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I am so mad at Keith Boykin!!!!!
How DARE he post a Year in Pictures entry to his blog without the single most important picture of 2005! He and I are gonna have words!
Do you want to see the MOST important picture of 2005?
Read on.
HA!
You know you love it!
Posted by Rashid on December 31, 2005 at 7:20 AM | Comments (4)
Facebook Me!
Posted by Rashid on December 30, 2005 at 3:32 PM | Comments (0)
Breakfast With Santa
Free Jolly Jenkins!
What WHAAAAAAT!!!!!!
Posted by Rashid on December 28, 2005 at 6:39 PM | Comments (6)
Rest in Peace: 2005
Shirley Chisolm
Rosemary Kennedy
Badja Djola
Ruth Warrick
Virginia Mayo
Lamont Bentley
Johnny Carson
Ossie Davis
Hunter S. Thompson
Sandra Dee
Lyn Collins
Bobby Short
Mitch Hedberg
Pope John Paul II
Prince Rainier of Monaco
William J. Bell
Eddie Albert
Anne Bancroft
Luther Vandross
James Doohan
Peter Jennings
Barbara Bel Geddes
John H. Johnson
Bob Denver
Chief Justice William Rehnquist
Don Adams
Jerry Juhl
Nipsey Russell
August Wilson
Judge Constance Baker Motley
C. Delores Tucker
Rosa Parks
Pat Morita
Richard Pryor
John Spencer
Vincent Schiavelli
Michael Vale
Posted by Rashid on at 1:15 PM | Comments (1)
The N Word
So I am clearly doing a year-end clean up, lol.
Almost a year ago, before the book was released, I received this in an email:
Sporadically, I read your daily thoughts—always very personal and enjoyable. However, may I ask that you consider banishing one word from your vocabulary? That word is nigga, nicca, nikka, niggaz, etc.. The word makes my cringe at each sighting, honestly. You’re a budding author, and it’s unprofessional, ignorant, and could be damaging to profit. I protest the use of the N word by refusing to purchase music, literature, movies with excessive use of the word; I’m sure I’m not alone in my efforts to stop the use of such a damaging/negative word. Please consider removing this word from your vocabulary; Negro would be acceptable.
I responded to this person quickly and decisively (but cordially, I think) -- I, too, have very strong feelings about the N word and its derivatives. They just differ from his.
To the diary readers as well as those of you who have read Lazarus: what do you think?
Posted by Rashid on at 9:11 AM | Comments (5)
Most common referring sites
Judging by my stats, if you are reading this, you most likely came from Keith Boykin's site. :-) And for that, I must say a big thank you to Keith and all of his readers for visiting my site.
A special thank you also goes out to No4Real4Real, who not only sends people my way, but has become a real life, flesh and blood friend.
It's a shame that my fellow Hoya Butta and I haven't met yet -- but thanks to her, I have some new readers. :-) I love her blog and I read it whenever I want to laugh out loud and yell "I know that's right!" to my monitor.
Fred Smith. We laughed. We cried. We wrote books. We blogged. Check him out and thank him for doing what he's doing!
And the last of my major referrers....my new friend Bernie. I really want to meet up with him whenever I get to NYC. Who knows when that will be. But I appreciate his wisdom, tinged with his down-to-earthedness (can I get away with that?).
To more of my real life, flesh and blood friends: Liz, Karamale, and Wise & Young; and friends I have yet to meet: Rod (who seriously believed in my work when so few even knew who I was) & SeeGGrow. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
This is just my way of saying thanks to the above people and everyone else who has linked to my diary and to my website. You are really helping to expose the world to my talent, one click at a time. And if I didn't mention your name, don't feel bad -- a lot of you have linked my site and provided a few hits a month that are just as appreciated!
2006 is gonna big big for all of us...I appreciate you!
Posted by Rashid on at 8:22 AM | Comments (3)
Most Popular Diary Entries
These are the most popular diary entries. I looked at my web stats to see how many people directly linked to these entries -- they might not ACTUALLY be everyone's favorite entries, but people clicked on these entries from random searches more often than any others.
#1 -- The Revenge of Adam4Adam
#2 -- It's World AIDS Day: DC's Own Silent Epidemic
#3 -- Happy Founders Day!
#4 -- Cleaning Up
#5 -- Just me flexing my jaws on random entertainment topics
Posted by Rashid on at 8:04 AM | Comments (0)
Most Popular Picture
The Most Popular Picture on Old Gold Soul was this one:
It is Carolyn Pinckney and Phyllis Tenney, Basilei of two Alpha Kappa Alpha Chapters in the DC area. Ms. Pinckney was one of my second grade teachers at Bunker Hill. The photo was taken on the day that the 137 P.R.I.V.Y. debuted on the campus of Howard University.
8193 hits as of this writing.
Posted by Rashid on at 7:54 AM | Comments (0)
Observations on Good Times
Why was Florida Evans' voice so low, yet so high?
How come the "Damn, Damn, Damn!" scene is so fun to act out, but isn't funny at all when you see it?
Whatever happened to Moses Gunn's character? Did Florida bury ANOTHER husband?
Did anybody know that John Witherspoon was one of the police officers in the episode where Penny's mother tried to frame Wilona?
And how come Wilona couldn't keep a man?
Remember when Debbie Allen played JJ's strung-out on heroin girlfriend?
How long did he and Michael share that sofa-bed, anyway?
Wasn't Penny just really annoying when she wasn't being abused?
Why was JJ so skinny he only existed in two dimensions?
How come Bernadette Stanis hasn't aged a bit?
Posted by Rashid on December 26, 2005 at 10:56 PM | Comments (0)
www.sglproducts.com
I know, I should have posted this before Christmas, but check out a website that features black gay/same gender loving products, including movies, television shows, books, and greeting cards!
Check out www.sglproducts.com
Posted by Rashid on at 5:14 PM | Comments (0)
thanks…
candle light and cloth napkins my best china wine glasses i made/was: stuffing that comforted you ham that sustained you greens that enriched you yams that sweetened you rolls that filled you cranberry sauce i accepted the bitter with the sweet but you were the turkey
Posted by Rashid on December 25, 2005 at 7:47 PM | Comments (0)
january 10, 2001
dreamed about u last night
2 bad u’re not here
i was next 2 u again last night
so sad u’re not here
honing my abilities 2 traverse
a time zone by thinking of u
again
wondering when i’ll see u
again
can i call u up 1 day
and remind u how sweet my
tongue is in your mouth
will your roommate mind if
i bone u through the phone
try 2 b quiet about it
be discreet
u know u’re a freak
remember me
feel my mouth on those places
u can’t see
and let your hands reach 4 me
but i’m not there
flashback, come on yourself
just as if i were there
but i’m not
yet
do u want 2 remember what
being married was like
think of philadelphia
during 4 days in december
friendloverbrother
u took care of me
i took care of u
remember being
so exhausted that
we could not carry on
remember
my:
skin
hands
my wonder
as u sleep
2night and dream of me
if i were there 2night
i would b your man
Posted by Rashid on December 23, 2005 at 5:00 AM | Comments (1)
be careful
be careful what you wish for, mon frère
a poem about you could turn into
something you’re not ready for
like
the things i might do
if…
and when…
and if…
a poem about you would not be the
shrine to your perfection (that
you expect), but a
monument to the lust that
you can’t quite comprehend
cuz i be like
damn
sometimes
and forget how to speak that proper
english that you’re used to
and i be like
fuck
sometimes
when you say those little things that
make we want to walk to where you are
and rip
some things
off your body
and watch
you stand naked in front of me
watch those
facetious comments
before you find me
ringing
your doorbell
be careful what you wish for…
mon frère
Posted by Rashid on December 22, 2005 at 5:00 AM | Comments (1)
dude
this dude
puts me in the mood
this dude
puts me in a good mood
...dude
i wish i could say to the dude what i feel when he puts me in this...mood
dude, it's like beyond sex, and
dude, is this what it feels like to be
treated like
a man?
...dude
this is on some other shit
this is on some real shit
this is on some "where have YOU been for the past few months" shit
dude....are you reading this?
dude....can you hear me?
you put me in the mood
you put me in a good mood
you make me wanna hang up the phone,
catch the bus to the red line
transfer to the blue line
and walk a straight line
to your crib
and knock
and say
....dude
Posted by Rashid on December 21, 2005 at 5:00 AM | Comments (0)
why sun chases moon
-because god knew that we’d be playing this game for so long, he might as well just set us both in the sky, out of everybody else’s way
-and it’s ironic that you revolve around something that just revolves around me
-and i can see you, but i can’t touch you, even when you are eclipsing my light
-i keep your shit together when you spin out of control
-why does my dumb ass keep looking for you, knowing you only come out when i’m not around
-sun chases moon because he loves you, anyway
Posted by Rashid on December 20, 2005 at 5:00 AM | Comments (2)
July 18, 2003
Yesterday, I was the fly spying outside your window.
I was the captain of the plane that took your father overseas.
Today, I am ninety-nine point nine percent of your thoughts.
Tomorrow, I will be one-tenth of one percent.
I stumble over memories of a past not yet manifest.
And I wonder if I cannot write prose anymore because of you.
Posted by Rashid on December 19, 2005 at 5:00 AM | Comments (2)
Poetry Week: Love Poems
What's up, y'all?
This week, since I will be working both my jobs for five solid days with no break, I am going to take a break from my traditional blogging routine.
But when I take a break, y'all take it with me! (I heard that somewhere before, but I can't remember where.)
All this week, I will be posting love poems to my blog. If you're a fan of my poetry (hey, Perq!) then you will LOVE this week. Most all of these poems are old. Some will be happy, some will be sad, some will be angry. I sorta gave up writing poetry that was about the men that I liked, because it was time consuming and never reciprocated. So I said to hell with it and put my pen down.
But every now and then, I pick it back up.
So enjoy this week!
Posted by Rashid on December 18, 2005 at 8:55 PM | Comments (1)
The Hurting Time by Annie Lennox
To everything there is a purpose ...
To every blade of grass
And every leaf on every tree
Every livin' thing will surely
Come to pass
And what will be will be ...
That's when the hurtin' time begins
And all the things you never said
Or didn't have the strengh to say
And everything you ever did
That time won't ever wash away
Fears that you've been livin' with
Come runnin' down your face
Runnin' down your face
When the hurtin' time begins ...
So tell me what the day brings
Has it lost it's thrill?
Are you still searching
Hoping for that
Space to fill ...
Everything you turn to
Is like a mirror on the shelf
And the only one you're blaming
is yourself
A million little deaths you've died
The times that you've been crucified
The more you've loved and lost and tried
And still could not be satisfied
When will you be satisfied?
When will you be satisfied?
Not till the hurtin' time begins
Posted by Rashid on December 17, 2005 at 10:09 PM | Comments (0)
Yay Randal!!!
If you didn't see The Apprentice last night, long story short: Randal won, Trump asked him if he should hire the loser as well, and Randal said NO. The sentiment was that there is to be ONE winner.
Of course, the next morning, white America has turned the once coolblackguy ((c) Paul Beatty) into the horrible, arrogant, ungracious sonofabitch.
I posted the following comment on a message board this morning and thought it was good enough to make it in the blog.
***
I have a quick anecdote.....
This year, I was asked to speak on a panel about gay/lesbian/bisexual issues at my alma mater. I was chosen as the Alumni speaker. The other speakers represented single entities, such as the LGBT club on campus, another campus club that was specifically about coming out, the Women's Center, a Dean, a lesbian prof, and a gay male prof.
I sent out an email to my gay alumni group saying I was picked to be the alumni speaker. Well, one of the group moderators said "That's great, but did they contact so-and-so or so-and-so? I think YOU should contact them and see if they want to participate."
I completely ignored the email. Why should I need a sidekick in order to discuss the experiences of gay alums? Am I not a gay alum? I happened to know who both of the suggested speakers were, and they were both white.
So when I spoke about gay issues at Georgetown, I also spoke about how being a black gay man was not much different from just being a black man. There is still racism, there is still prejudice, there is still a notion that a black man, no matter how talented, cannot accurately represent a group that is majority white.
When trump asked Randal if he should hire Rebecca, I was so glad he said "Hell to the naw!" Because he was saying it, in my opinion, for every person of color who has been viewed as "good" but "not enough" to go it alone.
Trump really thought he was going to hire two people that night, and I'm so glad he didn't.
Yeah, Randal was a dick in the end, but so is Trump. If there was still a chance that Trump would pick Rebecca, Randal had to show that he's not a pushover. He wanted to win and did what he needed to do -- underscore why Rebecca would be the wrong choice.
For what it's worth, the organizer of the panel said that she, too, got an email implying that I wouldn't be "enough" -- she ignored it too.
Posted by Rashid on December 16, 2005 at 6:25 AM | Comments (6)
The Revenge of Adam4Adam
What in the Sam Hill?????
U make a brother want to dive deep into your treasure box and explore your love tunnel. Then slowly lick and suck those nipples until u scream stop...lol...just a brother way of saying hello.....
And another:
Hot man! Would luv to fuk u sometime. No strings, no relationship, just fukkin. If dat excites u, hit me bak. If not, peace.
First of all.....I know I don't look THAT goddamn good. So stop exaggerating.
What in the hell is WRONG with people? I've been on A4A a little more frequently these days (which is ironic because I have less time). I haven't connected with anyone, but people are contacting me because of LAZARUS, which is great news. I've always maintained that A4A was 99 percent for the promotion of my novel and 1 percent entertainment.
It's not a bad website -- it's probably one of the best dating sites I've seen around.
But I have high standards. I'm not going to respond to notes that don't meet my intellectual standards. I went to college, bitch! LOL....that means approach me like you and I both have some goddamned sense.
And I am a gentleman, dammit! A GENTLE MAN! Treat me gently and treat me like a man....don't talk about my love tunnel and sucking my nipples.
UGH!
Posted by Rashid on December 14, 2005 at 7:40 PM | Comments (8)
Tired
Jesus I am worn out.
Work isn't hard, but it's long. It seems like I keep forgetting "Oh yeah, I'm also the student council advisor." :-/ So that means even AFTER this long week, I will have to spend ALL DAY at a bazaar on Saturday, selling stupid baked good for the stupid Student Council Bake Sale.
(Though if you're in the DC area and want to support my student council on saturday, just email me and I'll give you directions to the school.)
I didn't sleep well last night, though I had two interesting dreams. One was erotic (YES! The most action I'll be getting any time soon!) and one was benign.
I'm just TIRED and my cough seems to be worse these days. I think I need to switch up my medicine because I am clearly congested again.
Anyway....
Posted by Rashid on at 6:24 AM | Comments (1)
Day One: Over
Work was great! In case you missed it, I work for an after school program teaching test taking skills. It's only a few hours a day for the next two weeks, and it's actually very tiring by itself. But all together, I end up having like a ten-eleven hour day instead of a six hour day.
I'm looking forward to the upcoming vacation, though.
Posted by Rashid on December 13, 2005 at 6:50 AM | Comments (0)
Monday AM Update
Had a great time last night in northern VA with the Gentlemen's Book Club. Great group of guys, great discussion!
Starting my second job today....it will be a lonnnng day and a long next two weeks, but I'm up to it. (I guess.) If nothing else, a bruh needs the dough, lol.
Would love comments on the poem below....sometimes I forget that I write poems and shit.
Also, check out my Richard Pryor piece below. I miss him already.
Shout outs to Ken, Antar, Fred, Bernie, and Amath. Y'all were on my mind today.
Posted by Rashid on December 12, 2005 at 7:26 AM | Comments (2)
response
with apologies to erykah badu
i want to walk up behind you and
kiss you on your neck
but
in this earthly shell
i can only reach that spot
between your shoulder blades
i walk up behind you and
kiss you there
and i am a butterfly
making love to every inch of you
exactly as god made you
a beautiful tapestry of
light and dark and light and dark and
i am the tickle that you feel right now
i could be divine and bring water to your mind
but i’d rather bring you earth
the soil from the garden where
adam and [st]eve once lived
the dirt between the toes of the free ancestors
the mud on the clothes of the enslaved
the clay from mississippi riverbeds
the soil from gardens of our grandmothers
the sand from the playgrounds and the beaches
the dirt roads you drive over
the dust that clogs my lungs
i bring earth to your mind and it
warms
soothes
nurtures
protects
it lives
it inspires
it is
me
it is
you
you and me
are divine
i give you earth and kiss you
from the inside
Posted by Rashid on December 11, 2005 at 9:00 AM | Comments (0)
Rest In Peace, Richard Pryor
Richard Pryor died today and I nearly broke down while watching CNN.
I wasn't born into the most conservative of families, so instead of reciting bible verses on Sunday nights, it was more common to hear the grown-ups retelling Richard Pryor jokes.
"And it's deep, too...."
(Took me years to understand what that one meant. Hey, whaddya want? I was like five when I first heard the joke.)
I am pretty sure that my first memory of Richard Pryor was when he was in Bustin' Loose with Cicely Tyson. I liked it because it was kids. Sure, they all has issues with a capital ISH, but at that age, I don't think I knew what it meant to be emotionally disturbed.
Basically, Richard Pryor drives Cicely Tyson and the ED kids across country on a broke-down school bus. There is more to the plot, but basically it's one of my favorite movies of all time. I don't know if it's a good movie. All I know is you'll probably never see anything so touching as Richard Pryor touching these kids' lives.
AND Roberta Flack did the soundtrack.
Now, I also remember a movie called The Toy
So....I admit. This movie sucks. And it's disturbing on a certain level that a black man can be "bought" and used as someone's toy. It's like he became a mammy for the 1980's. It wasn't cool. Somehow, it is rationalized when Pryor teaches the white boy character and values....but...eh...
But as a kid, I still loved the movie. I don't watch it all the time as an adult, but it did highlight Richard Pryor's more slapstick abilities.
Then of course there's no forgetting his role in Superman III
He came out with lots of other movies in the 80s, and while some interested me, others didn't. What I did get turned on to in the interim was the comedy of Eddie Murphy. Yes, I watched Raw at too young an age as well. But watching Raw set into motion an interest in Richard Pryor as a comedian.
By the time Harlem Nights
Wait...rewind....how could I have forgotten this relic....
Pryor's Place!
It was only on for a season and I don't remember a single episode, but I do remember part of the theme song, sung by none other than Ray Parker, Jr. The show featured Richard Pryor telling stories about his childhood to the neighborhood kids and the various themes that were raised. A typical kids' show formula, but with more of an edge than Fat Albert or the few other ethnic shows that were out for kids. I think that Pryor's Place was probably more in line with Vegetable Soup.
So anyway, I recognized Pryor's genius at a young age and came to appreciate him when I saw Harlem Nights. Unfortunately, that was around the same time that Multiple Sclerosis started changing Pryor's timing and ability to spit those rapid-fire jokes and stories.
As I got older, I started really listening to the man and understanding how his own life was the canvas. It was almost scary how he could make a joke out of setting himself on fire while freebasing. But he was brave like that. I try to live my life the same way, kinda, through this blog. I don't want to hold anything back really because hell, maybe somebody out there is learning from my mistakes, as I learned from Pryor's.
I listened to And It's Deep Too: The Complete Warner Bros. Recordings
I'm sad. Not just the fact that another one of our legends is dead, but because for the last 20 or so years of his life, he wasn't able to live up to his full storytelling potential. That damn disease Multiple Sclerosis all but silenced him. Sure, he still acted a bit, earning an Emmy nomination for his guest appearance on Chicago Hope.
But it's not the same....America needed Richard Pryor, and we got Chris Rock. No offense to Chris, but we needed them both. When Eddie Murphy turned all "family man" on us, we needed Richard Pryor. When other great comics faded into the background to be replaced by these foul-mouth-with-no-purpose BET comedians, we needed Richard Pryor.
And now he's gone.
I hope that America understands exactly what it is that we lost on yesterday. He wasn't just a comedian or an actor or a writer.
He was, in fact, the greatest.
Rest in peace.
Posted by Rashid on December 10, 2005 at 8:25 PM | Comments (2)
63 More Questions
1. Do you still talk to the person you had your first kiss with?
No. There's no animosity or anything, though.
2. What would you do with 1,000 plastic spoons?
Give them to my mom most likely.
3. What kind of music did you listen to in elementary school?
Almost exclusively David Bowie, Prince, George Michael, and Sheena Easton
4. What is the best thing about your job?
The kids are hilarious.
5. Do you wish cell phone etiquette was required in class?
Well, I'm not in school anymore and when I was, we kept our phones on vibrate or turned them off.
6. Are you against same sex marriage?
Absolutely not. I want a legal wedding, dammit!
7. Question missing. Insert your own.
Do you read your horoscope? Not every day, but I swear by the one in the Washington Post. (Holiday Mathis)
8. Where are you going on your next vacation?
Maybe Martha's Vineyard next summer
9. Quote a song lyric?
If you want a do right all day woman/you gotta be a do right all night man.
10. Are most of the friends in your life new or old?
Hmmm....most are new. (Met them in 97 or later)
11. Do you own any furniture from Ikea?
Nope.
13. If you could be an animal what would you be?
A house cat.
14. What state/country are you from?
Washington, DC
15. Tell us about the last conversation/s you had:
Talking about rectors with Harley
16. Where do you see yourself in one month?
With a balanced budget for COVENANT and my summer tour.
17. What is your favorite smell?
Budussy. Sike, LOL. Cool Water
18. What is your favorite sight?
A smile on the face of someone I love.
19. Do you consider yourself bi-polar?
Not clinically, but I can flip it in an instant.
21. Have you ever done anything vindictive to your coworker?
No comment.
22. Have you ever gone to therapy?
Yep.
23. Have you ever Played Spin the bottle?
Yep.
24. Have you ever Toilet papered someone's house?
Naw.
25. Have you ever liked someone but never told them?
Kinda.... I think anyone I like, even if they're straight, knows it in some way.
26. Have you ever gone camping?
Hell to the naw.
27. Have you ever had a crush on your brother's friend?
Um.....I don't have any blood brothers...
28. Have you ever been to a nude beach?
Ewwwww no.
29. Have you ever had sex on the beach?
No.
30. Have you ever had a stalker?
This dude from BlackPlanet came to my school looking for me! And the damn nice ass black people of Georgetown told him where I lived on campus!
31. Have you ever gone skinny dipping?
Naw.
32. Have you ever laughed so hard you cried?
YES. LOL
33. Have you ever gone to a party where you were the only sober person?
Nah....
34. Have you ever been cheated on?
No.
35. Have you ever felt betrayed by your best friend?
I don't have a best friend. I have felt betrayed by some close friends.
36. Have you ever lied to your parents?
Who doesn't?
37. Have you ever been out of the US?
Yes! Russia and the UK
38. Have you ever thrown up from working out?
No, but if I ever do, I will know that I have made it, LOL.
39. Have you ever gotten a haircut so bad that you wore a hat for a month straight?
Naw.
40. Have you ever eaten 3 meals from 3 different fast food places in 1 day?
I don't think so. If I did, it may have been while in Russia or the UK.
41. Have you ever gotten so wasted you cant remember the nite before?
No....not a big drinker.
42. Have you ever spied on someone you had a crush on?
Define "spy." I mean, sure, I've sorta made myself be in the same place at the same time of somebody I wanted to get to know better.
43. Have you ever slept with one of your coworkers?
Nope, but I sure would!
44. Have you ever seen your best friend naked?
I don't have a best friend, and I have seen no close friends nekkid.
45. What's the longest relationship u've been in?
Never really been in one.
46. Are you single, married, or taken?
Single.
47. Are you in love at the moment?
Really digging someone.
48. With?
49. Have you ever had a bad relationship?
I've known som fucked up people in my day and gotten myself into bad situations, but none were technically relationships.
50. How old were you when you started dating?
Um....dating? LOL. College, I guess.
51. Are you unpredictable?
No.
52. Do you like surprises?
God no. Not big ones, at least.
53. You think friends can become lovers?
They probably shouldn't. Lovers can be friends, though.
54. You think lovers can become friends?
Oops, I should have read ahead, lol.
55. Have you ever had an ex you wanted to kill?
Kill is such a strong word.
56. How is she/he now?
n/a
57. Have you ever been hurt?
Hell to the motherfuckin yeah.
58. Have you ever hurt anyone?
Probably so.
59. Do you forgive and forget?
It's very hard for me to do and it takes a long time, but eventually, I forget.
60. Is love love-ly the second time around?
I don't even know what this means.
61. Fling or long term relationships?
Long term relationship, thanks.
62. Ever been cheated on?
No.
63. Ever cheat on someone?
Nope.
Posted by Rashid on at 12:53 PM | Comments (1)
PG Plaza
Had a dream about me, Shari, and PG Plaza that was vivid as all hell. The first part, well, I was in some sort of workshop, maybe a writer's workshop, that was being conducted by my old old boss. She didn't recognize me before and was like "Aren't you the guy who is in the news all the time?" And I said "Let's call them news releases...just don't call it spam." It was pretty bizarre.
Then somehow I am in a restaurant waiting for Shari. I don't know if Jimi was there or not, maybe he was supposed to be? So I ate, and Shari came and had already eaten. I think we were on a mission to find an ATM machine so we could go shopping. It seems like there were so many stores and food kiosks that we wanted to try. The last thing I remember saying was like "Damn, we are so giddy to be in this mall. You'd think this was the first time we've ever been out on our own, like junior high school."
And then I woke up.
Posted by Rashid on at 4:41 AM
Elaborate Lives
I appreciate Elton John and Tim Rice for writing this.
We all lead such elaborate lives
wild ambitions in our sights
How an affair of the heart survives
days apart and hurried nights
Seems quite unbelievable to me
I don't want to live like that
seems quite unbelievable to me
I don't want to love like that
I just want our time to be
slower and gentler, wiser, free
We all live in extravagant times
playing games we can't all win
Unintended emotional crimes
Take some out, take others in
I'm so tired of all were going through
I don't want to live like that
I'm so tired of all were going through
I don't want to love like that
I just want to be with you
Now and forever, peaceful, true
This may not be the moment
to tell you face to face
But I could wait forever
for the perfect time and place
We all lead such elaborate lives
We don't know whose words are true
Strangers, lovers, husbands, wives
Hard to know who's loving who
Too many choices tear us apart
I don't want to live like that
Too many choices tear us apart
I don't want to love like that
I just want to touch your heart
May this confession
Be the start
Posted by Rashid on December 9, 2005 at 7:02 PM
Christmas Carols for the Psych Ward
(Borrowed from a message board I visit.)
SCHIZOPHRENIA: Do You Hear What I Hear?
MULTIPLE PERSONALITY DISORDER: We Three Kings Disoriented Are
AMNESIA: I Don't Know if I'll be Home for Christmas
NARCISSISTIC: Hark the Herald Angels Sing About Me
MANIC: Deck the Halls and Walls and House and Lawn and Streets and Stores and Office and Town and Cars and Buses and Trucks and Trees and Fire Hydrants and...
PARANOID: Santa Claus is Coming to Get Me
BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER: Thoughts of Roasting on an Open Fire
PERSONALITY DISORDER: You Better Watch Out, I'm Gonna Cry, I'm Gonna Pout, Maybe I'll tell You Why
OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER: Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells...
AGORAPHOBIA: I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day But Wouldn't Leave My House
AUTISTIC: Jingle Bell Rock and Rock and Rock and Rock ...
SENILE DEMENTIA: Walking in a Winter Wonderland Miles From My House In My Slippers and Robe
OPPOSITIONAL DEFIANT DISORDER: I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus So I Burned Down the House
SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas While I Sit Here and Hyperventilate
Posted by Rashid on December 7, 2005 at 7:22 AM | Comments (3)
Philanthropy
Today I read an article in the Washington Post called Black Oriented Museums Are Lacking Black Donors and it was about the new Muhammad Ali Center and other black museums and memorials that are not getting the expected funding from black folks.
What I found most interesting about this article was the following:
The Ali Center's experience was telling. Given Ali's status as an icon and role model for many in the world of sports, the center recruited sports commentator Bob Costas and Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), a boxing aficionado, to raise money from athletes. They were surprised by the poor results."I was grossly disappointed," Meeks said. "I know there have been difficulties with several . . . professionals who are paid well and might not be paid well if it were not for Ali breaking that [racial] barrier.
"We called and oftentimes we didn't get called back," Meeks said. "Then I tried to get other people who called, people who had connections, and we heard, 'I'll get back to you on that,' and they never got back to us. I never thought in my wildest dreams that it would be difficult to raise money for Ali."
Meeks would not name the sports figures who were contacted. But a top administrator at the Ali Center, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of being fired, said former basketball stars Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley were contacted, as were golfer Tiger Woods and fight promoter Don King. Actor Will Smith, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his movie portrayal of Ali, was also solicited, the administrator said. None contributed.
Now....it's YO business who and what you contribute to in your private life. I'm not going to judge these people.
Nor am I going to judge African Americans on the whole, who tend to me more giving toward churches and scholarship. Give where you can (though I wish we'd give more and with greater variety).
But I will speak on this: Should I ever become filthy rich, I imagine that it will be hard for me to "keep" my money, so to speak. To phrase it differently, I'd much rather give away my wealth while I live than after I'm dead.
I don't know, it's just how I am. If I've got two dollars, my friends have at least one of those.
I don't make a lot of money, but if I see a kid lingering at the school book fair with less than a dollar to buy a book, yes, I will buy them a book or two. I mean come on, how could you NOT buy a needy kid a book?
So it amazes me that pro athletes, who make a LOT more money than I do, wouldn't throw a few thousand dollars at the Ali center. I mean hell, I didn't know Lennox Lewis had $300,000 so you know the more well known athletes must have a few discretionary million.
But again...not judging them....I don't know how they donate their money.
Let's say I was filthy rich....and I mean FILTHY....I'd do the following:
1) Adopt some Latino families in my neighborhood and make sure they can enjoy Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter, at least for their first few years in the states. (Okay, so I don't need to be filthy rich to do this and I already "adopted" two Latino kids for the season, but we're not talking about that, lol)
2) Endow the African American Studies program at Georgetown so that it becomes not only a full major, but a graduate program through the PhD level.
3) Endow the Georgetown University Black House.
4) Endow the GU Step Team so they never have to fundraise again.
5) Establish a foundation for my high school so that whenever they need money for improvements, conferences and camps for the students, more staff, etc, all they have to do is ask the foundation. (Not sure how legal this is for public schools, but alls I know is that I want this money to go to my high school and NOT the system.)
6) Scholarships for the POOR, not the smart, lol.
There's probably more I could do, like AIDS research, cancer research, mental health care, and all that jazz. But I think my primary philanthropic interests are improving quality of life and education.
Oh yeah, and grants for authors. ;-)
Posted by Rashid on December 6, 2005 at 7:06 PM | Comments (1)
Thanks, General Robert
Snow, but not enough to cancel school.
Yuck.
Student Council meeting today. I'll be showing the little runts how to conduct a meeting. Order of business, basic parliamentary procedure, how to make a motion, etc. The bad part about Robert's Rules is that there is no Robert's for kids....that I know of, at least.
This will be a fun meeting, though.
Hell, come to think of it, wouldn't it be nice if my frat meetings followed Robert's Rules? That's what bugs me the most about organizations in general. The parliamentary authority is clearly identified in the bylaws, but nobody makes it a point to learn even the basics.
It's not even that difficult to learn.
But ah, whatever. I guess I complain too much.
Posted by Rashid on at 7:50 AM | Comments (1)
Something different....
I am playing random songs on my favorite media player, and it's funny how some of the lyrics speak to my life and situations.
Just like a dream come true
I wished for you
I have never been so happy ’bout a love so new
You opened my heart to a brand new start
My love’s there wherever you are
I won’t let no one take you away
You took the ease off my mind
And put it behind
You were there yes indeed for all my needs--yes
I love me some him
I’ll never love this way again
I love me some you
Another man will never do
Toni Braxton....
I am cold. I had a good day at work today. Minimal coughing and minimal feelbadishness.
U, yeah.
U're such a big tease, u get me all excited,
All excited then u go home.
U're like ice cream,
Knew I got 2 getcha, got 2 getcha, before u're all gone.
U're such a bombshell,
And if I ever get ya, ever get ya, ever get ya,
There's no telling how long I'd last
Before I tick, tick bang all over u
Tick, tick-a-tick, bang, bang all over u
Tick, tick-a-tick, bang, bang, bang, tick, bang, bang
Prince....
Came to some realizations about my next big project. Not happy about it, but I gotta do what I gotta do.
I can't stop this feeling i got
U know i can't sleep at night
I can't stop, u know i love it a lot,
I'm talking about an everlasting light.
I can't stop this feeling i got
I get to shaking all in my shoes
I can't stop this feeling i got
The doctor say there's nothing that he can do
Prince...
Still liking...still longing...
Every story, tale or memoir
Every saga or romance
Whether true or fabricated
Whether planned or happenstance
Whether sweeping through the ages
Casting centuries aside
Or a hurried brief recital
Just a thirty-minute ride
Whether bright or melancholy
Rough and ready, finely spun
Whether with a thousand players
Or a lonely cast of one
Every story, new or ancient
Bagatelle or work of art
All are tales of human failing
All are tales of love at heart
Every story is a love story.....Aida.....
Posted by Rashid on December 5, 2005 at 7:09 PM | Comments (0)
Happy Founders Day!
Today is Sunday, December 4, 2005 -- the 99th birthday of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc!
Who is your favorite Alpha man?
(Besides me, of course.)
;-)
Posted by Rashid on December 4, 2005 at 4:25 PM | Comments (6)
It's World AIDS Day: DC's Own Silent Epidemic
I had wanted to write an original entry today, but instead here is an article from today's Georgetown Voice.
Be informed. Be safe. And check out the many other World AIDS Day Blogs out there today.
****
D.C.’s own silent epidemic
Brian Brush and Melissa Lefkowitz
Most students will think of Africa’s epidemic this World AIDS Day, unaware of the epidemic here in the District. Current research reveals that one in 20 adults in the District of Columbia is HIV positive and one in 60 adults has AIDS. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.
Despite 18 years of international awareness raised by World AIDS Day, D.C. currently faces an increasing amount of AIDS diagnoses within its population, according to Kim Mills, director of communications and public affairs for the Whitman-Walker Clinic, a non-profit D.C. healthcare provider.
“Up to one third of these people don’t know that they are infected,” Mills said. “This contributes to the problem that we see here in Washington.”
A lack of coordination among government agencies responsible for addressing AIDS and poor government leadership have created little in the way of outreach within the District, according to Walter Smith, executive director of D.C. Appleseed, a non-profit organization dedicated to addressing public policy issues.
Mills and Smith both said that testing is the most crucial aspect of AIDS prevention. “We are constantly doing outreach and marketing and advertising; we have two mobile units that we send out around the community to do testing,” Mills said. “One has Spanish language on the vehicle, the other is geared towards the African-American community.”
D.C. Appleseed’s latest research found that black people make up 75 percent of D.C.’s AIDS cases, while Hispanics follow a close second, both locally and nationally.
“I think it’s important to see the problem in the African-American and the Hispanic communities, but it’s striking to see how it’s affecting people in lower socio-economic groups,” Smith said.
These groups are mostly made up of the underinsured in the District.
According to Mills, AIDS patients who qualify for Medicaid can acquire needed treatment. The problem, she said, lies in the gap between the poverty line and the minimum income level for affording insurance.
“You [the underinsured] are caught in that Neverland of never being able to afford the drugs,” Mills said.
According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the poverty line for a family of four is $19,350 per year.
“Seventy-five percent of our clients are at 200 percent of the federal poverty line of the United States,” Mills said. At this income level, living with AIDS is not affordable.
Dr. Deanna Cooke, Assistant Director of Research for the Center for Social Justice, said that AIDS victims need $13,000 a month to live.
The D.C. Appleseed team is addressing the socio-economic problems surrounding D.C.’s AIDS as well.
“We don’t think it’s being handled in the community right now. We made a number of findings on things that we thought were not being done well,” Smith said. “We made around 75 recommendations.”
Today, D.C. Appleseed releases a report to the District, documenting its progress and specifying categories of action key in slowing the AIDS epidemic.
Smith acknowledged the importance of local community initiatives in raising AIDS awareness, including efforts made by universities like Georgetown.
“They need to stay involved and to work with other groups, and to hold the district government accountable,” Smith said.
Due to the race issues inherent in the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the Georgetown AIDS Coalition, now in its third year, is seeking partnerships with the Black Student Alliance and the GU National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Richard Thayer (CAS ‘07), a member of the GU AIDS Coaliton, said that despite Georgetown’s reputation for activism, there is a “surprisingly low level of people working on the AIDS issue.”
“We’re trying to create a network of groups that are somehow involved in the cause of fighting the AIDS crisis,” he said.
Posted by Rashid on December 1, 2005 at 10:11 AM | Comments (2)