back when...

you must do what makes you happy .. sitting in cafes with seedy characters, smoking cigarettes and sipping on gin or whiskey, feel the vapor sit on your tongue as you watch the waitress shake between the tables and deliver you clever hellos and goodbyes

cherry wood tells you the truth cuz it keeps the secrets within her bark, she will tell you that she loves you and you will remember when... back then, once again, as you say restrained by your memory wanting to go back to new orleans or memphis or charleston... all the cities where you can get a yall and a smile.

grandmothers come across the boulevards and remember when they were just streets, i want to walk with you when there were cable cars and i could be a gentleman caller instead of a misfit or a rifraf... that was way back when....

Inaugurating

I arrived down in Washington D.C the saturday before the inauguration with a few friends. We left a few days early to beat traffic and also because a few of us wanted to get some film footage of the weekends festivities. I went to the American University in Washington from 1999 and 2003 and i have to admit that the climate during those four years was much different then the climate now in 09 with President Obama coming to office. In my four years we experienced 9/11, the Iraq War, Anthrax, Sniper attacks and the beginning of what would be a failing economy. Although those memories were certainly present the optimism and hope would prevail amongst the masses this weekend in D.C.

Everyday there were more people arriving. We experienced only mild traffic congestion but every new day we had friends report that it was a bit more difficult for them to get into the Capitol. Everywhere we went people would cheer "Obama! Obama!", it was much more reminiscent of the Beatles then an incoming President, although cheers for pop stars are generally reserved for their presence. Obama could have been in another country, people were still cheering his name. At one point i walked down Adams Morgan and cheered with the crowd of people that lined up and down the bars on the street. A young woman and i looked at one another and immediately embraced in a strong and heartfelt hug. I had never met the woman before. The energy was infectious.

The night before the inauguration we were all out till 3 am partying, dancing, drinking. Unfortunately we had to wake up at 6 am to drive further into the city so we could get close to the Mall. We all dragged our weary and mostly still drunk bodies from our slumber and got in my car. We made our way down past Howard University before Soldiers prevented us from getting any closer and asked us to park in the neighboring area. What marveled us most was that none of them had weapons on them, Obama had requested that all soldiers not carry armed guns (at least noticably to the public). We parked the car and began our trek in the bitter cold. We were not alone. The streets filled with people singing and dancing in the wee hours of the morning. The sun had yet to greet us, it was 20 degrees outside, yet everyone was in high spirits.

As we made our way closer to the Mall the crowds grew and momentum carried us. There were no real signs directing us but just a general direction we were all being pulled. We came across the highway that leads under the Capitol Mall, it was closed to automobiles but open to citizens. Thousands of people, like herds across the plains migrating to see this historical event. It was surreal and eery. You only see people walking down highways like that in movies and usually its apocalyptic imagery.

We arrived at our blue gate around 8 am only to find no signs of direction and thousands and thousands of people lined through the street. We immediately placed ourselves in line and waited. The wind was blistering and all of us were huddled together. Yet the mood was jovial. People told jokes, sang songs, hugged one another and chatted as if they were long lost friends. The hours went by though and it became quite apparent that we were not going to get through the gates in time for Obamas Speech. Basically it was general chaos and complete disorganization. Luckily our fortitude lead us to explore and we arrived through the silver gate just in time for an awful song by Aretha Franklin.

Obama came on, like most of us know by now and gave a somber and realistic speech on the state of our country and world. Although his words lacked the hope from his earlier speeches you wouldnt find its effect apparent on the faces of the millions watching live. People were crying, but with those tears were smiles.

Here are a few pix from the weekend.

Worst Week Ever - Matt Edition

This dood claims to be one of my good friends. Instead he is responsible for one of my worst weeks ever. First we are in a fantasy basketball league together. Matt is first in our league (and as a result is on pace to win a thousand dollars at the end of the season)and i am in third. I am lucky enough to have the number one ranked player in fantasy basketball in Chris Paul who dominates in almost all statistical categories (except rebounds and blocks). Matt has attempted numerous times to get Chris Paul from me this year but i have yet to accept any of his trade offers... until this week when i accepted a deal that involved Andre Iguodala and Jameer Nelson. Sure enough in his first game for me, Nelson tore his shoulder and is out the rest of the season. Thats just balls.

Secondly Matt is from Rhode Island and is a huge Boston Celtics fan. Tonight his Boston Celtics were visiting my Philadelphia Seventy Sixers. It was a hard fought game with both teams going back and forth. The Sixers took a one point lead on an Iguodala jumpshot with 6 seconds left. Trash talking ensued on my end via text, Matt didnt respond. Then Ray Allen of the Celtics hit a three at the buzzer, Celtics win and the Sixers lose. WTF!!!!

Lastly Matt and i like to play basketball too, not only engage in the spectator sport of watching basketball or putting money into a fantasy league to pretend that we have some sort of control and consequence to the live NBA games. Matt suggested that we try Air Alert which is a leg work out system that is supposed to increase a players vertical jump and thus ensuring that they might be able to actually dunk the basketball one day. Matt and I, both being white have longed to dunk our whole lives but have never actually achieved such goal (i have grabbed and hung on a rim since i was 15 but at 28 have yet to actually put the ball through the hoop yet). Anyway my legs are fucking killing me thanks to this kid!! Actually burning!!! And i have a feeling that i still wont be able to dunk anytime soon so its probably all for naught.

So in conclusion, this kid is screwing my world up and hes supposed to be a close friend of mine. Thanks alot Matt.

He Screwed Up

"I screwed up."

Today, after much scrutiny and national media attention Tom Daschle stepped down as appointee to the Health and Human Services Secretary. According to records Daschle had not paid $128,000 in back taxes (specifically for a chaffeur, apparently he needs a driver to hit mcdonalds). Daschle had decided to stepped down after much scrutiny and to save himself and President Obama continued embarassement.

What followed was a frank and earnest admittal from President Obama as he opened "I screwed up." Simple and to the point. There was no "staying the course", there was no adding onto and already bad situation. Obama took a step back and admitted he was wrong.

How refreshing it is to have a leader who can admit such things. If only Bush (who should have never taken us to Iraq in the first place) said "i screwed up" in Iraq (or any numerous blunders he committed.

President Obama has received from flack from various conservatives and their accompanying media outlets but although its true his administration should be more seasoned at vetting perhaps its also true that there might not be that many in Washington who are in tune with what Obama is truly attempting to do, which is change the energy and direction of the world we live in.

Hopefully he can find more on par with his own energy sooner then later.

explosions in the sky

sometimes you feel it
sometimes you dont

sometimes you feel like someone else knows you
sometimes you feel like no one does

in between

heads bow and look up towards the sky
in the distance fireworks let you know that there is joy .. colors bloom out of the darkness and twist and spin, its a good feeling to know that sometimes things are done out of pure happiness and thats when you look around to see the other faces in the ambiguous and distant crowd, illuminated by more then the moon, by mans interpretation of the stars and you realize a cold beer and a hot dog, that a childs smile, so simple and elegant is the natural way of things and you grin

just a small grin
just some acknowledgement

of the way things should be, you see your loved ones, whether they be friends or family, wives or husbands, girlfriends or boyfriends, sisters or brothers and you think to yourself that the wind never looked so beautiful sitting on their perched lips, clenching onto saliva thats waiting to jump exstatically into the abyss of the night so it might dance on the shouldres of blades of grass while becoming transparent on its green canvass changing envy to rapture

your hands are soft, but only while touching the other, wrapped beyond tens, you double the expression and become one, comfortably sitting in place you let yourself remember what it was like when you depended on someone else, searching beyond means you come to see, only when you truely let go is when you truely live

breathe in
breathe out

from whence we came, we shall return
ultimately it is where we end up
until

we explode
and we return home