Pet Peeves

I had a conversation today with a friend about pet peeves. I realized that I had a lot of them. I also realized that I don't really hate people, as I am fond of saying, I actually just hate certain aspects of their behavior. Since this blog is my forum, I thought I would share some of them with you. I wanna say that if you see yourself in any of my gripes, I still like you, but your behavior annoys the hell outta me. LOL. So here's some things that I don't like:

Broke people who eat out all the time. I can't stand when people complain about not having money but always have a takeout box from Olive Garden. Take your ass to the grocery store and cook your own food instead of spending $12.99 that you don't have.

Whiny ass men. I call them B.A.N.s. - Bitchazzniggaz. Always complaining about something like the world owes them something. Be a man, you sorry B.A.N. Stop whining all the damn time. You made your choice now live with the consequences.

People who smoke but don't have their own squares. Why should I spend my money to buy smokes just to give them to you? I understand every once in a while, but there are some cats that just never have their own cigarettes or black n milds. Beggin muhfuckas need to go to the store and get their own.

People who argue in public. This is the most embarrassing thing in the world. Nobody needs to know all your business. On those rare occassions that I go out, I would prefer not to have it ruined by your bickering.

People who have inappropriate personal conversations at work. There's a girl at my job who is always arguing with her babydaddy on the phone. Over the last year, I have learned way too much about their dysfunctional relationship. I just wanted to get a Sprite, I didnt need to hear about your STD's.

People who are loud and wrong. Just because you yell doesn't mean that your point is going to be any more valid. Try discussing things like a rational adult (and watching something besides videos.)

Women who don't do their hair. Anyone that knows me knows that I have a hair fetish. I have to clarify that I don't care how your hair is done, but just don't come out the house looking a hot mess and expect me to hold your hand in public.

People who call 5 or 6 times in a row. Damn, homey! I'm gonna call you back when I get a chance. Just leave a message. Calling me that much is only going to increase the chances of me avoiding you like the plague.

Women who bring up old shit. It's over. We already had this argument, why do you feel the need to rehash it? Thats not gonna accomplish anything. Please let it go. (I know that somebody is going to point out that I do the same thing, so I'm gonna just put it out there now. I am guilty of this, but I don't do it like you do it)

People who borrow money with no intentions of paying you back. They ask to hold something then make you chase them to get it back. Man, I wish I had some henchmen who could break a nigga's kneecap. I also hate it when you loan somebody money and then see them spending money stupidly, like buying liquor or lottery tickets.

People who talk to me in the bathroom. I have an aversion to public restrooms. Something about not knowing whose nasty ass was in the stall before you. I live close enough to work that I can go home to use the restroom. I know that's a little extreme but I hate when I am minding my business and some idiot decides he wants to hold a conversation. I have one simple rule: If your dick is out, shut your mouth.

Barbers who stop cutting hair to sing, argue, or make love on the phone. Barber shops are funny places. Some barbers seem to think your time is not worth a damn. I hate sitting in the chair with a half cut head while they try to remember who sang the original version of "Girl Tonight" It was Ready for the World, nigga! Now finish cutting my hair!

Men who brag on their dick. I dont know why, but for some reason some cats just feel the need to tell me who they are messing with. Thats some high school shit, bruh. A real man doesn't need validation from other men. Just do your thing, it ain't got nothing to do with me. Like Jigga said "what you eat don't make me shit."

Going shopping with women. Shout out to any of my ex's that are reading this. I can't take this. How many times do I have to be at New York and Company looking silly while you try clothes on. And the whole purse holding thing? You know I hate that, so don't be surprised when you hear a smart comment fall out of my mouth.

Women who run out of feminine hygiene products at the wrong damn time. You knew it was gonna happen. So why do I have to drive you to CVS to get tampons. Oh, and why does it take so long to pick them out? You know what brand you use, hell, I know what brand you use. Here's a bit of common sense: men do not like standing in that aisle, so hurry up!

People who yell at their children like they are adults. I almost left this one out because I wouldn't dream of telling people how to raise their kids. But I hate seeing parents berate and curse out their little children. They grow up so fast, let them have their innocence for awhile.

I got a million more, but this is getting too long. Let me know what some of your pet peeves are.

It was written...

Back in the Day

Inspiration - "Back in the Day" Ahmad

What I'm Listening To: Various 80's Music on my computer

Question(s) I asked myself today - "Another night with no sleep, when is this going to catch up with me?" I slept all day, so of course I'm up all night.

The 80's were a cool ass time to be a kid, at least for me. We didn't face much of the issues kids today have to worry about. I was a latchkey kid. For those who don't know, a latchkey kid was a child whose parent was at work when he came home from school. Moms was at work, so me and my sister had to fend for ourselves. We had a daily ritual: come home, change clothes, make some strawberry milk, and turn on the TV. It's been 20 years, but I still remember my favorites. Here are some of the cartoons that made my day:

Woody Woodpecker: No matter how many times I saw the same episodes over and over again, I couldn't stop laughing. The sight of that silly bird drilling someone in the head was the most hilarious thing that I had ever seen.

He Man: "By the power of Greyskull, I HAVE THE POWER!" How many times did I say those magic words? I imagined myself turning from mild mannered Prince Adam into the powerful He-Man. Remember Cringer turning into Battle Cat? Or the villians Skeletor and Beast Man? I had all the action figures and the toy sword too.

Voltron: "Form feet and legs! Form arms and torso! And I'll form the head!" I think Voltron was the first anime I had seen. The 5 Lions were the sh*t. I'm about to reveal my inner nerd but I still remember their names: Keith, Allura, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge. I was always partial to the red lion piloted by Lance because he had that rebel attitude. I used to geek out when they formed Voltron and used the blazing sword. I've tried to watch that new Voltron series but I can't get into it. I prefer that old school Voltron.

Transformers: "Transformers - More than meets the eye, Transformers - Robots in Disguise" I loved the Transformers. What can be cooler than robots that turn into cars and trucks? There were the Autobots led by Optimus Prime vs. the Decepticons led by Megatron. Some people liked the Go-Bots better, but to me they were a rip off of Transformers.

Thundercats- "Thunder... Thunder... Thunder... THUNDERCATS! HO!" The adventures of some feline/human hybrids on 3rd Earth. Lion-O was the leader, but the real star of the show was Cheetara. My sister liked this one more than I did, but it was cool with me too. I used to like it when they used The Eye of Thundera.

GI Joe- "and knowing is half the battle." GI Joe always foiled the evil plans of C.O.B.R.A. And as much shooting went on, no one ever got hit. It's funny to look back at it now and see that even though a plane would get shot down, the pilot would always parachute to safety. Cobra Commander and Destro were just about as evil as they could be, but I never really understood what they were trying to accomplish. Were they just being terrorists for the sake of being terrorists? Regardless, I loved this show and had many of the GI Joe action figures (the small ones, not the big ones from the 60's and 70's.)

Those were my after school shows, but Saturday mornings were a cornucopia of cartoons as well. There are too many to mention, but here are just a few of my favorite Saturday morning cartoons from the 80's.

The Snorks and The Smurfs - I lumped these two together, because they were basically the same cartoon. I watched the Smurfs more; my favorite was Jokey Smurf. I may have been a sinister child, but I occasionally rooted for Gargamel and Azreal to step on the Smurfs, especially when they would break out into that Smurf language, where every other word was a derivative of smurf. Like "I'm just smurfy" or "That's smurftastic." I read later about a theory that the Smurfs were supposed to symbolize communism and Gargamel was the evil symbol of capitalism, but I don't know about that one.

Turbo Teen - This was about a kid that turned into a race car and apparently I'm the only one who watched it. The catch was whenever the kid got hot he would turn into a Camaro and when he got cold, he would turn back into a teenage boy. He also solved crimes or something. I may be remembering it wrong.

Muppet Babies - I remember that you never saw an adult's face on this show. Oh yeah, and that closet door Gonzo would open and get sucked into some old film footage, like Indiana Jones. After this show came out, they started doing baby versions of other cartoons like A Pup Named Scooby Doo or Baby Looney Tunes.

Mr T. - The Mr. T cartoon was crazy. Here was this tough guy hanging out and solving crimes with a bunch of gymnasts. Mr. T did it real big in the eighties. Brother even had his own cereal.

Pac Man/Rubik the Amazing Cube - These cartoons were made to capitalize on the cultural phenomenon of video games and Rubik's cube. They both had something to do with thwarting some villian's fiendish plots. I'm noticing that all the cartoons I watched had basically the same plot.

Alvin and the Chipmunks- Damn annoying Chipmunks!!! I can't beleive I used to watch this. Their voices were ridiculous and they always made fun of the fat one. But I remember liking when Dave would yell "ALVIN!!!! SIMON!!!!!!! THEODORE!!!!!!!!"

Wonder Twins- I can't remember which SuperFriends show they were on, but the wonder twins were minor characters who played second fiddle to Wonder Woman, Aquaman and the rest of the real superheroes. Whenever they got in a jam, the Wonder Twins would activate their so called "superpowers". The girl could turn into animals and the guy could turn into things made from water, like ice or a tidal wave. This is an actual quote from an episode I found on the web.

Both: Wonder Twin Powers Activate!
Girl Twin: Form of a giant lobster
Boy Twin: Shape of an ice reflector

What the f*ck!?!? A giant lobster and an ice reflector are going to stop a group of criminals?!?!? I don't know where they came up with this stuff, but I absolutely loved it as a kid. In fact this was one of the only things that me and my sister agreed on when we were kids. We would put on our plastic rings and pretend to be the Wonder Twins. When the show was over, she would go right back to punching me in the eye or throwing a can of soup at my head. (I love my sister now, but she used to be a big bully.)

I'm tired of writing now, so I'm gonna call it a night. I'm sure I left off some of your favorite 80's cartoons, so if you feel so inclined, tell me what your favs are in the comments. Depending on the response I get, I may do another one of these 80's posts in the future. Favorite '80's toys, Favorite '80's TV shows, Favorite '80's hobbies, etc. Until then...

It was written...

Public Service Announcement

This one's for the ladies. Today's Public Service Announcement is designed to help you decipher the games and bullshit you get from us fellas. I'm going to let you in on the secret unspoken male language so you can really understand what he's thinking. Fellas, this isnt meant to salt your game, but improve your communication with the fairer sex. Besides, if she knows whats really on your mind, maybe you wont have to hear that dreaded "what are you thinking?" question 20 times a day.

If you are arguing and a guy says "huh?", he's really trying to remember his lie. "Huh?" is a classic stall tactic. Its not always easy to remember what you said in the past and guys have to think for a minute to make sure that the story is consistent. You women have a way of being perceptive and bringing up old shit that we forget about. Sometimes we have to just take a step back to refresh our memories.

If a guy gets off the phone with you to talk to his mother this can mean one of 2 things. He is either going to talk to another female, or he is a momma's boy. A man just doesn't give up the opportunity for sex to talk to his mother. He will call her back at a more convenient time. There's probably some other chick on the other line and he just wants to keep the peace. Women don't question men if they think we are talking to our mother. Conversely, if his mother really is on the other line, that guy has some Oedipal issues to resolve. A grown man who is still under the thumb of his mother is not going to make an ideal mate.

When a guy wont let you come to his house, more than likely he got someone there already. I know a girl was dating a guy for six months but has never seen the inside of his house. Every time they hang out they go to her crib. I finally had to break it down to her. He wont let you come over because he has another woman there. He may say that he doesn't like a lot of people coming over to his house or his house is dirty, but if he continues to come up with excuses every time, you have to ask yourself (and him) what's really going on.

If you have to ask if it feels good, you probably ain't doing it right. If you are giving a man head, and he seems bored or disinterested, you might want to watch a few episodes of Real Sex for some tips. It shouldn't be that hard to tell if he likes it. All men like getting brain. If after the first time, he says that he don't want you to do that anymore, that's because it wasn't good. While I'm at it, let me give you a few pointers from the male point of view. #1. Don't be scared of the dick. Like Puffy said "Take that, take that." Nothing annoys a man worse than when a woman acts all hesistant and timid during a head session. #2 Stop thinking so much. Giving head doesn't make you a hoe, it means that you are taking care of your man. What 2 consenting adults do in the privacy of their bedroom aint nobody else's business. You can be a lady in the street and a freak in the bed. #3 Stop talking so much. Haven't you ever heard that you ain't supposed to talk with your mouth full? A man is not in the mood for conversation while getting head. He is concentrating and all that small talk during the session can kill the vibe. We do, however, make an exception for dirty talk.

When a guy sees a pretty girl, he IS going to notice. It doesn't mean he loves you any less. If you catch your man glancing at another woman, it's not the end of the world. Men are attracted to sexy women and it is our biological imperative to check that out. Same thing goes with strip clubs. This is not a sign that you aren't keeping him happy, but every now and then a man wants to see a different woman naked. If this bothers you too much, perhaps you should go to the club with him or watch a porno together. This way you are included in his pursuit of sexiness. And if you really wanna blow his mind, point out a woman to him and tell him that you would do her. That'll keep him harder than Chinese arithmetic.

If your man keeps trying to get you to go out with your friends, he really just needs some time to himself. Sometimes when we are in relationships, our whole world is wrapped up in that woman. Every now and then, a man just needs some time to himself to sit around and watch sports or drink a beer without you hanging on him. It doesn't mean he don't love your possessive ass, it just means that he wants to remember a time when a woman didn't control his every move.

If your man will do anything to avoid being around one of your female friends, she probably tried to hit on him. True story: I was dating this girl once. It was nothing serious but every time we would hang out she would bring her lonely single friend with her. One night we were at a bar drinking and just shooting the breeze. My date went to the bathroom and I was alone with her friend. No sooner did she leave than her friend tried to kiss me. After that I made a conscious effort to avoid her at all costs. This happens more than you think. You may wanna consider leaving single Black female at the crib when you spend time with your man.

These are just a few tips to get inside of a man's head. I can't give away all the secrets in this post, but if you need some advice on your relationship, hit me up at visionz74@yahoo.com or in the comments section. I'll channel my inner Dr. Phil for you. (This is just a joke, don't really ask me for relationship advice. I can't take responsibility for fucking up your situation.)

It was written...

My Thought Process

Inspiration - "Thought Process" -Goodie Mob "I wanna lie to you sometimes, but I can't/I wanna tell you that it's all good, but it ain't/It's nigga's hurtin' and uncertain 'bout if they gon' make it or not/That's why we got nigga's killing/Feelin like they coming up off a little dope they sold/You can get some gold/but we won't make it as a whole/Cause without you there'd be no me/And without no unity there will never be/ any happiness/You could smoke a pound of sess/ and it still won't relieve yo' stress/God bless... my thought process"

What I'm Listening To - Portishead

Question(s) I Asked Myself Today - "How did I survive without Sprint PCS to PCS minutes?" I would be hella over my minutes if I didn't have this.

I don't always think like other people. Let me give you a little insight into my thought process. Or maybe its just an excuse to do a random post. Nevertheless, here is a list of some things that I think that you may or may not agree with.

I think that I'm always right. If you wanna win an argument with me, you are going to have to prove me wrong. I don't accept hearsay as proof either. I need annotated proof, complete with footnotes citing your sources. Just b/c your cousin said it is not good enough for me. More than likely he's an idiot and cant match my intellect.

I think Kanye West is a freakin' genius. His beats are ridiculous, his lyrics are insightful and even when he's being a cocky bastard, I can relate because his braggadocio is based on his talent. Its never a bad thing to big yourself up. If you don't, then who will.

I think snap music (that ATL shit) sux. It sounds like some shit I would have wrote in elementary school. And the music sounds like it was made on a Casio in somebody's grandmother's garage. I know alot of people dig it because you can dance to it, but when I hear it I just cringe.

I think that the whole grill phenemenom is stupid as hell. Is shinin' so serious that we have to start decorating our teeth? Gold turned to platinum. Chains turned to grills. What's next, are we gonna start wearing rubies in our eyesockets or decorating our assholes with sapphires? Stop that shit, man. Enough is Enough!!! You got money, I get it.

I think that given an opportunity, most people will lie to you. I know that sounds cynical, but to me that's the way of the world. Most people have their own agenda and are not above deception to further their goals. Ask Dick Cheney.

Did I mention that I think Tupac is overrated?

I think Nas selling out to Def Jam is both a good and a bad thing. I'm glad the man is getting the money and respect he deserves, but I also think that his artistic freedom may be compromised. I better not see Nas etherizing Jay-Z's enemies for him.

I think most TV sitcoms are horrible now a days and the funniest shit on TV are the adult cartoons. The Boondocks, Family Guy and especially South Park. Butters is my favorite South Park character.

I think people who complain about having no money shouldn't try to leave work early every damn day. This one is from personal experience. My employees always want to leave. On Presidents Day, they were sitting around getting paid time and a half for doing nothing. I couldnt understand why they would want to go home and do nothing for free.

I think that people who call me at 7 AM should expect to be cursed out. If you know me well enough to call that early, then you know that shit is a no go. I am not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination. An early morning phone call is invitation to a tongue lashing.

I think that European white people are cooler than American white people. I have nothing to base this on other than watching BBC America and listening to Duran Duran. I also think that a Black woman with a British accent is sexy as hell.

I think I would rather be ghetto than bougie. This is not intended to start an argument over the word "ghetto." Ghetto people have an innate individuality, style and a sense of pride in their community that bougie people don't have in my opinion.

I think that everyone could use could use some therapy, but I will never do it. This blog will have to be the only time I share my feelings so openly.

There you go. That's my thought process. Now discuss!!!

It was written...

Prophetic Dreams

The other night I went to sleep watching Psychic Detectives on Court TV. That reminded me of situation I went through in high school. I wouldn't believe in this kind of thing if someone else told me about it, but at the same time, I trust my own experiences. I was a junior in high school in Savannah at the time. One night I had a vivid dream that really shook me. In my dream, this kid named Peter at my school shot himself in the head. It was pretty disturbing, especially considering the amount of minute detail that I remembered upon awaking. Mind you, I didn't know Peter personally; I just recognized him as a fellow student of Windsor Forest High School. I dreamt about the house and the gun and the circumstances that led up to his accidental shooting. In my dream, he was sitting on the porch playing with a black and silver .38 when the gun went off and hit him in the dome. I then saw the blood and bits of brain matter hanging from his head. (sorry so graphic, but that image still haunts me.) I had never seen anyone being shot and I remember thinking that this is not like you see on TV. I woke up with a start and wondered why I had that crazy dream. The next morning as I pulled up to the school I was still in a daze, affected by the previous nights realistic dream. I was slouched in the back seat of the school bus listening to Too Short on my Sony Walkman, when I noticed a number of students outside crying. I made my way off the bus and found a familiar face and asked her what was wrong. She informed me that Peter had accidentally shot himself in the head last night and was dead....

I was in total shock, not only because death is not supposed to strike an 11th grader, but because for some reason I dreamt about that exact thing the previous night. I didn't tell anybody about my experience for fear that they wouldn't believe me. I tried to put it out my mind and not think about it and eventually convinced myself that it didn't happen. But a couple months later, it happened again. I had a dream about a classmate's parents that messed my head up again. Brandy was a girl who I shared a chorus class with. She lived around the corner from me, but I didn't know her family. In my dream, her father was chasing her mother out of their condo to a nearby gas station/corner store. He then shot her in the back. It wasn't as graphic as the Peter dream, so I didn't immediately make any connections. The next day I saw Brandy at school and considered telling her about my dream but then thought better of it. After school, I went to get my box haircut shaped up and while riding home from the barbershop passed the gas station from my dream. There were 5 police cars, and 2 ambulances and the whole area was cordened off with yellow police tape. Immediately, my mind to started to race and panic set in. I got home and called just about everyone I knew that knew Brandy. Nobody knew anything. Finally during the 11:00 news, they announced what I somehow already knew. It was a murder suicide attempt. Luckily, Brandy's mom made it, but her father managed to kill himself.

In the following weeks and months, I was almost afraid to go to sleep for fear that I would have another foreboding dream. Luckily, I have never experienced this again. It affected me intensely because I just could not understand why something like that would happen to me. I'm not exactly what you would call intuned with the supernatural and I am a natural skeptic. When people would talk about prophetic dreams or psychic phenomenon, I automatically question them. But when it happens to you, you have no choice but to at least question why or raise the possibility that it could actually happen. Has anybody else had any experience with this kind of thing?

It was written...

Addiction

It was a small thing really. It didn't bother me that much. At least at first. But the more I thought about it, it summed up what I already knew. I had a moment of clarity. I have to break my addiction. I say addiction because that's all it is. I had to have it. It made me feel good in the past and it still makes me feel good now. But like any addiction it isn't good for my future. Kanye said "why everything supposed to be bad makes me feel so good/everything they told me not to was exactly what I would/ And I tried to stop man, I tried the best I could/ but you (make me smile with my heart.)" It was my vice and I have to get away from it for my health. I think I've finally gained the strength to let it go.

Me Against the Words

Inspiration - "Me Against The World" -Tupac

What I'm Listening To: "Chitlin Circuit 1.5 mixtape" Little Brother

Question(s) I Asked Myself Today - "What time is it?" after waking up in my chaise lounge. I still had my tie on from work. I crashed at about 9pm and didn't wake up until 5 in the morning.

I remember when words were my friend. I used to read anything I could and try to make connections between words. I marveled at the beauty of words, I sought out the different pronunciations and meanings. I adored alliteration, I hounded homynms, I ogled onomatopoeia, I sipped on syntax, I craved cacophony. Somewhere along the line, words turned against me. I stopped reading and writing. I focused on the literal instead of the literary. I heard the lyrics, instead of listening to them. I thought in real life terms instead of the abstract. But guess what muhfuckas? I'm back to reclaim what is rightfully mine. In the war of me against the words, I'm bout to strike back.

I know this probably won't make sense to anyone reading this, but I am refocused on the art. My mind is reconnecting with the sheer beauty of language. This is not some high brow attempt at exclusionism. I recognize the puns and similes whether its in hip hop or literature. Colloquial or formal, the words sustain me. Like Jigga said, "I'm focused, man!" Syntax is my rekindled obsession. I have a way of offending people unintentionally with my choice of words. To that I offer this explanation. I write for me and if anyone else appreciates the words then that's just a bonus. If people are offended by my words, then I guess that's okay too. Because, really isn't that what words are supposed to do? Challenging thoughts are not easily expressed in words, but that's what I'm gonna try to do. The good (and bad) thing about words is that they are really left up to the readers interpretation.

One of the things that I love most about language is making a connection. That's why most of my posts come from the lyrics of hip hop songs. I can make a correlation between whatever I'm going through and a hip hop lyric. It's not always easy, but when you have as many lyrics stuck in your head as I do, it's like second nature. I know most people don't get into the lyrics anymore, but that's my thing. I love lyrical content. I was checking out my favorite group, Little Brother's "The Listening" and the title track stuck out at me. "This is a message for our people chasing Benjamins/with real rhymes and skills they believing in/keeping them DAT tapes rollin like Michelins/ It don't matter cuz niggaz ain't listening." It's just a simple chorus, but it reflects how most people I know are with hip hop. They listen to the beats, but don't give a f*ck about the lyrics. Well, my love for lyrics is back. It don't matter what you rap about as long as you have the wordplay.

So this post went in a totally different direction than I intended. I didn't mean for this to turn into a love letter to language. But that's okay, this is just what I was thinking about.

It was written...

3 Days Coming and 3 More Going

Inspiration - "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" A Tribe Called Quest "Breaking on out, we was Northeast bound/Jettin' on down at the speed of sound/Three days coming and three more going/We get back and there was no slack"

What I'm Listening To - "People's Instintive Travel and the Paths of Rhythm" A Tribe Called Quest

Question(s) I asked myself today - "Why don't you take your Black ass to sleep?" asked just now. I got home at 4:30AM and have to wake up in four hours, but still got my ass on the computer.

It's been 3 days since my last post. I told myself I wasn't going to go that long without writing at least something. But the last three days have been hectic. Between work and hanging out, I am worn out. I've been averaging 3 hours sleep this week. But I can't complain. I've had a good time with the ex and hung out with some friends I lost in the divorce settlement. I hadn't seen some of them in almost 4 or 5 years, but we picked up like it was yesterday. It was really cool to see that for the most part everyone still looked and acted the same. We exchanged numbers and all, but who knows if we will actually stay in contact. We have tentative plans to get together Saturday, if my anti socialness doesn't flare up. And oh yeah, have you ever had Hennessy and apple juice? Shout out to Tina for putting me onto that concoction.

As for the ex, what can I say about her? Not much because she would probably kill me. Let's just say that those old feelings are still there. The writer in me wants to spill the whole narrative, but I know if I do there will "consequences and repercussions." Anyway, the ex and I have spent time together each of the last 3 days and its been a pleasurable experience. She has really jolted me from the ennui of my everyday existence. I hate to say it here where I know she is reading, but fuck it. I don't think I ever stopped loving her and regardless of our complications (no, its not just me), I hope to find a way to be a part of her life. Aiight, let me stop before I start to sound stalkerish.

With so much going on, I haven't had a chance to get my blog on. I look forward to catching up with some of my favorites. I also need to set up my links section so you all can read what I read. Not gonna do that now, it's late. Its a damn shame when you would rather read a blog than go to sleep. My name is T. and I'm a blogaholic. So it's now 5:30 and I need to get my 3 hours of shuteye. I hope to hit you with a more substantial post soon. Just hope it doesn't take another three days.

It was written...

Girls Girls Girls Girls

Inspiration "Girls Girls Girls" - Jay-Z Girls, girls, girls, girls (uh-huh)Girls, I do adore/Yo put your number on this paper/ cause I would love to date ya/Holla at ya when I come off tour

What I'm Listening To - An Isley's Brothers Mix

Question(s) I Asked Myself Today - "Am I obsessed with Jay-Z lyrics?" I noticed that I have 3 blog titles from Jigga's lyrics in the last week. Well 4 if you count tomorrow's post.

Have you ever heard of Murphy's Law? Basically, its a theory that says whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. Well I bet you never heard of T.Casanova's Law. This theory states that if you have one girl that digs you, two or three more will soon come to your attention. It's like when you have no prospects, you can't find any one you are interested in. But as soon as you meet one woman, guaranteed you are going to meet some more interesting, beautiful, intelligent women. The last few weeks have seen me falling victim to T.Casanova's Law. I went a long time without finding a woman that really piqued my interests and now in a short period of time, I have too many to choose from. Here's the deal:

Let me set the record straight: the S stories I wrote were actually true stories. I put them in a form of fiction to test out my narrative skills. See, in my heart I'm a writer. I love telling stories in a way that I haven't seen before. So, I intended the S series to be a weekly feature in which I flexed my writing muscles. I would just write about what happened, but in prose form. I still have one more S entry that I have written but have yet to post, but I think I'll stop after that because I don't wanna end up like R.Kelly singing about being trapped in a closet for 2 years. The point is this: S and I hung out and we are digging each other, but of course T.Casanova's Law is in effect.

If you read this entry then you know around the same time, an ex found my spot. This is a woman that I was in love with for a long time. Long story short, reading my blog turned into instant messaging. Instant Messaging turned into phone calls. Phone calls turned into cross country visits. Yeah, that's right. My ex is flying in tomorrow and as much as we have talked over the past few days, I really don't know what to think about that. On the one hand it will be good to see her, but it may not be the right thing to get caught up in her again. I can't help but think that this is just a sign of T.Casanova's Law. Would she even be around if I didn't already just meet someone?

Girl #3 knows nothing about the blog. I met her while hanging out a couple of weeks ago. But you know how you just meet someone that is mad cool and gets all your jokes. I'm not an easy person to talk to, but she hung right in there deflecting my sarcasm and throwing it right back at me. Man, I love a woman who challenges me mentally. I haven't even seen her again, but we have had some stimulating phone conversations. I have had a busy couple of weeks and at this point I don't think I can add girl #3 to my schedule. But again, T.Casanova's Law is proven right. If I had met her 6 months ago, everything would have been all good, but of course our paths could only cross during rush hour traffic.

Girl # 4 is not a girl at all. She is a grown woman with a beautiful mind. Our conversations range from the philosophical to the emotional to the innane. I still marvel at how we can go from discussing something as serious as racial identity to something as ridiculous as Brokeback Jedi: the story of what would Star Wars be like if the main characters were gay. I can honestly say that I have never had better conversations with anyone in my life. We advise each other on our writing and bounce ideas of one another. We give each other the advice we need to hear, not what we want to hear. There's only one problem, she's already in a relationship. I know we can't be together, but that doesn't stop me from having inappropriate notions or being addicted to her mind like some black tar heroin. T.Casanova's law strikes again.

See the biggest problem is that despite my pen name, I'm not a playa. I never have been. I'm the guy that's always either in a relationship or on my way to one. And this is not about sex. I'm not trying to be a manwhore around town. I don't think I've actually dated more than one person at a time this millenium. So, how do I balance my monogamous nature with the possibility of a connection with different women. Hell if I know. If I knew that I wouldn't have had to write this. If anyone has any ideas, feel free to shoot them my way. And to my real life friends who are reading this, please hold off on any set ups, blind dates or "you will like hers." I appreciate you looking out for me, but as you can see I got my hands (and brain) full right now. I do reserve the right to change my mind at any time if she got a big booty. LOL. I'm out to get 4 hours of sleep before work tomorrow.

It was written...

Took Me To Church

Inspiration - Diamonds (from Sierra Leone) Kanye West "My father been said I need Jesus/So he took me to church and let the water wash over my ceaser/The preacher said we need leaders/Right then my body got still like a paraplegic"

What I'm Listening To - "Aquemini" - Outkast

Question(s) I Asked Myself Today - "Did that dude just say 'Ladies Love Cool Jesus'?" I'll explain in the post

I got invited to a program at a coworker's church tonight. She knows that I generally avoid the whole church thing, not because I have anything against organized religion, but because I have issues with the society within the society that exists in many Black churches. She insisted that everything at her church was on the level and has been trying to get me to attend for awhile now. After my initial resistance, I reluctantly accepted the invitation and I'm glad I did. I had an experience that I just had to write about. My intent with this post is not to denigrate people who attend church regularly; I respect everyone's beliefs and would never intentionally disrespect their piety. I, however, subscribe to a more spiritual regimen and cringe at the multiple offering plates and what I see as judging and hypocrisy that I've seen at other churches. This is not to say that all churches are this way, but the ones I've been to mostly have this same issue. Enough with the disclaimers, lets move on to the event.

I was in the dark about what I would experience this evening. I even considered coming up with a self serving excuse for not attending. But out of respect for my coworker, I showed up. The first thing I noticed was the varying styles of dress. There didn't seem to be any dress code as I observed young people in jeans and boots and others in more traditional church garb. I was impressed that I didn't see any disapproving looks, head shaking or malicious whispering. The second thing I noticed was the general good will that the parishioners showed each other. So far, so good. Thirdly, I noticed that there were a good number of attractive sistas in attendance. I didn't come for that reason, but it was a plus in my book.

We found our seats amongst the throngs of attendees and I glanced over the program. It had a Valentine's Day theme, replete with red and white and heartshaped candies on the table. My initial perception was that I had been roped into some kind of Christian singles event. Nothing against Christian singles, but I am not in the place where I am looking for a God fearing church woman. I still wanna listen to my hip hop and occasionally have a drink or some premarital relations. My own prejudices were working against me until the show got underway. As the curtain raised, it became clear that this was not that type of party. In actuality, it was a musical celebration of love. Love for Jesus and love for each other. I relaxed and determined myself that I would keep an open mind for the rest of the evening.

The music that was performed was not traditional gospel. I realized this as the opening act came out. The praise team perfectly channeled New Edition and tore up the stage with "If It Isn't Love", complete with the choreography from the video. The live band (more on them later) was flawless and the singing was on point. I almost didn't notice that they changed some of the lyrics to make it more church appropriate. Next up were three sisters singing SWV's "I'm So Into You", transforming it into an ode to Jesus. Immediately following them was a superbly talented singer who blew me away with her version of Alicia Keys "If I Ain't Got You." She did a phenomenal matching Alicia's pitch and range. I did find it funny how she just replaced the word baby with the word Jesus:
Some people want it all/But I don't want nothing at all/If it ain't you Jesus/If I ain't got you Jesus/Some people want diamond rings/Some just want everything/But everything means nothing/If I ain't got you Jesus
I laughed to myself because of the change in diction, but I was right there with the rest of the audience in showing my appreciation with a standing ovation. I broke out my pen and paper and jotted down the song list. All of these songs were popular urban hits molded to fit the theme of the evening. Some of the other highlights are as follows:

Nite and Day - Al B. Sure
Same Old Love/Giving You the Best I Got- Anita Baker
Endless Love - Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
Make it Last Forever- Keith Sweat
With You - Tony Terry
We've Only Just Begun - The Carpenters
Ready or Not - After 7

I had to dedicate an entire paragraph to the funniest thing on stage this evening. A gospel version of L.L.'s "I Need Love." I have to admit that I wasn't as excited as everyone else when the opening chord of the classic came on. I am extremely protective of hip hop and in my mind, this was going to be a perversion of it. I guess that's why I hate Gospel Rap. It's not so much about the subject matter, but the lack of attitude that bothers me. When the cat came on stage in his Kangol and Adidas with fat laces, I almost lost it. This man just turned one of the most influential rap songs of my youth into a corny gospel song. And then it happened: the moment I feared. Phony L.L. started trying to get the crowd crunk with the old standby, "throw your hands in the air, and wave them like you just don't care, and if your ready to rock with G-O-D let me hear you say oh yeah." I was smirking by this time but then the "rapper" said something made me excuse myself. LL COOL J, Ladies Love Cool Jesus. I had to go before I disrespected the show with my laughter. That was crazy, but I eventually calmed down and went back to my seat.

The best part of the evening to me was the live band. I am a sucker for live instrumentation. As much as I love hip hop, there are not too many people I want to see in concert. The showmanship is just missing much of the time. On the other hand, this band was just sick. The female guitarist, Jam Girl, was like Eddie Van Halen back in the day (sorry to all the kids for the 80's reference, but he was considered the best guitarist of his generation). The bass player laid the foundation for all the hit songs the were playing and the 2 keyboardists were doing their thing too. Then we have the drummer. He whipped the crowd into frenzy with his drum solo. He looked almost psychotic while beating the skins, but it was obvious that the love of music had taken control over him. Finally a special guest pianist named Marcus Johnson came through and did a ten minute rendition of Beyonce's "Me Myself and I" ( which was renamed "Me, Myself and God" LOL). I never liked the original, but the live jazzy version touched the music lover in me. This one song made me add Marcus Johnson to my to be downloaded list.

So all in all, I had a good time at church. The atmosphere was nice, the music was good and the church folk seemed cool. There were some funny moments, and one that was just plain wrong, but I'm glad I went. Let me give a shout out to Destiny Metro Worship Church because they really put on a good show.

It was written...

My Corporate People Start Buggin Cuz I Talk Like This

Inspiration - "Go Crazy" Jay-Z on the remix to Jeezy's song "My niggaz love it when I talk like this/My corporate people start buggin cuz I talk like this/The corporate thugs is like, "Nah Hov" Talk that shit?The dope boys go crazy when they hear that boy Jay-Z"

What I'm Listening To - "Embrya" - Maxwell

Question(s) I Asked Myself Today: "How can I get out of work early to see my niece's play?"

So, last night was interesting. My direct manager at work got a promotion, so last night a few of us got together to celebrate. We went to her house to drink and play poker. I'm a novice at Texas Hold 'Em, but somehow I managed to be the last one eliminated. But anyway, that's not the point of the story. The point is by the time the night was over, I managed to basically call my manager a racist. How did that happen? Well let me tell you.

We were all drinking and talking shit and as usual in my corporate capacity I was the only Black person there. They were playing Led Zeppelin and although I am a fan of all kinds of music, I didn't recognize the song that was playing. Everybody was shocked that I didn't know Led Zeppelin's whole discography. So me in my usual smart ass tone said, "you guys do realize that I'm Black, don't you?" That's how it started, it was just a simple joke. But something (probably the liquid courage) made me keep going. I then proceeded to call my manager out on something that had been bothering for a couple weeks. See, I noticed that she always used the euphemism "poor communication skills" when referring to other Blacks in positions of authority. Like, if we were on a conference call, she would say that such and such has poor communication skills. To me, that was a thinly veiled way of saying, he talks too Black. Like there's something wrong with that. I told her that I figured out her code and that she should be careful who she says that to in her new job.

Well of course, hearing those words come from my mouth shocked her. She started turning beet red and tried to deny it. So then I gave her specific examples of who she said that about, and then gave her examples of some White people who actually do have poor communication skills that she seemed to ignore. I also pointed out her implications about certain Black people being Affirmative Action hires. Let me say this, I don't think she is intentionally racist, but I wanted to point out the tendencies. By the end of the conversation she was at least thinking about it and that's all that I really hoped to accomplish. I really like her, and she was a great boss, but that was something that I felt she needed to acknowledge and change about herself.

So did I accomplish my mission? I don't know but I will soon find out. I'm about to go to work now and see if I still am everybody's favorite token negro. If not, that's okay too because I can more than hold my own in this scenario. A friend of mine gave me some good advice on the situation by relating W.E.B Dubois' theories of double consciousness and the veil. She told me, and I'm paraphrasing her, that this was an opportunity for me to reconcile the way white folks see us and the way we see ourselves. I'm going to follow these words of wisdom in my approach to work. If they view me as the angry Black man, so be it. But I will not be afraid to speak my mind about issues I feel are important. So there you have it, an innocent night of reveling turned into a much needed dialogue about race. I'll holla at y'all later.

It was written...

Sick With The Pen/No Physician In The World Could Fix Him

Inspiration - "Excuse Me Again (La La La)" Jay-Z and Pharrell Sick wit the pen nigga, no physician/ in the world could fix him/No prescription/you could prescribe to subside his affliction/He's not a sane man, He's more like rain man twitchin/'You can't rain dance on his picnic/No Haitian voodoo, no headless chickens/can dead his sickness/No Ouija board/ you can't see me dog, nigga you "CB4"

What I'm Listening To - The Beautiful Mixtape - Talib Kweli

Question(s) I asked myself today- "How the f*ck did I get sick?"

I only get sick every 4 years. I was sick in 2004 right after Bush got reelected and 4 years before that when Bush stole the first election. I like to call it the W virus. I was just bragging on my immune system's d*ck the other day. I got all pompous like "I don't get sick." So imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning sick as a dog. I guess I should have knocked wood or something.

I awoke with a start around 7:00 to a sneezing fit. The staccato rhythm to my sneezing was like a Tito Puente drum solo. It's about 35 degrees outside but I was sweating like Patrick Ewing at the foul line. My mind started racing trying to figure out how I got sick. I'm very careful about germs. Some would say that I'm OCD about it. I don't shake hands unless absolutely necessary and I wash my hands religiously. I keep antibacterial hand gel on my desk at work. If I sense that someone is sick, they are banned from my home until I see a doctor's note clearing them to return. Okay, so that's a little bit of an exaggeration but you get my point. I take pride in not succumbing to illness.

I have to avoid germs, because when I get sick I am a big f*ckin baby. Ain't no need in lying. I revert to my childhood persona and need to be waited on hand and foot. I remember back in 2000 when I had a 101 temperature, I lost my damn mind. My ex girlfriend had to do everything for me short of wiping my ass. I milked that shit for all it was worth as she brought me soup and medicine and took my temperature. I even remember sending her back to the store because the orange juice she got me didn't have pulp. I just can't handle being sick. And now that I am living by myself, hold on (ah-choo X7), I ain't got nobody to take care of me. I need to shake this off now.

Okay, so I'm gonna get up now and hope that a steaming hot shower will clear my sinuses. I really don't want to go to work today, but I will. Hopefully, people will take pity on me and leave me alone. I'm thinking that this is a 24 hour thing, but I'm not sure. If anybody knows Benny Hinn or Oral Roberts, send them my way; I could use a good faith healing right about now. I'll keep you posted.

It was written...

Weekend Recap

I had a pretty uneventful weekend. Friday, I was supposed to go see "When A Stranger Calls" with Jessica, but instead we went out with Kristie to Fridays. Apparently there is a new rule that in order to be a server, you have to be gay. There were 5 male waiters in the restaurant and all of them were flamboyant. Our server was walking around with money clipped to him like brides at weddings. I made Jessica ask him why he had money clipped to his shirt and he said "ooh chile it's my birfday." We cracked up about that especially when he asked me if I wanted to pin a dollar on him. I respectfully declined. That pretty much set the tone for the rest of the evening. Saturday, I did a little writing and a lot of sleeping. I got my Rip Van Winkle on from about 4 in the afternoon until midnight. I was so tired from not sleeping in the past week that I just crashed. When I woke up, it was too late to find somebody to do something with, so I just chilled and IM'd until the wee hours of the morning. Super Bowl Sunday came and went uneventfully. I was rooting for the Seahawks, although I don't like either team. Shout out to Nikki, who I lost my bet with. She told me the Steelers were gonna take it, but I didn't listen. That's about it. It's snowing in the ATL, but not enough to prevent me from going to work. I'll holla at y'all later. Oh, yeah, a couple people have asked me about whether the Shaina story is fact or fiction. I'll just say that its fiction based on a true story or a true story based on fiction. I'll try to post the rest of the story as soon as possible, but if you know me, then you know that I am a procrastinator so don't hold your breath waiting for a resolution. I was just feeling inspired at the time. Okay, I'm out.

It was written...

Got Infiltrated Like Nino At The Carter

Inspiration - "Everyday Struggle" Notorious B.I.G. "Had to re-up; see what's up with my peeps/Toyota Deal-a-Thon had it cheap on the Jeeps/See who got smoked, what rumors was spread/Last I heard I was dead with six to the head/Then I got the phone call, it couldn't hit me harder/We got infiltrated, like Nino at the Carter"

What I'm Listening To - "Tical" Method Man

Question(s) I asked myself today - 1. "WTF did I do?" after I realized that my ex was reading my blog. 2. "Why do I work with so many slackers?" after I listened to my messages at work and had 6 employees call in today.

Hey, you. Yeah, I'm talking to you. C'mere. I wanna tell you something. I might as well have said that because apparently your boy can't keep his blog a secret. If you read my comments section earlier today then you probably already know what I'm talking bout. I got infiltrated today by a part of my past. Another one of my ex girlfriends is now reading my blog. It's all my fault too. Let me tell you how it went down.

Last night, I was doing my nightly internet perusal. I checked out the freeverse boards and saw that someone I knew back in the day wrote a book. So after checking out her website and blog, I added a comment. Now, in retrospect, I should have went anonymous but instead I left my T.Casanova profile in her comment section, which of course links to It Was Written. I checked my joint this morning and I had comments from her and her cousin I used to date. Normally that wouldnt be a problem, but then i realized that I had wrote some very personal things about my ex. By that time it was too late to delete the posts, (not that I would anyway.) Long story short, every aspect of my personal thoughts are now exposed. Now, if you know anything about me, you know that I am extremely guarded and don't let everybody know what I'm thinking, but that's not an option. So, I will have to roll with it.

I thought about changing my site, or even practicing some self censoring, but FUCK IT. This is my shit, and my whole reason for starting this blog was to keep it real. So, J and C, welcome to my world. I hope you are entertained and learn to get to know the real me. You might be a little surprised by how my mind works, but come on back and I promise that you will get the honesty and vulnerability that I never showed in real life. A lot has changed in the last 5 years, so if you wanna be down with T. Casanova, I welcome you with open arms.

So to recap, in my 3 months of blogging, I have been infiltrated by 2 ex girlfriends, 4 co workers and a few strangers. Hell, I even made a new friend. What's next? I don't know but I can guarantee that I'm down for anything.

It was written...

Sleep Is The Cousin Of Death

Inspiration "N.Y. State of Mind" - Nasty Nas "I never sleep cuz sleep is the cousin of death"

What I'm Listening To: Biggie Duets

Question(s) I asked myself today: "Why can't I fall asleep"

7:00 AM. I have to get up for work in 2 hours. This don't make no sense. Why the hell I'm I still up? I wish I could subscribe some noble attribute to my insomnia. You know, like I was up thinking about some philosophical problem. Or maybe I could say that I was just busy, but that's not the case either. Truth be told, I'm awake just for the sake of being awake. I'm not doing anything that could be considered fun or worthwhile. I'm just watching the clock on my cable box get later and later. Maybe if I was depressed that would be a good excuse, like I can't sleep because I'm sad. Nope, I'm cool, nothing's bothering me. I want to go to sleep, but I can't. What's stopping me? I wish I knew b/c this is getting old. Rather I'm getting old. I can't function on 2 hours sleep like I used to when I was 21. I might as well not even go to sleep b/c before I know it, it'll be time to wake up. I'm notorious for hitting the snooze button and going back to sleep but I can't do that today. I got things to do. I need to get a haircut in the morning and I can't be late for work today, b/c I have a meeting at 10:30, a conference call at 11:30 and all kinds of other stuff to do before the weekend. Even worse, I know I'm gonna hear "why are your eyes so red?" all day. Because I didn't go to sleep last night. So, buttafly, if you read this before you see me there's your answer. Don't bother asking me b/c I get cranky when I'm tired. Last time, I stayed up all night I wrote this. This time I am rambling on and on about nothing. Like a Faulkner novel, this is some stream of consciousness writing. Damn, it's 7:25 now. I definitely am not going to sleep. Might as well start getting ready for my day.

It was written...

All Falls Down

Inspiration - All Falls Down - Kanye West

What I'm Listening To: I'm at work so I am listening to my co workers complain

Question(s) I asked myself today: "What happened? Today was supposed to be a good day"

My manager and my manager's manager were both out of the office today. That means that I'm in charge today and don't have to answer to anyone. What it really means is that I came in to work today ready to do nothing, nada, zilch, not a damn thing. I envisioned myself sitting around all day reading blogs and writing. But you know what they say about "best laid plans." As soon as I stepped foot in the building, it all went to hell. Without going into too much detail, I had HR issues from jump. This dude has a girl harassing him, telling all his personal information and threatening to bring the police to the workplace b/c he allegedly claimed her kids on his tax return. Too much drama for me first thing in the morning. Then, I realized that I had 5 employees call out sick today, so needless to say, your boy had to scramble to pick up their slack. Then there were all kind of computer problems I had to deal with. So, my planned day of nothingness turned into a busy day. That's it for now, I'm about to head out to my sisters house to play with her baby and see my mother. I hope tomorrow is a better day.

It was written...

CD MIX CHALLENGE

Nikki has presented me with a CD Mix Challenge. When you get done reading my ish, check out her answers to these questions. You can also post your answers to this challenge in the comments section:

1. A favorite political track:
"Self Destruction" This was my ish back in the day. The beat was banging and I liked the fact that so many different rappers took part in this.

2. One of those tracks that make you dance on the dancefloor no matter what:
If I could dance, it would be "Children's Story" by Slick Rick. This joint makes me wanna do the Kid N Play kickstep

3. The song you'd use to tell someone you love them:
Ribbon in the Sky - Stevie Wonder. This is one of my favorite songs...EVER.

4. A song that has made you sit down and analyze its lyrics:
I have 2 that songs that I have analyzed recently: 1. "The Truth" by india.arie. I had heard this song many times, but never really paid attention to the words: "I remember the very first day that I saw him/I found myself immediately intrigued by him/Its almost like I knew this man from another life/Like back then maybe I was his husband and maybe he was my wife"
2. "Sanctified Lady" by Marvin Gaye. "some girls suck, some girls wont, some girls f*ck some girls don't" he also had a line that went "boyfriend there, girlfriend there/ herpes bug everywhere." I was tripping when I heard that.

5. A song that you like, that a two year old would like as well:
I guess kids would find "Gold Digger" a catchy tune.

6. A song that gives you an energy boost:
"Glaciers of Ice" - Raekwon. This is my official get crunk hype song. I listen to this whenever I have to do something that I don't want to do.

7. A song that you and your grandparents (would probably) like:
My grandma only listens to gospel now, and I um don't. I guess we can connect on some old Sinatra or something, so I'll say "It Was a Very Good Year."

8. A song that you really liked when you were 14 - 16 and still really like now
Way too many to mention, but I'll go R&B and say Troop's version of "All I Do is Think of You"

9. A sad song that would be in the soundtrack of the movie about you life
"Sometimes it Snows in April" by Prince. I'm a huge Prince fan and that was about the saddest song I can think of.

10 A peppy song that would start the opening credits of the movie about your life
Me Myself And I - De La Soul. I like to be original and that song would set the tone for the entire flick.

11 A good song from a genre of music that no one would guess that you liked:
Am I really going to put this out here? I guess I have to. Mr "I hate pop" actually likes "I Want It That Way" by the Backstreet Boys.

12 A song that you think should have been playing when you were born
"Thus spake Zarathustra" That's that sh*t from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Just a real dramatic way to introduce Casanova to the world

13 A favorite artist duo collaboration
I should respect the classics and say Donny and Roberta, but i'm gonna say K- Ci and Mary J. "If Loving You is All that I have to Do"

14 A favorite song that you completely disagree with (politically, morally, commonsensically, religiously etc)
Anything by Young Jeezy (the Snowman). I love this album, but brother takes glorifying the whole crack game to a new level.

15 The song that you like despite the fact that your IQ level drops several points every time you listen to it
Wait (The Whisper Song) by Ying Yang Twins. I know, I know. But living in Atlanta, you couldnt get away from this song and it eventually broke me down.

16 Your smooth song, for relaxing
A Long Walk by Jill Scott. Hell, anything by Jilly from Philly is my smooth song.

17 A song you would send to someone you hate or are mad at
"Kill You" by Eminem. It has a clear message but also is funny as hell.

18 A favorite track from an outfit considered a "super-group"
"My Body" by LSG. or "Phone Tap" by the Firm.

19 A song that makes you reminisce about good times with a family member
Knee Deep by Parliament. This joint reminds me of hanging out with my father when I was about 5. Good times sitting on his lap and learning to mix records.

20 Your favorite song at this moment in time
"We Major" Kanye West and Nas