Well, although I love that song from Meshell, I can't bring myself to call my locks 'dreadful' - I just don't believe that. My hair is beautiful - and I don't just mean when it's salon-fresh. I love my hair - it's such a complex experience and it's not just about style. And it feels right! (By the way, that's my cousin Stacey ...)
I have facial imperfections that I've learned to live with. I have an eye that wanders when I get angry and my teeth are quite gapped. I'm extremely self-conscious about both of these attributes, but one thing that I KNOW that I have is flawless skin. Men have told me that my skin looks like cream when my face is freshly shaven and people often ask if I wear makeup. It's good to feel like you have SOMETHING!
What is the sign of the well-accoutered Black Gay Man? Why beauty products, of course! Go into the bathroom of any self-respecting Black gay man and you'll find an assortment of beauty and hygiene implements. With coins come premium accoutrements, but I'm going to share beauty tips for body, face and hair that you can use whether you're charging it at Saks or pinching pennies at Rite Aid. We all can afford to look and feel our best! In fact, I think our lives depend on it. 
For me, this process begins with the body and that means a luxurious shower. Or a bath, if I'm feeling really decadant and/or if I'm taking this drought into consideration. If I have time and I'm feeling extra special, I'll burn some incense and fire up a sexy playlist in iTunes.
Yesterday morning, Michael Henry Adams, author of Harlem: Lost and Found, invited me to a party he was throwing in honor of Brian Keith Jackson and Thomas Wirth, the respective authors of The Queen of Harlem and Gay Rebel of the Harlem Renaissance (a book of Richard Bruce Nugent's writings).
I've been vegetating, trying to wean myself off of this damned computer since I got DSL. I've given in to the pleasure and have realized these likenesses of myself (well, with a reddish-brown afro) and some friends of mine that you might know with this cute South Park Studio ...
I spent the day getting to know a wonderful man. What a beautiful day to make a connection! We share some of the same interests: we have similar musical tastes, we like to write and we both love children. We both want to raise children.
Last year, I took my PowerMac G4 (I'm thinking about naming her Uhura) on the 2 train downtown to see if the guys at Tekserve could fix my Ethernet port. No such luck - AND they couldn't successfully install another (Asante) card either. So I took it back home. I couldn't afford DSL anymore anyway ... you know, post 9/11 blah blah blah, dyba dyba dyba ...
Today, my Westell DSL modem came by UPS. YAY! As a matter of fact, you're soaking in it - I'm using it right now with my trusty old PowerCenter 150. (I can't use it with my G4 because its Ethernet port is busted.) Everything is nice and peppy, but it's not a gigantic difference. Well, I haven't downloaded anything yet ...
I'm still cleaning house, so this blog is gonna be short and sweet!
I don't feature a list of other cool bloggers yet, but it soon come when I move to MovableType. Until then, shout outs go to Monsieur Paul, Antonio, Ronn (who rarely blogs), Keith, Prime & EJ, Ms. Lynne, George and James (who barely blogs). *DAP!*
Much love also goes out to NBFs (Non-Blogging Friends) Gordon, Duane & Regi, Sam & James, Darrell, Lee & Alex, Shim, Bernard, Reggie & Mark, John & Curtis, Sandra, Billie, Zun and Delores (a.k.a. Mommy)! *HUG!*
I'm feeling so bubbly lately - floating down the street and looking happy and free. I don't even have a dime of it yet, but the promise of this upcoming job has done a lot to brighten my outlook. I feel really good. I feel even better than before the job prospect! (Well, THAT was easy!) The people in my life have been good to me and that has made all the difference.
I'm in the middle of totally cleaning my home up from top to bottom. Honey las cucarachas are trying to take OVER! I think it has something to do with the apartment above me being vacant so long after James passed away - I never really had a problem with roaches before! I guess they thought they could take advantage of my financial distress by multiplying gleefully, so now I'm letting these bitches HAVE IT! RAID!!! *Pssssst!!!* Die, you bitches!!! It's been a WONDERFUL outlet for the minute remnants of rage that I still harbour ... and The Spray is just my first line of defense. Next up (once Brahma is gone) are The Fumigators. Then I will TRULY have my home to myself!
This morning, I got the call I've been waiting for all week - I will soon be contracted by The Library of Congress to maintain portions of their gigantic website from my home here in Harlem! I can't even BEGIN to give my excitement the adequate words to describe how I'm feeling right now (but of course I'm going to try *grin*). I feel like laughing one moment and then crying another. I am SO happy!
This Saturday is going to be such a high spiritual day! Saturday afternoon, Pypau and I will be in Coney Island pouring sweet libations in honor of the ancestors who perished during the Middle Passage.
Later, I'll be high-tailin' it back to Manhattan to witness Abada Capoeira's Batizados Integrados! It's been a year since I've done Edna's Capoeira Workout, but I know that I haven't done my last mea lua de frente! *grin!* I just have to take a deep breath, pick myself up, dust myself off and start all over again ...
I first experienced Donnie in 1999 at In The Life Atlanta, the Black Pride event that happens there every Labor Day. At first I was like "Who is this chile trying to allude to Donny Hathaway?" Honey, then he opened his MOUTH! It was truly magic to hear to hear the descendant of not only Mr. Hathaway, but also Stevie Wonder (and Wonderlove - THOSE girls!) and Marvin Gaye in one set! When it was all over, I was one of the children clamoring for coins to purchase his debut EP 1st Impression (wish I could tell you where to get it *sigh!*) and have been hooked ever since!
Now, he's found his way to New York City, to Giant Step Records and to DJ Ron Trent and I expect nothing but good things! I just missed his recent performance at S.O.B.'s (him and Rachelle Ferrell *sigh*), but I know he'll be back after these London dates. He's definitely the man to look out for!
Hey Donnie - you need a web designer?
I've been anxiously anticipating some really good news for the last couple of days and we're still waiting to hear some news. It's truly killing me but this morning as I awakened, I visualized the things that I would like to see as if they already existed and meditated on them. I need to do that more often! So now I'm hoping for the best and moving on with my life - and my blog.
Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So, boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps.
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now—
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
Langston Hughes, "Mother to Son" from Collected Poems (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1994). Copyright © 1994 by the Estate of Langston Hughes.
Wow! My new best friend *grin!* Sam *hug!* has just uploaded a site that features 89 photos from Duane & Regi's Holy Union! I've decided not to link to it until I get the okay from him, just in case there are bandwidth usage issues. But until then, that's a sliver of one, featuring ME! Waiting for my turn at bat ... *sigh!*
Well, things ARE looking up! And that's all I have to say about that right now! *smile!*
See ... that's where I get all my beauty from! *grin* My strength, too! Anyone who has read this blog with any regularity knows the profound and intense love that I have for my mother. It's something I can summon whenever I need it and lately, boy oh boy have I needed it!
Yesterday, I experienced a low - a real one. You ever feel like your spirit was going under, slowly being pulled under water heavy like oil? That's the way I felt last night.
This feeling has been exacerbated by a couple of things:
1) I returned to Harlem on Sunday during the Memorial Day weekend to rush home and get started on my client's projects. Out of all the client's that I notified of my return, how many have responded? Not one. I've been eagerly waiting by the phone/computer all week. So, THAT'S not working as well as I would have hoped. 2) It's June 1, my landlady's back from vacation, last month's rent is still not completely paid and this month's rent is due. 3) This move is not happening as quickly as I would have hoped and 4) Not having any kind of money is taking its toll on me. I couldn't buy my mother anything for Mother's Day. I couldn't buy Duane & Regi a wedding present. (I couldn't even afford to go down there; my mother bought my ticket.) I can't buy the things that I need to run my business. I can't even afford these dastardly 50¢ sodas that I adore so much. God bless the child who's got his own ...
Every cloud has a silver lining. I might have some good news by tonight. Until then, I'll just gawk at my mother's FIERCENESS and remember that she has given me some, too ...
