The periodic repost: 105 things about me (revised)

Whenever my daily visitor average rises to a pre-determined level, I will repost 105 things about me with whatever changes have come up since the last time.

105 Things about Me

1. My given name is David Wayne Parrish, Jr.

2. I am the Father of two sons

3. I am named after my father who I believe is named after the actor David Wayne.

4. My oldest son is named after me...and I would have named all my sons David...if it wasn't so unfair.

5. I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, where I attended an all Black elementary school and an all Black High School.

6. I was reading before I was potty trained

7. Raised on PBS and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

8. I Wasted one of the most lucrative college scholarships ever offered for reasons that I cannot truly explain in this forum, although I am sure I will address it.

9. I have one younger brother who is infinitely more charming than I am.

10. My Father died of an aneurysm in 2000.

11. I spend a lot of my time trying to avoid mistakes my father made, something that is much easier said than done, since he was nice enough to pass on all his faults to me.

12. My step-father died when I was 13 after marrying my mother when I was 7.

13. He died of Lung Cancer at the age of 53. I vowed to never smoke a cigarette (or anything else) after that and never did.

14. That man spent his last months on earth cramming life lessons about being a Black man into me that I wish I was old enough to process at the time he told me. I would have had a much easier road in life if I had grasped what he was instilling in me.

15. My mother is #4 of five daughters and one son born to my maternal grandmother, a woman who has 6 children 24 grand-children, 37 great-grandchildren, 12 great great grandchildren and has not had a negative word spoken about her in my lifetime.

16. I am the only one of my deceased paternal grandmother's grandchildren with two Black parents. She had three sons and only one of them, my father, married a Black Woman.

17. My mother is left-handed, I am left-handed, but neither of my sons are left handed.

18. I wet the bed until I was well into my teens.

19. I sleep so hard, it sometimes amazes me that I still don't wet the bed.

20. I lost about 35 lbs during my freshman year of college.
    

21. I have never seen ET

22. My Father was a professional drummer for many years, playing for the R&B group Samson and Deliliah, George Benson, Earl Klugh, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, and some others.

23. I played drums (and trombone) at Westinghouse High School for a band director who graduated from Grambling.

24. I attended Florida A&M University for two years on the aforementioned lucrative scholarship that I pissed away for reasons I shan't discuss. Today.

25. I met the two men I would go to war with if it went down tomorrow. One of them will be my best man at my second wedding. The other stood by and watched while I broke one, no two, no three, no four of the 10 commandments. Which is what your boys do when you act an ass. Stand by and watch while you FUBAR on your own accord. Then stroll by and help you pick up the pieces.

26. I am an original hip-hop head from the break dancing days

27. Every 2 years or so, I vow to walk away from hip-hop, leaving it to the children and lil white boys it craves to market itself to. Then a project comes along to pull me back in.

28. This year, those projects were Late Registration, The Craft and The Minstrel Show.

29. I am not afraid to admit i will cry at movies.

30. Last movie I cried at was Coach Carter. Something about father son scenes really pulls at the heartstrings for me.

31. My sons live with my ex-wife, although I hope to spend their puberty years with primary custody.

32. I have received mail in the following states: Pennsylvania, Florida, Connecticut, California, Maryland, Texas.

33. I am a cat person who owns a Shih-tzu named Casey. This is what happens when you marry a dog person.

34. I am marrying a Fourth-grade teacher in the FWISD, who happens to be a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

35. My first wedding was on my ex-wife's birthday

36. My last wedding will not be on my birthday although my honeymoon will still be the day after my birthday. My wedding will be someday this year.
    

37. My ex-wife was a Mets fan originally from the Bronx currently living in Maryland.

38. My future wife is Yankees fan originally from Queens, currently living in Texas

39. My ex-wife was a track star

40. My future wife was a softball star.

41. I dunked a basketball on a regulation rim exactly twice.

42. I was a horrible athlete growing up.

43. I distinctly remember being force-fed soccer in elementary school, back when the powers that be were intent on making the US a soccer power. 30 years later, they are still trying.

44. I am a registered Democrat, although that means absolutely nothing to me.

45. I will likely go to my grave having never been a registered Republican, although I grow more conservative by the day.

46. This factoid is purely the fault of the Republican Party, as the Democrats have done NOTHING to ensure my continued membership.

47. I once ran a political campaign for city council.

48. I will likely never do that again.

49. I believe that people who WRITE about politics have far more influence than people who work in politics at the current time.

50. I have no public political opinion on Abortion because I believe it has no place in the political discussion. IMO, you would do better arguing the criminality of bypass surgery, because, in effect, it is a medical procedure.

51. I still struggle keeping my shoes tied.

52. I attended Space Camp, where i was the first African-American to finish both levels.

53. I lost my virginity at the age of 19

54. I spent a portion of my childhood eating Cheerios with apple juice because I was allergic to Milk.

55. I was also allergic to Citrus, chocolate, Seafood, eggs and tomatoes.

56. I am probably the only person in history to be accepted to Princeton, and Georgetown, but not into Hampton.

57. I have always been self-conscious about my looks.

58. I still swear that Suge Knight was involved in the murders of BOTH Tupac and Biggie.

59. After much thought and a little bit of research, I have decided that ultimately, i don't care who killed Kennedy, although I am confident the government knows far more than we will ever find out.

60. I have a fairly detailed outline of what I will do if I ever win the lottery for over 100 million dollars. The only time I will play is when the jackpot gets at least that high.

61. I was terrified that I would be short, since I didn't make five feet until I was 13

62. I grew up being picked on for being a nerd, a term that has always tormented me, to the point that I will get an attitude if you say it even in what you term a complimentary fashion.

63. I have been waiting tables either full time or part time for almost 20 years.

64. That experience has given me an extensive knowledge of food and drink and taught me how to cook extremely well.

65. I have lived in Fort Worth, TX since March, 2004.

66. I work part-time in Arlington, TX, which has the distinction of being the largest municipality in the WORLD without public transportation.

67. My first crush was a girl named Cecily Jones. We were in school together in second grade. I saw her about two years ago. She remembered me by name and everything. I didn't know who she was until she mentioned her name.

68. She and I made the front page of the itty bitty community Newspaper that Thanksgiving. She was “the little Black Girl” and I was...yes you get it.

69. I am light complexioned(can't bring myself to say light-skinneded), although my mother and father are both fairly dark-skinned.

70. I saw my first porn on a Betamax when I was 14.

71. I have never really gotten into porn. I equate it to watching a tape of OTHER PEOPLE riding a roller coaster.

72. My earliest experience with fireworks is crying like an absolute banshee at the Bicentennial Fireworks celebration in 1976. Now I LOVE fireworks. And stuff Blowing up.

73. You could never convince me Magic Johnson didn't get HIV from a man.

74. I root AGAINST teams moreso than I root FOR teams in basketball.
75. I fill out a bracket religiously for March Madness. I always take those two days off for the first two rounds when ball is on all day.
76. I would love baseball a lot more if there was revenue sharing and a salary cap.
77. Instituting those two things would ultimately make my home life more difficult.
78. I can procrastinate with the best of them.
79. my favorite color is black
80. My car has 310 THOUSAND miles on it.(it is a 1993)
    
81. The last CD I bought was Ghetto Classics by Jaheim
82. I am currently reading Chasing Destiny by Eric Jerome Dickey
    
83. I try to go to the movies about once a week.
84. I have not had cable since July of LAST year...it has been most frustrating.
85. I will not have cable until we move into our new house this summer
86. I watch very little television, because most of what is on regular television is hard to watch.
87. I am not a fan of reality television, although I find myself watching it more than I care to admit.
88. I would rather watch American Idol on mute with Swahili subtitles than sit through _______ with the Stars. (skating, Dancing, skeet shooting, losing weight, whateva)
89. I am a bonafied Movie Snob, Although Friday is still the funniest movie I have EVER seen.
90. I think even random, pedestrian rappers (Fabolous is the archetype) are geniuses with language. I think NO such thing of rappers like Lil Jon and D4L who basically yell out stuff that may or may not rhyme over danceable (or not so danceable) tracks.
91. I used to root for the Pittsburgh Pirates until I realized they werent going to even attempt to keep Barry Bonds (yes, that long ago)
92. I have since become a baseball fan nomad before finally settling on the team of my betrothed, the hated( by others...not me) Yankees.
93. As ridiculous as I think the club scene can be, there is something about me and the missus getting all gussied up and hitting a club and dancing our collective asses off that will never get old to me. (unfortunately, it was already old to her before we met)
94. If I had theme music, it would be Flavor of the Month by Black Sheep
95. Deep inside me, there is a best selling novel screaming to get out.
96. If I ever ran into more money than I could ever hope to spend, the FBI would have a significant file on me, because I would spare no expense putting the evil of the government right on front street. Not that I think anyone would actually notice.
97. My disdain for 83.7% of black media is far too expansive to be contained in this list. I LOVE Black Culture...I HATE the way it is delivered.
98. I have waited tables for a fairly significant part of every year since 1989
99. I made a GOOD BIT more money waiting tables and tending bar than I did working on Capitol Hill.
100. I am a born again disciple of my Lord and savior, Jesus Christ.
101. I have a frustrating relationship with organized religion, in light of #99. If pressed, I would say many folk romping the earth wielding Bibles are going to be in for QUITE a shock when the sky does indeed crack.
102. I believe there are FAR more last days than many sitting with baited breath waiting for Jesus' return
103. As much as I love Basketball, for some reason the NBA annoys me, and I find College Basketball like a boring 1 hour show with 5 of the most amazing minutes you've ever seen at the end every week.
104. Condoleeza Rice will be president before Hillary Clinton. George Clinton will be president before Hillary Clinton. Jerry Rice will be president before Condoleeza Rice.
105. This was WAY harder than I expected.

Proof that truth is stranger than fiction

Rosa Parks, Proof share Woodlawn mausoleum

So Rosa Parks' kinfolk are up in arms because she has to share a masoleum with the slain rapper Proof. I dont see Rosa complaining about it, so why are they?

someone needs to catch a hold of Auntie Rosa's lil nephew before he makes an ass of his family AGAIN.

Parrish the War Correspondent: War is hell.

Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed.
-Dwight Eisenhower


Humans are predisposed to conflict. It is part of the sin nature Adam and Eve and their inability to follow simple instructions brought upon us. It is the wise individual who learns when to draw the bow and when to draw the bouquet.

Black men and women are at war because the Hell in which we live has distorted our surival instincts to the point that we don't know who the enemy is.

I had a crappy day. The FW had a crappier day, by far. As long as my day's crappiness wasn't at the forefront of my mind, I could successfully address her wounds from the day's excrement. THE VERY SECOND that I started focusing on my OWN crap, which admittedly was far less significant than HER crap, but smelled worse because it eminated from my personal space, I put my bouquets down and drew my bow when she got too close with some errant bullets. Of course, I didnt do this right away. I waited until she put her guard down, and then rained hails of logical and loaded observation arrows accusing her of indifference to my plight and to my situation.

das no goot. I cannot do that. I am a chauvinist in that I believe, as the man, I need to have my finger on the pulse of the overall relationship and not allow the discourse to get toxic. Such is the nature of being the head of the household.

Her, being the diva she is, is pretty indifferent to any mood but hers.

Me, knowing that I am in love with a diva, has to perpetually walk the thin line between protecting my overall psyche and accepting that if, in fact you DO love her, (and I do) you love her as she IS, not as you would like her to be. Doing that means losing arguments even though you have more points than she does. Doing that means She and I will live happily ever after, because even though she is a diva, she is also astute enough to know what I am doing and once she basks in another victory, she can come to me and thank me for letting her win.

which means I really win. Yaaay ME.

Make love not War, people.

They wrote in the old days that it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country. But in modern war, there is nothing sweet nor fitting in your dying. You will die like a dog for no good reason.

-Ernest Hemingway

I am not sure exactly what I am doing, other than rambling aimlessly about the overall toxicity in the relations between Black Men and Black Women. The war analogy seems apt because people are dying literally(seen the AIDS rate lately?) and figuratively(seen the rate on Black children born out of wedlock? Black children in two parent housholds?). As a Divorced black man who lives a time zone away from his sons and is on the verge of marital bliss simultaneously, I am at the crossroads of the battlefield. I can see the path to peace as clearly as I can see the carnage of the front lines.

I see the war in everything, from the Duke Lacrosse case, to the relationship that Condeleeza Rice enjoys(?) with Black America. As long as it is at the forefront of my mind, I will continue to address it.

Parrish the War Correspondent

Heavy Sigh.


I love my FW, I love my mother, I even love my Ex (in that mother-of-my-children we had some goodtimes but i wouldn't touch her even if someone turned the clock back kinda way), but I am not delusional. Black Women have some serious issues in a collective sense.

I will pause while you double check the url. Yes This is David Parrish, Jr. Perpetual Sista apologist.

Sistas.Have.Issues.


AND IF YOU WERE RAISED BY AND LOVED (or what passes for LOVE these days) BY BLACK MEN IN THIS DAY AND AGE WOULDN'T YOU?

There is a war going on between black women and black men. Black children are the prisoners of war.

No, YOU may not be at battle but most of the brothers and sisters you know are, even if it is a cold war. You remember how those go, right?


Here is the latest salvo.

If i can stomach the whole clip, I will comment this evening.

Some randomness

I don't have cable. This is a fact that constantly pains me and renders me out of the loop in many ways. my full extent of TV news exposure is the 6-20 minutes I am exposed to of the Local Fox affiliate's morning show. Basically that consists of whomever shot whom, some blather about whatever FOX reality show is on (currently American Idol).

So... I am left to the net, the newspaper, and the radio.

On the net...I get dailies from Salon.com, NYTimes, LA Times, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Washington Post, Dallas Morning News (which always comes about 4 pm..FATFGTD)

I fare pretty well, when time permits, which isnt't all that often.

The FW, who is pretty oblivious, and content with her level of news engagement is kind of alarmed at my ability to consume that level of information.

She is both annoyed and tittilated by it. What she doesn't quite grasp is my contention that somehow, people might actually give a damn what I think.

Her contention is....

Hell, I don't always care and I love you. why should anyone else care what you have to say about the Duke Rape case?

Sometimes I have an answer to that question and sometimes I don't.

Today, I don't.

It can be a daunting goal, the transition from random negro blogger to trusted media icon. I hope you all are ready to join me on this transition. Because that is where I am headed.

Things I just don't have enough time to deal with like I want to

It is coming up on Five years since 9/11. For a number of reasons, not the least of which includes the fact that

1. My ex-wife as well as my FW(future wife) lost family members in 9/11
   
2. at the time, my Future Father-in-law WORKED in WTC, although he happened to be on vacation
3. The biggest day of my Capitol Hill career was scheduled to unfold on the steps of the US Capitol at 10:45 am on Tuesday September 11, 2001
4. I spent the majority of that day driving my soon to be ex-sister-in-law, her co-worker, and a woman married to an federal law enforcement official that I "knew" from deep in the depths of Foggy Bottom to various parts of Prince George's County. Total miles travelled 51. Total time elapsed: 6.5 hours. And I did WELL considering.

I feel like I have a personal attachment to that day and what happened. When you consider that just about everything that has happened in this country, from the way we fly, to just about everything going on in Washington AND New York City both politically and socially has the influence of 9/11 dripping off of it, you would think that we could at least agree on what it was that happened.

Guess, what?


We don't.

I thought I did. I thought I had an understanding of exactly what happened that day and why. I stepped over all the blather about conspiracy theories and mass emails from the Israeli embassy and connections between the Bushes and the family of Osama Bin-Laden. The large number of Saudi Nationals who seemed to be able to fly when NO ONE ELSE seemed to be able to.

The Wars
The Freedom Fries
The Yellow Ribbons
The stories of military families
Halliburton
Abu Ghraib
The politicization and ultimate impotency of FEMA due to burying it deep in the cavernous bureaucracy of Homeland Security

I could literally sit here and go on all day. But I just don't have time.

One thing really galls me, though. And that is this movie.


I am painfully aware that nothing is sacred(nor should it be). I do, however, think a certain amount of time should elapse, a certain clarity of the events that transpired.

For about three years, I accepted the story as told, all the way down to the "Let's Roll" part.

All along I kept reading and hearing stuff like

September 14, 2001: Conflicting Accounts About Planes Near Flight 93’s Crash

Officials admit that two planes were near Flight 93 when it crashed, which matches numerous eyewitness accounts. For example, local man Dennis Decker says that immediately after hearing an explosion, “We looked up, we saw a midsized jet flying low and fast. It appeared to make a loop or part of a circle, and then it turned fast and headed out. If you were here to see it, you’d have no doubt. It was a jet plane, and it had to be flying real close when that 757 went down ... If I was the FBI, I’d find out who was driving that plane.” [Bergen Record. 14 October.', CAPTION, 'Bergen Record, 10/14/2001')" onmouseout="return nd()">Bergen Record, 10/14/2001]

Later the same day, the military says it can “neither confirm nor deny” the nearby planes. [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. 14 October.', CAPTION, 'Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 10/14/2001')" onmouseout="return nd()">Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 10/14/2001]

Two days later, they claim there were two planes near, but that they were a military cargo plane and business jet, and neither had anything to do with the crash. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 16 October.', CAPTION, 'Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 10/16/2001')" onmouseout="return nd()">Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 10/16/2001]

Supposedly, the business jet was requested to fly low over the crash site to help rescuers find the crash site, 25 minutes after all aircraft in the US had been ordered to land. However, the story appears physically impossible since the FBI says this jet was at 37,000 feet and asked to descend to 5,000 feet. [Pittsburgh Channel. 2001. “FBI Explains Other Planes At Flight 93 Crash.” 15 October.', CAPTION, 'Pittsburgh Channel, 10/15/2001')" onmouseout="return nd()">Pittsburgh Channel, 10/15/2001]

That would have taken many minutes for that kind of plane, and witnesses report seeing the plane flying very low even before the crash. [Bergen Record. 14 October.', CAPTION, 'Bergen Record, 10/14/2001')" onmouseout="return nd()">Bergen Record, 10/14/2001]

Another explanation of a farmer’s plane 45 minutes later is put forth, but that also does not fit the time at all. [Pittsburgh Channel. 2001. “FBI Explains Other Planes At Flight 93 Crash.” 15 October.', CAPTION, 'Pittsburgh Channel, 10/15/2001')" onmouseout="return nd()">Pittsburgh Channel, 10/15/2001]

Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz states: “We responded awfully quickly, I might say, on Tuesday [9/11], and, in fact, we were already tracking in on that plane that crashed in Pennsylvania. I think it was the heroism of the passengers on board that brought it down. But the Air Force was in a position to do so if we had had to.” [PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. 14 October.', CAPTION, 'NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, 10/14/2001')" onmouseout="return nd()">NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, 10/14/2001]

The next day, Maj. Gen. Paul Weaver, the director of the Air National Guard denies that any plane was scrambled after Flight 93. [Seattle Times. 2001. “FAA Gave 12-Minute Warning.” 16 October.', CAPTION, 'Seattle Times, 10/16/2001')" onmouseout="return nd()">Seattle Times, 10/16/2001]

That in turn contradicts what Vice President Cheney will say later. [Washington Post. 27 February.', CAPTION, 'Washington Post, 2/27/2002')" onmouseout="return nd()">Washington Post, 2/27/2002]

I have never said this outloud, becuase so few people are comfortable with it. My man said it to me about 4 months ago and it freed me to feel like I could say it too.

We shot that plane down.
Yeah, They went after the terrorists. But we shot that badboy down.

It may be about the ONLY thing Bush has done that I agree with in 6 years.

Lives on the ground vs. Lives in the Air is a tough choice to make. Not tough to choose, but tough to live with. Wrapping the passengers in the Cape and tights of patriotic superheroes makes us all feel better and prevents that choice from being made.

As an alleged socio-ethno-cultural political commentator, I should be seeing this movie. I just can't do it. So I won't.

I tell myself I don't have time. Guess I haven't given up lying to myself, yet.

AskMen.com - Hockey With Jules Winnfield

AskMen.com - Hockey With Jules Winnfield

Since I haven't seen Pulp Fiction in a few months, and since the Hockey playoffs started, I find it appropriate to introduce you all to one of my favorite Samuel L Jackson Characters.

Sorrier than Ruben Studdard for the delay

I have been struggling for precisely how to address the bombshell in question. I started to act like I didn't even drop one, but we all know that wasn't going to fly. The bottom line is that The wedding has been postponed. Partly because of financial reasons...partly because I am a mofo.

no...i didnt go around poking something i wasnt supposed to. frankly, it would be simpler if it was something tangible like that.


The fact is that this is MARRIAGE. You take:


1 36 year old college dropout/genius who is hardworking but sorely underpaid, with two young sons who live 1,369 miles away with his ex-wife and her mother and sister and daughter. An intense yet pathetically undisciplined writer in procrastinatum who lives in and is paralyzed by the shadows of unrealized expectations gone by. (oh, did we mention that he suffers from latent self-esteem issues borne from a difficult childhood and has a penchant for lying to those he loves the most?)



AND


1 33 year old hard working but spoiled diva of a 4th grade teacher who has never been married and is the baby girl of a solidly middle class Panamanian/New York family with an aversion to the word no. (did we mention she has an aversion to liars and has some latent hyprocisy issues regarding responsible behavior and is stuck on some issues of her own regarding what makes men men)



Love may conquer all, but sometimes you need some more time to establish a quality battle plan.

about 95% of this rests solely on my shoulders. To say the least, I am humbled, embarrassed, and quite distracted from the world around me. This week I will know for sure when the big day will be.

This week I will start my path to wholeness, having been exposed to a side of me I have struggled to hide all the while shining a spotlight on it to everyone but myself.

The moral of the story is:


If you think it is painful to watch smart people do stupid things, you should try BEING that person and DOING those things.


we now return you to your political hiphop tinged blog with a swirl of insightful racial commentary, already in progress.

Rhymefest A Star Is Born, Volume 1 - Listen/Watch Audio & Video - MusicRemedy.com

Rhymefest A Star Is Born, Volume 1 - Listen/Watch Audio & Video - MusicRemedy.com

I'm a junkie for real hip-hop. It is really that simple. Don't ask how I stumbled upon this gem, just listen to it.

What has Kanye West done NOW???

Kanye West: Mission Impossible Theme

Go ahead...act like you don't like it. It is fine by me. I love it. I will be humming it all day.

And whether you want to admit it or not, so will you. It is that damn catchy.

and for a B selection...check Wanna Be by The Fugees.

Why does Lauryn sound perpetually hoarse these days?

Things Black Folk Say #3 with a bonus thing that white folk say...

From Oprah (the one with the cast from Crash)


Oprah and Don Cheadle were talking over, and almost yelling at, each other. Apparently they were right in the middle of an intense debate over the proper use of the "N Word". Then Terrence Howard (who, the cynics amongst us will point out, is campaigning for Oscar nods on at least 2 performances and, as such, probably wants to be seen as Nice Guy) tells Oprah that he's decided to stop using it; Cheadle vehemently explains why he's opposed to pressuring people into limiting their linguistic choices. As if to bully him into breaking the tie for her side, Oprah turns to Ludacris. "Cris, would you consider not using The Word?" Visibly uncomfortable., Luda smiles. "Uh, I feel the same way Don does about it." Then, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, Sandra Bullock pipes up:

"As long as we're going to stop using words," she says (and I'm totally paraphrasing), "Can we stop with the bitch and the ho, for women?"

The crowd goes wild. Completely silent during the previous portion of the conversation, all of a sudden there are 200 mild-mannered housewives gone wild, hooting and cheering and stomping their feet. And then ...

Ludacris: We can stop when women stop calling themselves bitches.

Sandra Bullock: I don't call any woman a bitch. (pause, then, totally straight-facedly) Unless she is one.

See what had happened was...

Meshing families is never easy. Meshing blended families is even more challenging. Throw in some subtle cultural differences and you have the potential for drama. Toss in 1369 miles and a smidgen of bitterness about the juxtaposition of a new marriage and an old one and you will get a sense of the dynamic going on here.

What ensued was essentially a big ole love fest. Mom loves the FI, the FI loves the boys, the boys were glad to see everyone. The ex...well...the ex was the ex.

Friday I spent going from government bldg to government Building gathering copies of Birth certificates and stuff.

Saturday I spent seeing Wild, which was bad even by cartoon standards. I knew I should have gone to see Ice Age 2, but the boys wanted to see Wild..so Wild it was.

Who would have thought that the new pillows at the Marriot are a cure for snoring?

Mom spilled all the beans about me to the FI, telling her even what kinds of detergents are best for my skin.


And then....the bombshell.

My official Easter Post

Pastors With Tattoos

Modern Ministry Is Off to Raucous Start

Before I launch off into my own personal stuff, let me stop and continue to acknowledge my Lord and Savior.

(I just filed my extension, by the way, so never you mind about the man coming to get me. )

As we creep further and further into the intermittently amoral abyss that is the 21st century, it becomes more and more clear that God has no intentions on sitting idly by and watching the enemy get a foothold on Earth. Souls still need to be saved and the "church" has made it quite clear it has some other things on the agenda aside from prosletyzing and baptizing and go-ye-thereforeing.

Please note that this is not a blanket endorsement of what these particular congregations and pastors are doing, it is only my intent to enlighten you good folk with news of what folk are up to out there. Of course, since I have pretty significant roots in both of these cities, I just might have to check these joints out.

Jet Lag

Not only is Jet Lag real, but you don't have to fly all over the world to get it. I have 8,000,003 things to do today and It is like pulling eye teeth to get any of them done...but I persevere.

Overall the trip went better than I could ever have hoped, with one small exception. Before I get into all this, it should be noted what this trip's priorities are.

1. Spend time with my sons, 3.0(age 7) and 3.1(age 4)
2. introduce FW(future wife) to my family (my sons, mother and grandmother and to a lesser extent my other random relatives)
   
3. square some things away with my ex regarding the future and present as i move forward
4. make sure I have a decent reason for living 1,369 miles away from my sons.

I will take these tonight...like I said..AFTER I deal with the IRS.

ON your mark, get set...

OK, I just got back in town from the capital of the free world (and all its far flung suburbs and exurbs) and I have allotted myself exactly 4 minutes to say that no amount of time would give this sojourn justice. So many things happened, so much transpired in my life, and so much is ahead for me in the next 7 days( starting with a 7am start time tomorrow at the daycare...you DO know that I am director of operations for a two-site DayCare and child care staffing organization, don't you?) that I have only given myself enough time to say Happy Resurrection Sunday to those of you who recognize the divinity of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is good to be back deep in the heart of Texas and as soon as I give due diligence to the IRS tomorrow, I will be back on my blogging grind.


Because.. Lard Cheesits(this is a blasphemy free version of another LJ exclamation) It has been a week.

Trip Post #1

• What it is that compels people to stand in front of the opening doors of a metro train I cannot figure out.
• Washington is quite compact compared to Texas. I believe I have now been in Texas long enough that I get a bit unnerved by having bunches of people around me.
• I am going to do something I vowed I would never do. I am going to a Washington Nationals game at RFK stadium. Considering it was a dump when I went there to see a Redskins game 15 years ago, I said I would NOT go there for a baseball game or any other event, choosing to wait until the new stadium is ready on Neverary 53rd, two thousand neverty-three. I do have a brand spanking new Nationals Cap to wear, acknowledging that I am, in fact a fan.
• I got a request from one of my subordinates to bring back a three piece wings with extra mambo sauce before I fly back on Sunday. I always suspected that stuff had crack in it.
• Jimbo, who has a fairly nondescript row house on the outskirts of Capitol Hill, has so much equity in his house that he can live of it. He says his neighbor sold his two months ago for 625K. Im guessing this house is worth 45K in my mother's neighborhood. He says he is taking vodka as a way to cope with the property taxes. He is also as cool of a white man as physiology and psychology can allow.
• There are a LOT of people of color here, and I don't know what color many of them are. I miss that, especially in the women. If I had a car, I would be hunting down a dancehall night after the game. I still might, if the game gets out in time.

Live from WASHINGTON, DC

For the next five days I will be in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, visiting with my babies and bridging the gap that inevitably appears when your own life and your family life are 1500 miles apart.

For those of you who get down as such...leave an email @ dparrish2@gmail.com and perhaps we can share cookies and punch while I am here. I hope to do some grown up stuff...after I tire the boys out and put them to sleep.

My betrothed gets in town on Friday. Needless to say, I cannot wait.

Hotel life is grand. Shout-out to Priceline.com for letting a brotha lay up like a king on pauper money.

And then there were Two

One of the constant challenges I have faced during this phase of my life and my writing career is time management. My usual stock answer is that there is nothing wrong with my life and additional four hours a day and one more day a week wouldn't fix. Of course, that isn't a productive course to take, seeing as the chance of being granted that additional time is rather unlikely.

With the nuptials and all that entails, the relationship that makes my nuptials the logical next step in that process, the brand new house that she and I are building, the business I am trying to take a more and more active role in running, the shrimp plantation, and the daunting task of being an effective father from 1500 miles away, my writing career gets shorter and shorter shrift.

I think I have mentioned the irony of this phase of my career in writing. Usually I find myself ignoring my writing but not missing it. This time, I miss writing terribly. Even now, I find myself stealing time from another task just to get this out.

My Best man was in town over the weekend and we had our usual great time. My relationship has its challenges, big and small, but it still brings me joy I only thought possible in theory. The business is a challenge all its own and the shrimp plantation is a never ending story all its own. The schedule gets tighter and tighter as the wedding draws nigh.
This week I am off to see my babies for the first time in WAYYYY too long. She will meet my mother and my ex and my babies. I'll be back for a week of heavy duty work stuff at the plantation and the business and then the following week is a trip to go and handle some stuff I should have done long ago. Once I return, it will be a long finishing lap to June 10, logging heavy hours at the plantation and doing my best to keep all my balls in the air. I saw my visitation numbers rise and rise only to see them fall with my lack of engagement. For those of you who peep in on me, I am grateful and will do my best to serve you better. This has and still is stage one of my dream, and I will continue to hack away at it until I run out of things to say or breath to say it in.

I will pick up on the autobiography and all other loose ends as best I can.

Peace and love, don't push and shove.

The Twilight of Objectivity By Michael Kinsley

The Twilight of Objectivity By Michael Kinsley

As I run around like a proverbial chicken with my head cut off, I often lament what appears to be the all too frequent postponement of my dreams of media domination. I have spent the past two weeks juggling my many obligations and trying, sometimes in vain, to keep them all in the air. My dreams of media domination hinge on the increasing bastardization of information. It used to be you watched the news, then you might have wandered over to somewhere else to listen to what people thought about the news. Now, you hear what people think about the news and get your news thusly filtered in advance.

This, of course, is a good way for you to spend your blissfully unaware life thinking that Saddam and Osama tag-teamed on 9/11.

Anyway, read the above article and consider the state of our "news" media.

Then consider what it would be like if I ever dominated.


Go ahead and admit it, you are either scared FOR me or scared OF me.

Best quote I have read all day

I always have contended, somewhat jokingly, that there should be rules outlawing men from gathering in groups of three or more without a woman as chaperone or serious surveillance equipment. Whitlock's law: A man's intelligence, maturity and decision-making skills decrease as the number of men within earshot of his voice increases.

Jason Whitlock Sports Columnist Kansas City Star

Taken from a provocative article on the Duke Lacrosse Scandal

Things SOME white folk say when they think we aren't listening #2

(in reference to why Al Sharpton and or Jesse Jackson are not involved in the debate on immigration) "He's trying to figure out how he can get involved in the deal down there at Duke where the lacrosse team uh, supposedly, you know, raped, some, uh, hoes."

" I just, I'm looking at this case down there at Duke ... and it's -- there's some things about it, some inconsistencies. You've got some timeline differentiations and matriculations and, and so forth," he said.

When another caller asked him to clarify if he had indeed called the victim a "ho," Limbaugh offered an apology and then something of an explanation. Unfortunately, it made no sense: "Well, because, because I'm running on fumes today, [caller], and I felt terrible about it. And I knew somebody was gonna call and give me a little grief so I'm takin' the occasion of your call to apologize for it. That was, it was a terrible slip of the tongue. I'm sorry." Then Limbaugh added: "But it wasn't the worst one that has been said recently. You want -- do you know who Keanu Reeves is?"

"Yeah, I know who he is. He's an actor," the caller said, clearly confused as to the direction in which Limbaugh was heading.

"He's a wacko," Limbaugh said. "He's, he's an -- an actor and, he -- what was he doing? He was -- the Women Against Domestic Violence group was already in a dither because Keanu Reeves told an interviewer he learned something filming a rape scene with Hilary Swank for a movie called 'The Gift.' And he said was, what he learned was that some of these ladies don't mind it ... He said he learned that in a rape scene but -- so, you know, I'm not the worst offender."

Rush Limbaugh


stolen from Salon.com

Things Black Folk Say #4

"I couldn't watch my own show with my niece on my lap," Calloway admitted at the discussion, which focused on the impact of hip hop. "Pick your five favorite songs. Write down every word that's in your favorite songs. Read it back to yourself and think about what that has put into your head."

He told the students that his past experiences with racism growing up in New Jersey left him with a vow to “never do anything against my race. …I felt like I was hurting us by doing what I was doing."

A.J. Calloway (he and Marie “Free” Wright hosted “106 & Park” on BET for five years before suddenly leaving last July)


Parrish's Thoughts:

Ohhhh no you don't. Don't you SIT here and act like you are the victim NOW...after they shitcanned your ass for having the temerity to ask for a raise since the show was doing so well for so long(completely ignoring the fact that trained chimpanzees could host the show and not have much of a qualitative effect). It isn't like you were showing gospel videos and then all of a sudden every other video had a strip club scene. 106 park was what it was and is STILL what it is. Porn for teenagers. You, sir, were a willing co-conspirator. A poorly paid co-conspirator no doubt, but a willing co-conspirator nonetheless.

Something to chew on while I am gone

Salon.com News & Politics | War Room

The comparisons to Rwanda just keep coming, but the irony is, we WENT through this already and the second go around, no one seems particularly worked up about how bad this is getting.

Destination: HOUSTON, TX

A hectic week builds up to my second business trip. This time, it isn't one man and a bunch of mixtapes on his way to Austin, it is one man, his betrothed, his mother-in-law-to-be and some of the workers from the business he runs driving to Houston to open up a new market. Needless to say, I am a bit nervous about how this is going to work. Between the two jobs and the impending nuptuals, time has been scarce. I look forward to picking up where I left off as soon as this wraps up. I will be back tomorrow.