First Thanksgiving For The Boy!!!

This year's Thanksgiving was great! The boy enjoyed eating all sorts of new things (On his own) like greens, smoked turkey, and mac&cheese (See Gobble Gobble Baby entry) He is really an amazing kid in that he is so advanced. At just a few days into his tenth month, he is dexterous enough to pick up foods like mac&cheese bits with his index finger and thumb and navigate to his mouth with the greatest of ease. Just a few weeks ago, he had trouble keeping the food in the palm of his mitt. He is also able to use his "Hippo Walker", a push/riding toy which helps him balance for walking, and scooting. The boy is growing up fast blog. Don't blink, 'cuz next thing you know, he'll be heading off to college.

PEACE.

1938-2007

Gobble Gobble, Baby.

HEY HEY HEY, blog.
Rather than waste time apologizing for my colossal display of
LAZINESS
I'll just get right down to business.

Today is turkey day, and if you didn't know it, friendly blog, today is my very favorite day of the year.
Well, maybe the third or fourth favorite DAY, but it's my favorite HOLIDAY.
Thanksgiving was particularly exceptional this year.
First and foremost, the wife and I got to spend the sprite's (nickname change) first Thanksgiving at HOME,
(this decision was met with silent, yet palpable opposition from each of our in-laws, but we stood firm)
AND I got to smoke the bird. I also smoked a ham, and some redskin potatoes. I must admit, that I did a pretty tight job considering I've never used a smoker before last week.
The lovely wife made GREENS(!)
(Just wait till I tell my family how GOOD they were {they won't believe it})
I also made the lovely wife's favorite- My famous Macaroni and cheese!!!
I wanted to make a whole Hell of a lot more stuff, but i didn't want to be a COMPLETE glutton. I will be the first to admit that i am certainly not opposed to turkey day engorgement, but we took it easy this year.
All in all, the day was a HUGE success.
Everything tasted excellent, we got to relax, we took a bajillion photo snaps of the boy, and we had two visitors- one brought us a home made apple pie and the other provided some wine.

I am most thankful for this perfect day that I had the privilege to spend with my beautiful wife and beautiful son.

Hope yours was just as right on as mine.

Happy Thanksgiving & PEACE.

1927-2007

The Opry is now a little less Grand...

Happy Halloween!!! (Again)

Just some photos of us from the boy's first Halloween last night...

PEACE.

Bad Dog!

Duane Chapman's (Dog the Bounty Hunter) son sent a recorded message he received from his dad to the National Enquirer magazine chock full of the word Nigger- describing his unhappiness with his son's descision to date a black woman. His major concern with the son dating the woman ("This has nothing to do with her being a Nigger") was the chance that this "Nigger" would overhear their family using the word in normal conversation(?!?!), and report the news to the Enquirer, thus ending his "career".
Ha.
Hopefully that's the LEAST that happens, duane.

Happy Halloween!!!

Hey everybody!
Hope your halloween is extra scary this year!
Well, I didn't make it to any haunted attractions, but it was a pretty spooky halloween week for me despite the absence of haunted houses, forests, and that sort of thing.
I ended up going to the movie on monday, and I saw "30 days of night". It was a pretty scary vampire flick, dealing with a group of bloodsuckers that decide to relocate to a small village in alaska where for a month they are covered in darknesss- day and night.
It was gory, and full of suprises, and there was a decapitation that looked so real, I ended up applauding in the theater.
I know the people in front of me were appaled, but hell- I've seen some chopped heads in films before, and none of them have made me wince and want to look away as much as that scene.
I must say, that I am a fan of vampire and zombie movies.
I love them so much because they scare me so much.
Two reasons why they scare me so are:
1. They both chase you relentlessly. My worst nightmares generally have to do with me being chased, and that's all that zombies and vamps do in movies. You can't get away from either one, because neither of them tire out.
So, if either is on your ass, then you've had it friend.

2. They freakin' EAT people!!! I mean, that's gotta be the worst way to go right? To be eaten alive would NOT be good.
I think the notion of being devoured plays on the most base of our fears, and it is certainly not lost on me.

Despite the anxiety, fear, and uneasiness that these films make me feel, I still LOVE em'.
I could watch them all day long.
And on Tuesday, I did.
I watched about four cheesy zombie movies back to back off and on broadcast on the sci-fi channel. Micah even watched them with me in between playing, and napping.
Tonight I'm going to finish out my Halloween festivities with "The Horror of Dracula", but first the lovely wife and I will be taking the boy out for tricks and treats to our neighbors houses. (photos to come tomorrow)

Rest In PEACE.

Dam, Man!

Today the Lovely Wife, Sprout and I went to Hoover Dam to walk around and look at the fall foliage.
Oh, and of course the dam.
The wife, the boy and I enjoyed the scenery, and the beautiful fall day.It was pretty fun.
We have'nt gotten out to just hang for a long time, so this was quite a treat.



PEACE.

Look Ma! I'm Dancin! I'm Dancin!

The boy really LOVES to dance y'all!
These were taken today, while he was digging in his toy drawer.
See, my lovely wife emptied all the crap out of a regular drawer that he gravitates to, and put some of his toys and other junk in there so he can also root around in the kitchen like his mom and dad do from time to time.
Anyway-
a song he likes came on, and he started bopping around.
Yeeeaaah buddy!
My boy was movin!
This weekend, while hanging with Scotty-D, he danced to nearly every commercial that had some tunes playing in the background. Incidentally, you'd be amazed by how many commercials have some form of music behind them hyping you up, and getting you amped to consume their product.
Anyway-
I COULD'NT be more proud of the boy.
But what's cool is, I know he'll do something tomorrow to outdo all the amazing stuff he did today.


PEACE.

Haunted Attraction time baby!!!

OOOOOOOOoooooooo folks!
It's that time again. The end of October is swiftly approaching. The time when ghouls, ghosts, witches, and warlocks emerge from their hiding places and roam from dusk til dawn.
Spooookyyy!
It's also the time when droves of people visit haunted houses, forests, hoochies(?), and baseball parks to voluntarily have the CRAP scared out of them.
I am one of those people.
Last year, I made plans to visit an attraction with a few of my then co-workers. Unfortunately, those plans never came to fruition.
THIS year though, I have a whole new group of pidgeons, er-
co-workers to coerce,
CONVINCE
to join me for a scary evening.
I'll kep you posted as to the status of my frightful folly.

PEACE.

Should I be mad?

Are these fans oblivious to how offended someone could potentially have been by their make-up jobs?

They're OBVIOUSLY oblivious to the fact that their make-up jobs likely increased the potential for ass whippins by those same potentially offended people.



PEACE.

Snip Snip Snip...

Well, it's been about 24 hours and the kid's wee-wee is still attached, so I guess all is well.
He still has gauze around his appendage, so I have'nt been able to see the surgeon's handywork.
It should just slide off by tommorrow according to the doctor, so I will get a look then.
The hospital visit was pretty routine, meaning that the operation was scheduled for noon, and we ended up sitting and WAITING an extra hour and a half till he was taken back to the little operating room. (Keep in mind the hospital had us check in at 9:00)
Once the operation was underway, the lovely wife and I were escorted to a waiting room full of other parents, grandparents, and various other folks smiling, joking, crying, and solemnly waiting for good news.
We waited for about 35 min. and then checked in with the nurses, who informed us that the boy was finished, but had to wait in recovery for another 30.
Damn, Man!
So we waited some more.
When we finally saw the boy, he was just kinda looking like, "Hey mom and Dad. What's goin' on? I'm a little fuzzy, but otherwise, everything's cool."
We were happy to see him, and relieved that his willie did'nt seem to be causing him the pain I had anticipated.
We then made our way home, and after a nice relaxing nap, he was back at it, moving around on all fours like a madman!
It was as if the surgery had'nt even occurred.
My guess is, he was hopped up on codine, and was feeling ALRIGHT...
He had a pretty good night's rest too- although he woke up this morning at about 5:00.
Damn, Man!
It was cool, though.
Cuz my boy is A-ok!

Weekend Recap

This is shaping up to be a pretty busy weekend.
After work on Saturday, (I arrived home at 5:30, after going in at 9:00) the lovely wife and I watched the Ohio State vs. Purdue football game with a couple neighbors.
I made my annual "Night Game Chili" that cooked ALL day.
The Indians WON.
Sunday, I TRIED to install a folding door in our newly named sitting room. It used to be the t.v. room, but we took out ALL the electronics and moved them to what used to be the "sitting" or living room.
The t.v./electronics sat in what used to be a closet, and the doors which used to be on the closet were stored in the VERY damp room where our sump pump is located. Needless to say, the future of wood (particle board) does not bode well when extended exposure to moisture is in the cards.
I made the lovely wife mad.
REAL MAD.
The Indians LOST.
The boy goes in for weiner (tee-hee- see Visitors for Us- Strike That. Visitors for the Boy entry) surgery tomorrow.
I'm still a bit nervous, but I 'm cool. He will be a new boy tomorrow, and it will just be a new challenge for the lovely wife and I to face.
Good Luck to us.
And finally, my Dad and my Brother will arrive sometime tomorrow.
RIGHT ON!

Well, I guess you're up to speed in terms of what's what, so I guess I should say-


PEACE.

Kung Fu Review #3

Curse of the Golden Flower

What up people! It's that time again.
Kung Fu Review y'all!
I re-watched Curse of the Golden Flower, and was amazed by the sheer beauty of the film. It is a film which was directed by
the same director of Hero with Jet Li (stay tuned for a review). It's a visually breathtaking Wuxia, or swordfighting film which is saturated with near neon colors of golds, reds, pinks, blues, and blacks which seem to fit the moods, the personalities, and the actions of each character.
The film takes place in china during the tenth century, and opens with the emperor (Chow Yung Fat) returning home from a campaign suspicious that eldest of his three sons is planning to usurp his position. He later spars with him in order to learn of his true intentions, his skill level, and discourage him from entertaining any thoughts of rebellion.
Also during the opening, we see the emperess (Gong Li) during her preparation to receive the emperor. Before she meets with her husband she is required to drink a mixture of herbs to counteract her life threatening illness. She soon learns that she is slowly being poisoned by the elixer she has been taking for nearly a year. She had suspicions about what was happening but had been powerless to discontinue her medication because it was the will of her husband. Betrayed, she becomes a woman scorned. She decides to try and sway her sons to side with her and overthrow her husband, utilizing the golden flower (Chrysanthemum) as her symbol for revenge, rebellion, and liberation.
The film is feels Shakespearean throughout, full of betrayal, contradiction, deceit, and death. This makes for a feeling of uneasiness throughout- almost as if you know something bad is most certainly about to happen at any moment. There are amazing action sequences, but I have to complain about the amount of wire work. There was no real physical prowess exhibited by the actors, (neither Chow or Gong are martial artists) but their acting chops more than made up the difference. Chow makes for a very imposing and overbearing emperor, and Gong is just as powerful in how reserved she is, with a seething hate boiling for her husband beneath the surface. If you liked Hero, and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, then give this film a try. It is beautiful to look at, and a very well done and acted film.
I would have given it a higher rating, but this is a MARTIAL ARTS film review, and there is very little within. Also, the actors are not martial artists, so I will give the film four kung fu kicks out of five.

PEACE.

Sound Tribe Sector 9

Just got back from a Sound Tribe Sector 9 concert that my homeboy Scotty-D was so gracious to invite me to.
It was a great concert. I even got a t-shirt. (I ONLY get concert tees from bands that prove themselves in their live shows)
The concert was definitely an experience, and can be summed up by the words
Tye-dye
Patchoulli
Marijuana Smoke
Jazz Electro Funk
Trippy Light Show
Funky Breaks
AWESOME Music
Positive Vibe
Neo-Hippies
Fun
The only thing that the night was missing was Ms. Rohr if You're Nasty.
She's the one who turned me on to STS9.

Thanx again for the ticket Scotty-D


PEACE.

Curse of the Golden Flower

BEAUTIFUL FILM.
ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.

Visitors for Us- Strike That. Visitors for the Boy

This coming monday, my brother will be moving back to Columbus from Pensacola Florida.
I'm pretty happy about it, because there will be a member of my immediate family in town to help influence the sprout
in the ways of our clan. (Not so sure that's a good thing...
...JUST KIDDING MOM&DAD)
My parents will remain in P-cola, maintaining the ideal vacation spot they call home. I'm sure they will miss my brother, even though he had his own place, and his job (Archeologist) kept him out of town for months at a time. So even though they were used to him not being home, at least he was in the same city.
Anyway, in order to get here, he and my dad will be driving a truck with all his crap from there to here.
Man, I tell ya, I don't envy them a bit. I'm not the one to be driving 12 hours in a U-Haul, thank you very much.
They are scheduled to arrive on monday, which is the same day the boy has to go in for his "surgery".

Yeah, yeah, blog.

I KNOW I didn't divulge anything about the Sprout's medical procedure.
I didn't feel it was THAT big a deal. He's just going in for a bit of a weiner snip.
He was born with a partially circumcised wang, and the baby doc said the extra skin was really no big deal.
So we left it alone.
Time passed, and the decision to just leave his dipstick alone was revoked, and so, snip snip.
When my family arrives on monday, there is a good chance we will either be in surgery, on our way home, or tending to the boy's pecker needs.
(I tried to use as many lewd penis references, because
1. I hate the word penis {Even though that will be the name we refer to it with him}
and
2. How often do you get the opportunity to use dirty words to describe a wanker?)

If I get a chance though, I'm gonna take some time out to help my dad and brother move some stuff into his place.
I'm sure the effects of the anesthesia will not wear off for the entire day, and he will be catching some major Z's, so that may give me a chance to help out.
I will keep you posted, dear blog as to the details of the boy's surgery, and how he is doing afterward.
So, that's about all that's going on, and I want to wish my dad and brother a safe, swift trip up, and I can't wait to see you guys.

PEACE.

The Sprout Likes Hats...

...Just a little fun with hats.
I'm sure as time passes, his collection of hats will grow as fast as he does.

1923-2007

Au Revoir.

Kung Fu Review #2

Tonight's Kung Fu Review is of Dance of the Drunk Mantis aka Drunken Master pt. 2.
Now let me begin by saying that I am biased from the get-go. I don't like the idea of casting an actor to star in a martial arts film, only to use a stunt double for damn near ALL of the martial arts he's supposed to perform. Such is the case with Simon Yuen who is playing Sam the Seed, a character seen in about 5-6 martial arts films. Sam Seed is used for comic relief, and he is Known for crazy over the top slapstick humor. The IDEA of an old drunk Kung-Fu master is cool, but Simon Yuen is simply too old for the role and the fact that he has a double is WAAAAAYYY too obvious.
That having been said, let's get to the review.
The film opens with Rubberlegs(!?!), a Pai Mei like northern drunken boxing master (played by the excellent Hwang Jang Lee) and his student (Corey Yuen) seeking Sam Seed. Rubberlegs' intent is to determine whose skill is best-Seed's southern drunk style or his own. They soon meet and dispatch a Seed imposter who is milking the benefits of a kung-fu expert. This only fuels Rubberlegs' fire making him more intent to find and destroy Seed.
We then see the real Seed returning home years later after having taught Jackie Chan drunken boxing in the first Drunken Master film. When he returns, he finds that his wife has adopted a son named Foggy, played by the superb Yuen Shun Yee (Simon Yuen's real son). After being met with a series of protests, Foggy finally seems to convince his "dad" to teach him the drunk fist style. Foggy is made to carry out all sorts of gruelling tasks in his training, only to find out that Seed had no intention of training him. Humiliated, Foggy leaves to resume working, and meets with Rubberlegs' student. The student then realizes that foggy could lead his master to Seed. Foggy ends up doing just that, and the inevitable fight between the two styles begins. Seed ends up getting a serious beatdown, because Legs has combined mantis fist style with drunken style. Seed escapes, and sends Foggy to his brother who is a master of the Sickness style of boxing.
Yeah.
Sickness.
The Master has a pale and sullen look about him, he can't seem to kick his dry hacks, his voice is low and raspy, and he hangs out in a casket!
What???
What should be LAME by description is anything but.
The sickness style looks pretty sweet-especially during the training scenes.
When Seed recovers from his ass whippin', he goes to visit his brother to see how Foggy is, but he's out and about.
While Foggy is out, he meets with Legs' student again, and has a rematch, keeping him occupied while Rubberlegs makes his way to Sick Master's place to finish the job on Seed.
Foggy, armed with the sick style combined with the drunk style easily handles the student, and swiftly makes his way back to Sick Masters place just in time to save Seed.
I liked everything about this film- crazy fighting styles, revenge plot, weird characters, and punishing training sessions, but I have to give this film a paltry 2 Kung-Fu kicks out of 5.
The stunt double had more screen time than the guy he was playing, and even though Simon Yuen's other son played the part, it was just too obvious. That constantly annoyed and ruined the film for me. What was cool though, was the action. Each fight was HEAVILY choreographed, and each move was an almost perfect representation of the strange and incredibly interesting art of drunken fist boxing. Rightly so, considering Yuen Woo Ping directed the film. He would go on to direct the martial arts action in the Kill Bill films, the Matrix films, and Crouching Tiger hidden dragon.

Till next time,
PEACE.

Dance of the Drunk Mantis

Funky fresh drunken boxing!

You're A Big Boy Now...

My boy is growing up on me...
It's killing me because every time I look at a photo of him, he seems to have changed.
It's crazy.
I thought he would stay the same forever, but I guess that's not gonna happen.
The sprout is swiftly becoming a little boy.
It's slightly bittersweet, but It will be nice when he is able to walk, because we can then experience more things as a family.
We will be able to go to the zoo, the park, the museum etc.
The boy is amazing! He is now able to maneuver himself from one end of what he has pulled himself up to standing to the other end. He has perfected the "Geronimo Drop" from standing- down to either his knees, or his diaper padded bottom. And he can imitate us at the drop of a hat- patting his hands, beating on pots, and coughing at will.
All is well in his world except for the cold he seemed to have caught from me which left him wheezing all night long. After a visit to baby doc today, we were assured that the only danger he or we faced was the possible smearing of snot on himself or on us...
Yeah, we thought it was pretty Gross too.

PEACE.

I LOVE YOUTUBE...


...Can you tell?

Yo Gabba Gabba

This show is new on Nickelodeon, and it has elements of Pee Wee's Playhouse, The Electric Company, Teletubbies, and Old School Hip-Hop all mixed in with lessons in manners, counting, addition, and healthy eating habits...
All the stuff a growing boy needs.
My son is getting used to all the craziness, and manic movement/psychedelic colors, but I think it will grow on him soon. It sure has grown on me.
Plus, it has cool musicians like the Aquabats, Smoosh, and the Aggrolites.
Awesome!

Biz's Beat of the Day

Biz Markie on a children's t.v. show giving beat boxing lessons?
This is the show for my son!

Yo Gabba Gabba FROG DANCE

See what I mean? Yo Gabba Gabba! is literally Old school Hip Hop!!!!

I'm Bored...

So I'm sitting at home sick, and I am bored out of my freaking skull! Last nite, I had to leave a client to brush her own hair, because I was literally about to pass out. Before leaving, I stretched out on the floor of our office to take a breather, and I slipped in and out twice(?)
I'm not sure.
I had a crazy head pounder, and I felt super queasy.
I was sort of fine the whole day up until that point, but had been feeling the effects of an oncoming cold for the whole week despite the copious ingestion of airbourne.
I guess I looked bad when I explained to a couple of employees that I was leaving, because their expressions were similar to those of people looking at a dead man walking.
They, and their clients asked if I would need a ride home, but I graciously declined.
I'm sure they all thought I would buy the farm on the way home.
Not so.
When I finally arrived home, It was not soon enough.
I trudged into the crib, grunted something to the wife, (the boy was already in bed) and crashed on the couch fully clothed, tie and all.
I remember mumbling something about leaving a trash can next to me, and that was about it till this morning.
Today I'm still a bit fuzzy, but I've been taking it easy so I can hit it hard tomorrow.
Man I tell you.
You know I'm doing bad when a co-worker orders pizza with double cheese, mushrooms, and extra pepperoni, and I can't even stand to smell it.
But I'm a million times better, and tomorrow will certainly be much more productive than today...

PEACE.

John Edwards - Response to President Bush

Bitch slap to George Bush AND the democratically controlled Congress for the support of the surge in Iraq...
Wow.
That puts quite a dent in my cynical armor.
PEACE.

I'm Doomed...

To watch Higglytown Heroes on the Disney Channel EVERY DAY for the next few years.
The boy loves them.
Oh well, at least the theme and all the other music is by They Might Be Giants.
Peace.

1935-2007...

The world's greatest modern tenor passed from this plane today...
R.I.P.

Invincible Armour Trailer

Sweet.

Kung Fu Review #1

Welcome to the first of many Kung Fu Reviews.
In order to get all the dust off of my kung fu/karate movies, I will be watching them and writing a review for every single martial arts film that I own.
I will give my point of view as to whether the film is first-rate, or if it stinks worse than dog poop.
So without further ado, here we go.
The film I watched last night was called "Invincible Armour", and i must admit, having forgotten just what this film was about, I felt more than a little skeptical about if it should be the first one to review. The opening credits were more than enough to get me hyped up. During the opening, the narrator explained that the technique known as Iron Armour was the most effective martial art in terms of defense, while Eagle's Claw was the most effective in terms of offense. Combined, the two styles were considered unbeatable.
So at this point, I'm thinking "somebody is gonna be a bad mofo up in this if they've mastered BOTH styles!
On to the plot.
The story begins when a traveler named Hu Long happens upon a Ming Dynasty Minister, a Pai Mei, or Bak Mei like character. They briefly test each other's abilities, and compare notes, and in a beautifully choreographed exhibition match, Hu Long cheats and kills the Minister.
His right hand man, General Chow tries to subdue the assassin, but fails, and at the same time is accused of the murder. Before the authorities can apprehend him, he vows to avenge his master. He then sets off on his task, and the news of Minister's murder makes its way back to Ming Minister Chang. (Another Bak Mei)
He then sends out his own man Security Chief Shen Yu to find General Chow and kill him on sight as immediately as possible-no questions asked.
During his search for Hu Long, General Chow meets and helps out a young
boy's sister stop the lewd advances of a bully, and the boy and Chow become fast friends. The boy then teaches Chow a new technique called Iron Finger, which is even more fomidable than Eagle's Claw.
Minister Chang, having grown tired of waiting for Shen Yu to report General Chow's death, decides to find use his mastery of the Iron Armour, and Eagle's Claw styles to kill Chow.
Remember that bad mofo I was telling you about?
Now that you have the gist of what the film is about, go out and rent/buy/see it!!! The various styles of Kung Fu are excellently excecuted, the special effects (reverse camera jumps/slow motion/blood spurts) are everything you would expect in a martial arts film. The fight choreography is spot on throughout the entire film, and although the acting is'nt top-notch, the passion and emotions of the actors are almost palpable. All in all, Invincible Armour is a great film, and I give it 4 Kung Fu Kicks out of 5. It would have gotten a 5, but the acting could have been better, and Chow's training scene seemed slightly rushed.
Peace.

Camouflage Back Massage

Ha.
Long-
and too many tub scenes,
but pret-ty damn funny.

C'mon, Dummy!

Now I'm not trying to jump on the bandwagon and bash Britney Spears.
I won't lie- I thought she was pretty hot until I saw those photos of her coming out of a public restroom with no shoes.
ON TWO SEPERATE OCCASIONS!!!
That is BEYOND nasty.
That's just straight up STANK!!!
I wouldn't even touch her with a hot poker.
But anyway, I could care less about WHO she is, it's WHAT she's doing.
Damn Britney!
Pay attention to that F-in square!
You are either going to burn your kid, or expose him to second hand smoke which is not illegal, but considering what we now know of cigarettes, the health risks involved with just being in the vicinity of a smoker are nothing to sneeze at.
C'mon Britney.
Wise/Grow up...

Ok.
I'll get down off my soapbox now.
PEACE.

NOSFERATU Jr.

So did I mention that the boy now has teeth?
If I did, it was surely during the "not yet thru his gum skin stage".
If I did not, yeah-
the kid has some Teef with a capital T.
He has also learned how to use said teef-
er-
teeth.
Whatever he sees, he bites.
HARD.
When he latches on, he's like a little bulldog.
No matter how hard you try to shake him off, those new chompers enable him to adhere to you like glue.
No matter how loud you scream bloody murder, he instinctively grinds his teeth into whatever body part he has leeched onto.
No matter how much physical pain he is causing you, HE WILL NOT LET GO. (Until he laughs at the funny way his little teeth can punture your skin so easily)
Yes, our son is a feral little vampire baby beast.
Unfortunately we will have to do this 18 more times,
but we love him, so it's ok.
PEACE.

Devo - Satisfaction

Another one that almost pulled me away from Hip Hop...

Europa And The Pirate Twins

This Thomas Dolby tune was one of my favorite New Wave joints...
It really left me torn between "New Wave", and Hip-Hop culture

Shout Outs

What up to my former Akada Peeps Wisconsin, Minty, The Canuck, Xtina, and Ms. Rohr
What up to Papi and Mimi
What up to Scotty-D
What up to Jeffro and Rachel Jam
What up to Sage tha Wisecat
What up to Lee and her family
What up to my main man Terrell Dunbar
What up to Papa, Little Man, and Wifey
What up to The Lovely Wife
What up to The Boy-aka Sprout
And What up to the ladies of Frederic's Hair Design (No nicknames as of yet)

Hope this Blog finds you all well.
PEACE.

(Insert Name Here) As Neil Diamond!!!

This guy and I have the same name...




Yikes.
PEACE.

The 5 Deadly Venoms

Just getting you ready for my upcoming Kung Fu Review series of posts...

The Boy...

Some new photos of the little sprout.

Thanks for being so gosh darn groovy...

Tonight's thanks for being so gosh darn groovy award goes to Ka-
the lovely wife!!!!!!
...
...Ok, ok, that's enough applause-
...
Seriously, save your applause for when I finish presenting the award.
I know it's hard...
I KNOW IT'S HARD TO CONTAIN YOURSELVES, BUT JUST LET ME FINISH, AND THEN YOU CAN CLAP!!!
OKAY NOW...
Sorry.
Okay now.
The lovely wife is the latest recipient of the groovy award.
Why, you ask?
Well, let me expound on that question.
This woman has been working her ASS off at all 4 of her jobs, ( Wife, Mom, Employer, and Employee)
and still she manages to consistently be upbeat, nice to those around her, despite the seemingly consistent stress, confusion and fatigue caused by those jobs.
She manages to ignore my stress- vocalized in unintelligble grunts, and snorts directed at her.
She manages to keep her cool when the boy won't keep still as she tries to change his poopy diaper.
When things get a little hairy at the salon (no pun intended) she remains level headed.
She treats me like a KING, our son like a PRINCE, and the poodles like-
uhhh...
Royal dogs...(???)
Despite ALL this crap she has to deal with, she continues to be a Beautiful QUEEN inside and out.
Thanks for being Groovy my lovely wife.
PEACE.
You may resume your applause.

Well hello stranger!

It has been a looooooooooooooooooooooooooong time since I last posted.
Too long according to some folks. (Sorry dad)
Well, the boy is nearly seven months now, and I shit you not- he can pull himself up to a stand as of yesterday. (!)
No really.
With no help at all.
All we do is hold our hands out, keeping them nice and steady, and he will use them as a solid surface to pull himself up to his knees, and then will push himself the rest of the way up to a standing position.
Crazy.
The lovely wife and I have a slight wager on when he will be walking. I say 9mos., and she says earlier...
We'll see.
Methinks my Apple Mac Mini has bitten the dust.
I've been having problems with it for a little while, and when It would konk out, all I would do is reinstall the Os 10 program into the hard drive, and voila! Instant internet access!
Well, I went to do that this weekend, and cue The Price is Right loser music
(Bum Bum Buh Buhhh-Whuuhhhh)
No dice. the computer could'nt detect a hard drive to place Os 10 in.
Mac Mini is just a plastic shell of a computer. It's little electric soul has gone on to that great computer cafe in the sky.
Sniff.
So the hunt is on for a snazzy new laptop model.
This will enable us to be more mobile while working at home.
Until then, I brought home an extra computer the previous owners left at the salon when they left. It's a Dell PC, and frankly, it's killing me. I will admit that I've become one of the Apple Computer cult, and reverting back to PC use is proving to be a bit difficult. I'm used to the subtleties and the charm of the Mac, and yes, I have become quite the Apple snob.
It's cool though. It could be worse. I could have 59 unchecked messageges as opposed to the 58 that I currently have awaiting my perusal.

I ABSOLUTELY must recommend this site to those who are reading this right now.
It's a great little blog, and the kid takes some good photos...

My dad had a birthday on the fifth of August- Happy B-Day Dad!
Wow. 60.
Congratulations for accomplishing all tht you have, and being such a great man, and model dad...
Dad.

And finally, the lovely wife and I celebrated our SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY on the fifth of August. We were in New York, and it was Sweet! We were there to celebrate US, and take in a play that my wife's cousin acts in on Broadway. The play was funny, hanging with her cousin was fun, we made our way to Greenwich Village, all over SoHo, were cramped in Times Square, burned up alive down in the subway (Jesus Christ was it hot down there), ran into people we knew from Columbus, ran into three people with Ohio State Tee shirts, (and only got an I-O response to my O-H from one of them) and stumbled into Chinatown, in just three days, and two nights!
But I must say that the best part of our weekend was our Anniversary dinner. We ate at Churrascaria Plataforma, and it was wonderful! The staff all seemed to be of Brazilian descent, and the joint was incredibly classy. My lovely wife and I conversed, observed, ate and drank Caipihrinas all nite long. Just when we felt the night could get no better, we realized that the rocks glasses we were drinking from were "official" Pitu glasses.
Pitu is the brand of Cacaca that we use to make our favorite Brazilian drinks man!
So I decided to ask for the glasses we were using, and they one upped me by bringing us two NEW ones!
Class, I tell ya!
What a GREAT anniversary evening.
Romance
Excellent Food
Great Conversation
Stiff drinks
And my lady was looking BEAUTIFUL in a dress that she made me wait about a week to see her in...
Man, was it worth the wait.
Sorry about the public displays of affection New Yorkers, but nothing else but us existed that night.

So now you've been brought up to speed in terms of what's been happening with me, so until next we speak,
PEACE.

1942-2007...

Um, what's one step up from rated XXX?

Yesterday I watched a good movie called "Short Bus". It's a kind of "dated" "hip&cool" film that is about a sex club and a group of "hip&cool" New Yorker regulars of said club who experience self-actualization, self loathing, self doubt, and self-neglect through SEX-and sex only. Nothing is even remotely close to love that ANY of these characters are feeling.The film almost stresses the point that there is NOooo lovemaking going on. Period.
I quite enjoyed the film, because the actors convinced me that they, and their situations/dilemmas were "real".
Now, this is in no way a recommendation to run right out there and rent this movie. It's not for everyone.
You have to be in a seriously liberal and open minded place to view it. If you ARE in that place, then you will witness a film with-
Great Dialogue

Great Actors

Good Story

EXPLICIT SEX
(but you become more aware of why its necessary as the film progresses, and you learn how each act mirrors each character's desperation)

EXPLICIT SEX
(ALL IMAGINABLE COMBINATIONS left me pretty uncomfortable, which I'm positive was director John Cameron Mitchell's intent- but I understand that those scenes were integral to the story, and how each character views themselves and their lives.)

AND EXPLICIT SEX
(BEWARE, oh faint of heart!)

This film blindsided me. It provoked thoughts, and evoked some feelings and emotions that I didn't like, but that's the beauty of film to me. If a film is acted or directed so well that it can intentionally instill feelings or emotions within you- good or bad, then man, that's a great film to me.
Mission accomplished on the part of the filmmakers.
So, if you can be VERY open minded, (seriously, this movie is VERY VERY EXPLICIT)
give the film a try, and see how it makes you feel at the end.
PEACE.

Crazy karateman resists arrest...

...

Just checkin' in...

Not much time to write today...
It's 10:01, the boy has just been put down for a quick nap, and I still have to get ready to be at work by noon.
First and foremost, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BROTHER DEF JEFF! (We're getting OLD bruh)
On to the post.

All is right with the world.
After a bit of a setback at the salon, we were able to rectify it with a new addition to the team. She is bubbly, committed to professionalism, and pretty computer literate.
Whew!
Big shout out goes to Nicole for helping maintain the salon during this time...

The boy experienced his first Comfest. See this page for an idea of just what comfest is, if you are'nt quite sure. (And if you live under a rock here in columbus) He also got to see the Doo Dah parade. He was mildly impressed by both...
I had a birthday on the second, and I will NOT tell how old I am.
(Let's just say that I am coasting down the hill of my 30's and into the next decade. Sigh...)
HAPPY BELATED FOURTH OF JULY!!!
We did not make the fireworks displays in town this year for fear that the boy would be traumatized by the loud ass bangs and booms...
This is a BIG disappointment to me because I LOVE FIREWORKS.
I DID'NT EVEN HAVE MY "POST CLINTONVILLE FIREWORK DISPLAY FIREWORKS DISPLAY...
Ah well, there's always next year.
I found some cool summertime chillout conducing podcasts...
Check out:
Caribbean Chill Podcast from Paradise
The JuJu Orchestra Podcast
Mashed Potato
and Radio Bamboo...
Burn 'em, and play 'em at your next backyard BBQ.
Well, I gotta iron some clothes, and get the boy ready to take to Grandma's house, so I am signing out...
PEACE.

Sorry... (Again)

Sorry for the bold faced lie.
I apologize to you, oh mighty blog for not scribing words onto your electric pages the night of the 21st as I promised earlier that day.
I still have little time to write, so I'm gonna cheat and post a few pics of the boy.
PEACE till I have time to write again...

If I could just stop the progression of time, I'd be cool...

Geez. It would seem my fingers have forgotten how to punch the keys on this board thus bringing life to all my random thoughts...
Much has occurred since the 5th of june friends.
I celebrated my FIRST Father's day.
The boy is VERY near the crawling stage.
Festival Latino was fun.
There are not enough sands in the hourglass.
My relationship with my "roommate" is developing into something a little more than what it's been these past few months.
I found a boatload of new sites.
Dungen, Interpol, Clientele, and The Bees all have new Cds out, or due to arrive this summer,
and alas, Little Brother's (formerly Stache's) will close it's doors for good in the coming week.
I unfortunately don't have time to scribe right now, but promise to do so this evening upon my return from work.
PEACE till then!

I REALLY Hope I Don't Miss The Boy's First Time Crawling...

I know it's gonna be soon...
There are a couple of smooch pics thrown in for good measure.
PEACE.

The Kid Is A Catholic...

Sunday's baptism went well. A few folks from our families showed, and wished us well. The boy is unflappable. He didn't let out nary a whimper when the cold water was poured on his head. My wife said she'd never seen ANY kids keep from bawling when they got hit with the Holy water.
The boy was COOL though.
Afterward, some folks met back at our house for some grub, and the boy continued to be in his usual relaxed state.
It was a GREAT day, and my reservations about the ceremony were a bit grandiose I must say.
(Even though I DID have to confirm my affiliation to a way of thinking that I do not, and probably will not be affiliated with. Essentially, I had to LIE for the second time in my life to a priest. The first lie was when I made a promise that birth control was not to be an option. But if ya wanna get married in a Catholic Church, you gotta make the promise not to utilize contraception.)
Oh yeah, the Priest made us sing "AMAZING GRACE" .

...

Whatever.
PEACE.

Sarah Silverman Blasts Paris Hilton Live

Classic!
Just what the spoiled brat deserves...
Check out Sarah Silverman's comedy acts NOW!!!
She is EXTREMELY politically incorrect, and funny as HELL.
Do it NOW!

Go Speed Racer, Go Speed Racer, Go Speed Racer, Go-oooo!!!

When I was but a wee lad I would watch a cartoon which hailed from Japan. It featured a young race car mechanic who, despite his father's initial disapproval became the most Awesomely Awesome race car driver. This show had it all. The kid's younger brother had a pet monkey, his girlfriend was named (get this) Trixie (who could fly a helicopter), a masked arch nemesis named simply Racer X, who turned out to be-
Almost ruined the secret...
And a plethora of desperate race car drivers, thugs, and run of the mill baddies who more often than not met their makers due to horrible racing accidents.
That cartoon was called "Speed Racer", (Mach Go Go Go in Japan) and it is being made into a live action movie. The movie is bound to SUCK, because Emile Hirsch and Christina Ricci will head up the cast as Speed and Trixie, while Matthew Fox will play X. John Goodman and Susan Sarandon round up the cast as Speed's dad "Pops", and mother "Mom Racer"
Anyway, the main reason I loved the show so much was because of the Mach 5.
Speed Racer's sweet ass ride.
It is definitely one of my favorite tv/film cars, only to follow Drag-u-la, Grampa's Casket(!?!) Hot Rod from the Munsters, and James Bond's Aston Martin DB5
The car had all sorts of crazy gadgets that would get Speed out of sticky situations. It even had a robot homing pidgeon for God's sake!
They seemed to have followed the specs to the letter from the cartoon Mach 5, and man is that car beautiful.
It's a shame that in order to see it, I'll have to shell out about 10 smackers to see it in the theater. I'ts ALSO a shame that I don't plan to shell out the dough for a film that will only destroy all the fond memories I have of the series.
Ah well, it will eventually make it to the library, and I'll just put the tv on mute, and fast forward thru all the stinky bits.
At least I'll get to see the Real Mach 5 in action.
PEACE.

Objectification Objection

It would seem that somebody in my neighborhood had a big problem with 99.7's billboard. Someone painted "women aren't objects" across the front I guess to protest it's obvious depiction of female breasts as objects. I would also guess that the individual protesting this billboard feels that women as a Whole should be revered, and not just their chests.
Let me just throw something out here.
At what point was the woman objectified?
Was it when the billboard was posted?
Was it when she modeled for the poster?
Or was it when she had her chest surgically swollen?
I mean, what is the purpose of getting a boob job anyway?
There are lots of reasons, but the most popular seems to be to improve, or change one's self or perceived image.
In my book, breast enhancement is the epitome of objectification.
According to our screwed up society, women with bigger breasts are considered sexier. We tend to make up other names to replace SEX OBJECT-like, "Kitten" or "Pot", but a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.
Who cares about the woman's intellectual merits, bring on the big ones.
Who cares what color your eyes are?
You have eyes?
There's even an old joke about the perfect woman being headless.
Before I go further, I COULD be wrong about the whole surgical enhancement thing. The model COULD have naturally bulbous, almost perfectly circular breasts.
Nature COULD have provided the model with TOTALLY unnatural looking knockers.
(Sorry ladies-I just couldn't resist saying "knockers")
Doubtful as it may be, those circumstances COULD be the case.
But, the model placed her breasts on display.
It's gonna be a hard sell convincing me that she had no clue that her image would be used for something other than showing off the "girls".
And that, dear friends is why I agree with the protester in that, women are NOT objects, and shouldn't be considered so (unless it is their desire to be) but I disagree with the context in which the protester protested. I don't feel the woman is being objectified SOLELY by 99.7 f.m. I feel SHE ultimately was instrumental in her objectification BEFORE she ended up on that billboard.
Let me know what you ladies think.
PEACE.

NYC Breakerz Vs Rock Steady Crew (When Hip-Hop was a MOVEMENT)

Brings back memories of high school b-boy competitions at USA skating rink...
Those were the days before Hip-Hop was saturated with (negative) image conscious wanna-be hustlers, gangsters, stick up men, and dealers.
Ah, the golden age of Hip-Hop

PEACE.

Can't Wait To See These Guys!

The debonaire Matt and his beautiful wife Jess will be gracing us with their presence very soon. (FRIDAY)
Huzzah!

Son, You Make The Call...

on Sunday, June 3rd my son is going to be Baptized.
I really don't know what to expect. I have only witnessed what? Two Baptisms. I know there is a "class" that the wife and I have to attend, but I have no clue as to what is to transpire. My wife's uncle is a Catholic Priest, and he will be performing the ritual. He's the same guy that married us, so I guess having a padre around can be quite handy.
I wonder if having a priest in your back pocket grants you a free spot on the Heaven Express?
I sure hope so.
Although I don't believe in all the fantastic miracles contained within the Bible, I do believe that the logical occurrences described actual events.
I guess I consider the Bible a history book.
I don't believe that Christianity is the one true faith, and that all others are doomed to the Pit.
I can't bring myself to believe that Ghandi is in Hell because he was not a Christian.
Bearing that in mind, my dilemma is this.
How valid, or effective can the boy's Baptism be if he is raised to believe/understand that NO individual who lives a respectful and righteous life should suffer simply because they don't adhere to a SPECIFIC group of morals?
The beliefs we plan to instill in the boy will contradict some of the beliefs we will PROMISE the Church that we will instill in him.
Why do the baptism then?
Well, I think that initiating some of the teachings of Chrisianity will help provide the basic understanding of right and wrong, and positivity projection.
I Completely disagree with most of the past and present actions and ideas carried out and/or enforced by organized religious groups, but I realize that religion creates HOPE, and sets standards for acceptable behavior toward our fellow man. A morality reminder nudge if you will.
I don't know.
Lord knows I have a bit of a problem with organized religion, but it's not fair to bombard my kid with my hangups in regard to religion's less desireable aspects.
All we can do is try and provide the boy with enough information so that he can form his own opinions about which (if any) religion/faith is right for him.
PEACE.

C'mon Chris Bradley, Predict Us Some Rain!

So a few days ago, I noticed this billboard about a block away from my house. The lovely wife and I were walking the dogs, and I happened to see a giant pair of...
(insert crude nickname for breasts here)
Now, because falsies don't tend to raise my eyebrows, I noted that for a fake pair they were pretty ok, and that the punchline was pretty funny.
Cool. I was done with it.
But then-
a few days later,
(today)
while looking up funny billboard post sites, I happened upon this billboard that changes due to PRECIPITATION(!)
(Or for you neanderthals that are just reading this post for the boobies- RAIN)
If the billboard in my hood is anything like the ones in germany, I think there are gonna be a lot of people watching the forecast a Hell of a lot more intently.
Including me.
Yeah, yeah ladies.
I know I'm a PIG just like all the rest of the guys...
PEACE.

Just photo of two of my favorite people
(I guess we caught the boy unaware)

Still Here...

Lots of stuff has gone on since my last writing, like:
The lovely wife's first mother's day
My brother came to visit
Ms. Rohr if you're nasty's birthday celebration
FINALLY getting to work in the yard (Photos will be posted as the summer progresses)
The boy laughing uncontrollably when I sing mariachi songs to him
The mother-in-law (cue the thunder, and ominous piano "dun-dun-dunnnnn!") had to have a knee replaced-
man do I feel for her
work is great
and I am in a state of perpetual motion.
As the week progresses, I will scribe about intimacy (not that kind) building excercises, what is to be an ongoing report on the billboards in my neighborhood and all around the city, what it takes to bring the idea of a website into fruition, shaving (or lack thereof), the next recipient of the "Thanks for being so gosh darn groovy" award, and my thoughts on the act of baptizing a kid.

So, stay tuned, I have a lot of crap on my mind, and not a lot of time to say it...

PEACE.

Swimming With The Sharks...

SHAMELESS.
PEACE.

Crazy Whirlwind pt. 2

So,where was I?
Ah yeah, I left you hanging with #'s 5,6,7 & 8 to go.
On to it then.
5. As was alluded to in Crazy Whirlwind pt. 1, the wife and I have devolved into the "roommates" area of our relationship.
We are both guilty of allowing this to happen, and I wont bore you with divulging who is the perpetrator of specific actions which helped contribute to our relatonship becoming what it seems to be today.
We come and go, grunting the most basic greetings to each other.
"Man" and "Dude" are used as terms of endearment.
Kisses abruptly end due to assumptions of other intentions.
And the biggest problem...
WE DON'T TALK TO EACH OTHER.
There are various other factors involved, but the biggest reason for our disruption of wedded bliss is once again-
The T.V.
For me, T.V. has got to be the most addictive of stimuli out there.
On a nightly basis, we come home, eat, (really fast) take care of whatever the sprout needs, and commence to watching television. It's gotten so bad that when we feed the boy on the couch in the t.v. room, (can you believe there's a room dedicated to an appliance?) his eyes avert to the idiot box, and he then becomes distracted. As a result of the distraction, he stops eating.

Is television more important than eating to some?

As I said, there are other factors that can be blamed for our problem, and I have been contemplating various solutions to our problem. After reviewing various strategies I've narrowed the list down to three which will help us become the HOT&HEAVY couple we used to be. Okay, maybe not hot&heavy, but I know for a fact that we were well beyond luke warm.

One of the solutions to our problem may be finding some excercises/games/books that require us to work as a team, and prompts us to rely on one another to find a solution.

Another solution could be for us to GO OUT. We could do dinner, or a movie, or just visiting friends for the evening.

But most importantly, we need to just turn the t.v. OFF! I have condmned the evil powers of television many times before, and will probably do so at least a thousandfold more.
I honestly think that if the t.v. stays off, and we allow ourselves just three t.v. shows a week when in the company of each other, then we'll have more time to do interesting things, and interact with one another.
We succeeded in keeping the television off this evening, and we were able to converse like we actually LIKE each other. (That was sarcasm. We DO like, and even LOVE each other immensely, it's just that we've become too comfortable sitting within the crackly haze of the t.v.
So, I think we're gonna try and keep the tube turned off.
Wish us luck in getting rid of our pesky roommates.

6. I went to the old job last monday, and took the boy with me. It was nice to see the old gang. The receptionist's desk had a new rug beneath it, (the last one was done for a while ago) the floor mural had beenrefreshed, and the break room was painted. Before the entire room was just white. Now there are browns, and rusty orange colors all over the place.
It looked pretty nice.
I was more than pleased to see the Canuck whose blog she and her husband contribute to which you can check out by just clicking Jaqui&Ryan's midwest adventure located in the Links section to the right of this post. I've always considered the Canuck a smart cookie, and I miss conversing with her about books, and movies.
I got to see Minty, who was unfortunately busy with clients, and so I really did'nt get to chew the fat with her. It was really good seeing her though. Oh well, next time dear Minty. Next time.
I got to see Ms. Rohr if you're Nasty, who is doing pretty well. I'm sad to say that we have'nt hung like I thought we would after leaving. She and I have been busy with "life" and time offers us very small windows of opportunity. That sucks, because I LOVE being engulfed within the positive, selfless, nurturing energy that she exudes. Ms. Rohr has the uncanny ability to make those around her so comfortable that any and all defenses are unconciously lowered within the span of moments.
But who I wanted to see most was Wisconsin. I kid you not- even though we grew up separated by several hundreds of miles apart, I would swear that snippets of our lives were one in the same. It seemed we had the same influences, quirky habits, interactions wiith others, musical tastes, dark senses of humor, and heavily protected/guarded feelings and insecurities.
Just speaking with her for moments at a time made me feel a bit less like the odd man out.
Sorry I missed ya' buddy.
We'll see you soon for those pictures of the boy.

7. Look up Vegas Vic's Tiki Lounge for all your surf, exotica, crime, & swinging musical needs. Mmmm. Retro musical goodness.
Also check out Bunch of Betty's podcast/blog. It's a neat blog/podcast that features female musicians of damn near every genre of music. You can also download ALL of the music you hear on her podcast legally, and in most cases, for free! Check it out.

8. This Cinco De Mayo found us drinking margaritas and watching the Mexican/Latin television show SABADO GIGANTE! with Jeffro and Rachel Jam. Boy oh boy I love me some Sabado. It has it all. Over the top mexican progamming, clothing which sometimes leaves little to the imagination, cheesy leading men, Silly sketch comedy, artificially bouyant blonde wanna be's, and women who look like women are SUPPOSED to look. (No bony chicks)
The show is sort of a rip off of some popular shows on t.v., like The Price is Right, Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, and Saturday Night Live, with a little Benny Hill thrown in for good measure.
GOD I love that show, and I try to make time for it every saturday. It's on the Univision channel, and even though I can only make out a few words/expressions, I can't stop watching the show.
Fortunately, our guests seemed to enjoy the show as much as we did.
Well, I have run out of steam and things to say, and the boy is ready for his midnight snack, so I'm gonna sign out.
PEACE.

Choo-chooo! Chuckle-chuckle-chuckle-chuckle. Choo-choooo!

I just heard the 10:00 train go past, (We live about a mile away from the rail) and the conductor always has to blow a warning when approaching the spot where cars can cross the tracks. So he blew his horn. Normally, this is nothing too exciting- there are more times that I Don't notice it's lazy, drawn out blare than I do. But tonight, the horn got my attention.
During the train's approach, the sly conductor honked "shave and a haircut".
Pretty funny.
Ahhh, it's the small things that make life so grand.
Wonder who else 'round here heard it and chuckled like I did?
PEACE.

Crazy Whirlwind pt. 1

Wow. So much has transpired since last I scribed...
1. Computer crash
2. A TEN year miscommunication (or lack of communication on my part) and subsequent loss of a friendship has been repaired, and restored
3. Two Excellent reggae concerts (along with two sightings of a neighbor/stalker)
4. The boy is grabbing his feet, and engaging in conversation with us (in between the PERPETUAL feedings)
5. The lovely wife and I have officially become "roomies"
6. I went to visit previous co-workers, and did'nt get to see the one I wanted to see MOST
7. I Found a couple of cool music websites
8. SABADO GIGANTE!

Ok. Here we go.
1. Just last week my computer crashed. Oh how the mighty have fallen. (Apple computer) Why? I have NO IDEA... My guess is that all the crap I jammed into my poor lil' Mac Mini became the equivalent to a chicken bone lodged in the throat. I mean, there was a HUGE photoshop program (for salon ads), Loads of music, a MILLION pictures, a couple of movies, (no PORN- I promise!) flyers created in said photoshop programs, and all the extra peripherals that make a computer so great. I must admit, that although I ended up losing ALL that information when the local computer repair guy rebooted the system, (I should've gone to the apple store) my comp is running pretty well. But alas, I NEED the majority of those programs, so my new and (not so) improved slim and svelte apple must gain some the weight back that it shed in at the repair shop.

2. A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine who helped me form the Guild of Artistic Expression called me and had SAGE the WISECAT on the horn along with him. Sage was a fellow performance poet who was affiliated with Cleveland's Black Poetic Society. Now, before I go any further, let me say that Black Poetic consisted of some of the most accomplished performers of prose/poetic expression that I have seen. PERIOD. Their style, and delivery was completely polished and professional. They were excellent performers with an exceptional command of the stage.
That said, it was an honor speaking with Sage again. BUT, he was'nt as jovial as I was at first. He expressed that he was confused, and upset by our last meeting. Nearly Ten(!) years ago, Sage and I parted ways because of insecurity, and a desire to shield myself from scrutiny. I had begun dating my wife, and some of my peers expressed MUCH concern, and disapproval due to the fact that the lovely wife is of a different ethnicity. Let's just say that the wife and I have vastly different amounts of melanin within us, and that was not cool with some of my "friends". I KNEW Sage was ok with it, but I was'nt sure about some of the members of the Society. So, in order to avoid the possibility of hearing more dissaproving comments, from his crew, I just kinda cut him off. Unfortunately, he was'nt the only person I did this to. In his case I was rather flippant in the discontinuation of our friendship, just stating- "I'm out. Done. I quit. See ya!" I left the poetry troupe, and the artist's organization I helped create without so much as a look back.
DUMB.
Fortunately, I have now made ammends with the people who were involved, and they seem to have forgiven me for leaving them pretty much high and dry. Sage has also forgiven me. I think he just needed to hear WHY I severed our friendship. I know homeboy was mad, because he expressed that his general opinion of me was "F#%K Jay" up until I explained the deal. He was still kinda dissappointed to learn that I didn't consider his thinking to be beyond what I gave him credit for. But I got the chance to repair our friendship and I am thankful for that, because the cat is an excellent dude, a Great writer, and thinker, and we are now peers of a different sort- he's a dad too.

3. Thanx to Scotty-D I got to see two count em' TWO great reggae concerts within the span of 3 weeks! I saw Toots and the Maytals at the Alrosa Villa, and Ziggy Marley at Promo West Pavillion. He listens to local radio station CD 101, while at work, and he won tix to both shows by being the right caller when the D.J. gives the prompt. I had a great time at both, and saw a couple of people I knew at both. I also saw a guy who seems to know me from my neighborhood- but I have NO CLUE as to who he is. At the Toots concert this Hulking guy comes up to me and yells, "Hey man! You were walking your kid in a stroller today!"
WHAT??????!!!!!?????

"Yeah man, you were walking your kid, and then you stopped to talk to Becky, and David!"
"Uh, yeah, WHO are you?"
"I'm Matt. I live next door to them"
"Oh. Ummmm, nice to meet you." The Hulk then stumbled back to his friends and that was pretty much it.
At the Ziggy show, "Matt" rolls up to me slurring, "Hey man, you don't even remember me! A couple of days ago, my dog was trying to attack you and your dog while you were walking, and you did'nt even speak! It's me Matt!"
"Oh yeah, from the Toots show! My bad man, it was dark at the last show, and I did'nt recognize you 'cuz I couldn't see what you looked like very well. What's going on?"
"Just enjoying the concert... Thanks to the GREEN! Heh, heh!"

LONG PAUSE

"Um... Well man, uhh... If I see you in the neighborhood, I'll make sure my dog does'nt eat ya!"
"Yeah. Thanks."
It never fails. Whenever I meet someone who smokes weed, they automatically assume that I smoke weed.
Ok. I know my dreadlocks kinda contribute to that idea, but don't just ASSUME that I partake because of my outward appearance you know? I find that kind of insulting.

4. The Sprout has found his feet! He now grabs his feet and coos while fingering his second set of digits. Each time he grabs his piggies, I pop them in between my lips and make sqeaky noises. He LOVES that crap almost as much as I do. He laughs, and smiles, and squeals, and talks till I stop. GOD that kid is KILLING me. The lovely wife is trying to teach him to say "Mama"&"Dada". He's not quite there, but he does mimic the shape of the lips when each word is pronounced by the wife...
He is growing like nobody's bizness! (It's no doubt because he is CONSTANTLY eating) Yesterday, he ate EVERY hour and sometimes twice an hour all day! Literally ALL day.
I'm starting to worry. I don't want this kid to be bigger than me when he is one year old. I won't be able to carry a 150 lb. kid on my shoulders, and lord knows I will NOT be changing his diapers if he's that big.
Ok. I have talked your ears off dear blog, so I am going to bid you adieu for the day.
I will finish the second half of this post tomorrow, filling you in on the rest of the crap that has been going on with me.
PEACE.