Life in the Chocolate City

Summertime Crack

2009-07-15T22:57:00.008-04:00

If you're one of those folks who have been in hibernation since Jimmy Carter went back to his peanut farm in 1981, you may not be aware of what crack is. Before reading this entry, feel free to sign up for Netflix and add New Jack City, Deep Cover & Training Day to your queue. Erol's Video is no longer around and we have these cool digital discs called DVD's now. Check your local electronics store to get a DVD player.

Now for my people who know the deal, I will proceed. When you hear the word crack, a few things may come to mind. Let me give a few quick examples. Someone who need not have on something that reveals their partition split along the backside. Could be the plumber working in your house with the tool belt and loose jeans or maybe your neighbor mowing their lawn at 7am on Saturday morning in their cheap sweats. Quite possibly it might be a woman on your job with the muffin top squeezing into something that doesn't quite fit her. Makes the 'butt on your back' reference truly come to life... in a bad horrific way. If you're at the beach or nightclub you may see something that catch your eye in a good way. I'll move on from that though. Feel free to use your imagination. In lieu of portraying people, I'll allow this apple to serve as my exhibit in this case. LOL!!!

You might reflect back onto your days of drinking alcohol in the late 80's or early 90's and something called Cisco. That stuff was so potent that it was considered to be liquid crack. Many folks woke up kissing the porcelain with their heads buried in the commode after a night of Cisco indulgence. It's not like the stuff was any good, but the lure of it was the cost. You didn't have to spend more than $5 to get twisted... and sick.

You may hear the voice of Whitney Houston from an interview with Diane Sawyer in 2002 reminding you that "Crack is wack".

If you're a fan of Chappelle's Show, you'll recall a brotha by the name of Tyrone Biggums. That dude is a true crackhead. You may have bought a steaming hot TV or laptop off a cat like this around the way for like $50 or maybe a 6 pack of tube socks for 35 cents. Well, not you personally cuz we're all Christians and don't buy known stolen goods from drug addicts right? Anyway, this is a guy who said "Y'all act like crack is so bad". Here's a brief clip of him in action.

When I talk about summertime crack, I'm not talking about rock cocaine or drugs. I'm sure most of y'all get that point. I'm basically talking about things that your addicted to. But it's not a normal addiction. It's one where you become a fiend for whatever that particular 'crack' is. I'm talkin' bout that Pookie from New Jack City feenin'. Y'all know how bad my man Pookie was. I mean, just look at him. Crack was calling him by his full government name. In his own words "I tried to kick... but it be callin' me, man... I just got to go to it!"

The hot weather always brings forth something that we tend to crave with regularity. Generally for me it's a food or drink that I tend to gouge during the humid days. But it's not entirely limited to the consumption of calories alone. For you it might be a certain activity or event, maybe a TV series that's on between Memorial Day & Labor Day. Anyway, I've got a handful, but will limit my list to the 3 most prominent. These are things that I will not do without. I gotta have them!!!

1. Rainier Cherries - These things are so sweet, gotta love them. They're expensive, but I've been catching them on sale this summer at a number of grocery store. I eat these things every single day. I drive with a plastic baggie full of them sitting in the center console. Just follow the trail of stems and seeds in the road and you're destined to discover where I am. I also eat them at my desk in the office. That's one of my favorite snacks.

2. Simply Raspberry Lemonade - Liquid non-alcoholic crack!!!! I was already a fiend for the regular Simply Lemonade, but when this hit the shelves in the Spring, I was all over it. I stay on the 2/$4 specials at Giant or Safeway. I must have this in the house at all times. A brotha loves lemonade. The Santa Cruz Organic Mango Lemonade is slammin too!!!! If you're not up on these lemonades, my condolences.

3. Häagen-Dazs Sorbet - I started off one week just buying one peach and one strawberry. They were so good that I decided to get some more. Problem was that I couldn't decide which one or two or three to buy. So I just bought all the flavors that I wanted. It's nice to have a deep freezer. Now I can just stack the frozen desserts of choice. If you wanna get real jazzy, pour some ginger ale in a cup and toss 2 scoops of sorbet in it. That's some goodness right there playa!!!

The first step in therapy is admitting to the addiction. I've done that and definitely feel better about getting that off my chest. The mic is now yours. Feel free to talk about whatever your summertime crack is...

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

Only My Folks...

2009-07-13T07:23:00.012-04:00

I celebrated my 37th birthday this past Saturday. As with most birthdays and Christmas holidays, I tend to open cards and gifts later on in the afternoon or evening. I don't know why I do it, it's just a habit. I had a birthday card from the wife, a card from grandma in NY and a card from my Dad who lives in North Carolina. The cards that came from NY & NC via the mail had been sitting for a few days prior to my birthday. Well, I totally forgot to open my cards on Saturday as we weren't in the house too much until late evening. Sunday rolls around and we went to church as we do each Sunday. We arrived back home and I threw on some appropriate gear to check out a kickball game out Walker Mill Park. Came back home and decided to lounge for a minute. I still hadn't opened the birthday cards.

Ma and her husband come by the house later in the afternoon. I gave them a quick tour of the nursery area, offered them some Simply Raspberry Lemonade and we all sat down in the family room. As we're sitting down on the couch, Ma comes over and hands me a card. At this point my wife reminded me that I hadn't even opened the ones that had been sitting. So she brought all of them over to me. Since Ma had just given me hers and was sitting right there, I opened that one first. It read as follows...

Son, there are so many things I want for you – so many wishes in my heart as I watch you grow into your own life... I wish you a world of adventure and experience ~ and also the serenity that comes from listening to your inner voice as the world rushes around you...

I wish you the strength to face challenges with confidence – along with the wisdom to choose your battles carefully... I wish you the satisfaction of seeing your goals achieved and also the true contentment that is born of simple things ~ work well done, friends well-loved, moments caught and cherished.

And my greatest wish is that you will always remember how much you are loved – for you are a good and caring person... a man I am proud to have for a son.

Happy Birthday

I thought it was a pretty nice card. I placed the Panera Bread gift card and cash on the end table next to the couch and read it once again. Once I completed reading, I thanked Ma for the card and them jointly for the gifts enclosed. I then went to the next card in the stack which was from my wife. She gave me a cool card that had a pretty funny message. I'll leave it at that. :) Next in the stack was the card from Pops. I removed it from the envelope and began to read it...

Son, there are so many things I want for you – so many wishes in my heart as I watch you grow into your own life... I wish you a world of adventure and experience.......

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa... Awwwwww maaaaaaaaaan!!!" I hollered. All three of them looked over towards me to see why I was laughing hysterically and shaking my head. At this point I held up both birthday cards. The cards given to me from both Mom & Dad were exactly the same.

Now folks, you have to understand that Pop lives in Carolina and has been there since '84. My Mom has been in the MD-DC area my entire life. Aside from significant events that surround me, I'm pretty sure that they don't communicate directly. I immediately reflected back to my graduation from Howard when my folks have another one of those "Awwwwwwwww maaaaaaaaaaaaaan are you serious?" moments. Once I received my degree and stepped from the stage, I was greeted by my Dad. He had just flown in from National Airport, was fresh out of the taxi cab and still had his suitcase in hand. He was wearing a red golf shirt and black slacks.

(yes, I went through my graduation video last night & took the still images... lol)

As I maneuvered through the crowd, I saw Ma. She had on a black blouse, red jacket and black pants. When she saw what my Dad had on her jaw dropped. I busted out laughing.

Trust me on this. There's no way in the world that either one of them would've coordinated with the other in a fashion sense. We all still shake our heads til this day on that one.

The whole thing with the birthday cards, took me back to fun memories I had as a kid. Although my parents divorced when I was very young, I still recall moments where they did things similar. As an adult, I look in the mirror at times and remind myself how I am like them in various ways. I guess these funny situations only add to the mystique of the similarities that our parents have and things we acquire from them as life moves forward. It's great to have 'shake your head' moments that you can reflect and laugh about as you get older. Ma says she went through a handful of cards before she picked that one. When I called Dad and told him what happened, he couldn't believe it. He swears up and down that he spent forever in the CVS until he found the card that was perfect. What can I say? Being the common denominator means something I guess. If nothing else, I know that my parents both love me and are proud of my accomplishments. Trust that I love them and appreciate all their love and support over the years.

I know I can't be the only one who has funny stories of parents who did in a similar fashion... by accident. If you got any, feel free to share.

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

"Next time you write about Steve McNair, drop your stone"

2009-07-10T11:34:00.003-04:00

"...Next time you write about Steve McNair, drop your stone. Next time you text somebody, drop your stone. The next time you Twitter, drop your stone." - Bishop Joseph Walker III

I think at this point we're all aware of the circumstances surrounding the death for former NFL QB Steve McNair. I don't think I need to expand upon that any further. I decided to watch his memorial service on my laptop last night. While watching the it, the words from his pastor Bishop Joseph W Walker of Mount Zion Baptist Church of Nashville really hit home in so many ways. If you're familiar with the story in the New Testament of the Bible, religious leaders brought an adulterous woman to Jesus and suggested to him that she be stoned. The story can be found in the 8th chapter of John. Read the 7th verse of that chapter where Jesus responded to them "He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone". That aint nothing but the truth folks.

I kinda reflected for a moment on my life. None of us are perfect and we've all made mistakes. Sadly the ones made by Steve McNair ended with tragic consequences. God forbid any of us have our lives put on display and salacious activities we've promise to take to our graves are revealed.

I didn't know Steve. I had never met him, but he always seemed to be smiling when shown on TV. From the testimony of friends at the memorial service last night, he was a good brotha. He did a lot to help folks from contributing time and money to the Boys & Girls Club to assisting Hurricane Katrina victims. It is very apparent that he touched many lives in a positive way.

From what I saw on the football field, that brotha was a warrior. I still recall a Tennessee Oilers vs Baltimore Ravens game I went to in '98. McNair ran for a 40 yd touchdown in that game. He had many TD's runs like that exact one throughout his entire career. It was something to see live from the 20 yd line. Back in the days when I used to wear jerseys a lot, I copped a Titans #9. Best believe I rocked it. No one can deny the man's contributions to the game of football.

I figured I'd share the web stream I had saved from my computer from the memorial service and uploaded Pastor Walker's eulogy in its entirety. I had to break it up in 4 parts to adhere to YouTube standards of 10 min or less. Anyway, here it is. Listen to the words that were spoken.

The circumstances of what led to the death of Steve McNair aren't good... but God is still good!!!!

Read Proverbs 3:5,6 & then holla at me....

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

Michael Jackson Memorial Booklet

2009-07-08T13:35:00.000-04:00

Michael Jackson Memorial Booklet

For those who haven't had the opportunity to see the program from Michael Jackson's Memorial service, feel free to download it at the link above.

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

Let's keep the party going...

2009-07-05T20:48:00.003-04:00

For the last several months, I've contemplated a retirement from blogging. I actually pre-wrote and entry entitled 'Grand Finale', but never published it. Then again, how does one retire from blogging? I mean, it's not a job or something I've done for a long time for income. The thing is, I still have the passion to write. I remember writing in my first journal in the 3rd grade and have been writing ever since. However, the time and energy devoted to posting regularly doesn't allow me to really write online as much as I'd like to.

I started my first weblog on Thu Mar 11, 2004. It wasn't on Blogger or my own website. It was on a messageboard forum that had a thread for those who wished to blog. If you're one of those SOHH or EBL folks, you've seen a lot of growth in a brotha that has changed in so many ways over the years. I talked about a lot of crazy stuff back then. To be honest, my life was kinda unstable at that time in so many ways. I look back on those entries and reflect on how far I've come in just a shade of 5 years. Writing is therapeutic. I love it. As a kid it helped me deal with issues and drama in my life. In a way it helped me express my emotions.

When discussing my desire to stop writing online, I was met with more folks against it than I could believe. I mean, do folks really read stuff I write? I was kinda surprised. Then again, I recall some very personal entries that I shared with the world that touched people. The one that stands out the most is the reflections of my best friend I penned entitled Tribute To A True Friend where I discussed his suicide in '95 and the effect it had upon me. That might've been the most difficult one to share. That was a very traumatic event in my life and I never liked to talk about it a lot. However I received hundreds of emails afterwards. Some from folks who also lost close friends and family to suicide. Some emails from those who felt down on their own lives who contemplated suicide and somehow came across my entry which made them re-think taking their own lives. I'm still astonished at the random emails I get til this day where someone will just say "thanks" for sharing your pain about your friend and what you went through.

The other entry that was written is more of a funny one where I discuss having crooked pinky fingers entitled Crooked with the fact that I had no clue that there was even a medical term for it called Clinodactyly. I swear I've gotten at least an email a week from someone who probably happened to Google the phrases 'crooked fingers', 'crooked pinky' or 'curved pinkies' and came upon my site. It's cool to know there are so many other folks out here who share the same oddity that I do and it kind of makes us the 'crooked' family so to speak. I mean, I get emails from all over the world. Hell, there's even a Facebook group for folks with crooked fingers.

So through the encouragement from family, friends & random emails from folks who were touched in some way by words that were penned, I've decided to continue. I'll do my best to at least give an update a week, but no promises. A brotha is extremely busy these days. But since I've been absent for quite a while, I do have some exciting news to share and opinions to express about what's been going on in the world these days. I suppose I can't ride into the sunset without tipping my hat with a smile.

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

Dream Fulfilled

2009-06-02T21:24:00.001-04:00

Back in December we started on The Road to Peace and Tranquility. I'm happy to report that we've come to the end of that road. But that's not a bad thing. That only signifies that we've arrived at our destination. Life begins anew in more relaxing, less stressful surroundings. I could go into details of issues and annoyances with neighbors at the previous residence, but it's not important anymore. We're home now. It's so quiet, I can hear the birds chirping. I'm talking first thing in the morning when I wake-up, middle of the day and evening when the sun begins to set. It's so beautiful.

From the time contract papers were signed to begin the construction, best believe I checked up on the building progress every step of the way. I'm talking about making sure I stopped by at least once every two weeks during the initial stages of construction in Jan-Feb, pretty much every week in March and up to 3 times a week from April - May. If you ever decide to build, it's essential to make sure that things are done right, trust me. I spent a lot of time going over the property and structure when the project managers and workers were not around. However you choose to go about it is your business. That's just how I handled it.

I have at least a thousand pics from beginning to end, so everything is well documented. Of course I wouldn't dare post all those online, but there's about 30 or so that I'll share. It was kinda fun to really capture the moments. Here's some of the pics of the process from beginning to the closing.

Dec 2008

Feb 2009

March 2009

Being that I've worked in the audio-visual field for quite some time, I did some of the structured wiring myself. I don't advise this unless you know what you're doing. I just couldn't see myself spending $10,000 for Cat5, RG6 & speaker cables, so I snuck in and did a few hours of work for less than $500 in supplies and my own labor. It wasn't easy, trust that. But I did it solo and saved some cash no doubt.

April 2009

Speaking of blessings from up above, I made sure to mark up the house with my favorite Bible verse, Proverbs 3:5,6. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. My grandfather taught me that verse when I was in my early teens when I was dealing with some issues in my life. I never forgot that text from that time period. Trust that I believe every single word of it today.

One day when the walls were open, I went in with a red Sharpie and wrote on the wood frames in the house. Of course all the walls are up now, but I know exactly where all my hidden spaces are. Gotta have some blessings for the rooms when the kids are born ya know.

Understand that I'm trying to make sure that my children don't have to go through what I did. I've moved 22 times in my life. Yeah, I said twenty two. It's been hard. I don't remember staying at one place for more than 6 years. It made life difficult in trying to adapt to new surroundings only to be uprooted constantly. A good number of those moves occurred during my adolescent years, but I've also jumped around a lot as an adult in just the past 10 yrs alone. Moving takes a lot out of you. But in relocating so much, I learned very valuable lessons moving forward for the future.

I vowed to set a foundation in a place where my children can grow and not have worries about where they're going to be one minute to the next. A place where they can have a sense of community, have friends to play with and be set in one school during those elementary years. My happiness lies in knowing that I've struggled, but all that has produced something that I've dreamed of to create a family environment. It didn't come without hard work and won't be maintained without hard work. But I've never been one to take the easy way out of anything. Put that with other blessings that God has provided, along with a beautiful wife and that's enough for me to be happy.

June 2009

In all seriousness, this has been a journey for me and for my family. I only know a few of y'all personally, but in some ways we're a different kinda family... a dysfunctional one at that (just kidding). I hope y'all don't mind me sharing. Trust that it's not to be arrogant or boastful. I'm not rich by far, just blessed... which means more than money. I'm still the lil' kid that dreamed of one day having his own. It's not a 30,000 sq ft mansion or a joint that'll be on MTV Cribs. But after years of struggling and working, I feel a sense of pride to have my own home. God has really blessed us.

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

White House Easter Egg Roll

2009-04-27T07:25:00.001-04:00

I told y'all a few weeks back that I was taking my nieces to the White House for the Easter Egg Roll. Well... here's the recap.

I got up early, early and headed over to my sister's where the girls were ready to go. This pic of them sitting on the couch was taken at 6:10am. So yeah, they had to have been up with me at 5am.

Made the 45 minute drive to downtown DC. Found a parking garage and were on the White House grounds by 7:15am. It was cold out that joint. As you can see, we're bundled up like it was still mid winter.

Made it through Secret Service past the gates around 8:20am and went straight to the Easter Egg Roll line.

If I recall, some point in the day my oldest niece said "I want to be Vice-President!!!". Her look in this photo definitely says that. She looks so proud.

Took a quick pic with all of us. The girls, my sister and me.

Don't ask me who was performing. I just know that the girls had an enjoyable time dancing and jumping around for the next 20 minutes.

They ran to this character. I have no clue who this is. He wasn't around when I was watching morning cartoons... LOL.

Back to the stage where Fergie was performing.

Off to the craft area where they got to work some magic with their hands.

A pic in front of the official sign on the White House grounds.

Another character that I don't know. But trust that they ran to her also. Looks like a sistah...

Rollin' out after a morning of fun. President Barack Obama and family came out shortly after we departed. We still had a great time even though we didn't get to see them.

No sooner had we got back to the car and they.... well you can see... they crashed!!!!

Had to wake them up so they could fill them stomachs. A good uncle doesn't just give them granola bars, a banana and a juice box and then take them back home. It was still breakfast time, so we got full.

The souvenir egg from the White House that each of us got in our gift bags that day.

Hope you enjoyed the quick captions and pics.

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

Didn't I tell ya that DC stood for Dallas Cowboys???!!!

2009-04-15T05:50:00.007-04:00

Ole knucklehead Redskins fan got his jaw jacked yesterday and rightfully so. Now, I'm not an advocate of violence, but in this case the dude deserved to get his butt whooped.

Pedestrian Removes Cowboys Car Flag, Gets Clocked by Motorist - washingtonpost.com

Man Removes Car Flag, Gets Clocked by Motorist

By Martin Weil
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 15, 2009; B04

A man who grabbed a Dallas Cowboys flag from a car in downtown Washington was punched in the face yesterday, startling passersby in an area that is home to lawyers, lobbyists and expensive shops and restaurants.

It occurred about 6 p.m. in the 1700 block of L Street NW, at a site just west of Connecticut Avenue, where few expect fisticuffs. Commuters were hurrying toward the Farragut North Metro station, and the car was stopped in traffic, police and witnesses said.

"It's crazy," said D.C. police Lt. Eric Hayes of the 2nd District. "It doesn't make sense."

But, he said, someone snatched the flag from a car, apparently threw it down, and crossed the street. "By the time he got across, someone exited the car" and struck him in the face, Hayes said.

It might have been motivated by team loyalty, he said. Or the motorist might have been particular about who touched his car.

One witness said she saw a "big tall man walk up to this guy and hit him across the head." Then, she said, the tall man "got back in his car and drove off."

She said that the motorist "just hit the man and walked off" and that he picked up an object from the ground, which might have been the flag.

The man who was hit fell and struck his head on the sidewalk, she said. Ringed by the concerned and the curious, the man lay facedown on the pavement.

"He was out cold for a good five minutes or so," the witness said.

Police said a man was taken from the scene for treatment of a bruised forehead.

Wait a minute, Chris Tucker has something he'd like to say...

That's what I'm talkin' bout. Dude got slumped!!! This story made my day...

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

Monster HDMI cables vs el cheapo HDMI cables

2009-04-06T12:01:00.000-04:00

Listen folks. Most of y'all know that I've worked in AV and multimedia for years now. One thing I felt the need to address was this HDMI cable scam that has folks out here dropping crazy loot. A few of you have gotten caught up in this, so my reason for writing this is so that others don't get jipped.

Digital is digital is digital. As long as it works, it's going to work the same. Monster has always preyed upon consumer ignorance, otherwise they wouldn't survive. Many people are also suckered into buying expensive wires that perform no better than much cheaper alternatives. Let’s say you go to your local electronics store and pick-up a new HD TV set; the salesman desperately wants to sell you those Monster cables because they make a ton of money off them. Monster cables provide an excellent picture, but you can get an alternative which will cost you far less and will look just as good. For example, this 4 foot HDMI cable from Monster which Best Buy sells for $69.99 versus this 4 foot HDMI cable from Monoprice selling for $4.31 which looks just as good. I personally recommend Monoprice.com as a place to buy any types of cables and have been using their cabling almost exclusively for the past 3 years or so.

Do not buy overpriced cables!!!! Did you know it costs Monster just about the same amount of money that most of cables at Monoprice cost to make their product? The mark-up is pure profit. If you think it costs them anywhere near $150 to make an HDMI cable, then you're dreaming! It costs them maybe $5 each at most. They rake in more money then anyone else on their pure profit operation luring unsuspecting average folks into the cable scam every day. It is really sad that so many people fall for their hard pushed sales pitches and glitsy product displays. You are NOT, I repeat, NOT getting a better product buying the "Premium" digital cable. Monster cables do not ever give you a better picture, sound quality, or any other benefits than the cheapest $5 bargain bin HDMI cables. If you don’t get a perfect picture with an HDMI cable, then it is broken - nothing to do with the quality of the cable.

Hope this info was helpful....

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

We're Going To The White House!!!

2009-03-26T22:45:00.004-04:00

Kickin' it with Ronald McDonald at the White House Easter Egg Roll in '81. Pops got me all messed up with the brown cords and the tight maroon jacket.

Yep... that's right. Uncle G. Mo is taking the nieces to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave for the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. If you recall, that is the residence of President Barack Obama and family. I haven't told the girls yet, but best believe that they'll be excited when I inform them. Now most folks are aware that I've got hook-ups from here to Timbuktu, but when it came to copping these tickets, bruh man had to do work. I sat in my office logged onto the White House website for hours. Every 5 minutes or so I'd hit F5 on the 3 different browsers I had open. For the first 3 hrs of trying I got nothing but the "Thank you for your patience" message screen. Around 2:15pm, I had 6 tickets selected once and then got booted. About 10 minutes later I was able to get back on and it went through for the 6 tickets that time. Presto!!! I was in.

My hands started shaking like I had arthritis as I tried to type the pertinent info into the blanks. The excitement of actually getting through the system was what shocked me. I mean, I always believe that I'm going to get whatever I want. But sometimes I end up on the short end of the stick. This time, I got lucky. Seriously, I can't even say it was anything more than that. I didn't get a chance to take the girls to the Inauguration and I was kinda sad about that. So I really wanted to find a way to get them to the White House. This coup today, sealed the deal.

*picks up mic*

Test... 1...2.. See it kinda goes like this. I already knew I was gonna get em before I did. I spoke it into existence. I told myself "Self... we gone get these tickets for the girls to see President Obama at the White House". I said it this morning while eating my cereal. I said it in the car in traffic on 29. I said it when I sat down in the office. It was destiny. You gotta believe... Thank you

*drops mic*

Back in the early 80's when Ronald Reagan was President, my dad used to take me to the White House. I remember those days like they happened yesterday. I didn't care about Democrats and Republicans back then. I just had fun on the lawn with the rest of the kids, the cartoon characters and playing games. That is one experience that I want my own child to have one day as well. But for now, I've got 3 little girls who call me uncle who will be happy to go. Hopefully they'll get souvenirs like I did back in those days. I still have my wooden eggs from '81 & '82.

It's amazing to think I actually kept them that long. As much as I've talked to them about President Obama and the interest that they've shown in him being President, it will be historical for not just them... but me too. Hell, I might be just as excited as they'll be when I tell em. Best believe that I'll be taking plenty of pics of our day.

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

When the Yellow Rice aint yellow

2009-03-24T00:03:00.005-04:00

A brotha was preparing the after work meal at the crib and grabs a box of Zatarain's Yellow Rice as he does on the regular. The directions are quite simple that even a child in kindergarten can figure it out. But on this occasion, things were quite different. One think struck me instantly when the packet in the box was opened. The yellow rice wasn't yellow, it was white. Now, I'm hold "Hold up, what happened to the yellow rice?" They done pulled a switcheroo on me. So I went ahead and cooked as usual and it was aiiight... for white rice. But I bought the yellow for a reason. I wanted yellow. So best believe that I got on the phone with the Zatarain's Consumer Affairs dept and let them know the deal. The lady I spoke with was very polite and apologetic. She stated that they'd send me some free coupons as an olive branch for the inconvenience. 48 hrs later, I had my letter and the coupons. I try to tell folks that writing letters and contacting customer care departments about issues that occur are a necessity.

I have a file of letters I've written for the past 15 years with hard copies as well as on the computer. Ask Pentagon City Mall what happened when I saw a roach in their food court while dining one Saturday afternoon in '94. How about the letter I wrote to Subway corporate 2 yrs ago when I went to get a sandwich at 8:45 and the clowns who were hired to do their jobs til 9pm had closed the doors 15 minutes early and refused to open them as I stood outside patiently for 10 minutes. I contacted General Mills about 10 yrs ago when my Honey Nut Cheerios box had regular Cheerios inside. Let me not forget Comcast HQ in Philly 4 yrs ago when a tech just totally messed up my install. Now their execs send me Christmas cards each year. Want something done? Write a letter or voice your issues with the companies who have 'wronged' you. Screaming, fussing and cursing don't get you anywhere or the issues resolved in most cases. Patience and a calm attitude will get better responses when things happen. Just remember that.

Have you ever opened a product from the grocery store and what you had bought wasn't inside the box or package or it was missing the number that was supposed to be inside??? If so, did you write a letter or contact the customer care dept of the company? Just curious to the experiences of others...

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

"I Beat To My Own Beat"

2009-03-11T17:04:00.002-04:00

You can thank Mr. Terrell Owens for inspiring my latest creation. A web page, soon to be website with the domain name I Beat To My Own Beat Dot Com. Yeah, I had a little bit too much time on my hands last night and what!!!??? I thought about that stupid phrase for 3 days and the bright light came on when I was driving home that I might be able to register it. Did you think for a sec that I wasn't gonna scoop up the domain name off GoDaddy? I'mma full time hustler and on the grind regularly. Gotta find ways to make that cake. Maybe I'll put some effort into the site. Maybe I'll add some guest writers and columns and what not. Who knows. Buffalo Bills fans if you're out there, hit me up. Folks who got $$$ who want the domain, hit me up. I'm out.

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

15 Albums That Changed My Life

2009-02-19T00:06:00.003-05:00

My homie on Facebook hit me with this one, so I figured I'd go ahead and complete the task.

Think of 15 albums, CDs, LPs (if you're over 35) that had such a profound effect on you, that they changed your life or the way you looked at it. They sucked you in and took you over for days, weeks, months, years. These are the albums that you can use to identify time, places, people, emotions. Dig into your soul. Music that brought you to life when you heard it. "Best of" collections are excluded because that would be too easy.

Anyway, it's hard as hard to limit this list to 15. But here goes...

1. Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Car Wash... Mom and I would sing this song and alternate the parts "Hey, get your car washed today"... "Fill up and you don't have to pay"... "Come on and give us a play"..."Do the wash, right away"... and then both sing "Car wash... talkin' bout the car wash" together.

2. Whitney Houston - Whitney Houston... I had a crazy crush crush on Whitney Houston and loved the song "Saving All My Love For You". Next thing ya know she was on Silver Spoons singing it to Dexter. I was mad as hell when they censored "making love the whole night through" and changed it to "holding each other the whole night through" - for the show. You Give Good Love was another song I played relentlessly.

3. Thriller - Michael Jackson... this was my bike riding music... I would get on my Huffy dirt bike and ride with my Walkman down Rhode Island Ave from Peace Cross in Bladensburg to New York Avenue and back... I'd occasionally stop riding and rewind P.Y.T and Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' to the beginning cuz I used to get amped off of those joints.

4. It Takes a Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back - Public Enemy... From Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos to Don't Believe The Hype to Night of the Living Baseheads, I ran around quoting and hollering like Flavor Flav.

5. New Edition - New Edition... I was stingy as hell with this tape... I never let anyone borrow it... I took this tape to camp with me in the Blue Ridge Mountains and listening to I knew every word to Mr. Telephone Man, Cool It Now, My Secret, Kinda Girls We Like and Lost In Love.

6. Destiny - Jackson 5... Just imagine me singing "Don't blame it on sunshine, Don't blame it on moonlight, Don't blame it on good times, Blame it on the boogie", while in my bedroom pretending to be Dr. J as I dunked my Nerf basketball over on the basket hanging over the door. My other favorite song on that album was Shake Your Body. I'd be hollering "Let's dance, Let's shout, Shake you body down to the ground" while emulating Tony Dorsett running into the end zone for the Cowboys.

7. That's the Way of the World - Earth, Wind & Fire... There were a lot of great songs on this album, but that's not why I remember it. I reflect on it cuz when Ma played this one song, it used to scare me. I thought it was a woman crying. Wanna know what that song was??? It was Reasons. I'm sorry, but you couldn't have told me back then that Philip Bailey wasn't a woman singing a sad song. I used to go back in my room and turn the TV up loud so I wouldn't have to hear that song. LOL.

8. Long Live The Kane - Big Daddy Kane... I had a Betamax in my bedroom and recorded the "Aint No Half Steppin" video off BET if I recall and played it nonstop... plus I bought the LP from Waxie Maxie's... in fact, that LP is still in my basement.

9. Take Two - The Brothers of Washington D.C.... I'm sure you're looking like "Who the (blank) are they???... this was an all men's gospel group that my father was a part of in the late 70's, early 80's. I spent many, many years going to Friday night rehearsals and subsequent concerts at various churches across the country. They had 3 albums before my dad left the group, but on this second album I recall being around a great deal during the preparation. On this one they sang Lift Every Voice And Sing, Let Us Break Bread Together, Swing Down Sweet Chariot, This Little Light Of Mine, The Lord's Prayer and a rack of other classics. It's out of print, but lucked up and found the LP in a used record store recently for $3.

10. Let's Do It Again Soundtrack - The Staple Singers... Loved the title song and played this album to death... you hear me!!!???

11. I've Got Love - Melba Moore... Just the recollection of mom singing songs from this album while cleaning the house on Sunday mornings, makes me smile.

12. Straight Outta Compton - NWA... I hated the police and this album didn't exactly make me fond of law enforcement... but best believe that I could've gotten on stage and performed every song word for word and not missed a beat

13. Family Reunion - The O’Jays... I remember running around the house as a kid singing "I Love Music"

14. Inseparable - Natalie Cole... My mom played this album and sang it so much that I thought Natalie Cole was a friend of hers. I know what the album jacket looks like from front to back cuz when I tried to use it as a dust pan, I almost got killed.

15. Original Musiquarium I - Stevie Wonder... So many classic songs on this album. This is technically a compilation album, but the songs I like the most were new tracks "Do I Do", "Ribbon in the Sky" and "That Girl". My cousin used to play this tape so much in her Camaro in '82 that I became addicted to Stevie's music. I know there are a ton of Stevie albums that trump this one, but this one is where I first really became a fan of his music.

Ok, so I finally finished. A great deal of inspiration comes from my parents who both sang a lot back then. They provided me my own record player and from there I just fell in love with a lot of tunes I still love today. That's all...

Peace & Love

G. Mo

Just when you thought...

2009-02-02T11:26:00.002-05:00

(I feel ya Larry... that hurt me too homie)

Football season is officially over with the Steelers victory of the Cardinals last night. Arizona gave us just enough hope in thinking they could pull off the miracle upset. But in the end, we all know the result. I'm aiiight with Mike Tomlin cuz he's a smooth brotha. But I still hate the Steelers!

That's all I got today..

Peace & Love..

G. Mo

Change Has Arrived

2009-01-20T18:18:00.002-05:00

President Barack Obama 2009 Inauguration and Address

Just a beautiful moment in time. A day that I'll never forget. I'm so glad that my grandparents, parents, wife & family, baby bro & sis and nieces were able to witness this day.

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

Do you still own a 'Big Butt' TV set?

2009-01-16T11:43:00.002-05:00

Y'all know what I'm talkin' bout. The TV sets with like 2 feet of body in the back. It can't be moved any closer to the wall, can't be slid neatly onto a bookshelf and sure as hell can't be carried under one arm. You gotta cradle the joint with two arms and try to keep it balanced. Don't tip it the wrong way or it's gonna end up crashing to the floor.

Get rid of those big booty Judy TV sets. If not for yourself, do it for your friends and family who come over to help you move. You'll stand around sippin a glass of Red Kool-Aid while Pookie & nem try to get that super dooper joint down the stairs safely, so you can move that big butt heffa to your new crib.

Sell them. Donate them. Just get them out the house. It's 2009 folks. Step up to flat screens.

This has been a Public Service Announcement from ChocolateCityWeb.com

Peace & Love..

G. Mo

"Nah... We Straight"

2009-01-12T12:43:00.002-05:00

That's my President right there!!!!

Obama Gets a Half-Smoke at Ben's Chili Bowl - Washington Post

By Amy Argetsinger

For years, a sign at U Street's landmark Ben's Chili Bowl carried this message:

"Who eats free at Ben's: Bill Cosby. No one else."

During the 2008 race, they changed it: "Who eats free at Ben's: Bill Cosby. The Obama Family." And today, the president-elect finally investigated the offer.

Barack Obama arrived at the fast-food joint with D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty shortly before 1 p.m. He posed with diners and staff, then returned to the counter to collect his order: a chili half-smoke and sweet tea, plus cheese fries and water for the mayor. They dined together at a two-person table.

Asked by a member of the traveling press pool about the significance of his visit, Obama said, "It means I'm going to get a hot dog."

And as for Ben's generous offer... As promised, they didn't try to charge him. Obama handed over a $20 bill anyway for what would have been a roughly $12 meal, reports our colleague N.C. Aizenman. Did he want change, the counterman asked. "No, we're straight," said the future prez.

Now all I gotta do is get my man some wings and mumbo sauce and it'll be official.

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

Building A Gingerbread House

2008-12-24T11:52:00.003-05:00

Talk about fun. Wow!!!! We had a great time, made a huge mess and got through the process of making the entire house without eating it all. This might've been the best $13 I've ever spent at Costco.

the rest of the pics are in the link below... you'll be able to tell how serious we were about the project and all the fun we really had

Building A Gingerbread House

Hope everyone has an enjoyable Christmas and holiday season. Best believe we've got joy on this side of town.

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

The Road to Peace and Tranquility

2008-12-21T02:16:00.003-05:00

I've been rather quiet on here as of late and the truth of the matter is that I've been extremely busy. I mean busy to the point where I tend to not even want to write. That's unlike me for real. But between therapy on my knee 3 days a week at 7am each morning for 2 hrs each session, working crazy hours the last part of November through the past week and just tending to family issues, a brotha has been drained. But through it all, everything is good. I have no complaints about life as things are currently. In fact, God continues to bless me and my wife in so many ways. No matter how good or bad times have been, I have to say that God is indeed good.

I've been doing a lot at church in working with the youth the past 9 months or so and I really enjoy it. Most of the kids are between the ages of 12-17. I've never considered myself a leader, I just love to talk. Yet I feel inspired to just talk openly to the kids about life and things from a Biblical perspective as it relates to life. In the process, I've nurtured myself in so many ways and been reading the Bible a lot more. It's very therapeutic. We've all made mistakes and Lord knows I've made my share of bad ones not just in my teenage years, but in my adult life as well. I feel like when I talk about things with the kids that they trust me. I talk about issues that have affected me and just how difficult things were during certain periods of my life.

Some of the topics are uncomfortable to talk about, but I feel that these discussions are necessary. These kids are hurting out here. It pains me to see some of the struggles that they're going through and these are just kids that are coming to church. I can't even imagine what's going on with children who don't have any kind of spiritual guidance. So for a few Sunday's a month at 8:30, I'm there running my mouth. I feel like it's my obligation. You never know who you can touch with positive reinforcement and words and I if I impact the life of one youngster out here, it's all worthwhile.

All this to say that I truly feel so blessed right now. Sometimes I look back on my life and feel like I don't deserve to be here. I'm serious, I start to tear up when I think about it. I've cheated death a few times. I've been in places where I shouldn't have been with folks who got caught up. For some reason I didn't. I've lost a lot of friends from my childhood to violent circumstances. I know a lot of cats who are locked up and will probably be for their natural lives. I've dealt with tragedy of epic proportions from emotional distress to debilitating physical ailments which spurned addiction to painkillers to personal loss of just about everything that I owned. I mean truly starting from the bottom after being almost at the top. Yet I'm still here standing tall... well, all of 5'9"... LOL. But seriously, that's not me, that's God.

Another blessing has been bestowed upon me and my family and again I'm thankful to God for shining His light down on us. We all dream of a location where we can reside in peace and serenity. A home where we don't have to worry about certain elements that we grew up under. Most folks don't know that I've moved 22 times in my life. 22 times!!!! I'm only 36. You do the math. You aint got to worry anymore why my body feels like I'm 60 with all that moving around. I gotta carry WD40 in my back pocket. But honestly, I prayed in earnest that I would have the financial means to provide stability for my family and in raising children. The Lord has provided for us and we're going to have that home. I'm so excited right now that I can't even sleep. Look at the time of this post. Heck, the Cowboys just lost and I don't even care. I suppose that I'll get a few hours of sleep before getting up to be at church for 8:30. Best believe that we've got a testimony to give.

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

OJ sends his regards

2008-12-06T09:31:00.002-05:00

When you drive your car off of a cliff into the Grand Canyon, the car explodes and you walk away from it without a scratch, then you're supposed to ride off into the sunset. Orenthal didn't do that. His ignant azz wanted to sell Direct TV cards, gloat in folks faces by playing golf ere'day, make pornos and write books talkin' bout "If I Had Done It".

I have no sympathy for this dude. As skilled as he was on the football field in his Hall of Fame career, he's just as stupid for his antics over the past few years. Good riddance...

*goes to watch the Naked Gun and old Hertz commercials on YouTube*

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

Let's Set The Record Straight

2008-11-17T17:16:00.007-05:00

G. Mo aint no bandwagon Cowboys fan!!!

I reached in the crates for my yearbook from '85 when I was in the 8th grade. If you look closely at the picture, you'll notice that I'm rockin' a Dallas Cowboys t-shirt while in class. That's right, a DALLAS COWBOYS t-shirt. Now, there are those who will speculate that that shirt was worn for one reason or another and that is had nothing to do with me being a fan. That would not be a correct assessment however.

Let me explain the origin of me becoming a Cowboys fan. When playing football in kindergarten and scoring TD's, I'd always do the Butch Johnson dance.

Only old school cats know about the gunslinger dance he used to do when he scored TD's. According to a number of sources on the internet, Johnson's touchdown celebration was know as the "California Quake". He would simulate pulling guns out of holsters and proceed to shoot them and shake. Let me tell you, I used to do it and do it daily. That's how often I got into the endzone from receptions or interceptions returned to TD's. I was a baller back then. But also, I just always liked the Cowboys from when I was young. I hated burgundy & gold colors. Thus, I hated the Redskins. I never understood why anyone wanted to wear an ugly indian on their clothes. Then when we played Cowboys and Indians in school, who wanted a bow and arrow? Give me the gun!!!

I liked a rack of Cowboys players aside from Butch Johnson. Some of the guys I remember 'being' when I played with my friends were Tony Hill, Drew Pearson, Ron Springs, Everson Walls, Danny White Robert Newhouse, Michael Downs, Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Randy White, Dexter Clinkscales, Doug Cosbie, Rafael Septien, & Tony Dorsett.

So I'm True Blue baby!! If anyone ever questions me again, I'm sending them a link to this entry. And to Butch Johnson wherever you are out there... thanks man. You are the reason that I'm a Dallas Cowboys fan today.

Oh yeah, if you look back at the pic you'll notice that I'm sitting kinda funny with one leg extended and the other leg bent and cuffed under me. I still do that today as well. LOL.

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

Exhilarating!!!

2008-11-17T09:25:00.002-05:00

Yessir!!! My squad pulled it out. I told those Redskins jokers that redemption was coming after that debacle in Dallas. I'll be back later with a recap and more pics. I just needed to send a quick message to all those who've been blowing up my phone with calls and text msg and my email. I had a rack of those clowns hit me when the Redskins were up 7-0. Ask me have I heard from anymore of them since the game was over. You already know that answer. It's a beautiful, quiet day in DC. You have a great one as I will. DC stands for Dallas Cowboys baby!!!

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

G.Mo's Ghetto Grilled Cheese

2008-11-14T11:42:00.003-05:00

State of the US economy got you down? Finding it difficult to enjoy the pleasures of life as you previously had? Need an quick pick me up meal on those days when you have less than $20 in your pocket? No problem. I bring you...

G. Mo's Ghetto Grilled Cheese

Wonder Bread $2
Blue Bonnet Margarine $2
Kraft Cheese Singles $3
Iron $10

- Heat iron to medium high or Wool setting. Make sure Steam setting if off.
- Butter bread evenly to the edges on both the inside & outside layers.
- Place a cheese single (or two) in between slices of bread & place on cutting board
- (Optional) Cover bread with aluminum foil or brown paper lunch bag.
- Hold iron in place. Move around slightly to get to the edges as if you were ironing.
- Flip over & repeat above sequence until cheese is melted & bread is golden brown in color.
- Enjoy eating your freshly iron toasted grilled cheese sammich.

Disclaimer: This post was purely for entertainment purposes. I have not made a sammich like this in over 20 years and only did so after watching an episode of Good Times. Feel free to substitute with your favorite type of bread, butter or low cholesterol choice of spread or a thick slice off that block of good Gubment cheese.

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

The Verdict On My Knee Is...

2008-11-11T05:43:00.004-05:00

Chondromalacia... which is basically the softening and degeneration of the tissue (cartilage) underneath the kneecap (patella). That's what's been causing my knee pain the past number of weeks. Trust that my kneecap has been shifting and causing me great amounts of pain. Hell, I can reach down now and move it around. It aint suppose to do that.

Feel free to read more about the condition at these links

Chondromalacia patella - MayoClinic.com

Medical Encyclopedia - Chondromalacia of the patella

I've known for a few weeks now and have been rehabbing in therapy 3 times a week for about 2 hours each session. But if the 6 weeks of rehab doesn't help the condition, arthroscopic surgery will be necessary to repair the damage. I don't really want that. My ortho doc is good and all, but... naw, I've had enough surgeries in my lifetime to this point. In fact, I have the same condition in both knees. It's sort of an arthritic condition. I'm rehabbing the right knee and trying to prevent the left knee from becoming worse. Don't ask me how that occurred, cuz I can't tell ya. I get pains in the right knee daily, whereas the left knee only gives me pain a few times a year. But both the doc and the physical therapists tell me that it's the same. MRI didn't show anything torn, just minor deterioration.

PT is cool. The folks there are real chill and they're very helpful in assisting me in regiments of exercise. Some of the stuff they've got me doing seems really weird, but I know that it's done to help me strengthen my legs. The tell me that I've got tight hamstrings and that might've aided in my knees compensating for my legs not stretching all the way out. So you know they be havin' a brotha all stretched out now right? But after the exercises they always hook me up with the electrical stimulation and the ice. Now that feels good!!! I need one of those machines at home.My spirits are good though. The pain has subsided greatly since the therapy sessions began. Main thing is that I need to stay off the stairs. I have a habit of bypassing the elevators in the office and taking the stairs a lot. I've got to curtail that somewhat. Here I was thinking I was doing well but not being lazy and catching the elevators all the time. Anyway, hopefully things will continue to look up and I won't need to go under 'the knife'. Wish me luck...

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

Mementos For The Occasion

2008-11-07T18:37:00.002-05:00

They didn't come easy though. Bruh man was out here grindin' fa real. I did a good amount of standing in lines, driving at various locations and all that. But it was well worth it. I got a 'few' Washington Post Special Editions, 2 copies each of the NY Times, The Chicago Sun-Times and USA Today, a single copy of Time Magazine and a few other magazines with Barack Obama on the cover that will go in the treasure chest. This is history and I needed a piece or pieces as you may see. A lot of those are going to family and friends who weren't as lucky to get them however.

Hell, I've got a ton of sports memorabilia dating back to '78. I'm talkin' autographs for days, magazines with Bird and Magic on them, the issue of SI when Len Bias died, an Inside Sports with Sugar Ray and Tommy Hearns, a SI when the UMD Terps won the NCAA title and a rack of other stuff I'd have to do an inventory of. There's even a few Ebony, Jet or Source magazines scattered in there for artists who passed or special events. Those were the only things worth having in the archives until now for the most part. But now, we got Barack Obama coming to the White House. That's something you want to have newspapers and magazines for to look at later on in life. Now, I've just got to buy a vacuum sealer, so I can preserve them all.

EDIT: 10:33PM Friday night... while doing some grocery shopping at my local Safeway , I heard some folks in the next aisle talking about how shocked they were that they had found them... when I walked over to the aisle, I discovered that 'them' pertained to special issues of People, Newsweek and Time... so I figured "what the hell" and bought some more...

Peace & Love...

G. Mo