Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Miles

Miles and miles apart.
We're so far yet you've touched my heart.
Your laugh, your voice, your adoring smile,
Seem to shorten every mile.

Home for the Holidays

I've home in the DMV (DC/MD/VA) for the past week now. I'm home for the holidays. Its been so good to see so many family and friends. I usually come home about 3-4 times a year. But since I've been gone I haven't seen this many people in one trip.

My homegirls Nancy and Arneisa had a Christmas Eve set over their house. I saw Kim and Antoinette. Two of my homies from high school whom I haven't seen since graduation. I hung out with David, Joe, Ahmed and Onuan. Shout out to Club2300. I got a chance to kick it with my neos and lbs and the good bruhs from the 2nd D. Shout out to Darrell, Kennedy, Abyie, Todd, Keith, Thomas, Jahvon and Jason. Hopefully in the next week before I leave I get to kick it with more family and friends.

I went and got a cut from my old barber and roommate. Big John. If you are ever in Laurel Mall he is the man to go and see for a cut. We are all supposed to be getting up and playing ball tomorrow.

Last night my aunt and uncle had a Christmas day party. When I say comedy I mean comedy. All of my uncles and his friends got really drunk. We watched the Lakers beat the Suns...BOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Although that dunk that Trevor Ariza had over Grant Hill was spectacular. I got to hang out with a lot of family and people I grew up with. It was great.

Well hopefully the second half of my visit goes as great as the first half.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

My mini-vacation

So I went to the American Society for Hematology National Conference from December 7-11th in Atlanta. My research focuses on prostate cancer but my grants are funded through the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, so I have to attend. Also, this conference is geared towards physicians and not basic research scientists. So in the end I basically end up doing nothing for 5 days, with money to blow.

So I'm in Atlanta with money to blow and time to spend it. So my conference goes like this:

Friday:
Drinks at the Ritz Carlton~free thanks to M.D.
4Play Fridays at NOIR

Saturday:
Brunch at Outback
Intro Dinner at Conference
Drinks at Stats Sports Bar
Clubbing at Verve
Gladys Night Chicken and Waffles

Sunday:
Lunch at Fox Sports Bar and Grille
Dinner at Pascuels
Clubbing at Velvet Room

Monday:
Finally went to the Conference (45min)
Lunch at Just Loafin
Lennox Mall
Monday Night Football
Dinner at Harlem Bar

Tuesday:
Back to Nashville.
Great Conference...lol

My assessment of Atlanta.
~Great city.
~Lots of homosexuals.
~People try to hard to floss. I refuse to believe that everyone is balling like that. Its sad if you drive a $50,000 car but live in an apartment.
~Too much traffic for no apparent reason.
~Everything is really spaced out. You have to drive like 15 minutes to get anywhere.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Hoop Dreamin

I like basketball. No scratch that. I love basketball. I don't want to sound cocky or anything but i'm really good at it. But I don't love ball because I'm good at it, I love it because its like a therapy for me.

When I'm hooping I don't think about anything else but ball. So if I'm having problems with anything I just go play ball. Plus its great excersise and it keeps me in fighting trim. There is nothing greater than the feeling of dunking on someone or hitting a three in their face. Demoralizing the competition and taking their will to win is the best.

I think my game most patterns Carmelo Anthony. Can play anywhere on the floor. Can post. Great midrange jump shot. I have three point range. And most important I can and will dunk on anyone. Well maybe not anyone. Lol.

Throughout the year I may play in about 5-6 different leagues. This isn't including me playing pick-up games 4-5 times a week. What can I say I'm hoop dreaming.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Mad cuz I'm stylin on you...

So this past weekend me and my homegirl went to this party called Traffic Jam. Its called Traffic Jam because you wear colors based on your status. Red if you're taken or don't want to be bothered. Yellow if you're looking depending on who is asking. Green if you're single and ready to mingle.

So we get there around 10:15 or so. I run into one of my prophytes and we talk for a while. Since he is in the city and I hardly ever see him. So they had $3 L.I.T.s till 11 so of course I was at the bar getting my drink on. Now most times I'm on the dance floor doing my thing. But as of late i've been chilling by the bar observing and getting my drink on. So after a while I got on my usual Stoli on the rocks.

So my homegirl is like don't look now but guess who is sitting across the bar. As I look I see that my ex is sitting there with one of her line sisters. I told her that it was cool. So as I continue chilling and drinking more of my friends come into the club. I say whats up to them and as I get up to walk around and use the restroom I pass by my ex. In an effort to be cordial, I stop and speak then I keep it moving.

So I make my way back to my seat at the bar and order another drink. This woman comes up and stand next to me in an attempt to order a drink. Don't you know how you can tell someone is staring at you, but when you look they look away? Well this happened like two or three times. So finally I said hello. We talked for about 2-3 mintues before she got her drink. Not two mintues after she walks away I get a text from my ex. This text says: "She ain't even that cute!"...My response: "Excuse me?!?!"....Her response: "You had me and I know you can do better."

For the life of me I don't understand why people are so caught up in my life. Especially if they supposedly have their own situations and interests. They just mad cuz I'm stylin on em. LOLOLOL.

Monday, December 3, 2007

Love Interest

So this is an update on my love life. Its been like seven months since I broke up with my ex. I've been taking real easy since then seeing as how I haven't been single in a LONG time. I just wanted to be by myself for a while. So now I am back on the dating scene. Well actually I'm only dating this woman right now.Its wierd because I've known her for a while now. Well not really. We've been getting to know each other since like July. I really like her. We talk on the phone a lot (even though I'm hardly a phone person) and IM. We see each other when we can.

My main concern though is the distance. She lives in a different city. Its like a 7-8 hour drive to get to her. Flying is an option except that flights to her city are mad expensive. I've never dated anyone long distance before. I always told myself that I wouldn't do it, but this one might be worth it.

Black Cinema

So I went to see This Christmas on Thanksgiving. First let me say that I think the movie is average at best. The movie has a lot of actors that I like: Delroy Lindo, Idris Elba, Mekhi Phifer, and Regina King. The movie also had Chris Brown and David Banner.

In This Christmas, Loretta Devine had way too many children. With 6 children, thats six story lines to tell (not including her own with Delroy Lindo). There just wasn't enough time in the movie to get into each story in depth. I didn't feel attached to any of the characters except maybe for Regina King. They could have told a better story if Loretta Devine had 4 children.

I think that this movie has a cookie-cutter script and after talking to my friend it got me thinking. Why all are black movies either comedies or love films? This Christmas is a mixture of both. Is it that black people are only interested in seeing these type of movies? My friend asked me to name a blockbuster action movie that stars a black person (excluding Will Smith, Denzel Washington or Samuel L. Jackson). I was hard pressed to name one.

I did see a preview for a black film that I think is going to be very interesting and has a lot of substance. The movie is called the Great Debate. Its stars Denzel Washington and its based on the true story of the first all black debate team to take on a white debate team (Harvard I believe).

I am all for support of black films, businesses, etc. But all I ask for is a little bit of diversity. Please.

November 25, 2007

Feeling Relieved

So yesterday was the big day. I took Phase I of my qualifying exam. I passed and I am very happy. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I have been preparing since September.

As far as my exam. One of my Committee members didn't show up, but honestly I wasn't too surprised because I think that he is incompetent anyway (His excuse was he got the dates mixed up). Either way I had 30-40 mintues to present my presentation and it went off without a hitch. As far as the questions that followed: I answered the first 12 or so questions flawlessly. I kind of got tripped up in the middle but I came on strong in the end.

They told me to leave the room while they discussed how I did. I was more nervous than a whore in church on a Sunday. I know I did well but I couldn't be too sure if they thought I did well enough to pass me. When they called me back in they told me that I passed and I was elated!

So now I have to collect more data and give a similar public presentation in front of anyone who wants to attend. This will take place 6-8 weeks from now, so I'm thinking the end of January or the beginning of February. I just thank God that he gave me the power, wisdom and insight to articulate my thoughts and suitably answer the questions that followed.

Driving While Sleepy

If I've said it once I've said it a thousand times. People should never drive while they are sleepy or tired. Its almost as bad as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. I remember in my younger days I was driving across the Bay Bridge (Maryland) in the middle of the night and I dosed off. I could have drove my car off of the bridge and plummeted over 200 feet to my death. I told myself that that was going to the last time I drove while I was tired.

Today I went to check on two of my frat brothers in the hostpital. One has a burned hand, sliced open wrist and damage (don't know the extent) to his neck. The other one has five (5) broken ribs and a punctured lung. The other three people in the car had minor injuries and were released yesterday.

All of this could have been avoided if the driver would have just said: "I'm tired. Can someone else drive?"....Instead he had his car slam into a divider, flip four times before hitting a light pole. Visiting my friends in the hospital made me really sad. I wish the best for them and that they have a speedy recovery. I also thank God that no lives were lost. So the point of this is: Please do not drive while you are tired. It's just not worth it.

My Preliminary Exam

On Tuesday November 20th, 2007 at 1:00 pm (C.S.T.), I take my preliminary exam in front of my Committee on Instruction. Its been a long time coming. I hope I do well enough to pass. I basically have to outline all my experiments from now till I graduate and defend my proposed work.

The title of my proposal is:

Regulation of c-Myc expression by troglitazone in the C4-2 human prostate cancer cell line
Once I pass my prelims, I'm gonna be on my grind. I'm really ready to get out of here. I'm currently in my fourth year at Meharry and I'm ready to get on with my life. It takes people between 4-7 years to graduate. I plan on doing it in 5.

Well anyway, pray that I pass my prelims with flying colors so I can focus on my experiments and get out of here.

Secret Love

I've admired you for a while now
But you never knew
See you belong to someone else
So how you I have you on borrowed time?
If I were to express how I feel
Then I would be dead wrong
Because karma is a motherfucker
But sometimes we have to go with what feels right
Like me running my fingers through your hair
Like me just being around you
Like the way you smile
Like the look in your eyes
So for now karma can take a backseat
Because I'm going with what feels right.

October 2005

Karma's A Motherfucker

I'm consumed with who you are
You're like a bad habit that I need to drop
My feelings for you run to the inner depths of my soul
You can't choose who you fall in love with
Despite what we may want to believe
You never truly loved me
You were with me because I was safe and convenient
When it comes to love
The karma that we put in the universe
Will return to us ten fold
So while I may be hurting now
I find joy in the fact that I know
One day I will have mine
And one day you will have yours
Because karma is a motherfucker

July 5, 2005

Renewed Hope

I open my eyes
New life is breathed into my body
My lungs expand
I am being lifted out of the dark abyss
The pain and hurt are gone
A sheer sense of exhiliration consumes my body
I am being lifted higher and higher
Until I feel I can go no further
And yet still I am lifted higher
Am I in heaven?Is this eternal bliss?
No you have just restored my faith
Because a life without love
Is a life without hope.

January 2005

Love Hurts

It hits my body like a ton of bricks
Then it surrounds me; the cold shock leaves me paralyzed
My skin is on fire, I can feel it peeling and sizzling
I start to sink into its cold abyss
It enters my mouth and nose
It fills my stomach with a putrid taste
I try to breath air, but to no avail
It enters my lungs with an undying tenacity
I can’t breath; I am dying
I try to prevent the inevitable
I struggle, but I sink deeper and deeper
All of a sudden everything is black.
Am I dead?
Is this what death feels like?
No, I’m just in love.

April 2004