Just an immigrant in US with a positive attitude towards life. Here thinking out loud about sex, Nigeria, love, friendship, religion, spritiuality, family, history, mistakes, DJing, gadgets, sports, credit, technology, hobbies, politics, Africa, jokes, relationships, gadgets, finances, money, investments, Nigerians in the diaspora and so on and so forth.
Some 2K10 Goals by God's special grace n power
Paint entire house
Set up entire downstairs including garage
Reduce credit card debt by at least $2k
Pay off any miscellaneous debt
Most definitely get into a committed relationship
Most definitely send money to mom for a new car
Take time to develop relationships
At least, 2 patents
Aggresively work on developing iPhone App dev skills
Create a webpage for DJing
Expand my career breadth
Visit London
Join Toastmasters
Create a will and a Power of Attorney 4 Healthcare
Take complete control of soda drinking
Work on taking a CPR class
SO, HELP ME GOD!
Some 2K7 Goals by God's special grace n power
Finally buy some Nyja stocks
Get a loaded Thinkpad or Sony Vaio
Join MentorPlace n consistently mentor
Put at least $2K in stocks apart from investment club contr. & 401k
Take complete control of coffee
SO, HELP ME GOD!
Some 2K6 Goals by God's grace
Have a white paper published
Work on increasing pay
Get to the next band at work
Help renovate mom's place
Give mom n bro at least $*K each for wedding
Finally visit Nyja!!!
Take a real estate class
My Videos
Go Getta. R. Kelly
Music I'm Feeling...
2Face
Ebenezer Obey
KWAM 1
Cassandra Wilson
Pharell
Ne-Yo
T.O.K
Don Moen
D4L
Teddy Pendergrass
ColdPlay
DMB
Notorious B.I.G
Delirious
Dem Franchise Boyz
Frank Sinatra
Evanescence
All-American Rejects
Billie Holiday
Seal
Obesere
KEM
Books I'm reading...
Zero Debt
The Millionaire Next Door
The Street Lawyer
African Women: Three Generations
Communication, Sex & Money
The J2EE Tutorial
Cities I Have Visited
ATL, GA
Austin,TX
Detroit, MI
Houston, TX
Charlotte, NC
Corning, NY
NYC, NY
Friday, October 01, 2010
DJ DaRay presents Nigeria At 50: Same Ol', Can't Give Up On Change
Word Up!
Always remember, it takes nothing to light one candle from another candle. ~ Vocal Slender #1
Happy 50th Birthday, Nigeria!!!! I love my country, Nigeria, but as I think of our 50th independence day anniversary, I am filled with mixed emotions. I am excited about the independence but pissed at our corrupt and inert government. No power. Dilapidated infrastructure. We have a government that is, for the most part, inundated with extremely selfish leaders. Leaders who care about nothing but their pockets. Leaders who know nothing about creating programs to help create millions of jobs for the countless unemployed graduates. Or maybe the bastards are just too busy, arduously, looting the Nigerian treasury. Same ol' bastards have been ruling for decades.
The thoughts of the havoc these leaders have been wreaking for the past 50yrs (and are still wreaking) infuriates me deeply cos Nigeria is a country loaded with vast natural and human resources among others. We have limitless potential. The famous BBC documentary, Welcome to Lagos, attests to our potential for greatness and undeniable strength as a nation as manifested through the resolve, ingenuity and admirable joy of those featured. It also helped me to see that regardless of the terrible leaders that we have, we, the people, cannot give up. We have to stay positive, work together as people and create change in the country from the bottom up. Still a lot of the same ol' BS, but like Maya Angelou said, paraphrasing, STILL, WE WILL RISE SOMEHOW!
I know I talk too much, but just couldn't help but rant a little bit. :) Here is the Part 1 of a freestyle mix of Nigerian songs that I decided to create to reflect how I really feel during this great time of celebration and reflection. These songs, from decades ago till today, speak my heart about how I feel about my beloved country, Nigeria.
Part 1 is a reflection of how the country is still a lot of the same ol' trouble due to bad leadership in the country. The songs describe the issues currently going on now in the country. It features quite a number of Ajegunle-based artists such as Fire Boy, Stereoman, Femi The Junglist and others such as Ras Kimono, Rico White and of course Fela and Femi Kuti among others. I have always loved how most of the Ajegunle-based artists speak about the suffering of the common man and that's why I included many of their songs in the mix especially the song about oil workers being kidnapped by Big Tanker. It amazes me how true many of the issues described by Fela's music from the 70's are still very relevant as reflected by the songs in this mix. Here is the link - http://soundcloud.com/dj-daray/dj-daray-presents-nigeria-at-50-same-ol-cant-give-up-on-change-part-1
Part 2 is a reflection of my pride for my country regardless of the madness and hope for a better tomorrow. They are songs that inspire hope and unity among the different ethnic groups and tribes in Nigeria. It features artists such as Vector, Jimmy Sugarcane, Vocal Slender (the musician featured on Welcome to Lagos), classic artists such as Onyeka Onwenu, Veno Mariogha, Dr Orlando Owoh and of course and as usual Fela Anikulapo Kuti. :) I just pray that our leaders will do better. God help us! Here is the link to that - http://soundcloud.com/dj-daray/dj-daray-presents-nigeria-at-50-same-ol-cant-give-up-on-change-part-2
ALL YOURS FOR DOWNLOAD AND LISTENING BY CLICKING ON THE DOWNLOAD AND PLAY LINKS RESPECTIVELY. Feel free to download and share link with friends and family. For more info or comments, pls contact me at djdaray@gmail.com. Thanks and HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE GREATEST NATION, NIGERIA! :) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ DJ DaRay presents Nigeria At 50: Same Ol', Can't Give Up On Change, Part 1
1) Demo Crazy by Femi Anikulapo Kuti & Positive Force 2) So-So Talk And No Action by Femi Anikulapo Kuti & Positive Force 3) Nigeria by Rico White feat. Iceberg Slim & Buck3000 With Fela 4) What's Gwan by Ras Kimono 5) Imagine by T Money 6) Go Slow by Fela Anikulapo Kuti 7) Nothing Dey Happen by Unknown AJ Artist 8) E Dey Pain Me by Stereoman 9) Warri Peoplel Say Kpoko by Big Tanker 10) Mr President by African China 11) Flog Politicians by Femi The Junglist 12) Okala Government - Fire Boy 13) V.I.P. Pt 1 and 2 by Fela Anikulapo Kuti 14) Bad Leadership by Lágbájá 15) Shuffering and Shmiling by Fela Anikulapo Kuti 16) Original Suffer Head by Fela Anikulapo Kuti
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ DJ DaRay presents Nigeria At 50: Same Ol', Can't Give Up On Change, Part 2
1) The People's Minds Have Gone Low Interview by Fela Anikulapo Kuti 2) Peace Nigeria by Remedies 3) I Luv U Nigeria by Vector 4) Nigeria by Infinity 5) Proud Naija (V2) by Jimmy Sugarcane 6) We Go Make Am; Na Our Destiny by Unknown Artist 7) Nigeria by Vocal Slender 8) One day song by OJB Jezreel 9) Blackman Know Yourself by Femi Anikulapo Kuti & Positive Force 10) Do Good To Help Yourself by Fire Boy 11) One Love by Onyeka Owenu 12) Still Made In Nigeria by Tosin Martins ft Ft Naeto C 13) Yankuluya(Dem Mama Remix) by Timaya 14) We Are Africans - Naija Remix by JJC ft.Femi Kuti, Eldee, Da Grin, DJ Zeez, Kel, Ay.com 15) Nigeria Go Survive by Veno Marioghae 16) Kajumo Se by Dr Orlando Owoh 20) Naija by NL3 21) Viva Nigeria by Fela Anikulapo Kuti
This version of Throw Some Ds will get you cracking! Mehn, this guy was doing his thing for real. This shit sounds more like a "Fuji Hip-Hop" rendition of Throw Some Ds. Just got a Cadillac! Nay yam? lol!
It has been years since I heard it but part of my welcome to my "beloved" country was the familiar statement from ur dearest policeman, "Oya give me sumtin' for Xmas now." Very appalling, I must say. The polic hasn't changed one bit. Apart from phenomenally much better wireless communications in Nyja, nutin has changed, in almost 10 yrs. Ok. maybe the music. Nice music these days. You can actually have only Nyja songs played at a party and it will rock big tyme. Love that! ok. got to go, my cyber cafe minutes are over... Will talk later. Been fun though.
It is almost here. I remember leaving Nyja (Nigeria) over 9yrs ago and telling folks I will be back the next year. Next year, year after, year after year after, year after year after year after year, over 9 yrs and I haven't been back yet. I haven't seen any member of my nuclear family since then. Meeehn! Nothing to write home about at all. But thank God, it is finally here. Just 2 more hurdles to cross and by God's grace, this time next week, I will be in Nyja. Thank God!
Been planning to do this but as usual, procastination. Mehn, had too much fun for realz. I know. It has been a month, right. Still recovering. : ) That was a great one for sure. E ku ise naa! Ok, now that the wedding is over (or has been over since : ) Iwoyi laro mi), here comes the real deal, the more important part - the marriage... I wish you guys a very Happy Married Life. I pray that God Almighty will make your marriage an epitome of what God intended marriage to be in Jesus' name; that people will see your marriage and glorify God in heaven for the great things he is doing in and through it. It's sad to say but from what I have seen in my lil life on earth so far, apart from few exceptions, maybe very few if I want to be more precise, many people's marriages seem to look so great from outside but inside, they are living hell. By God's immeasurable grace, yours will be not just part of the few but of the very few exceptions that are not so in Jesus' name. Amen.
Once again, like everyone has said over and over again, that was a great wedding. One of the best I have been to in years and believe me, I am a wedding veteran. : ) That's where you see ladies looking their best. It's amazing. Though the make up of some usually look like they have 10 layers over their faces. You can almost picture the removal of the layers one at a time before getting to the real face. ok, that's besides the point. : ) But definitely had great time at the wedding, as obvious, :) and now that you have launched it for the inner caucus, like you say, peoples, bring on the weddings, I beg!
Like they say in NASA, Remi and Babs, Good Luck and Godspeed. : ) Have the best of marriages! And you know what? Waiting for the triplets soonest o! : )
Of course, our only hope lies with one man! Who else! It's the man I have been waiting for over 6 months to see in action...again. Here he goes again... An overly-bearded, melancholic, gruesomely-scarred (and i can imagine emotions-wise too), yet determinedly ready-for-action Jack Bauer. This time they claim he must die! Yeah right! Jack is immortal, for heaven's sake! He ain't going nowhere!
Since I started watching 24 in season 1, the show has definitely met and beaten my expectations each season. It just amazes me. It's unreal for any show on TV. And now, looking at the preview for season 6, once again, it definitely seems like it won't disappoint me. A day starting with a big time terrorist attack, another black president, esepcially being the brother of the one and only President Palmer (sounds like the Palmers = the Bushes here), the usual suspense and action are some of the reasons why I definitely look forward to the latest season. My only fear, seeing that the show doesn't seem to give a crap about the lives of any of the leading characters, is probably seeing my psychotic, basket-mouthed Chloe die this season.
And dammit, I will probably be missing the premier! I better be able to see it in Nyja somehow!
You know what? As per him dying, that's just story! Hmmmm....but again, you just never know; it's 24! NAAAAA!!! HELL NO!!!
The world needs anger. The world often continues to allow evil because it isn't angry enough. ~ Bede Jarrett
I know it's kind of late, but haven't had a chance to blog about it. I remember sitting down in front of TV glued to the screen and watching the debates and news during the Clinton campaign for presidency in the 90s in Nigeria (Also, Voice of America was a constant companion of my best friend and I back then in UNIBEN! Mehn, I need to call that guy. Been a while). I did it so much that my mom started calling me Clinton's son. She still says it till today everytime his name comes up. She never really got it. Bill Clinton, unlike a lot of politicians had this unreal persona. He was very intelligent and at the same time very down-to-earth. He was just real! If there is one thing I love in this world, it is a combination of profound intelligence and down-to-earth nature in a person. You rarely find that combo. But with Clinton, you did. I mean, you listened to him and you just saw a regular person that you could talk to unlike most of those politicians who are just pretenders, conniving and unapproachable. You saw him and he was just relatable. He just kept it real.
To me, he manifested this unusual human persona again this last Sunday. Many people must have seen and heard about the interview he had with FOX News Chris Wallace. The videos are all over youtube.com and have been the most popular videos this week. The interview started on a normal note but when Chris Wallace brought up the question about how everyone wanted to know why he didn't do more to take care of Bin Laden and Al Qaeda when he was the president, he did what most politicians will probably not do. My boy gave Chris a piece of his mind! He showed that he was a human being with emotions just like everyone else on the street who did the voting. He let Chris Wallace and his whole crew have it like I haven't seen before on News Channels by any president or let me say most politicans. Very unscripted, very heartfelt, very free-styled, very candid! Can't beat it! And I loved it! Very relatable like I said earlier before. Unlike those fake ass politicians that act like they are on some crappy pedestal.
And as usual, I love the media! : ) They are just so predictable. Just as expected, the bastards portrayed his candid rhetorics as negative. Some people also said the same. They said that he went mad or lost his cool. Fuck that shit!!!! He is human! One can only take so much as a person especially when as a person, you very rarely lose your cool cos I don't remember him getting angry or losing his cool in public. Ok. maybe during the I-did-not-have-any-sexual-relations-witht-that-woman saga! : ) But for real, his expression was sincere and real. "...so I tried and failed." "...That's just a bunch of bull." lol! Wow! How many politicans can ever say that? How many? I mean...I swear mehn you can't beat that. Never!
And that is precisely why I have always admired Clinton as a person. His contant show of his everyday-person-on-the-street nature; his sincerity as a person (which have always been undeniable and contagious, in my own view). He just always keeps it real. He is just one of those people that says his mind without mincing words and also delivers it with notable intelligence. I had no problem with his expression of what he felt. In fact, I was very excited about the way he just let it all out without caring about whether he was on the air or not. I can relate with him in so many ways. Many times, as people, you have all these bullshit said about you by people and you just brush it aside like it's no big deal. And many times, it's truly no big deal. However, there comes a time when you just have to defend yourself as a person and that's just what he did. People had been saying all sort of bullshit about how he didn't care about terrorism especailly the right wingers. How he was weak when it came to terrorism et al. How he never too terrorists seriously. Bullshit! He did. He just tackled it with tact. He tried to kill Bin Laden and other terrorists using covert operations. Personally, I think that makes more sense. Going all the way out into countries just doesn't cut it, as has been made obvious to all to see now. (I must say though that it is too late for the US to pack their baggage and get out of Iraq after the chaos they have caused. I don't support leaving now that "the chips are broken.")
One thing I also like that he said was that that question was on the mind of people only because of the propanganda being spread around by the completely slanted and ideology-oriented media. Incredibly true! Can't be more true than that!
Clinton, go on boy! And oh ... by the way, I am sure the democrats are glad that he expressed himself anywayz. He definitely made a point for the democrats and must have gotten some of the people that felt the democrats were weak terrorism-wise to the democrats' side. Clinton's down-to-earth nature, humaneness and exceptional brilliance always leaves me dumbfounded. Politicans really need to learn something from him and keep it real! Much love, BC!!!
Clinton on FOX - Part 1
Clinton on FOX - Part 2
And I love John Stewart's analysis of the whole thing (Really? Who the fuck are you? lol):
When I'm finished with you, you're gonna wish that you felt this good again. ~ Jack Bauer
At long last, the best show on TV ever - 24 - got what it ALWAYS deserved - 5 Emmy Awards - including the more than well-deserved Lead Actor in a Drama Series award. Jack Bauer (more like Kiefer Sutherland, I guess : ) ), most definitely deserves it. The depth with which Kiefer immersed (and will be immersing cos I'm sure he won't disappoint next season... he better not) himself in the character is unarguably unmatched to me on TV. That guy makes you feel like you are in the wrong career path; he just makes you think you should be a CTU Agent. : ) Now, got to get season 4 and 5 on DVD on Black Friday. Hopefully they will be on $20 sale again. Most def can't wait for season 6 to start - emerging from being tortured by the Chinese government and all. Hmmm....NOW, THAT WILL BE WILD! Congrats, Kiefer Sutherland!!! I just wish Jean Smart made the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series award cos hmmph hmmmph mehn, that woman has the best looking juggs for any woman of her age. Ok, not just that. : ) She did an outstanding job in her role. : )
All my life, I have never really been a sneaker person. Always wore everything else but sneakers until recent years. I just always saw those things as too expensive especially the Basketball shoes. $150, $125. In some cases, as much as $200 or probably more that I don't even know about. Those shit were (and are) just too expensive making the lives of some parents miserable cos their kids always wanted them. Crazy! That's just pure madness to me. I started wearing them some years back but the most I have paid for any is $80 for my #1 - Adidas Racer Low (LOVE THEM!!!). Always heard people complain here and there, especially parents but none of the people in positions that could change the price gouging ever did. They just helped the shoe giants like Nike rip people off the more, with profits as much as $1.8 billion in quarter ending in May 06, just to mention. They make the shoes for chump change in Asia and make incredible profits charging we, the ever-flamboyant ones exorbitant prices. Not their fault, really...I guess.
Was listening to Clark Howard earlier on today and at long last, someone of famous repute is finally stepping up to the plate to help curb this unnecessary rip-offs by the giants. Stephon Marbury has opened his own line of shoes to help make sneakers affordable. His shoes go as low as $9. Unbelievable, right! Yep! I thought so, too! Till I checked it out - STARBURY.COM. The shoes look great...to me! Some of them might need some work here and there, but I don't believe they look cheap or of less quality at all. Though, that's a whole different story...especially when you think about the market segement targeted by the makers of such shoes. Their (as well as many of us as blacks) mentality is, if it's not name brand, it's nothing! But I think that will be taken care of if more people join him. I very much commend him for this. It's definitely much needed. Keep up the good work, Marbury!!! Kudus!!! Great initiative! You already got one customer - I guess I will finally get my first Jordan-like shoes! :) Could never get myself to pay that much for those shoes.
I really hope many other people that have the capacity to establish companies will follow his footsteps and consequently help consumers bring down the prices of those shoes. To be frank, I got to say that I am surprised he was able to get this point without those bastard mammoths crushing his dream. I really just wonder how far his dream will go cos I am very nervous about the potential longetivity of this great work, suddenly, cut by the robeasts out there. I just hope his line only gets better and bigger. I really really really hope so...
Eyo ooooo, eeeee eyo oooo! Eyo baba n tawa .... Memories of the days I used to go see Eyo with my mom and the "whole family." I don't know why that comes to mind but I am just dead excited right now. Can't wait!
I remember when I was leaving - how I thought I would be back to see everyone the next year with all sorts of gifts for my peeps! The next year came, couldn't, next year, next year, next year and it has been almost a decade without making it there! I really just thank God that it is finally here! Finally!
I will be in Nyja this year by the special grace of God, after almost a decade. Wow! Yes o! Paid for my ticket weeks ago and finally got it today. E ba mi ki Hallelluyah meje ati abo! (Shout 7 Hallelluyahs on my behalf). lol! It has been quite ironic. Back then, when I was in Nyja, I remember we used to call one of our uncles here in US, Baba Ilu Oyinbo (the Father of the Western world or more literally Father of the White World) jokingly. Like my siblings joke around, over the years, I have pretty much become that. Thank God the joke is over now, though! I can't wait to make it to Nyja this year. Mehn, finally!!! I will finally get to see awon ti temi (my own peoples)! After all these years! Thank God! Like I used to pray, Pls God go before me to Nyja, be behind me, be all around me!!!!
I can just imagine everything will look strange yet the same to me. I pray and hope I will get some great and outstanding business opportunities as I go there in December. Even if I don't (which I know I will by God's grace), maybe I will get to see some Eyo in Lag or Oro Festival in Ijebu. Omo, Nigeria, here I come o! : )
Without commitment, there can be no lifting or promotion. ~ Eyan
First of all, ni pato oro(briefly), a hearty Congratulations to my friends on their recent great feat! Ok. Last weekend went to MD. Went to the NyjaFest which was cool. It was good but the much more spacious venue, I believe, made it seem less interesting than last year's event. It was great seeing more Americans than I saw there last year. I usually like meeting open-minded Americans that go out to see what other cultures have to offer. All in all it was great and will do it again hopefully with my own tent next yr delivering some kind of service or product. Met a lot of folks from my alma mater and it almost made it feel like a reunion. Mehn, peeps are doing big things for real! I just always feel very inspired every time I go to MD and see how folks are doing. Always!!!
Heard some words about commitment this last weekend and I have to say that that is one foreign word to me. It got me thinking about the relevance of that word in my life. That word is one word that has barely had any relevance in my life for quite a while. Just name the aspect and it barely, if at all, has any poignance. When it comes to non-platonic relationships, absolutely appalling. Platonic relationships, same thing. Awful! Never keep in touch with people! Religion, inarguably willy nilly. Other aspects of my life? Nothing to write home about too when it comes to being fully committed. I really don't remember being completely committed to anything in years...in about the past 4 or 5 years.
The only thing that I have been quite committed to in the past few years is my job. And I guess that's becos I have no choice...man got to eat at least. And come to think of it, even that, I am not necessarily the most sold out. I am one of those that just always gets his job done somehow and by God's grace, it usually comes out great! Not like my mentor who is just sold out. His job is his life. I mean... I actually admire that but just haven't been able to be sold out like that in a while. I remember being totally and completely embedded in Web Development back in the days. I knew every technology out there. But now, that commitment is not as strong as then. I still know a good number of them but not as much as then. Anyway, it's still there, at least. But any other aspect of my life? For where?
I have always admired people being committed to a cause such as religion, politics, social justice, youths, volunteerism, corporate governance, social issues, etc. I, as a person, have been committed to some of those in times past, but in recent years, I have not even been close to committing to anything. Be it religion, be it social issues, be it youths, commitment hasn't been my passionate forte at all. I must say, though, that I have actually been good with social volunteerism being part of Habitat for Humanity and quite a number of youth-based science and engineering events every year for the past 3 years. But that "sold-out" spirit is just not there, like I see in some people and had some years back.
And when it comes to relationship, damn! ...no comments...for real! I was talking to a friend of mine last night and I had to think out loud at a point in our conversation. When was the last time that I had a clearcut committed relationship where we were girlfriend and boyfriend. Almost a decade!!! Gaddem! Damn! She was like Damn! : ) The last time I introduced anyone to someone as my girlfriend was in 1996 in Nyja. WTF? Now, that is absolutely and incredibly dreadful!!! Dreadful is an understatement...for real. But...hey...it's the truth! Camouflaging the truth does not in any way alter it! Mehn, I have dated more people than the number of Nigerian movies released in one month. Ok....maybe not that many. Actually, I didn't date anyone for most of those years cos I was sold out to the most important person in life. But since that has become otherwise, I have had great relationships (and I mean really great relationships) with people a very good number of times, but just refused to commit to them and made it known. Every time it got to that point where the next step was commitment, I just always made it clear that I was not interested in that level. I have just believed that if you know you are not ready for it or if you know you don't like this person enough to leave all, don't do it (Never understood why people get married or committed and still fuck around, but that's for another day). When it comes to relationships, I have just always believed you either FULLY committed or nothing rather than commitment with contrary actions (at least with the last girl I was ALL in). I am in no sense proud of this, but oto ni oto (truth is truth). There are several reasons for this, but I will that for another time.
Anywayz, just thinking about all these and seeing the manifestations in the lives of those who are committed to a cause or someone and in my life when the sold-out spirit was eminent, all I could think was that the commitment nature (be it in relationships or not), is one of the secrets to being a star! Whatever I am doing I have to do it with all my might like the Good Book says in order to become a star. It is definitely not an easy task and it takes getting out of my regular self, but without it, I can only be in the ordinary majority. Be like everyone else on the street. I've got to be committed to make a difference and be a difference. Have you seen a man diligent in his business. He shall stand before kings and not ordinary men. Commitment will always make me the best and consequently promoted and then consequently a star...actually a superstar. For instance, if there is one year that I was completely sold out to my job, it was last year, and guess what, by God's grace, I got promoted this year like I needed. It doesn't necessarily always work that way, but in my short life here, one of the things I have come to truly see as certain is with consistent unrelenting commitment in anything I do (be it sales, be it medicine, be it law, be it barbing, be it whatver), promotion ALWAYS comes. That's why I need to catch that spirit again. I, more than anyone else in the whole wide world, need this complete sold-out spirit in every aspect of my life once again and forever. One of my greatest desire in life is to be an epitome of excellence in life - in my marriage, relationships and every other aspect of my life. Right now, very far from it. I will definitely need commitment to make it happen. Got to get it back and even more than ever! God help me!
ok. enough of the thoughts. I am glad Google finally updated the long abandoned Blogger. I can now categorize my entries like Typepad and some of the other services allow you to. Here is more info about that - Google's Blogger Updated.
And now, this is an excellent excellent deal a 1GB USB Drive for all those files for just $15.99. Even with shipping it's still a deal. And no rebates too. Wow! that's a good deal for sure. I wish I lived in Marietta, GA. That way I could save that extra shipping charge. : )
And this is one of the funniest sites out there to me - South Park Quotes. Don't watch the show avidly but I love it. That is one crazy show! : )
Ok. ok. TGIF! Like I used to pray as a kid, I pray everybody in the world has a wonderful weekend. Enjoy! :)
Defeat may serve as well as victory to shake the soul and let the glory out. ~ Edwin Markham
If you happen to be in the Baltimore/DC area, check this event out: NAIJAFEST 2006. It's a festival that shows different aspects of the Nigerian culture with vendors and various artistic activites among others. Last year, I remember seeing a vendor that taught people how to speak Yoruba. They had software and everything too. Quite impressive. I'm really proud of the main organizers - Nigerian Youth Association of Maryland (at the rate they are blowing up, they will have to remove that Maryland from their domain name soon : ) ). I remember when they were just doing it in the living room of the ....s. Kudus, peoples! Iba o! Keep up the good work. And, peoples, if you live in the area, check it out...for real! It will definitely be worth your time. Great place to meet folks too. ;)
Ok. Went to AND1 Mixtape Tour on Wednesday after work with a couple of friends. 2 of them were a couple. They met sometime ago (in March) and they will be getting married sometime this month. Amazing, right? But I will leave that story for another day. The AND1 thing is a show I used to watch every now and then on BET or so. It looked really great on TV. But on going to see the players live, it was not as great as it looked on TV. Still a good game regardless. Definitely a great environment, great crowd, great MC and very relaxing for sure, so loved it! The guys made a couple of classic moves that is normally expected from the AND1 crew. Helicopter did his thing earning the player of the game which he definitely deserved. That guy was making it happen on the court with the dribbles, the 3 pointers, the killer dunks! BAM! WHAT! And the 2 most entertaining moves of the game? Spyda! Mehn, I'm pissed that I didn't catch it on camera. He dunked and hung on the rim all crawled up on it like a kid hugging his dad after being away for a long time. He must have stayed that way for a minute. I really had enough time to catch it on camera but, like everyone else, I was too dazzled to see that live and direct. Then I don't remember who, either Baby Shaq or Spyda too. The guy dribbled another very defensive player, held the ball and almost took off his jersey from his body. WHOW! 1/2 Man, 1/2 Amazing did that before (he actially took it off entirely), but that was on TV. This was live. I loved it. Nice game with a few moves, but I was expecting more.
Why did I go to my coworker's roller skating birthday party last night and sat down throughout. Ok, the last time I roller skated must have been when I was like 6 or 7. So, my coworker had a lil skate party last night (old school grown folks Thursday night, like they called it) and I decided to go out. Went with my friend that was an expert. I had told myself I would try it since I was able to learn how to Ice skate some years back. After much falling, of course. Got there, paid for the skates, put them on. You would have thought I was a skating champion or something. Na yam! Next thing. Mehn, I looked at the people skating and I was like, omo, NOPE, Hell no! I thought I was watching Roll Bounce for real. There was no way I was going to embarass myself by going out there to fall. Hell f&*^ing no!!! I just sat my ass down immediately. My friend tried to convince me to get up. I just told her, I will be aight that she can go do her thing. After much convincing by the celebrant, I managed to stand up. Fuck! I couldn't even move. I tried standing. Barely did it. Managed to get close to the ring, got on it, saw how slippery it was and told her, you know what, how about you go around once and by the time you come around I will be ready. lol! Convinced her to do that and went to sit down. Next thing, she was right in front of me again. Ooooooooooooooh! Why now! I got up, went on it with her. I tried the ice skating move of bending my knees and all, but for where? Anywayz, I just told her to ride on and I jumped over the rails and got out. Of course I fell down on landing outside the ring. Dammit. The DJ called me out too. : ) Mehn, that was it for me for the night. Somebody, help me....with some training!!!! : )
Now for the aspiring writers, check out LULU.COM if you are trying to publish a book. They help with book publishing et al. Onada, Soul (and all the rest of u writers out there), if you are reading this, you might want to look into that. Adaure, you should look into it and release that nice Nyja-based uniquely humorous book. You guyz gotz some skills. ;) Adaure, definitely, not a cookbook though. ;) Just playing! : )
For anyone that shops online and uses Paypal, you might be able to switch to Google Checkout for cheaper and get a free T-shirt too (it's a new payment service competing with Paypal. As much as I love everything Google, I'm sorry to say that it will take a while for it to meet up, though). I wish I still shopped online like back in the days cos I would love to get one of those T-shirts. If only Google Checkout was allowed at Charles Tyrwhitt's website, I would still be down regardless though. Dammit. : )
Now, this is what you call skills. This pool maestro is doing it - Pooling (Billiards) Master. WHAT! Outstanding!!! Got to try those moves the next time I go out to the pool bar. Pls, I wish! Na yam?
Anywayz, loving the day. It's a great day to be alive and working on it as it comes!!!!
When you love people and have the desire to make a profound, positive impact upon the world, then will you have accomplished the meaning to live. ~ Sasha Azevedo (American Actress, Athlete and Model)
It's amazing how you can get addicted to(or used to, depending on what term seems more suitable) something and not realize it. In most cases, these things are very simple and seemingly harmless activities. This weekend, I decided not to go out and party in any form and just relax on Friday and Saturday night. Mehn, it was tough. I guess I didn't realize how much I had gotten used to going to a bar or club every weekend pretty much since this year started. On Friday night, I had at least 3 friends/coworkers call me to see what was going on around and if I wanted to do something. Everyone of them wanted to be out. They tried to convince me to come out and were kind of surprised I wasn't doing anything. It was 1st Friday and there were 2 events among many others going on in town - Latino and then the typical HipHop 1st Fridays. 2 nice relaxed events usually packed with the some of the most decent and charming young working class people in the area. Mehn, why now! Why did I choose this weekend to just relax and not do jack socially! Hearing the justifications for coming out from one of my friends didn't help either, but mehhnnn, I had to just sit my butt down and do a more relaxed hangout. It took everything in me...for real!
Same thing on Saturday. Though I ended up going to a get-together (more like a hangout, so it was cool with me. just sit down, eat, watch Nyja music videos kind of stuff) and then tried getting into a spot on my way home. My good friend asked me to come out to nice place for $2. I was like, naaa. No plans to go out. Going home! Thanks. Then I thought about it. I will drive by the area and just say hi (that's the height of addiction right there). Pls! Say hi ko, say hi ni!!! I stopped by on my way home and the security guy said I couldn't come in cos I was wearing a white T-shirt. I was wearing my one and only - white FCUK logo tee. "What? Boy, it's not just a white T. It's designers mehn", I told the guy, bursting into laughter with him and my friend. Omo, I paid for this Tee. LOL! Anyway, I just thought to myself, "Wheeeew! Thank God! This will help me achieve my goal of just chilling all weekend." I just told the guy and my friend no qualms and left. Went home and straight to bed.
I got to say that it took everything in me not to go out. I couldn't believe it. I have always gone out a lot (I have a coworker friend that calls me Energizer), but always knew how to just chill too. In times past, as much as I went out, many weekends, I took the time out to chill alone with the lights off, :) just chilling on my sofa watching Gladiator, Usual Suspects or Kings of Comedy for the umpteenth time. But this time around, I realzied that I had been out every weekend this year so far apart from maybe once in which I travelled. I had gotten so used to it and my whole system just knew to go out every weekend. That's all it knew. It had become a habit. I remember hearing Mike Murdock say something once, "if you can do something everyday for 30 days, it will become a habit [and you will get used to it]." Absolutely true, I realized. Omo, one really has to watch the things that one does constantly before it beceomes a habit and becomes more difficult to stop. Got to keep it balanced...as usual.
Ok. Went to progressive beauty's dad's first sermon event on Sunday. Was there all day Sunday. Different experience (just like I like it) and loved it...for sure. It was a Southern Baptist church deep in the country. Very small town with probably much less than 3000 people. I have always seen and heard about the Southern churches on TV and in the movies. Mehn, they weren't lying at all. I meann...I've been to a couple already...in the cities, but apparently those were not the typical onces I had heard about or seen in the movies. This was the real deal. : ) The type in Kingdom Come movie and stuff. I mean, the typical black church with all the tantrums, wooden pews, white-clad old women with nice but very unique hats and hairstyles. It was amazing. I mean off-da-shiznee like Jerome says. From outside, it looked like the old-time white brick building from outside, with very nice interior. Wooden pews with families, mostly mothers and grandmothers seated with their kids on the pews, shouting, "Preach Pastor, Hallelluyah! Hallelluyah! Gloooorrrryy!!!" Many of the elders had on nice white attires - different styles. The ushers had on white dresses with belts in the middle (trench coat-like with the shoulder flaps) and white gloves. Many of the other ladies in the congregation had on gloves too. Just like I had always seen on TV. There was this old lady especially with white skirt suit and hat each lined with gold in the middle of the suit and around the hat with sparkling white gloves. And the tantrums and trances? All over! It was wild! One lady jumped up and down so hard during the praise, the floors (well-polished wooden floor) were actually vibrating. And I mean vibrating. I could feel them beneath my feet. Earthquake-like! Now, I knew I was definiely in the south. Finalllyyyy!!! The whole thing took me back to when I was a kid in Kerubu and Serafu (Cherubim and Seraphim) church in Nigera. The environment felt so amiable. Very friendly people. You just kind of felt welcomed. It was like one big family. They definitely epitomized the Southern Hospitality. Definitely had the best of time...all day!
One thing I have to acknowledge is their choir. As small as the church was (probably about 100 people or so), it was one of the best choirs I had ever heard in my whole life so far. I mean, it felt like heaven. WHAT!!! I mean.... It was immeasurably outstanding. In the morning, they had a male choir - phenomenal. In the evening, they had their mass choir. Ooooooh Looorrrrd, what can i say! The Alto, outstanding, Tenor, LIKE WHOW, the Soprano, my oh my, out-of-this-world. I mean....WHAT! Lil Jon must have gotten that phrase from the dazzling effect of the Southern Black choir's performance. Their voices were, indubitably, a perfect blend of absolute and undeniably untainted synchronous harmony. I don't know if that makes sense but mehn, I was dumbfounded listening to them. Nyja churches definitely need to catch this. I don't know how, but we need it for real.
Anywayz, by the end of the day, after listening to everyone at the reception, it really just got me thinking. The most important thing in life is the impact you make in other people's lives. Apparently, her dad was the whole town's dad and he had all these people that he had "raised" and made very positive impact on in the neighborhood, all grown up. They were all there. They all used to play with his daughters as kids. It was definitely a classic. Took me back home for sure. I wasn't surprised at all. From apparent observations, you could see that this guy LOVED people! It was even contagious. Besides the point, but him and his wife have been married for over 40 years (Unheard of, especially here in the US). The whole experience really just taught me to take the relationships I have very important, develop them and make positive impact in people's lives, no matter what. It definitely pays!
To defeat the aggressors is not enough to make peace durable. The main thing is to discard the ideology that generates war. ~ Ludwig von Mises
Wheew! It's a wonderful day! Thank God! Went to see Chris Tucker last weekend with a couple of friends and for anyone that hasn't been to his comedy show, it's not a bad idea with a date or a better-half. Funny jokes and stuff many of us can relate to. It's amazing to see that I grew up in Nigeria and many stories from African Americans about how their parents (especially their mothers) raised them are surprisingly the same. They sound so familiar to me. The spanking, the scolding, the dinners with extended family, the grannies, the you-better-sit-your-ass-down-there way rather than the please-johnny-sit-down-please style, the eye talk, etc. ok. maybe, the eye talk is not that common here but some people surprisingly had that here too. That one evokes memories in me. I remember the eye talk. You go to a party (owambe) with your mom. Some other kids are there playing around and you decide you want to get up and join them and bam, that look shows up on mom's face. She looks at you with that Margaret Thatcher/Angelina Jolie look and you damn well know you better not move an inch. Or for me, the one I always remember, is going out with my mom and someone tried to give me money as we are leaving (which was a tradition in Nyja. I hope it is still a trad), and next thing, I look at my mom's face to get the approval glance. The funny thing is she smiles and says awwww thank you to the person, but guess what? Somehow, I could still see a hidden message under that smile. I could still see a different glance beneath the seeming approval glance. It was the you-better-say-no-thank-you OR the Don't-you-dare-take-that-money message. Won bi e da ko gba owo yen! If you know your name is ..., take that money and see what happens! I knew not to take it for sure. Who born monkey! Mehn, those were the days...
And my oh my, wassup with this heat mehn. WTF! The heat is just unbearable. The heat in recent days just makes me nervous about what the future holds. These temperatures are getting higher yearly. And the humidity? That shit is no joke! Even at night, it's the same thing. Came out of the theater earlier this week and I felt like someone took a very hot and damp towel and was massaging my entire body. Not a good feeling! It was like being in a hot oven with extreme moisture being rained down on you concurrently. This was at 9.30pm for Christ's sake! One would think the night breeze would have taken over. But for where! I just really hope as time goes on, we won't starting burning into pure chaff while walking on the streets as the decades go by cos statistics show that the temeperature has been getting progressively higher each year all over the world and apparently, doesn't seem to be abating at all. Next thing, we might just see people walking on the street and being War-of-the-Worlds. I think environmentalists are sometimes very annoying. I can they, somehow, negate development from some persepectives, but I think they were right all along about the ozone layer thingy. Maybe...
And this whole Isreali-Lebanon thing is just getting out of hand. The Qana incident, the border clashes (or war actually), the Syrian and Iran's intent to be there for Lebanon and shit, the 190 rockets in one day! Na wa o! The Qana case is the worst so far. The pics of those kids and women's bodies was definitely and unspeakably gruesome. But one thing I know for sure. It is more of Hezbollah's fault than anyone else. I believe they were using those folks as human shields. They intentionally lodged their launchers in the midst of these people in order to protect themselves and their launchers. Of course that was going to provoke Isreal. WTF! They knew Isreal would blow them up and they could use the consequence to amass both sentimental support and otherwise (weapons et al) for themselves from the Arab world and at least sentimental support from the world as a whole. No matter how justified any group of people is in their bid to destroy the ooposition, killing of women and children will always generate an destructive sentiments towards them. Hezbollah definitely succeeded at that cos all of a sudden, more people want to volunteer to join their fight, the whole world is comdemning Isreal and looking at them like barbarians, Syria's president comes out saying he will help to defend Lebanon. My own thing is this Hezbollah group is not even the offical army of Lebanon. Rather than use the Qana incident as an opportunity to validate the impression of a villainous Isreal, why can't the Lebanese president and all the Arab leaders do that which is very simple. Very easy! The obvious! Tell Hezbollah to release the Isreali soldiers they picked up from the border and stop these self-triggered killings! Simple! Or so it seems, obviously, right?
I have to acknowledge the fact that Isreal's reaction was definitely too extreme. How do you decide to start blowing up buildings in a country because few of your soldiers have been kidnapped by an illegitimate army. But the way I see it is that Isreal was already a ticking time bomb and just needed a trigger and bam, that's it. Though, one might say that it is very insulting for some foreign looneys to come into your own territory and kidnap your soldiers. WTF! I know Isreal has been nothing to write home about when it comes to their treatment of the Arabs but do something else. Kidnap Isreali citizens in Lebanon or something but don't violate Isreal by going into their country to kidnap their citizens. Mehn, I could go on and on but I just don't know...
I just hope this crap doesn't go out of hand cos I just don't know.... Isreal wants to crush Hezbollah, but I don't think that's possible especially when they are being supported by Iran and its cohorts. Those guys will use all their oil money to fund Hezbollah if need be cos Isreal is a common enemy to all Arabs. And the more Isreal tries to destroy Hezbollah and find out that they they are not succeeding at it, the more frustrated they will get and possibly resort to extreme violence which will possibly ignite an all-out war against them by the Arab world. Let's just hope for the contrary...
Ok. Enough of my Israeli-Arab ramblings. Heard some news about some artists volunteering to perform at a concert that was free for everyone that attended - Boost Mobile RockCorps Concert. Each attendee had to volunteer a certain amount of community service in order to get tickets to the concert. I thought that was a very great idea. They had performers like Paul Wall, Slim Thug, The Game, Lil’Wayne, Keyshia Cole, Young Jeezy, Big Boi and Nick Cannon, the presenter. Afeni Shakur was also there to grace the occasion as she celebrated what would have been the late Tupac Amaru Shakur's 35th birthday. I believe this is the second one they are having. More HipHop artists definitely need to get involved in this. It encourages volunteerism which I believe is extremely important. Very necessary!!!! I just wish I could sing too. I will definitely be volunteering to perform at such a concert cos I think that's a brilliantly generous idea for the community, but oh well...volunteering to sing in the shower has never been a problem for me. : )
If the only thing that you use in getting him is your sex appeal, how long do you think you will keep him for? Just wondering... cos sex fades... ~ Eyan
Wow, what a weekend! Nice one! Was at a Salsa/Hip-Hop party organized by my coworkers on Friday. Very nice crowd as usual. Great-looking young working class black folks doing their thing. They had 2 clubs right next to each other (actually more like a bar/club and a really nicely decorated lounge with perfect well-blended contemporarily brown-themed decor - cozy, soft and rich-looking leather sofas et al) - one was hip-hop and the other Salsa (the lounge). But how come we black folks just don't know how to try something new. We just stick to the same ol' same ol. So, we had 2 choices. But guess what! It was really one choice. My people, the bakc folks, of course, stayed in the hiphop section throughout. Pretty much all the black folks were at the hiphop section and the salsa section when i went there was drier than thinkable. I was just like how come we just can't try something new mehn. What the? We just really stick to the same ol same ol. But it was fun though. Seeing many of my coworkers goofing around and shit.
On Saturday went to a work picnic where I actually stayed on the grill pretty much throughout. Unheard of! All my life, I have always helped out at the grill for few seconds or a minute at a time, but never actually did all the grilling all day like some of the friends that I have. Did so this time around. Something new, at least. Might be organizing a cookout soon cos of this new experience of mine. : ) They celebrated some of the veterans in the company - 25 yrs and 30something. Damn! How the fuck do you work for a company for that long! How? I just wonder. You know what? Actually, it's possible. Been with the company for almost 4 yrs now and still there chilling, so I guess it's possible. Naaaaa! 25 yrs though is kind of too much. Hmmmmphhmmphhh! Hell no!
At night went to the much-awaited all-white party! Missed it for the past 2 yrs and just had to make it this year. My 1st all-white party. Always gave the all-white-attire-nono excuse but decided to try it this year and it wasn't bad really. It was mad crowded. Too many people. Live band! Fashion show! Museum artifacts (it was at a museum). All sorts of creative dresses by the ladies, I heard after the party from people. I didn't really notice the creative ones really. The only ones I noticed were the ladies that might as well have been naked for real. I mean...what the f&^*! Is that a rag or a wrapper? Which one? With the boobs all tight looking like they're going through timeout. Big time punishment! Some of those things were so pushed high up, they looked like rockets getting ready for lift up. But hey...they kept we guys busy for sure though. Got some pics but won't put them cos some of the ladies are friends' friends and they will kill me. lol!
My own thing though, like a friend said, is that I just really hope all those bare-naked ladies don't believe that's the way to get a man. I mean, if you think you will get a man with that bullshit handkerchief you have on, you got to be fucking kidding me. 4 real! Cos I'm looking at you and the only thing I am thinking is sex and not love or relationship or getting to know you or anything deep like that. It's just SEX!!!! That's it! I'm looking at the conservatively, yet stylishly dressed lady and I am thinking, damn, what a beautiful lady, I would love to wife or girlfriend you. But for me and like many other guys who attested to the same, I'm looking at this stripped or so lady and girlfriend or wife is definitely not the first thing on my mind (maybe 3rd or 4th). The only thing on mind is how I can take the "easy access" piece she has on, gain access and ravage her. Sad to say, but that's the truth...at least for a good number of guys from what I know. To me, those ladies usually think they will catch our attention and possibly have a man, but guess what, my advice to them is Good Luck and Godspeed! They definitely catch our attention alright but not in the smartest way if a real boyfriend or man is what they want. Don't get me wrong, I believe in looking sexy, but that's different from looking like sex. Maybe it's just me.
There were innumerable sexy-looking ladies there including all the friends and coworkers I saw there. Especially my date for the past few months before last week. Looking simply and elegantly gorgeous as always. There is nothing like a lady looking just amazingly simple in her sense of fashion and persona and yet outstandingly beautiful. It's an unmatchable case of oxymoron. But 4 real, that girl just always looked and still looks more beautiful to me daily - physically and heart-wise. It's a pity that regardless of that we just couldn't take things to the next level. I definitely had a great time knowing her. No doubt! But 4 real, now I know I need HEEEELLLLP and deliverance from s*j - my real reason for not being able to take it to the next level with the constant and progressive beauty. I just really fucked up with s*j and have met all these great people since her but just can't stop thinking of her. Mehn, that's for another day. Oh well, the friendship with progressive beauty is definitely working great so far...or so it seems.
I got to say though, one of the most surprising moments was with one of my coworkers. She's a hardware engineer with my company, pretty and all, but just never really cares about fashion et al, even when she does come out to events. She dresses ok but doesn't go out of her way at all. I was by the entrance and someone tapped me and said hi. I was just like hey. Then she kind of greeted me again or so. I guess she thought that I normally greet her better than that which is true, so I took a second glance at her and was dead shocked. Couldn't believe it was her. I hugged her hard and said, damn, you look GREAT! She looked like an angel 4 real. Though I had to add a clause afterwards, it's not like you don't always look great. lol! All in all, the party was great. Very nice and mature crowd. Just mad at the incredible amount of money the guys are making. And one of them works with me at work too. Like one other coworker said when I asked him to come out, "how can I pay T money to go to his party. He is my coworker for Christ's sake. We make money here and next thing, I got to take out of mine and go pay him. Hell no!" Interesting perspective. It's all good.
Anywayz, enough ramblings about the "bare-naked ladies." Had a nice forum-based meeting with some guys on Sun which was very informative for sure. ok...written quite much. Let's just say great weekend...as usual.
Life SHRINKS or EXPANDS in proportion to one's courage (and I am adding, "in proportion to our thoughts" too). ~ Ms Sick Chick quoting Anais Nin
Huuuuuuuuuuh! Thank God it's negative. After over 9 months or so of suspense, now I know I'm free. Wheeeeeeeeeeew! For a strange reason, I was really cool throughout the wait for the most part apart from once or 2ce when my heart pace millionpled. So no more till marriage (yea right) or at least till whoever I am with presents her tests results live and direct in front of me. No oh, it was just spur of the moment BS!!! Tofiakwa! Everyone definitely needs to do this test for real, regardless of sexual activity or not.
Been super-excited in recent days about some things (runz). I just pray everything goes as planned and even much better than planned by God's special and limitless grace. I really pray so cos I've been here before and I misused the opportunity, at least for the better part and maybe not for the most part. God help me in spite of my BS, please! I need it. I really do! It is already done!
Went to lunch today with Ms Sick Chick and as usual had a great time just chit-chatting with no strings attached. Went to this nice artsy, Village,NYC-like block in Durham with restaurants and chairs to sit outside and eat. Love going there. Anywayz, over the years, over and over again, I have come to discover that one of the most liberating relationships you can have is a pure platonic relationship with a very beautiful lady. Ok...with the opposite sex. :) Odd, I know. It's amazing how much you learn from each other. We can talk about ANYTHING and I mean ANYTHING with no preconceived motives or deceitfulness on either side of the coin. To say that it is liberating is an understatement. The feeling is incredible, 4 real.
It's amazing how you meet someone and you guys just don't even give each other any face whatsoever and next thing, you talk and maybe go out once and next thing, you become great friends OR many times like in the case of Henry in Good Fellas, you become married.
Anywayz, she has been on this 21-day fast that she decided to go on just to get closer to God and lose herself or like I joke with her to free herself from Mr Man. She told me about how she has really felt so peacefully anxious about things regardless of the fact that she's moving out of state next month away from family, about how she has heard God speak to her about this guy she just can't seem to let go off, about how she feels like she's in this world that she can't describe (like I told her this little utopia of yours), etc. It kind of just felt inexplicably peaceful around her as she talked. Very odd. Can't describe it. As she said it, I could relate with what she said and I, as once felt, felt like were both in this world gliding peacefully through a stream of air and everything was just calm and unshakeable. I got to say, I am tempted to take on a fast too, but naaaaaa! That means I have to leave my way of life? Naaaa. Maybe one day....maybe! That's if there is life sha!
One thing she said though that definitely sunk into me was that she looked at her past relationships and how she finally feels loose from this guy, that I have been telling her to forget and just focus on the things that matter in life (I'm a guy. I know wassup), and she found out that every guy she has dated has been a building block to this last one! This last one didn't work out (I will leave that story for some other time. Long story! : ) ) but she's just excited and can't wait for the man God has for her cos based on this last guy, the culminating guy will be great. Hmmm, I thought to myself. Now, everyone needs to realize that. "Damn! That's so true about life", I thought to myself. If many of us can realize that what we think is the best for us now that can't seem to work out is a building block towards the best for us, we would learn to look forward to the upcoming best things in life and not hang on to crap. ok. maybe not crap. whatever.
Our lives, I completely concur, are building blocks to the best things in life IF we can only focus and not get distracted or hold on to crap that does not need to be held on to. There is so much to life tomorrow than today, if we can only let go and let loose. Many times, many of us feel like this is the best thing that has ever happenned to us regardless of the fact that it is full of discomfort and pain, so we hang on to it, pretty much by force. Unbeknownst to us, that is not even close to a speck when compared to what is to come if we just let go. My mentality is this, if I can have something this great right now, if I have to get rid of it due to several reasons, I know I can definitely have something even greater. So, my conclusion, just like Ms Sick Chick, is let go, sit back, relax and enjoy the sight of the distant sun, for its brightness is about to and will positively beat all imaginations and expectations!!!
Yesterday, no tears! Tomorrow, no fears! ~ Dan Rather quoting his mom
Growing up, everyone in my family pretty much treated him/herself. My mom is a biochemist, her brother a medical doctor and my closest aunt a pharmacist, so back then once I saw any sign of malaria or whatever, I already knew wassup. I just guzzled that bastard Chloroquine or Halfan and didn't care whether it itched me or not (Won't talk about that itching part cos that shit was wild). Doctor's visit was a rarity except when I went to see my uncle. So, when I got here to US, I noticed it was not the same. The Dr has to prescribe everything for you before you take it. Meeehn! Anyway, I thought that was kind of neat and looked forward to visiting a doctor et al. I remember being in college and I would have a symptom and would go to the Infirmary but hated the fact that they didn't have a real medical doctor. Why? I don't know. I couldn't wait to have a real health insurance and be able to visit a medical doctor. Anywayz, as soon as I started working and got health insurance, I definitely didn't waste time. My visits began!
Any sign contrary to the typical self-treatable illnesses such colds, flu, etc, I have gone to the doctor's ever since. However, one thing I haven't done since then is an official physical. I had tried to get an offical physical, especially when a friend of mine slumped and died while resting from playing soccer, but my doctor's office back then told me that the next available time was in 3 months whereas I could come in for a regular visit the next week. You can come for a regular visit next week but you can't get a physical scheduled till 3 months time! What sense does that make? Pls! Since then I never tried to. I just went in as usual when I had a reason to. Last month, I decided to call and schedule once again after watching some health news or some BS like that (I hate "had I known") and they said they had a slot on July 12th. I was down.
The day was on Wednesday. To be frank, I dreaded it cos I thought the Dr was going to examine every part of my body. Put his hand in my ass, examine my balls and stuff like that. It ended up not being as bad but at the same time there were some embarassing moments.
Got there, did all the document crap and was asked to sit and wait for the Dr in one of the rooms - the usual drill. After few mins, he came in, we greeted and he started the questioning. He noticed I had lost some weight compared to what I was before, though I was back at my typical weight so, "nothing alarming", he said quite sheepishly. The confidence wasn't there the way he said it. I just told him I don't really eat. That's all. Food has just never been my thing. "Too focused on making sure my goals for the yr happenned", I told him, "and I typically eat just once or at the most 2ce a day." He's like....hmmm...ok. Anyway I later found out why he answered me back like that on the weight issue. He then asked me other questions about the issues I had seen him for like consistent headaches, burping, etc. Consistent headchaches, gone for a while after I stopped drinking coffee daily but seems to be back now since I started the habit again. Burping, hey...still there. "Actually, now combined with farting", I told him. We both laughed about that and he was like, you haven't done any of both since you got here.
Then next thing, are you in a relationship? Yes. I see you took all the STD tests last yr and everything was fine. Do you use protection when you have sex? Was kind of embarassed on that one. I actually never thought such line of questioning would ever move me, but it did. Hmmmm....yes, I do...thooougggh I muuuust say that I have had unprotected sex once since then - someone I already knew had nothing.Would you want to do the tests again...just to be sure? Chlymidia, HIV, etc? What? Damn, is he trying to say maybe that's why I am losing weight? Cos the last time I took all the tests, I asked for the test myself. Is he trying to imply something? I guess now I know why he answered me like that earlier on. Hmmm...yes, I wanted to tell you that cos I have ehhmmmm ehmmmmm had unprotected sex since then like I told you but it has been at least 9 months and if I have anything else but AIDS, I would have seen it by now. So, I just want to do an HIV test and that's it. Yes, that's true. So, HIV test is ok with you, right? Yep, no doubt, I need to know. My heart was beating like mad as I said this but it was the truth. That's how I landed HIV test o....again! That shit is no joke.
Still waiting for the results but since then, my heart beats a million times each time I remember that I am waiting for the results. This is the second time I am going through this so far in my life. As much as I am dead paranoid about this, I think it is immeasurably necessarily for everyone to do the test as often as possible. It's tough but it's needed. Everyone needs to get tested, even if you haven't had exposed sex. EVERYONE!!! It's better to know what you're working with cos they don't write it on people's heads. For those that fear it, what I say is, "To me, it's one of those things that if you have, you have it anywayz. Whether you choose not to know about the certainty of its existence in you doesn't change its existence in you or otherwise, so for me it's just better to know what you're dealing with."
Ok...enough of the seriousness... Waiting for the results, so what? Smart Dr! At the end, he was like, one last thing. I have to examine your balls. Ok...he didn't say balls, but same thing. I hated this part so much. Bring down my pants and boxers and have someone feel my balls? I mean I know that does happen in the dark et al, but hey, having someone examine it apart "her" is a different issue. Moreso, a guy? In these days of DLs? Hell, f&*(@# NO, I thought to myself. Actually, as weird as it sounds, I think I prefer a female doctor doing this. Not a guy! At least, maybe not exactly examination, but I'm used to a lady seeing what is going on there if you know what I mean.
Omo, mehn, I guess I had to drop those pants. Dammit! He wore his gloves and put his hands in to examine them. F^&*!!! This just doesn't look right, at all! Eeewwww! I wanted this to end within half a second! Anywayz, he asked me turn to the side and cough as he held them. "You're fine", he said. Huuuuhhhh! Thank God it's over! But wait a minute....that was very quick...compared to when the lady at my infirmary in college examined them when I was in school and had some rash (it was not STD, FYI. :) nothing of sorts. I wasn't even having sex then at all. Went without it for about 6yrs). That lady must have spent at least no kidding 10 minutes examining and rubbing my .475mm Wildey Magnum! What the....! What was she doing? Hmmmmm..... She spent at least 10 minutes for real and kept massaging it and checking the triggers. She did more of massaging than examining for real. And here is my Dr checking the same thing and doing it in less than 1 minute. I got to talk to that woman the next time I'm in the city. I just wonder what she was doing!
I took some vaccines before leaving - Tetanus and Hepatitis B. The Hep B vacine is something I advice anyone to take. Hep B is transmittable through sex and those that have it never show any sign whatsoever, so if one is not immune to it, one needs to get the vaccine. And that's even if one is not sexually active cos one will get married to someone someday and the person could have it. Like I said before, they don't write these things on people's heads! My arm is still killing me from the Tetanus crap though.
Mehn, it was quite an experience. I thought he was going to have to check my anus too but thank God cos that might just have triggerred shit! I wonder if I would actually make this yearly cos I don't like that idea of balls cross examination. And moreso, the fact that now, I have to wait the most dreaded....HIV test results!!!!!
2 things I have learnt in life: Find someone you love and live everyday like it's going to be your last. ~ Alfie movie, might be slightly paraphrased.
It has been a while since I have penned down anything or blogged but hey...so? Life has been good. So many opportunities ahead, so I really can't complain...apart from my little experience this last weekend. Sometime ago, I wrote about an experience with a friend that got sick during lunch. That experience was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience based on the timing of the event (or at least, I hope). Adaure also wrote about her bout with such experience sometime last month. I joined their club.
On Thursday, I ate my new usual for lunch - McD's Double Quarter Pounder With Cheese (tried it for the first time recently and have been getting it almost everyday since then) and went back to work. Worked as usual. Then at night, after work, decided to go hang out with my friend. I stopped at another friend's house on my way and while I was there, I saw Kroger's ad for 4 qts of Breyer's Ice Cream for $6. I left his house to head to my initial destination. I picked up friend to go run errands and of course, I bought the Ice Cream I saw the ad earlier on cos that's my best "food." 4 of them. I couldn't wait to get home to get some of my best - Cookies N Cream. I finally did have some and I did something odd.
I have always joked around about this crazy theory with friends - If you can eat A and you can eat B, then you can eat A and B together. Or like one of my friend's grandma used to put it growing up, "They all go through the same pipe anyway!" :) So, I decided to eat a slice of potato bread while I was eating my cookies n cream ice cream. My friend thought that was some weird combo. I thought the same, but hey...just following my crazy impulse. Crazy, I know. But I would later live to wonder.
By the end of the night I felt slightly sick and went to the bathroom to release hoping to feel better. But it didn't help. I drank some water and just hung in there till I went home and dozed off. The next morning, I woke up at about 10.30am, missing a 10am meeting. I IMed my PM, apologised for missing the meeting & told her that I wasn't feeling too good and will be at work later in the day. I wish! I started feeling more sick and weak. By afternoon, I felt I had to put something in my stomach since I had not eaten anything but Ice Cream for about 24hrs. I walked downstairs. Barely made it there. By the time I was done eating a slice of bread and drinking water, I thought I felt better. But it was a film trick. Big time facade! Few minutes later, I was on the bed groaning in pain. I saw myself moving like Ms Sick Chick was moving the day she was sick. No position was comfortable. I tried to lie down on stomach. Painful! I tried to lie down on my back. Too uncomfortable! I tried to lie down on my side. Impossible! I had my hands on my stomach groaning. It brought back memories of seeing an old friend and cousin in pain when they were sick. I just couldn't believe what I was feeling. It felt like fucking TUGS-OF-WAR in my stomach. I felt like I had innumerable strings being pulled from all sides in my stomach. That shit was no joke! At all! I now knew my friend, Ms Sick Chick, was not exagerating at all. The pain was excruciating. I could see why she wanted to go on the floor when we were in ER. The pain was so uncomfortable. It made any position or platform very uncomfortable. I can't even describe it. Mehn, that shit was no joke at all. I got to say that at a point when I was with Ms Chick (like she calls herself : ) ) earlier in the year, I thought she was overdoing it. Like the Yourbas say, o ko n yo ni, I thought. But like I told her earlier on today, you were definitely not overdoing jack!
After struggling with the pain for a while, I managed to crawl to the bathroom on the 1st impulse to vomit. I held the bathtub with my hands while kneeling down and threw up chunks of bread and Ice Cream (gross, I know, but that's the truth). Wheeeeeeeeew! Thank God!! Suddenly, I felt completely relieved. Felt just the way I did on Thursday morning before any form of sickness. The extremity of how I went from feeling like I was going to die to feeling completely well was absolutely out-of-this-world. It was completely unreal. I went back to the floor in my room and decided to quickly use the time to get some work done cos I had 2 defects that I had to turn in at work that day. But in no time, the sick feeling came back and I lost concentration once again.
Apparently, like one of my friends said, I was not supposed to eat anything for a while. "Each time you eat, you have to go back to square one. You just have to sit it through and hang in there.", he said. He was dead right. The pain came back again and continued like that till I managed to call Ms Sick Chick to help me get some PeptoBismol. I knew she was going to be around rather than calling my roommate who was still at work.
By the time she brought the PeptoBismol, somehow, some way, in spite of the pain, I had managed to doze off, so she left it at the door and my roommate picked it up by the time he got home. I took the Pink Liquid and all hell let loose again. I basically when through the same episode of wriggling pain and vomitting 2 more times by the next morning. In one case, my roommate heard me throwing up from downstairs and ran upstairs. That shit wasn't funny at all like I told my friend who was laughing at me. If not that I was trying to man it up and shit I would have been crying like a baby. Yes, the pain was that bad.
I really don't know what is going on out there. What kind of virus is out there. Cos I am about the 5th person that I know who have had such experience in recent days. Something must be in the air. :) From my experience and watching Dateline last night, I guess eating out is just not a good thing in every sense of it. In order to eliminate possible causes it is always better to cook your own food cos whatever caused the stomach pain is still very puzzling to me.
Anywayz, my crazy self still went down to Charlotte the next day with a friend who I had promised to go with that weekend. It was very relaxing. I personally just love going to Charlotte. Will move there without thinking twice if I get a job there.
I digressed, but that shit was not funny at all. From Friday till this morning, every TV ad that showed any food actually made me nauseous. Didn't eat anything again till about 7pm on Saturday evening. Like my friend says, ko funny o. lol! And Ms Sick Chick, I feel you now. You weren't overdoing it at all. :) I definitely now, more than ever before, know that many atimes, till you are in certain circumstances, you really can't jump into conclusion about how people in such situations are reacting.
You can't force it, but you can at least try your best, see what happens and possibly move on or see it work. ~ Eyan
Haven't written in a while as usual. Just too lazy. That's why I started this thing anyway. I really commend the people that write daily. For real!
That's beside the point. During last weekend, I went to check out some stuff and I remember seeing a book by Robert Schuller called, "Life is not fair, but God is good." When I saw it, I thought that title was incredibly the reality of so many lives and told myself I had to read it. However, that title couldn't have been made more true by any situation or circumstance than the Brazil-Ghana game.
I just got back to my desk after watching that game (though I must say that I saw only the second half) and I just can't imagine any other loss that could be more painful than that. This was a team that everyone thought Brazil would just ride over. But as the game started, Ghana proved that was not going to happen. During the 1st half, I was on IM throughout with a friend that was watching it and he kept me abreast of how the game was going. He kept on telling me how Ghana was playing a great great game! By the time I got to my friend's place to watch the 2nd half, I saw what he was saying. He couldn't have been more on point than that. I mean Ghana plaaaaayed! They played much better than Brazil played. And that was without Michael Essien. They played a great game for sure.
To me, they played Brazil with their own style. It was a great passing game, though they pissed me off really bad some of the times they were off on their passes and allowed Brazil to steal the balls, but hey...that's soccer. The first few minutes that I saw, I thought Ghana didn't even have a goalkeeper. They were in Brazil's Box 18 area for a while mehn. I was impressed. They did everything. The shots, the passes, the aggressive ball stealing, etc. But to no avail.
Got to admit, everytime the Brazillian team had the ball, it just looked like they were going to score. The way I see it is that Ghana played excellently and had Brazil defending most of the game but each of the few times they(Brazil) had a chance, they maximized it. Hence, the 3-0 loss.
Yes, Brazil scored the goals, but this was just one of those games that the final score did no descriptive justice to what the game was really like. Like my friend said, the Ghanians played the soccer, the Brazillians scored the goals. Very annoying! But that was just what happenned. Though the score seems to prove otherwise, Ghana did an excellent job with ball, but it just wasn't their day (kind of reminds me of Game 7 of the 'Canes and the Oilers). They showed that they were underdogs that could bark really loud, and that, with no empty threat. However, they just could not get the ball in. Ghanians should definitely be proud of their team. They played an outstanding game against Brazil and deserve a lot kudus for that. They made me proud to be African. The final score that everyone now sees is an indubitably diamteric portrayal of what the game was really like. It just really shows that the better team in the game doesn't always win. Though, next time, they need to work on their shots cos their shots were completely screwed; they were way off most the time. It's all good Ghana, Life is really not fair, but God is good. Like someone said, you guys are definitely in my hall of fame! And next World Cup is another one anywayz. ;)
...there are hardly any so dull or slow of understanding as to be incapable of apprehending good opinions, or even of acquiring all the highest sciences, if they be but conducted along the right road. ~ Descartes
I can't give you a sure-fire formula for success, but I can give you a formula for failure: try to please everybody all the time. ~ Herbert Bayard Swope (1882 - 1958)
I define polyamory as a love of many. One person can not be all things to another person. Our lives are a reaction to, a reflection of and are infuenced by the many people in our lives. Why not include many loves in that? ~ Valerie Hartzer, Ferndale
When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so that when you die, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying. ~ Somebody
This last weekend was extremely refreshing for me. Not sure why but it it was one of the most serenely relaxing weekend for me. I think the last time I had such a completely relaxed and at the same, inexplicably euphoric weekend must have been....hmmm...I don't even know. ok...maybe the last time I had a COMPLETELY great weekend hanging out with s*j.
It started on Friday night with me trying to convince a friend to come with me to a nice lil' party. It took me a while to, but I finally did. I mean for God's sake, he' has been to one of these events and he knows they always have the finest ladies and music in the area. ALWAYS!!! And gorgeously pretty, single working class ladies too. Hmmmmmph, Hmmmmph!!!! You really can't beat that! After convincing him and another friend of mine to come out, on my way to one of the folk's place, suddenly, I saw the dreaded annoying "rainbow" lights racing after my ass. Dammit! Not another one! I GIVE UP!!!! WTF? I wasn't even speeding. He came down, I tried to plead for clemency but the bastard refused to heed. Anyway, he gave me a ticket for 48 on 35. Apparently, the speed limit in the area was 35 and not 45 as usual. The asshole said he reduced it to 45 on 35 in order to save me 40 bucks. Ori e! Ko ni da fun e! You are mad! 40 bucks ko, 40 bucks ni! Like he was doing me a favor! Please! What favor!!!! Just step out of my face and bounce! I didn't even say one word after getting it. I just zoomed off!!! Fucking bastard!!!! lol!
Anyway, you would have thought I would go home from there. Hell fucking no!!! The fucking popo especially was not going to mess up my day!!! I just don't believe in turning back except for dire reasons. I have been on journeys with people numerous times that stuff will happen or we get lost for hours and they will be like, this guy, let's go back home, but I just can never do it! Anywayz, one of my peeps changed and we headed out to the event. It was organized by my colleagues at work. They always have these parties every now and then. They are usually packed with nice young working-class black folks in the area. I LOVE THAT! It's amazing how they started like joke like joke (they causally started) and now they have really made a name for themselves. But I'm mad they made me pay to get in this time around. They normally let me in free but this time around they just kind of stayed away from the door to avoid letting people in free. I can't blame them at all cos I have always wondered how they made money. They know almost everyone there personally. How do you make profit if you know all the attendees at your events and now have to let them in free. So I wasn't mad at them at all. I paid for the 3 of us and got in. Dammit though! That expesne was just not part of the plan though...especially after getting speeding ticket less than 2 hrs before. I don't do this every weekend like I used to anywayz!
This party had a whole lot of new faces. There were so many gorgeous women. They had some fine ass ladies! Ladies that make you want to holler... Met up with other friends there and just hung out the rest of the time with many of my work buddies and friends. It was a lot of fun. Women just amaze me, sometimes, for real. I had this chick that I met last year at one of these events (Nigerian but born and raised here) - nice, dark-skinned, perfect stature with these really neat locks and lovely eyes and persona - just what I call simple beauty. I talked to her back then and she said that she had someone she was talking to and all...same old line. Since then I have seen her at few of the events and we barely said hi to each other and all. This time around, she saw me with one of the finest ladies out there (just a friend) and we were chitchatting, laughing, dancing crazy and just goofing off jokingly like I usually do (my friends call me the crazy African dude at the parties and events cos they always think I'm drunk but I'm never even close to that). You would have thought we were together too. We are just really cool. I call her, my best African American sister/mentor. I knew my girl noticed all that as I saw her looking. Not to my surprise, she came around to tap me and say hi. What! Believe me, this chick has never initiated an exchange of pleasantries between us. Not once! I always initiated it. I mean, it was a shock to me...and possibly to her too as I somehow saw on her face. We have always said hi but she has never come to tap me to say hi. Not once! She tapped me and was talking and actually trying to have a decent conversation. I had to ask her if she was ok for real. She was like of course yes, I am. Why do women (actually we all) do that? Why? This is someone "you had in the palm of your hands pretty much" and decided not to deal with, but now, you see him with someone and bam, you want to say wassup like you have never done before. Hmmm...maybe, she was just in a good mood and just trying to be friendly. I guess one can't always assume that the she was trying to go where I was trying to go to back then cos such gestures from me have been misconstrued too. I got to say though, not all the time, as I know for sure, but many times, it's a case of her trying to holla back now. Anywayz, the event was great. Great music with all genre - my favorite house music and reggae, dirty south, etc. Met some new folks in the area and it was definitely very relaxing.
Next morning, it took everything on the planet for me to get up (after going to bed at 4.15am) at 5.30am to go to a Race For The Cure volunteer event, but I managed to and I thank God I did. I love such volunteer events. Done a whole lot of them in my life and I advise people to do the same. It's very self-fulfilling. It was really great seeing everyone there doing their thing - the compettive racers, the fun racers, the walkers, etc. It was definitely worth it. Saw my friend there and she said her sister refused to come cos she thought it was a sad event. Hmmm...that's a different perspective. Never thought of it like that but that could be a valid point. I think it just depends on perspective. I saw it as a celebration fo the survivors and even the victims really. It just really depends on how you see it. I was there helping with the cutting of bagels till about 9.30 or so and then went home to sleep only to miss barbershop appointment at 1pm. Made it there afterwards at 2 on which my barber said he was going to charge me 5 bucks. Like Michael Blackson says, morasucker, what do you mean you're going to charge me 5 bucks? I mean...this guy is black and he is dealing with black folks and he's talking about making precise haircut appointments or get charged extra for missing them. You know we black folks are not good with appointments and shit like that for haircut. WTF? I mean, I still made it the same day, so you're still not losing a dime from me! I was pissed but, hey, that is his policy. You don't like it, jump! I love him though. He's doing his thing big time.
Then at about 5.30, headed out to an appreciation dinner with a friend of mine at the Hilton. We thought we were late but as usual, negroes mehn, I mean, the event didn't start till about 2 hrs later than the starting time. My friend and I, coincidentally (and I mean conincidentally :) ) wore the same color, so the guys at the dinner didn't let us rest. She kept telling them we were just friends but they were like whatever! lol! They'll be aight! This life is just amazing for real. You just never know who you are influencing. Apparently, the lady that organized the dinner organized it for her barber as appreciation event celebrating "a Husband, a Father, a Friend and a Husband." At Hilton!!!! I was dead impressed. The celebrant was shocked and just couldn't believe it. I mean, he was stunned! That he would be appreciated so much by a customer! Wow! He said one thing during his remarks which is so true: A woman and a man can be friends without sex or anything like. It is possible! He is a married man with a kid and his wife knows the organizer very well. It is funny, I was having that conversation with some friends just days before that and we talked about the same thing. I think it's hard but it is more than possible especially when you, as a guy, grew up around women. The event went really great with special numbers from friends. I tell you mehn, my kids got to know how to sing for real. They have to! They have no choice, though if it is left to their dad's DNA, good luck on that one! I sat with these people that were just freestyling on the table and I was tripped straight up! They were really good! They made R. Kelly sound like me! lol! It was really a lot of fun. And the hotel's food? The best hotel food I have ever had. I mean forever ever! I don't really care for food at all. I just eat to stay alive (odd, I know), but the Salmon was goooooooooood! I was really impressed.
Anywayz, heard about Arrested Development performing live free in downtown at the event, so of course, we headed out there afterwards. The whole concert took me back to my NYC days straight up! The days of free concerts during lunch. Parking took forever, so they had started before we got there. They started while we were in the vicinity looking for parking space. Mad that I missed some of it, but glad I made it there regardless. From what we saw while looking for parking space, we thought they were checking ID and I had forgotten my wallet at home (first time in years, if I remember), but there is always a way out! :) I had my work ID in the car with my name on it. And I had my speeding ticket in the car too. The speeding ticket had my name and date of birth and the work ID had my pic and name, so I took both. Problem solved! My friend thought that was hardcore, some crazy shit. Hey...you got to do what you got to do. We went in. The concert was the best I have been to in YEARS!!!! I guess, I don't really go to concerts like that but I have been to quite a number. Loved it! Saw the crew. Baba was there, the main guy (Speech), and 2 of the ladies. It was really nostalgic seeing them live. Watching them evoked so many memories. I remember listening to them in high school. People Everyday, Mr Wendal, Tennessee, Mama's always on stage, Eaze my mind, etc. I remember having to tell my friend (we didn't have cable) when I was in high school to help me record their videos on BOP TV, MTV, etc. I had their videos on tape with It was a Good Day, Postive K's what's ur man got to do with me, 2 Live Crew, Wrecks N' Effects, etc. I couldn't believe I was looking at these guys live. They gave an outsanding performance! Excellent excellent job! Speech did his thing as usual with Eshe (the crazy bald-headed dancer and chipper-in. she got nice slightly colored twisted braids now) and Baba Oje (now 74 yr old but did his thing like a 24-yr-old guy on stage). They had this new face in the group - Nicha. Apparently, she has been with Speech for a while. Damn! She was not just fiiiineeee, she had a perfect body and I mean purrfeect body (something that you usually don't see together). If not for my age, I would actually get a poster of her (India Arie and Kimberly Elise too. love them all) and put it in my room. lol! She was like an afro-centric version of Alicia Keys but even finer. And mehn, she was was blowing like crazy. She is an excellent vocalist! DAMN!!!! Great vocal range. I was feeling her voice like mad....and her body too by the way! lol! Eshe did her crazy dance routines as usual. I don't know where she gets her energy from mehn. And she just had a baby too. Incredibly in shape for someone that just had a baby (I really don't know how women get in shape after having kids for real. It must be tough. taking care of the newly-born and trying to get rid of that extra loose skin? Mehn...I don't know). And Baba Oje? That guy was doing his thing on the stage entertaining folks. He even went down flat and did the Hoola or whatever they call it. A 74-yr old guy! Wow! Then they had this new guy that was rapping too. He was quite good. He kind of reminded me of Eminem. The fast-paced, almost tongue-twisting, rap. The best part of the concert was when they called it out for the night, left the stage and as people dispersed, came back again to give us one LAST GREAT ONE! It was their best of the best - MR WENDAL! The whole crowd went agog, screaming and jumping. They gave us a powerful, crowd-moving rendition! LOVED IT! My so-far conservative, left-right dancing self, went crazy myself too. My friend and her sisters were just looking like this guy must be on crack all of a sudden or something. And then they started my best part of the song...Go Baba, Go Baba.... Baba went on fire doing his thing. It was hilarious seeing a 74-yr old man giving us steps. I couldn't believe it. It's ironic to see that that was the first time I ever knew they were actually saying Go Baba, Go Baba... I always said, Jabala, Jabala, Jabala.... LMAO! I know, right! You will think I will know the lyrics for my best part of the song I love. Hey...what can i say? And yeah, they also sang this very heart-warming, highly soothing, nerve calming version of Bob Marley's Redemption Song. The concert was, like we used to joke around as kids, not just fantastic, it was cokastic!!! yeeaaa, yeaa, i know, lame right! The drummer, outsanding! the acoustic guitarist, WHAT! the bass guitarist, phenomenal! Pls, you got to see their concert. It's great. I will be buying their CD (SINCE THE LAST TIME) when it comes out later this yr for sure and pls people, buy it too!!!! Check out their site: Arrested Development
After that, rather than go out to club as planned, just went home and chilled the rest of the night.
On Sunday, went to church. Nice service as usual. I wore shorts, pretty much, for the first time ever today. I don't even wear shorts at all on a regular day but I must say I have been missing out for real. Where have I been all my life not wearing just a pair of shorts and T-shirt. It is very relaxing. It just feels very different. I think that shit even makes your mind relaxed. :) You just feel like no stress. Nothing seems to phase u cos you're just relaxed with the weather. All that wearing of jeans 24/7 might be over for me for a while now.
After church went to see my pastor's wife who just had a pair of twins. Haven't really taken the time to hold a less-than-2-weeks baby in my life but did so and it wasn't that bad after all. God is really amazing for real. Just looking at those little kids. You just wonder...WOW...so these kids will grow up to become my size and even more. WOW! God is amazing. Olorun ku ise mehn!
From there I went to an investment club meeting with some coworkers and friends. My American surrogate mother, as I call her, invited me to one. These woman just links everyone. Everyone there was pretty much invited by her - about 8 or so people. She just makes me wonder the way she is friendly with everyone. That woman has too many friends. :) I love her for that! Anywayz, I thank God for the investment club thingy. I have always wanted to become part of one and this was my opportunity. I remember asking a friend if I could join theirs and he said, nope, too full. I invited 2 of my friends but only one made it. It was at one of my coworkers' place - nice huge house. Makes you want to get married! :) We talked about a whole lot (partnership agreement, bye-laws, backs, brokerages, monthly contributions, etc) and it was definitely worth it. Different members were assigned duties for the next meeting. Check out more info about this on Betterinvesting.com. It is definitely worth being in one as ONE of your investment strategies!
After that went to my friend's place and just hung out the rest of the day fixing wireless connections, watching the NBA Finals and just chilling. I felt really bad for the Miami Heat! Damn! At a point, Dallas led by 24? WTF? What happenned to the Heat. Shaq had only 5 points. Unheard of! I mean...5 points. How in the world did that happen? The Mavs played a great game, obviously! Great defense, great attack! Nowitzki did better than game 1 today. They just pretty much used Heat to practise for real. I mean...how do you stiffle Shaq to only 5 points in a game? I don't get it. That guy just seeems unbeatable once he has the ball and is in the paint right below the basket, but somehow the Mavs made him useless! Great job, Avery Johnson! Though I don't like your team owner, Avery (can't stand Mark Cuban's arrogance), but because of you, Nowitzki and Jason Terry, I am rooting for you!!!! Go Mavs!!!!
From all these, don't really know why, but it was just a great weekend for me! I normally have more events-packed weekends than this last one, but there was something about it that felt so peaceful and refreshing and I loved it. The investment club, Race For The Cure, hangouts, free concert....in short everything was the height of the weekend for me. Thank God! Look forward to many more of such inexplicably tranquil weekends...
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