1) I’m not gonna lie…I miss Aaliyah. How can one not if they knew of her, however vaguely. It has now been seven years. In her memory, I’m posting the video for one of my favorite songs of hers:
“The One I Gave My Heart To”
2) I’m not gonna lie…vile, upset, dejected Hillary Clinton supporters need to sit down. IT’S OVER. It is actually beyond over. Don’t vote McCain because you’re spiteful and idiotic.
3) I’m not gonna lie…I haven’t had a real vacation and I’m depressed about that.
4) I’m not gonna lie…buying supplies for school each year is too damn expensive. Things like printer ink. Ugh.
5) I’m not gonna lie…having a single apartment is pretty fab!
More Aaliyah for you:
“More Than a Woman”
Don’t really like DMX, but…I love Aaliyah’s part and Romeo Must Die.
Of course, there’s my friends, associates, and even enemies (because a little drama every now and then kept life interesting when so little was at risk) that I miss all the time. But what about the city, the place?
Emory has this initiative–Emory as (a) “place”–spearheaded by, among others, Dr. Bobbi Patterson.
“I believe…that at least certain aspects of our identity are tied to place.”
I agree. Our identities are byproducts of our environments. And, of course, genetics. But this blog is about place. I won’t go into incredible mushy details about how PB made me “me.” I just want to take a moment to point out the simple physical spaces and things I miss about my hometown. Some that may not even exist anymore for all I know.
In no particular order:
- The Band Museum. The instruments and other artifacts are great, sure. But I’d love to go to their ice cream shop right now and get a old-time sundae.
- Aisha’s Wings. Some straight up unhealthy, good stuff.
(At this point, I am now too lazy to post more pictures. lol)
- West 22nd Street with its stray cats and dogs and people. And the 3 massive pine trees at 718. And the “stoop.” And the “jungle” behind 718 1/2.
- The Pine Bluff High School band room.
- The raggedy Pines Mall, particularly the movie theater.
- The Arts and Science Center.
- The public library.
- The Greyhound bus station.
- The UAPB print shop.
- First Ward before it became an alternative school
- The Pine Bluff Commercial
- The bowling alley that I went to so much the workers knew me and I knew all of the bowlers in the leagues. And the smell of cigarette smoke forcefully attacked you so badly that you had to leave with a bit of it entrenched in your skin…lol
These things and so many more. I want to re-find the origins of my identity in these things and places that seem so trivial and empty. I want to go back and spend some time in my place. And then run…as quickly as I ever did. And farther than I have.
1) What’s something really, really stupid you’ve done that could easily have resulted in your own death?
Well, I often play Russian rou…lol. No. Umm, let’s see. I tend to stay away from things that look like they can kill me. But I got on this obviously broken-down, wooden rollercoaster once. (Actually, four times, I think.) It was fun!
2) What makes you feel stupid?
Any math that surpasses addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and basic algebra…lol
3) What’s something that’s stupid in a very smart way?
98% of contemporary rap music. Example? “Marco Polo” by Bow Wow and Soulja Boy. It’s only smart because some teenyboppin’ consumer is being roped in as I type.
4) What’s an example of a stupid idea working out in a way that solved a problem?
Burger King apple fries. Ha! The idea’s so cute it tricks you into healthy snacking.
5) There is apparently a brand of packaged popcorn called Smartfood. What might be found in the package labeled Stupidfood?
Candy corn. Eh. I just find it stupid (and nasty).
For the 16th consecutive year, Emory is among the top 20 national universities in U.S. News & World Report’s annual “America’s Best Colleges” quality rankings. Emory’s Goizueta Business School was 13th in the rankings of undergraduate business programs.
“While rankings are one way of evaluating institutional success, the true measure of a university is revealed in the work of its faculty, staff and students,” says Provost Earl Lewis. “Emory is committed to combining its strengths and resources to make a lasting impact on the Atlanta community, higher education and the world.”
(1) The phrases “You know what I mean” and “You know what I’m sayin” usually slurred out as “Nah mean” or “Nahimsayin”
Hell no.
(1b) In that vein, I also hate “That’s a good look.” Only because it’s been worn out. It’s like an oversexed mattress at this point.
(2) Which leads me to…my hatred of most trends. From fashion to music to sayings. It usually has to be something that I feel has the potential to become classic. Emphasis on “I.”
(3) Peanut butter. ::shrugs:: Just thought you should know…lol
(4) Catcallers. “Aye, shawty let me….” “No. Before you even get all those words out let me flip you off.”
(5) Wal-Mart. I promise that place causes headaches.
(6) Subliminal messages. Because direct communication works so much better.
(7) Perfume samples in magazines.
(8) People who hover over your shoulder in lines at for a cash register or any other place where there are a lot of people waiting for something.
(9) People who try to hold conversations with you while you’re on the phone with someone else or while you have headphones in and are all too obviously listening to something.
(10) All spiders excepting tarantulas.
What things do you hate/dislike/otherwise find absolutely annoying?Comment!
In his book How to Write: Advice and Reflections (Morrow, 1995), Pulitzer Prize–winning author Richard Rhodes recounts how he once worked for Conrad Knickerbocker, an editor with a single, rather colorful rule for achieving writing success: “Apply your butt to a chair.” While producing accomplished poetry and prose demands infinitely more of us than simply resting on our posterior, the Knickerbocker Rule does convey a fundamental truth: Everything we do begins with sitting down to write.
But do we really need to sit? The hundreds of hours we spend hunched over a keyboard can exact an insidious physical toll, tightening our muscles and ossifying our joints. Our shoulders slope, our necks kink, our jaws clench, our backs ache, the joints in our hips and legs lose mobility. Moreover, sitting down to write—floating in a semi-quadriplegic state, breathing shallow breaths, moving only our eyes to track the cursors on our screens—can actually lead to a decline in mental acumen.
1) I’m not gonna lie…there’s some crazy cheating going on over in Beijing, particularly in gymnastics. What kinda scoring program are they using!?
2) I’m not gonna lie…I need to start packing.
3) I’m not gonna lie…I need new recipes. Are any of you reading great cooks with delicious dishes to share? lol
4) I’m not gonna lie…I really, really want Coldstone ice cream and the one closest to me has closed down. *tears*
5) I’m not gonna lie…I need a relaxer (and an ends-clipping) but I’m contemplating letting my natural texture grow out. *raises an eyebrow* Probably a bad idea but why not give it a try, right?
This video is eight months old but since I’m just now seeing it and getting my good laugh from it, I’m sharing. This is Alphacat from Youtube describing a hilarious fight scene in New York. Oh, and note: I don’t condone violence against women (or violence in general, actually) but…this was a bad idea on the couple’s part from jump…lol
“…that I would be loved even when I numb myself
that I would be good even when I am overwhelmed
that I would be loved even when I was fuming
that I would be good even if I was clingy…”
…my attention was momentarily stolen by this fellow. I was rooting for Australia’s Grant Hackett (because Team USA wasn’t competing in the event) but then the guy pictured above, Oussama “Ous” Mellouli (Tunisia), stole the 1500m freestyle final gold medal away.
This is Tunisia’s first Olympic gold medal in swimming.
So, hey, Phelps, you aren’t the only history maker today! lol
To learn more about Mellouli–the cutie that he is–just type his name in on Wikipedia or visit his USC page here. You’ll find a decent amount of info including the story behind how he had a few medals stripped away from him due to drug use in the past. (It’s probably not what you think.)
I’m all for change. I tend to like it slow, easy, and real and not radical unless necessary. Maybe I’m not truly familiar with your music? Though I feel as if I know most of your songs and this whole “Radio” thing is hitting me out of nowhere. It just popped up and punched me in the eye with its whole (almost) crunk music feel.
5-finger gold-plated name rings? The repetitive low-tone “AYE! AYE!” Random chick shaking it? “I think I got a heater?” “Watch out for that 808?”
Dude, if they hadn’t have told me first, I would not have known it was you, Musiq.
I thought it was a parody. But…I don’t think it was. Scary.
At least the dancers were brown-skinned girls.
After the video played (on 106 & Park), you told everyone that you’re trying to accommodate all kinds of listeners. You said this upcoming CD is going to have a little bit of everything. But this just doesn’t feel right.
This feels like…
Your first CDs went platinum. Your next two went gold. A label change. And you need to be more visible. Not to mention you need to pay the bills.
It tingles like selling out.
And I say that because I refreshed myself of your repertoire just to be “sure.” I reviewed your album and track titles and previous singles. The videos. Everything. And, hell, I just got confused. Who is this “Radio” dude?
Maybe I spaced out on a part of your 106 interview and this CD is a compilation of songs like the ones you like to hear on the radio but not necessarily music of your “style”? I dunno.
But I do know that I want my Girl Next Door & Just Friends & Halfcrazy, early 2000s Musiq. (I like your newer stuff, too. But, I mean, in those days you were just that dude!)
Now I’m not saying you’re not just like anyone else who likes a myriad of types of music. But ya’ really have to ease people into this kind of “just-like-everything-else-on-the-radio-not-saying-anything-not-even smooth-soul-or-R&B-kinda-b.s.”
At least you haven’t become just flat-out vulgar–yet.
Your fan (still, I think),
Torie Michelle
*bursts out singing “Today”*
Dear Jeff Johnson (aka Cousin Jeff ),
I hear you didn’t like that moniker. Cousin Jeff, I mean. But you didn’t complain because dropping knowledge (or however you’d describe it) on Rap City was more important. That’s all fine to me. But I’d like you to request that The Truth at least runs for an hour.
Why?
Because five of the thirty minutes I just watched was a panel bickering about Barack Obama. The next ten or so was more of the same. I didn’t hear anything new and the conversation didn’t even do well to flesh out the old topics.
I’d like not to pick so much at the tribute half but my goodness…. The best the woman (Lola, I believe was her name) who was sitting at the very edge of her chair in the most uncomfortable-looking position like she was set to do a 100-meter dash, could come up with to describe Bernie Mac in one word was “unique”? And the clip from The Bernie Mac Show was the shortest clip I’ve ever seen on any television program.
This is why the show needs to be longer.
(But, hey! I liked seeing a Peebles out and about on some other program but All My Children!)
After watching you on 106 and Park today, I got excited and worried for your show. Excited because I like societal discussion and the dash of a different flavor you brought to Rap City. But worried because of the extremely confused looks on the faces of the kids in the 106 audience while you tried to explain the difference between crude oil and gas at the pump and what that has to do with cost. We know they probably won’t be watching The Truth…lol (Okay. That’s cynicism. Maybe they will. But they won’t know what the hell you’re talking about.)
Hey, I see where you going with this and I kinda like it. But if we’re going to go there we need to get all the way there and with a full tank of fuel, too. (I don’t care if it’s $3.00 or $6.00.)
Last thing: I’d like to note that I understand this was just the premiere. But you know what they say about first impressions. My primary point is that I hope the show is slated to be in an hour-long format that really guts issues in the future. We don’t need anymore shows that merely gloss.
– Cousin Torie
P.S. Was that audience real? Live and watching what I was watching? They looked like they were clapping for a whole ‘nother show…lol
Readers, for your viewing and listening pleasure or displeasure, I give you Musiq’s “Radio”:
Written and graphic works on toriemichelle.com are the thoughts and creations of the owner, Torie Michelle, unless otherwise noted or when it is obviously not the case.
