A letter to the guys and gals @ Google.com

subject: Aliases shouldn't just be for spies!

Dear GOOGLE Geeks (I mean that affectionately),
I think gmail should allow the use of an email 'alias'. Of course everyone knows that users all over the world tend to create multiple email accounts with different cute little names, in the attempt to get more storage space and have the coolest handles. But because none of those accounts are consolidated, they pretty much go to waste a lot of time as a result as nobody really wants to sign into 8 different email accounts a day. However, if people are allowed to have one account, but tag it with two, maybe even three different names, or, "aliases", I believe it would make Googlers incredibly happy.
1. They won't have to log into multiple accounts and worry about multiple passwords and expiring usage rights.
2. They'll be able to have a work and personal account that are actually the same thing. The outgoing email could even attach the corresponding email address in it's replies, this way, the recipient is none the wiser.
3. It potentially saves you guys countless terabytes of space, which allows you to give more space to end-users.
Heck, even existing accounts could have a feature to "meld" accounts in the event somebody already has more than one gmail account.
I don't know, but I think that idea is gold. In fact, it totally rocks! I should have like a commercial where I get to expound upon how google takes customer suggestions seriously; how google allows the customer to make their google experience better as a result. Just thinking...

I'm more old school than you!

Is it just me, or is it fun as hell to act like a buffoon on an empty elevator? I just randomly broke out into the cabbage patch on the elevator. I find it extra fun to maintain said asinine actions until the elevator doors are almost open and people can see me…then I hold the poker face until I get off or the elevator is empty again.
Hey, has anyone ever…y’know, cut one, say while walking an empty hall, and then somebody comes out of nowhere? The next couple of seconds you sit there wondering if it’s going to stink or not? Hey, everybody has fuckin’ done that shit in some point of their life, man, so don’t even try to act cute like you haven’t. See, keep it real, mu’fu…keep it real.
Anyway, I was thinking of creating a quiz of sorts to test 80’s pop culture knowledge, ‘cause I don’t think you know the 80’s like me slim…No looking up things on the net either, I’m trying to see how up on things you cats are, so, here’s the first part of the quiz.

1. What was Punky Brewster’s best friend’s name on the TV show?
2. In Transformers: The Movie, what was the name of Spike’s son?
3. What year did the Space Shuttle Challenger blow up?
4. In chronological order, name the two individuals who held the position as leader of the Thundercats before Lion-O assumed the helm?
5. What was He-Man’s relationship with She-Ra?
6. Name the four main character’s in the movie Beat Street.
7. Fill in the blank: Marshall Bravestar had strength of a _____________ and eyes of a ______________.
8. In the classic movie, The Dark Crystal, this group of individuals were the polar opposite of the Mystics, and destroyed all gelfling’s (or so they thought) in an attempt to assure their tyrannical reign.
9. What does the “B.A.” stand for in B. A. Barrachus from the show, The A-Team?
10. Who was Heathcliff’s nemesis on the cartoon, Heathcliff?
11. Galaxy Records is to Universal Records, as Krush Groove is to __________?
12. Who did Russell owe $5,000 to in Krush Groove?
13. Give me the name of the show with the father who created android girl named Vicki and made her a part of the family.
14. What was Webster’s adopted father’s name?
15. Name Boss Hog’s two lackeys on the show ‘The Dukes of Hazard’.
16. What year did Michael Jackson first perform the backslide a.k.a. the moonwalk?
17. Where did he perform it?
18. Name five male character’s that were actually featured in the He-Man cartoon that don’t have the word “man” in their name (Battle Cat and Cringer don’t count).
19. What was the name of the Saturday Morning P.S.A.’s on NBC featuring popular celebrities of that time period called?
20. Name the first three female operatives that worked for G.I. Joe.
21. Name the three main character’s in the movie Breakin’.
22. What 80’s cartoon did the Power Rangers utterly jack their concept from?
23. What was the name of the luck dragon in the movie, The Never Ending Story?
24. Name Spider-Man’s two amazing friends on his cartoon.
25. What was the door man’s name on The Jefferson’s?

If you think you know the answer(s), then email me @ here. Feel free to copy and paste the questions into your email, and then place the answers in the appropriate spaces. The person with the most correct answers may win something special! Remember, no cheating!!! Contest ends 12pm EST May 4, 2005!

You make a funny title for this one

Wow. I was doing so well with the journal entries, and then I fell off all of a sudden. My bad…again. Nothing to major to report. Doing the 9- 5 thing, waiting for the weekend like most 9- 5’ers. Pissed that the Wizards didn’t win the first game at Chicago. Pissed, but not discouraged. Two of our top three scorers didn’t come close to their normal average, and we were still within striking distance the entire game; while they had unusually good play from one of their players. I think the series will be six games, but Washington will take it. I’m actually glad Chicago is going hard, because it will keep our team on its toes. Having a cakewalk could prove disastrous provided we make it into the second round (which I’m confident we will). I do think it’s ji messed up that they haven’t given an update on Kwame’s health, though.
Outside of that, I fixed dinner for my mom and step-father this past weekend. Did up some salad and spaghetti along with some garlic bread. Was good. Also spent way more money than I anticipated this past weekend. I paid for an oil change, new wiper blades, new brake light and an air filter, which will cost you your first born damn near at Jiffy Lube ™. I also had to fill up on gas ($40), buy the ingredients I didn’t have for dinner ($18.75). Oh, and I bought two video games: God of War and Splinter Cell- Pandora Tomorrow. Haven’t played the latter, but, God of War is HARD. That shit is a little too gangsta for the average video gamer, probably, but is still HARD. Game review coming on that in June. Word.
Oh, instead of writer’s block, now, I start a poem, but lose the muse in the middle of the damn thing. That’s fun. I suggest all poets have a dope concept but can’t quite figure out how to execute it. FUN! Any who, I’m about to be out.
Holla!

L.T.P. v.3.0

Okay,
So I know it's not the hottest design you've ever seen, and it's not that flashy, but I simply had to get rid of v.2.5, ya'll. Granted, this design is very simple, but then again, that's kinda what I wa going for. I say "kinda" because I think I may have become apathetic during the design process for this rebuild. I think my frame of mind was something along the lines of, "...anything's better than the b'sh up there right now, man."
That being said, I'llbe massaging the kinks out of the site for a bit, and the portfolio of course has to be redone. I think the design I have in mind will be much easier to navigate and access in the long run. I'm a little pissed of that the roll overs aren't working (the nav buttons are supposed to light up and what not when you mouse over them), so I'll have to fix that, too, whenevr I feel I have the patience to do so. Anywho...I hope you like the new design, as I don't feel like making any big site changes any time soon. Feel free to leave your honest commentary...I would do no less if our roles were reversed and you asked me.
Peace.

Conspiracy Theorists Should Have a Field Day with This One

GENEVA - Scientists around the world were scrambling to prevent the possibility of a pandemic after a nearly 50-year-old killer influenza virus was sent to thousands of labs, a decision that one researcher described as “unwise.”

Nearly 5,000 labs in 18 countries, mostly in the United States, were urged by the World Health Organization to destroy samples of the dangerous virus because of the slight risk it could trigger a global outbreak. The labs received the virus from a U.S. company that supplies kits used for quality control tests.

“The risk is low and we’ve taken appropriate action,” said Dr. Nancy Cox, chief of the influenza branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Her counterpart at WHO, Klaus Stohr, agreed but said, “If someone does get infected, the risk of severe illness is high, and this virus has shown to be fully transmissible.”

The germ, the 1957 H2N2 “Asian flu” strain, killed between 1 million and 4 million people. It has not been included in flu vaccines since 1968, and anyone born after that date has little or no immunity to it.

Taken from 'germ library'
The WHO said Tuesday that there have been no reports of infections in laboratory workers associated with the distribution of the samples and that “the risk for the general population is also considered low.”

Still, the decision to send out the strain was described by Stohr as “unwise” and “unfortunate.”

The CDC learned Friday that test kits prepared by Meridian Bioscience Inc. of Cincinnati contained the virus. The company makes kits for at least four groups that help labs do proficiency testing, which involves identifying viruses to check a lab’s quality controls or to acquire certification.

The largest of those groups, the College of American Pathologists, said it had sent 3,747 kits to various labs starting last year and ending in February.

Dr. Jared Schwartz, an official with the pathology college, said Meridian was told to pick an influenza sample and chose from its stockpile the deadly 1957 strain, which it had received from a “germ library” in 2000.

Other test kit providers also used the strain. Schwartz identified them as Medical Lab Evaluators, the American Association of Bioanalysts and the American Association of Family Practitioners.

A spokesman for Meridian said company officials were traveling and not immediately available for comment at the company’s headquarters in Newtown, Ohio. However, the firm issued a quarterly earnings statement Wednesday referring to the flu issue and saying Meridian has “a long history of supplying samples” and “believes it has been and is in compliance with all applicable regulations.”

All samples must be destroyed
The WHO has now identified all the countries that received vials of the nearly 50-year-old killer flu virus. Most of the vials were sent to labs in the United States.

Some also went to Canada and Mexico. And more than 60 laboratories outside North America received them. The vials also were sent to labs in Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Chile, Brazil, France, Germany, Chile, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Mexico, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Taiwan.

Some of the labs outside the United States have already incinerated their samples, Stohr said, and WHO hoped the rest of the vials would be destroyed by Friday.

The kits contain blind samples that labs must correctly identify to pass the test. The influenza virus included in the kits typically is one that is currently circulating or has recently circulated.

A Canadian laboratory detected the 1957 pandemic strain on March 26 in a sample that was later traced to a test kit.

The WHO notified health authorities in countries that received the kits and recommended that all samples be destroyed. The College of American Pathologists asked labs to incinerate the samples immediately and confirm their actions in writing.

The virus’ presence in thousands of labs focused fresh attention on the safe handling of deadly germs — an issue that led to toughened U.S. rules after anthrax was sent in the mail in 2001, killing five Americans.

Cox said officials strongly doubt someone deliberately planted the dangerous germ. “It wouldn’t be a smart way to start a pandemic to send it to laboratories because we have people well trained in biocontainment,” she said.

But Stohr said the test kits are not the only supplies of the 1957 pandemic strain sitting in laboratories around the world. “The world really has to think what routine labs should be doing with these samples they have kept in the back of their fridges,” he said.

© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

GIve me a break!

Here's a qoute from allhiphop.com: "Sean "P. Diddy" Combs was ordered to pay more than $21,000 a month in child support for him and his ex-girlfriend Misa Hylton-Brim's 11-year-old son Justin. The order, issued April 7 by the New York Supreme Court's Appellate Division, mandated that Combs pay monthly payments of $21,782. Rob Shuter, a spokesman for Combs, said the hip-hop mogul plans to appeal the decision. Combs currently pays Hylton-Brim about $5,000 a month. He was sued by his ex-girlfriend Kim Porter when the pair was separated, for child support for their son, Christian. Combs currently pays Porter about $30,000 a month."
Now, I believe that a man, especially a rich one, should financially contribute to the upbringing of his children as long as he is able. However, there has to be some sort of reason when they do this shit, right?! Unless a child has serious mental/ health problems, $5k is just flippin' ridiculous man, and $30k?! She-it!! I might as well take sole custody if it's like that, potna. You know ol' girl is pocketing all that money. That's not right...that's basically like alimony for getting pregnant, man. That's crazy! It's been estimnated, that from age 0- 18, it costs a little more than $400k to pprovide for a child. Now honestly, many people with low-paying jobs have done a damn fine job with much less I'm sure, but, at $30k a month, the mother has cleared $360k in (I assume tax- free) child support money in a year! Now, I bet she doesn't work... Why would you if you have $30k coming in every month? But, why does she get to live off money that's supposed to be for her child's support??? I just ain't feelin' that, man...what do ya'll think?

O.J. & Isa's Wedding/ BAMN!/ Sin City

This past weekend was pretty damn awesome, man. The main focus was the wedding for O.J. & Isa, two really cool people who are PERFECT for each other! In 1999, everybody knew they were going to get married, so it was good to finally see it happen, and to be a part of it. Because I wanted to make sure I was where I needed to be, and my stomach is unpredictable, I knew I wouldn't be comfortable just eating anything. I had know idea I'd damn near starve myself running around every frickin' where, though.
Friday was HECTIC, but things got done as they needed to be, which is all I can ask for, right? Let's just say that all I had on Friday was a bag of pretzels and half a ginger ale as I did my mentoring thing, ran out to the wedding rehearsal where the directions from mapquest were of course messed up, made the rehearsal (which was longer than the wedding), cut out and missed the rehearsal dinner because I had the gig out at PG community college...so I went home to supposedly nap, eat something light, drink some water, relax-relate-release, but slept too long so had to get up and go to make it on time to a show that naturally started late (whew) Then, saw Patrick, the 5th L, 13 and Jason Reynolds kill it. The house band was dope and the host was funny as hell. Sean Rikman was drumming there...that dude is bananas. The event was hosted by a group named BAMN! (By Any Means Neccessary), and they contacted me outta the blue a few weeks back asking if I was interested in featuring and if so, for how much? Although the event was drawn out a bit, the love and vibe was pretty damn cool; there was this cat who was supposed to holla at me about some self-publishing questions, but never did. Anyway, I'm definately down to go back one of these days, so holla back PGCC. After receiving payment, I left the spot after 11pm, when I thought I'd be be leaving @ 9pm the latest... Called O.J. and let him know I didn't have it in me to make it out to VA, so I'd be at the hotel in the morning for the pre-wedding business. Got to the homegirl Lynn's crib circa 12am and ate a salad before falling out.
The next day, get to the hotel just before 9, as I was supposed to do. Kicked it with the very happy groom to be and the groomsmen; talked much trash. Met a lot of O's family, who are cool as hell. Did the wedding up nice and of course got the reverend to the spot in a timely fashion. The wedding was very picturesque. Afterwards, shot the breeze and clowned around waiting for the photographer/ Seymore Butts/ Dr. Brundle (looked like Jeff Goldblum from the Fly) to rememeber about the groomsmen. Did the pictures, and headed to the reception. Had a ball at the reception. Watched the Wizards come back from a 21 point deficit to lead by 13, only to lose by 5 points (sniff- sniff). Went to kick it at my man Jumand's crib later that night. His girl Vic finally got back from her station overseas, so he seemed happy; and the homegirl Nova was knocked out on the couch. Ate another salad for dinner. Rolled close to 12, as it had been a long couple of days. Got up around 10 on Sunday to take back the tux. Went to see Sin City on a whim...it was alright plot-wise, but visually the shit was hot! The major beef I had with the joint is it was so visually stylized, yet it could be so drawn out at points. Still, this is the type of flick you can watch through a store window without the sound and tell your friends about. Oh, wait, there was too much nudity... Oh yeah, another thing, there was way to much castration and mutilation of the male genetalia, man. Anywho, wound down the weekend by watching Tiger win another Masters and looked at the Contender (dope show).
Qoute of the month: "Yo, I had to come out and speak to you (referring to Femi and me) and let you know I was feeling ya'll. (Then looking at me) I especially dug you, you were funny...you hit 'em with a little bit of salt, and then some pepper, and they wasn't ready for that. I like the way you garnish your shit, for real." Ty aka AWOL

Itinerary

Friday, April 8th 2005
11:30 Mentoring session with this really cool kid, Mustapha at the elementary school around the corner from job.
Head out to VA for wedding rehearsal which starts @ 2pm
4:30, head to wedding dinner rehearsal @ 4:30
5:30, cut out early from dinner rehearsal for poetry performance in MD
Round about 7pm, perform @ PG Community college with 13, The Dri Fish & Black Picasso
Politic and sell some CD's (hopefully)
Head back to VA for the hotel somewhere in Crystal City
Saturday, April 9th 2005
Up at 7am
Dressed for pictures @ 9am
Get the Reverend to the wedding before @ 11am
12pm, head to the reception
More pictures, dance, laugh, catch up with folks who've been mia or up north (Tri-State area...not jail)
4pm, roll from reception back to hotel?
Take off rented Tux and try to return it
7pm- hopefully @ home in bed (unless folks are trying to go out and kick it)
*10pm- Up to kick some ass on Halo 2 (if I'm actually @ home)

Queezy

(groan) Aww, man (blorp), Checkers ™ french fries are the devil!

The Heel of Achilles

A while back, I wrote some really dope shit about various parts of the human body metaphorically representing different parts of the human psyche. I never really got any feedback on this material, as it was a "bonus" of sorts in my third self-published collection, Babylon Songs. There was more concept that I didn't put in print, much less write; the Achilles heel concept however, was pretty solid, and I think...I did place it in there (not sure). Essentially, the Achilles heel represents our greatest weakness(es), which everybody has at least one of. For many, it's usually one of the seven deadly sins with a contemporary spin. Not many folks are doing opium, like back in Ancient China at least, but folks are still cracked out, and heroine is coming back hard. That's what I mean by contemporary. You have greed, vanity (pride), sloth, envy, sloth, anger (rage), and lust. Then there are the different ways to mix them up, like infidelity with your crack hoe girlfriend...you get the point. Shit, your Achilles Heel may be food, but you got one got damnit.
Mine, is women. I love getting to know women on the basic levels...learning the way they think...pushing their buttons (the good and bad ones). And the only problem with all that is, I find so many things to fall in like with. The way a woman words things, her walk, her ingenuity, her eyes, how she can look at you when she's pissed off or turned on, smooth skin, lips, how they form words, the small things she does for self that most folks won't even notice...like paint her toes and never intend to wear open toe shoes. The way a woman's mind works is...
...and as intelligent as I know myself to be, my mind can still go to mush around a pretty woman. Don't let her have her shit together, too boy! See, HISTORICALLY, when I'm open off of a woman, I'm OPEN. I'm vulnerable on so many levels, and sometimes she won't even know, because that's just another level of vulnerability to deal with. All this to say, I’m digging this one chick a bit much…some of which is superficial (her body is killer AND she looks GOOD…in fact, she’s got the type of shit that might get a brotha in some confrontations over dues who don’t know how to act (which ain’t my style at all))…but much of which is founded on some real shit. We have similar interests. She’s very goal oriented and multi-talented, which does interest me, mainly because I’m capable in a few areas myself. My one saving grace is I’m not going to put myself out there and she doesn’t read this journal.
I truly dig her, but I’m not trying to really holla at anybody right now…but I’d smash in a heartbeat. Which is crude (Lord I hope she doesn’t read this), but we are creatures of the flesh. To be honest, I’d been seeing her for about a year and a half at least, and I was immediately attracted to her on the physical level. It’s almost like starving and seeing one of your favorite dishes roll by you every day on the a la carte tray…of course you want a stab at it. But, to be balance, shorty seems to be a good person with a good temperament and head on her shoulders. Dangerous combo when she looks as good as she does… Which is why it’s kind of hard to believe she isn’t conceited…at least from what I can see in the three weeks or so that I’ve known her.
Long story short…do I need this in my life right now?
PS- Funny thing is, she may not even be remotely interested…ha…that’s the funny thing about social relations. Ha…I said relations.

R.I.P.

To the late- great Marvin Pentz Gay(e), who left us with an incomparable legacy on April 1st 1984.