Terror Alert Level: ORANGE [From the Blackberry Chronicles]

Sidenote such a double entendre, other than the fact that I think the terror alert system is bafoonic, orange is my favorite color. [TEEHEE!!]

Sidernote: I grew up in and still live in Flatbush brooklyn (east flatnbush if u MUST be technical). My terror alert stays in orange. I get out of bed in yellow, orange depending on where I spend the night.

I am truly paranoid, borderline terrified about my bday landing on a weekend this year. I wasn't joking. Do your research on august 15t landing on a weekend and cross reference the weather. All the things I mentioned are 100% true.
So what am I so paranoid about now? Has anyone ever noticed that almost every movie when there's a black president the world witnesses some near cataclysmic extinction level event? "Fifth Element" - Black president. Deep impact - Black president. 24 - Black presidentS!! [now I don't watch 24 or any show for that matter that requires a crack-like addiction unless its a box set of the series, but all I know about 24 is: Jack Bauer rocks! The presidents are black, and every day the world or at least America is almost destroyed.]

So what makes this birthday any different? We actually have a black president!!!!! Last night rained on day one but it looks like clear sky's for two days. We'll see....

Sidenote: If you ever planned an event, you understand what a nightmare it can be, so imagine planning 3 events back to back? It doesn't surprise me bc two things I love to do is party and plan/organize things........but you'd never guess that if you saw my bedroom.

Sent via Raphael  "I am Raphael Charles and I approve this message"

Raphael Birthday Season...09

So people get amused, puzzled, shocked, and flat out "huh'd" when I tell them that the official observance of Raphael Birthday Season, is from August first until the Tuesday after Labor Day (marked from Toronto's carnival to Brooklyn's Labor day Caribbean parade). I make a big deal of my bday and honestly don't understand why most ppl don't . In a marriage, one of the most important dates btwn a couple is the marriage bc it marks the date your lives together officially started..................what could possibly be more important and celebrated to an individual than the date THEY started? The day to which all things have followed. I'm pretty sure there are some hallmarks in a lifetime......some great sentences and chapters and pages............but you got to somehow get passed the first page........no?

Sidenote: Yes I meant to say the Brooklyn Caribbean "Parade"..........NOT "CARNIVAL!!!" remind me to explain the zillions of reasons why its a "Parade" and not a "Carnival" bc that is entirely another conversation and I don't want to get vex right now.

Sidernote: Funny enough, my Leo comrades seem to be amongst the minority that not only see absolutely nothing wrong with it...but thinking its a great idea and wonder why they didn't think of it.

Apple Sidernote: August must mean "arrogant" in some language. I swear. You late July ppl fall into this category too. Even it's origins are arrogate HISTORY LESSON: We originally had 10 months but the roman emperors Julius and Augustus added months and named em after themselves.

HOWEVER!! Although I love to celebrate (DEY CALL ME BAACHANAL!!)

....ahem...I'm more concerned with seeing all the ppl I care about come out and have a good time. Some ppl I only see once a year on my bday party. Some can only stay for an hour or just pass by to say hi and have to leave. That's the more enriching part of the festivities for me. SOOOOOOO, this week we culminate in a three-day, three nights of partying known as Raphael Birthday Week. Vol.9..........bc it's the 9th one since I hit 21...get it?

Why so many dates?? Because when I had parties in the week turnout was great, but many ppl complained and cussed me. 2006 caused everyone to get to work late on Friday. When I had parties on weekends, ppl were out of town.........and complained. Ironically, my first weekend party was in 07 and not at a club, so it was free, and had the lowest turnout of all 8 parties. SO, how about we all just celebrate whenever, wherever you can? It's not just about me, everyone has to have a good time.

Pray for me and wish us all well. My bday usually falls on a weekday, but the few times it's landed on a weekend, some extinction level event/natural disaster calamity always happened. I am one of the few ppl who will remember the exact date and time of the major northeastern black out......approx 3pm, August 14th 2003. Why bc it was the day before my bday, so that year we couldn't go out (all restaurants and bars were without power for 24+ hours and mass transit was still down). And the absolute last neighborhood to get power in all of the Tri-State area was the 10 block radius around my home......not even, bc my friend 3 blocks east on the same block had power. I felt like the bully kid Nelson from The Simpsons was on the radio station laughing at me.

Last year we had tornadoes, flooding AND HAIL in the tri-state area..........that is New York, New Jersey and Connecticut some of you........and did I mention this was August when we had the hail..... (cant make this up, look it up). It gets better. I chose a venue that I later found out some lady was murdered in there 4 days before the date of my party (some real law and order business, it was quite a case with employees, etc) but they were going to have the event anyway. Well maybe she haunted the place bc amidst the hailstorm.....in nyc...in august, the roof caved in and it began raining inside the club, so the event shut down and we had to move our venue at 7pm the day of.....and my Internet connection was down so my friend and I spent 2 hours just calling and txting ppl (cant make this stuff up) so expect the un-expected this weekend.

Sidenote: The parties are always ROCKING!!! and none of my invites or attendees were ever harmed, except for me during the blackout when I got hit btwn the eyes with a peach...but that's another conversation. So sad. Most ppl just go out and have fun. I have to earn it.

WestSIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDEnote: It really is a sad day when a reality is more ellaborate, comical and bazarre than anything you creatively try to concieve.

Sigh........forecast already calls for rain....good one God.

THE QUITTER DISCOVERED!!!!

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!!! I have uncovered the culprit!!

Low and behold quitter, I know you're out there!! I know who you are. But for security purposes, I will not reveal the identity. I don't particularly have a gray area in my personality. I'm either extremely silly or extremely serious. Extremely nice, or extremely mean.

Sidenote: I kid, I kid, it's not that serious. I just have a bad habit of really overdoing good joke.

Sidernote: Why the hell is there no phonetic differentiation between "grey" and "gray?" I thought it was "grey" but big fansy shmansy spellcheck over here (which apparently doesn't even have "spellcheck"........or "doesn't"..........but apparently "shmancy" - PROOFREAD CHILDREN!!!) is bullying me towards "gray" but according to any dictionary there is no right or wrong. I never knew that.

So quitter, I forgive you.....and although it hasn't happened yet, mark my word.........yo back will itch!!

But continuing the conversation, every year, I make a big deal about my bday. But its taught me a lot about ppl over the years. I usually invite about 2-300+ ppl out to said party. For a myriad of reasons, about 80-100 will respond within the 1-2 week window. Of that number, about 30-40 ppl will show up. Do you think I focus on the dozens of ppl who decline or never even respond to the invite? Do you think I dwell on the ppl who say they will show up and don't?

The most important ppl are the ppl who show up and are right in front of you......and always do.

I AM NOT A FAN!!!

One of the glorious things about FaceBook is that is has tons of applications that can allow an almost infinite spectrum of user possibility. To each is own, and that's wonderful. However, just bc you're in love with a particular app, doesn't change the fact that some of us find it 100% absolutely asinine.

Sidenote: Not to mention that the agreement to accept the app gives authorization to these third party (non facebook) companies who make the app, to use all your personal information you post on your facebook page at their discretion, but that's another conversation [see previously on "My $0.02" - TOS: Facebook owns you. Get over it. Here's how.]

So out of respect, please keep your invites and suggestions to yourself. My biggest current pet peeve: "FAN PAGES!"

I could understand you wanting to be a fan of billy joel, and missy elliot, elliot spitzer, hugo weaving, or some notable personality or viable cause, but some of these are downright ridiculous!! Every day, I'm confronted with newer and worser shake-my-headism and tomfoolery. So just in case you thought I was on the fence and you had high hopes and aspirations of swaying me, let me make it clear. I am not, nor will ever, in the near conceivable future (and or), will be a fan of:
Sunny days
Texting
Hating Mosquitos
Hating Mondays
Drake
Twitter
Pizza
Oxygen

I am a fan of the following, but don't need an app to exercise this:
Naps [short intervals of sleep that is.......but I sure do love nappy hair]
God
The Bible
Jesus
Cake
Blackberry
Hugs
Chocolate
Either Obamas
Black hair
Good sex

The funniest thing, I didn't have to be creative or outlandish to write this one. These are actual facebook fan pages that have either randomly popped up or ppl have suggested to me. HMMPH!!

And one last jab: quizes. God bless you that you have so much free time, but I honestly don't care what diva, "Friday" Character, Shoe, Sex style, wifey material, how long you last in the hood, what day of the week, cocktail, what island or part of brooklyn you are from [sidenote: do you really need a facebook quiz to affirm this?] what 80's movie, what comic character or which Cosby kid Facebook thinks you are.

Thank you!

Quitters Never win!!

Don't think I didn't notice my following go from 7 to 8 and back to 7 and now 8 again. For the quitter out there, I hope your back itches you, in an awkward patch of area that your hands cant reach! LMAO jk,....but not entirely.

I was once told, "the most important ppl are the ones right in front you you." Ever go to a party, meeting or a conference call and the host is all like, "we're still waiting for a few ppl to get started," like you're on-time-showing-up ass aint important! HMMPH! We waist entirely too much time trying to figure out what we don't have or who we don't have or why we can't have someone or thing that we lose focus and neglect all the gems and precious individuals we do have in our lives.

Thank you loyal readers. I cherish you :)

p.s. I really and truly do hope yo back ITCHES!!! and there's no back scratcher or anyone for MILES!! :)

Questions?

Sidenote: This is followed by 3 actual new (well to you all that is) blogs. This one just counts as a brain fart.

Why do ppl ask you "can I ask you a question," rather than ask you the question they intend to ask you? I'm a jerk, so my response is usually, "no, you just asked me one" so perhaps the your initial question should be "can I ask you two questions?" AND, what are you really going to do if I say no? Not ask me?

Why do ppl say, "I need to tell you something" rather than saying the something that they need to tell you? At least that's better than, "we need to talk." Those words are the kiss of death, because I have yet to have something positive or enjoyable proceed after "we need to talk." Maybe you have, but not me.

Moral of the story, SHUT UP AND SAY IT!! (quite an oxymoron but I like it) That's like saying, "this will make you mad" or "I hope you don't get mad" bc 9 out of 10 times, I end up getting mad. Either its psychological or ppl just know what will upset me and love to do so anyways. Iono, haven't figured that one out yet.

Other notable "kiss-of-deaths that no good can ever come out of":
"What had happened was....." Once, that comes out of your mouth, I don't even want to hear the rest bc you may as well say, "the moronic thing that happened was....." or "my excuse is..." I had a junior high school gym teacher that used to always say: "Excuses, excuses. They explain, but they don't excuse." - Mr. Clarke

"I got this/you" This is the most non-reassuring statement one can possibly make to me. The sad thing is, that ppl who usually say this, usually don't "got you," or "have this." It comes out of a sense of arrogance and I'd rather you ask for help or ask questions than assume "you got this" and noz the whole thing up........sigh. I digress.

Please add this to the list of your vocabulary omissions. Thank you!

Killer savings on VCR's, the best darn vinyl records ever and other antiquated technologies going down the tubes.....PART III

Previously on "My $02.02"..............Killer savings on VCR's, the best darn vinyl records ever and other antiquated technologies going down the tubes.....PART II
and
Killer savings on VCR's, the best darn vinyl records ever and other antiquated technologies going down the tubes.....

This tv revolution is getting really ridiculous. I shopped around, did my research and got a 1080p LCD HDTV last winter. Cool. Now I'm not to big on endorsements (bc ppl usually get paid for those) so I won't spec out any particular brands or makes. Mine is....ummm....a good one. But I will say this, remember these three letters when looking for your next TV........L...............E................D!!

Oh my stars and garters! I happened to walk by....errr..uuhh... an electronic equipment selling establishment, killing some time waiting on someone when my visual life was changed irreparably. I saw the LED tv and all its orgasmic optical glory. Now I have yet to get a blue ray bc off of my....errr...uhhh.....video game console, that plays high def movies........rivals blue ray quality. I've seen blueray, I've seen...[insert quality tv brand] tv's at their finest for sports, games and movies. Believe me when I tell you LED is the finest quality I've ever seen on anything. Not to mention the total depth of the tv is less than 2 inches. Its like watching a high def pizza.

I sat there for about 15 minutes watching the in-store display. One video had clips of various famous movies and games in LED quality. Then I spent about 5 minutes watching this guy do track n field in slow mo as well as some lady doing a ribbon dance. I wish I could take that memory, bottle it and sell it. If I could, I would lend you my eyes, take my head off my shoulders, and put it on yours so you could see the memory and experience I had. That picture quality was so damn good, I don't even want to use my eyes anymore. It would probably be a lot more fun to close my eyes, record real life and watch it on an LED tv than it would be to actually watch it myself.

The turn around rate of technology these days is at an insane all time low. Most phones become obsolete in under a year, or less if we consider battery life. I usually wait three years as a rule of thumb with any new technology and of late, many things I wanted to purchased have either become obsolete in the last three year or been surpassed, and ultimately given a death sentence. Don't be surprised if you start seeing a few plasma tv's and LCD's sitting on the sidewalk on garbage day pretty soon.

Sign of the times. [Throw back]

Prologue:
I was actually looking for this post to reference-link it in my last blog, however when I couldn't find it, I realized that I wrote it on another website. This is one of the first blogs I ever wrote (that I still have record of). It's been almost three years but I had a similar experience when I told you guys about Virgin Megastore closing down. So many memories gone....well, lets take it back.....

Wednesday, October 11, 2006 at 1:47pm | Edit Note | Delete

The following is a random brain fart/potential topic starter. Some of you may or may not know this but I have a "little" fascination with tracking businesses, marketting, technology and trends. Feel free to expound.


FYI, TOWER RECORDS IS GOING OUT OF BUSINESS. IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED, THEY HAVE A SALE OF UP TO 30%.

How does a staple of pop culture just fade away? Kinda sad when a company can't keep up with trends, and the moving world around it renders it obsolete. Pesonally, I'm partially responsible. I haven't bought a cd in 4 years (and it was a capoeira cd with music I couldn't find online so add 2 years for regular music). I haven't purchased a movie in 6 months since I installed a 300 gig Hard drive and discovered blockbuster online.

Imagine how many people are losing a job and thier way of life because of recent shifts in technology? Talk about history repeating itself, we're witnessing the modern day vinyl record and camera obscura.

I once heard a story which I find hilarious and relevant (imagine it in a jamaican accent)

A man met his friend who appeared disturbed. Naturally he asked, "why?" His friend was about to be deported. Once again, "why?"
"I tried to stow-away on a boat to England. I painted my body green and hid amongst the green bananas"
"So how did you get caught? How did they find you?"
"Well, by the time the boat got to England, I was still green and all the bananas turned yellow."

Moral of the story: this world is constantly changing and if you don't grow, change, adapt and evolve, you will be exposed.

-My $0.02

I also revisited it again at some point last year......

I ran across this old post and I laugh about its parallel to today's context. I originally thought about it bc of ppl who keep crying over the new facebook, but tower records is a good example of how corporate greed can sink an empire.

A CD cost approximately $0.49 to burn (and that figure is from the 90's so its pennies today) and money is taken out of the artist's share to pay for the art design and publishing.............SO WHY THE HELL DO CD's STILL COST $16-$20!?!?!?!?

October 1, 2008 at 3:28pm · Delete