the snake, the rat, the cat, the dog

how you gonna see them if you're living in the fog?

i had tried to hit up a few of these Rappaport Institute seiminars in the past. will continue to try and do so. very interested in hearing what gets discussed at the power and interest groups in city politics one.

i ran across this interesting comment about the Stringer Bell chaaracter that made me think of this DMX's joint and my program. eloquence, insight, and perspective. yet very scary. and i am scared. shook even.

Stringer Bell was a genius who should have run a Fortune 500 company, but instead was trapped inside the twisted mind of a cold-hearted killer and a drug dealer who would have made Machiavelli proud. ...he was a walking, talking contradiction who represented the best and worst of the streets — a highly intelligent black man whose business acumen and leadership skills were employed in all the wrong places. Still, in a perversely misguided way, String was proof of the power of an educated and analytical mind. "

I am afraid that in some ways there is no hope for the Black male, although I know that is not true. I see so many brothers out there fighting the good fight just because. But then, on the flip side, I see how the reality of unequal exposure renders many Black youth unaware and out-of-touch with the realities of life. And not the realness of it. But the harsh realities of how fuqed up things will be if they don't pay attention to the seemingly minor, inconsequential, and basic shT that revolves around them. There is no media literacy going on in the hood. No critical thinking training. No capacity building. And minimal technology awareness and leadership development. everybody got a myspace jumpoff all tricked out, but no email accounts. no knowledge of basic HTML. no understanding of fundamental technology concepts. I had to teach yesterday and it pained me to see the obvious lack of critical thinking that was clearly evident in most of the group. Kinda reminded of when Mos Def said, "young bloods can't spell but they can rock you in PlayStation." It pains me to see AP classes devoid of youth that look like me. It troubles me when I beg and beg yet can only muster one Black male to participate in my program thus far this year, yet I swear I've hit up at least 200 of them personally on the street, at the NBCA parties i chaperoned, at the youth summit we had a booth at, and elsewhere throughout the city. I see all these smart tough guys with their chests puffed out, but when we start shooting the breeze, they open up like it's some flower blooming time shT.

Maybe I'm coming at it the wrong way? Is asking, 'do you like technology?' that much of a lame ice-breaker that everything else I say gets ignored? Are my young brothers truly just not intrerested whatsoever is learning about technology? Or is there simply a gap in what I trying to do and what they are feeling? I need a focus group or some shT. I was talking to one Career Specialist this week and she commented how odd it was when she found out that a teen had quit a job and asked would he rather not get paid to do nothing as opposed to getting paid and some experience; and he simply said I didn't really think about it. Is it that simple. Plain boredom or disinterest will turn off entire populations from topics that they could possibly like. Is there some underground groupthink going on that I'm not aware of? This shT is nuts, B. I am having a very, very difficult time convincing the Black, Latino, and Cape Verdean youth that I come in touch with to join the program and it is bothering me to no end. I did learn some japanese though. So I am thankful for that. But I fear my program will start to look like the AP and advanced technology classrooms that I visit - devoid of the diversity that depicts this city accurately. And that is not a good look. We need a muthafuqing intervention. Any ideas?

Why is it every move I make turn out to be a bad one?
Where's my guardian angel?
Need one. Wish I had one.
-DMX, "Damien"

Got to hustle from the bottom just to feed the poor

See the rich get, rich, the poor get poor
Jump up and grab the nina son you gotta get yours

so somehow, the rich really are getting rich. i recall reading a few weeks ago something about the richest people beeing even more rich because some had reinvested their wealth elsewhere and caked off after the dot-com bust and 9/11 had weakened some of their holdings. so now, Forbes is talking about the richest 400 Americans are ALL billionaires.

what.the.fuq. i cannot even fathom it.

We plantin seeds that don't grow back
While the black still shining like Kojak
You ain't never gave a shT, yo we OWNED that
Monopolize the whole game and control that

Five of the local colleges announced the Step Up partnership to work on improving the district's underperforming schools. Timing is everything, huh? Can I just say that The Wire has not let me down. So many hidden messages, double entrendes, and the like. From the way Marlo looked at son in the when he refused the loot and looked down but made eye contact when necessary. To the way the Senator would take anybody's money if they were giving it away. To the way Bubbles' intern was holding back the hustle. All a microcosm of hodds across America. Literally, no other television show has me so enraptured by it. Sitcoms are just on some funny shT, but this shT is real life. It may be a fictional drama, but do believe shT is parallel to life. Would you believ a fiht breaks out as I'm leaving one high school yesterday and then shots get busted neary this morning. Coincidence? Who knows. But I can see the same thign happening on the show. It's like a electric uncertainty that art is imitating life which is in turn imitating art. Like recidivism I guess. Which reminds me, I need to make that field trip to South Bay soon. ok, this Wire shT is gonna have to morph into their own separate posts. cuz now i'm rambling.

when the afterbirth disperse it's hard to persevere

Overshadowed in darkness where curiosity is my light
Fear it but very coherent that there's a fifty percent chance that I might
Not make it in spite of the fact, it's my life
And can't take it, knowin' that I'm losin' this fight
to contradiction
The love with the hatred inviting friction

Take these two YouTube video links at face value or get real deep into some pasychoanalysis shT with it. your choice.

"White and Nerdy"

"Fry That Chicken"

You be the jduge.

And if you have never heard of Organized Konfusion, please take an hour of your life to be mesmerized. Pharaoh Monche was (and still is) way before his time.

Inside this Temple of Doom we throw the womb
I bloom to be emitted in June, considered a coon
Livin' my life incomplete though
On the edge of destruction, in vitro

Shallow n!gga$ sink deep when there's sharks in the water

A dollar goes a long way from spending pennies
Might wind up broke surrounded by them gimme's
-Bronze Nazareth f/ Timbo King, "More Than Gold"

coincidentally, this post is very un-deep. actually, it is quite shallow and lacking in substance. but i'm not that "deep" in general. just me. so fuq it.

note to self: cop that Lupe joint. pronto

need to do: meet with financial advisor

want to do: go to car wash (with right card)

wishlist: an mp3 player or bazooka

mental note: set a date and commit to getting PMP certification

would be nice: a weekend getaway somewhere more than 1000 miles away

even nicer: somebody to roll with

for the hell of it: peform a piece this week an one of the open mic spots

would be really dope: if i ripped it off the dome without fuqing up

need to get: more toothpaste, some sleep, and a drink

glad: the first day of the after-school sessions is over

worried: that we have too many new people and nolt enough "veterans"

not worried: about making up for lost ground

still need to: find new clients willing to hire students

afraid: i might hunt the bus driver down and rash on him if he pulls the same dumb sht again

certain: i can restrain myself and continue to be non-violent

definitely: ready for the weekend

uncertain: about what i should buy

confident: i'll be aiight

word: to big bird. duh.

Y'all tellin me that I need to get out and vote, huh. Why?

I'm diggin through the ash tray, hopin to have a good day
-OutKast & Goodie Mob, "Git Up Git Out"

No matter how you cast your ballot, just do it. Like Chuck D said; Voting is as essential as washing your a$$ in the morning. Not exercising your rights is an indication of your content. And, the more and more I learn about how things have been working locally, the more incensed I am becoming with shT that just ain't right. The power of popular sovereignty must return. Keep it thoro.

And I can get funky like a high school locker room

I operate around the clock like city bus
Never take five, cause yo when you rest, you rust
-Big Daddy Kane, "Here Comes Kane, Scoob and Scrap"

So football season is in full gear. And one thing that I always noticed about Boston among my few gripes was that high school sports are a bit different than what I was accustomed to.

see, where i'm from friday night games were the shT. football and basketball. heads would be mad deep up in the stands. the band would be playing some ill current tunes. folks would be getting their grub on. fellas would be getting their holla game on. and sports cats would be deeply into every play of the game.

as for here, it just doesn't seem as intense. well, at least not for the city teams. i mean, there is definitely some competition up here but the overall vibe and culture is just so unlike what I knew football to be. actually sports in general. i will say that playoff basketball last season was pretty dope though. sports were definitely a needed outlet for many youth i came up with. and even then, they were not enough of a draw to keep some heads out of trouble. and i'm saying, yo, a 3pm game? are you serious?!

So what's the point? well, for one, speaking of trouble and sports, I just heard about the shooting in Pittsburgh. The coach and one of the players were at my alma mater last year, and I played ball a few times with money in some pick-up games. and yes, he will swat every other shot like clockwork. words acnnot begin to describe how long and slim son's arms are. But whatever, even if I didn't know them at all, it just sucks to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I hope everyone has a speedy recovery and the shooter gets got.

and lastly, talked to my homie the R and he hipped me to the fact that he's helping out as an assistant coach for one of the football teams. Coincidentally, I ran into a teacher/coach I knew and we got to talking about the upcoming basketball season and his need for help. But I don't think I'm ready for all that. I just may have too much animosity still on reserve from my playing days to adequately coach. But if he wants to go Coach Carter on 'em, maybe I'll help with some algebra or something.

To flatter me your strategy gotta be more complex than chess

It's hard to face defeat
When you're raised in the street
No surrender and no retreat

Apparently, beef is back in vogue. The Game caught feelings from a song that Ras Kass did over a year ago. And he still can't hold Ras' jock-strap lyrically. These wack dudes kill me with their hype hallucinations. You are not that nice, B. There's beef in politics too. Current Lt. Governor Healey had some attack ad against Gabrieli, calling him a tycoon. Um, aren't you a millionaire yourself, miss thing? Plus, why are you even doing attacks ads when your opponent ain't even decided yet? Maybe she think she'll have a better chance against Patrick. Ha. I think it's actually the opposite. It's about to be Smash Squad up in this piece. Reilly is still swinging, but it's about to be a wrap.

Now dance with the devil, no, not hardly
Even though I mamba like La Bamba and smoke ganja like Bob Marley

Been out in local parks three days in a row enjoying the nice mild weather. Some outdoor kiddie festival, some ball playing, some jungle gym ish. And apparently, the midget prefers basketball to kickball, tennis to basketball, hopscotch to tennis, and walking up the slide (as opposed to sliding down it) to all of the above. Go figure. But riddle me this, Dana Barros. What's up with the lights not coming on as it starts to get dark? My jumper was in need of therapy after that episode.

A bag of sess puts me at my rest
You say it's silly, that's my theory
Get the philly and let it rest
-Showbiz & A.G., "Next Level"

Your tears frame the page my fate is outlined in chalk

Pardon the random thoughts
-Jean Grae, "Fade Out"

more random ramblings. imsomnia struck so who knows when i'll fall asleep. so fuq it, right?

NASA astronaut Stephanie Wilson came to town last week and was also honored in her hometown. i thought i had posted about her before but i guess not. oh well. kinda like the second coming of Mae Jemison. very inspiring.

Jigga's coming back. whoopee. yawn. next.

HBO is wack. business-wise. low-blow their best show and they wonder why it got rated low. because you did dumb shT to mess up the hype, homie. kinda like how loud records dropped the ball on several artists a few years back.

apparently, 53 people didn't realize that although it is fine to have a "hemp fest," you still cannot just outright ignore the drug laws and be all obvious with it. maybe they were too high to relize they were high in public. pause.

we've all heard rumblings of disgruntled workers who felt at some point like going upside the head of a co-worker. but straight stabbing one? a very literal and unfortunate example of when keeping it real goes wrong.

things are heating up in this town. we're about to have a brother from the south side running the state. and we very well could have a new face for state senator too. but the most promising news are all the behind the scenes discussions and shuffling to flip the script of the local political scene. i'm far removed from being an insider. but mark my works, heads will be rolling in less than 10 months. it's about to be on. new blood, new ideas, new faces, new focus. hopefully, new progress as well.

maybe i should just go write some poetry. haven't been doing that lately. need a theme though. my thoughts are way too scattered right now. but i do like the li'l sporadic usage of bold text though. might have to play with that more. why i find that interesting beats me. konichiwa, b!tches.

duh duh duh man

They call it the Enterprise Room, man, because it's for people who wanna be beamed up to Scotty.
-Pooky

some twilight ramblings....

whose bright idea was it to name the Roxbury Boys & Girls Club after the Yawkeys? yeah they gave money, but im saying though. yet, on top of that, why am i not too thrilled that the elected officials of color sent a letter about it. let's hope they make their point known and move on. because there are plenty of other things to which they could be devoting their time.

late wed night, another 17-year-old lost his life just barely more than 48 hours after hundreds of marchers walked down the same street in hopes of spreading the power of peace. kinda makes the whole marching concept take a new spin.

summer was dumb short, yet apparently it was one of the warmest summers in 60+ years. who'd a thunk it? it was a blur anyways. mostly work.

since when did boston become broadway junior. there are at least five plays going on at this very moment. and those are just the ones with subjects that interest me (read: black people themes and characters). i'm kinda feeling it.

apparently, some more of my students won the adams scholarship for their ill math skills. very dope. yet i'm interested in knowing what the actual attrition is for these scholars and whether many of them actually take up the offer.

how in the hell do you die from west nile in new england? i just don't get it.

look Ma, no shoelaces

The midget's first day of real school was Tuesday of this week. Tried to get all the requisite ducks in a row to have him adequately prepared and ready to hit the ground running. Even woke up mad early. But alas, the one thing I didn't expect to happen in fact did go down. He was shook.

All the other mini-me's were seemingly cool. But no...ole boy wasn't feeling the new environs. Who are all these people in yellow shirts. The look on his face was classic. You could tell he was building up towards something. What; I wasn't sure. Thought he'd be all set once he sat at his desk and started being busy. But homie was having none of that. In retrospect, it was pure comedy. But at the time, it was a bit gut-wrenching. But so goes life. All in all, he finally calmed his nerves and did ok on his first day.

Now it's time for him to be immersed in a full day of learning, activities, games, other children, and speech therapy to help build upon his foundational skills and improve his weaknesses, namely in his enunciation. So hopefully we'll be able to continue practicing and puting to good use some of the materials and resources I've been collecting. Time will tell. But for now, I'll just sit back and enjoy the newness of it all.

and since kindergarten I acquired the knowledge
and after twelve grade I went straight to college
-Run DMC & CL Smooth, "Down With The King"

Too hard for MTV, not black enough for BET, just let me be

If I knew heaven had a ghetto that was sweeter than here
You know the P would pack his bag and just leave next year

The HT3 Fund Peace rally, march, and vigil was great. It was a big turnout and the vibe was electric. You could feel the energy. The auditorium was jam-packed with people from all walks of life there for a common cause. The speakers were moving and the crowd eager to hit the streets. The energy on the streets however, went up a notch. People were shouting at the top of their lungs with vigor, gridlocked cars were honking their horns in support of the walkers, and mad folks were hanging on windowsills or coming out the woodworks to see what all the ruckus was about. It ended with a solemn candlelight vigil and plenty of hugs.

I am blessed to have come in contact recently with a group of people whom I had not met before, but I realize are the true angels helping to heal this city. They don't all even roll in the same click, just from different aspects of life but all converging through the work that they do. It is very admirable, honorable, and worthy of the utmost respect. I am constantly in awe of their strength, generosity, and willpower. Kinda makes my fleeting moments of high self-esteem seem null and void in their presence.

But...and this is where I'm going off on a tangent. I'm getting tired of walking for peace. It's not that I no longer believe in the cause. But like the devil's advocate that lurks in the nooks and crannies, after all the marching, then what? We been marching since way back when and still ain't reach a destiation? C'mon, son. Can't be. It does at time feel like it's just preaching to the choir. The people that need to be hearing the message ain't the ones in within earshot. The ones who should be walking ain't around the way when we stroll through. In essence, the causes are different, but the struggle is still the same. Same shT; different stall. But like Danielle Scott so eloquently quipped, "Fuq the Struggle." Sounds harsh, but she breaks it down on some real shT about how sometimes folks embrace having to struggle more than the progress. And that, is a whole 'notha state of mind that I am far from being an intellectual incubator for making much discussion of the pros and cons. I do know that without struggle there is no progress. Yet, in many ways, like the various things in life we use as crutches to get by, just getting by has become a way of life in itself as opposed to getting ahead, getting over, and simply being.

Never too young to die or too old to live
Ain't it hard to bust your gun, go home and mold your kid
-The LOX, "Recognize"

Got 'em scared to drop like soap in jail

Poker faces with the aces under
Face one up, to take over, the break's over

The passing of the 9/11 tragedy's anniversary led me to recall an article I read a few weeks ago aroudn the time of the Hurricane Katrina anniversary about a computer game for real-life crises. It paints an interesting case study of the potential benefits of a private-public partnership that is for the greater good. In this case,

...game developer BreakAway Games Ltd. released the final version of Incident Commander free of charge to municipal emergency departments, part of an agreement with the Justice Department, which invested $350,000 in game development. BreakAway Games put in the remaining $1.5 million toward the development. Most cities do not have the budget for real-world emergency exercises..

But much like how we try to match students up with real-world projects and job opportunities that mirror the real-world as much as possible, it's still a crapshoot. You win some and you lose some. But practice sure does help. So now, the school district is moving forward with plans to create a TV station, which had its logo designed by one ours. I had the chance to visit a school-based TV production set today and on one hand, it was amazing to see what they had. Yet, to know right off the bat that all those VHS-based gadgets on the shelves must be outdated in some way made it quite clear that even when you're one step ahead of the game, someone else is up ahead of you and may have even 'lapped' you a few times just for safe measure.

But then, I recall a meeting in the subrubs about two weeks ago when game development came up as a novel approach to get more students interested and enticed into the IT field. A fundamental understanding of basic programming concepts will be essential to any techie of substance in the future and regardless of what any standardized test may say, that shT ain't just common knowledge. And it damn sure ain't being taught across the board. So we're trying to think of other new ways of approaching old topics and unique topics that have an immediate 'gotcha' factor to lure otherwise disinterested and unengaged teens. First test: The Mayor's Youth Summit this Friday.

We celebrate this, while you sitting back screaming you hate this
-Team ROC, "Celebration"

Word...this is in memory of...

Thought about taking a moment of silence and skipping today, but decided against it. No long recollection of where I was and what I was doing that fateful morning five years ago. Just a solemn note of acknowledgement. It pains me to see how some people can be blinded by causes that lead to such destruction and disregard for life and morality. Or is it mortality? Nonetheless, terrorism is still alive and not just in the form of religious extremists.

So this afternoon, there is a Peace March in Grove Hall. It is being put on by the HT3Fund, created in memory of another youth who lost his life this past summer. And for some eerie reason, I'm afraid when I get there I'm gonna realize that I do in fact know his sister because her name sounds way too familiar. But anyways, it is a movement described as a "citywide invitation to help bring peace and solidarity back to our communities." And though we have too many such things, they exist for a reason.

It starts at the Freedom House and will follow this route. There will be a rally, the march, and then a closing vigil. Plus, I haven't been visiting the Freedom House much since I used to work there back in the day. So it'll be good to reconnect. Therapy comes in all shapes and sizes. I just want to go to offer a hug to anyone who needs one.

To those who passed out there, in the deserts and the jungles
with pain on their shoulders, and heavy bundles
I pray each one will, ascend to new heights and new enlightenment
And this is why I'm writin it
Yeah... this is in memory of
-Gangstarr, "In Memory Of..."

So I'm not trying to discount the importance of the 9/11 anniversary, but I think this event makes a compelling connection between the melting pot mayhem that is symbolic of terrorism, failed policies, institutional neglect, and utter ignorance. So for sister AA wherever you are, I know your pops is heavy on your mind today, and you are on mine. Peace be with you.

Daytime's used to plot schemes for the night prowl

No need for intermission, I need trees in my system

so with class back in session, it's time to roll the sleeves back up and get into the swing of things. already been in three schools the first week meeting teachers, administrators, posting flyers, and greeting former and new students. ran into my mans from brockton and come to find out he's about to be my new source of students and project management. check out his portfolio and company here. definintely a good look.

the big news is that i've run into at least a half dozen students that earned college scholarships. many of them because they scored proficient on the MCAS and earned free rides to any state school. that is beautiful. even saw one cat who was about to hop on the road for a road trip to tennessee, where he'll start his first year this week on a scholarship at knoxville college. you could tell he was mad proud of himself.

but the elephant in the room is that there's a huge dropout issue in the bean. so building off of last year's report from the PIC, there's a lot in the works to try and address it. there's a new program in place to invite all the students that dropped out last year, to come back to school. only 34 out of 1660 agreed to do so. but it's a start, right? hopefully, one the projects some of my students will work on this year will be an opportunity to produce some high quality tech and media materials like PSAs and websites and brochures to highlight the issue from a student perspective. that should be an interesting and fun project. we'll see how it pans out though. still need to make sure all the ducks are in a row for the first wednesday after-school drop-in session next week. less than 10 days and counting. but hey, it could be worse, right? at least cats ain't striking like folks in detroit. yikes.

Seeing through sheisty shit, shining like I'm solar
Penetrate through darkness bounce like I'm sonar
Heltah Skeltah, "Prowl"

Panhandling with your mans and them

Respect the next person, it'll be less hurting
Or left lurkin, while we kept our dreads working
Connect set for certain, total networking
-Rakim, "Up Lift"

the (failed) art of networking

so peep it. a bunch of supposedly grown people. that are still reluctant to go outside of their shells. and meet new people.

held the annual NSBE cookout to end the summer and get things going for the year with some professional development and events and such. so i came up with a networking contest. the first person to come to me with the names of five new people thay met whom they did not know previously would win a prize.

simple shT , right?

would you believe the prize is still burning a hole in my pocket?

apparently, folks need some more coaching on how to work a room and meet new people. i'm no expert. but i'm saying though. when there's a prize involved too? naturally, some heads did do it and met a lot of new people. but the follow through is important too. all these urban professionals done missed out on a free mp3 player. comedy.

but my jumper was looking right so I ain't mad.

These evil ass tryfe kids only got one life to live

eerie feelings

so i'm on the road today heading to a school for a meeting with the headmaster (read: principal - a whole 'notha post), when a firetruck comes thumping down the block. so of course, i scootch over and then soon afterwards nearly slam into its back as it makes a very wide u-ey (not a word at all but oh well). then i notice a couple of squad cars roll up briskly to the same spot as. apparenty, someone who found shot inside. and later pronounced. that is such a cold verb.

and this was at 10:20 in the morning.

sigh

and then, why did a fight break out at a court house 2 days before? yes, inside the damn building. and please tell me what would possess someone to start busting off shots less than a block away from the courthouse?! some sixteen and seveteen year olds with no sense of surroundings...or level-headedness. madness! and come to find out my man L was there at the time and his storytelling and rhetorical question-asking is just as insightful as anything. like he said, how do we turn a tide that has gone too far?

Open my eyes, a seventh day a new surprise
Wondering why, niggas in the hood, they die
Mothers they cry, niggas busting shots in the sky
Smoking my la, I only want a piece of the pie...
-Group Home, "12 O'Clock Brooklyn"

Stop, look, stand and you stuck but don't stick

Hoyas, Cortezes, and Etonic, feeling bionic
Design it with my fly garments

been seeing some ill designs lately and feeling some stuff that I may have to cop.

i want this shirt

and this one

and a pair of these in a 13

and for some shameless promotion, go peep my joints and cop one if you like

i did this one back in july. even sold one or two already.

and then i did this one last sunday.

got a lot more in mind to crank out. the summer crew got to brainstorming my owns ideas that had been sitting dormant.

plus, there's this new sneaker spot named Laced that is pretty dope. plus, the little homie is behind this other, yet similar venture. hopefully, i won't OD on all these fringe buys.

ooh Diadora
Anita place me your order
Slow your speed down
Buying food for your daughter
-Raekwon, "Sneakers"

When I finish writing my memoirs, I'll make sure that shT's in there

more random shT

Ok so i had recently considered taking one of the 'round the way buses for on three separate occasions. to hit up nyc. to hit up baltimore/DC. and to hit up philly. didn't end up driving to any of the three, but also sided against suffering through that long a$$ ride. so i hit up the homie T only to hear that she was there when the Fung Wah victims came rolling in. Yeah, so um, methinks I'm going to have to enact a permanent moratorium on those joints. A fire last year and now a rollover. That's just way too much. And why were they both Fung Wah. That's only gonna hurt the other companies too just on the strength. So basically, the moral opf the story is, no more chinatown buses for the kid. Holla at Avis or Acela or AutoPilot (cruise control).

apparently, mitt romney is not feeling the former head of iran. valiant move , mister governor, but we all see through the smokescreen as merely a chess move as you continue to set your sights on the white house. nothing's worse than a wack governor disinterested in being governor. it was really on some stepping stone shT. the nerve of this mutha...

and last random thought for the day. why are they already showing the wire before the season premiere. i got my fix, so it's all good though. the campaign manager and bunk will have quotables for days.

I'm a modern day poet, with 7th grade grammar

picture post today.

Don't this first line sound like something Game would say when the title is the line that's actually more befitting.

I'm the 2001 version of Eazy E
I'm the song you don't like on the Soundbombing CDs
-R.A. the Rugged Man, "Even Dwarves Started Small"

Hollywood come through my neighborhood with cameras on

Your grill's glistenin'
Spent a hundred thousand on mine to feel different
What's the real sense of it?
Bling bling, I know
And did you know I'm the creator of the term
I just straightened the perm
Aint let it sit too long, they just makin it burn
-OutKast f/ Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, "Hollywood Divorce"

Just some random thoughts and observations. Lil Wayne done made a come up. Might be his best verse ever. I'm really feeling this song. The beat is ridiculously relaxed, yet hectic at the same time.

We Can't Give What We Don't Have: Peace
An interesting, albeit brief article that will make you go hmmm like Arsenio was your uncle at the Labor Day cookout talking about he can't wear his white linen outfit no more until next summer. But on the reals, it is a succint and on-point essay about the contradictions of government. I remember back in 2004 after somebody got shot in the head on the even of the Democratic national Convention, a young women lamented something to the tune of, "why y'all got all that security down there when real terrorsm is right here in these streets." And it doesn't take much effort to reach out and touch somebody to realize that street violence is raging all across the country.

Where the hell do people think of furniture like this? [beware]

This article, in addition to some 30-minute preview thingie they had on HBO is what has got me all riled up about The Wire. But the real ill shT is this online spoken word battle. I think I might have to put something on it. I'm already a little shook though. I was just telling someone last night about my favorite local artists, emcees, and poets. And I'll be damned if one of the poets I mentioned wasn't up on there with a video and low reviews. Yes, shook. Your simple words just don't move me. You're minor, we're major. You all up in the game and don't deserve to be a player. But fuq it. Lemme start writing. Man up.

Bangin' on the lunchroom table, I used to spectate

Sat in the back of the class with my hand up
Two wild security guards, grabbed my man up
Threw him in detention for 5 days suspension
Cuz he said, the teacher was lyin about the Indians
Tryin to dumb us with the story of Columbus
-Masta Killa & RZA, "School"

A week from now, what has to be my favorite TV show will make its welcome return to the airwaves. The Wire is back and will be a case study for those unaware of the realities of urban public education. back in May, I invoked the spirit of dead Prez to highlight the parallels between one of their tracks and some of the sentiments within the minds of some "unacclimated" youth. But shT is about to get real ugly...and beautiful. Never have I felt such a connection with a show so much. Ok, aside from House Party and Class Act (since I was such a huge Kid N Play fan back in the day). But I digress. The stage has been set. The Baltimore school system is the backdrop. The opening episode of the season was premiered at the Martha's Vineyard African American Festival and the heat is on. It'll be interesting to see how the story develops having gotten the overall picture painted for me about the different youth and their background stories (more to come about the stoop kids versus corner kids concept). Naturally, all of this will be revealed as the storyline progresses, but I am so axious to see this sht it just doesn't make sense. It'll be my Sunday night release from the world into a parallel universe where I can relive old experiences, reassess moments in time when I faced a challenge, empathize with the young people that I come across on a weekly basis, and enjoy a well written and acted drama that panders to my sensibilities. Might sound real suspect to you, but it makes sense to me and so what. Back in May, I quoted my man HMC's thought about the ironies of urban youth workers and his sentiments still hold the same weight months later. I'm seriously thinking about getting more folks in the district that I come interact with to watch this show as well. Some of thing might learn a thing or two. And I'm not saying I am any kind of expert, but there are noticeable gaps in the education process. Hell, I've been learning so much this summer interacting with the PHH youth as well as young people from a couple of other programs that I now have a whole bunch of new ideas and approaches to how I'll manage my own youth this coming school year. From being more aware of my words and actions around the young ladies to the restraint I self-impose interacting with the guys, it's helped me to be more disciplined. There's definitely some room for growth, as evidenced by my delayed reaction this past week to a couple of a$$holes in particular. I am much more confident and comfortable in my dealings with them. And the entrepreneurship program really helped me bring it all together and solidified some techniques I hope to refine in September and October. It's bigger than technology, B. So much more to it than that. Case in point, after the latest Social Night, everyone rolled out and the flock all strolled towards their hood only to the piercing tune of sudden pops in the night. There's nothing worse than placing a call for shots fired when you are unsure of the danger that lurks beyond the shadows. Yet, that very concept is a consistent theme in hoods and urban school districts across the country. That danger could swallow you whole or it could free you. It is the game of russian roulette we call life.

You won't survive get live catchin wreck is our thing

You wanna front, what?
Jump up and get bucked
If you're feeling lucky duck
Then press your luck
-Jeru, "Come Clean"

So like an a$$hole, I took issue with something in the Banner and let it ride. (Disclaimer, I'm not as critical of the big boys because I don't care about them as much.) Then, the next issue came out and I said fuq it. So I sent this in. And then come to find out, homeboy replied. The publisher, that is. He gave his rebuttal and it was all good. About how the choices were slim, yet being critical yet ignoring the pros and cons of the situation wouldn't be a good thing. But I do know he and Celester also go back a long way. They boys and all, nahmean.

My attack is purely mental and its nature's not hate
It's meant to wake ya up out of ya brainwashed state

So anyways, much to my surpise I check their website and lo and behold, he actually printed what I wrote. Coulda fooled me. Damn sure didn't think that was gonna happen. But then again...maybe I'm blind, because this shT damn sure didn't make it into the print edition. You know, the one people actually read. Oh well. I'mma keep speaking my mind. Fuq the dumb shT. Enjoy.

Maybe I read too much into it, but I was surprised to read the Banner editorial (August 10, 2006) which stated that "Billy Celester is the better choice," based on analysis that seemed to indicate that experience mattered more than integrity.

I know very little of either of the candidates in the Sixth Suffolk District race beyond the past few months of campaigning, but what I do know is this: Boston can no longer be the breeding ground where its residents settle for the status quo, either among the "good ol' boy" network nor in the ’hood. While it is great that Celester's tenure as former deputy superintendent of the Boston Police Department puts a great public face to current public safety concerns, it is the issue of credibility in public office that matters most to me.

In essence, if a voter's choice is between two candidates, one of whom was convicted and imprisoned for two years in a federal penitentiary for police corruption, and another whose "skills are not quite as valuable at this time," then it begs a larger question. Where are the future leaders of tomorrow? If the only viable candidates that the Black community can produce were born prior to the civil rights era, then who is being groomed to assume the mantle of leadership? Time dictates that the baby boomers currently in power will eventually begin to resign from the limelight of influence and authority. Yet, it is imperative that the passing of the torch begin now or else we risk the threat of rendering our collective voice mute.

I admire the Banner for staying true to its mission which, in part, is to keep people in check when it comes down to news and issues that matter most to communities of color. But I also admonish it for not being keen enough to recognize that a new day is fast approaching, and if we don't do a better job of being that "village" as the cliché goes, then someone else will indeed be raising our children.

I'd Do It All By Myself

Buju Banton has this one joint where its jumps off with...

if i could stop the wars in the world
stop the killings of boys and girls
if i could eradcate starvation
senseless slaughter of nations

i'd do it all by myself

i'd do it all by myself

i see destruction, plague, and disease
so much poverty, violence in the streets
if i had the power and strength every week
bring the oppressors to their knees

Or at least that what it sounded like to me. But to hear that shT live and see the trance with which it was voiced is really something magical. For someone to be so controversial, yet so inspiring. It is a peculiarly honorable paradox indeed.