Revolution Now (A Haiku) (4/10)

Mau Mau or Drop Squad.
Pick one. I'm thinking it's time.
Revolution now.

10 Random Songs 3/4/11 (3/10)

You know what this is. I put it on "shuffle" and wrote about the first 10 songs that come up. Like to hear it? Here it go!

N.W.A. "Something Like That"
Yes they were ground-breakingly hardcore, but they were still Hip-Hop. This song is a perfect example. Dre and Ren going back and forth (and in unison!) on some ol braggadocio Run-DMC shit. I think the track coulda did without the train horn thingy but how I look telling Dr. Dre how to make beats?

Emily King "Alright"
If you're not in the know, Emily King is a singer/songwriter chick from NY. She released an album in '07 called "East Side Story" with a track that you might recoginze called "Walk In My Shoes". The remix had Lupe Fiasco on it. Anyways I've always dug singer/songwriters. Something about singing your own songs always translates to me as being more honest and soulful. This particular track is about having a shitty day, but persevering through it all. This whole album is dope.

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers "Warm-up Dialogue Between Lee & Rudy"
This is the intro to the re-issused 1958 Art Blakey album called "Moanin'". I think Lee and Rudy are members of "The Messengers". Whatever the case I guess Art liked the dialogue enough to keep it in the vaults lol. The thing about this album that always sticks out to me is how hard Blakey was going on the drums. He was like Questlove before Questlove was born! If you dig jazz this is a must have.

Rich Boy "Boy Looka Here"
I may not be able to understand every single word because of that thick Alabama accent, but Rich Boy puts his words together better than most give him credit for. I ain't accusing him of being anyone's lyricist of the year, but if you listen hard enough he says some clever shit. With that said, this song is all about the track. Straight southern marching band shit guaranteed to get you crunk whenever you hear it. Plus the chorus lends itself perfectly to having to tell someone the fuck off. "Boy Looka Here....!"

DeBarge "Rhythm Of The Night"
"Rhythm Of The Night" came out in 1985. I don't think it was until 1986 that I realized that El was a man but that's neither here nor there. I remember literally hoping that they would play this on "Friday Night Videos" every single Friday. Yall remember that show? Anyways this shit went hard. You couldn't not dance if you wanted to when this came on. Plus this was like the first real hit for the songwriter Goddess Diane Warren.

Kanye West "Can't Tell Me Nothing"
Defiant! That's the first word that comes to mind when I think of this song. This definitely goes on my "Leave Me The Fuck Alone" playlist. This was one of the first Non-Young Jeezy songs to use Jeezy's signature ad-libs (with his permission) before urban music literally ran a train on said ad-libs for the next 2 years. If there were ONE thing I'd change about this song is that 'Ye ends the 2nd verse with "Let me know if it's a problem then/ Aight man....HOLLA then!", which woulda been the PERFECT way to end the song. That shit shoulda been at the end of the 3rd verse!

Michael Jackson "We're Almost There"
From his 1975 solo album "Forever, Michael". I can't remember when I discovered this song. I think it was shortly before he passed. I do remember playing it on our tribute edition of "Superior Radio". Anyways I'm guessing it was written and sung from the perspective of a guy to a girl like "Don't give up on our relationship" but it can still be an inspirational song. His voice was still maturing on this one. Definitely not the bubblegum sound from "I Want You Back", but noooooot quite the grown up Michael voice we know and love from "Off The Wall" and on. Before Mike even breathes on the track, you cant tell me the arrangement doesn't feel like you're on a magic carpet ride. Shit is lush, yo! Shout out to Rae, Ghost & Meth for sampling this on "Our Dreams"

Mary J. Blige Feat. K-Ci Hailey "Not Looking"
Everyone knows the history with these two, right? Everyone knows how the heartbreak of this relationship fueled Mary's "My Life" album, no? Okay so it came as a HUGE surprise to all those that knew when Mary agreed to do a duet with K-Ci on her 1999 album "Mary". In my personal opinion, Mary only agreed to do this song so she could tell him the fuck off in public under the guise of music. Dont believe me? LISTEN to Mary's verses. Actually fuck the verses. Skip to the last minute of the song and listen to Mary's ADLIBS....you know the shit that WASN'T written down? Yeah, case closed.

Whitney Houston "One Of Those Days"
Clearly post -"Show me the receipts!" Whitney will never come close to pre-"SMTR!" Whitney, but I really fucking loved this song. This was her 2002 comeback song that no one really paid attention to but it knocked to me. This shit feels like springtime to me. And we can all relate to the subject matter of needing to take a day and get away. Plus the Isley Bros. sample was a nice touch I think. If you're not familiar, I encourage you to youtube it. You'll prolly dig it too.

Carole King "I Feel The Earth Move"
One of my fave classic singer/songwriter chicks from the 70's. This is the very first song on King's MONSTER album "Tapestry". I love this whole album. When the song starts with the piano riffs you get lost in it, and then she starts singing, and you sing along, but you forget that it's actually a hardcore love song. Sure must be nice to have someone make you feel like this I imagine. FYI "Tapestry" is one of the more popular albums in the history of recorded music, so if you call yourself a music fan you kinda need this in your collection to validate such a claim. I'm just saying.

Might Be (2/10)

And talk about unlikely
You like me despite me
I didn't think it likely
nor consider that one day we might be
fine tuning this thing in the right key
'Cause what tends to be is
people often hold on too tightly
and turn a beautiful thing
into something unsightly
But not we
though we might be slightly OC
in that this thing came to be so quickly
But did I mention
that we defy conventional convention
and our ship stays its course
daily and nightly
Given by the law of nature
we have a right to be, rightly
and bask in the glow of all the things
that this here situation might be
Including love.

Wants And Needs (A Haiku) 1/10

Wants and needs differ
I am back in the workforce
This is some bullshit

10 Random Songs

Totally stole this concept from the homie J. Moore (who prolly lifted it from someone else), but hey...nothing is new under the sun, right? The trick is adding a twist to make it fresh and all your own, ya dig?

The whole thing is pretty simplisitc. Take your ipod/itunes/mp3 player put it on random and write about the first 10 songs that pop up. Got it? Good. Here we go.....

Andy D "Party Werewolf (I Need A Freak)"

Honestly I dont know much about this. A couple of weeks ago I was at my dear friend Lesley's house and I uploaded as much of her cd collection as I could find. She told me I needed this album. I havent really gotten a chance to absorb this album yet, but I trust Les' ear. Im sure it's dope.

Lauryn Hill "No More Trouble" (Live In Tokyo) (Unreleased)

We all know how much Lauryn digs them Marleys. This is a cover of a (possibly) lesser known gem from the late great Bob Marley live in Tokyo. From the classic J.Period Presents....Best Of Lauryn Hill Mixtape (you can find it online for FREE.99!)

Jay-Z "Bitches & Sisters"

On this one here Jay comically "breaks down" the difference between a bitch and a sister. With examples such as "Sisters hold you down/ Bitches hold you up/ Sisters help you progress/ Bitches'll slow you up". I'm still not sure if this song was suppose to be a serious or not.

New Edition "Re-Write The Memories"

I stil aint forgave Puffy for fucking NE over on their "One Love" album. This was classic NE balladry here produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. This had 'single and video' written all over it and Puff didnt even want it on their album. He cut off the album budget before they got this and wouldnt allow it. They had to buy this song out of their own pockets. Youtube this one. If you're a NE fan, you wont be disappointed.

Nikki Giovanni "Africa II"

If you know anything about me, then you know you cant say NOTHING bad about Nikki around me!! This is off her album called "Like A Ripple On A Pond". This piece is about her tour of a Cape Coast Castle in Ghana over a track that sonically sounds like a Gamble & Huff production from '76 or shit. Extremely dope, but then again I am biased towards anything having to do with Nikki.

Prince & The New Power Generation "Gett Off"

"24 positions in a one night stand...". Everytime I think of this track that's the one part that comes to mind because who the fuck counts the number of positions? Anyways this shit was funky! This song is a testament to the fact that only Prince can get away with certain shit. Who else could say "move your big ass 'round this way so I can work on that zipper, baby" and make it work?

Eve Feat. Gwen Stefani "Let Me Blow Ya Mind"

Hypnotic track provided by one Andre Young + Non-threatening yet average lyrics + Stefani on the hook = Pop Chart Winner. Eve was on a roll by time this joint dropped. Plus all the MTV love she got back when they still played videos didnt hurt. She's always been an average lyricst to me but her delivery is rough. This track still wins though.

Jully Black "You Changed"

I've always liked this track off the Brown Sugar soundtrack. Jully and I have the exact same birthdate (11/8/77) so you KNOW she's dope! Seriously though, Jully is mad slept on. If you've never heard of her google/youtube/amazon her. She has like 5 albums. You wont be disappointed.

Ani DiFranco "Pixie"

Ani DiFranco fucking rocks! She is one of the most profilic singer-songwriters of last 20 years and if you aren't familiar please catch up! The thing I dig about Ani is she tells stories in her songs. Just random stories about everyday life, everyday people and everyday situations. Like on "Pixie" she sings "The man behind the counter looks like he's got a half dozen places he'd rather be/ And furthermore it looks like he's prepared to take it all out on me/ Buddy I dont really care what your problem is, just dont make it mine/ Come on kids, let's all hold hands and pretend we're having a good time".

Destiny's Child "Happy Face"

I'm not ashamed to speak on my affinity for this song. It's hella fast and if you dance to it you'll be winded as hell (....so I've heard). The thing I dig most about this song are the lyrics. It's basic life knowledge that we all need to keep in mind while trudging along life's journey. Google the lyrics and see if you dont agree. And for the record I've never danced to this song outside the confines of my own home and you cant prove otherwise!

I like this. I think I'll make this a weekly thing.

I Swear I Love My Blog But......

....."Having an active blog means giving a fuck on a consistent basis. I salute all who are capable." - @DiggsWayne

Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd that about sums it up. Clearly I have stopped caring enough to update this thing. But I dont wanna say I'm done with it. I'm pretty sure I wont delete it or anything like that, but ummmmm yeah.

Anyone seen my blogging mojo because I cant find that bitch. Did my tumblr take it away? Things that make you go 'Hmmmmm?'

In any event, welcome to 2011. I'll be back soon.......I think.

Misc. Blog 8 (For AOL)

Welp....it seems as though I've all but abandoned my precious Teejsays blog. Plus with me taking up tumblr (tjarmour.tumblr.com) now, it would seem to be the proverbial nail in the coffin for this here establishment but no! Much like Brett Favre I dont know when to quit. I love this blog and I will never give it up. Even if I take months between posts so....nah! How do you like that haters? (As if someone were really hating on this blog lol)

Seriously though, are you happy AOL? Here is your October blog (about nothing). Btw...Im not talking about America OnLine. I have a friend with the initials AOL who notified me that I hadnt blogged for all of October so this is simply to appease her.

Trust that I have sooooo much on my mind right now but I will save it for a list. The "They Tryna Cut Our Lights Out" List is on deck.....this week I swear. So until then.....

Be blessed yall,

Teej

The "Somebody Buy Me A Drink!" List

1. "No matter where you go, you are what you are playa/ and you can try to change but that's just the top layer/ Man, you was who you was 'fore you got here/ Only God can judge me so I'm gone/ Either love me, or leave me alone" - Jay Z "PSA"

2. How I managed to go 2 1/2 months without doing a list is beyond me

3. Yall know these things are like my therapy, right? Like, if ever you wanted to know what was going on in my world, all you would have to do is read these things

4. *lays on therapist's couch, takes a deep breath, and begins talking* lol

5. Big shout out to Kire, Khari, and Angie for pushing me to get up at an open mic and do one of my pieces

6. One of these days Imma actually get around to doing it I swear!

7. So funny that I did/do tv, have a radio show, speak on panels, am personable (when I wanna be) to all....and yet I still have stage-fright issues

8. In case you were unaware....my life is one BIG paradox

9. Always has been and probably always will be. I've made peace with it.

10. "...hope that we feel this, feel this way forever/ You can plan a pretty picnic/ but you cant predict the weather/....my intentions were good/ I wish I could/ become a magician to 'abaracadabra' all the sadder thoughts of me/ thoughts of she.../ asking what happened to the feeling that her and me had/ I pray so much about it, need some knee pads/ It happened for a reason, one cant be mad" - Andre' 3000 "Ms. Jackson"

11. Sometimes I wonder if I'm even the marrying type

12. Lord knows I have my ways about me but I don't think I'm impossible. Difficult maybe, but not impossible.

13. I still feel like I pretty much know all the things that make a relationship wonderful and everlasting.....

14. ....but knowing and doing and/or applying said knowledge are two different things....and THAT'S the part I've not quite mastered....I think.

15. You cant tell me that this love and marriage shit ain't the equivalent to catching lightening in a bottle. To get it clicking on ALL cylinders and the such......Shit is just rare yo!

16. And even with all that it still ain't gon be perfect. Nothing ever is.

17. *le sigh*

18. Love is like sand held in your hand. Held loosely, with an open hand, the sand remains where it is. The minute you close your hand and squeeze tightly to hold on, the sand trickles through your fingers. You may hold on to some of it, but most will be spilled. Love is like that. Held loosely, with respect and freedom for the other person, it is likely to remain intact. But hold too tightly, too possessively, and the love slips away and is lost. - Chicken Soup for the Soul

19. I'm pretty sure I drop a "*le sigh*" like once per list but hey....it's like that in this thing called Life. You will probably find yourself sighing frequently.

20. What is up with these crazy white people inflicting harm on themselves and then blaming it on a black person?

21. So lemme get this straight Bethany Storro ....you pour acid on your own damn face and then blame it on a black woman? Really? REALLY?

22. I don't mean to be harsh Bethany, but you deserve to look like the elephant woman for the rest of your life for this dumb shit.

23. Unless I'm mistaken....my friend who we'll call "Babydoll" more or less told me that we can't be friends while she's on some "new path"

24. She said that she "will remember (me) always" though :(

25. To be quite frank about it, I always considered us really good friends and this sucks and it hurts and it leaves me totally confused but....I guess we'll wait and see what's what.

26. Gotta laugh to keep from crying I suppose

27. "We were supposed to rid the world of danger/ These days we nod heads and small talk like polite strangers/ It's natural to fall off/ Just land close to the tree/ I'll be there if they need me to be" - Pos (De La Soul) "Trying People"

28. Have you ever watched the show "Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?"

29. If and when you do....just brace yourself b/c that shit'll have you feeling bad

30. It's like "No you little fucker, I don't know offhand who ruled England in 1589, but I know how to juggle paying the rent, keeping food in the house, and keeping clothes on your back!"

31. Am I the only one who thinks there's been way too many devil/evil/vampire/occult movies as of late?

32. Hell....this newest one is simply called "Devil"

33. What the fuck is up with that? Yall had better stop supporting all these crazy movies putting all this twisted energy in the atmosphere

34. #TheDevilIsALiar

35. "If you're bold enough to say "We're going to take back OUR country" be bold enough to say from Who!" - Regan Gomez

36. If you dont know who Christine O'Donell is....you need to google her.

37. Alls I know is....if these Tea Party crazies keep picking up steam like this.... "Sarah Palin 2012" ain't as far fetched as us sane people had hoped......

38. . .....and if that's the case......who's meeting me in Toronto!?!?!?

39. The thing I don't get about "Don't Ask Don't Tell" is.....we now have openly gay elected officials! Being gay ain't touchy and taboo no more.

40. Un-do that dumb shit already!

41. Payday loans and Rent to Own places = Where a Nickle costs a Dime

42. That's one of the things about life though. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do

43. "Somebody Buy Me A Drink!" - Thelonious Monk

44. I've had this Monk song in my ipod for years and never really peeped it til recently but OH LORDY....talk about a song for my life's soundtrack lol

45. Save for the O-Line....our Bears look pretty good to me this year

46. That wretched pre-season didnt scare me at all

47. In my poem "Love Is" I wrote how Love is : a Stevie song and a Nikki poem......

48. ....so for Lesley and Nick to have a Stevie song sung and have me read Nikki's "Resignation" at their wedding.....

49. ....well it seems I was on the money b/c their ceremony was beautiful!

50. "If Tyler Perry fucks up "For Colored Girls..." I will personally kick his entire ass clean on outta that closet he's been so comfy in!" - @JustPhly

Crazy, California

She said to me
"You're crazy!"
and I rebutted
"Love is crazy. So crazy is the destination."

Then I started on this whole trip about how pursuing love
is like taking a cross country drive from
Connecticut to California
when you don't have one of those fancy GPS thingies

All you have is
a cooler full of food
good music
an old-fashioned road map
and a stubborn determination to get to where you wanna go

Of course the weatherman said it wasn't gone rain
and it wasn't til you couldn't see 10 feet in front of you
that you found out the windshield wipers need to be replaced
but still you keep on trekking

Inevitably you'll have arguments
"but I asked you if you had to go before we passed that last rest stop"
and
"you didnt hear me say turn off on Interstate 4? Now we're in Virginia!"
but those are to be expected

If you can avoid the urge to call it quits and bus it back to homebase
remember to be considerate
compromise when you can......even when you think you're right
and maybe just learn to bite your tongue a bit
when they're driving too fast or too slow for your personal taste
you'll make it to Crazy, California in no time

Together.

Play It For The Jury, The Defendant, & The Plaintiff.....

*(You got it on) tape?! Fuck yo punk ass tapes!" - B-Roc

For those keeping tally, you can add another 'L' to audio/video recordings' record in court trials.

Disgraced former Illinois Governor Rod "Nest Hair" Blagojevich was convicted on 1 of the 24 charges against him. That one charge was lying to the Feds. Now that carries a potential maximum sentence of 5 years but let's keep it real........son shoulda been convicted and thrown under the jail! We'll see what happens with the impending retrial but now......he's at home watching Letterman with his feet up.

Do they not have him on tape saying "SOMEBODY gon hafta pay me for this Senate seat!"? Obviously having a crime or confession of a crime on tape doesnt hold the weight we thought it did.

If I decide I'm gon get down with the "Crime Pays" movement I'm gon tape all my dirt and then play "Play It For The Jury, The Defendant, and The Plaintiff" b/c having it on video apparently doesnt mean shit.

Shall we review?

In '91 damn everybody in the world saw Stacey Koon, Lawrence Powell, Theodore Briseno and Timothy Wind beating the living snot out of Rodney King......ON TAPE! But as sure as water is wet, they werent even convicted of excessive force. And had the LA Riots not kicked off in the aftermath of that trial, the civil suits that followed may not have seen the light of day.


If you saw the R.Kelly tape, two things are crystal clear.......... 1. That girl in the tape was clearly underage! And 2. That's R.Kelly in the tape! Mole my ass. We know what the fuck R. Kelly looks like! There was no doubt it was him in the damn tape! And yet....he was able to skate.

And then there's the Oscar Grant trial. Multiple videos show Grant on his stomach, face down, arms behind his back, and yet BART officer Johannes Mehserle shoots him in the back anyway. Mehserle now faces awaits sentencing on a involuntary manslaughter conviction, but hey that's a lot better than a first degree murder conviction, right?

So obviously much like the fictional song in the "Story of Gangstalicious" episode of "The Boondocks", the District Attorney can "Play it for the jury, the defendant, and the plaintiff....court reporter AND the baliff!" and it still wont matter. Because when the jury is left to decide whom they believe more : the flashy and engaging defense attorney or their own lying eyes......most times they dont believe their own lying eyes.

Dont Blame Kim K. YOU Made Montana Fishburne Do Porn!!

Are you genuinely shocked that Laurence Fishburne's 19 year old daughter Montana has elected to pursue fame by introducing herself to the world via the star-making conduit known as "the sex tape"?

No....really, you're shocked for real?

IT'S MOSTLY YOUR FAULT!!!!

Montana has repeatedly been quoted as stating that she is taking the Kim Kardashian route to fame. I swear 'fo Jesus I have been telling my friends for a while now of how I don't at all dig the fact that Kim Kardashian not only put herself on, but her whole gottdamn family!!!!!, on account of her sex tape being released!

She then spun the publicity from the sex tape into forays into film, tv, fashion, and lots of other shit. Yall have ate it all up and made this chick a celebrity. I mean she's made a freggin empire! So what's that say about our society?

The fact that yall are "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" is why Montana thinks this shit is viable. She has been watching all this shit unfold for the last 3 or 4 years and these Kardashian chicks get love like they're the fucking Kennedys and you're in disbelief?

There are other Montana's out there. The only reason this is so newsworthy is because she has a famous actor daddy that may have been able to pull some strings and get her auditions if she so chose. She decided that shit'll take too long and busting down on tape is way to go.

So the moral of the story is......if we stop making these talentless celebutantes famous for nothing other than having inherited money and fucking on tape, maybe we'll be able to save the 16 yr old that's currently watching all this go down, who cant wait to turn 18 so she can put herself on in the same way.

P.S. Lemme just add that I don't blame Kim Kardashian. She's done nothing but run with the fame and notoriety bestowed upon her. It was never her intent for the sex tape to be released, but it was and it made her famous. That's on us, not her. I didn't even know who this chick was until the sex tape came out. Hell, I remember when it was referred to as the Ray J sex tape.

The "My Mama Is A Thug" List

1. "There are 2 rules to life : 1. Never sweat the small stuff. 2. EVERYTHING is small stuff." - As heard on a TV commercial

2. The fact that the repo man called me and asked me to call him back b/c he's tired of looking for my car.....

3. Does this fucktard expect me to call him back like "Yeah you can come pick the car up from this address......"?!?!?!!?

4. Where they do THAT at?!?!

5. And how they got my mama's addy I'll never know.

6. She didn't co-sign or anything. Her name was nowhere on the paperwork so what gives?

7. She said if she had been home she woulda thrown hot water on the repo man for coming to her house

8. My mama is a thug from Altgeld Gardens if you didn't know

9. I dont know what's crawled up Chase Bank's ass and died. I called and told them my "unemployment, no money coming in" story. I only missed April and May's note. I paid June's on time so WTF?

10."....See its a family thing/ so dont even trip/ my cousin ('mari) got the nine/ and my mama got the extra clip!" - The Coup "Takin' These"

11. LOL @ 'my mama is a thug'

12. Okay she aint really a thug thug in the traditional sense....but the point is you dont want none of 'nessa! Trust me dog, that aint what you want.

13. Word Michael Steele? The war in Afghanastan is "Obama's War"??!?!

14. Dont you wish there were a real "Drop Squad" for these ol Alan Keyes token ass negroes?

15. Are you happy Tee? I'm blogging!

16. I'm sure you are gonna enjoy your trip to our wonderful city

17. This new gun law Chicago has passed misses the point in my opinion

18. "So what they do?/ Go and ban the AK?/ My shit wasn't registered any-fucking-way!" - Ice Cube "The Nigga Ya Love To Hate"

19. It aint like these street cats are going to the gun shop and filling out paperwork

20. We need to get these lawmakers a copy of the movie "Strapped" like ASAP so that they'll get a damn clue

21. God bless the memory of Harvey Fuqua

22. You should google him if you aint up. He put in WORK for Motown

23. Can you believe it's been almost 10 years since Diamond and Tionda have went missing?

24. God bless them wherever they are

25. Maaaaad nervous about the Oscar Grant trial

26. If this dude skates and Oakland gets on some ol 'Riots aint nothing but diets for the system' shit, can you even get mad?

27. "I'm so glad that I found someone to believe in again/ .......Come on, let's fall in love/ You're the woman I've been waiting for...." - Stevie Wonder " I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)"

28. My starry eyed ass has always held a romanticized view of love

29. Thank God there are plenty of sappy love songs to let me know I'm not alone

30. I bought some lemonade the other day from a lemonade stand that 3 little girls had going

31. The lemonade tasted more like lemon water but bless their little hearts

32. One of the rules in "Life's Little Instruction Book" is to ALWAYS whenever possible buy whatever a little kid is selling......

33. ....and I firmly believe that and I obey but if yall could see the sour face Im making as I type this.......

34. I've had like 4 convos with friends in the past week where they've been pissy about getting older. And each time I hit 'em with this quote

35. "The only thing worse than getting old/ is NOT getting old" - Jay Z "Cant Knock The Hustle (Remix)"

36. Because you would not have wanted to die 10 years ago, right? Right!

37. So Lindsay Lohan got 3 months in the joint, huh?

38. Did you see the act she put on in court when she got the word? Heifer you got 90 days, not 90 months! If you dont sit your lil privledged ass down somewhere.....

39. She better hope they dont put her in gen. pop though. She'll really meet some "Mean Girls" then

40. Ummm Prince....if you really said THIS.....you tripping!

41. Detroit is taumbout sending parents to jail for missing parent/teacher conferences

42. Now I would make a "It's So Cold In The D" joke but...*shrug*....I suppose desperate times call for desperate measures

43. Gina : I dont want our friends to feel alienated
Martin : Cole? Are you alienated?
Cole : Noooo! I'm a Baptist!

44. "Martin" reruns never get old

45. I dont care where he signed to play.......a one hour special on ESPN to announce where he's signing? Cant that shit just be a blurb scrolling across the screen?

46. And the fact that on his new twitter account his bio says "King of Akron"........

47. Really 'Bron? Akron!?!?!?! lol

48. Superior TV is on the way muthabishes!

49. Forget yall....I aint writing due to pressure no more!

50. "I hate writing, I love having written." — Dorothy Parker

One Of Those Days (#30....30 Writes in 30 Days)

I wish I could
end my 30 N 30
on a high note
but you can quote me
when i say that it's been
one of those days
that life jumps up
and reminds you
of how big and bad
it REALLY is

Responsibility
taps you on the shoulder
as to remind you
that you're grown now
and it ain't going nowhere
it'll always be right behind you

Your bills are present
but your income
aint come in
at least not on time
and well.....

Now I'm sipping
on this here drank
'cause at the very least
it offers me
a little bit of getaway
from adulthood hell

Then I throw on this soul music
'cause at the very least
it can empathize with me
and tell me that
it's been here before
and it knows what I'm going through

So one time for the writers
'cause we bleed this shit
onto the page and the screen
sometimes for your enjoyment
other times we just do it
for your well-being
and once more for all those reading
'cause even if you don't write
you still dig where we come from
and appreciate what it is
that we put down
so that makes it alright

Right?

We're Grown, Right? (#29....30 Writes in 30 Days)

Last week I caught up with a friend that I hadnt spoken to in quite some time. The convo went something like this.....

Me : Hey stranger! Where you been?

Her : I been laying low. Got a new boyfriend and all.....

Me : Yeah that'll do it!

Her : I got your msg a while back. Sorry I didnt get back. He goes through my phone sometimes. I had to tell him that you were my cousin.

*insert sound of record coming to a screeching halt*

Anyone see the problem here? Anyone?.....Anyone?........Bueller?

Now homegirl and I have been cool for a few years but never ever have we been on it like that! I could see if we had had some sorta torrid past but...no dice.

I just don't understand the insecurity. We are in our 30's yo! If you have any common sense at all, then you'd take it as a given at this point that your new significant other probably has friends of the opposite sex.

I literally asked homegirl "He goes through your phone? What is he.....12?"

Who does that in an ADULT relationship?

The "wrong....WRONG!" List (#28....30 Writes in 30 Days)

1. "What good do your words do if they cant understand you?" - Erykah Badu " .....& On"

2. Did I mention that this 30 writes in 30 days thing ain't no punk?

3. Glad I participated. Even 'glader' that it's almost over lol

4. Yall know Gary Coleman's wife pretty much killed him, right?

5. Shall we examine the facts?

6. He "fell" down some steps and was "discovered" by his wife, right?

7. She made the decision to take him off life support

8. She sold pics of him near death and after death to the tabloids

9. It don't take Matlock, Columbo or the "Murder She Wrote" chick to put 2 and 2 together....

10. "Ya moms'll set that ass up/ properly gassed up/ Hoodie and masked up/ shit, for that fast buck/ she'll be layin in the bushes to light that ass up" - Notorious B.I.G "10 Crack Commandments"

11. Didn't technically "see" the BET Awards yet but thanks to information highway that is Twitter, I was able to follow along

12. Everyone loves a great comeback/redemption moment and it seems that Chris Brown's Michael Jackson tribute was just that for him

13. I do agree with the sentiment that the tribute should have been a star studded thing orchestrated by Quincy Jones or something though and not made to be about CB like it seemed

14. But it is BET....you can only expect so much

15. .............like DJ Khaled and Luda following up the Prince tribute!?!!??!!?!?

16. Oh and no love for Guru, huh? I digress......

17. They are our peoples and we gotta love them anyways

18. "Sometimes what we say and who we are ain't never been friends." - Angie Writes

19. They found potential signs of life on one of Saturn's moon, eh?

20. Now do you believe me and Stevie when we say we're going back to Saturn?

21. Actually we prolly won't because they prolly gon gentrify that shit next

22. Only a rich asshole politician that has a couple hundred thousand in the bank would suggest actually LOWERING the minimum wage.......Bill Brady

23. Between this prick and the influx of Wal-Marts we're finna see in the city....I just cant

24. Sure all the Wal-Marts will create much needed jobs but Wal-Mart is the devil and treats it's employees like shit

25. It's the equivalent of feeding a starving person a piece of rotten meat. They'll eat it becuz they're starving but that shit is prolly gonna kill 'em in the long run

26. ....or give 'em severe diahrea at the very least. Either way it wont be a good look.

27. "Dear God, I'm trying hard to reach you/ Dear God, I see your face in all I do/ Sometimes, it's so hard to believe it.../ But God, I know you have your reasons" - The Roots "Dear God 2.0"

28. Youtube the song if you haven't heard it. It's amazing.

29. And one time for The Roots becuz they've done it again with their latest album "How I Got Over"

30. Is it bad that I'm kinda indifferent about Robert Byrd?

31. Like I just read on Twitter : much like being linked to child porn, being linked to the KKK just leaves a taint that you cant get off

32. Of course you gotta be PC and repent on that. It ain't like you can go around present day saying "I'd join the KKK again if I could" and expect to keep office

33. Someone wrote yesterday that all the people constantly updating their status on fb during the BET Awards.....yea THAT is what Twitter is for lol

34. Wow @ John Legend going IN on twitter about people making fun of him during the BET Awards

35. "And to the haters, I'm still smarter, more talented, more successful and better looking than you. So fall back. By the way...my hairline has been the same since I was a kid. Can't believe some people are obsessing about it now. I've been famous for 6 years now!!" - John Legend

36. Let that one go John. 'You Can't Win' (c) The Wiz

37. I feel like every list during baseball season I have to mention how much better the White Sox are than the Cubs just because

38. #southside

39. Does it still throw people off when you hashtag outside of Twitter?

40. BA.....Teren is almost 3. Why dont she like me yet? lol

41. My little cousin Jamela didnt like me til she was 5 so I aint worried

42. I hate that your keyboard is broken

43. "Oh Lord/ what did I do to deserve her?/ Heaven knows....Lord knows I'm only human/ Can this be someone truly for me/ or is it a cruel fantasy?" - Rachelle Ferrell & Will Downing "Nothing Has Ever Felt Like This"

44. That song will take you there. Hopefully you know about it already. If not.....you're welcome!

45. *crosses fingers* concerning the Oscar Grant trial

46. Lord knows all hell may very well break loose if that verdict doesnt come back right #riotsaintnothingbutdietsforthesystem

47. I thought my unemployment finally kicking in after 2 months was gon be the proverbial weight lifted off my shoulders

48. *Charlie Murphy voice* wrong! WRONG!

49. Seems I had better hurry up, read my books, write my scripts , and take my ass back to work!

50. "The very existence of flame-throwers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, 'You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done.'" - George Carlin

Today I'm Reading (#27....30 Writes In 30 Days)

There are some days
when I don't have anything to say

There are some days
when the words just won't come to me

There are some days
when nothing I seem to write seems right

and on days like those

I read

For Those On The Constant Grind (A Haiku) (#26....30 Writes In 30 Days)

The grind is tiring.
Sometimes you have to relax.
Just be. It's okay.

10 Memories of Michael Jackson (#25....30 Writes In 30 Days)

1. I guess foremost and of course most sad is actually having been in LA when he first passed. The homie Dave and I had just landed in LA when we heard that Farrah Fawcett had passed and by time we got to the hotel we started to see tweets about MJ. Then we got to the hotel and watched CNN from there....

2. Since I was in LA, me and a couple friends went to the family compound in Encino to leave flowers. Needless to say that that was surreal.

3. Waiting for "Beat It" and "Say Say Say" to come on Friday Night Videos.

4. Fighting my brother for the "official" Thriller jacket. My mama bought an "official" one that looked like the one he had on in the video, and for some strange reason she bought one that had the colors reversed so it was mostly black with a little red. I wasn't having that one. Talk about knock down and drag out!

5. Being mad when I had to use said "official" Thriller jacket as a compress over my bleeding eye that I got in a rock fight when one of them young punks cheated and threw a brick!!!! Here I was, blood squirting from my head and I distinctly remember hesitating and then being mad when I realized I was gon hafta use my Thriller jacket to keep from bleeding to death lol

6. My mama coming in my room to "check on me" as an 11 yr old b/c I was sitting in the dark with sunglasses on listening to "Man In The Mirror" on repeat

7. Absolutely LOVING the J5 cartoon. Man dont talk to me about no Lucky Charms, no pancakes, no nothing when this was on! Do they have it on dvd yet?

8. Everyone gathering around to watch the world premiere of the "Black Or White" video. Remember it was a huge event (being shown in primetime and all) and all the networks showed it? I also remember being a bit confused at the ending sequence with the destroying the car and all but I figured he's Mike and he made "Thriller" so he can do what he wants lol

9. Loving the defiancy (Is that a word? If not I just made it so) of the "Leave Me Alone" video and realllllllllly wishing that he had said "Stop fucking with me!" in "Scream"

10. Almost busting my face open every day for about 3 months straight while trying to do the "lean forward" move from the "Smooth Criminal" video until discovering that it was special effects. I know I wasnt the only one, right?

Celebrate (#24....30 Writes In 30 Days)

I really aint got much for yall today. I'm headed out the door. Today is my Great Granny's 95th birthday.....or 96th. That's bad that I cant remember huh? Anyways we're finna go party with her til she gets tired of our asses and our noise and sends us home. But just so no one feels cheated...here's a haiku for you lol

You cant pick them out

They're chosen for you by God

Celebrate your fam

(and yes I realize I may have cheated with 'they're' as one syllable but dammit it's day 24 and I'm pressed for time so cut me some slack dammit!)

The Chi-Town Gun Poem Of Summer '10 (#23....30 Writes in 30 Days)

These Chi-Town shootings
is disturbing me yall
Somebody get me Barack's number
I need to make a call
At first I kinda wanted to believe
it was propaganda
I wasn't gon believe the hype
I was thinking that these tallys were fear tactics
but it seems every Friday night
into Saturday morning someone gets in a fight
that eventually leads to bullets taking flight
and fuck when it gets dark
they are shooting muthafuckas in broad daylight
And I would say they need to
do these gun buybacks weekly
but lately I'm thinking that those are just for show
I wouldn't be surprised if they were
returning the guns to 'em through the back door
See that's called CONSPIRACY
As in the FBI and CIA
Read up on some of the shit they pulled back in the day
I wouldn't even be out my mind to say
that Daley and Weis could be in on it too
The government working to take out the people?
Naw that aint nothing new
Shit...Chairman Fred is dead
becuz of the Feds
Alls I know is this shit is out of hand
and it seems to have come from nowhere
Ain't no gun factories on 63rd or K-Town
so these guns is coming from somewhere
The National Guard talk dun calmed down
but hell they still just might
cuz right now it feels like
someone called the gun truck to come dump
boxes off the back in the middle of the night