Well, it's finally here! Tomorrow I'll be launching www.niqspeaks.com. To some people, it might not be a big deal, but I really need this right now in my life. I was pretty disheartened when I moved back home in March, and with the job recession, I didn't have anything going on for me. Then it was starting to look like I wasn't going to get into grad school either, so I had to come up with something that I could pour my creativity into! Thankfully, I was encouraged to pursue my blogging and now, I'm learning how to work my way around the "innanets"! I'm excited ya'll. This is big to me. I just wanted to thank everybody that has visited this site, and has added liked the NiqSpeaks facebook fan page. I'm almost at 100 subs or likes or something, but yeah, it's awesome. I made a video yesterday, the final trailer for the site. I hope you guys enjoy it. And don't forget,
Good afternoon Jesus children of America. I really can't go through a full week without sharing more than one post with some type of music for you. I'm sorry. I really am a music addict! Well, I posted this link a couple of weeks ago on my personal Facebook page, I wanted those of you who hadn't seen this to get a chance to see it
The video is a band warm-up featuring super-androgynous Brian Slade. For anybody who listens to gospel or contemporary Christian music, it might take a couple of minutes before you realize it's the "Make Me Over Again," and "Since Jesus Came," song creator, born Anthony Williams, stage name Tonex, renamed TON3X, but this is him, now. I have been following the "evolution" of Ton3x for about a little over a year or so now, but I did not see the Brian Slade ultra-ego coming. It's definitely a different sound for Ton3x, and I must admit, he seems to be reaching new heights in his vocal and creative abilities. (IMO) I'm feeling his sound. I'm a fan of his, and I will only continue to support him through his musical journey towards audio-euphoria.
As Always,
No Disclaimers. NEVER.
Niq' :-)
p.s.- What do you think of Ton3x's Brian Slade's new image? New sound? Speak up! I want to hear what you guys have to think.
For those of you who may or may have not been following the blog since last fall, you may remember I was frantically trying to apply to graduate programs and gather portfolios showing my writings, etc. Well, I was accepted into Regent University's graduate program for this fall, and I have to say I'm very excited. It's definitely a great opportunity for me to hone in on my craft, and produce some important pieces. I have a lot of ideas floating around in my head, and I'm eager to get them out in a presentable format! With all of that being said, grad school is not just a gift, it is a curse, lol. For this semester, I'll be responsible for my tuition etc, because I'm coming in under academic provision. They want to make sure I'm not a slacker, which is reasonable. Once I wow them, they'll put me back at a no holds acceptance status, and I'll be able to apply for fellowships and grad assistant positions. In the meantime, I have to pay for things myself, and, yeah... I'm broke! So, um... who wants to buy me a textbook? Seriously, here's the books I need. :-)
If you can't donate a book, comment and let me know you care about my plight! Lol.
Melancholy horns blow mournful cries as the lady begins to play her own soulful instrument,
" Southern trees, bear a strange fruit..."
Billie Holiday, born Elinor Harris, recorded "Strange Fruit" after receiving the song from a nightclub owner in Greenwich Village, New York in 1939. This haunting tale, born out of poetry written by Bronx school teacher, Abel Meeropol, went on to be Holiday's most famous recording. It is written that Holiday would end each set with this soul-stirring performance. Waiters would cease serving and house lights would dim. I can just imagine being in the audience when that raspy,weary soul would start to croon. Oh how bitter that cup must have been, crashing against the sweet the sounds of her magnificent voice as she pitied the deaths of not so distant ancestors. Holiday was a tortured soul who suffered loss and heartache, and every wretched emotion spilled over into her music. Singing often of cheating lovers and loves lost, her music reflected her life, and her life... full of woes and not many days. Gilbert Millstein of The New York Times, wrote on her tragic death at the age of 44,
"The worms of every kind of excess – drugs were only one – had eaten her."
Billie Holiday was theessence of jazz. Her voice was mesmerizing. Her message was powerful. Her music is timeless. If for any reason, there should be one among you who have not witnessed the audio-spiritual revival that is Ms. Day, I implore you to Google, Youtube, Facebook, Amazon, do something concerning your ears and her sound.
Go with God and let ♥ guide you to everlasting....
~Niq'
After some serious issues with my computer, I am pleased to announce that I worked out a little logo idea and a new promo video for the blog! I literally thought my computer was going to die a couple of times tonight! Lol. My poor Acer. Oh yea, if you feel like making a tax deductible charitable donation of a new MacBook to the NiqSpeaks Education Fund, by all means, do you boo boo! :-) Enjoy the promo and enjoy the rest of your weekend!
and Hip Hop Album of the year, Yes, I'm calling it already!
I know I just talked about The Roots on Monday, but I have to say something! I just listened to "Wake Up Everybody", which is the title track to the upcoming Roots and John Legend album set to release on September 25th, 2010. Here's the tracklist for the album, and if it will work correctly, the link to download the title track!
1. 'Compared to What'
2. 'Hard Times'
3. 'Little Ghetto Boy'
4. 'Wake Up Everybody' (featuring Common and Melanie Fiona)
5. 'Our Generation'
6. 'Love the Way It Should Be'
7. 'Hang On in There'
8. 'I Can't Write Left Handed'
9. 'Wholy Holy'
10. 'I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free'
11. 'Shine'
These three words... are brought to you by the letter "P".
*Learn them
*Use them in a sentence
*Impress your friends
Then tell those jealous bastards you found them @NiqSpeaks!
...j/k. :-) *No I'm not.
Pontificate (v.) - to speak in a pompous or dogmatic manner: Did he pontificate about the responsibilities of a good citizen?
Proclivities (n.) -natural or habitual inclination or tendency; propensity; predisposition: One of my friends has the proclivities of traveling three days a week for work and spending two hours a day in D.C. traffic.
Polemical (adj.) - Controversial; argumentative: This whole Mel Gibson racism scandal is indeed polemical, but nowhere near the Johannes Mehserle verdict.
Sorry, I have absolutely nothing to write about today! I racked my brain last night around 11 PM, and again when I randomly work up at 1:30AM. My sleep patterns are wacky right now. I definitely need to look into getting a real job, so I can start sleeping like a regular person again. Oh well, I'm definitely applying everywhere that looks legit, but it's really hard to find a job right now. For now, I'm looking forward to a few upcoming events.
8.1.2010 is the official launch date for www.NiqSpeaks.com! I'm uber-excited about that.
8.23.2010 is my first day of grad school classes! *Sidenote* If you'd like to help me pay for my books this semester, that would be awesome. I'll send you a link... hmm (idea for next blog post).
9.16.2010 is only ... 60 days away... give or take? Either way, it's my 25th birthday! It's really coming quickly. I'm not so sure what I'll be doing, or who I'll be spending the day with, so if you have anything awesome you wanna do for my birthday, feel free to do so! :-)
Well, that's all I have for now. Everyone enjoy your weekend, if you can. See you on Monday with the new music blog.
~Niq' :-)
*Have you checked out the Wibiya toolbar at the bottom of the blog? It's pretty neat. You can like the blog, see everything from Niq' Vids to Twitter activity, access the Facebook Fan Page, and share single blog entries or the entire site with your friends on Twitter, Facebook, or other social networking devices. If you are a blogger, I highly recommend it!
I've actually been meaning to write on this for some time now. I was perusing the internet a few months ago, and in the usual fashion of browsing on YouTube, one video leads to the next. Well, I found myself watching clips of KRS-One and "followers" exclaiming over this Hip-Hop bible, "The Gospel of Hip-Hop: The First Element. At first I believed it was an anthology of the great things that have come out of the short life of the hip hop movement, but then, as I continued watching his videos, I realized that he was starting a new-age religion, the church of Hip-Hop! In these YouTube videos, he calls his believers "HipHoppas", asks them to assemble in the "Temple of Hip-Hop", and quotes scriptures from this self-scribed manual of hip-hop living. He claims that in the next 100 years, his book will be a part of one of the many practiced religions around the world. In an interview on youtube.com, KRS-One had this to say on the temple of hip hop.
"The reason you would join the Temple of Hip Hop is so that you could get specialized knowledge. You need the facts in order to be successful in any part of Hip Hop. Whether you advertise it, perform it, be it, live it. You need the truth. The truth is not out there right now. The truth or what is being called the truth is techniquely rap music folklore. We're focusing on rappers and their schedule of releases and we're calling that Hip Hop history. That's cool for the public, so that the public has the freedom to call hip-hop what they want. But when you get serious, then you need to get specialized knowledge."
Yeah Kris... o_0?
Well, that's all I have for now. I just couldn't let this story sit in my drafts folder forever. I have my own thoughts on this, but I'd really like to hear what you think about the "Gospel of Hip Hop" along with the Teacha, KRS-One's new belief system. I've posted the link to some of his YouTube videos and the book's primary website under the main blog post image. PLEASE feel free to watch them and draw your own conclusions. Speak up. I want to know where you stand on this... new religion. I'll gather your responses and attach my viewpoint later on this week.
This Music Monday selection is long overdue! For those of you who don't know but should and those of you who do know, and share, today's Music Monday pick is the Legendary Roots Crew from Philly's new album, How I Got Over.
This album is everything hip-hop has been missing. It's zero parts Soulja Boy Tell'em, three parts lyrical genius by Blue, Porn & Dice Raw, four parts live instruments, one part soulful crooning, with guest appearances by John Legend, Patty crash, and Monsters of Folk, and 100% relevant to the new generation of audio-revolutionaries. I commented on Twitter a few days ago about how…
"HIGO is so ... it's a sexy album. It's mature. It's the wine you can't find at Kroger."
And that's exactly how I feel. It's a straight through listen. There's no need to press fast-forward. Black Thought constantly delivers punch lines, and after-the-punch-line lines, filled with intellect and insight, social perspective, and urban honesty. “The Fire” stands out on the album as a Rocky Rasoul updated “Eye of the Tiger” inspirational track, while the title track, HIGO, breaks out with Quest Love’s sharp precision percussion, followed by Black thought’s provocative lyrics,
“When you on the corner, its too much drama. When you got the police right behind you, it’s always more than a slight reminder. We’re living in a war-zone like Rwanda.”
In “Walk Alone”, he challenges his listeners to re-analyze their consciences with lyrical concepts like
"The Devil want me as is, but God He wants MORE,"
And one of my personal favs from "The Day",
"...And I finally understand my right to choose. My preacher man said it could always be worse. Even a three legged dog still gotthree good legs to lose."
The Roots brings an ear-gasm of musical creativity that I just do not think I can properly express in this blog. If you haven’t heard it, and desire to elevate in your knowledge of what hip-hop is supposed to sound like and how it's supposed to make you feel, PLEASE go out out and get this album! It is Niq’ approved, and I highly suggest that you GET ADDICTED!
Hey ya'll! The Music Monday post got pushed back for later this week, but I did want to give you a working Wednesday update. I just purchased the domain name and three months of hosting "FA DA LO," woo-hoo! Over the next two weeks I will be transitioning the blogspot into the official NiqSpeaks website! I'm so excited. Thank you guys for your support! It's really because of the page visits and subscriptions that I've decided to advance to the next level in my writing and build the blog. You guys rock!
I just CANT!!! iCANT!!! I don't know how many of you follow me on Twitter, but the other day I was in Panera Bread hogging the free wi-fi, and I vaguely thought I heard someone speaking in tongues. I think I tweeted about it. If you don't know what tongues are, when referring to a language, then Google it. I'm not guiding you there this time! Well, tonight I met up with some friends at the iHop after hitting this little open mic night in Norfolk, and no sooner than we sat down did I hear it again! This time I wasn't making it up. The two young men that we passed on our way to our table, adorned in pointed shoes, bow ties, express button ups, and the official gay lisp, were Hash-i-tash-i'n all over the place! I fired a dart at my shotgun for the night, who instantly shot me the same, because our table mates had already announced that they went to the same church. After about a minute or so, they quieted down, and went back to laughing and joking at a moderate indoor level, and we went on to order our food.
I tried to let it go, but I couldn't help but wonder, what unctioned the Holy Spirit to send them into a gibber jabber frenzy at iHop at 1:00am? It's the craziest thing, but about five years ago, seven at the most, people never broke out speaking in tongues in common places such as eateries, banks, cafeterias, computer labs, etc. I have NEVER understood why/how people could 1. feel so privileged as to break the sound barrier when and wherever they chose with these outbursts of indecipherable language. and 2. STILL NOT REALIZE THAT IT IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE PRACTICE, NOR DOES IT DRAW OTHERS TO YOUR RELIGION!
I remember those nights in Lynchburg, when someone in a group I had gone out with would randomly break out into a line of Ah Shama Lamas and I'd just cringe. I remember being in the computer lab freshman and sophomore year and seeing the group of minority students all huddled around each other, "shouting" in the lab because one of them had just barely passed a GNED quiz, or speaking in tongues because a friend bought them a strawberry smoothie from Jazzman's cafe. I've never found it to be cute, nor attractive. I honestly believe that these people are the same people who come early to the club to enjoy the buffet.
I personally believe these people, who find the Cross, instead of the Christ, are just as lost as they were before their "transformation." I do not believe that there has been a Damascus Road experience for them. I think they've seen too many episodes of Bobby Jones' Gospel, and attended too many Gospel Fest weekends at Kings Dominion. I've always held firm to the fact that when you are in a real, personal relationship with Jesus Christ, something in you becomes connected to the Father, and you want to become better. Sure, we are all human, but I suppose there is an inherent desire to get as close to that earthly perfection as possible. I don't believe that this perfection includes wearing doilies, spirit cloths, sack cloths, kippas, starch white usher uniforms, or GINORMOUS CHURCH HATS!!! When this perfection mutated into a conformed model of dressing like a member of a contemporary gospel group, growing dreads, wearing nerd glasses, becoming trendy beyond stomaching, and being a snot nosed brat who hides behind Christian speak and a church shout perfected in a full length mirror to match any speed, tempo, or style of shout beat, I have no idea. I must have missed it, and God how glad I am that I did.
Do I feel like there is hope for this current generation of "trendy Christians?" Sure I do! I just feel like the objective of Christianity is being replaced with something out of an Entertainment Weekly headline. Stop being so "Flashy for Christ!" I'm sure if you read, you'll notice Jesus was actually poor when he was doing his most important work. He never toured with any singing group, or tweeted with his friends during service about people in church who didn't wear nice enough clothes or sing on-key.
(Whatever was in this paragraph, something bigger than myself decided it wasn't time to write it. The entire paragraph is gone. I'm heart broken. It was my absolute favorite. I'm never writing posts directly in the blog site again. Sad day indeed.)
What I'm trying to say here is... just be honest with yourselves! There's so much to be fake about these days, and it just works my last nerve that people in the body of Christ feel such a need to participate in pretending perfection. Who are you faking for? Other people who have fallen short of the glory? Oh. God already knows your heart, so why lie to those around you? Stop hoarding all of that crap inside your temple and putting "In Jesus Name" on the front door!
I'm gonna close now, because it's after 4:30 AM, and I could sadly and honestly go on about this forever. But before I go, I want to leave you with a verse by one of my favorite preachers, Shawn Corey Carter.
...No matter where you go, you are what you are, player And you can try to change, but that's just the top layer Man, you was who you was 'fore you got here Only God can judge me, so I'm gone Either love me or leave me alone.
No Disclaimers, Never. ~Niq'
*The explanation you seek cannot be found. Go with God, and be blessed.
Happy Wednesday afternoon everyone! I just wanted to stop by and update the actual blog site and all the blogspot subscribers who didn't find the blog from the Facebook Fan page. Yes, well, there it is. On Tuesday, June 22nd, I created the fan page to promote the blog, keep me accountable to writing on a regular basis, and to eventually serve as a wide range of commentary and writing styles for freelance writing opportunities in the future. Since then, the fan page has had over 200 visits and as I'm writing there are 60 "fans." I'm very pleased with the progress that has been made, and I'm excited to see where the blog will go in the future.
Here are some things I'm working towards to increase site appeal.
Keep visiting during the summer, and you'll see more changes as I learn how to do all of this! I'm excited for the growth so far, and I'm going to make sure I don't get too caught up in the administrative element of running the blog that I forget to actually write good pieces for ya'll! :-)
Lot's of people are talking out there, but just remember...
Good morning all! Hopefully you were able to watch the BET awards show last night! I was there, via my living room, with my Facebook & Twitter awards show crew, ready to go in on the surprisingly non-ridiculous amounts of BET's EBTisms! Crazy thing about it, the awards might have been the most boring part of the show this year. Truth be told, BET awards aren't that big of a deal. I'm sure Alicia Keys will use hers as a paperweight for her blueprints of the baby room. Since I'm not really a celebrity blogger, I won't go into detail about the events of the show. It will be airing twice a day for the next two weeks on BET. You can also watch highlighted performances here @BET. If you got a chance to watch it last night, you'd probably be able to guess my favorite moment of the night. CHRIS BROWN!!! I feel like he's had one of the roughest years in the industry. From beating up his girlfriend, to that terrible bow-tie, making rap records w/ members of Young Money, and having to watch SO many untalented artists get shine b/c of that ridiculously lame album he dropped last year.
To me, this Michael Jackson tribute was more than him performing in memory of one of his biggest influences. I really believe this was Chris Brown's redemption song. I wasn't even sure if it was going to be him when the tribute began. His silhouette seemed smaller, but I knew it was all just a part of the suspense! His moves were stellar. You could tell he was really in the moment the entire time. The Smooth Criminal routine night light routine was very cute, and I was pleased to see they had made creative provision in the event that a dancer botched a move... AGAIN! Lol. Alas, the most touching moment was when he started to sing Man in The Mirror, and it just wouldn't happen. I think it just got to be too much for him. That song meant so much for every MJ fan, and with the last year that he's had, I know it must have meant a lot for him too. Tears literally poured out of that man's eye. It was so heart-felt. And somewhere in a back room, Usher was probably crying too. Just when things were starting to look good for the old guy, here comes that better dancing, cuter to a wider fan base Mr. Breezy to steal his shine... AGAIN!
I know he did something wrong with his domestic violence issue, but I was wondering if it was okay to forgive? I mean, ya'll forgave R. Kelly when he peed on a fourteen year old girl, had sex with her, recorded it on a tape, and then let the entire world see it... (-_-) In my opinion, Chris Brown's MJ Tribute >>>Redemption song than R.Kelly's Sorry I had sex with that little girl, Happy People/You Saved Me album. Now I just need him to come out with an amazing album somewhere near Christmas time so we can all have that warm feeling about baby Jesus in our hearts to help us make that iTunes 11.99 deluxe album purchase! Well, that's my Music Monday selection for this week. Fantastic job Breezy! I don't know about the rest of the world, but this Virginia girl is ready to crawl back to love! I might even play Graffiti today... Maybe.
~Niq'
***Hey***
That little Janelle Monae is some kind o' crazy! I loved her. I'm really behind on her music, but I'll be checking it out this week. I also copped the new Roots album, "How I Got Over", LEGALLY, lol, with an iTunes gift card so I'm definitely going to be posting some extra music reviews this week... Anybody up for Tune Tuesday? :-)
While I'm several days late speaking out about the police incident in Seattle, I've had the opportunity to read up on the story and do some research of my own.
What the People Want: Seattle, Washington- Caucasian police officer Ian P. Walsh punched under-aged African American female, Angel Rosenthal, during a routine jaywalking citation. Walsh used brute force to end the escalation of a two-on-one violent situation. Rosenthal, age 17, was struck in the face when coming to the defense of 19 year old Marilyn Levias, who was resisting apprehension. Later, Rosenthal's violent behavior was backed by a series of revelations including the recent death of her mother, and a criminal background in theft, robbery, and now assault. Rosenthal was charged in the incident, and Walsh, re-assigned until further investigation is completed. A review of police training in jaywalking situations has also been issued for the Seattle Police Department.
Jennifer Shaw, deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, said in a written statement that Monday's incident wasn't an isolated one. The SPD has a long history of allowing jaywalking citations to escalate into use-of-force situations," Shaw said. "The pattern is very predictable: The officer sees a jaywalker, orders the person to come to him, gets angry when the jaywalker either doesn't respond or argues, and ends up either in a physical confrontation or an arrest for an obstruction charge or both."-The Seattle Times 6.16.2010
That's the story.
And now for the... NiqSpeaks' Perspective
When I first heard about this story and watched the footage, several thoughts came to mind. Why would a cop just punch a girl in the face? Why are those girls so aggressive towards the police? How come it rains so much in Northern Washington, but never in Southern California? How come Washington state links with Montana, Arizona, Vermont and Wisconsin in my head? Wait, what are black people doing in Washington? And that's the question that started my research.
Back in 1940, just seventy years ago, the "Emerald City" only had a 4% non-white population. The city flourished due to a $5.6 million economic gold mine known as government issued wartime contracts, and in 1941, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 8802, which forbade discrimination in firms with these government contracts This order catapulted Seattle's minority population to over 10,000 by 1945.
President Roosevelt's Executive Order 8802- Roosevelt
In an effort to keep Seattle segregated, secret covenants were placed inside deeds across Seattle barring the sale or rental of certain homes to non-Whites and people of Irish descent. It wasn't until the Fair Housing Act of 1968 (prohibited discrimination of sale, rental, and financing of dwellings and other housing related transactions based on race, color, national, origin, religion, or sex) that Seattle was held legally responsible to cease its segregation tactics. Even after this, black families were often discouraged from living in these primarily white neighborhoods by area leaders and real estate agencies, and when these discouragements went unheeded, local utilities would "accidentally" shut off services to these non-white inhabited homes.
Open Housing Sit-in at Mayor's Office, July 3, 1964
At the end of the 1960s, the Black Panther Party movement emerged in Seattle, after 17 year old Welton Butch Armstead was shot and killed by police. While the Seattle Police Department claimed that their officer acted in self-defense, the BPP argued that the shooting was intentional, and should be identified as a homicide. During the parties' brief establishment, they built health clinics and sponsored feeding programs for low income families, in addition to rallying and protesting social injustices throughout the city. The BPP had a short lived existence in the emerald city, migrating to Oakland, California headquarters in 1972 to help with awareness efforts.
Left: Black Panther Party Headline News, 1968
Right: Seattle Magazine Cover, Oct. 1968
Bottom Center: Seattle Times Headline News, Oct. 19, 1968
In my own understanding of the duties of law enforcement, and the activities in which they actually partake, I know enough to realize that as an African-American, I can't raise my voice in anger, or even think to raise my hand at a police officer. I understand that cameras are placed inside police vehicles for the protection of the police and the nation's citizens, but I also understand that as easily as footage can be recorded, it can be altered, edited, and destroyed, if need be. I just can't bring myself to understand why these girls would try to fight the office instead of taking the citation and fighting it later. Even more confounding to me is why the officer would decide to Superman punch Rosenthal in the face, while a crowd of onlookers recorded the situation. Wasn't there a better way to respond that situation? Did his nerves get the best of him? Or his badge?
While all three parties in this matter were wrong for their actions, the issue goes far deeper, and until the mindsets of both non-white and white citizens of Seattle can be re-conditioned, I fear this won't be the last incident of its kind.
Signing off in the in the spirit of peace and love,
It's 1:37... a.m.... and as I work on resumes, update contact information for the few networking opportunities I've had, and jam out to this old India.Arie album, I can't help but to relate to this song!
"I AM having a private party!" I've climbed several ladders at this point in my life, and with my 25th birthday coming up in September, I'm beginning to reach some of my first big milestones. I've faced rejections (my VCU letter & countless job offers) and also been brought to tears by some of my accomplishments (graduating from college & getting accepted into graduate school).
"I'm learning how to celebrate the woman I've become." I know that I put a lot of pressure on myself to one day provide for my family in the same way that they've provided for me in the past. I have people that I want to bring up with me when I get "there." There's things I want to achieve, parties at which I haven't danced, and boys I still haven't kissed. With all of this in mind, I still have to stop and be thankful for what I have right now, and not grow weary in my well doing. It's a process. It seems slow, slower than I could have ever imagined, but I've been blessed with an insatiable desire to learn, and grow, and become better with each day that I've been given to live here on this earth. And my complexion looks good in just about any color. :-)
But seriously, it's a time of transition. I'm learning that. The footing is not sure, and the way seems unclear, but I know that if I keep taking steps in the right direction, and never let naysayers deter me from my destiny, I'll get there. I've just got to make it.
I wanted to kick off things off with a new segment so appropriately stolen from Twitter known as Music Monday! At the start of each week, I'll bring you something new from my iPod & let you know how and why it made it to my playlist.
This week's #MM pick is Vampire Weekend's sophomore album, Contra. This record is everything! It could only be better if I owned the vinyl copy (early birthday present?).
The How & Why: I actually found this group through some banner ads in one of my iPod Touch apps. After a few days of ignoring it, I decided to do a Google search on the group. From there, I watched a couple of their videos on Youtube, and knew I had to own the album for myself. What a splendid surprise! Every song tells its own story, but the track layout brings them all together. This post-folk California summer sound blends live instruments, catchy melodies, and the lead singer's nostalgic voice with modern lyrics, and a couple of subtle references to late hip hop legend, Notorious B.I.G. on title track, Contra.
I can't tell you what to listen to, but feel free to GET ADDICTED to the Vampire Weekend album, Contra.
I've decided to join the bandwagon of republicans/conservatives/vegans/and Fox News viewers in the blaming of President Obama for asinine things over which he has no control.
1. My undergrad GPA
2. The fact that I can't find the grey/green/white Jordan Flight 23s
3. The pile up in my laundry basket.
4. The Red Ring of death on Xbox 360s.
5. Twitter Whale Fails.
...I think I'll post a new list weekly.
That's all for now. And remember, God is love (in 140 characters or less)!
I know it's been over a month, but this has probably been one of the most emotionally draining months of my life... thus far. With that being said, I want you to know that I think about blogging everyday. I'm not sure when I'll be back, but when I do, I will hopefully have some good stories for you. I've been growing. I'm learning more about myself, and questioning things that I was "fed" as a child. It's so very important that you fashion together your own beliefs, and not just go with the flow of things. These things around us are a Sign Of the Times. Do not go softly into that good night (I feel a Family Guy ramble of cliches coming on, so I'll stop!). Love your brother. Love your neighbor. NOH8.
It's Saturday night. I followed in the steps of @itsokay and took a much needed bubble bath after my workout earlier! I'm in bed reading the newest issue of Essence Magazine and listening to @fatbellybella's Nu Amerykah, and loving the two. The only thing missing is my infamous Saturday night glass of Riesling. :-( I feel very much in my "Pretty Brown Girl" bag. Life right now is good. Trying times are ahead, but I believe good things will follow them if I keep my mind fixed on things eternal. Sometimes I'm worried that I'm too full of dreams and aspirations for my own good. Sometimes I worry that I'm not concrete enough. Tonight, I'm not worried about any of those things. Tonight I'm thankful for my tempermental bargain laptop and the invention of iTunes. I'm slowly but surely getting through "New Black Voices" and enjoying every page. Yesterday, while I was hawking Panera's free wi-fi, I applied to Regent University's MFA in Script and Screenwriting program. I've been home for about six weeks now, and it's time to start moving forward and working towards my future. Education is vital. Tell your friends. Knowledge is still power, and while you may not learn the most important lessons in the classroom, those little slips of paper speak volumes to those with "the butter." I'll have to tell you that story later, if you haven't already heard it. Sure enough, the text messages are coming in now that I've reached the zenith of my relaxation. "wanna do something?" It's probably my favorite text message. I think I'm gonna make an executive call on behalf of my comfy and decline the night voyages. Well, that's all I have for tonight young lovers. Just checking in and working on my commitment to blogging on a more regular basis.
p.s.- somebody send me $10 to renew my Go Daddy domain name. Maybe this year I'll figure out how to connect it to a host and get my .com up and running. Ya'll help a sister out! Lol.
A question (see here) posted by Twitter's @smashedthehomie on Facebook this morning got me to thinking... yes, "got me to thinking!" Lol. It's not the first time I've thought of it, but it’s just something that I've been aware of for quite some time now.
When it comes to dating or marriage for that matter, I've always felt like I'm going to marry someone younger than me. I'm gonna marry younger. Lol. And here are just a couple of reasons why.
First, I don't want to marry anyone with children. I've always felt like when it came time for me to reach certain milestones in my life, I wanted to do that with my partner as a shared experience. If and when I do make a final decision on having children, I want my first child to be your first child, not your third or fourth! Now, of course, if you've adopted your cracked out sister's children, or taken on the responsibility of raising a younger sibling, that's a different story. It’s commendable and it will probably gain you more points with me. I just can't dig the step-mom thing. As far as already owning your own home or large home appliance, lol, that's fine. It shows ambition and motivation, but keep in mind that a mortgage holds a different weighting than a child support payment. Now, with all this in mind, and with the clock ticking, more and more men are fathering children every year... with people THEY HAVE NO PLANS ON BEING WITH LONG TERM!!! No bueno fellas. Not at all. With my age increasing, and the pool of possibilities decreasing, I just can't see myself marrying someone my age or older.
Second and strangely, I find older guys oddly unattractive. I can never see them as anything other than sweet, or nice. Dad-like. I can't even see myself dating someone who’s already out of their 20s. I guess it’s because I've always felt young, not immature, or naïve, simply young. The thought of dating someone who wouldn’t be up for an adventure or a sporadic road trip or midnight run to Wal-Mart, well, that just doesn’t set well with me. Now, I know that there’s plenty of guys out there who are in their 30s and 40s who lead full active lives, oh gosh but they’re graying! iCANT!
Now I know that as soon as you put into words or express those things to which you absolutely do not find yourself attracted, THAT’S what God usually sends your way. Why? I guess it’s just a crazy game. Who knows for sure? Well, that’s all that I have to say about this for now. I’m sure with time, I’ll be back to discuss this from an older and hopefully wiser perspective.
If you need me, I’ll be sitting outside a retirement home waiting for the love of my life to roll out in a hover-round sitting on dubs.
Don’t forget young lovers… it ain’t over till NIQSPEAKS!
I watched last night on CNN as President Obama strutted out with his smooth light-skinned swagga to announce the hard fought win on national health care reform. I smiled, one because his haircut was sharp, but also because I am one of those people who are going to benefit from this. Unemployed, recent college graduate amidst a job recession, economic recession, Jesus recession, and a slew of other recessions I'm failing to mention.
Then I thought about my alma mater. It really sucks. Not the school, but the mindset. The homie Big J, aka Jerry Falwell Sr. used to say that if it were Christian, it ought to be better. But it seems that since his passing, things at Liberty have become more one-sided than they were in former years.
Focusing more broadly on politics as a nation, since President Obama's win back in Nov. 08, things have gotten so nasty. This morning on The View, some of the things that were yelled by politicians had to be censored because of their inappropriate nature. Seriously? I know I'm no expert on politics. My subscription to Time weekly is helping, but there's such a behemoth of information to absorb and its constantly changing. What I do know, however, is that the longer politicians and extremist republicans continue to fight President Obama, the longer it will take before we start to see the Change that was promised. I believe it's already here. The opposition is just adding more locks to the doors we're trying to kick down!
Man, I dunno. All of this political drama is killing me on the inside... it's a good thing I've got some health care now to see someone!
I just wanted you guys to know that I'll be back really soon! I've decided to start blogging... like, with words instead of videos this time. I mean, there WILL be a video every once in a while, but for the most part, I want to get back to the basics. Get ready for the return of the Logophile! :-)
I'm feeling a lot better people! I'm working like crazy this week, but I wanted to definitely bring in 2010 with an official re-introduction video! I hope you enjoy it! AND, it's actually less than 10 minutes! Lol. *yeaaaaahhhh(via@Souljaboytellem)
IT AIN'T OVA... (via@churchmouseKirkFranklin) till...
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