The Scale

There is a much disputed scale that I have started using due to influence from my Aussie boss. This scale attempts to put into perspective how hot some celebrities are. I am of course referring to the finger scale.

The application of this scale is just as simple as its founding principles. Step one :choose a superfine woman to idolize. Step two: decide how many fingers you'd give up to get with her. Let's take a real world example. I'm a big Jessica Alba fan from the Dark Angel days and I would happily give 8 for her back then, unfortunately she has become skin and bones recently, she now rates a three.

Shakira! Shakira!

I'm chilling in the barbershop today watching some Latin channel, busy figuring out if I could get inspiration from a Spanish pop star. Some Spanish some came on with Akon singing in English. I waited to see if Akon would bench press anyone, or spit, or kick them in the head. Nothing of the sort happened.

Right after the Akon song, as far as I remember at least, a Shakira song came on. I frankly don't recall the name of the song but it did remind me of how big a fan I am. Shakira was of course doing the pseudo belly dance. This is the long way of saying that I'd give both hands up to my elbows for 2 minutes. She's what The Streets meant by "you're fit but you know it."

The Cousin of Death

I feel lighter than air
I become unaware
of the world around
a tingle at the toes
feet cannot be found
a shallow breath
now I cannot feel my chest
sensations of being and knowing gone
slowly the veil of darkness washes over m
my last thoughts filled with fear
fear of what I might find there
I have no control as I sink deep
into that thing called sleep

******************

At various points it seems that I've had trouble accepting the natural act of falling asleep. I tend to click on and off like a light switch, non CFL of course. Slowly drifting away is so foriegn to me that the loss of control freaks me out everytime. I was having such an event and found the above piece was the result of breaking out of the drift. If any of this doesn't make sense, its because I should have been asleep 2 hours ago.

Lonely Ranger

Last week was my 10 year High School reunion. I had no desire to go to this function, but had run out of excuses not to attend. My trepidation about going was unfortunately confirmed by my attendance. I try not to regret things, but I can certainly say that I didn't get much out of the reunion.

I can't quite pinpoint what is wrong with me. I tend to think of myself as a friendly person. I am good at engaging people in one on one conversations; I love telling elaborate stories about the most mundane of things. I would say it is anxiety linked to meeting new people but that couldn't have come into play for the reunion.

What does this all mean? I am an anti-social loon with no good reason for the things I do. The Big City kid who hates big groups?

The Ranger rides again...

Hybrid Theory

I need a car.

Moving from Jersey back to Brooklyn and away from my job means I lose some of the things I have become comfortable with. Gone are the days of being picked up by my boss. Sleeping in the car is no longer an option. Public transport is not a viable option; it wasn't even serviceable the first time around.

So far I've test driven a used Prius and have interest in the civic hybrid. The Prius was tricked out with navigation and bluetooth sync. In the end I wasn't thrilled with the look or the price of the Prius.

The Civic hybrid is based on the well known Civic body style so it doesn't look half bad. Unlike the Prius, the Civic is a mild Hybrid which is less efficient. Full Hybrids operate on the electric motor under 25 mph while mild ones rarely cut off the gas engine. The advantage to this is that the full hybrid saves tons of gas in city driving.

I am still considering conventional gas engine cars like the Toyota Yaris. I have about 2 weeks to make a decison and a purchase. This theory needs to become a reality...

Brooklyn, What?

It looks like I am making the move back to Brooklyn after deserting my one and only. Its personally difficult for me to note, but I am actually gonna miss Jersey. There will be no odes to Jersey posted here, just noting it wasn't the 7th circle of Hell, a high compliment for anything "Jersey."

All the obvious pluses to returning to Brooklyn should be clear. Lbo and I get to be roommates for the first time. Psych can be watched in the way God intended it to be. Perhaps there will even be a return of the balling duo; if L and I ever stop acting like old farts with knee and shoulder injuries.

Brooklyn my habitat, the place where it happens at.

The Enemy of Perfect

words never spoken can not be heard
the unspeakable should be given voice
wait too long and words fall on deaf ears

the greater good may be now

reality betrays us all
putting a fine point on our shortcomings
the truth lifting the mask
exclaiming that it alone holds all the answers
thwarting best made plans
and well laid out thoughts
in due time we settle
succumb the good

Why I hate Lebron James

Why don't you?

I've always had a healthy unreasonable hate for the star forward of the Cleveland Cavaliers. In the last year this has blossomed beyond flirting with disdain to a richer hate for most things he does: commercials are less funny, basketball games less interesting, and life worse for humanity in general. Some may dismiss my views as "unsubstantiated" or mere hyperbole, but I assure you that I cannot stand the sight of this man. I would not go as far as calling him a no talent hack, but that's only cause common wisdom dictates that someone averaging 40+ points in the playoffs with 5+ rebounds and assists cannot be labeled as such. This is not personal, for that I cite Kobe's overall bitchiness.

I do not like the way Lebron plays the game of basketball. He reminds me of the Knicks back in the days when Anthony Mason was the point forward; the ball does not move around and he bulls through people to get to the hole. Kobe, Pierce even Garnet, all forwards comparable to Lebron, use finesse and style to get to the basket. While there is merit in keeping the game simple and I understand that the shortest distance is a straight line, it shouldn't be through the defender.

While it does seem excessive to write about Lebron after he has been eliminated, I had to get this off my chest. After the playoffs and through next season there will be talk of the Knicks acquiring him, so this is weighing on my mind. I don't think he will end up in the orange and blue, but even the speculation gets me worked up. Hopefully he's a decent human being, I'm not holding my breath.

American Will

I have chimed in about the torture debate and the war on several occassions but recent events have crystallized a few things for me. Our former Vice President and permanent dick, Dick Cheney, has the infamous "dark side" quote. He has been fleshing out this theory during his latest media blitz justifying torture. By extension people who do not take these illegal measures care more about "rights" of "evil doers" than America. People who hold this opinion fail to see that America is an idea or a principal and not a nation of common identity, but I digress.

A coworker echoed the Cheney reasoning: "Americans want to intervene but lack the will to do what it takes to win." This was in the context of an ongoing discussion of the targeting of civilians by America and the use of napalm. This was also with the backdrop of John Stewart tripping over himself walking back from critical statements of U.S. use of nukes.

I will readily admit that my morals and principals do not allow for any form of mass murder and destruction; I can't even stomach the death penalty. Hundreds, maybe thousands of Iraqis were murdered when we targeted high level targets in Saddam's regime. We are making the same mistakes in Pakistan and Afghanistan with drone strikes. I understand war but I detest it; it should always be a last resort. Our Iraqi occupation is not a last resort. Americans may not have the "will," but we do a great job at turning a blind eye.

Why I am a Liberal: The Conservative

I stand in the middle of the extremists. There are those who think everything America does is good.

The conservative mindset has no self-awareness to speak of; it consists of bravado with little to back it up. The one theme, the single thread of consciousness which everything else springs from, is that America is a gift to the world. This jingoist views American history through the equivalent of beer goggles; the so-so girl next door becomes a modeling chick after enough brews have been knocked back.

The conservative premise leads to circular logic that we see in "debates" of the day: America does not torture therefore "waterboarding" is not illegal. America "waterboards" in a "humane" way. These arguments disregard facts in settled law and history.

Symbols of our racist past, to say nothing of our present, are white-washed so people feel free to fly the confederate flag. This logic prevades in more just conservatives; I know far too many people who refuse to see that an unprovoked attack is a illegal.

This is not to say that pride in ones nation has no place, on the contrary, pride is what leads you to want you nation to be at it's best. This means knowing and accepting it's full history; the good, the bad and the indefferent.

True pride means working to improve on its failings and conserving, yes conserving, the points of greatness.

Why I am a Liberal: The Revolutionary

I stand in the middle of the extremists. There are those who believe America is good for nothing.

Jefferson has been famously quoted (not by any revolutionaries I know) as saying that occasionally the tree of liberty must be watered by the blood of patriots and tyrants. What human history has shown time and time again is that tyranny is what stays standing. Well meaning individuals usually pave the way for tyrants.

The truth is that whatever justice is gained through blood-shed is usually tainted by it; This is the falicy of the violent revolutionary. The aim is to bring down a government for a laundry list of crimes ranging from war crimes to wrongful imprisonment.

This blind following of the ends justifying the means puts the revolutionary and the conservative in the same box. The cause is so pure that whatever actions taken to achieve their utopia is irrelevant.

I respect the revolutionary, vision, passion and devotion; I don't agree with the means. If this could be tapped and channeled to the masses real change could happen.

Why I am a Liberal: The Liberal

I stand in the middle of the extremists. I am a real Liberal, I want real change.

A true liberal is someone who is broad minded. This is sometimes twisted to mean someone without principles, but that is the furthest from the truth. I define Liberisms principles by the words of the Declaration of Independence: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Since this is the founding principle of our government it is these principles that every governing body should keep in mind.

Life...
Every person should be able to have a full life regardless of the circumstances they are born into. This is why Universal Healthcare is a right not a luxury. Basic Healthcare , preventive care and non-cosmetic service should be readily and freely available. There is and should be a place for private healthcare for those who choose to pay for additional services.

Liberty...

This is best stated as a mash-up of the first and fourth ammendments. I really can't do a better job of explaining it than that.

Pursuit of Happiness...

A person is "happy" if the first two principles are fulfilled but there is more to life. A person should have a reasonable opportunity to make a living for themselves and their family. In order to do this a higher education should be freely available according to ones acuity and a minimum standard of a living wage should be applied.

These are principles I hope everyone can stand by.

Why I am a Liberal: The Rant

I stand in the middle of the extremists. I am a real Liberal. I want real change.

I am tired of the image of the mealy-mouthed, weak-kneed liberal who is afraid to offend.

I believe in standing up for the truth no matter how ugly it is. Transparency is key to a vibrant Democracy. I am aware that the country that I know and love has a jaded history that most are in denial of. We've sold arms to despots, installed dictators and supported death squads; however that is only part of the story. We've also been the overwhelming force for good in world wars, the refuge for the persecuted and the hope for the future.

Statement on Torture

Notorious human rights abusers, including,
among others, Burma, Cuba, North
Korea, Iran, and Zimbabwe, have long sought
to shield their abuses from the eyes of the
world by staging elaborate deceptions and
denying access to international human rights
monitors. Until recently, Saddam Hussein
used similar means to hide the crimes of his
regime. With Iraq’s liberation, the world is
only now learning the enormity of the dictator’s
three decades of victimization of the
Iraqi people. Across the country, evidence
of Ba’athist atrocities is mounting, including
scores of mass graves containing the remains
of thousands of men, women, and children
and torture chambers hidden inside palaces
and ministries. The most compelling evidence
of all lies in the stories told by torture
survivors, who are recounting a vast array of
sadistic acts perpetrated against the innocent.
Their testimony reminds us of their great
courage in outlasting one of history’s most
brutal regimes, and it reminds us that similar
cruelties are taking place behind the closed
doors of other prison states.

The United States is committed to the
worldwide elimination of torture, and we are
leading this fight by example. I call on all
governments to join with the United States
and the community of law-abiding nations in
prohibiting, investigating, and prosecuting all
acts of torture and in undertaking to prevent
other cruel and unusual punishment. I call
on all nations to speak out against torture
in all its forms and to make ending torture
an essential part of their diplomacy. I further
urge governments to join America and others
in supporting torture victims’ treatment centers,
contributing to the U.N. Fund for the
Victims of Torture, and supporting the efforts
of nongovernmental organizations to
end torture and assist its victims.

No people, no matter where they reside,
should have to live in fear of their own government.
Nowhere should the midnight
knock foreshadow a nightmare of state-commissioned
crime. The suffering of torture victims
must end, and the United States calls on all
governments to assume this great mission.

International Day in Support of
Victims of Torture
June 26, 2003
Administration of George W. Bush,

Lobstah Part Deux

I reserved the Lobster Tail for a Lobster Salad. This is my take on a Lobster Roll.
Avocado
Cucumber
Cherry Tomatoes
Chick Peas
Black Sesame Seeds
Lobster
Topped with a home made vinaigrette



The setting..


I believe the word delicious comes to mind

Bounty of Booty from RI

The setup...

A bottle of Voigner
2lb Lobster
Jelly Bellies
all Demolished...


I played babysitter for a little bit on Saturday...


Then she got hold of my phone/camera....

Her pops sleeping off the previous night of revelry.

Born Identity

That's right , it's April 15th and I was born today. After 9 months it was time for me to get up out the piece and bring my shine to the world.

I must admit though that this bornday is unlike other in recent history. For the last several years it's been a day/weekend to get together with my peoples and celebrate the passing of another year together. This year I still have most of my original peoples and now have some new peoples. I want to keep it real low key 'cause I'm too far apart from the people I love. DJ's mom call me out on it the other day and she was right.

I feel that friends and family are one in the same. They say you know a person by the company they keep. I must be the G.O.A.T cause I know people of all stripes and I work daily to hopefully be imbued with their best qualities. I guess that would make me Rogue...

While I got my good sense and looks from my mom and dad, you all are my:

Love - All Ya'll
Heart - Claw
Soul - JWow
Consciousness - KoolRedd
Pillar - Brain
Kindness - Keyesie
Cool - J$
Style - HD (of course I have to shout myself out)
Spirit - DJ
Strength - Spontaneous
Sense of Humor - Phantom
Memory - X
Courage - Mz Pack

I am who I am because of you...

Thank you.

Nice Guys

you say want to be treated right
but that only comes from my type
smart, handsome, dressed to the nines
cover topics: politics to the Knicks
the sway of your hips to my kicks
got spots from BK to the bricks
not renaisance - your everything man
typecast "nice guy"
passed over and passed by
not interested? I wouldn't ask why
the price of being me is steep
priceless, an antique hope to speak


Maybe I'm not a Nice guy...

BB King Adventure

on my way back from philly and still feeling pretty good after a long day. I basically did an evening trip to philly in order to check out a BB King concert. I'm glad I took the opportunity to check out a master at his craft. there are so few people who have done what he has done for as long as he has.

legend is a word bandied about, but, this man is beyond that. this man is an icon and the standard bearer for all performers. gotta get up earlier and practice till daybreak to hope to compare.

his age shows but on stage he knows how to play lucille and the crowd. Both are pitch perfect and orchestrated by B to weave a complete show. So laid back and cool he does not miss a beat as he has done this too many times to count.

I guess that's all I have for now, perhaps more coherent thoughts will come in the morning...

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