Christmas Spirit?

I hate retail during the holidaze! I misspell holidays because everyone is like in a "daze" walking around malls and shopping centers, like lemmings, to find that "perfect" gift. Then the employee side...quotas, bosses breathing down your neck, all to ensure we get every consumer dollar during this "festive season" Forgive me if I sound like Scrooge, I do like this time of year, however since I chose retail management as a career path, the pain I feel is all my own doing, doesn't mean I have to like it! I just really want people to remember that this season is about family and good will towards your fellow man. It should be like this all of the time, however more emphasis is placed on these things more during this season. I just dislike the fact that Christmas has more of a corporate and financial connotation than a spiritual and faithful one.

If you don't hear from me again this month...Merry Christmas and have a wonderful New Year!

Corey

...wow...

How's everyone been? Blessed I hope...sitting here at my home in Las Vegas, reflecting. I was coughing and wheezing for the last few days...don't worry, i'm a warrior, I WILL survive! What else is going in...my drummer Ben got into a horrific auto accident right after our last practice. Rolled his truck over, and broke a rib, he tells me he's lucky to be alive, I haven't seen him since the accident, I need to check on my man! I recently became a member of the Afropunk community...check it out at www.afropunk.com. I feel really at home there on the message boards...black punks, abstract thinkers, just beautiful people...I haven't met many of the members, but I love them all, I finally have a internet haven where I feel at peace and at home.

that's all I really feel like saying for now...I am going to make a pot of coffee and watch the news in my fuzzy slippers.

Choice

I recently finished speaking to a friend of mine and the conversation sharply detoured to her choices in life...I hate this, I don't like that...I can't do anything about it, blah, blah, blah! I had to whip out soapbox, dust it off...and let Rev. Corey hold service:
Everything you do in life is a choice...some concequences are just better than others! When you wake up(if you even choose to sleep)you have a choice to get up or lay your ass in bed. Your choices are infinite! Everything in your universe revolves around choices! I can choose to do this blog or not, I choose to, to let folks peek a little into my life. Nothing aggrevates me more than a person who stumbles through life under the satanic and evil impression that they have no choices in their lives. Now there are situations that you may not have the stregnth, influence or motivation to make correct choices or choices at all...but once again that's a choice; to wallow knee deep in misery and confusion...or get up and do something about it! Even if it involves you asking others around to assist and help you in making better choices, that's a choice! I have used the word choice 15 times during this rant; I did that to prove a small point...you can do anything that you want; if you want to!

Loophole equals white lie....

I met up with a friend of mine that I haven't seen in about nine years. Rich is a sound engineer, who thinks and acts on a freakquency that most can't comprehend! He's on another plane of thought that I'm still trying to catch up with! Hence the loophole...tag line! I really miss him, he lives in L.A. 'cause that's where the business is for him. I hope he moves back to Sin City soon.
My friend Kirk, has introduced me to this little game called Counter-Strike...and now i'm hooked! I've been playing every night for hours, and I can't stop! It sucks, well not really. I play the terrorist, being bad feels pretty good!
My band is doing well, we fired our drummer, and hired my old drummer, Ben...it's gonna work out just fine! My family is awesome, they're all doing so well My kids are healthy and my wife is happy, and I feel pretty damn good...so all in all that's all I have for now!

Steppin' to tha A.M.

What has happened to hip-hop? Are rappers so mystified with cash, cars, "bling" and video hoes that their concentration is in material bullshit and not their artform and culture? I'm sick to death of watching these non talent hacks with absolutely NO talent get on television, with half naked women, talking about all the clubs they frequent, and Cristal they ingest! I'm bored with the guys standing next to the Hummer H2 they can't afford, wearing the platinum chain; big enough to feed a small third world country. Broke ass rappers talking about bitches and hoes, and tossin' around money that doesn't belong to them.
What happened to the days of real hip hop...there are some artists holding it down. Seriously, what happened, where's Public Enemy to preach the truth when you need 'em! I want to hear artists flow, use breath control, and write a rhyme that's worth some shit! I don't mean preach to the masses, not everything need to be positive and concious...not everyone is from that environment, but use your grey matter and write some shit that worth listening to! Make it original, make it yours!
Destroy all fake gangsters, wannabees, excessive bling wearers, band-aid wearers, 2Pac clones, underage rapperrs talking about club life, and all NO TALENT MORONS THAT AREN'T WORTHY TO TOUCH A MIC!

MIdnight Marauder

It's 12.25 am, and i'm thinking..."why don't I go to fucking bed?!?" Can't really explain...I've got this thing with getting up early and going to sleep really late...or er early.
I've been watching the Olympics all week...I still kinda believe in the whole goodwill and hippie kinda vibe the Olympics provide! I watched badminton for about 2 hours yesterday...who in the fuck watches badminton??? I do because it's an Olympic sport...after this week I won't think about the sport for four years! But it's on now, so I watch.
Been contemplating about lots of things lately...nothing in order of importance. just thinking about, sex, music, Trivia Pursuit, Fishbone, my family, this bullshit war, the removal of George Bush from office, Quentin Tarrentino, the thrill of victory, cell phones, mic stands, writing poetry, the price of gas, real or fake, paper or plastic, ignorance, taoist meditation, bass paying, the agony of defeat, bills ,water, batteries, Ramen noodles, toothpaste, salsa, hot or mild, my future, my past, p.d.a's, wasabi peas, job security, world travel and much more I can't seem to corral together. I think I'm adult ADHD...'cause after this post, i'm gonna clean my bathroom and do laundry!
See what I mean!

It's been awhile...

Rick James passed away a couple of days ago. That really sucks, considering the man may have been a misguided soul, but an amazing musician and artist. Well, no more Dave Chappelle jokes!

Presidential candidate John Kerry is here in town...I really wanted to see him, however I was at work and couldn't make it! I really want him to replace GeeDub as president! In November..get out and vote.

My band Half Fast will be playing on Friday...I can't wait, it's an all ages show...we're gonna fuggin' rock it!

It's late and I have too many random thoughts buzzing around in my noggin...will return later!

Def Poets

I wish I was a def poet.  The amazingly hip, uber-urban wordsmiths that grace my television every sunday!  These men and women; lead by Mos Def, place me in a trance for thirty straight minutes...I can only imagine being able to pen the eloquence that these educated purveyors of poetry lay down each week.  Now I know that they have taken years to perfect their craft, but shit; I just wanna flow like them. 

And, on top of that, every now and then, a hip hop M.C. graces the stage and proves exactly why hip hop is as much of a culture as it is an art form.  I don't mean bullshit rappers...I mean hip-hoppas like Mos Def, MC Lyte, Common, Kanye West, and the teacha; KRS-ONE!

So, check out the show; if you can, and support these amazing poets:
Vanessa Hidary, Flowmentalz, Jevon Johnson, Beau Sia, Lemon, Danny Hoch, Bassey Ikpi, Rachel and George McKibbins, Taylor Mali, Yellow Rage...and countless other poets who posess an amazing talent I wish I had!

Heritage

I think it's funny that people can base your heritage and ethnicity based on your actions, people you marry etc.  I am a proud black man...I wake up daily thankful for what I have, I love my family and go out into the world seeking knowledge and wanting an honest days pay for an honest days work.  Now, here's the twist, my wife and daughter are white and my son is a mixed ethnicity of my wife and I.  For whatever reason, some folks think that these facts disqualifies me from knowing or speaking about my culture and heritage.  They think that I wanna-be white...clearly this isn't the case.  I didn't make my wife white...I didn't search for a white woman to be my wife..I found the person that loves me unconditionally, and vice versa!
 
This topic is being brought up because of a headline on a magazine I was looking at.  It said something to the effect of  "Do black men still want us"...a reference to black women. Here's my take on that...find the person that you connect with, be it black, white, asian...it doesn't matter to me!  To be a chauvinist for a quick second...to all women...it's all pink on the inside!  Who cares, my family is a beautiful house of diversity, and that's all I care about.  Just dont sell me short as a black man...that's all I ask, i'm out there dealing with shit that all black men deal with...i'm no exception, and I don't want to be.

Warped Tour Survivor!

What's goin' on! I hope everyone had a safe 4th of July! As for me...my daughter, Kelsey took me to the Vans Warped Tour! Now I must admit...at first I really didn't want to go...I only wanted to check out one of the greatest punk bands around, Bad Religion! However when I got there...there's a lot more shit to do and check out...more than I expected! So, after my daughter and friends run off to hang out, i'm stuck all by myself, that doesn't last long 'cause I find Jason...good friend and bassist for Excessive Compulsive! From there, we're all over the place...checking out bands all over the place...Tokyo Rose, Flogging Molly, Juliette and The Licks, New Found Glory, Nonphyxion...and about 900 other bands I missed, simply because I couldn't be everywhere at once! If I had a complaint about the Warped Tour, that would be it...there probably were some great bands there, but I missed a bunch of them, 'cause I couldn't be everywhere!

So, after about $30 bucks in water, one $9 dollar thai combo plate, and a one hour wait for snow cones...I finally get to see the band I've waited all day for! Can I say that Bad Religion still puts on an awesome show! Even though the set was really short, the band played a good mix of new stuff and classic BR songs that every punk kid should know by heart. In the era of emo and tons of pop punk excess, I still like the older stuff! Bands like BR, Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, Agnostic Front...they didn't do punk rock as a fashion statement, it wasn't a trend, these cats lived it. It was rebellion towards a system they feel did them wrong, and after all these years, these and countless other bands still have an influence in my own playing style. Thanks guys!

After their set...we decided it was time to go home...it was extremely hot and we were all tired from walking around all day. My daughter and I stopped at the ARA booth and both picked up some "Fuck Racism" patches, I grabbed some literature and then strolled out to the car and proceded to drive myself and a truck full of exhausted girls (my dayghters friends) home!

All in all a great day, the only real downfall was I suffered a really mild case of heat exhaustion! Other than that....an awesome day!

Oh, Melissa...

...I'm speaking about Melissa Auf Der Maur...former bassist of Hole and the Smashing Pumpkins! Thank god she has a solo album out...she's an amazing rock bassist who unfortunately was in bands with singers with super-overinflated egos!(That means you Courtney, and Billy) Followed the Waves is an awesome rock song (I've been humming it all day!) It's got pretty catchy hooks, guitar lines and she makes playing the bass sexy looking (Something I don't do...see photo below!) I was glad to see that she was able to make good rock music on her own terms, good music that sounds nothing like the bands she played for.

...............

I found a little skate park not far from my house. It's nothing huge, just a small street course setup...but it's awesome! It's an add on to an existing neighborhood park, so you don't need to pay to enter (I feel this was a great use of my tax dollars!) So, I'm thinking I might take my son out there, and let him blade around for a bit, he'll love it! Oh, I'l also going to the Warped Tour on the 4th of July, my daughter and I will hangout and listen to some pretty good bands out there, I can't wait to check out Bad Religion! They're such a great band, they've always put on a great show!

Today...

...I should have scheduled as a blue day. Nothing in particular is wrong, I just feel icky. I know I can use a better word than "icky", however in my quest to let folks know how I'm feeling today...icky kinda sums it up! I just want to lay in bed and sleep the day away. I'm really not motivated to do anything today, not even an amazing game of Unreal Tournament 2004 could make me do anything...and if you know me, that's a big deal!

Before I go, I was reading about Kim Sun-Il, the South Korean who was recently beheadded. This didn't help my day any. My prayers go out to all of the families of the victims of these gruesome acts. Check out CNN to read more about it.

"Please get out of here. I don't want to die. ... Your life is important, but my life is important." -Kim Sun-Il

...they drew first blood, not me...

I just finished watching First Blood, the awesome flick with Sly Stallone, before the Rambo movies got out of control. He plays a Vietnam vet, a green beret uber-soldier, back from the war and wandering through life. He strolls through a one horse town, looking for something to eat. Well, the local sheriff wants to be a prick and not let Rambo go through his town, so he's arrested and shuttled off to jail. This is where it gets fun, during his incarceration, he begins to have flashbacks about Vietnam and all hell breaks loose!

In the process, he takes out the police dept, evades the National Guard, gets back at the sheriff and destroys the town!

The morale of the story is "dont mess with people", you just never know who or what you're dealing with! All he wanted was something to eat, and look what happened...

This is what I do best! 

What the F&@%!

American Ignorance


We’ve all seen the photographs of the Iraqi prisoners, and the U.S. troops plastered all over the idiot box. When those pictures were first aired, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing; this is an atrocity I couldn’t believe I was bearing witness to. My wife broke into tears, asking me, how people could do such a horrible and disgusting act.

As the days passed, I tried to wrestle with that question, and unfortunately, I can’t seem to bring myself to an answer that sounds at all feasible. How ‘bout this…they’re fucking idiots! For a while, I was embarrassed to be an American. To think that the “great saint” of all nations, would be reduced to common perverted street thugs. By taking those pictures, whether the victims were prisoners or otherwise, that showed the whole world that Americans can lower themselves to the lowest common denominator.

What would make these soldiers do such an act? Were they so bored that this was their only source of entertainment? I understand this is wart time, however; the Geneva Convention should apply to this instance. If you’re unaware of what I’m talking about…here’s a sample that applies to this subject…

Article 3
In the case of armed conflict not of an international character occurring in the territory of one of the High Contracting Parties, each Party to the conflict shall be bound to apply, as a minimum, the following provisions:
1. Persons taking no active part in the hostilities, including members of armed forces who have laid down their arms and those placed hors de combat by sickness, wounds, detention, or any other cause, shall in all circumstances be treated humanely, without any adverse distinction founded on race, colour, religion or faith, sex, birth or wealth, or any other similar criteria.
To this end, the following acts are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever with respect to the above-mentioned persons:
(a) Violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture;
(b) Taking of hostages;
(c) Outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment;

Now is it me…or this was forgotten and fucked over recently.

And to make matters worse…GeeDub acted like this was a small infraction that will be “kinda” dealt with and forgotten! That was the impression I got!

Once again, I was embarrassed to be an American, for the troops, and the victims.

Free Speech

This is a bit old, however I haven't had a forum to place this, so I will be adding my old rants from time to time.

Incarcerated “Free” Speech


O.K., as we all know, the first amendment is for freedom of speech…in case you forgot it, here goes…

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

So; can someone please explain to me why in the hell is GeeDub; in coordination with the Secret Service and local law enforcement making these “Free Speech Zones”, whenever he darkens the skies in your town?

Quite simply put, it’s a holding pen for those who have a difference of opinion with our President. These “zones” can be up to half a mile away, and out of the view of the President’s delicate eyesight. In this day and age expressing your views, peacefully against our President is an act of “dissent”, go figure. Now, here’s where it gets fun…for some odd reason you just happen to get arrested while quietly protesting outside of a “free speech zone” you can be changed with the following; a petty misdemeanor, entering a restricted area around the President of the United States of America, or endangering the President of the United States of America. The latter offense is of course a terrorist act, since it is illegal to endanger the President, and it’s against the Patriot Act, Title VIII, Section 802.

Now, I’m not going to get onto a soapbox and preach about removing G.W.B. from the highest office in the land. However, if you’re a free thinking person, who doesn’t want their civil liberties tampered with, then next election, you know what to do! Who does this man think he is, censoring the very people who put his ass in office to begin with? Is it just me, or is this a big violation of the first amendment, and civil liberties? I don’t know about you, but to me, that’s just shady, bad politics, poor judgment… just plain wrong.

Y’know, Ice-T said it best “…freedom of speech, just watch what you say”

Father's Day

Greetings everyone!

This is my first blog, as I get better at it, it'll become more indept and the ramblng will be more incessant! But first...

Father's Day was today, since I have 2 kids, that I take care of...this means that I qualify for this pseudo holiday. What special treat or event did Dad want to do? Well, I decided to spend forty dollars to check out Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban! Very good flick, but hell, $40.00!! That's for a matinee also! That was admission for myself and my two brats, also popcorn, soda and candy...forty f#$*ing dollars! Wow! Next time, just wear a mask and whip out a gun...it won't hurt as much! Then, the entire family went out for mexican cuisine, then it was home and relaxing in front of my keyboard, playing Neverwinter Nights! That damn game will be the death of me! But, it's now off to bed, and I will see you tomorrow!