Grant Me Wisdom

I wanted to give readers something to ponder as they start their weekend journey. Be safe.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. --Lao Tzu

Common sense is very uncommon.

Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement.

If you wish to succeed, consult three old people.

Those of you who think you know everything are annoying those of us who do.

Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clear to the bone.

and finally...

If you wanna feel funky, feel free. But please don't spread that funk on me!

Have a great weekend!

My Drug Of Choice

I think that I am getting an overdose from chocolate.
I can never get enough.
Women speak of her pleasures all the time
but I'm one of her biggest fans from back in the day.
When I was in high school I would hang out after school
indulging in a chocolate medley that I still can't shake.
I could never eat her fast.
Uhh uhh...I would suck and lick until my heart was content.
I can still taste remnants of her on my lips as I lick.
I'm hooked for life and geekin' right now!
I'll never let her go
She is forever my concubine

Me And Baby Brother

I am so happy that it's Friday! I have no plans yet, but sometimes that's a good thing. I have to clear out of my place by the end of the month so I'll be wrapping things up on that end in DC. I've had to make a lot of adjustments for the last couple of months, but things are running smoothly. I've made some important decisions lately conerning my career and school. I've decided that I am definitely going back into the classroom to teach. I was teaching high school English before I started working at my current job (I currently work in publishing and it has reminded me of why I left a corporate setting in the first damn place! What in the hell am I doing here?) Anyway, it is definitely time to get back to what I need to be doing...teaching. I feel that I definitely needed this break though. I've accomplished many of my personal goals while working in publishing. I've also made a solid decision to pursue my writing as more than just a hobby! So, I am looking into applying for a couple of writing programs in the DC metro area. I only pray for the wisdom, strength, discipline and patience to accomplish all that I am meant to do. Anyway, I hope that you have a great weekend and that you are either working on or accomplishing all that your heart is made of. Peace~

Honorable Mention: (Speaking of accomplishments) My younger brother has a spot on MySpace now. He is just doing his thing and promoting his recent cd. He has a different way of expressing himself that I think most of you would enjoy. I love it!

In Honor Of Black History

This is a poem that one of my good friends in Georgia wrote yesterday. I call him the Fresh Prince of the town that he lives because of his name, Will Smith. :)
We were tighter than Thelma's pants on Good Times when we were in college at Savannah State. Now, we're brothers and most of all family. This is his poetry dedicated to Black History and the Black experience.




BLACK ALL THE TIME



38 YEARS HAVE PASSED ME BY
STILL THE SAME COLOR, I USED NO DYE
I CELEBRATE MY HISTORY 365 DAYS OF THE YEAR
I AM STILL BLACK WITHOUT ANY FEAR

EVERY HOUR, MINUTE AND SECOND OF THE DAYS
I WILL STAY STRONG AND TRUE TO MY BLACK WAYS
NO ONE CAN PUT A TIME FRAME ON WHEN TO CELEBRATE OUR LEGACY
THEREFORE, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS LET US REJOICE BEYOND FEBRUARY

BORN BLACK WITH A PURPOSE AND PROUD TO BE DOWN
GLAD TO LET THE WORLD HEAR MY CRY AND HEAR MY JOYOUS SOUND
BECAUSE THE LAST TIME I CHECKED, BLACKNESS IS MINE
SO DON’T LOOK AT ME WITH CROSSED-EYES…
I AM BLACK ALL THE TIME.


WILL SMITH
FEBRUARY 8, 2006

Until Next Season...

No more Sunday football???? AAUGH!!

I know that I never talk about it on my blog, but I love football. **sad face** Stop hatin' Lucy!

Also, congrats to Pittsburgh Steeler fans!

Friday In DC

Friday is finally here. It's a sort of a rainy Friday here in DC, but that's cool. The temperature is really mild for this time of year so I wore the light jacket and hat that you see on my photo. I'm a man of many hats and jackets. I have to keep this bald head warm in the Winter. However, I do like the occasional feel of a cool rain on my head. :-) I am looking forward to relaxing this weekend and, of course, watching the Super Bowl. I think that I'm going with Pittsburgh?? I'll decide while the game is in progress. It'll depend on my mood. I think that I will just watch it at home with family instead of a party or sports bar. Anyway, happy Friday and I hope that it's not raining where you are, but maybe you're like me and you don't mind the rain. Rainy days always remind me of Marvin Gaye's (DC's Own) album, What's Going On. Yes, the entire album. I say album because if you get a chance to see the original album there's a picture of Marvin on the inside wearing a dark overcoat and he is walking in the rain. He has a pensive look on his face. Anyway, be safe and have a great weekend.

Frank Brown (A.K.A. Uncle Ben???)

Did you know that Uncle Ben was a real person? We really don't care who is fact or fiction when we want some rice to go with those red beans or peas. We just want to eat, right? Well, Uncle Ben was a African American rice farmer from Texas who won many prizes for his methods and quality in growing rice. I know that most of us think of Asia when it comes to the cultivation and quality of rice, but there was a region in West Africa that Europeans called the "Rice Coast" near Sierra Leone. That area was a strategic focus during the slave trade in the late 1760's because rice was becoming a fast growing industry in America. Uncle Ben's ancestors were most likely victims of the rice boom. Anyway, Uncle Ben's reputation grew and his rice soon became the standard in which all rice would be measured.
How did his face get on the box? Did he start his own company? Well, no. That's not even his face on the box. The face on the box was a man from Chicago named Frank Brown. Frank Brown was a maitre d' at a Chicago restaurant that Gordon L. Harwell frequented in the 1940's. Harwell would later go on to start the Uncle Ben's Converted Rice Company. Anyway, Harwell wanted a face that would sell rice. Black characters were very popular on food products at the turn of the 20th Century because it gave the consumer the illusion that it was straight from "Uncle" and "Aunties" kitchen (good ol' black southern cooking). So, the next time you have yourself a bowl of Uncle Ben's rice just think about that little rice farmer from around Houston that some folks called "Uncle Ben."

Source: The Museum of Public Relations

It is Written

I had a thought this morning concerning the written word as I was riding the train to work. Writing is divine. Did you hear me? I said, writing is divine. Those words rolled over and over in my head as the train moved from station to station. My thoughts were centered on the creator and it was revealed to me that writing is one of the many gifts that God gives us.

I know...duh! :)

However, the epiphany is that writing, in the spiritual realm, is divine. This is especially true when one takes a look at the holy scriptures (Torah, Bible, Koran, etc...). The words in these books were written by people who saw a divine purpose to spread the "word" of God. They were ordained to write the word. That's it! It's the "word" that is so divine. The written and the spoken word.

I really like what the Rev., William A. Jones, Jr. said about the written word. In his book, God In The Ghetto he wrote: "...My God's writing all the time. But there are times when God writes in big, bold characters with powerful punctuation marks. " Reverend Jones then poses the question, "...can we read it?" In short, I look at writing as an imitation of the divine. In writing we are attempting to stimulate, inspire, or excite with the creative formation of words. Ontologically, It explores the very basis of human existence because it was, at one time, one of our limited forms of communication.

Anyway, it's just a thought.

Past Poetry: The Truth

The Truth
By: Stephen Bess
1991

As I sat staring at the white, glowing picture of Jesus
someone spoke to my heart and whispered,

"Don't worship the picture...whorship me."

It's The Weekend Baby!

I'm going to hang out a little bit after work this evening. I want to meet my cousin G. Bess at Busboys on 14th street in DC if he's available. By the way, It's as if Busboys and Poets was specifically designed for Stephen Bess in mind. I am sure that there are many that feel the same. I might roll solo. Otherwise, I am just going to relax this weekend. Oh, I almost forgot...we were invited to dinner Saturday. That should be nice. Anyway, have a great weekend everyone and try to get into a little bit of trouble...just don't hurt nobody...peace~

Too Bad For Barry: The Cocaine Chronicles

Marion Barry has always been under the microscope of the media long before his
exposé in January of 1990 when he was caught on camera smoking crack cocaine. In recent news, the 69 year old former mayor tested positive for cocaine once again. His response to all of the accusations and media hype was, "write what you want to write." The Washington Post and other newspapers did just that. They reported the information that they received from anonymous sources.
Something positive about Marion Barry before the "pipe":
The Barry that I remember as a teenager was a champion of the poor. The one program that I remember most was the Youth Summer Job program that he established for teenagers in the inner-city. That Summer Job Program kept a lot of teens off the streets and a little change in our pockets. In March of 2005 the DC Council voted to substantially increase the number of youth jobs by 2006. Marion Barry is currently serving on the Council for Ward 8 in D.C. The Youth Summer Job program hasn't been seriously looked upon in 15 years.

Take care Mr. Barry.
Sources: msnbc.msn.com and The Washington Post