When I stopped trying to fix things on my own. That's when it hit me. That's the problem. Everyone gets off path at some point in their drive. You have to know when to ask for help. You have to know when to turn around. Now if you're here on this page you probably know me. You probably know my life. You probably know that I've been dealing with some stuff. You probably know that I'm working on alot of things internally. You probably know that while this is a real story, this IS NOT about driving.

In the hour it took me to get home I fine tuned alot of my thoughts. Here goes my stream of consciousness.

Traffic related lessons first.

If you get off path. Turn around. You know the way back. Men have a habit of never asking for directions. I thought that was a stereotype, but it has some truth to it. There's nothing wrong with asking for directions back if you do get that far off path. The easiest thing to do is to turn around while you still know the way back. Before you get way off path. It saves on gas and time. And we all know what gas prices are hitting for these days.

Watch for warning signs. The thing about warning signs is that they are just that...warning signs. They are signs that say warning. They are warning you of something and when something warns you about something, then that something is bad. If you see a red flag, it means warning. Warning signs say warning too. It's literal. Heed the warning signs.

Always check your blind spot. Before you move into the fast lane, check your blind spot. You feel like you have the overall picture, but the blind spot is called that because you can't see it. You might get into a major accident of you don't check your blind spot. Because you could easily run into the end of your life just like that. Take it for what it's worth.

Check your mirrors, but always look ahead. You should always check your mirrors. Be aware of what's going on around you. Know what's behind you, but always keep moving forward. If you take your eyes off the forward road you'll crash though, so you have to learn how to do both. If you need to go backwards in order to move forwards, then don't just use the mirrors, turn around, do what you need to do, look sideways, check your blind spot and then go forward. You've got to understand that.

"Sure I trust your driving, but I don't trust the other cars on the road." Good statement. Usually also said to someone who you don't trust on the road. Well at some point you have to let that person drive and understand that you can't control the other people on the road, but you can make sure that as long as you trust their driving that's all you'll ever be able to do. Sometimes you just have to make sure they're prepared enough and let them get out there on the open road.

Understand I'm not talking about traffic. See my growth here.

Learning lessons the hard way is so stupid. Look at the phrase. Learning lessons the HARD way.

He wants you to share your story with others. Sharing your testimony is an essential part of your mission on earth because it is unique...If you don't share it, it will be lost forever...Actually, your personal testimony is more effective than a sermon...Shared stories build a relational bridge that Jesus can walk across from your heart to theirs...Many people who won't accept the authority of the Bible will listen to a humble, personal story.

God teach me lessons for living so that I can stay the course...WHILE IT IS WISE TO LEARN FROM EXPERIENCE, IT IS WISER TO LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCES OF OTHERS...Write down the major life lessons you have learned so you can share them with others...Mature people develop the habit of extracting lessons from everyday experiences. I urge you to make a list of your life lessons. You haven't really thought about them unless you have written them down.

So I finally read and finished a Purpose Driven Life and I've got to say it's great. You really do have to read it when you're ready and it'll work wonders for your life.

Other lessons I thought about on that long quiet ride. I imparted these to my sisters if they sound like I'm giving a lecture.

Impart your knowledge. I've learned so much lately. I've been listening and hearing everything. I guess I'd call it actualizing. There's so much in life that we could learn from each other if we'd just share it. Everyone is so caught up on image and pride that often we have secrets and stuff we'll never speak on that could do wonders for the next generation. Believe me I know. Teach someone else from what you know. You might change their life for the better.
Learn from other people's mistakes. If you see someone struggle through something, watch and learn. even if you don't see it, alot of life's lessons don't have to be learned from direct experience. Understand that people with more experience usually know what they're talking about.
Take your time. Relax. Patience is a virtue. That's one of the hardest lessons I've had to learn. Especially in high school. Just relax. Be patient. It's hard. So much harder than you'd ever imagine. A teacher once told me in detention that it's in Proverbs that all things come to an end on earth. No matter what. No matter how bad times are, they will come to an end. So be patient.
Think first, speak/act second. Not much needs to be said on that. It's wise. Wise people downplay their own knowledge; fools speak forth their stupidity openly. (Proverbs 12:23)
Don't judge. This is sort of too big of a topic for me to tackle briefly. But who are you to judge. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. (John 8:7) Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? (Matthew 7:3) "You never know what a man is going through until you have walked in his shoes."
In adult life, I'm sorry basically = please forgive me. It's important that you say all your please and thank you's and I'm sorry's, but it's better to live your life not needing to. You're going to have to live with your regrets. So try not to have any.
Nothing fixes itself. Really. I thought the gas on my tires were low. My car needs to be washed. I'd like to get back to a former state of physical fitness. I want my girl back. Nothing fixes itself. If it's out of your control, then there's nothing you can do, but do what you can. Nothing is going to just work itself out. It doesn't work with the economy. It doesn't work with you.
Stay on your P's and Q's. Having an awareness of your situation and surroundings is important. On the road. As a point guard. In social settings. Keep your head on a swivel.
Don't step out of pocket. Basically stay within yourself. You character. Your fundamentals. If you're ever tempted to go against your fundamentals you should have dissonance. If you don't have dissonance then you're so far gone already. Even Michael Vick learned the hard way you can't step outta pocket.
Put God first and everything else will fall into place. He may not come when you want Him, but He'll be there right on time. He'll never put more on you than you can bear. I know they're all cliches, but cliches are cliches for a reason.
In general if you have a firm understanding of the English Language, there's nothing wrong with making up words. People will run with you if you have enough confidence in what you're saying anyway. They say it aint tricking if you got it. -Walt Disney- At some point though, faking it till you make it is not really a good idea.
Don't be petty, but show that you don't not care. See even double negatives are useful sometimes.
It's NEVER too late to change.

More another day.

BONUS!!!

Anthony David - Acey Duecey

It's been a long time coming for maturity
And that's truly what it has to be

High is High, Low is Low

2008-06-28T15:14:00.002-05:00

High is High, Low is low
Everybody wanna go to heaven, but nobody wants to die
Nobody wants to die
Nobody wants to
Do the dont's, Don't the did's
To color outside the lines
And nobody wants to try
Nobody wants to try
Nobody wants to

It's bound to stop
Or ease at least
I can breath at least
My brain release
Pain relief
Its the same belief
That makes it sane to chief
and insane to sniff
so obtain a spliff...
Trade your grief for these magic beans
Climb the stalk
Ride the clouds
Surf the waves
Unearth the cage
Expose your soul
Never close your soul
Slow your role
Never overload your soul
Hold your goals
Never lose sight of those
I suppose We can all float away
As it goes
We can all know the way
If we prose
We can all show the way
No one knows
We can all go today
If we chose
We can all roll away

Until you're truly ready to say F___ YOUR FEAR
You are not alive
You don't have to settle and be stuck right here
You can let me drive
Come and ride the roller-coaster
Give all the troubles of the world to me
At least come and see, come see the other side
This may be the way you want the world to be

I can tell you

2008-06-26T19:25:00.005-05:00

Thinking outrageously I write in cursive

I hide in my bed with the lights on the floor

Wearing three layers of coats and leg warmers

I see my own breath on the face of the door

Oh I am not quite sleeping

Oh I am fast in bed

There on the wall in the bedroom creeping

I see a wasp with her wings outstretched

North of Savanna we swim in the palisades

I come out wearing my brother's red hat

There on [her] shoulder my best friend is bit seven times

[S]he runs washing his face in his hands

Oh how I meant to tease [her]

Oh how I meant no harm

Touching [her] back with my hand I kiss [her]

I see the wasp on the length of my arm

Oh great sights upon this state! Halleluah

Wonders bright, and rivers, lake. Halleluah

Trail of Tears and Horseshoe Lake. Halleluah

Trusting things beyond mistake. Halleluah

(We were in love, we were in love)

(Palisades palisades palisades)

I can wait, I can wait

[Lamb of God, we sound the horn. Hallelujah!

To us your ghost is born. Halleluah]

I can't explain the state that I'm in

The state of my heart, [s]he was my best friend

Into the car, from the back seat

Oh admiration in falling asleep

All of my powers, day after day

I can tell you, we swaggered and swayed

Deep in the tower, the prairies below

I can tell you, the telling gets old

Terrible sting and terrible storm

I can tell you the day we were born

My friend is gone, [s]he ran away

I can tell you, I love [her] each day

Though we have sparred, wrestled and raged

I can tell you I love [her] each day

Terrible sting and terrible storm

I can tell you...

In Due Time

2008-06-25T20:43:00.003-05:00

Just Keep your faith in me
Don't act impatiently
You'll get where you need to be
In due time
Even when things go slow
Hold on and don't let go
I'll give you what I owe
In due time

Struggle is a part of my day
Many obstacles have been placed in my way
I know the only reason that I make it through
Is because I never stop believing in you
Some people wonder why we're here in the first place
They can't believe cause they aint never seen your face
But even when you pray, the next day you gotta try
Can't wait for nobody to come down out the sky
You've got to realize that the world's a test
You can only do the best and let Him do the rest
You've got your life, you've got your health
So quit procrastinating and push it yourself
You've got to realize that the world's a test
You can only do your best and let Him do the rest
You've got your life, you've got your health
So quit procrastinating...

Intermission

2008-06-23T21:08:00.006-05:00

Some of the stuff that I never posted. More to come. Back to legitimate posting after these messages.

Andre Benjamin - 3 Stacks (Bootleg) (2008)
The Carter After The Carter
Gemstones - The Testimony of Gemstones
Young Jeezy - The Prime Minister (Official Mixtape)
DJ Green Lantern and Nas - The N***er Tape
Curren$y - Fear and Loathing in New Orleans
Lil Keke - The Chronicles
Bun B - II Trill (Chopped and Screwed)
Weezer - The Red Album

These are some very necessary individual tracks. Take my word for it. Listen for yourself.

Curren$y - Jets
Blu - Departing Flights
Young Chris ft Lil Wayne - Paradise
Wale - Mr. Carter (It took awhile for me to listen, but when I did, he's a monster.)
Alicia Keys ft LL - Teenage Love Affair (remix) <-- Currently playing on repeat. repeat. repeat.
Count Bass D - Can We Hang Out Tonight <-- Also on repeat.

An excellent Dwele stream

2 Unreleased Stevie Wonder Snippet's
DOWNLOAD: Stevie Wonder - Snippet 1
DOWNLOAD: Stevie Wonder - Snippet 2

Blatant Theft
http://www.shorttext.com/zga9gr
GZA-D.A.R.T.S.-2008
J-Dilla-Pay_Jay_Unreleased_MCA_Album-2008
Keyshia_Cole-Just_Like_You-2007
Rick_Ross-Trilla-2008
Scarface-The_Best_Of_Scarface-2008
T.I.-Thoughts_Of_A_8_Time_Felon_(Pres_By_Trapaholics)-2008
The_2_Live_Crew-Move_Somethin-1987
The_Roots-The_Tipping_Point-RETAIL-2004
The_Roots-The_Tipping_Point-UK_BONUS_TRACK-2004
The_Roots-Things_Come_Together-1999
The_Roots-Things_Fall_Apart-Jpn_Retail-1999
Three_6_Mafia-Ch._2_World_Domination-1997
Three_6_Mafia-Choices_(The_Album)-2001
Three_6_Mafia-Live_By_Your_Rep-1995
Three_6_Mafia-Mystic_Stylez-(Remastered)-2001
Three_6_Mafia-The_End-1996
Three_6_Mafia-When_The_Smoke_Clears-2000
Three_Six_Mafia_Presents_Hypnotize_Camp_Posse-2000
Too Short - Born To Mack - 1986
Too_Short-Dont_Stop_Rappin-1985
Top_Authority-Rated_G-1995
TRU-True-(Explicit_Retail)-1995
Twista-Legit_Ballin-1999
Twista-Mobstability-1998
Twista-Presents_Legit_Ballin_Vol._3-2002
VA-DJ_Premier-Rare_Play_Vol._1-2008

Everything I could have asked for out of Houston had the circumstances been different. This was last week. Sigh.

Black In America- A CNN Investigation-Airing July 23rd &24th
by thatsfunny

I had the KB8 II's when I was younger and would slide you for them now.

And I still cut for pumps.

You can't fathom my love, dude...

2008-06-23T19:23:00.002-05:00

So naturally
Actually,
Had to face things factually
Had to be a catastrophe
With the 'fridgest staring back at me
Cause nothing's there
Nothing's fair
I don't wanna ever go back there
So I'm a be taking NODAYSOFF
Until my spaceship takes off

Everyday is a new 24...

2008-05-25T14:28:00.003-05:00

Well hmmm. After posting on restoration this came to me. By now we should know I'm big on basketball and stuff in my everyday life. Apparently even in my allusions in posts. I used to listen to this song alot and I find myself listening to it lately. I thought it would be a great one to share mainly because you probably haven't heard it, but you need to. Listen to it to enjoy it in it's entirety. It's a good way to start your day. Superb parallels.

Phanatik - Shot Clock (Brand New Day)

Yes Sir, (Incoherent blurb)
If you can hear through Hip-hop then hear this.
Here it is, fresh off the presses.
Here to lift souls and clear all depression.
'Cause I know what it's like
When the sun's all shining but your soul feels night.
Feels like you're caught under gloom's dark presence
With a little light shining like the moon's sharp crescent.
How many days gone by
When I said I was gon' win and I ain't even try?
I wake up at half court;
The day is half gone; time left on the board is mad short.
Rushing my shots, I hurry out the door.
I don't pray, I don't take my worries to the Lord.
How much time does it take to run the floor?
Get the stop watch. Or maybe I should stop and watch the Lord.
Everyday is a new 24 on the shot clock,
Either get your shot blocked or score.

[Chorus]
Brand new day
With each new day that's dawnin'
Every time night turns to morning

Grace is new, Mercy is new, what you gone do with it
If life is a game that you can never play in again
Would you stay in your sin or start trainin' aimin' to win?

[Verse Two]
I'm so down in points, at this point, I'll take brownie points.
Especially with the people I love;
I wish I could win or at least take the lead by a hug.
Sometimes when I'm leavin' I shrug.
Hoping they feel me like really E.Q.'d up subs.
I hope they know that I'm doing a good thing,
That's the reason I'm not around as much as I could be.
And when I'm around I'm often drained,
But I don't want relationships getting lost and strained.
I'm always telling myself
Don't have your lights out, be a lighthouse for someone else.
I could do more before I hit the floor.
Let me cop a squat, put in some quality time for sure.
Cause everyday is a new 24 on the shot clock,
Either get your shot blocked or score.

[Chorus]
Brand new day
With each new day that's dawnin'
Every time night turns to morning

Grace is new, Mercy is new, what you gone do with it
If life is a game that you can never play in again
Would you stay in your sin or start trainin' aimin' to win?

[Verse Three]
I love the way the Lord taught the church.
He had a simple game plan when He walked on earth;
A balance between doing, and being with the people He loved
And spending time with The Father above.
If I could master the art of the latter part
I could keep from having to march back to start.
There's so many things to do,
And this brings me to my chief need, which is to cling to you.
Maslow's hierarchy listed the priority
Of the order of the things that we need and I guess it varies
From the need to feed and to find love and to seek
To succeed, but he missed the one thing that necessary.
The Lord's standing at the door
Of your heart, knocking; unlock it. Watch, He's got a lot in store.
Today is a new 24, on your shot clock
Will you get your shot blocked or score?

Fall down 7, Stand up 8

2008-05-25T12:23:00.003-05:00

Continuing in our stream of consciousness series...

Today's Topic: Restoration

Bringing back to a former or original condition. In this manual the term restoration is meant to include rehabilitation; The act of putting something back to a prior condition; Bringing back to an original state; To restore or make new again. More aggressive than conservation, restoration implies recreating what has been lost.

Now I had no intention of gracing this topic at all. At least not until I got through the backlog of ideas I had written down, but sometimes you've got to go with the flow. When you hear it you've got to listen and I'm all ears lately. So I go back to my old church for the first time to be a member again and there's a brand new "Young Men's" Class during Sunday School that my sister tells me about. I explain to her that I'm a man and I'll go to the Men's class as I have in the past. So I get to class early. One of the elderly fellows says it's nice to see me again and the usual chatter and then he says well right over there they have this new class for 18-35 year olds. This is too much back story. I'm not keeping a diary here. Strictly the highlights. Anyway I go to the new class and we have to choose a name by June because it's new and Young Men's Class isn't going to cut it. My cousin suggests Blessed and Highly Favored. I told him I like the ring to it and the teacher concurred. Ha. So we get to the lesson. I don't know the scriptures because it mainly comes from off top. Restoration.

There's 2 things I believe in. One of them is that there is forgiveness. That's important because the only way we ever have a chance at salvation is through forgiveness. The other thing is restoration. What is restoration? ("To restore.") I don't want to hear the word used to define itself. ("Well you know, going back to what you used to be.") Exactly. Restoration is returning back to a previous state. Restoration involves restoring and renewing.

Now if you know me you know at that point I was like come onnnnn, on my first day back. Cause messages aren't supposed to be aimed directly at you. Not blatantly what you need to hear. I listened. Absorbed. And here's where I stand.

It's exciting. And I like it. There is no hope for anything without restoration. The greatest arts we have wouldn't exist. The ruins. Ancient portraits. Sculptures. The Sistine Chapel. Anything not brand spanking new and in pristine condition weathers away and dies without restoration. If you don't wash your $600 1992 Chevy Caprice Classic or change the oil and all that other upkeep that bad boy won't ever shine like the heavens and breaks down on you midway between Alexandria and Lafayette. Then you have to leave it at a rest stop. But do you leave it there. No. You have to get it fixed. You put the money into it. And the time. And the parts. And sooner or later you're going to be riding around with a round bottom slab going 2 miles per hour so everybody sees you. Or you don't fix it. Then when your $500 1989 Ford Taurus doesn't want to go 80 mph up Beltway 8 you just charge it to the game, chalk up the L and keep it trucking. I don't know about you, but I prefer the former to the latter. The thing about it is that nothing fixes itself. Problems do not solve themselves. If you are seeking a solution to a problem, you have to seek the solution. Like the Bishop said today, when you're playing hide and seek you have to actively seek who you're looking for. It applies to life. Think about it. So you do something wrong. How do you right your wrongs? By correcting them. Whatever you did you don't do it again. You figure out what you did wrong and fix it. Same thing with math problems. Retests. Now the concept behind restoration is getting back to something. Lets say you had everything figured out. When you were at your highest of highs. Now you're not there. You want to get back there. What do you have to do. Actively seek your route back to glory. Now from a religious standpoint, which sparked this thought process, I've got the seeking Him thing down. Simple. Pray and read your Bible. Listen to Him. To listen you have to meditate and constantly seek understanding. All the stuff I've always known, but just so happen to get refreshed with when I need it. Now in other matters, I do not have the answers. I don't know how to restore something when it's gone. Restoring oneself I've got down. When there's other parties involved it gets tricky. But hey, archaeologists restored Pompeii and it was completely buried in volcanic ash and soot for many, many centuries. So it's more than possible to restore things no matter how far gone you think it is. You have to really want it. To forgive, to renew and to restore; all similar and intertwined, but all so very different and complex. Anyway, originally I was supposed to be blogging to get my thoughts down and maybe it's help me understand them more clearly and I think it's working. LETSGETIT, Restoration.

[Andre 3000]
Ahhh, such sweet sound.
The Fiddler on the F___in' Roof.
Is that Mr. Bentley Fonzworth?

[Fonzworth Bentley]
Indeed it is, Sir.

[Andre 3000]
Good day, good sir.
How do you do? Look fine.

[Fonzworth Bentley]
Fantastically well.
I am certainly not fine by far, but you could say I'm close to spectacular.

[Andre 3000]
Close to spectacular? How so?

[Fonzworth Bentley]
Open your eyes.
Spectacular's right in front of you.

[Andre 3000]
Whatever you say... you're spectacular.

[Fonzworth Bentley]
No, I'm fantastically well.

[Andre 3000]
Come on, man. Make up your mind.
A minute ago you said you were fine.

[Fonzworth Bentley]
No. I said I'm close to spectacular, but I'm meeting fine in a minute.

[Andre 3000]
Close to spectacular?
You said you were fantastically well.

[Fonzworth Bentley]
Exactly.

[Andre 3000]
Exactly? Which one are you?
Close to spectacular? Or fantastically well?

[Fonzworth Bentley]
I am certainly and without a doubt fantastically well...
and was close to spectacular, but I must say
You just pissed spectacular off. And don't even mention exactly...
But here comes fine right now.

[Andre 3000]
Oh Lord, she is fine.

[Woman] Gentlemen.

[Fonzworth Bentley] Behold...

[together] A lady.

So far ahead of his time it's ridiculous.

100 miles and running

2008-05-24T13:48:00.004-05:00

Congratulations to all my people that graduated.

IV, Dudley, GP, Ross, S Dot, RRRaaa, Killa, B Ray in particular. Nothing mushy here, but I'm proud to call you my people. On the other end of the spectrum Chaston, Roberta, Raina you get the same. Regardless of anything else.

Backtrack on some stuff you've been needing in your life.

KANYE SAVES THE WORLD. from Bobby Hundreds on Vimeo.

Dj Finnesse - The Official Best of Mariah Carey
Dj Smallz - Smokin Instumentals Vol 6.
A Tribe Called Quest - Beats Rhymes and Life (The Samples)
Bernard Freeman - II Trill
Boss Hogg Outlawz - Headed 2 Da Kappa 2k8
Playaz Circle - Supply and Demand Pt. 2
Shante Franklin - Welcom to the Winner's Circle
Jayson Phillips and David Styles - Kings of Coke (2008)
Andre Lauren Benjamin - Alter Ego the Mixtape (2008)
Sean Carter - The Greatest to Ever Do It (2008)
DJ Keyz and Jayson Phillips - Al Qaeda Jada - Full Metal Jacket
Brad Terrence Jordan - The Best of Scarface (2008)
Joe Budden - The Lost Sessions (2008)

Great Googly Moogly if you like music here is a link to all the samples used for Jay-Z's entire discography.

http://hiphopisread.blogspot.com/2008/05/jay-z-complete-sample-discography.html

I'll come and get right, right in your city

2008-05-24T11:25:00.003-05:00

I've had a slew of topics that I've been meaning to address over the past few fortnights. When they come to me I try to write them down so that I can blog about them and present you with my point of view. Even if you don't respond at least you can think about it and form your own point of view on the matter. So the next series of posts will just be my thoughts on some topics as of late in a stream of consciousness style presentation. Prepare yourself accordingly. Some of this stuff might form itself more fully as I type.

Today's topic: Synergy

The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects.

"I'm a movement by myself, but we're a force when we're together."

I recall watching a Houston Rockets game during their groundbreaking run to 22 straight victories. Their was a blurb that came accross the screen about synergy. It stuck out because if you looked at the roster, the Rockets look like a B-team. Yet, they were winning at an alarming rate and on their way to record breaking success. I think it might have been win 19 or 21 when they showed the synergy definition. I can't find the screenshot. But if you saw it you know what I'm talking about. Synergy is when the combination of people/companies/drugs/what have you join forces to cause more good/productivity/a greater high/what have you than they are capable of apart. That's not just me talking, that's the actual definition. It applies to everything. It is hard to acquire. It's the stuff mergers are based on. It's why AT&T joins with Cingular. It's Penn and Teller. It's Sigfried and Roy. No homo. It's Obama and Clinton? Wishful thinking. It's acquirng Luis Scola and Aaron Brooks and Bobby Jackson and Rafer Alston and Shane Battier and Dikembe Mutumbo to support Yao and T Mac. That's a terrible supporting cast. That won 22 straight. 10 post Yao injury. It's Big Boi and Andre 3000. 8 ball and MJG. Pimp C and Bun B. It's me and you...your mama and your cousin too. It's your broken parts and my broken parts fitting together like a puzzle. It's when you're not strong enough and I'm your shoulder to lean on. It's when this world is too much to bear ( that bear/bare thing is so much more confusing now) and there's that other person lifting the weight up off of your shoulders and suddenly it's not only bearable, it's only half as heavy. I think marraige is human synergy. Not that Vegas Dennis Rodman/Carmen Electra business. Partnerships are human synergy. I'm talking about when I got the communications part and you got the finance part and he has the science of it worked out and he has the know how. When we came in together and we all got something different out of it and we sit down and talk it out and everyone comes out better. Great Debators. When my perspective and your perspective give us the panoramic view. And we're seeing things we never would have seen before. Touch what I've never touched before, seen what I've never seen before, woke up and seen the sun sky high. When your Gmail tops my Yahoo, but my Pandora trumps your Imeem. When you understand the numbers side, but I understand the people side. Mind you, I'm sort of flip flopping topics and ideas and people and categories, that's not the point. You want to know the point? One of the last sermons I heard in Austin before I left "indefinitely" was about being alone. The message was, "It is not meant for man to be alone." It wasn't even based on all the traditional senses. Yes, they graced the topic that Adam wasn't made to be alone, thats why God delivered Eve, but it was more than that. You're not meant to go through things in this life alone. There's a saying, "I was born alone and I'm going to die alone." But boy is that not true. You were born in a room full of doctors. Your dad or someone playing that role for the time might have been there. But even if you didn't have any of those people, you were born with your mother. There was always someone there. Because you can not make it on your own. You're not meant to. Its unnatural. It is not meant for man to be alone. It's the idea of family. The concept of friends. The reason for team players being more highly valued than individuals. The concept behind Diversity. The reason T-Mac can't get out the first round. You can't do it by yourself homie. You're a shell of your former self. It's Kobe and Shaq. D Wade and Shaq. It's Ernie, Kenny and Charles. It's very easy to get caught up in this world we live in, especially in America, where it's pumped into your brain that you are the most important being breathing. It's about you. Being self-centered and self-taught and self-oriented and selfish are all valued. Ahhh, but this post is about synergy. Which defies the idea of self. That self-dependence inherently produces less than a combination of forces. Mind you, I'm not telling you to depend on others, but simply to understand that the capitalistic ideology we were raised in isn't teaching us about the greatest good for the greatest number. And I'm well aware of the ethical implications of that last statement, so we'll just take it in its simplest form for now. Synergy is not easy to achieve. There's the problem of groupthink and then there can be deadweight or there could be a party that is actually holding the other party back. Those are all barriers to overcome. True synergy is hard to achieve and if found should not be taken for granted. Synergy is like magic. Man is not meant to be alone.

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.

Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.

Sometimes there were two sets of footprints.

Other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life

When I was suffering from anguish, sorrow, or defeat,

I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord, "You promised me, Lord,

That if I followed you, you would walk with me always.

But I noticed that during the most trying periods of my life

There have only been one set of prints in the sand.

Why, When I have needed you most, you have not been there for me?"

The Lord replied,

"The times when you have seen only one set of footprints

Is when I carried you."

So I know you may very well be thinking that I just quoted "Footprints in the Sand" and that that's not synergy, that's faith and dependence. Well, for one, that's a topic for another day. For two, according to "The Purpose Driven Life"...

God deeply loves you and desires your love in return...
He takes pleasure in those that honor Him; in those who trust in His constant love." Psalms 147:11

If He's getting something out of my faith and worship and I'm getting everything I'm getting, that's as good as it gets folk. I won't even pretend like it's synergy, but you needed that quote just as much as I did. LETSGETIT, synergy.

All I do

2008-05-11T22:13:00.002-05:00

Citations for my last post. Here goes. In order of appearance.

Blockquotes - http://the-thirteenth-floor.blogspot.com
Title of this post - Stevie Wonder - All I Do
Title for last post - Kanye West - Bittersweet Poetry

Common - Faithful
Common - The Light
Little Brother - Whatever You Say
Bobby Caldwell - What You Won't Do For Love
The Dream - Shorty is a Ten
J Holiday/Trey Songz - Bed (Remix)
Will Smith - Chasing Forever
Raphael Saadiq/D' Angelo - You Should Be Here
Soulja Boy - Soulja Girl
Lauryn Hill/D' Angelo - Nothing Even Matters
Lauryn Hill - Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You
Pharell and the Yessirs/Snoop Dogg/Charlie Wilson- That Girl
Pharell/Jay-Z - Frontin'
Pharell/Kanye West - Number One
Mariah Carey - Fourth of July
Lupe Fiasco - Paris/Tokyo
Lupe Fiasco - Go Baby
Blu and Exile - First Things First
Bobby Caldwell - My Flame
T-Pain - Time Machine
Mariah Carey/Freeway/Jay-Z - You Got Me
Notorious B.I.G. - Juicy
Outkast/Big Rube - 13th Floor ( Growing Old)
Andre 3000 - Pink and Blue
Common - So Far To Go (Original)
D' Angelo - You're My Lady
Bobby Valentino - Gangster Love
Sam Cooke - Change Is Gonna Come
James Morrison - You Give Me Something
Aaliyah - One In A Million
Lupe Fiasco - Much More
Ginuwine - I'll Do Anything
Lupe Fiasco - Glory
UGK/Outkast - International Players' Anthem
Chris Brown - You
Etta James - Damn Your Eyes
Juelz Santana/The Diplomats - Who Am I?
Camron/Tiffany - Daydreaming
R. Kelly - Just Like That
Little Brother - When Everything is New

Now that's some bittersweet poetry.

Bittersweet Poetry

2008-05-11T14:38:00.006-05:00

I want to be there for you when you're at your absolute worst. When things are the worst for you. When you're at your lowest point; but I can't be. I can't be strong for you. You have to do it by yourself. And that hurts.

I was rolling around, in my mind it occured. What if God was a her? Would I treat her the same? Would I still be running game...on her? Would I want her for her mind or her heavenly body? Could I be out running game on someone so Godly? If I was with her would I still be wanting my ex? The lies, the greed, the weed, the sex. Ride with her because I know for me, she'd die. Through good and bad call on her like I'm chirping her. Couldn't be jealous cause other brothers worship her. And this was a test that was bigger than him. Some believe it's the nature that is given to men. She asked, "Why do men always have to stray?" It's hard when your lady don't believe what you say. And what you did in the past, you have to live with today.

Gotta be something for me to write this. I know your heart is weathered by what life did to you. I'm not gonna front, cause I did it too. At times when I'm lost I try to find you.

Are you listening now? Did I get your attention undivided? Because you used to be undecided. That's alright girl, whatever you say. I used to play the background. You know clean cut, soft spoken, well dressed, dipped out, straight chilling when I'm in the club, yo. Sipping on a sprite with the ill lemon mixed in it, sippin on it I was just chilling til' I saw you. That when my heart stopped; knees gave; head sweating; jaws locked; I was sweating you like gaw dang girl. You got a n' going buckwild, mesmerized, starstruck.

I came back to let you know. I've got a thing for you and I can't LET GO. My friends wonder what is wrong with me. But I'm in a daze from your love you see. I came back to let you know, I've got a thing for you and I can't let go. Some people go around the world for love, but they may never find what they dream of. What you won't do for love? When you've tried everything but you don't give up. In my world only you made me do for love what I would not do.

And I don't need no hook for this hit.

The sun aint the only thing that's shining...but it's peaking through the venetian blinds. I've got a question. I mean real bad girl, I'm talking rougher than rough. Do you think it'd be enough if we just had us? Don't answer quick, think about it, cause I'm asking for real. We could deal with whatever together? Sunshine or that other weather? A buckwild endeavor it seems. Am I pursuing something real or just chasing a dream? Now as a man, there's certain things I'm lacking for sure, but I'm commited to growing and coming at you mature. And in the future, I know it aint gonna be all good, but when we're feeling the hurt if we're willing to work the 8 ball will never turn and see us behind. Oh I aint no knight and my armor don't shine. Now you would think after all my heartbreak I'd be cruel; hiding behind my ego; evil. I don't have a good end to that segment.

You should be here with me. Girl, I wish you were here. You calling me. Me calling you. But nothing even matters at all. Your love makes me feel ten feet tall. Without it I go through withdrawals. You're part of my identity. Sometimes I have a tendency to look at you religiously cause nothing even matters to me. Nothing even matters no more. You're just to good to be true. There are no words left to speak. You're just to good to be true.

There's something about this girl...But when I finally found the words to say...it just won't stay. You can lie to yourself and say that it isn't. It hurts when it comes to your attention. Yes sir. That's her. But it wasn't like that back when I met her. Your friends don't like n's like me. You say no like you've been doing it for eons. When it rains, it pours. I guess I played games. I'm not trying to justify. I'm in trouble, ma, and I should pray about speed. But if this is about you, what's that say about me? It's really weird cause a n' got love. Now it is what it is. And it WAS not was. But when I finally found the words to say, you want to run away. You can try to run and hide, it won't make a difference. Sure it hurt when it came to your attention. I know that I'm carryng on. I call you for real because you're the truth. Truth be told, you through me for a loop, this Joe. I'm too old to be fronting what I'm feeling. Denzeling.

Yesterday I was half the man you see. That's because you're the other half of me. You deserve a verse from me. Fourth of July. That's when I heard murder. I'm killing you and filling you with sorrow. Sunrise, goodbye's and missing you tomorrow's. I turn and see my dream, love supreme, meanest thing on the scene cry. The dame who's the username to all my passwords. So let's keep it real. I know it's like war to you. I revoked my membership. Even when its up and down like seesaw, surely we can start from scracth like D4 when you say you're not my baby like Maury. We're as heavy as an elephant aren't we?

There's so many ways I could approach you. I'll be honest with you. I aint into playing games. I rock fitted caps. I eat red meat cause tofu don't move me. I'm trying to get next to you. You're shooting down fools. So tell me what the f___ I'm supposed to do? Tell me what I'm supposed to do. Let me know what I'm supposed to do. I could probably make you laugh when you're in a bad mood. I would give you my digits but your phone's not accepting my phone calls.

How long, How long have you been away. How long? I can't find the words to say. I've got your picture on my shelf. Only there to remind myself. I have always cared for you. Do you still love me? Oh, my flame. I still hold your vision in my mind. Will I ever make you see? Maybe we can compromise? I'm going back to a time when I know everything was straighter. I don't need no clothes, I'll go in just what I'm wearing. Matter of fact I'll just go back to what I used to wear then. I can dream. No matter how bad my life is, I still got love, no matter mad you were.

Silly fool. Long days nowhere to go. And no other slimmie will do. You're just like honey, so you got me like winnie the pooh. Let you chill with the crew. Only backwards will do. And you know how to roll. You're my dreamlover so I can't let go. Hell no. Don't know what to say and I don't know what to do. Cause you do something to me. There aint noone else. And I usually be on my s___. Harlem shaking these groupies off me quick. But this time it's diff. I never thought I'd hear that lyric like that. Maybe it was all a dream? Born sinner? The opposite of a winner? If you don't know now you know? You know very well who I am. Now I'm writing letters cause I miss you. Considered a fool. Super Nintendo, Nintendo, I couldn't picture this. And you loved to show me off of course. You know very well who I am.

Concieve true deception multiplied a million fold. The resident evil specialize in misconstruing. Fooling myself, clowning myself, playing you by not being myself. Recongnize this mind on the reality of horror known as mankind. The devil says the end is the beginning. My memories of yesterday. Told the truth to get what I want, but shot it with no shame. Something's got to change. Laughter and happiness comes from teardrops to rain. Like soap is to lather, we come clean. Some issues need to be addressed like envelopes I mean. Sores that were open wounds eventually turn to scabs. You're so-phisticated. And now I'm talking like a baby. Baby talk. Like ga ga and goo goo. Oh my my. That's just you. But now I've got so far to go. I want to get closer to you. Because you're my lady. And you've got that gangster love. I know it's too late, but a change had to come. It's been a long time coming, but a change is gonna come. Right now it's too hard living, but I'm afraid to die. They say go to the movies or go downtown, but I don't want to hang around. Then I go to my brother and I say, "Brother, help me please." And I get knocked down on my knees. Change will come. Yes it will.

Then it hits me again. You give me something that makes me scared alright. We should end up nothing. But I'm willing to give it a try. Please give me something. I've never bought you flowers cause I can't work out what they mean. I never thought that I'd love someone that's my dream. But it might be a second too late. The words that I could never say are gonna come out anyway. Your love is a one in a million. And much more is what we've got in store? Turn me inside out and make my heart speak. Personality and everything you do makes me love everything about you. I'll do anything, I'm sorry. I KNOW. But I can't make water into wine. But I can try. They're not there when you love me, hold me and take care. What we have is much more than they can see. You can plainly see the pain I campaign bout. So I get back into my stance.

Whereforth has my glory gone? I'm not sure, but I'll find it. My spirit is strained and I'm limited to change. The faces of the guilty where innocence is proclaimed are filthy. Truth is limitless in its range. If you drop a T and look at it in reverse it could HURT. What starts in clouded minds ends up in the rain. My mind's weary, all the adrenaline and the drain 'cause the wrecking ball is dissassembling things.

Relationship death is like cancer.

Makes no sense, I know crazy. No looking back. I'd rather see you smiling. I shouldn't have done it. I shoulda reconsidered. I did you dirty. Keep your heart. I know you're smart. But guess what. I can't breathe with no air. That is not a song lyric. I'm talking about you. You, you, you, you, you. But I know when you look at me, you see me with the "deer in the headlights" look. Damn my eyes. It's real. I've got to wake up just to know I was sleep. So now I live the life of a loner. My life consists of a big puzzle that's mixed up. S__ what, the s___ sucks. I need to find another road to follow. One that's new and strong not old and hollow. Listen to some old Aaliyah. This s__ is crazy. And a tear comes trembling down. You've never seen a man cry? Well you're witnessing now. This aint game from the heart, this is pain from the heart. This for you dame it came from the heart. I got to get it together I was falling off. "Mami I just want you to know, I'm in love with you so, if you wasn't here I'd be in love with your soul." But you told me I'm dead. So here I sit daydreaming and I'm thinking of you.

You wanna know how I feel? Just like that. Just like that. ^^^

Man I could be mad about a whole lot of s___, but at the end of the day I'm still here. Just know that I do not quit man, through whatever. Ever. I'm still here baby. Another morning, as the night fades away. Another warning not to waste all our days. I know it sounds like an ending. This is a beginning. The wheels keep spinning on a brand new thought. Goals reaarange. Your morals get flushed. Values get crushed and we no longer trust what got us here in the first place. For me it only takes one case. The verdicts been read. These words' been said. It's plenty of people left that's believing in them. That's why I can't do the s___ I used to do no more. Had to get back to me. Get back to mine. That's real words from a true heart.

You can take it as an old ending or a new start.

I know what you like

2008-04-18T15:08:00.010-05:00

It's hard to beat the original tetris...(see above)...which I haven't done yet, but probably will by the end of the weekend. I would still kill you at tresling.

For Barry - Ask and ye shall recieve.

Because it's my perogative. I don't boogie with Terry Kennedy or that other guy, but Curren$y is a factor. I'd even go as far as a Get Ya Groove On Boy.

Fresh

Gnarles Barkley - elpuoC ddO ehT
Maurice Richards - Bigger Than the Mayor
Shante Franklin - Higher Than 30,000 Feet <-- Personal Favorite

Shante Franklin - Life at 30,000 Feet
Jay Jenkins - The Mixtape Monster
Marvin Gaye - Midnight Love (25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)
Pete Rock - Soul Brother Number One
Day 26 - Day 26 ( I refuse to dl this, but I heard it's good.)

Somewhere in between my AceBoogie and Smiley. I'd still murder you on a track.

You just do you, and I'm'a do me

2008-04-10T18:01:00.004-05:00

This aint the best,
N' materials can't substitute for your happiness.
Life's about how you feel about you, and what you do,
When you wake up in the morning and look in the mirror, you're seeing who?
I think you n's done bit off more than you can chew.
Cause you don't even know why you do half that hot a__ s___ you do.

You should always know why you do what you do. Very well verbalized by T.I.P. I was youtubing and catching up on blogs and my local rss feed source and whatnot and ran into this.

This is why Shawn Kemp was my favorite player for years. Pre-lockout of course. This is also why I wear reebok pumps to this day. Bring back Kevin Johnson.

(No offense to clutch city, but you've got to respect KJ) (But for the record you can't beat clutch city, see below)

Bring back Dominique Wilkins. Bring back his airness.

And yes, this is the dunk you think of when you wear Air Jordans. That's when he became the logo. LITERALLY became the logo. I don't care what wikipedia has to say about it.

Back on my grizzly like a bearskin rug

2008-04-08T21:40:00.010-05:00

Strictly the hits. I'm here like I was never gone until I'm gone like I was never here.

Dewayne Michael Carter - The Suffix
Alicia J. Augello Cook - Songs in A Minor

2 Hun - Feel No Better (unfinished)

Best blog post I've read in a long time, followed second by this one.

And on one last note, please be serious..

History in the Making

2008-03-15T14:54:00.004-05:00

^^Click Me^^

Houston Rockets > Life.

(NOT an inequality)

My Country Tis of Thee

2008-03-15T13:17:00.008-05:00

10 days later. I went on vaca, work with me. Exhibit A ^^^^ "And I run with a player circle."

So here goes. I've now flown in a plane for the first time. I really wanted to take pictures, but I forgot the digi so we'll just have to go off of word of mouth. Flying is not safe. But it is amazing. The idea of gaining enough speed that you no longer stay on the ground is not a good idea. Really. Think about it. Both times I sat next to the wing and when the flaps flew up you can see all the gizmos and contraptions that are holding your plane together and suspending you in mid-air. Be serious. Anyway, enough of that. Flying is what that is. I don't really want to address the initial flight because I didn't get to experience it like I would fully have liked. But there was no panicking. While flying is not a good idea, the actual act of being in the clouds is. That's that.

Miami is not real life.

But back to the topic at hand. "My country [tis of thee], she wants to get rid of me..."

So long story short, somewhere in the first day of the Miami experience I no longer have any identification or cards. What bothers me the most? No more library card. I just got that when I went to go vote. Anywho, here I am back to life, back to reality and it's time to reestablish my identity and there's a number of complications. So I get a traffic violation whilst in Florida. So I need a copy of the registration on my scooter faxed to me. Scooterman, where's my registration? I gave you 3 days to fax it. Work with me, I'm just trying to legitimize my situation. So there's that. Scooterman, where's my deposit money? It's been 3 days. Then there's the credit card fraud. So if you lose your ID's in Dade county, it's apparently protocol to charge up $### in charges at gas stations in an inordinate amount of time. Now that's fine. Credit card theft is pretty run of the mill. They got me cause I didn't cancel fast enough. My bad. Add to that...I tried to file a police report and the police wouldn't call me back..and when I go to the station they give me a little no nothing slip of paper instead of filing a police report. What's really good about that? So let's keep walking down this path. All is good, I get back to Texas after extra security checks and all that for having no ID's. It's time to file a "credit card fraud report" and the form is extra long and doesn't allow me to get my charges back until I've called all the establishments to talk to them, which I haven't done yet because I had my last few days of work. Oh yeah, my last day of work was yesterday. But that's another story. Anywho, so I've got that to take care of, which is fine. I've got a little more time on my hands. So today is Saturday. I decide to start getting my life in order and going to talk to the bank to get a new card. "Sir we can't do that without a state-issued ID." I can understand that and respect it, well anyway I need to make a withdrawal because i can't get an ID without any cash and I had everything stolen, but luckily I have this here Social Security Card and this here Birth Certificate. "Let me go talk to my manager." (talks to manager) (he tells her no, but loudly enough for me to hear it." Pardon me good sir, I understand I don't have an ID, but here's the issue. I need to reestablish my ID and I can't do so if I can't pay to get a new DL and I can't do that without cash which I can't get cause I have no cards so let's try to work something out." (reluctantly agrees.) Come on homie, this is America, work with me. If you're gonna make my life harder when I get frauded then maybe I should just move to Canada.

Requests:
Thomas DeCarlo Callaway - Cee-Lo Green is the Soul Machine
Thomas DeCarlo Callaway - Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections
2 HUN ft. C-Hawk, GP the Paperboy, DJ Royalty - Watch Out

Song of the Day - Dedicated to Barry Hammond

Out my mind? Nah. You don't know whats in my mind.

2008-03-05T21:19:00.002-06:00

Per request...

DeWayne Carter - 500 Degreez
Pharell Williams - Out of My Mind*
D' Juan Hart - I am Legend*
Talib Johnson - Aijuswanaseing
Erica Abi Wright - New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)

Credit where credit's due.*

Vote or DIE

2008-03-05T09:34:00.004-06:00

So I haven't gotten around to really keeping up on this here blogger, but we're still here, "still living" like Z-Ro the Crooked.

I made a point to call every one of my closest counterparts yesterday evening after I finished up at the polls. (See photo, Corporate Thugs ENT.)

I waited until election day because, for one, I procrastinated, and for two, It's symbolic to vote on election day. To me anyway. So I go to the polls. I run into my brother of course. As I always do on voting day. Upon receiving a very influential telephone call from my right hand man and co-author of nosuitnotie a few years back, I fully understand the importance and necessity of exercising my right to vote. Vote or DIE. I mean it. We all need to understand that the civil rights movement was not that long ago. So any chance you get to assert your rights as an equal citizen, you should do your civic duty. Follow that up with the fact that just because the widest spread voting rights law was passed in 1965, that doesn't mean change happened overnight. This isn't a video game, there's no instant gratification. Remember the Emancipation Proclamation? People fought long and hard for us to be able to vote. Died. Water hosed. Lynched. <-- take this opportunity to inform yourself.) So what's the hurt in voting. For anyone that has followed our Great Debaters group can very publicly see my views on voting. Do it. I just so happen to know a lot of Obama supporters. Now riddle me this...If you call yourself supporting any candidate, that's all good and well. If you don't call yourself voting for that person, then, "what're you sayyiiing though?" I was presented with the statement, "....this will be my first time ever voting for anything of this nature, and if [Barack] doesn't win I will be convinced my vote doesn't count and I'll probably never vote again." Now I would never argue with that because that's how a lot of people think. BUT, I would say then you need to vote. In the primary. We're in Texas. Vastly republican majority. So if you really want your favorite Democrat, or Republican, to be president, then it's essential that you make sure you'll have that opportunity. Which means you needed to vote in the primary. Now for all of you Obamanians out there, he lost the public vote in Texas yesterday. If he doesn't represent the Democratic party in Nov and you don't have the opportunity to vote for him, I don't want to hear it. Your vote is going to count for a whole lot less come November. Make your ancestors proud. Vote or DIE. It's not over though.

In other news.

"Cheers to the future and a toast to life,
I'm Prive-ing in Miami, I'm a socialite..."

Vacation in 3 days. LETSGETIT.

"...I mean I had a dream that God gave me FLIGHT.
Too fly for my own good, that's why God gave me plight."
-Lupe Fiasco-

Sam Cook "change gone come"

2008-03-04T16:40:00.004-06:00

"Life aint meant to come around twice, thats why I got to get it right. They said I got it honest now I got to give it life, but sleep on it thats why god gives you night..." Lupe Fiasco, Food and Liquor.

I know its been a while since I have posted I am still getting used to this internet thing. Give me 10 more days and I will have this daily posting thing down.

This weekend I was at a friends house who has a younger brother I believe the youngster is 16 or so. He was walking around the house with his ipod blasting a rapper who shall rename nameless due to the fact that I do not respect him. I asked the youngster who his favorite rappers were, and needless to say we did not agree on any of his top 15. I asked him to name some of his favorite songs and they were even worse than his list of top rappers. The music game is damn near ruined and is corrupting the younger generations. Well thats my opinion at least. When I was a kid there were not this many options of trash music out there. You could not just make it to stardom with a song with a catchy hook, you actually had to be able to rap. Your music actually had to have substance. What happened to rappers being true, and rapping so vividly that you can close your eyes and actually picture everything they were saying.

Now a days people who talk about nothing or whose raps are filled with lies go platinum. Whats the world coming to? You know I have basically been listening to the same rappers my entire life with a few exceptions. I want you to think about it because maybe you have been to.

In case you have not heard Obama lost the primaries in Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island yesterday, but hey he did win Vermont. Im upset he did not win Texas but how upset can I really be I did not even vote. You know 4 years I gave my boy a lengthy speech on how important it was to vote, how people died for us to be able to have this right and look at me I didnt even get out there and do my duty. So I believe that makes me a hypocrite, and I deserve an ass whooping for that one. Im sure my older brother will be the one to delegate out that punishment, no homo. I apologize for not getting out there big bro.
Im happy and upset at the same time. Upset because Obama will more than likely not represent the Democrats in the election in November as the Presidential candidate, but happy because I believe Hillary has to make him her running mate, read this. Thats an enormous step for African Americans, and more so America in General. Look back to America 25 years see where America stood on this issue, than look back 50 years, in the famous words of Sam Cook " Change is Gone Come". At the end of the day you have got to crawl before you walk.

"There are two rules to success in life: 1. Don't tell people everything you know"
-Unknown-

Once again from my older brother.

You feeling froggy? Well leap

2008-02-29T12:31:00.006-06:00

Chalk up an extra day for Black History Month. Only thing I learned about black history this year is Aaron McGruder is a comedic genius. Don't get mad, just peep the social commentary.

So I woke up this morning and said. "This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. Sometimes I say it out loud. I didn't today. But I thought it. I woke up in the morning, rolled over and thanked God, used the facilities and washed my hands...and get back to the training. Not quite Wayne, but hey, "I'm a corporate thug, I run with a player circle."

Motivation for the day...

So I quit AIM and Facebook for lent. I was then told by the First Lady that, "It's like you don't exist." We both laughed. Nothing's funny, but we laughed anyway. I find that to be a tad interesting. In that spare time away from the internet community I've decided to be more productive in the facet of "furthering my life" and whatnot. You can e-mail me, hit me through my blog, or call me. I'm pretty accessible...if you have access. That got me to thinking that people are doing way too much on the internet and should really take an interest in getting to know people in real life. Or through their blogs...Anyway, that's it for now. LETSGETIT.

Im me so who you? Your not me

2008-02-28T13:07:00.002-06:00

LETSGETIT(2-28-2008)
Whats Jumping Jack I'm logging in for the first time ever. I don't think you guys really understand the significance of this post so I will explain something to you. Me, I am not really into the whole internet thing unless I am downloading music, reading the news, or trying to expand my knowledge. I have never had a facebook or a myspace and don't really ever plan on it. So this is a big step for me you feel me. Allow me to reintroduce myself...

I'm a student at the University of Houston you know I'm getting my school boy on. Unfortunately I did not really get serious about school til this past year. Oh well better late than never. I am a Finance and Economics major. What will I do when I graduate? I don't know. I am a firm believer that everything will work out in life as long as you do the right thing. I am a realist. I was recently introduced to the four noble truths and the noble eightfold path and have been loving life ever since. I have no aspirations of working for a corporation. No sir not me. I believe that there are many paths in life that end at success and there are twice as many paths that end in failure. I know the probability of success reduces drastically as soon as you decide to take an alternate route, but imagine the world if everyone followed that main path. Most people are risk averse when it comes to their life, just complacent to be "in the box", me I cant do it. I mean i can do it but I wont do it. Why do something for the rest of your life if you are not going to be happy? Just for money, or to satisfy someone else? Your life is your own so why live it to make someone else happy? I want to be successful and will but it will just take more work than the average person. I don't mind I enjoy working. I'm not really afraid of failure because you only fail when you stop trying and I will not quit until i achieve my goal. So like the title of the blog I take no days off, until I achieve success.

Quote of the day.
"He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man"
Samuel Johnson

Thanks for the quote Big Bro

We're here now...

2008-02-28T10:55:00.000-06:00

Mic Check 1, 2, 1, 2...

Smiley signing on. It's February 28 in the two thousand and eighth year of our Lord. It's a leap year, so holler at me February 29th. We're here now, you're old news. I'd like to introduce myself of half of the collective of no suit, no tie. Joe Price, taking no Ferris Bueller's. Who am I, and why do I have time to write a blog? Cause I am 2 weeks away from unemployment. And still taking no days off. Walk with me...

We had a real strong LETSGETIT movement going on through the last year or so. You rocked with me, you rock with me. I rock with you. That's where we stand. Well I graduated. It took 4 years flat. I was having a good time with that college business though. You know, we had a good thing going. So I decided, this is my life. If I'm gonna be sitting at a 9 to 5...or in my case an 8 to 5...everyday, living life for nights and weekends, I might as well surround myself with all the people I know and love. No homo. So we got a job. We were supposed to do that through about November. That "go sit in an office everyday and do the same thing everyday" business aint all that. I appreciate it for what it is. Really. It pays the bills. I eat good, sleep good, play hard, have fun. But come down to it, without going into further detail...I can't do it anymore. So I won't be. "But Joe, if you're not going to be going to work, how are you taking no days off?" My homeboy Kevin once put it to me this way. "You think about success all wrong. You think of it like graduating and getting a job and sitting in a desk 5 days a week from 9 to 5. I think of it like I'm going to do what I want to do to make money. I'm just getting my degree as a backup plan." I respect that. I do. That's not what I'm doing...exactly. I don't really have everything figured out, but I'm well aware that God talks to you in his own way, so I feel like even though me and God haven't really had the most 2-way conversations that he still guides me in the right direction. I had an epiphany that I should just go for what I want out there in this world and not settle. So, in my case, I feel that route is higher education. I once told somebody, "I think the key to chasing your dreams is chasing them with the intention to catch them." Then I thought about it, and I believed it. So that's what we're gonna do. Worst case scenario...crash and burn. Best case scenario, be a very successful and happy man. Or fall somewhere in the middle. 2/1, I can deal with those odds. So in these next few months we're gonna be going hard on the higher education grind. Test preparation, personal statement, etc. and looking for a job too, in case that "offer you can't refuse" comes up. I've got a lot of free time. Mainly because all time is free. If I'm not doing something, then I'm doing something else. So blog with me.

"Until you're truly ready to say [screw] your fears, you are not alive."
-Cee Lo Green-