nerd symposium

brooklyn bar crawl III

2009-07-17T12:38:00.004-04:00

ladies, gentlemen, & fellow bibulous individuals!!!

the summer weather is finally upon us! next saturday, july 18th will be my annual brooklyn/birthday bar crawl... spending time enjoying a leisurely stroll through park slope, brooklyn with friends, acquaintances, & fellow bibulous individuals. strolling on hot summer evenings leads to insatiable thirst. lucky for us, there will be plenty of watering holes along the way.

the date is saturday, july 18, 2009 & the details are just about finalized for the brooklyn (birthday) bar crawl. "the committee" has determined the final list will shall be comprised of ten of the eleven venues listed below... AND for those STILL standing, we'll be venturing into the city to sweat out some alcohol by one of my favorite mediums... DANCE!!!! (either sway or no malice palace... tbd)

for the third straight year, we will more gather at commonwealth (located at the more western end 5th avenue. see map & note nearest trains) to kick off the crawl and move approximately every 25 - 30 minutes.

details:
what - brooklyn (birthday) bar crawl III
when - saturday, july 18th (at the stroke of midnight is my birthday)
start time - 7:05pm
why - bibulous individuals needs exercise & ought to spend time outdoors... expect lots of laughs & libations!!
where - park slope brooklyn, 5th avenue
who - anyone who received this email, and anyone whom you forward it to... the more the merrier!!!

bars from last two years (see google map):

commonwealth - 12th street
dram shop - 9th street (b/n 5th & 6th aves)
smith's tavern - 9th street
bar reis - 6th street
ginger's bar - b/n 6th & 5th streets
the gate - 3rd street
loki - 2nd street
great lakes - 1st street
lighthouse tavern - carroll st
200 fifth - between union & berkeley streets
voodoo - b4 douglass street

the itinerary is fluid & we may not make it to each establishment, but we will have a helluva time tryin'!! a number of us successfully hit each bar the last two years... so it CAN be done.

cheers!

that's right... MY DEGREES

2009-05-26T22:42:00.002-04:00

the first time i listened to the the school spirit skits on kanye west's album, the college dropout, i immediately dismissed both. i, like most of my friends, just chalked the skits up to west being bitter. yeah yeah yeah, he didn't go the "traditional" route to gain his fame & fortune, but he seemed intent to poke fun that those who sought education as a means for personal progress.

NO I'VE NEVER HAS SEX, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?! MY DEGREE KEEPS ME SATISFIED.

THEN YOU GET YOUR MASTERS MASTERS... WHEN I DIE, YOU KNOW WHAT'S GONNA KEEP ME WARM? THAT'S RIGHT... THOSE DEGREES...

needless to say, i recently commenced and was bestowed the rights, privileges, responsibilities that accompany my masters. and for some reason, i was reminded of the skits on the album. unlike my bachelor's degree, this degree was NOT accompanied by the same level of euphoria or excitement... let alone a greater sense of satisfaction. part of it stems from the composition of of the class; part stems from my lackadaisical demeanor from the onset of the program. needless to say, two years later, my classmates and i were conferred degrees. i think some feel a greater sense of satisfaction... but i'm not one of them.

a number of my friends have received graduate degrees; and yes, i admit a significant portion of them are nerds or have nerd qualities/tendencies. the conversation between us still remains the same. perhaps, the advanced degree, while a notable accomplishment, isn't necessary to measure one's intellect (or lack thereof). the degree, for me, doesn't mean i'm necessarily any smarter. i definitely don't feel any smarter. i feel like i applied my intelligence to a specific discipline and learned a few things. perhaps my thirst for knowledge was insufficiently satiated during the program... who knows?!

in the interim, i keep listening & laughing at the school spirit skits. kanye may have accidentally stumbled upon something, but not for the reason he arrived there... (sidebar: there is no correlation between dressing preppy and being a nerd.) the latest degree definitely doesn't keep me any warmer... and while i may have tempered my friday night activities (to insure making it to class on saturday morning), they definitely were not cut off totally... ask my classmates. LOL

HOWEVER, should my masters lead to a new exciting opportunity, i may just be a BIT more satisfied... and in that case... you know what keeps me satisfied (indirectly)? THAT'S RIGHT, MY DEGREES!!!

CONGRATS FELLOW 2009 GRADUATES, especially those at rutgers-newark!!

12 months & 9 days...

2009-04-08T14:15:00.000-04:00

after reviewing my last post, it's abundantly clear that i did not keep my new year's resolution. it appears i averaged a meager one post during the calendar year. there's no denying the piss poor effort put forth towards my blog and my blatant neglect. i think i will resurrect the banner of averaging a post a month for 2009... roughly one & a third post per month... definitely feasible.

before touching on the big three, i want to first welcome my sister to the blogosphere. her musings, which are exponentially more entertaining than mine can be found at deep but not too deep thought. she has a bit of free time on her hands when she's at work, and constantly talks about food. the ironic thing is she's slender like me, but talks about food like she was twice as big. AND she's quite opinionated... TRUST, this i can definitely attest to... i've known the varying opinions had over the course of her 20+ years... so, stop over for a chuckle... or to see if there's any semblance (aside from aesthetic) between us.

THE BIG THREE...

the most recent development of the big three is my living situation. i've crossed another river, this time the east, for the city. yes, after years in bk & jersey city, i have become a resident of the upper west side. it still seems a little weird to say. i wouldn't have necessarily considered myself a manhattanite, let alone an uws-er. after departing brooklyn (less than idealistic roommate situation), i temporarily set up shop on the uws. needless to say, it grew on me... similar to the taste of beer. commuting to work has been easier, easier commute to weekend activities, closer proximity to fam/friends, AND friends with bartenders at a few local watering holes. although not brooklyn, the neighborhood has its own unique charm & characteristics.

like my first apt in brooklyn, i'm living alone again... gonna take a break from quirky roommates & pets that don't bark. though far from a penthouse and not as large as my first apt... it exponentially larger than most i viewed. housewarming to come... still got a few boxes to unpack, & gotta figure out the logistics.

employment is relatively the same... i'm still in administration, though the individual that brought me in has since departed, as have a number of others. it is still one of the most "interesting" experiences i've had. i was chatting with someone the other day, and she marvelously articulated my same sentiment... "i loved my beat at one point, but then got very worn down and jaded at the end. i think that's sad b/c we're both young and idealistic. but then you see the shit that happens up close and it makes you cynical." some days are better than others, but that's everywhere...

love/relationship... musings & fodder for another post and another day... suffice to say... the more things change, the more they stay the same.

the most noteworthy event to transpire in the past 12 months & 9 days, has been the historic election of this country's first black president; Barack Hussein Obama II, former junior senator from illinois, assumed office january 20, 2009.

there are a multitude of things to blog about, musings, conversations, details, etc... some have transpired and others have yet to occur. let's see if i can do better and average AT LEAST a post a month.

here's to further relinquishing of thoughts!

cheers!

23 months...

2008-03-30T22:33:00.004-04:00

it has been 23 months since i last posted on this blog. it, like many others had been relegated to a state of lifelessness because no one (namely me) hasn't put forth the time, energy, or effort to take it off life support. alas, one of my new year's resolutions was to breathe life back into my blog and to post AT LEAST once a month. the fact that my first post is in latter part of march shows how well, i'm doing... but i figure an average of 12 posts will be just as good.

much has transpired in the last 23 months. so much in fact that it is difficult to know where to begin with my musings. i guess the BIG three is as good a place to begin as any. the BIG three as defined by a new yorker and three of her girlfriends in a popular, expired series are job, apartment, & love/relationship.

the living situation has changed a bit in the last 23 months... moving back across the hudson river into brooklyn. these days, i lay my head in prospect heights. i am a subway stop away from my first apartment in brooklyn, three blocks from my mother's apartment in brooklyn (25+ years ago), and walking distance to my uncle. it is a wonderful neighborhood with a wonderful assortment of restaurant, bars, etc. definitely enjoy wakin' up & having leisurely days in brooklyn. the actual apartment situation... well, that's a little bit more "interesting". 23 months ago, i roomed with my best friend. [sidebar: he has sense moved to atlanta and will be finishing up his masters degree in architecture this spring] now, i live with a friend of a friend. our mutual friend deserted her room for atlanta... it was around the same time i was looking for a place in brooklyn... so it worked out. the biggest adjustment hasn't been living with a female, but individual quirks. definitely came to the realization that i'm not rooming with best friend any more. needless to say, after a few incidents... there's a bit of tension in the apt., though. kinda like a college roommate who you live with but wouldn't necessarily select them to be a roommate if you had a choice.

love/relationship... that's a subject for another blog. suffice to say... things have changed over the last 23 months. i have recently been brought over to the dark side one whom i dubbed "the thief of innocence."

employment has changed in the last 23 months as well. i left the council about 19 months ago to join a recently elected mayor in his newly formed administration. i was brought on by the person whom he selected to be his number two. it has been one of the most interesting experiences i have had, and probably ever will have. it will more than likely provide ample fodder for my musings. i accepted the offer to serve in the administration for a number of reasons... namely, the opportunity to assist in the transformation of an urban city from within government. though i've been in government for the past 19 months, things have changed significantly...

aside from the BIG three, there are a multitude of other things that have occurred over the last 23 months and are still occurring. essentially, there is much to blog about, including details glanced over...

i welcome the return to the university... let the musings begin.

Let the ‘Starchitects’ Work All the Angles - critique

2007-12-16T03:28:00.000-05:00

a decent article analyzing the role of star architects in the shaping of today's built environment. however, the writer needs to get a bit more informed. he seems to implicitly say that this new luxury skyscraper built by jean nouvel has more meaning and value than calatrava's transportation center at wtc. absurd!

a) he claims the station will only serve the PATH and one subway line. that is false. when fully complete it will be the centerpiece in an underground network that will connect the PATH and all fulton street station lines as well as pedestrian access to the ferry and world financial center.

b) although expensive as hell, the architecture has meaning as this sculptural piece of architecture represents the mystical pheonix rising from the ashses (how fitting for the wtc site) not to mention he takes many efforts to get light all the way to the train platforms. take 2 minutes and list how many platforms you have waited for a train on and been able to see natural light. not to mention people of all socioecomonic backgrounds will be able to experience this great architecture.

who is experiencing this luxurious tower on 54th st by jean nouvel?? i wonder.......

ok i am done with my diatribe. its your [natty nerd] fault for sending the article.

- charette

The Day History was Squandered

2006-05-26T00:26:00.000-04:00

5/24/06

I always knew that the media, particularly the news and newspapers, was basically a vehicle for delivering depressing news and nonsense constantly overshadowing the good that actually occurs in this world. However today that feeling resonated tenfold. The media missed the mark by a long shot today. I realized this as I sat with my coworker in the conference room while we were eating lunch. He was going through his typical lunchtime routine of perusing and skimming articles throughout the paper and bitching and moaning to his live audience. And today he noted that the opening of 7 World Trade Center was on the second page of the Star Ledger as opposed to the front. And of course ¾ of the front page, mostly a photo, was dedicated to the tragedy and grief of the mourning of two young children who were mowed over by a hit and run vehicle in Roselle. The vehicle knocked the children right out of their mother’s arms. She lived. They died. And that was ¾ of our front-page news in New Jersey.

Of course Victor bitched about this, but this time his bitching struck a chord, and immediately I had two thoughts. One. I needed to get to 7 WTC and document this history with some photos. Two. I needed to see just how many papers squandered this opportunity at history…good history. As I ventured out of my apartment building to head over to Lower Manhattan I stopped at the deli in our building and looked at the front page of all the papers. I also looked at the front page of every paper at the Hudson Newsstand in the World Trade Center PATH station. A grand total of ONE newspaper had the opening of 7 WTC on the front page. ONE! And to add insult to injury the text in that article barely talked about the significance of the 7 WTC opening. It harped on about the Deutsche Bank building to the south of the WTC site, and how its toxic contents and human remains that have been found throughout the building’s deconstruction have cast a shadow over the rebuilding of the World Trade Center. I wanted to throw up. Even the New York Times didn’t document this history on its front page!

So what was the missed opportunity and what does the opening of 7 WTC mean?

This building is the first building to be built at the World Trade Center since the 9/11 attacks almost 5 years ago. 9/11/2001 was the worst terrorist attack on American soil and it obliterated every building that was a part of the World Trade Center. The attacks left a void literally and figuratively in Lower Manhattan and in America as well. But instead of bowing down in the darkest moment of our history, we rose, looked the enemy in the eye and vowed that no attack would eliminate the resolve of our country. We promised we would bounce back and build again. And guess what? We are doing it!! The construction and opening of 7 WTC sends a clear message. You cut me down and not only did I grow back… I grew back stronger! The original 7 WTC was 47 stories tall and not the most handsome building. The new 7 WTC is a sleek composition of glass and steel that soars 57 stories. The building has set trends with regards to security design standards for high-rise buildings, and it is going for a coveted LEED certification, which designates its status as an environmentally considerate building. And even if folks think the new building is a piece of garbage, that still should not diminish the significance of this building rising from the ashes and rubble of the 9/11 attacks and showing the power and resolve of New York City and America. Somebody please tell me how in the hell this did not make the front page of our local papers. Today was truly a missed opportunity by the media in the history of our country.

--The Most Noble

confidence: shaken, not stirred

2006-04-11T23:28:00.000-04:00

i'd like to say i was stricken by a desire to write from something profound, such as a book or a lecture; however, this was not the case this evening. it was a television show that i had heard about, but not yet watched. for some reason, i found the premise of a particular episode, eerily relevant... first the show, then the eerily relevant subtext that caused me to finally sit down and write...

the show, love monkey, has essentially the same premise as the movie brown sugar. record label ex leaves the corporate structure for an indie label... "for the music"... sounds alturistic and all, right? well, mix in an entourage-like group of friends. each fairly established in his respective career... all taking place in the greatest city on earth... sounds a little cheesy, but it's actually intelligently written (in my humble opinion)... i caught a few episodes, and think it may be added to my dvr list.

the particular episode, that caused me to blog dealt with a character's confidence, his swagger... when you have it, you know... and what's more, other's know. it could be something small... such as the way you wear your hat, or your style of clothes... it may even be more subtle, such as one's mere presence; you notice them in a room.

typically, i would consider myself confident... and from what i am told, it comes out in my activities... even when i don't realize it... for instance, i have been told that it comes out when i play softball & run the bases... or when i'm playing football in my league. there are some days when i feel that confidence... i walk a little more upright, and feel a little taller. all that being said... recently, the confidence was shaken... didn't get a response i wanted from an institution of higher learning...

it's like birth...

2006-01-23T21:45:00.000-05:00

although this child was no consummated in a woman's womb for 9 months before it's delivery... as a matter of fact, no woman, or test tube, was necessary for this birth... the only tools required were my fountain pen, a yellow legal pad, and a ton of ink... it's been weeks since the first drop of ink stained the yellow pad, and even before that, lots of ruminating about the process before birth was even a viable option. at that time, it was difficult to fathom the process being as long and drawn out as it was. i was talking to my father during the process, and he felt that it should be a cinch... however, being armed with too much knowledge could be more dangerous than not being armed with enough... although i much prefer the aforementioned to the latter... that by no means made my task simple, particularly since there were specific guidelines as to what the statement should be...

my first crack at it has been drastically altered... and i feel as if i've delivered a premie, for it is not completely out of the woods yet. although it is at a state where it is functioning. as this very moment, some of the best minds that i could conjure are giving their diagnoses of what it's gonna take to get past the premie stage. in a weird way, i actually feel kinda vulnerable by allowing others to preview the premie, but that's what's it's gonna take to get it to where it needs to be. as my "committee" makes their assessment, i figured i'd steal a few moments to jot down a couple of thoughts...

now, as with any newborn, it is calling me... i feel as if i must tend to it further...

early 2006 ruminations

2006-01-01T00:05:00.000-05:00

five hundred twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes...

that is the number of minutes that concluded at the stroke of midnight of december 31, and simultaneously the number of minutes until the next stroke of midnight... where we move from one year to the next. i honestly didn't know how many minutes were in a year, for i never calculated it... however, i just came from rent... so think of that intro in the sing-songy manner that is the famous chorus of that movie...

[sidebar: rent is the movie that one of my friend's from college wanted to see upon her visit to new york. my roommate had seen it with his gf a few weeks previously, so he was in the clear. needless to say, yesterday proved unsuccessful, for the tkts booth was closed. this afternoon, went to tkts... but they had none. went to the actual theatre, but they were out as well. our last hope was the lottery. essentially, there are 34 tickets that are auctioned off in the front two rows of each show. each individual is able to put his name in ONLY once, and can request one or two tickets. after half an hour in the rain, three of us put our names in the drawing (fred put his name to increase our odds). there were probably about 150 - 200 people in the rain for the drawing. long story short... i am one of the winners of the lottery, and i get to purchase 2 $20 in the second row of RENT... and there is MORE... CMH, who lived in my first year dorm was in the production!!!]

as i enter the new year, i like to take inventory of what has transpired over the course of the past year, and try to make tentative plans for what i'd like to accomplish, improve, change in the forthcoming year.

at the risk of sounding like some made-for-television program that recaps the "year in review"... i'm gonna put a few a few things out there, that for some reason or another, are significant to me (please be cognizant of the fact that they are in no particular order):

my younger sister got engaged to a young man from the historic town of gettysburg, pa
my boss, whom i took for granted, departed from the company to move south with her husband. she also encouraged me to spread my wings, and let me in on the fact that she had been taking law classes & recently graduated from brooklyn law school and passed the ny/nj bar on her first try...
motivated by the fact that i am not enthralled with work and that while i enjoy publishing, it isn't the career path that i plan on staying on... i prepare and take the lsat
i go to multiple DRY weddings
my mother graduates with her master's in library information sciences

i honestly know not why these are the events jump out moreso than others... however, the list was only gonna contain five events & those are the first five. i'm sure that these five have had some sort of impact on who i am, and how i'll operate going forward. for instance... attending multiply dry weddings helped me come to the realization that i will NOT have one of my own. and if i have any say in my sister's wedding, she'll not have a dry wedding either.

as for the forthcoming year... it'll be one of change, which is exhilarating, but lends itself to uncertainty as well. come this fall, there's a very good chance that i may be relocating. i will also, if everything goes according to "plan", be leaving the workforce to return to the realm of academia... both of these contain an element of excitement, as well as nervousness. while i don't anticipate having much time to explore a new city, it'll be koowelle, nonetheless, to learn the lay of a new landscape... at the same time, i may realize that i abhor my new landscape and REALLY yearn the city. i've talked to a mentor/friend who has left the city... and she does miss it from time to time. as for school... what isn't enthralling about learning new exciting ways of thinking... and at the same time, what is?

as for tangible things, of course everyone wants to be more fit... whether that be eating a bit healthier, or visiting the gym an extra time or two. for me, it'll probably be a combo of both... i'd like to read more (of course this is before school begins). then, there is something that i've been workin' on for over the past twenty years... being nicer to my sister (luv you spunk!). trying to blog a few more times.

all in all, a new year is an opportunity to begin again more intelligently... to take the sum of what has been learned over the past years, and move forward... guess if i keep summing up all the years, i'll become wise one day... but in the interim, i'll have to take the little wisdom i have and combine it with the intelligence of others (especially those with a FEW more years of experience).

i wonder what i'll be saying after the next five hundred twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes...

step two

2005-11-27T21:02:00.000-05:00

they always say that the first step is the most difficult one to take, which very well may be true... however, the second one shouldn't be taken for granted either. after my recent end of indolence, i was sure that all the subsequent steps would be a piece of cake...clearly, i was wrong... else i wouldn't be bloggin' on this topic. while the months of studying and the test did not leave me spent, i guess i kinda expected the culmination of the actual october 1st exam to be both liberating and a springboard towards completion of the process. in that regard, i was at least half correct. definitely was liberated... and tried to make up for all of the opportunities to imbibe that i passed up the past couple of months. now that i have adequately libated... i realize that i need to make some progressive steps towards my end goal... class of 2009!! during my temporary return to indolence, there were a couple of nudges toward progress, but none served to help me gain the necessary momentum. there was one of my best friends constantly asking about my progress (sidebar: theoretically, one can only have ONE best friend, however, in my realm of reasoning... which happens to govern this blog entry that i am writing... the term "best" will apply to the highest echelon of friends). she too had been through the process, and has actually served as my conscious... constantly reminding me what i ought to be doing... what a great friend, helping to keep me on track... there have also been a plethora of conversations that have transpired since the beginning of the process. while they may not deal directly with the process (except in the instance where specific schools were HIGHLY suggested), many were offers of assistance for helpin' me reach the end goal.

upon my most recent trip to tha D, i had the catalyst conversation that has propelled me to take the step two. i was talkin' with one of my mentors (who consequently will be writing a rec for me) about something totally unrelated to this process. essentially, he told me i was allowing myself to get f*#ked by not following up, and completing some paperwork for a legal matter that he also consulted me on... not for nothing, but that seemed to strike a cord...

regardless of what it took... i'm definitely glad that it transpired. for i'm now entrenched in the second step... and to that end, i've got applications to tend to...

an end of indolence

2005-08-18T00:52:00.000-04:00

well, it appears my days of indolence have come to an end. it seems that i had fallen into the rut of complacency. things were decent... job was cool; it provided me with autonomy and enough mental stimulation to prevent boredom. i was doing a little traveling, and spending time hangin' out around my beloved city. things were by no means bad, however, i wasn't proactively pushing to do more. it had been my intent to return to school a few years out for a post-undergrad degree... the question for me always was WHAT degree? even my moms began askin' me if i were enrolled in classes or preparing to embark upon school...

needless to say, my diminished excitement about my job when my boss left in may, made it ridiculously apparent that i needed to prepare for a change. while i still really like the company i work for, i am not enthralled with the new "structure" of my department and the new level(s) of bureaucracy. i guess my previous boss left me with the gift & the curse. on one hand, the work situation is blah... but on the other, i've been prompted to end my indolence and begin the process towards gaining admission to school.

knowing myself, and my study patterns, i figured the best way to prepare for my forthcoming test would be a prep class. hence, i'm now enrolled in testmasters, which meets twice a week. i think it's eerie that the instructor is a comedian, but i guess there is no law against being funny and smart...

classes are classes... some days i leave and feel as if i've gained a mastery of the material... other days, i lament the decision i made...

regardless, forward progress has been made... the goal is a seat at an institution of higher learning, perhaps in fall of 2006...

but in the interim, i ought to spend a little more time studying before i retire for the evening...

unintentional neglect

2005-02-11T21:15:00.000-05:00

i wish that i had something deep and profound to contribute to the university after my lapse in time. alas, i return to my musings, not quite daily... but i'll put forth a valiant effort once again...

there have been a myriad of thoughts that have occupied the space in between my ears... some have lingered longer than others, some were flashes in the pan, and some still dwell there.

i guess it is better to blog more frequently, than to sit on that BIG idea that may or may not be forthcoming... it's weird, the more you try to induce it, the more evasive it is... "necessity is truly the mother of invention"... hence, i'll just put forth an effort to tranfer ideas more frequently...

there have been two occasions that i felt truly compelled to write in the recent weeks. both were after conversations/ discussions with men who i very much respect. the first was my grandfather... we were speaking the last time i was home in detroit in the kitchen. we talked about a myriad of things, but one of the things that he said was applicable and blog-worthy in and of it self... "an empty wagon makes the most noise."

immediately after he said it, i had to write it down to make sure that i remembered it... specifically for this purpose... while it has been multiple weeks, it still remains between the ears. i immediately thought of individuals that make LOTS of noise; they generally have the least amount of substance. those that tout their "abilities", whatever they may be... generally are not the masters of their craft... while he or she may be good, it is highly probably that the aforementioned is NOT the best. in my limited experience, the best at any discipline doesn't tout their abilities... they allow others to do it, or their abilities talk for themselves... hence, if i ever start to pop off at the gums... or begin to talk incessantly for those not hip to the urban jargon... please remind me that "an empty wagon makes the most noise."

so that i do not compromise that position, i'll leave the meeting with les gelb for the next blog...

leslie gelb is the president emeritus of the council

nerdy friends & conversations

2005-01-19T23:15:00.000-05:00

That's the value of maintaining a friendship with someone you disagree with. We don't learn as much from people who think the way we do, yet most of us spend too much time huddled together with just such people. And we compound the inbreeding of our thoughts by reading only those publications that appeal to our leanings.

i forget where i found the aforementioned quote, so please know that it is not my intent to discredit the author.

with that said, i think that the aforementioned statement speaks volumes about what is present in most academical villages, but is lacking in the real world. when i was attending the university, it was very common to be engaged in conversations with individuals of differing backgrounds. this may have been due to the composition of the student body, or it may have been by the choice to engage said conversation. regardless, it is something that one must make a concerted effort to achieve today.

those conversation are a marvelous way to pass the hours of the day... historically, there have been many who say that passing the day with intellectually stimulating banter is a waste of time. i ardently disagree with this statement... this is the basis for searching for answers. what answers? it depends... depends on the heftiness of the conversation... while your conversation may not yield the solution to the world hunger equation, it may yield a deeper understanding of one's personal ideologue. in order to know where one stands on social issues, one ought examine their stance, especially when it is challenged. while being able to defend an issue is admirable, being able to convince a person of an opposing view means you truly have a grasp on that idea/notion/ideologue.

even if you are not trying to further examine, having conversations with those of opposing view or backgrounds helps one to learn... if nothing else, another approach to a solution, or a solution that you may not have come up with on your own.

when one engages another of an opposing view in dialogue, more often than not, one must step outside his or her comfort zone to accomplish this. generally, i find that the folks one surrounds oneself with are generally of fundamentally similar beliefs. while the thought of a liberal lesbian from new york and a conservative, republican middle-aged woman from omaha may seem egregious to some... i can fathom it.

when one is able to engage these conversations, one does not define himself or herself in a monolithic manner. one can be this and that.... lesbian & conservative; liberal & opposed to same sex marriages; republican on some policies & democratic on others...

while i'm definitely this and that, urban & preppie... my language is colloquial and proper... i stand firmly on some issues... and others, i'm situational... there are caveats that would change my view... am i ambiguous? perhaps... i prefer to think that i'm aware that there are VERY few absolutes... i like to question things... i've got a curious nature... and that nature leads me to engage in conversations with those that aren't necessarily like me...

hopefully, there are others that too like to engage in such conversations... a certain engin-nerd that i'm partial to does, but only for deeper exploration or a topic, not mere banter.

i say, let the banter and conversations continue... for i'll gladly participate!

What Direction? A Noble Life... (AVA's virgin blog)

2005-01-11T01:00:00.000-05:00

What Direction? A Noble Life...

In response to the bloggin' of a close comrade I am compelled to write about the best profession or experience one could have.

It is possible to go off to college and upon your (alleged) first time away from home be forced to share a room with an individual that would either be a source of social well-being or completely suck the enormity of dorm life out of the residence hall experience.
Then find yourself, if not at a historically black college or university, thrust into classrooms filled with students who absolutely believe that HBCU's should not exist because white universities do not exist. (for those not of African descent, replace HBCU's with any latina or asian frat or sorority)

If one is able to overcome such subtle 'isms' in their first, second and third years of college then by the fourth they are scrambling to find a job or reason to give their parents to allow them to move back home albeit with student loans looming over their heads and an affinity for eating three to five meals per day.
The truth is, that the college experience does not prepare students to truly figure out what it is they want to do-but it does provide a few good incentives, tools if you will, for getting to that "Aha!" moment in adulthood. Reading and writing a thesis never hurt anyone.

A few scantily worked months after my own graduation came another personal graduation. This one a complete surprise-the morning of September 11, 2001-to be exact, minutes before the event I was laid out on the living room floor watching Cosby re-runs in an effort to prepare myself for the afternoon run to my part-time job as a hostess(so much for that degree)
In an instant I became dispensable, human, able to be hurt and all the other words short of Webster's ability to convey that of a sugar cube in a rainstorm.
It was at this point that so many of us realized that life was precious and too short and only to be lived once and so on and so forth.

The truth is that for those of us who had no clue what we would end up doing we jumped on the bandwagon...in fact we jumped on any bandwagon and have been riding along every since.
We've been riding along with the comforts of steady paychecks able to provide monetary stashes that support "lifestyles." These lifestyles have seen the rise from single checking accounts to savings and mutual funds, from Nine West to Siegerson Morrison (ladies:)
We've worked in positions of power that can be duly credited to our prestigious degrees and the wonderful oak frames that house them. We maintain bouts of ardor and jealousy from the generation directly above us who harbor hatred at the ability to casually date from a pool both twice as old and half as young as we are, think about marriage, marry and 55 hours later-divorce and then marry again.

We, my friends have not been affected by a damn thing!In fact, the very thought of this affectedness is scary to anyone who may have to venture out too late in the night to find that trendy nightclub we've been hearing about. The thought of having seen or been on the other side of the track is not having rode the IRT line at the precise time that high-schoolers infuse the iron horses we actually pay for.

I recently read, re-read and recommended Blindness, by Jose Saramago, to several of my fellow-straphangin' friends. I do believe only one has read it...folks please believe me when I say I have more than one friend.

Handed to me by my sister, Blindness rarely left my hands. I read it in a week and suggested that my former roommate do the same. Albeit she is a former mate/friend so the intensity of subject matter obviously did not make its mark as intended.

However, Blindness is a book. It is a book that makes you proud to be a reader and able to appreciate phrasing, punctuation and descriptive analysis.
As I read I was proud of my ability to ingest cadence and tone-oooh, such a bibliopile at heart!!
Really folks, the novel can and it does compel one to figure it all out in case you have not already.

STOP-what I am about to disclose is bits and pieces of this poignant work-you can: A-go and read the book and return to this blog or B: read on, read on and then disagree with me later!

Saramago explicitly details the perils of human compassion by presenting several characters who suddenly find themselves blind in a town where eventually, everyone goes blind. Picture complete chaos, anger, fear, doubt, selfishness, boorishness, compassion, and the loss of sight. You soon find that the question turns from"What would I do??" and becomes "What character would I not want to be?"

Knowing now what I know about people, the book in great detail outlines all personalities that we have or will come in contact with eventually, I have figured out what to do with my life.
Simply put- I'll have to live it. To live it simply with out fuss or fragmentation. Mediocrity, excellence and failure- all symptoms of life and life lived. What I won't do is expect less of myself, yet as I get older it gets harder not to expect less of anyone else. That is unless they've read Blindness.

No matter what I do, someone can see me, hear me or feel me as I go about my daily duties. It is because these duties are conducted in a civil manner that denotes appropriateness and consideration and requests nothing less from those I interact with.

Forget the profession and relish the idea that only what you are and what you prove to be in times of great blindess or despair (tsunami) is truly the noblest job you will ever have to do.

koowelle quotes

2005-01-10T20:54:00.000-05:00

No one means all he says, and yet very few say all they mean, for words are slippery and thought is viscous. -- Henry AdamsThe only reason some people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory. -- Paul FixHumor is the only test of gravity, and gravity of humor; for a subject which will not bear raillery is suspicious, and a jest which will not bear serious examination is false wit. -- AristotleI love quotations because it is a joy to find thoughts one might have, beautifully expressed with much authority by someone recognized wiser than oneself. -- Marlene Dietrich

one of the most noble profession

2005-01-10T00:05:00.000-05:00

my father always tells me to live life with no regrets... well, i'm not one to typically air regrets, and i don't plan on beginning now. i do, from time to time, think about where i'm at, where i'm going, and how the h*ll did i get here? i often look at my quote from mister emerson and wonder about the effect my life will have. what effect has it had thus far? i definitely have not brought a healthy child in this world... i have spent a plethora of hours with healthy children in this world...possibly not enough, for i never feel it is enough... but i've always had a penchant for interacting with the generation nipping at my heels...

my first opportunity to actually interact with generation nippers in an influential role came in high school, where i was a teacher's aide at a local middle school. i spent time at the school each week, and was even selected to be a camp counselor for a week during the school year on their retreat. i'm not sure what effect, if any i had on the kids, but i've run into a few of them on occasion & they still remember me... hopefully, for something positive..

in college, my bruhs, and i coordinated an after school program for middle school aged boys that were not necessarily from the most 'priviliged' backgrounds... again, what we did was not nearly enough... but hopefully, they remember something other than the fun that we had ...

most recently, i had the immense pleasure & opportunity to actually interact with students as a teacher in a head start school in inner city detroit. head start schools contain k-8, but in smaller quantities than a typical elementary or middle school. i'm sure i had an effect on the students there; however, i'm not sure whether that effect vanquished shortly after my departure...

where does this lead me? this leads me to one of the most noble professions... education. i knew not where this blog would lead when i began typing... actually, i had another destination in mind, but it is funny how things come to being... i wonder how many other literary works/ writings began with another thought...

while i'm not entirely sure what direction my life and career will take... i do hope to one day be in a position where i can return to the classroom and share the knowledge i have gained throughout my life/career with a generation of young nerds. should i not be in a position to share something about a particular field, i'll relish the opportunity to return to the classroom to teach the fundamentals...

a plethora of my bruhs have embarked on careers in one of the most noble professions... there's something to be said for that... hopefully, a tradition i participated in during my collegiate years will not inhibit me from joining them at some undisclosed time in the future...

for now, this entry is repsectfully dedicated to those within one of the most noble professions who influence each and everyone of us nerds... [RI at USC, JLL, PCH, AMM (whenever you follow your heart), MAM, MKD, WEN, BLGW]

university recognized internationally

2005-01-08T13:45:00.000-05:00

this by far will probably be one of the shortest entries, but i couldn't allow another moment to pass without acknowledging a recent posting by a fellow nerd in norway, who stumbled upon this nerd symposium.

instead of filling this space with my words... i'll leave you with this

international discovery

enjoy
nn

the model nerd/intellectual

2005-01-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

of course, the sheer pleasure of knowledge, of engaging great ideas and wrestling with great thinkers, is not in dispute -- Socrates's dialogues, Shakespeare's sonnets, Beethoven's concertos... all have great intrinsic worth... there is something ennobling about reading lovely sentences that hang together because of poetry and penetrating thought... -- michael eric dyson

i am currently indulging my literary fetish with the michael eric dyson reader. the multitude of poetic phrases, such as the aforementioned, caused me to be remiss for neglecting my blog for what has seemed like an eternity. while the prose that reaches this page through my dell is not nearly as eloquent; perhaps i'll string together a phrase or two that i can be proud of ...

let it be known, that my goal is not to sit here and ponder how best to stitch together a few words for effect... but rather to share a few thoughts...

i actually met a person who i would deem to be an über nerd. her nerdy transgressions surely exceed anything i could fathom. we engaged in quite an interesting & stimulating conversation. there were a plethora of things that we both enjoyed. for instance, we both are fascinated with words. she actually has a list of her favorite words & had another friend who shares her passion. she said whenever she learns a new word, she calls her friend to share it. when they get together, they have conversations that she swears no one but a doctorate in english could understand... i actually related because i subscribe to word of the day. i get new words each day in my inbox. while i wasn't an english major, i definitely appreciate the english language... being able to call one loquacious or garrulous, as opposed to a big-mouth; is mildly fulfilling.

i must go back to an instance where i studied GRE words with a friend in a road trip, AFTER he had taken the test... just for the sake of improving our vocabulary.

while i would hardly consider myself an intellectual, scholar, or even academic... there is something exhilarating about making a career out of thinking. there is something to be said for someone who does what everyone else does on a daily basis, but is able to convey their ideas in a clear and concise manner. dyson talks about being able to convey a concept to folks in the highest realms of academia & also to everyday people with no more than middle school education. thus far, there have been quotes from literary giants, philosophers, and rappers...

if you have the opportunity, you should definitely put yourself in a position to hear dyson speak. i've heard him speak on more than one occasion. it just so happens that he's also from the D. i first heard dyson in my church when i was fairly young... i was so impressed that i actually stayed awake. the linguistic skillz combined with the ability to seamlessly intertwine urban and mainstream, apostolic and secular, intellectual and common folk... make for one's listening pleasure...

while this blog has seemed to go nowhere in particular... i think i just wanted to reflect on the fact that dyson is a model nerd/ intellectual. not that the nerd is a bad thing... he mentioned the intertwining of eroticism and epistemology; having crushes on most of his female english teachers. while i'll admit to no such fetish, i'll let it be known that sexiness is in the mind, and well as the seven jeans... it would be a wrap for this nerd...

let me not digress too far along the previous tangent... dyson has created a niche where he is recognized as a public intellectual... one who's job is to think and put forth ideas and notions about all aspects of society. he has an insatiable thirst for knowledge... and because of that, (on some level) i feel i can relate... i may not ascend to such levels professionally... or i may be diverted to some other interest... however, i definitely appreciate dyson, for being more than a model nerd/ intellectual...

i'm curious to see which of my nerdy friends will ascend to the level of public nerd... whoops! i meant intellectual...

in the mean time, check out the reader

nn

what TIME is it?

2004-12-20T22:45:00.000-05:00

i'm greatly embarrassed and deeply humiliated that i cannot with any degree of accuracy state the correct time without the fear of being too far wrong... however, according to the rise and fall of the earth's gravitational pull... i estimate the time as being 5 ticks, 6 tocks... and *&@#@ it... i dunno

i thought i'd be able to estimate the TIME by using specific scientic measures, but due to unforeseen circumstances beyond my control... unfathomable circstances have changed the TIMEs. well, it is around the period in time when a certain, once reputable publication chooses the person of the year. hopefully, you know what publication i'm referring to at this point...

as i was catching up on the recent events of the day at work, i was doing my typical google news overviews... then something caught my eye. TIME had chosen a very... "polarizing" figure as their man of the year. i believe the headline for the article was something like "blue states crying red"... i was like, this has to be some type of joke against humanity...

i was under the impression that the person of the year would be a figure that had done good for humanity. a person of alturistic nature, or a person that had made a technological breakthrough that had helped humanity... perhaps i need to read the criteria...

upon exiting my initial stupor, i realized that i'm a rational being and i'm able to reason... so, i pressed on. it seems that the person of the year has the most impact on the world... AND NOT NECESSARILY FOR THE GOOD... with that caveat, it makes much more sense. supposedly, he was chosen for shaping reality to fit his perception... they MUST be referring to middle america, an area not necessarily known for serious thinkers... no offense, but the great majority of the people i associate and interact with are able to form our own opinions and realize that the reality and perception of the shrub are both warped!!

let me not digress... the shrub has definitely had a profound affect on the world today, and i definitely wouldn't think his legacy would be one akin to that of any of our great leaders. i think his big government, poor decision making, and unilateralist approach to foreign affairs will often be written about for the glaring mistakes. he is definitely a polarizing figure, albeit a personable one. as i've said before, i'd take the shrub on a range or in a bar for a beer... but not to be the top civilian.

the government has been a regular soap opera for the past 4 years... i don't think there will be any sweeping reforms in the next 4 years... hopefully, he doesn't allow his narrow "vision" to impede on the civil liberties & rights that we have enjoyed for centuries... he can feel that something is wrong or right, but he ought not take away choices...

perhaps, this TIME, or second go 'round... he'll realize that he ought to leave a positive legacy. hopefully, he'll try to correct for past mistakes & improve upon yet unforeseen successes.

alas, this may all be a bad dream. tomorrow, i'll awake and the earth's gravitational pull will be realigned with it's place within the universe... and it'll be 5 ticks, 6 tocks, and 5 past the hour... at least the kid'll know what TIME it is...

or maybe i'll just buy a watch... one with a blue face!

nn

new arts appreciation

2004-12-18T16:35:00.000-05:00

this past thurday evening, i had the fortunate occurence of attending a performance by the alvin ailey dance theatre. one of my dear friends had an extra ticket and thought to invite lil' ol' me. it is funny how things turn out... another friend had cancelled on my to free my evening up, and i had tentatively cancelled on my roommate in lieu of the previous offer...

regardless, i jumped at the opportunity to attend the performance. the program we saw was entitled AILEY CLASSICS, which is "a full program of works by Alvin Ailey, revealing the dicersity of style and subject matter that has made Mr. Ailey a mahor contributor to the world of dance; the ballets span the length of Mr. Ailey's long and prolific career."

the first segment of the program... i was inundated with colors and movement. it seemed to be ballet of a more traditional sense. i was like... "ok, this is cool." but i wasn't yet a fan or super enthralled... still was like, guess there's a reason i never went with moms and sister before. i don't really get the technical aspects... yadda yadda yadda...

the next segment, i actually started to become a fan. you actually felt like the dancers interacted with the audience. it was a litte more uptempo. it was entitled NIGHT CREATURE, and it was a celebrarion of The Duke. first of all, the genre of music is one of my favorites... that combined with a visually stimulating composition... sounds like a win win for me!

"night creatures, unlike stars, do not come OUT at night -- they come ON, each thinking that before the night is out he or she will be the star." -- The Duke (Ellington, that is)

the next segment, that made me a fan is FOR "BIRD" --WITHLOVE from all of us forever touched by his magic. once again, the genre of music was one of my favorites. the costumes were hot too! actually reminiscent of another time.. in a speakeasy or something. HIDDEN RITES was another one that i enjoyed... it was a man and woman, but their interaction was more along the lines of a story than just dancing... you kinda get a feel for what ailey was trying to convey.

REVELATIONS was the last segment of the evening; and it is my understanding that it is one of ailey's most famous works... it began with a soul stirring dance to i been 'buked an ol' spiritual that i'm very familiar with. as you watch the dance, you slightly take a trip into history. not to sound like a cliche...

all in all, there is definitely a new appreciation for modern/african dance. i believe that there are distinctive differences between traditional ballet, and what i witnessed. for that i am truly grateful. i went in for the cultural aspect of the evening, and i came out a little more cultured and knowledgeable... i spoke with my sister about it as well... she spent many years in traditional ballet... my myth that ballerinas had no rhythm was DEFINITELY thrown out the window... as a matter of fact, i have a new appreciation for dance, and the female dancers...

a new lifelong fan...

nn

'tis the season

2004-12-13T22:26:00.000-05:00

here ye here ye!!!

the holiday season is upon us once again...

and while this is one of my favorite seasons of the year, it is also one of the more annoying times of the year for those whose daily transgressions carry us into the city. even though, i've been to a few other truly global cities & the dollar of the city is about as strong abroad as the shrub's vocabulary... the city is none other than NY, NY which includes 5 boroughs... however, the one i'm referring to in my blog today is manhattan...

while i'm fortunate enough to work in a less congested part of the city, the upper east side... i still must traverse the city in for daily tasks, such as going home. now, i'm not sure if the holidays bring everyone out from every dwelling crevice feasible... or if this is the time for visiting the greatest city in the world, with one of the worst currencies...

moving on to things more alluring than our currency's exchange rate...

the other night, during my venture to pick up friends to attend a holiday party in brooklyn i had to make a trip across 50th... from west of 8th avenue traveling east past 3rd avenue... it took almost an hour!!! the throngs of tourists and other folks that have taken residency in the city and made travel unbearable... i have more pleasureable trips to the dentist for oral surgery.

not that we don't enjoy the revenue stream... but the congestion is almost a deterrent to going out, at least in areas where lots of tourist frequent...

well, i must depart to try and locate a less congested part of the city...

back to reality

2004-11-28T22:50:00.000-05:00

alas, i am returning to my recently neglected blog to post a few thoughts on nothing in particular... i decided to create a totally different blog about my travels... there are a few listings on this blog, but they'll be copied, along with pictures, stories, etc... once that is underway, i'll post the link here... if anyone is interested...

while being back here has not necessarily been the most enthralling thing, i'm slowly adjusting back to my life here in (well, okay... just outside) one of the greatest cities in the world. a stronger currency would do better in its bid for being the greatest... but that's a rant for another blog or another day.

thanksgiving was a great time to return though. i don't think i've eaten so well for so many consecutive days since last year... while that may be a slight exaggeration, it isn't too much of one. since i was led to believe that i would be jet-lagged after my travels, i was not enthralled by the prospect of hopping right back on a plane for detroit. that wasn't nearly as much as a deterrent as the prices the airlines were trying to charge...

while i was the model of lethargy over the past couple of days, i did venture out to see the newly re-designed MOMA. it opened last weekend while i was away. while i was inundated in cultural stuff abroad... i may as well get it at home too. needless to say, a couple of folks decided to meet up and head to the museum... the mission was a bust!! no one accounted for the thousands of folks (slight exaggeration, perhaps) of folks/tourists/etc. that would be in line by late afternoon to see the museum. at that moment, it became clear that this museum that receive much hype for its new design, would have to be visited one day after work.

after deliberation... and a trip to starbucks... the white chocolate mocha was tasty!!... it was decided that we'd venture to the cooper-hewitt national design museum, which according to one person was near the natural history museum (which is at central park west & like 82nd)... needless to say, this individual was TOTALLY off... lol. after a call to 411, we were headed to 2 east 91st street... much to our surprise, the museum resides in the old carnegie mansion!

there were two major exhibits in the museum. the first was looking at the fine line between design and art, particularly with the functionality of objects. there was a great quote by henry david thoreau, it isn't what you look at, but what you see that did a wonderful job of summing up the pieces in the exhibit. many of the artists/designers who had pieces in this exhibit. some aimed to produce art, others aimed to design, while others still sought to blur the lines. it posed an interesting question... particularly with functionality. most of the pieces did not seem to have been created/designed with the end-user in mind... for instance, there were a plethora of chairs and stools and couches that did NOT seem to be the most comfortable. what they lacked in comfort, they made up for in aestetics (generally). does form follow function, or does function follow form? this seems to be something grappled with by each of the indivuals whose work was displayed. hmmm, that is a discussion for the ages. i am of the opinion that pieces were designed with both an aesthetic quality and functional quality in mind... neither of which prevailed.

the other major exhibit was josef and anni albers... a couple that often elope between the worlds of art and design... they were a couple that produced works during the early twentieth century. they never collaborated on projects, which is odd to me because they lived together and were married. their work was fairly interesting... some pieces spoke more than others...

perhaps i had reached my limit for museum intake within a specific period of time... but should i feel bad for being more enamored with the mansion than with the art on display?

the size of the rooms and the light that was able to enter... WOW!

well, guess it is back to the grind... manana, i must try to recall what it is like to get up early and venture in to the office... perhaps i can keep the ideals of london & work to live...

cheers, mate!

worldly nerd (part III) - chill night & MORE RAIN

2004-11-18T19:15:00.000-05:00

let's see... where was i?

ahhh, yes... the meeting. well, the program that my friend is in, the one that allows her the opportunity to work in london for a year, meets every so often to go over cultural stuff (from what i ascertain). we get there and they are doing presentations on things within the english culture. the first group that we see are doing a presentation on rugby & how it differs from football in america. this presentation was actually pretty good... the next one was about whether or not england should join the european union, monetarily... they still have the pound-sterling and have not switched over to the euro. the last one was about some of the great english literary figures... they did a puppet show with shakespeare, chaucer, and dickens... it was ok...

needless to say, i was definitely ready to go when it was over. it was koowelle though, reminded me of DAPCEP from back in the day... except the focus was on the foreign culture.

after "class"... we caught up with some other folks and went to a local bar/pub and split a bottle of wine. it was pretty good... pinot grigio (i think).... from there we went to a club... i guess you'd call it that. they had live acts perform. guess you'd say it was like an open mic night... it too was okay. it was koowelle being out...

sorry, it twas not that exciting, but i still had a good time. it was kinda chill and laid back.

today, i got up and went to a cafe on baker street... a kinda cool area of town for breakfast. i had bacon and eggs with toast. the bacon was more like ham & the eggs were supposed to be scrambled, but they were of a consistency unlike anything i've had before. i think it was rye toast. i was famished... so i devoured my food. then i walked around to explore the neighborhood because i had a little time to burn. i discovered the sherlock holmes museum/ store. i saw a bunch of street that definitely reminded me of what i imagined london to be as well... oh yeah, did i mention that i was inundated with a constant mist/rain? how did i get to baker street, you may ask... no, i did not take the tube, although i could've. i took the double-decker bus!! it was kinda cool...

after that i made my way to the tower of london... more on that later...

worldly nerd (part II) -- BLOODY RAININ'

2004-11-18T05:59:00.000-05:00

i must admit that i find it quite confounding that i had less difficulty going through customs to come into another country, than going through security to go to palm coast florida. after my last airport incident, i thought i was gonna have to strip down to my skivvies and do jumpin jacks or something... however, this was hardly the case. is it that the folks at jfk don't take things as seriously? i highly doubt that... i just think they understand that they shouldn't abuse their positions. the experience i had at jfk for my departing flight to london was quite favorable. i didn't have to wait in the ridiculously long line because i had an hour and fifteen minutes until my flight... so my mans looked out and sent me to a shorter line. i was through the security checkpoint within half an hour of my arrival. no taking off shoes, not overly sensitive tfa employees... yay!!

fast forward... i'd luv to tell you more about my actual flight, but seeing as i slept the majority of the time, i think you'd be better served finding someone else who was on flight 132 to london heathrow. i do remember waking up briefly for some grub. i didn't get back up for breakfast. i slept until we had about 30 minutes or so to land. my mum says she hoped i didn't snore...

after arriving in heathrow... it was a snap! the plane didn't actually arrive at a gate. it landed somewhere on ground and we were shuttled over to the station. then, i had to make my way to customs & be interrogated about where i was going and how long i planned to be there... yadda yadda yadda... then i trek through to baggage claim, where my bag is already sitting out. then i strap on my backpack that could be considered the size of rhode island, and trek to the underground/tube. i swear it felt like i was in the ny marathon... just kept walkin' and walkin' and walkin'...

made it to the station and purchased a ticket. the tube actually reminds me of a cross between the metro in dc and train in nyc. it wasn't difficult at all... one of the things that i found most interesting is that it seems to have been created for smaller people; by small i mean, gravitationally challenged (those with a center of gravity that skews from the center of their body, where it ought to be) and vertically challenged. needless to say, i took the piccadilly line to the jubilee line; no problem. oh yeah, one more cool thing... "mind your step" when exiting the tube!!

problem number one... the streets are not clearly labeled and the labels are not high on the street poles for one to notice. they are actually at eye level. it took me about five minutes to orient myself and walk in the right direction... even though they were given to me! regardless, i made it to the flat and took a nap... i wasn't too jet-lagged (fatz told me that i could ward it off by sleeping during the flight... cheers, mate!)

i then decide to go out and about and exploring. i find little cafes the first time i'm out. and this cute little strip of shops and stuff... reminded me a little of los angeles & a little of new york & a little of georgetown. i grabbed a sprite... which tastes a little different than ours, some pringles (which also taste different), and a muffin (which had a slightly different consistency)... they were great. it is only about two o'clock now, so i decide to nap, then i shower and go "exploring"...BAD IDEA!!!

i am supposed to be back at the flat around five-thirty to go with my friend to a meeting with the exchange program she's in. i assured her that i'd be back; and i had every intention of doing so. i figured, how lost could i get walking? i walked down wellington past lord cricket field and kept walkin'... some areas were deader than others, i walked for about twenty minutes, got down around the london business school and decided to turn around. however, i didn't want to take the exact same path back, that would defeat the purpose of exploring. so a little turn here and a little turn there and i am completely disoriented. i'm walking the totally opposite direct that i ought to be. i wind up very near camden. now, don't think that i was too cool to ask for directions. i actually asked more than once, but to no avail... folks couldn't get me back to where i need to go. the buzz words are lord cricket grounds/field... eventually, a gentleman was able to give me directions... he told me it was like a twenty minute walk in the opposite direction. i had circled the park, regent's park, crossed a bridge (where a chap decided to "water a tree") and made my way through the area where the estates are!! most noble, i'll return to get some pics!!... half an hour later... i made it to the tube station where there was a partially drunken bottle of wine awaiting me in my friend's hands... and i caused her to be later to her meeting...

after the meeting, night on the town...

to be continued in the next worldly nerd installation...

cheers!!

Nerds Do Hip Hop Too!

2004-11-15T05:13:00.000-05:00

When the whereabouts of a defendant are unknown, or personal service within the state is impossible, a court may allow the defendant to be served with notice of the lawsuit by publishing the notice in a newspaper of general circulation.

Too many of my friends were too wrapped up in the pursuit of the almighty dollar to stay up-to-date with hip hop news, reviews & style. What started out as a simple email in the summer of 2004 to a handful of law students studying for the bar has become a full-fledge online magazine, complete with (intellectual) features, chat-- and coming soon, a blog for unofficial contributors!

Check out SPB Today! Feedback welcome.
Four [11], Editor-In-Chief/Founder

the world of ideas and words

2004-11-09T22:25:00.000-05:00

i live and operate in an infinite "world of ideas and words." the notion of being in such an environment was brought to the forefront of my psyche yesterday at the 229th marine corp birthday celebration at the council. the president asked that we not forget those on the front lines, as we live and operate "in a world of ideas and words."

as i sipped on rum punch, i had a conversation with a co-worker of mine. she expressed sentiments of feeling bad because she had no inclination to delve into the world of "action"... more specifically, the branches of service that protect this great (albeit DUMB) nation. i ardently agreed with her. perhaps i take some of the liberties that are bestowed upon me from living in this nation for granted. i'll concede that. i know what is at stake for those that do not operate within the "world of ideas and words". we (and i use that term extremely loosely), are the ones that theoretically plan out what goes on in the world of "action". i guess i would liken it to the human body... the "world of ideas and words" is quite naturally, the brain; hence, the body would be the world of "action". while the two cannot exist without the other... the body needs the brain, moreso than the brain needs the body. while the brain makes the decisions for the body; it doesn't directly feel the ramifications of the directions it gives...
let's look at our government. i think most would agree that they belong more to the "world of ideas and words", yes? let's look at a poor decision...ummm, how about iraq? poor decision? definitely. now, in the "world of ideas and words" not everyone thinks out and carefully plans their words and ideas (see incumbent). in theory, say that the war was mandatory (just for the sake of argument)... it still was not carefully planned...

sidebar: what's the difference between the vietnam war and the war in iraq?

george dubbya had a plan for getting out of vietnam...

if you don't get it... keep reading, perhaps it'll it you later. that was told to my by a co-worker. the long and short of that analogy is that things in theory don't always add up properly on paper. this nation was founded upon ideas... true. actions were taken up by those who believed in these ideas. true... therein lies the problem. the ideas are being pushed forward without any regard for those that have to carry them out or the ramifications that will be felt...

another thought that stems from the the concept is that the "world of ideas and words" is freakin' infinite!!! it reminds me of something my grandfather used to say, "jack of all trades, master of none". while both masters and jacks exist within the WOIAW, i definitely think i am more of a jack. for one, i haven't accumulated enough knowledge about any ONE particular thing to be a master. secondly, i think being a master would be boring (then again, i'm only stating this now... my mind has already changed). it isn't that ought to be labeled a flip-flopper; it's the fact that so much out there is exciting. it is akin to a child being in the willy wonka chocolate factory. i may go in and like chocolate, but that'll get old, then i'd move on to gummy drops, then something else... i like to diversify... i realized recently, how little i really knew about the world around me. i found it quite ironic that i was working for an esteemed international affairs/foreign policy publication... and i didn't even possess the most basic knowledge of what is/was going on. it is almost like discovering an oasis of knowledge... i'd heard it existed, but never partook. now, i'm slowly partaking... i've been exposed to some of the most influential world leaders in my 5 month stint... how's this for a line up (if you don't know who they are, look them up)...

Emir of Qatar, Foreign Minister of Qatar
Managing Director, IMF
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arab Republic of Egypt
President, Republic of Georgia
President and Chief Executive, Pakistan
President, Republic of Cyprus
Prime Minister, India
President, Federal Republic of Nigeria
U.S. Ambassador to Iraq
Secretary of Defense, U.S. Department of Defense

these are some of the influential folks that i've been exposed to at council. a lot of these individual also operate within the WOIAW... although their ideas and words shape the world. aside from attending "meetings" where they share their ideas and words... i've actually developed an interest in foreign policy, national security, and a plethora of other topics that were practically irrelevant to me a year ago.
aside from the more worldly state of mine that i've adopted due to my job. i've also increased my responsibilities and i'm finding web development and programming interesting. how does this apply to what i do? well, i'm in charge of all marketing through the internet... hence, the programming. i'll be takin' an HTML class down at nyu after the new year...

i guess it all goes back to the fact that, as a nerd, i fully embrace knowledge and learning. i have no inclination to be static in my learning. i also have no inclination to be a master of anything... i think a jack of all trades isn't so bad... i think there too many individuals that are self-proclaimed masters anyway... besides, those individuals that change the world exist, more often than not, in the WOIAW...next step, is makin' it happen... merging ideas and action... such a groovy concept... i think i'll ponder how to do that next...

elections, travel, saying too much & the next scrabble!!!

2004-11-07T23:05:00.000-05:00

i have no idea where to start with this entry. i have been removed from the blog for what seems like an eternity. there have been a plethora of things that have occurred that have been worth bloggin'... a cornucopia of topics have crossed betwix my ears in hopes of makin' it to this blog... let's see what i can recall... i hope this blog doesn't seem to drone on... a friend of mine, in france, wrote a novel for an email & had a recap at the end... i think i'll follow the spirit of that email & include the recap at the end...

first and foremost, THE ELECTION. i'm sure everyone has opinions about what should have happened, and there are a million scenarios for how the outcome could've, would've, should've been different. let me state for the record, that i supported the challenger. not that the challenger was by any means, the most idealistic candidate... but in this case, he was DEFINITELY the lesser of two evils. i was watching a lot of the exit polls, and it seems that i am out of touch with the majority of middle america. i'll just keep this brief rant to the fact that i find myself so far from what middle america says...
middle america seems to be of the opinion that morals and spirituality play a major role in how they select the president. other things that are important to middle america are gay marriage and "likability"... which candidate would you rather sit at a bar and have a beer with. now, while i'm not opposed to either of these barometers for how one votes, when one votes for a president... these seem so trivial to me.
while these all MAY BE valid issues that ought to be "unpacked", don't other issues warrant a little more weight when electing a president? what about the budget deficit? what about the decision to go to war in iraq? what about health care? fiscal responsibility? social security? i'm no genius in any of these particular areas, but i know that things were handled in a way that i wouldn't deem suitable. say, that i conceded the fact that there were valid reasons to go to war in iraq... i think the current administration went about it in a totally abysmal manner. for one, just let the american people know the REAL reason for entering into such a conflict. by trying to use WMD as a red herring, you undermine the intelligence of the american public. while we may not agree with your reason(s), we would respect you much more for it (along with that, be honest with your assessment of how things are going). let's also talk about the fiscal irresponsibility of the current administration... yes. i understand that financing a war is no cheap endeavor... but tax cuts? c'mon now!! that doesn't add up. while the tax cuts may "affect" hundreds of millions of people, only the top one percent are ACTUALLY affected because they are saving tens of thousands in taxes (verse the measly couple hundred that affects the average american).
all in all, i feel less compelled to include myself in the universe of "average americans"... i think that i enjoy being rational too much to belong to these masses. i recently got back from florida, a state that decided to keep the incumbent. as i looked around, i realized that i was truly different than these individuals. personally, i don't care about the morality of the president... he can be the most immoral individual to step foot on this planet... as long as he keeps my country safe, keeps the economy booming, and does NOT infringe upon civil liberties...
speaking of which... i must state that i'm tired of taking off my damn shoes to walk through security screening points at the airport!! this past week, during my travels... i decided NOT to take off my shoes when i walked through the checkpoint. i told them that i'd prefer to keep my shoes on, and if the machine indicated that i had metal, then i'd go through the obligatory search... needless to say, i didn't alert the machine... but they told me it was mandatory to still go through the extensive search process... they took my adidas and ran them through the machine... goodness knows that there could've been something in there that they missed. then i got the wand treatment... oh no!! the button on my pants hinted that there was metal there!!! i guess the machine wasn't honest enough, because then i was patted down. the tfa people must've felt a since of power. as my sister informed me... they are the laughing stock of the federal branch. they have self-inflated worth, and only watch a training tape in detroit before being released to "serve" our country... while effort would be appreciated, please stop annoying me on my travels!! and stop going through my frickin' bags!!!!

back to florida... the folks there are just much different than me; particularly at the location i was visiting. there was one individual that liked to interject, but didn't have anything note-worthy to bring to the conversation. often times, it was something obvious, or something that we had previously said. let's talk about the mundane tasks that were performed. while they are essential to the business (publishing) that i'm in... there are folks that key in numbers ALL DAY LONG... in a large-@ss building with NO NATURAL LIGHT!!! it was maddening just being in their place of employment. i mention to a co-worker that it would be the death of me performing such mundane tasks on a daily basis & being in an area with hospital lighting... OH WOW!! let me just say, that i wouldn't wish that work environment on my worst enemy (ok maybe i would, but i had to type the idiom for effect).

on another note... i also realized that this universe is extremely small, and like in a recent movie... "we are all existentially related to one another". i recently was talking with a friend about my roommate and it turns out that another unrelated person was mentioned. then because of the extensive web of relationships, things got back to an individual about the conversation i had... even though i had no intent to bring this individual into the fold, due to the nature of the conversation... said person was. i truly feel bad, for this was not my intention... i guess the universe of nerds is not infinite... the nerd that i offended is actually pretty cool. i'll say no more than that for fear of sayin' too much!

to recap, i briefly went over some of my feelings on the past election, the airport security, and talkin' too much.

oh yeah, a friend of mine recently signed up. she asked what to write about? i honestly had no idea what to tell her. the universe of topics is limitless. often times, i just sit down and something comes out. perhaps it is a situation that occurs that you just have to look at from a different perspective. who knows? my perspective may not always be right... granted. but it is what it is... i'm sure there are a plethora of folks that agree with me, while there are others that do not...

one last thing... common sense is NOT all that common... more on this later!!!

scrabble is definitely a game for nerds...
dare i say, cranium is the next srabble... there will be games in the apt this winter, get your thinkin' caps on!!!

meet the representatives

2004-11-05T17:05:00.000-05:00

"when you date someone, you are essentially dating their representative" -- the most noble

while i have not taken the time to actually punch the keys on my cpu or laptop in what feels like an eternity; i have had a multitude of blogs run through my head. in retrospect, if is actually a shame that i didn't take a few moments to put my words down... let's see if i can recall any of the things i had previous wanted to write about...

"common sense is not all that common" -- coolest person with dame yet. (sorry, kanye, he's got you beat hands down. just think about the actions of some individuals that are so unfathomable; that you'd not think it possible of a person with two ions of intelligence.

guess that kinda segways me into this whole notion of meeting the representatives... while in it's initial context, it was applied to dating... (i.e., a guy tries to act like he in genuinely interesting in what his date is saying... meanwhile the date is trying not to appear bored or bore her date, hence frivolous banter is engaged in by both parties.) i think it ought to be applied to people in general... just think about it, how many folks have you met and thought were one way... only to be totally fooled.

there was recently an incident where a person known for being NOT the most forthright ws befriended by some folks that are pretty stand up dudes. recently, the NON-forthright individual showed his @ss and acted in a manner deemed inappropriate by most who have heard of the account. guess the lesson learned is that the representative only acn be present for a certain number of time... some folks hold on to that representative longer than others... however, in this case bridges have been burned; and folks that had to, on more than one occasion, apologize for the presence of that individual will no longer have to. guess the disparity between representative and actual was too wide... oh well, i shall not be losing any sleep, for the representative wasn't even real in the first place.

now, let's not get it twisted... we all have representatives. for instance, the language one uses with one's peers is NOT the same that one uses with one's parents or grandparents. agreed? when folks go out, yes... we like to dress up from time to time to feel extra sexy. guys and girls tend to be a litle more tolerable of folks whose company they enjoy. someone may cook breakfast and dinner in the beginning when things are new... (should i have said dinner then breakfast?) there are little things that folks do in the courting process that are above and beyond

whether or not this is deemed one's representative is debatable. is this wrong? am i being hypocritical? the answer is a yes and no... i think getting down to the bare bones of it all; it depends on how great the disparity between one's representative and one's real self. do you portray yourself to be in/at a place that is totally unrealistic? what about your core values, are they the same in both representative and real self? if you answer no & yes, respectively; then i don't think you're being hypocritical, nor do i think you're wrong. portaying yourself "above your station" is wrong...

let's apply it to the presidential candidates, since the election is tomorrow. both bush and kerry have strengths and weaknesses; due to the extreme power of media and the partisanship of most major networks... we are unable to make the most fully-informed decisions because the images portrayed are that of the representatives... and from what i've gathered... there seems to be a fairly large disparity between the incumbent's representative and his real self.

would the real natty nerd, please stand up?! please stand up! please stand up!

mark twain

2004-11-01T14:42:00.000-05:00

greetings!

(i hope no one minds that i use this space as a place to think out loud.)

as some of you may or may not know, i teach a methods course to preservice secondary english teachers. with that, i supervise them as they go out into the schools and begin student teaching. friday, i had a student come to me with a serious concern. he was going to be teaching the novel huckleberry finn by mark twain. he was perplexed about how to address the issue of the abundant use of the "n-word." recognizing that twain purposefully utilized the dialect of the deep south, my student wanted to address it in his classroom full of "anglo-american, hunting juniors." he and i had a thoughtful discussion about it. we touched upon the use of the "n-word" in popular, hip-hop music today, how some feel that it isn't bad if it is spelled with the "a" and not the "er," how it is constantly said on regular cable tv (e.g., chapelle's show). honestly, i wanted to blanket it and say, "don't use it! ignore it...just skip over it." we talked about it, and i didn't give him a straight forward answer.

basically, what i'm thinking out loud is 1) is a clear cut answer or 2) if i should have given him one? my student understands our "environment" in which one cannot go a day without seeing the confederate flag waving or branded on a license plate or other stereotypical images of white supremists and the kkk. i don't know how he is going to address it in class. (i'm supposed to observe him tomorrow.)

i would hate for the entire novel to be overshadowed by the "n-word" because the it tells a great story, yet i recognize that it is something that cannot be ignored...

not even eminem is "that down."

learning from life

2004-10-26T16:37:00.000-04:00

today i am sitting in office avoiding work and trying to sort the myriad of things swirling around in my head. i have been thinking a lot about relationships lately and people with whom i come into contact either professionally or personally. as i go through life, i have discovered and been told that relationships evolve or erode. additionally, my father has always told me to not associate with toxic people, so i try to adhere to his sage advice and govern myself accordingly. i guess, in order to keep with the theme of this blog, we nerds should do the same--stay away from toxic people. oftentimes, "true" learning doesn't come from the textbook or from the novel, but from the wisdom passed down from our families and mentors or from just experiencing life. i suppose that is my lesson of the day...keep living and learning from life.

nerds make better lovers

2004-10-25T22:09:00.000-04:00

"Why are nerds so desirable, romantically speaking?" I ask.
They all look at me, wounded. "Smart people make better lovers," says Melissa.
"And we tend to be better hung," says a lanky bespectacled guy...

hmmm, could this be true? could the majority of the women on this planet be looking for the wrong thing? could this be the underlying reason why a myriad of women have had disappointing tryst within their boudoirs?

the countless questions to which the common answer involves the nerd. who would have thunk if? well, it does make sense. might i assert that there are primarily two reason for this PHENOMENON? the first is that a nerd is truly a student of the love makin' school. the second is that they catch that mental edge.

let's look at it realistically. a nerd enjoys studying and taking the extra effort to and be a student in most of his/her endeavors. they are the first to class and the last to leave. they take it upon themselves to ask questions and try to educate themselves on the how's?, why?, what fors?, etc. hence, it should be no surprise that they attach the same ethic to their bedroom education. it is no coincidence that they find the spot, for they KNOW where it is. just like in school, some folks guess and get lucky occasionally, nerds KNOW... and results aren't by luck!! one of the few things that we enjoy reading more than historical texts, non-fiction, and political commentary is the body language of our lucky recipients... have you ever heard a body shout in ecstasy? must not be a nerd then...

the second premise is that there is a mental edge that is associated with being a nerd. this weekend, after reading this article, i was chillin' with a couple of folks who were in grad school. the discussion shifted to what folks look for when searching for "tail". one woman, a doctorate student, explicitly stated that there was a MENTAL component involved in her evaluation. she stated that he would have to be able to mentally stimulate her. who better to mentally stimulate than a nerd? more than one of my female friends has stated that mental stimulation is as important as physical, if not moreso. guess being able to formulate a complex sentence with multiple mono-syllabic words pays off!! note to the non-nerds, pick up a dictionary and brush up... may help you get a little bit further...

guess, an acquaintance of mine has a fetish that more women ought to share... she adores a guy in glasses and boxers; perhaps she has been hoarding all the nerd luvin' for herself...

well, it looks like folks are slowly starting to find out what my buddy has known for a while... guess there is a latent reason why the preppie, nerdy style is coming back...

INTELLECTUAL SNOBBERY

2004-10-22T16:17:00.000-04:00

am i the only one that doesn't like to be in the presence of complete idiots?

in society, there are a multitude of categories that you can place people in to segment the population. men/ women; black/white/red/yellow/polka dot; american/other; upper east sider/ upper west sider; etc. i think you get the point. the one that i feel like examining right now is what i'll call pinky verse "the brain". hopefully, you know the cartoon which i am referencing...

i had an instance today where i realized that i'm among (thankfully) the group that would call themselves "the brain". i'm part of the intellectually stimulated crowd that has mental dexterity and the ability to hold a conversation of substance on more than the latest talk show or rumor. while, i may not be trying to take over the world with hare-brain ideas... i would like to leave a mark on it (in some form or fashion). i view intellectual complacency as an evil akin to voting a shrub into office (unless of course you are in the top .00005% of wealth in the country). i still haven't discerned whether "the brains" are born this way, or whether it's a lifestyle choice.... hmmm

now, let me examine the pinkies o the world. they go about everyday without a care in the world. they abhor learning, school, and anything else that requires too much thought. often times, we would gladly place models and athletes in this category... although, let it be known that NOT ALL belong in this category. there are always a few exceptions. now, this category is definitely larger than the aforementioned category. how much larger? well, that depends on how intellectual snobbery the person you ask is.

throughout my career... i have run into a plethora of professionals. some have inspired me to push forward and continue my learning to ascertain a certain level of prominence... others are so damn complacent that i feel i could substitute a monkey in a bow tie to do their job. ok ok... maybe not a monkey, but you get the gist. folks are so unmotivated by learning for the sake of learning.... they just do their job, boring, mundane tasks... there is no mental requisite for performing their duties. for a brief stint, while i was temping... i was in a situation where i was doing these mundane tasks. while i received a paycheck, i complained about it ALMOST DAILY!!! i actually felt myself getting dumber by NOT being in an environment with folks that thought about other things than filling in spreadsheet with numbers from another source (not even any analysis!!).

at my place of current employment... it is the exact opposite. while i claim to be apart of the brains, i do not claim to be near the top. i think the top level brains are reserved for folks like warren buffet, bill gates, and the google guys... i did realize that others feel the same way today. aside from a multitude of conversations i've had with my friends (if you cannot hold a conversation about a topic other than fashion, chances are you'd have no luck dating any of my male friends for an elongated period of time. & if you cannot compose a complex sentence infusing words that are geared towards a collegiate age range, fat chance in hell you'd get too far with my female friends), there are a plethora of folks here at my place of employment that share the same sentiments. during a meeting today, we spoke about including other content on our site... there was elaborate discourse about the level at which "we" write, verse the level at which "they" write. now, i'm no genius... but that is definitely intellectual snobbery to be. perhaps the term snobbery is giving it a bad slant... perhaps intellectual pragmatism is a better term... regardless; i'd much rather be included in the "we" than the "they". that is why there are a plethora of soon-to-be-doctorates amongst my immediate "we" and all sorts of other post graduate degrees. i guess i ought to get on the ball and get my intellectual dexterity up...

for right now, a fate worst than death would unequivocally be falling from "we" (the brains/ intellectual pragmatists) to the "they"!!!

interresante

2004-10-21T06:17:00.000-04:00

http://www.nanowrimo.org/modules/cjaycontent/index.php?id=2

shall we?

worldly nerd

2004-10-20T23:24:00.000-04:00

it's official... this nerd has been approved by the government to quelch my insatiable curiosity internationally. the nerd has been granted his passport... first stop london & ????? i don't know the second location. supposed to meet up with a friend for a jaunt in some koowelle european city... any suggestions? i need to gain culture during the day and have a great social scene at night...

on this day, this nerd is making a proclamation that he will try to get an average of a stamp per year ....

may the learning continue...

se habla espanol? si, me gusta espana tambien... el proximo ano?

college graduate

2004-10-19T18:19:00.000-04:00

i am sitting in my office, using this blog as an excuse to get away from work for a few minutes. my moms was here for a couple of days; and i took her to the airport this morning... hence, i got into the office around noon & i'm puttin' in those hours now. so, i guess this is as close as i'll come to being paid to write my thoughts... unless someday, i decide to be a hot op-ed writer for a publication where i would be published anonymously. although, i think i would like to see my name in print.... hmmmm, i'll have to ponder that

i'm sitting here and listening to kanye west; hence the title of this entry. the song that is on write now is never let me down... hmmm, i'm trying to think if i ever worry about letting anyone down? i'm having a stream of consciousness... well, perhaps my parents... but i think moreso than that, it's me from time to time...

well, i see a definitive point in the future where i'd like to be, but i haven't figured out the path to get there yet. i'm definitely a proponent of "it's the journey as much, if not more, than the destination"... hence, the destination has been pretty cool. especially when it is infused with events like sunday night!! but then again, im' also concerned that i may be being stagnant too long. while that is not to say that i'm not enjoying what i'm doing now... i think i have job/ career A.D.D. it hasn't set in yet, but i can see it definitely setting in within the next couple of years. i'm a far cry from my parent's generation; that staying in the same profession/career/job for one's entire adulthood is for the birds!!! just to break up the monotony, i'd go over to carpentry for a little while... it's what my father does/did; and i do have a background in it... then again, i always said my dad worked too hard and i wouldn't want to mess up my hands for golf... by the way, my "brother" and i are going to play on the pga senior tour... be on the look-out for 2 brown spots talkin' lots of shit & playin' golf in 30 years.

now, for the next 30 years.... what am i going to do?
let's start a to do list:

get a dog, get a kid, and get a wife... whoops!! probably not in that order
go back to school...
begin a business (actually... this is kinda in the works)
work in the corporate world...
teach (my philanthropy!!)

oh well, there's so much to do and so little time... i guess i ought to get back to my work so i can get home to watch father of the pride!!

nerd parties with usher

2004-10-18T04:29:00.000-04:00

more details forthcoming... it is 4:30 am and i just got back from a celebrity filled birthday party for usher... more details to come.....

let's just start the "guest list"

donald trump & iliana
damon dash
shawn carter
damon dash
pharrell
vivica fox
usher (of course)
dr. dre
italian dud from man movies
jermaine dupree
naomi campbell
p.diddy
busta rhymes

ummm

the tanqueray and tonis are getting to me....

i'll see what the nerd remembers tomorrow....

Seeking y'all's opinion...

2004-10-16T11:17:00.000-04:00

Greetings!

Last week, I had a discussion with some folks about what is now called "African-American Venacular English." (I don't have a citation for it, but it used to be called "Black English.") Questions of is AAVE a language came up? Is it a dialect? Is it just "bad grammar"? Why does it have to be "African-American"? Is AAVE just a "justified" reason to further marginalize Blacks? This turned into a very heated discussion...strong opinions were expressed. I am curious to hear the group's thoughts on this topic. Thanks!

uvagradu8

words of bloggin' wisdom

2004-10-15T19:21:00.000-04:00

"Blogs only work -- blogs only deserve their audiences -- when they are updated frequently, at least daily."

in the spirit of the aforementioned statement, i am going to ramp up my efforts in recording my thoughts in this blog. it is my sincere hope that other members will feel compelled to post as well; that way the audience may ruminate on the words of this blog without the same individual, namely me, having to be the sole contributor.

with that being said, i came to a realization that being a nerd is equivalent to being a student.... dare i even compare it to being a less focused philosopher. here, let me explain. a philosopher is a seeker of knowledge, while a nerd is a person that is intellectually curious, but it doesn't have to be confined to the depths of philosophy... kinda like a philosopher with a short attention span.

since my attention span isn't that long, my interests constantly change. while they may not necessarily align with other nerds, the strand that holds us together is the intellectual curiosity (although everything we are curious about isn't necessarily intellectual in nature).

with that being said, let the intellectual curiosity flow...(hopefully, it'll flow onto this page)

NAME THE ONLY TWO DOUBLE LAND-LOCK COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD...

2004 presidential debate -- a nerd's view

2004-10-13T21:24:00.000-04:00

let us look at this debate in an objective manner.... and be cognizant of the vocabulary that the chief of this nation uses... for some reason... i think this should shape up to be an interesting evening...

Curiosity...

2004-10-13T10:48:00.000-04:00

good morning,

embracing the spirit of the nerd symposium, i would like to share one of my favorite quotes. it encapsulates, i believe, the inner nerd in all of us, articulating masterfully the conscious journey of being curious.

it is a quote that i share with my students, as it anchors my teaching philosophy. it is my sincere hope that each of you remains steadfast in your quest for curiosity.

so....without further ado (i hope i didn't hype it up too much)...here it is:

"Curiosity as restless questioning, as movement toward the revelation of something hidden, as a question verbalized or not, as a search for clarity, as a moment of attention, suggestion, and vigilance, constitutes an integral part of the phenomenon of being alive. There could be no creativity without the curiosity that moves us and sets us patiently impatient before a world that we did not make, to add to it something of our making. An education of answers does not at all help the curiosity that is indispensable in the cognitive process. Only an education of question can trigger, motivate, and reinforce curiosity.”--Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of Freedom, 1998, p. 37-38

keep on being curious...
10:43 AM

endtroducing the paragon nerd

2004-10-07T16:41:00.000-04:00

...and i wasn't aware that i was a nerd.

a brief bio:

four11b/paragon nerd

resident artist, writer

english, so i'll attempt to keep my syntax, grammatical and spelling errors to a dull roar.

pre-bollywood indian flicks, underground/"outskirts" hip-hop, bad art, eating, fashionista culture.

"since we last spoke" rjd2, specifically "one day" (track 12)

-------------------------
premiere, psudeo-intelligent thought

a thesis for an article i'm working on for suede magazine (if they decide to accept). this is NOT the article, however.
feedback desired.

Women have always been around. The presence of MC Lyte, Queen Latifah and Salt ‘N Pepa changed the landscape of hip-hop as a verbal play/battle ground for women, these ladies using hip-hop as a platform to discuss the lives of women in love with the culture. However more than half of hip-hop’s consumers are female, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, yet the voice of hip-hop is undoubtedly and dangerously masculine now. Mos Def pointedly stated in “Fear Not of Men” that “hip-hop is going where we’re going”. We all know we are going nowhere frighteningly fast, but are women on this ride to be seen and not heard?

Of what we now understand as hip-hop, the final BET/MTV product, regardless of the content or quality, must include at least one of the following: gilded grills, nonsensically-sized white tees and/or button downs, Maybachs and/or money, (that very few of these “white dwarf” stars actually own). Like most Western religion and philosophy, the creation process of hip-hop now does not incorporate women- at least not equitably. Women are effectively left out, unless we can sing the hook or shake our ass in the video and certainly the women grinding on T.I.’s hip in “Let’s Get Away” did not have a say in what angle said ass looked best. If we let those making the executive decisions on marketing tell it, women are our modern-day Eve, placed in the hip-hop Garden of Eden (BET) exclusively for male consumption. I have to admit, this sounds like an abusive and neglectful love affair.

I hate to generalize, but if hip-hop were a man- a breathing body that subjected us to tits, ass and hooks, I do not think women would sit back silently and take such treatment. The aforementioned female artists, as well as Foxy Brown, Lil’ Kim and Missy Elliot redefined hip-hop culture again, filling in the gaps and fighting back against many of the destructive images and mentalities just as forceful as men made them. Granted, they also reinforced some of the negative ones, but their visibility made hip-hop culture take notice of women’s lives-- the good, bad and ugly. So where are women in hip-hop going? Fox has been assaulted (who’d have thought?!), Kim is hemmed up in a trial, and Missy… well she is standing strong, but standing alone. And if we do not rhyme are we writing, critiquing, holding the art form up to the standards we once had, of authenticity, creativity and skill? Easy answer: no.

university of nerds

2004-10-06T13:56:00.000-04:00

the connotation attached with the word "nerd" has gradually transformed itself throughout my quarter century on this planet. initially, it was something to be avoided at all costs... in elementary school or middle school, that was the last thing you wanted to be. in high school, one secretly embraced being a "nerd", if in fact one's peers would consider them such. you could be cool and smart, but being smart then cool...hmm, that was another story. no one would've gone to my parties if i were a known "nerd"...

fast forward to a road trip during the latter years of my collegiate career. i found solace in the fact that i was not alone in embracing my inner "nerd". my friend, who had recently taken the GRE's, had his index cards with him. why did we spend a few hours going through the cards to strengthen our vocabulary? to increase the likelihood of a successful fillerbuster if given the chance? perhaps, but since i'm not going into poiltiks... i'll blame it on the inner nerd.

i came to a realization that most of my friends are nerds, whether they fully embrace it or not. some studied engineering (at umich), others math, english, & architecture, others are getting their doctorates... sheesh! such a thirst for knowledge...

hence this is a conglomeration of folks that are passionate about learning or knowledge.

glad to be a part of it...

nn