The streets are watching

Its been a long minute since I’ve been in the blog world. I would say that I had writers block, but you actually need to be a writer to have a block right? I only blog when the spirit hits me. I usually read other peoples stuff and it influences me. I need to be in a certain place to get going. A few things hit me this summer like MJ passing away. I ran right home to fire up the computer but then I realized that even though I know most of his songs word for word, I’m no authority on him, I didn’t have the jacket, glove or button. I never went to a MJ show so I decided to sit that one out. My stepmother passed away a few days after MJ and that had way more of an effect on me. My step mom and dad hooked up when I was six so she has been in the game for a minute. They have two kids who I consider to be my real-life sisters; I love them more than life. My relationship over the years with stepmother has been off and on. It probably has more to do with the fact that she was no real relationship to me so I could actually express how I felt whereas with my father, I had to pretty much swallow my pride. As I was thinking about how my father and sister must feel that they lost a mother and a wife, I started to think; damn I lost a stepmother, with the exception of my mother and father, who knew me better than her? Probably most of the times when people pass away all the bad things they did in life don’t seem so bad and all the mediocre things are magnified to greatness. Things they did that you didn’t understand at the time all seem to make sense now. Now that I’m thinking about it, my stepmother was my outlet, I would only see her on the weekends and she would most of the time give me the clearance for anything I wanted. I was the first kid on the block to drive before the age of 16. I usually had the most money on our little trips to the corner store. When my father was mad at me she would usually calm him down and within the hour I was out of trouble, all these things I took for granite. Most of the time when people are alive we don’t appreciate them like we should. I miss my stepmother, not because she isn’t here anymore but because I didn’t appreciate her to the fullest when she was here. I miss MJ for the same reasons, I never ever in a million years thought either one of them would die and the thought never crossed my mind. OK that’s it for know as I get back into the swing of things. Thanks Lisa B for inspiring me to get back in the game.

Let that Ish go!

If you hold on to grudes for over one year, it eats at your soul. Im being very generous with the one year rule because I suffer some this very disorder. I have a friend who told me if your girlfriend breaks up with you, you will be depressed for one month per as many years as you all went together, so for example if you went together for two years, it would talk 24 monthes for you to be completly over her. I have another friend who's father was an asshole all her life and she still feels the effects of the abuse and neglect. My advise to her is LET THAT SHIT GO! Im sure its been a hard road to travel and Im sure it left many scars, but at the same time how do you get the ultimate payback? As my mother would always say "Never let then see you sweat." I think you need to let it go because as your soul gets weaker you dont have the energy to put towards positive things. If its something that eating at your soul speak on it. Get some therapy, grab a drink at the bar and vent to a friend. Do whatever you need to get it off your chest. Life is too short for you to be harping on old ish! This blog is actually dedicated to specific people who I know read it.

Indicted!!

So What! I looked up the definition of the word indicment. My take was that it means we are formally charging you with what we already charged you with? OK, my son didnt clean his room and I scolded him, but to write in an official capacity that he didnt clean his room room would be to indict him? So basically it dosent mean anything. You are not being charged with the crime, your just being accused. Somebody please correct me if im wrong. My boss is an asshole and everybody knows it so if I put it in writing and hand it to him. He's Indicted? My boy always says he got me for drinks at the bar but I know he dosent so next Im going to indict him on bullshittery? Maybe Im tripping.

Cellar Dwellers

The Audi is 5000 G. I loved that car but 4 stack's to get her fixed was a bit much. I convinced myself that cathing public transportation to work would do me good, It would humble me and I could really be with the people. On Monday morning I got up extra early to prepare for my journey. I walked to Park Heights Ave to wait for the 54 bus which takes me to the Mondawmin metro station. As I waited for the bus I realized what the Audi really meant to me, People were driving by looking at us poor souls waiting and when eye contact was made they looked away as if they felt bad. I wonder if I ever did that in that? Finally the bus was in sight and we all started to line up. As the bus got closer all I could think about was how warm it was going to be, well apparently when the bus is overcrowded, the driver can keep right on rolling. I was hurt, dejected and most of all cold. The other people just took it in stride without so much as a sigh, pulled half smoked cigs out of coat pockets and drifted off into standing at the bus-stop oblivion. Thirty minutes later the next 54 rolls up and this time im praying to the bus gods to please have room for us and luckily my prayers were answered. I found myself migrating to the back of the bus without a thought of Rosa Parks or bus boycotts, just an empty seat next to Ned the Wino. All I want to do is get to my destination but that stupid bell keeps ringing and the bus has to stop on every block to let people on and off. I tell myself to remain humble as a Grey Audi A4 Quattro zooms by like it was glidding on ice and hover-crafts into the fast lane and shifts into warp speed and dissappears out of sight with such style and grace. I wonder to myself if I used to look like that?

ScooterMonk is a chilling

I have a good friend who is always telling me that the non-chalantness is going to be my downfall, but then I have another friend who worries about every little detail in life and he tells me that he would kill for my dont worry about it atitude. When faced with a problem, I tend to always look at the bright side of it. The whip broke down on the highway two days before christmas and I was like, new whip for christmas and plus catching the bus keeps me humble. Anytime I think things are going south, I look at the show called intervention or the first 48, then Im like my life is all gravy baby.

2009 Holla Atcha Boy

Its been a long while since Ive been on the scene and I dont really have an excuse. The boy is now a teenager and its all I can do to keep up with him and make sure he is on point. The JOB just kicked into high gear and people actually look to me for direction. Last year was a growing learning manning up keeping it real year for me. I learned that no one really wants to hear BS excuses. I learned that your kids are sponges, so when you ask yourself why are they acting how they act, remember that probably got that shit from you. I know realize that the term "managing your finances" is not just a phrase but a way of life. I realize that people arent assholes on purpose, they just dont know any better. Old School Hip-Hop gets better with time but there is way more music out there than hip-hop? Who knew? If there is anybody I pissed off in 2008, MY BAD. Lets gets some drinks and make it cool.

Baltimore...Really?

So I had a oppurtunity to go the Ledgends Of Hip-Hop show at the Hippodrome a few weeks ago and I was pumped, The line up included KRS-One and Slick Rick which by the way is enough for me! As the date got closer I kept hearing about more MC's getting adding like Sweet-Tee, Kool M Dee, Whodini, The Trecherous Three, MC Lyte and more. I searched high and low for the exact line up just to prove my point even more but no luck. The whole week leading up to the show I was getting more amped, I was trying to get my people to go but my cheapskate friends were crying about the price. ( Not you Aub) Yeah I know we are in a recession and gas is high and blah-blah-blah but this is a show most of you so-called hip-hop heads should be selling your souls to see, I mean these are the pioneers right? These were the first to ever do it right? Since your so down and know ever word to La-di-da-dee and The Bridge Is Over, hell,these are some of the guys who influenced those guys. I had an old hisotry professor who said , if you dont know the history of your author, you dont know what you have read. He also said all social problems are economic and all economic problems are political and all political problems are presupposed by the military means, but thats clearly another blog. Getting back to my original issue, the show was cancelled because the promoter sold less than 300 tickets! Baltimore. Really? Baltimore MC's get the top award for crying about how come they dont get any recognition outside of Baltimore. HELLO! We only had a chance to hear some real hip-hop and also pay our respects but it seems like only 300 of us even care about the old school. So now we have to ask ourselves are we really hip-hop. I was even excited to go to the Red and Meth show at the Sonar on a Sunday night with Keith Murray opening....cancelled. My grandmother use to always say baby, dont look a gift horse in the mouth. Its seems as though we had two horses with gifts and not only did we look them in the mouth, we kicked them in the ass. Baltimore...Really?

OK - After a long week of BS, this was a great weekend, Aub, A.P. and Abdul came to the city this weekend. We went to the Fells Point Festival and had a ball. We pre-gamed at Rob's house then it was on. The weather was nice and the brew was flowing. Good times were had by all. This got me to thinking why can't people be happy or strive to be happy all the time, I mean If all I do and all you do is try to be happy then why cant it work, I feel like if people put half as much energy into being positive and looking toward the light then life would be much better. OK maybe im tripping but its still wishfull thinking. Peace to my man Abdul for being the voice of reason this weekend and leaving us with great what could have been stories.

I can see clearly now.

WOW – First of all I would like to apologize to all 718 people who have been reading my rants and raves. I didn’t realize. I love to write or vent about the things that really piss me off or “get my goat”, “Grind my gears” or whatever. Only a few responded directly to the post so I figured it was only a few like minded souls. Lately I’ve really turned into this guy who has been trying to keep it real with himself and let me tell you, its way harder than I thought, So know that I am holding myself to a higher standard , I can only demand that from the people in my life right? So here we go, I expect to lose a few of you as friends but hopefully you guys will accept me for the person im morphing into. I don’t have time for the BS. I have too many other things to worry about than your BS, please shoot straight with me. Ill give people a few chances because I was probably the king of all BS’ers and we somehow made it through right? Maybe it’s me turning into a grumpy old man? It’s almost like I can see right through people and before where I didn’t give an EFF, now im looking at it like disrespect, like why would you even form your lips to say that like im stupid. One of my biggest problems is always trying to please everybody make sure the people are happy even if it puts me in a bind but I don’t always get that back in return. Im still gonna take the path of least resistance but how we deal with each other is gonna be different.

NO MORE EXCUSES

This blog is dedicated to all the people in my life that live by excuses and can never take responsibility for ISH!! I would cut off my left arm if you would just say....hey man, I messed up!! My Bad.

The only man who is really free is the one who can turn down an invitation to dinner without giving an excuse. ~Jules Renard

Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure. ~Don Wilder and Bill Rechin

Don't make excuses - make good. ~Elbert Hubbard

He who excuses himself accuses himself. ~Gabriel Meurier, Trésor des sentences

Several excuses are always less convincing than one. ~Aldous Huxley, Point Counter Point

How strange to use "You only live once" as an excuse to throw it away. ~Bill Copeland

Don't do what you'll have to find an excuse for. ~Proverb

No one ever excused his way to success. ~Dave Del Dotto

Excuses are the tools with which persons with no purpose in view build for themselves great monuments of nothing. ~Steven Grayhm

And oftentimes excusing of a fault
Doth make the fault the worse by the excuse.
~William Shakespeare

Bad excuses are worse than none. ~Thomas Fuller

A lie is an excuse guarded. ~Jonathan Swift

Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anyone else expects of you. Never excuse yourself. ~Henry Ward Beecher

If you don't want to do something, one excuse is as good as another. ~Yiddish Proverb

Whoever wants to be a judge of human nature should study people's excuses. ~Hebbel

We have more ability than will power, and it is often an excuse to ourselves that we imagine that things are impossible. ~François de la Rochefoucauld

Two wrongs don't make a right, but they make a good excuse. ~Thomas Szasz, The Second Sin

Difficulty is the excuse history never accepts. ~Edward R. Murrow

Pessimism is an excuse for not trying and a guarantee to a personal failure. ~Bill Clinton

Destiny: A tyrant's authority for crime and a fool's excuse for failure. ~Ambrose Bierce

Every vice has its excuse ready. ~Publilius Syrus

We are all manufacturers - some make good, others make trouble, and still others make excuses. ~Author Unknown

One of the most important tasks of a manager is to eliminate his people's excuses for failure. ~Robert Townsend

Bad men excuse their faults; good men abandon them. ~Author Unknown

He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else. ~Benjamin Franklin

It is wise to direct your anger towards problems - not people, to focus your energies on answers - not excuses. ~William Arthur Ward

Any excuse will serve a tyrant. ~Aesop

We have forty million reasons for failure, but not a single excuse. ~Rudyard Kipling

The person who really wants to do something finds a way; the other person finds an excuse. ~Author Unknown

Justifying a fault doubles it. ~French Proverb

The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours - it is an amazing journey - and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins. ~Bob Moawad

The absent are never without fault, nor the present without excuse. ~Benjamin Franklin

Usually, terrible things that are done with the excuse that progress requires them are not really progress at all, but just terrible things. ~Russell Baker

Sometimes I wish I had a terrible childhood, so that at least I'd have an excuse. ~Jimmy Fallon

Never ruin an apology with an excuse. ~Kimberly Johnson

KEEPIN IT FAKE

One of the hardest things Ive had to do (besides stats)is keeping it real. When I say that, people look at me like.. you fake ass, but when you really stop and think about it, maybe you will get my point. If you go to work everyday and smile in your boss' face when you know you cant stand that MOFO are you keeping it real, Nope, your keeping it fake in order to keep your job, but I guess when thats the case its acceptable. When the wifey puts you on blast in front of company but you chill and keep you cool and dont say anything, is that a case of keeping it real...Nope, another case of keeping it fake to keep your relationship in tact. When your in the studio and one member of the crews lyrics suck and you tell him they suck, then that my friends is keeping it real.

I Thought I had it all Figured out

You have to clean out your closet once a week. You need to re-evaluate your priorties once a month..or as needed. Everybody on this earth isnt as smart as you. People arent assholes on purpose. Peolpe who hate all the time are miserable. People who dont listen are losers. Beer is good. Obama is the BOMB! White people have it better. Poor white trash have it worse. A good sweat is cleansing. Grand Theft Auto is fun. WII bowling is more fun. Please speak correctly around the kids. Everybody isnt gonna think your cool. Some people are gonna hate your guts. Try to maintain a good average between the two. Stop trying to impress people unless you have a boat. Youtube the Dave Chapelle episode "playahaters awards". Goodevening!

Im on so other ish

This weekend was spent on the water. I have a friend who has a boat and has been telling me to come and check him. I finally did it and am officially hooked on boating. We chilaxed all weekend , those boaters have a whole sub-culture going on that us landwellers have no clue about. You think your doing it pulling up to the club in your Audi A4, but you have no idea until you pull up to McCormick and Schmidtts at the Inner Harbor on a boat! I think the key is to not own the boat just have a friend who has one because, it seemed like alot of work when the weekend was over and I just wanted to hope in the A4 and speed back to Harm-City.

So todays lesson is that life is short and you should live it to the fullest. Enjoy shit and dont let things get you down. The theme this weekend was "Life is good" as you downed an ice cold brewski on the back of a boat.

P.S. The world does rotate, Just not around you!

Jail guards investigated in inmate death


As soon as I read this story I smelled a rat. Not a racist rat just a rat. You mean to tell me this guy ran over the police, then the police who are in charge of policing took him to a place where the police are in charge of other police and looked him a jail cell by himself and he ended up dead. Then you bring in the FBI (police) to investigate the other police who were supposed to be guarding this guy at the police station. Im not justifying anything but this is unfair. Yes man, it is unfair that he killed another person but thats supposedly why we have police so we dont have complete chaos right. I guess its a thin line but one you cant cross. The writing is on the wall and anyone with a nose can smell this one a mile away. As my grandpop used to say, it stinks to high heaven!

writers bloc

OK so I know its been a long time but when you have several different sets of friends you tend to get lost, I had to give my blogging friends a break because to be honest, sometimes I dont want to think alot about things. I was in Brazil and it was everything I ever imagined it to be. We partied until the sun came up, Stumbled home and crashed, woke up whenever, went to the beach, got something to eat and did it all over again for 10 straight days, I was gonna come home and immediatly blog about my experience but that might incriminate me so I dumbed it down to the picture you see before you. All that to say my writers bloc is kinda over and my creative juices are starting to flow sorta. Their have been a few things going on in the world that demamd and deserve my immediate attention. Peace to Tam, Ginneh, Joy, Amina, Kosa, Sala and Dr. Fords daughter.