Imperialism 101: Iraq Year 6

Six years ago we began bombing people in order for them to be free from death and oppression. While on that road we brought death and oppression to millions.

The numbers:
4258 US troops dead
316 Non-U.S. Troops dead
over 600,000 civilian causalities
$800 billion of US taxpayers' funds spent

Congratulations...

Transformers

The Transforming Ottoman

The Problem: A living room with no coffee/center table. A used ottoman that looked past it's prime.

The Objective: Turn the ottoman into a coffee table with storage while keeping it's functionality as an ottoman.

The Process:


Table top made from bamboo plants



Foam being attached to frame


Finished foam


Engineering + interior design


Chocolate vinyl wrapped around the frame


Tighter


This is for the bottom/floor of the storage unit.


Bottom put in place.


Finished product in ottoman form


Finished product in coffee table form


Still coffee table form


Showing off both sides

For what it's worth...

my style has been developed in the core of the earth.
- J-Live

What is that? Did you say you want to see grainy camera pictures from the concert?


J-Live

Rabbi Darkside and Hired Gun

Far Beyond *[Farbeon]

Oddy

J-L-I-VE at Mercury

Just left the J-Live show. There were some real MCs with flow and technique that most "mainstream" rap can't comprehend. 3rd party started things off, real hot, as it should be. "*[Farbeon]," one of the members of 3rd party told stories of everyday life without dropping a beat. Speaking of beats, "Rabbi Darkside" handled beat boxing, mixing and rhyming like he was the father of hip-hop. Not to be outdone "Hired Gun" had the type of energy and control to switch tempos at a moment's notice. (He also broke it down with some dancing)

Oddy came out as the second act and got the crowd even louder. The Mercury Lounge stage never got so much love, till 3rd party came back with some even stronger tracks that they laid down in Brazil; it was then time for the live one.

J-Live came on stage with a huge roar from the crowd, I was right up front, he commanded the MIC, the crowd and the turn-tables from that point. The stage was set with verses from his current album, but soon we were all on a journey mapping out his 14 years as an MC.

Even though it's 2am and I have work in 3 hours I still feel that energy. A good show doesn't just make you go deaf for a few hours, it invigorates you. I know that I’ve been dealing with a lot, most of it on the inside, but I was free for a few hours. Those few hours are why art is so valuable especially in these tough times. I know 5am will come too soon but right now it feels like 9000 miles.

Next

This may sound a little bit unbelievable, but I watched "Next" yesterday and it got me thinking. Does the 2 minute rule preserve the continuity of time? Does it break the rules? By the end I started to think about destiny and freedom of choice. It inspired the following...

the possibilities are endless
lives touch and cross through the ages
me, you, her and him
we each progress in our own time
false choices and pitfalls
path littered with mistakes
people we take for granted
the mistake is not taking a chance
in you, me, her and him
the possibilities are endless
but we all have one destiny
and i'd like to make you mine

Smoke and Mirrors

The past weekend was all kinds of awesome. Started off with an excellent late lunch at Caracas Arepa and was followed up by good times at Manchester Pub. Manchester Pub is a little place with great beer and even better food, I'm not just saying it cause it's owned by two of my High School friends.

So you want pictures?Chan posing at the Owner's party in his "G" cap

Lbo and Hudson, other Owner of Pub, having a good laugh.

This is what I called being drank under a table. Obviously outmatched in chugging contest; Joe made it look so easy, it was like he was only downing a teaspoon of water.

My Mind is Playing Tricks on Me

Insane in the Membrane

I've had a weird week, for the first time in a while I haven't been able to sleep soundly through the night. The odd thing is that the only dreams I can recall are ones of whimsy. For instance, I woke with the feeling of absolute dread but could only recall a dream about "Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium. There is nothing scary, perhaps trippy, about Natalie Portman; actually i am quite fond of her.

Several people I know have been dealing with loss recently. I too have lost someone recently and as usual had a tough time dealing with it. I have never done well coping with losing someone I know. I close up completely and circle the wagons; I don't do/deal with death well. I tend to close up so much that I don't show any emotion. This time I was actually able to let some of the deep feelings I have for someone who has passed away to the surface. The following is a piece I wrote at that time.

Right here

They say you don't know what you've got till it's gone. So often we
miss the special things right before us. The people who touch our
lives with words that make a difference. Words that pick you up while
you are down. The ones that keep you moving when you no longer have
strength. Your boisterous hearty laugh will be missed but you are
forever in our hearts. You still makes us smile a.d we keep moving
because of you.

Overall I have been in my head trying to put how I think and feel on paper (computer).

Ideals and Ideas

You are the ideal, an idea I have held onto for as long as I can
remember. You are an idea an ideal that that can never be attained.
Idolized and exalted above all others. The real you can never reach
the heights the idea of you has gotten to but you hold that special
space that the ethereal ideal of you can never be. To be in love with
an idea of the ideal one is a fools game; I am a fool.

Yet another from the depths...

And you

I have known you for so long and you are still a mystery to me.
Crossed paths a thousand times in a million ways and you are more real
to me now that we are apart. We will cross paths again and you will
never consider me any more than a stranger. Stranger yet, I now
consider me and you.