My poor blog. It's been so long since i have been able to write to you all. See about a week ago, i caught that blaster worm. Well, actually i deleted it, but the last thing the bastard did before it died was changed my user passwords, so thus i was left with a big paper weight rather than a computer. In fact, i am actually typing to you from my campus job (i'm a building manager at the Campus Center :-D). Alas, alot has happened in the last week.

TUESDAY: My boy Uchenna arrived on campus. I spent the day getting stopped as I walked with my friend & intellectual Andrew, and eventually found a way to get the dollar that I needed to take the 'T' to Northeastern to help my homegirl move in and out of apartments. Discovered this wonderful operating system called "Knoppix" which actually lets me do a number of the things i use Windows for, but isn't affected by the BlasterWorm. So that's how I eventually was IMing those of you I IM.

WEDNESDAY: Remember how I had a single. Well i still do, BUT... the guy that i thought wasn't coming who was to be my roommate, actually showed up the other day, with a single of his own no-less. As well, i enjoyed myself on campus and at Capen House, then later that night had an interesting little experience which led to that morning walk of shame. Shame Shame Shame. It was long too. But there was a very nice little conversation involved. I love my life. I think it suits me just perfectly. And it's so subtly amusing to me. Usually I enjoy that.

THURSDAY: Hung out in the campus center all day. Not doing a DANG thing. Except playing pool and watching BET (and half-heartedly attempting to learn Japanese.) Did i mention that Kei (the guy who moved in) is from Fukui, Japan and thus my not speaking Japanese that well, leaves us with a slight language barrier. First day of work. Bit more training before hand. Now i sit and type to you, but i think i should go make rounds.

Peace & Blessings.

YES SIR!!! Back on campus! Loving life and life loves me! I picked up my keys, came back to my new spot only to discover that it is (drum roll....) a single!!! God is sooooooo good. I was so begging for a single. Low-and-behold, a single. This just works out for me so well. I'm not trying to worry about anyone else in my life. Y'all don't understand my excitement, let's see if i can explain...

I LOVE HAVING THIS

ROOM ALL TO MYSELF.

Always have, always will. Till i'm ready to settle down and even then i will want some place that i know i can just exhale in. Ah, to be young, gifted, and Black, and in a single!! The Lord is good. (Yes, i have left this blog extremely vague, but my posts over the next year might explain.)
Peace.

Alright, my time in DC/MD/VA has come to a close. Everyone keeps asking me how it was. I would say that the start and middle were cool. Other than that it was just cool to be somewhere I hadn't been before. It was neat to see if i could navigate it on my own. I enjoyed my minute adventures and escapades here. However, you know me. I'm not easily impressed. I was impressed with my host family. I think the coolest thing here was getting to know this family. I really like them, they are really good people. I sincerely wish them all the best in life. They seem extremely blessed to have the love they have, the blessings they have, and even the problems they have. I enjoyed my time with them a great deal. However it is time to move on. I probably should go on and knock out cus i have to wake up really early tomorrow. As in before dawn. Take care y'all.

Peace!

"You must remember this, a kiss is still a
kiss". Your romance is Casablanca. A
classic story of love in trying times, chock
full of both cynicism and hope. You obviously
believe in true love, but you're also
constantly aware of practicality and societal
expectations. That's not always fun, but at
least it's realistic. Try not to let the Nazis
get you down too much.


What Romance Movie Best Represents Your Love Life?
brought to you by Quizilla

This evening... I was finally shown Adams Morgan. It was alright. Kinda slow though cus it was Sunday and all. I didn't mind. I hate being 20 though. I think things will really pick up when I'm 21. No more of this "crap, they're carding" mess. Other than that... drove around some in the new ride my boy is in the midst of solidifing his ownership of. We wound up at this dock in OldTown Alexandria, VA. It was cool, did a lil sweeping, took some pictures, tried not to disturb the sleeping homeless man. It was nice. Found this really lovely spot with a view. A couple had already claimed it and were doing their thing, but if i'm ever in DC/MD/VA i know where i'll take someone. For now... i'm just a bachelor... i'm looking for a partner... haha. (Ginuwine, for those who don't know.) Blah. Yadda Yadda. Blah.

Peace.

Schools in...
Tonight I had yet another wonderful conversation about the world and people and ourselves with Newaye's father. Great guy. Makes me wish he was the leader of some world power. Let's see we started with my life and school, from there moved to the power of mind. I'm going to start meditating more. Then we started talking about Ethiopia. Then I asked him about how he felt about African-Americans as an African. Soon I had the hugest wake up reminder that I've had in a long time. Outside of the United States... they don't teach about slavery. Like Black slavery. That huge identity marker of my people means jack squat overseas. It was like... "Wow, I totally forgot!" No concept of the word "nigger" or anything of that nature. I was taken aback. I don't know, it just put alot of things in perspective real quick. We went on to talk about other world issues. He was an International Relations major so he always is telling me things I want to know. I just sit there smiling and nodding just soaking it all in. I enjoy it... wish more of y'all could be there. Wish I was getting credit for it. Learned about the lady who told Saddam that the U.S. didn't care if he invaded Kuwait... and we know what happened there. Oh, I still feel bad for Colin Powell. I want to believe he was just brainwashed by the military and would have done things differently if he didn't have to worry about the anti-patriotic backlash as well as the proportionate foreign loss of confidence in the U.S.A.
Learned a bit about Somalia's views toward Ethiopia. As well as how Egypt feels toward Ethiopia. Analyzed why Bush was meeting with five leaders of African countries vast oil deposits were discovered in... coincidence? Let that marinate. Agreed that in the next 5-15 years China will be doing BIG THINGS!! Then just talked about how connected the world is... how stinginess here equals starvation or lack there, which leads to contempt, which leads to terrorism, which leads to war. "With great power comes great responsibility..."

::sigh:: Peace!! I mean it!!

I CAN COOK!! Today I made steak! And it was d*mn good!! The time i made porkchops... they were d*mn good too! You don't understand what this means. This means that once I get my own place... i can have good meals. GOOD meals! This means I don't have to eat out forever. This means whoever I marry won't have to cook. Peep... I'm self-sufficient! Game Over! I win! MAN... THAT STEAK WAS GOOD!
Ok, let me calm down. But it was good though. Like Newaye's lil brother Asayu, doesn't even eat steak. But he ate mine and was like... "DANG, THIS IS GOOD!" Not bad for a first try. As well, I turned a young soul on to the splendor of beef!
LOL... we were joking recently that a fundamental requirement of whoever we end up with would be that they enjoy Bacon. Just talking to the girl; everything will be going well; plan is to stop and say ... "Wait, Do you like Bacon?!" You laugh... but y'all know me. I just might do it. I couldn't be a vegetarian. Y'all have seen the archives. I tried it once... didn't last the day. These lips of mine love the swine. I've said it before, and i'll say it again; "pork is like the wonder meat". So many good eats! And now.... I CAN COOK THEM!! MWA HA HA HA HA! GET IN MY BELLY!!!

Peace.

I know it seems like i didn't do anything today really. I had a good conversation with my friend online. Then I had this huge arguement with another friend. The only person I really argue with. Everyone else (save this other girl) i am able to maintain a civil voice level. Usually cus I can just debate my way through anything, or just learn something when i realize i'm wrong. I dunno, the key is to contemplate all of it. Figure out if I'm really right for even contesting the folk. Maybe it is not my place to be straight up honest with them. I just don't like being fake to people. I would rather not be around them then act like I like somebody. As well, there are few people that I don't like, cus to not like someone takes more energy than i really care to spend on someone that i don't like. Thus i don't really care to like them or not like them, i'm just indifferent. Makes sense to me. Save my energy for things I like. I like writing, and I like learning so I'm going to go try to do that. I want to believe there is always hope. That's what I want to believe. Well, to believe in hope is moot. You can always have hope or muster hope if you want to. The real thing you can want ... is that what your hoping for comes true. Which if we break down want and hope, blah blah blah, we'll find that the want is what we reallly are hoping for. We apply an existing hope toward a want; whether that want be something material or something intangible. Although i guess you can want to hope, especially when the facts seem pessimistic and unchanging from something that isn't in the direction of what you would otherwise be fervently hoping for. OK, so back to the beginning. It's not that i want to believe there is hope. Hope exists, I just want a firm grasp on it. Cus it's slipping away frequently.
"Of course I love you...
...I love all of y'all!"

Peace.

I'm nomadic d*mnit!!

Today, I learned to use the subway and bus system of DC/MD/VA. Spent a lil time in the mall reading the map and planning out how i was gone do this, then I began. Started at one subway stop, took it to another familiar point. Well almost... see I kinda hopped on a different train than I thought I was on. Although there were these two girls who kept looking and smiling at me. They were nice to me. I helped another lady with her bags when we were first getting on the train so i felt like a Texas gent. Anyway, made it to my intended train stop. Walked a long way up this one street. Visited a friend working on that street, who gave me a brochure of other places to walk to. So then I walked back down that street and then a good number of blocks up that one to see this art gallery, which was closed. So then i took a random turn down this one street and realized another point of interest was on it. Before I got there though I ran upon this house that Martha Washington's granddaughter built and maintained. So eventually I was like screw walking I'm going home. So after taking a couple of wrong trains, I finally made it back to my subway stop of origin where the real challange was to begin. The Bus. I have only ridden a public bus once in my existence. So I found out which Bus I am supposed to take by calling the Bus people (I can't believe i did, but I did.... it's like asking for directions, something I rarely ever do. Not because I'm too proud to admit that I'm lost, but more-so cus I actually like being lost and just randomly finding my way.) I got on one of the two buses recommended to take me where I was going. I was so happy as the bus was going down the Pike that i'm staying off of. Until the bus turned off of it about half way there. So there I was... walking. WALKING. I walked a little over an hour. One whole hour of walking. WALKING. Let a minute pass right now............................




.................. now multiply that by sixty. Walking. I worked on my posture. Meditated on a few things in my life. Thought about that portion of Forrest Gump where he just walks/jogs across the nation, coast to coast, for no dang reason. I then thought about the native Americans who first crossed that ice bridge. Walking... in the cold... across two continents. Now them some soldiers. My legs must be rediculously toned now. I hate the DC insects by the way. I have resumed my long term feud with the Mosquito. That's right, feud... i'm from the south... we don't have vendettas; we have outright feuds. Meaning it won't end until, every member of my family is dead or your family ceases to exist. (Still walking.) You know what I truly dislike... the lack of sidewalk. What does VA have against sidewalks. I'd be all content just walking, then bam grass. Uneven ground. Or worse a rail that forces me to walk in the street. Got to the point that I had to cross the street just so that i'd be walking in the street with the cars facing me. Lots of walking. So much that I had time to try out different walks and even forget that I was doing so. I must have sang at least 20 songs to myself. :-( I walked so far. Sooooooooo faaaaaaarrrrrrrrrr. All by myself. Just walking. (Still walking.)
When I finally reached the place where I'm staying... I just took a shower, ate some food and relaxed. I think I am going to go to sleep, just thinking about all that walking made me tired again. So far.

Peace & Blessings.

Totti goes on holiday. On his return Cafu asks him: 'Where have you been?' Totti: 'I went water skiing'. Cafu: 'Did you have a good time?' Totti: 'Not at all... I didn't manage to find a lake that went downhill'

Totti scores with joke book

Haha, I like the rain, too.

I like this... :-D

Technology meets the mob

and

Smart mobs storm London


Flash Mobs are cool. I can't express that enough. I think what makes them so cool to me is the nearly complete lack of purpose. They are just something to do. Random fun things to do. If I was in Texas and bored, i sure would be apart of a flash mob. Why not? Not like i'm doing anything else outstandingly fun. I need to start convincing those around me to do random things with me. Just little goals that we can accomplish easily and then go on about our business of doing nothing. I'm going to make a list. Including circling something five (5) times. Maybe three (3) or seven (7) times. Yay, random! I wonder what will happen in 2004?!

Piece and chain!

I am one to always listen to advice. It's one thing to hear advice, but another thing to listen to it. Even if it seems that I'm not going to follow the advice given, do know that it is swirling through my mind as a constant rebuttal to anything i am thinking/planning. I feel the truest way to grow is to analyze yourself. To really ask yourself, "Is this situation that i'm in my fault at all?" There is always some part you played in it. A part of it where you could have avoided the situation had you taken some course of action. I.E.> Late assignment = scheduled time before the due date; Fight = squashed the mess; Break up = talked more/less; Accident = Not been there. I get afraid for the world when I start believing that some people just cannot be reasoned with. That even if we are to disagree, they can't understand my point at all. Especially when a person cannot explain their logic/action, then i feel that is just irresponsible. To act without regard towards the outcome... sounds like a definition of "irresponsible" to me. I don't understand why anyone would make a decision affecting others without thinking through the possibilities of every option. Unless you're just trying to be spontaneous. Sometimes you just plain had no idea that the situation would end up the way it did, it's understandable to feel victimized. All you can do from there is not dwell on it. Other times though, you would have known there was a chance that things would have ended up that way had you thought about all the possible outcomes of what you were about to do. I gotta go though. Point is... y'all can predict things better than you think you can. Let that marinate.

Peace.

Mother Sarawati is one goddess that you're like.
Saraswati means "The essence of the
self." This Goddess gives knowledge and
the wisom and strengh to become what you want
to reach. Many students or teachers may worship
this goddess in beleif to gain the power of
reaching their goal. You want to reach your
goal in life and you want the strengh to
accomplish a high level of standards to be
successful. So much like Saraswati, you may be
deeply into music or art and that means you are
most like her than the rest of the Goddess


What Hindu God or Goddess are you like?
brought to you by Quizilla

Hey people...

Living the DC life. Been touring the city a little bit with some friends. Making slow changes in my life. Significant changes though. Today I saw the Jefferson Memorial. A young lady pointed out to me that Jefferson was very cool for creating what he did in the time period that he did so. Which i guess i had yet to acknowledge. I have to give Jefferson credit on that. Imagine if these so-called activist stopped protesting and involved themselves in politics. What if they were given the chance to basically found a new country. Write the code of ethics that country would live by. What would be the outcome...? So I guess I give Jefferson props on that. However he still had slaves which is kinda hypocritical of all the equality things he professed. I guess they thought so lowly of Blacks that they didn't even think they were meant for anything other than such subservient positions. Sorry; moving on. Also saw the Lincoln Memorial. Effect wasn't the same. While Lincoln was indeed respectable in his own right... I only took one interesting portion from his memorial. It was a comment on the civil war he made towards religion. He said 'Boths sides are praying for victory, but such a prayer cannot be answered as they perceive.' He even said the prayer of the yankees may not ever be fully realized. The part about two warring sides praying to the same god for victory just got me thinking. Same thing is happening with U.S. vs. Iraq. As well ad Israel vs. Palestine. Bloodshed; A shame. Dischordance; Inevitable. Seems no matter how perfect a society you start with, eventually there will be a tyrant born. Financial or Political, it seems to prove the ying yang true... there can be no recognizable good without bad. Well, maybe not. Although it would be hard to find a good which does not have an existing bad. Life/Death. Love/Lonliness. Solitude/Fame. "One man's dream is another man's headache." (Thank you, James B.) MLK had a dream. Standing on the Lincoln steps i think that's what went through my mind most. Martin Luther King Jr. was once here experiencing the same words on these walls that I am; delivering a speech that i can only dream of witnessing live. I think i prefer to live in the aftermath of his life though. I still wonder who will be our great leaders of the 21st century to motivate Blacks/Minorities to that next level. That is another blog for another time though.
Be kind... rewind...

Peace & Blessings.

Today was the birthday bash for Newaye, James, and Justin. Well, it turned out more of a birthday outting. Turns out Newaye and I couldn't get into McFaddesn's due to our age, but we did get into Mie N Yu. Boy did we get in. Tell me why we were actually acting like the bouncers for a bit. Why we wound up knowing the chef, a few waiters, the owner/manager, and the bouncer on a first name basis. It was all good though. I'd say we spent about 5-6hrs at this spot. Crazy. Then we and some friends took a nice lil stroll down some Georgetown street ("L" or "M" i think); it was quite scenic. Come to think of it the whole days has been about meeting new people. From the morning when i invited some lady to McFadden's. Actually the first time i can ever recall trying to get someone's name/number. It was nice. It's good that she didn't roll through though, cus she would have been like "where is he?" While i was like... "Dah well, can't get in." Along the same theme, i just seemed to be introducing myself to all sorts of people at Mie N Yu. I dunno, it was definitely fun to just do it. It's like daring yourself to do something, then accepting the challenge. So it was fun to constantly watch myself go out on limbs that i otherwise would see no reason to. Although in actuality that's how i am. Me and my whole "Why / Why Not?" attitude towards life. "What then? or What's stopping you?" Yep. Life is an intersting trip. Y'all just won't believe the last two days. But they've put a smile on my face. I needed that smile. Good DC. Good.

My boy, Newaye, and I have just had a great conversation. Started cause i called him naive and idealistic. Then we had a LONG debate over idealism. Of course any good discourse on idealistic endeavors brings "Love" into acknowledgement. From there unreturned Love. From there a nice nice nice discussion on past and present infatuations and what we should/should not do about those. I am liking this.

On a sidenote: DANG THERE ARE ALOT OF ETHIOPIANS IN DC/MD/VA. And they are all related to Newaye. (Sike).
Peace.

(Sike-a-dilly, ya momma is ..., bet ya five dollars i'll slap you silly!)