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Friday

Blogging On Black Friday

Not too many years ago, I was working on Black Friday. Pissed off because I didn't give a damn about how much 3rd Quarter(?) money my store made on this one day. I didn't understand why as the marketing/special event person - I always wound up behind a cash register. These were my parents hard earned dollars at work --- the ones that sent me to Cornell University...

This year I dropped my wife's cousins at the airport a few minutes to seven and decided to take a leisurely drive to look for stuff for my son. My house is packed with people for Thanksgiving and everyone is going to sleep til noon anyway. I was surprised to not see a line outside Best Buy at 7 am, and I was equally surprised to see how many people took Barack Obama's advice to go shopping once I was inside. It was like an outdoor market there, with xBoxes, Wii systems, flat screen TVs, and home theaters for the pickin'. I quickly forgot why I was there and began to drift over to the flat screens and notice that last years' prices are now assigned to televisions two sizes larger than I originally wanted. Then there's the camera I really want. Then Iron Man and the Dark Knight on DVD. Then that upright washing machine(?) I intend to get once I buy another house.

I got out of there before I needed a flatbed to take me home with my merchandise and empty wallet. And after a nice hot cup of coffee that made my now sensitive and straight (at last) teeth tingle I'm here --- sharing.

For those who keep up, I haven't been on the blog since about the week of the Election. Honestly I haven't had much to say. Is my life still crazy? Certainly! Is my job still troubling? Most definitely. Since my last post, 3 people resigned in my office alone. When we first moved this summer, I was upset that I was downgraded from an office to a 4-person bullpen/cubicle. Now, I have more space than I know what to do with as I now sit alone, unable to play music because I'm out in the open and constantly being disturbed by everyone walking by on their way to the fax machine or photocopier.

But it is what it is. Frankly, I haven't had much to say because this particular blog is built on me making light of the things that piss me off. But this process essentially forces me to relive or at least remember all those things that are better left ignored or moved past. This month, I simply didn't feel like breathing more life into that which Makes Me Wanna Holler. I've barely been interested in talking, let alone hollering. I bought a ton of newspapers, read To Kill A Mockingbird and recently visited Atlanta with the wife. To be honest I've spent most of my time downloading music and videos on my iPod and goofing off on Facebook. I'm happy to say Facebook came in handy for my trip down South. I was treated quite hospitably by folks who said, "Call me when you get to Atlanta." I'm glad they actually meant it. To you guys I wish to extend my gratitude once more.

Wednesday

My First Webcast

It's low budget, but hey you gotta start somewhere.

Saturday

A Reversal Without Regret

Barack Obama has been President-Elect for the past few days now and I still can't get anywhere on time. I was mostly late to work last week. For unGodly reasons that were out of my control I had to work late on Friday night, I got home incredibly late that evening because the trains hate me, and I overslept this morning and missed out on getting myself and my family off to church.

Over these same few days my thinking has and continues to undergo a transformation of sorts, of which the results are something which I'm not sure of yet.

Bits and pieces are coming to me in the middle of the day, first thing in the morning, while listening to a song, sitting on the toilet...you get the idea.

One thing my mind has visited in these days is the skirmish I had with my wife over the summer. Those of you who were on the blog at the time know it was about my wife's decision to ship my daughter off to my parents for the summer without even trying to discuss it with me. For all the gory/pointless details, click here.

What I can say right here and now is that I wish I hadn't resorted to anger. I was disappointed to the point of devastated that my wife didn't feel she could talk to me about this, but that's where it should have stayed. It was on me to flesh it out, seek out the problems and get to the answers and fix it so it wouldn't return. Instead, I chose to go ballastic --- educated, articulate and grown --- I allowed myself to be consumed with my anger and purposely stretched what should've been a long and insightful dialogue into a month-long conflict.

I could've used that energy in so many different ways. As I just said, I could've gotten to the root of the problem or found other ways if I couldn't do it myself, I could've prayed on it, I could've done some pushups, but I splashed it out here and walked a very thin line stopping just short of making a mockery out of my wife and my nascent marriage.

If I've learned anything over the past few days I've learned that I'm better than what I've been. Raised to know better and experienced enough to do better. I can't speak on "If I had it to do all over again I would've..." I'm no witch so I can't repredict the past.

I just wish I had done better because I am better.

Thursday

Website Updates

A reader was kind enough to let me know that the comments section was producing an error message. I believe this has now been fixed.

Peace.

Where Were You When President-Elect Obama Won?

So...where were you?

Wednesday

Basking in the Afterglow

I've had a hard time not walking with a strut today. But to get completely spiritual...

How great God is that we were all a witness to this historic moment in time. Never in my lifetime and not even those of my children, did I expect to witness what I've previously dismissed as unattainable. I am blessed that my parents and my wife's parents and grandparents were a witness to this as well. But I'm sure those of us who are no longer with us are smiling down from heaven with smiles of joy for our joy.

As someone who has been a personal witness to many miracles, I must say I NEVER have I been so truly awed, stunned, silenced and humbled by the power of God.

My life will never be the same. And I pray the same is true for you.

Tuesday

WOW!!!

After crying, slobbering, blubbering hysterically for at least 30 minutes, after dropping my video camera twice in the melee going on in my living room, after trying to get through to loved ones through blocked cell phone circuits, after tearfully embracing my wife, and tearfully telling my children they can be whatever they want to be, after leaving my Invisalign out for at least 5 hours because for the first time since I've gotten them I forgot to put them back in after I ate...

...I'm not even the slightest bit sleepy. I'm cracking open a bottle of wine and scooping out ice cream into a bowl. And I'm watching Obama speak in the park I used to have to run around at track practice when I was in high school.

And I'm rocking the best clothes in my closet to work tomorrow.

I'm taking a deep breath, soaking it all in...and I am oh so thankful, to My God and to my country and to one single figure who is being used to take us somewhere we've never been before --- Barack Hussein Obama.

We shall overcome, we have overcome, and we will continue to overcome...

...All of us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IT'S V-DAY!!!


Just do it. For your local, state and federal government. For your families, for yourself, for people you know and advocate for. To be heard, to have a voice, to make noise.

Not to rip Nike, but just do it.

Monday

No Birth of A Nation

While discussing and laughing about McCain's attack ads against Obama, a coworker of mine just asked me in an exasperated tone, "When is this black-white thing gonna end? I mean aren't they tired of it. I know I am. I know we are. It's gonna have to end one day." She's a Panamanian American woman of color and identifies with being black.

Many people who wear my skin have been bouncing around the notion that we've won when Obama wins. Actually all of us regardless of complexion win, if he wins. In our community there have been just as many soft-spoken calls for cool and calm, just like Mr. Obama himself.

For the record, God-willing, should he win, the country will not devolve into the racist caricature portrayed at great length in The Birth of A Nation.

It will simply be a new day. A great day.

VOTE.

Obama: The Final Stretch

Get the Barack Obama: Latest Video widget and many other great free widgets at Widgetbox!

And Here...We...GO!!!

A race that once seemed a million miles long is now only several inches from being finished. The finish line marks the beginning of a new day where we're all poised to lunge forward into unknown waters, unknown territory, unknown everything. No matter what.

But we're not there yet. I've made a point of saying I steer clear of politics, but this is it! We're in the Endgame and I'm not sure anyone of us breathing right now will witness anything this exciting ever again in the United States of America.

Not that I'm anyone special, but I officially threw my support behind Mr. Barack Hussein Obama a few months ago and have been donating to his campaign ever since. Just in case you don't know who the man is or what his policies are then click this.

Election day is tomorrow. IF YOU ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE, THEN YOU MUST VOTE! Vote to be heard. Vote because, if you're a Black American in this country then it is likely your predecessors dreamed of you being in the very spot that you are --- a witness to history and in the position to aid in its writing. When you vote you become counted, considered, courted, listened to...the list goes on and on. The traditionally disenfranchised traditionally haven't trusted this and as a result don't vote, resulting in remaining --- disenfranchised. Up until this year, this has been the cycle that the status quo has counted on (quite successfully) again and again. This election year can be different. On the local, state and national levels. This year has to be different.

You can make it different.

VOTE!!!