Top 10 Reasons, EP3

Yeah, I think it gonna be come a weekly thing,
prob every Monday.
This week: Why We Procrastinate
With Finals upon us soon, it only makes sense.

10) It's only a quiz.
[It's not like it actually counts towards my grade... that much.]

9) You can't concentrate under these conditions.
[I would go to the library but it's too quiet. And my room's too loud. Oh well, nowhere to go.]

8) Youze hungry.
[No one can focus when the stomach requests attention.]

7) Tomorrow's better.
["Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today?" Because I can, bizzach.]

6) TV time.
[Wait...It's Monday? Shiiiit, Love of Ray J come on tonight.]

5) Your room is dirty.
[Cleanliness is next to Godliness. So is Cosbyness. So clean your room, or there will be no chocolate pudding for you! Gwa-hahaha.]

4) You already got the outline.
[I got the gist of it. The rest will fall into place.... all by itself... without me even typing it.]

3) It's party time.
[Come on, b. It's Saturday. You seriously expected me to stay in? Ha!]

2) The mate beckons.
[GF/BF or booty call. Sometimes sex or even a long makeout session just trumps gettin ya learn on.]

1) You forgot.
[Wait.... what you mean the Spanish compostion if do next class? Class is in 45 minutes! Grrr.]

And as always,
you end up on Facebook.

Also, a quick shout out to me manz, Sean Rogers.
He one of the main reasons I procrastinate
cause he be having me online, dying.
But in related news, he just started his own blog as well.
http://perceptivedeception.blogspot.com/
Check him out. He only got one post so far...
but he does poetry and opinions.
Until later, my friends [and associates].

Word.

What I'm Thankful For, The Rehearsal

With Thanksgiving being today,
everyone is expected to say what we're thankful for
around the table before we can destroy the food.

I've decided to write this blog for two reasons:
1) I always freeze up and say something dumb.
2) I don't want to mess up and let something slip.

See, I don't tell my fam much,
especially my extended family,
cause they don't need to know.
Granted, this Thanksgiving it's just
me, mom, her parents, and maybe two other folks.
So if I let something slip like,
oooh... my sexuality, which only my mother knows about.
Not that I'd say it during the thanks,
but maybe in conversation.
there ain't gonna be nothing else to take the focus of me. Haha

So, with that said,
allow me to present my prepared "I'm Thankful For."

Hi family. Hi Lord.
This Thanksgiving, I have plenty to be thankful for.
I'm thankful to have the education I'm recieving,
for my writing, that I have a way to voice my opinions,
to be privileged enough to not have any major struggles in my life,
and to have such good friends and family as support system when I need them.
Now who's next?

Feel free to leave you prepared thanks in the comments.
Have a good turkey day.
Word.

Hood Housing

As a few of you know,
I haven't really been back in Jersey since April.
Sure, I came back for the weekend of Pride in June,
but I was in NYC the whole time.

Well... it's Thanksgiving break,
and where else could I go but home?
Let me just say... Loyola has severely spoiled me.
I feel like more of an uppity negro than I ever have before.

The first thing that hit me was the availability of a computer.
Usually when I come back from college,
I go to Irvington and use my father's computer...
but the internet is acting up on it.
Luckily, I have my laptop here...
But a nigga couldn't get a signal.
Well, as you see I found one.
It's weak as all hell though, cause I'm stealing that shit. Haha
Where's Houndnet when you need it?

Secondly is my freedom.
I can do whatever I want at college, obv.
But back here,my mom always keeps tabs on me.
But... last night,I stayed at my dad's.
However, I failed to remember that my bed is in his bedroom.
As I told Twitter last night:
"I don't like staying at my father's house. Especially when this nigga is my direct roommate. This ain't college! :-/"
Also, they're always over my shoulder when I'm in the house.
Gets a lil annoying.

I woke up this morning though to feel all chilly and such.
I forgot I can't control the heat.
Ain't no thermostats at my pops's place.
But why was the basement warmer than the 2nd floor when I woke up?
I thought heat rose?
Eventually the heat did come on.
With a hiss.
I looked around scared as shit
before realizing it was just the radiator.
Good ol hood heat. :-/

Eventually,my laptop needed recharging.
You know I couldn't find a single wall socket with 3 prongs, only 2.
I was tight.
Least I found the one power strip with 3 prong outlets.
I was bout to be shit outta luck. Haha

The one thing I do like about my father's house though:
Tha Bassment.
No not basement, Tha Bassment.
Cause we got a banging sound system down there,
and all the walls are covered with old school records,
mostly R&B and Soul.
My grandfather owned a record shop back in the day.
Told you love a music ran in the family, man.

But of course, I got hungry.
But ain't no food in the house,
except for the stuff for Thanksgiving tomorrow.
So I had to run out to the bodega.
Ah, how I missed the bodega.
But discussing of this is for another day.
Maybe tomorrow before the feast?

Luckily,
I'm bout to go back over to my momz in Newark.
We kinda bougie over there. Haha.
Later, hood house.
Til I see you again on Sunday when I'm bout to leave out.
Word.

Top 10 Reasons, EP2

Kehehe. In today's edition of Top 10 Reasons,
I'll be counting down Why You Don't Wanna Remember the Weekend.
It's only appropiate, since today is monday. Haha.

10) You payed way too much for that cab ride.
[Maybe if you spoke the cabbie's native tongue you coulda got him to lower flat rate or to not run his Speedy Gonzales meter.]

9) While playing Never Have I Ever, you're dark past got the best of you.
[I was gonna put something really explicit here, but I like to think I have some class. Haha]

8) You stayed home last night only to hear tales of epicness the following morning.
[Damn you, Biology test! I could have seen a midget pimp riding one of his employees down the street like he was a jockey.]

7) You ran into your ex and ended up making out with them at the end of the night.
[Now they won't stop callin and textin you. Look, it was only a booty call!]

6) You got thrown out of the bar before closing.
[If only you hadn't knocked over every single bottle when you found yourself behind the bar, making free drinks for everyone.]

5) You sucked at pong and ran a naked lap.
[Now everyone knows about that mole on your butt. Ick.]

4) You say someone you've been crushing on and ended up throwing up all over them as soon as the first word came outta your mouth.
[Well... at least your liquid courage got them to realize you're a person on God's green Earth. Now you're just that gross kid who puked on them.]

3) You kissed a girl/guy, and you liked it.
[I mean, it may not be what you're used to. But you're bout to become real accustomed with it.]

2) You got written up for that house party.
[When the cops came a knocking, I hope you weren't the one that jumped out the window.]

1) "Wait? ...There was a last night?" You blacked out bastard.
[The ultimate way to make sure you forget last night. Now, to avoid your chatty friends.]

Runners up:
After buying her all those drinks, she still went home with her friends.
Your liquid courage never kicked.


Now for a completely change in pace,
about my solo this past weekend. Haha.
It went well.
Nervousness didn't hit until I was right up in front of everyone.
Some how I got through it.
I didn't sing the whole thing,
the director sung the second half.
But I like to think I provide background vocals for him. Haha.
But no, the spirit really started moving during that song though.
It def lasted longer than we rehearsed it,
but that's how God works sometimes.

Anyway,
that's been my weekend.
Hope you enjoyed yours as well.
Word.

Solo Singin'

So...
I may be singing a solo.
What of it? Big woop.
Wanna fight about it?
haha.

But yeah,
I'm singing a solo for the Gospel Choir here at Loyola tomorrow.
You know... the concert in the chapel at 7 tomorrow?
The one that's been advertised,
but you probably ignored it just like all the other posters on campus.
Yeah, that one.
Come out and hear the choir singing.
We got mad other choirs coming too.
And a free reception. ;-) [Reception. Not dinner. Haha]
It'll be a great night of fellowship.

But enough of the shameless promotion.
I'm here today to talk about singing a solo.
Now, I've done it before.
But that was at my church back in the day.
You can sing like crap and they'll still be like,
"Go head, baby." "Oh bless your heart." "You better sing, child!"
But now that I'm singing alone for real for real...
There's actual pressure now.
You know like,
you can't just fudge the words like you might in an ensemble.
You gotta know them words!
And the notes... ooo-wee.
If you a half step off... you just feel bad.
The audience might not notice, but you will.
And so will your accompanyment.
And don't start off in the wrong key!
Auh! That happened to me when I auditioned for Chicago.
It was already bad enough I'm a baritone/bass.
I started off wrong and couldn't fix it.
I was like, "Well, I'm not in this show," as I walked off.
Haha

But speaking of baritones and basses.
Do you know how hard it is for us to shine?
We get grouped in with the tenors on gospel songs,
having to sing them notes that's in our head voices. Haha.
And even if we do get a bass part, it's usual some background ish,
you know, the tempo or something.
I don't know, it's not all bad.
It's real fun hitting them low low notes. Haha.

But yeah,
I heard the song and was like,
"Hey. I can do that. That I can do!" [This would a Chorus Line reference. Come on! Get it together, dear listeners.]
Now, there are some high notes for me,
that would be no prob for a tenor or someone else.
But I see this song as a challenge.
I've been expanding my range these pass few years.
It's time to see just how well I can do.
I suppose we'll find out tomorrow.
And for those of you who can't make it,
I'll report back on Monday with a small section on how it turned out.
Enjoy your weekend, folks.
Word.

What You Mean You Ain't Never Seen It?

You know how there are just something you are expected to know?
You know...
kinda like common knowledge.
And if you don't know it,
you just a disgrace to the race or to your friends.
For example,
some things that will get you a funny look if you say you don't know them if you black:
Dr. Martin Luther King
Miles Davis
Jay-Z
Boyz in the Hood [and other movies like that]
How to fry chicken [I'm joking. Gosh... Or am I?]

I bring this up today because
in the Minority Spot
we were watching TVand it ended up on BET [aka Black Evil Television].
However, it had Menace on. So we let it rock.
Then one of the more outspoken people in the room stood up and said
"If ya'll ain't never seen this movie, you ain't black," as a joke.
To his amazement people in the room had actually not seen the movie.
Even more to his amazement, I had not seen it.
He could only shake his head as he said,
"This is why I hate Loyola."
I tried to explain.
Of course I had channel surfed as a kid
and seen the movie on BET before,
but I always said "I ain't bout this right now."
It was all editted and shit anyway.
However, I do agree,
the movie is pivotable.
Black people should watch the movie.
I plan to watch it in full this weekend, prob Saturday.
[Hit me up if you tryna get down.]

When you don't have knowledge of things that are so common in your culture, you miss out.
It puts you at a disadvantage.
It can also make you somewhat of an outsider,
even take away a bit of your creditability.
I should know....I think I just had my black card revoked. :-/
Onward to retrieve it!
I'd hate to slowly have my skin turn a creamy shade.... or would I?
Word.

Gaga Over the Lady

You know,
when Lady Gaga first arrived on the scene,
I thought she was just another pop diva.
I didn't really pay attention to her.
She just had okay songs to me.
I thought she might just fade away.
Then she became more relevant.
That's when I just thought she was odd.
I heard her on the Wale "Chillin" track and said,
"Hmm... she's not all bad, but nothing special."

Now, I know.
All gays love her.
But I wasn't the one.
Even when she was at this year 's VMAs
and proclaimed "This one is for God and the gays."
I was just like, "Oh, that's nice."
But she did catch my attention that night.
Not just because of her crazy outfits,
which she had plenty to spare.
[Did ya'll see that fucking bird's nest around her hear, yo?!]
But because of her performance of "Paparazzi."
I had actually never heard the song before.
So as she sung and moved around the stage
I found myself captured, not wanting to look away.
The blood at the end was a bit much, yes,
but still some how I loved it.

Now she has this remix out with Beyonce.
Most of you have seen it. "Video Phone."
Some people hate it. Most people love it.
I must say, Gaga kept up with Sasha.
I had to give her props.
But Gaga didn't totally win me over until today, actually.
I was in the place where all us minorities gather here at Loyola.
I'll call it the Minority Spot from here on out and in other monologues.
It was particularly poppin today.
Lotta good people in there.
Someone said they hadn't seen the "Video Phone" video,
so someone put it up on the TV [which is connected to a computer as well.
Yes, we do it way big up in the Minority Spot.]
This soon led to watching other recent Beyonce videos.
Then the guy showing the videos decided to go back to Gaga.
[This was not before making a quick pit stop at Brandy singing in her bathroom to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." She actually went in. Haha]

Anyway,
we watched "the Gaga" perform her hit songs,
just her on the piano in a room by herself.
I was able to hear her without all the other shit behind her,
no computerized voiced.
I must say... she can actually sing.
Her lyrics were also quite interesting.
But the main thing that caught me was just her.
Her personality.
She is quirky and socially awkward as all hell.
She just would just do weird funny shit with her voice during some parts in the song.
In one video, she actually put her leg up on the piano as she was playing.
I started dying.

Gotta admit,
I think I'm slowly becoming a fan.
I'm listening to her on imeem right now.
Drawing my final verdict.
I think I'm leaning towards the "yay" side over the "nay".

I mean,
as people say after listening to Gaga (for some reason),
I live!
Word.