Day 2

Monday - now just under 18 hours before we have a new U.S. President. Monday has been more like a "whatever you do today, make sure you put it on cruise control" day. Tomorrow will most definitely require massive amounts of energy - lest you forget the partying that comes after the inauguration, and the inauguration will undoubtedly be a 'test of wills.' Forecast for tomorrow: CRAZINESS!....and possibly scattered tears...

With today being the day we recognize for King's birthday, it was only natural that they were running more than the usual programming in remembrance of King and his 'dream.' Hmmm, I wonder why? I flicked through the various channels of CNN, History channel, Headline news, local news, and the like for most of the morning. I watched the "I Have A Dream" speech that CNN aired this morning, and got sort of a tingle when King made reference to his little children living in a nation, where they would "not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." To know that this nation judged a black man partially by his character, and not by his skin color, electing him to the office of the U.S. Presidency, is deep. To know that the children of MLK have lived to see the nation become what their father dreamed, is deep. There is a punctuation there at that point in King's speech, of the sacrifice a parent makes for the child - a punctuation of the sacrifice that a generation makes for those that follow...out of all that historical footage they pull out of the vault on King's birthday, much of which I've seen before, the two that always touch a nerve are the stories of the 'four little girls' and Emmit Teal. Although both stories are tragic, my heart is always heaviest for what happened to Emmit Teal. With the crime committed against this little boy, so horrific and unimaginable, I can only wonder if he thought death couldn't come fast enough - the only relief from the torture given to him by his kidnappers.

After lingering around the house for most of the day, it was time to get things accomplished. I had been waiting for my best friend to come and scoop me since I am in town without a car of my own to drive. With living in California, I don't know how to not have a car, so I plan to carefully leverage my resources of those that have a car while I'm here...I am finally out the house around 4p.m. when my friend pulls up in front of my moms' house in her minivan. Today is a late start, because it is my friends' daughters' birthday - she is four today, and that is an important age to celebrate before people are to be picked up and chauffered around. She is asleep, totally oblivious to my presence when I enter the vehicle, and I of course appear magically out of nowhere when she is to wake up later. My friends' son is awake, but not having seen me in a while, doesn't seem to be quite enough for him to get too excited after appearing a little tired from the earlier events of the day...

Today was like The Amazing Race, as me and my friend had to race all over the DMV in order to get things done. Like The Amazing Race, it helps to have someone you have some kind of pre-existing relationship with, so that the journey doesn't seem too much like work. When me and my best friend get together, it's either like two very old souls or two souls from the very distant future, coming together. We only understand each other, and not the rest of humanity. Our time together is usually filled discussing Howard U days, or cynical talk about life, relationships, career and money - you know all that shit they DON'T see coming for their ass in the movie Twilight. It's not always bitterness when we get together though. Sometimes the tone is pathetic, as it might look like the show I Love the 80's, when we reminisce from music of the era, playing on the radio. I kid though...

Our first stop was to pick up my tuxedo, before the place closed at seven. By the way, a word of advice - if you ever have to rent a tuxedo, at all costs, always, always, ALWAYS, make sure you see what you'll be renting first. In other words go to the store where you will rent your tux, see the tux you want, and get fitted for that tux. I on the other hand, called in the measurements of my tux from California. They called in my tux from Saturday Night Fever. Really nothing that can be done now - the tuxedo is already paid for, and good luck trying to find a tux tailored to you, twelve hours before the Presidential inaugural ball of the first black President, IN chocolate city no less..Next stop, Dulles airport in Chantilly, VA. Even though I could've picked up my delayed luggage as late as 2 a.m., we have to be back in downtown d.c. (you know, the area you should avoid at all costs because there will be a Presidential inauguration in the area in T minus hours) to pick up inaugural ball tickets. We arrive at the airport, and let me tell you, Dulles is THE place to go if you don't want to get harassed by airport cops. My friend posted up outside the terminal the whole time I was in the airport to pick up my luggage. That would NEVER happen in any airport in SoCal. Dulles is so bad with theirs, they should be called L.A.X. - get it? lax! Anyway, I pick up my luggage, minus a leg off the luggage, and 3/4 of a bottle Perry Ellis 360 that was placed inside my luggage, that either TSA went in there and took, or somebody went inside and stole! I'm going to be in TSA's ass until someone gives me my $42.00 to replace my 360, 'cause don't nobody fucks with my 360! Nobody!... I have a decade problem with my tuxedo, and now I'm cologneless for the inaugural ball! All I need now is for my ride to turn into a big ass sweet potato ('cause black people don't do pumpkin) on the way home from the ball...anywaaaay, tux: check! luggage: check! Now it's on to pick up ball tickets. My best friend, who is entirely responsible for me being able to have any kind of thing to attend for inauguration, is frantic about her timeline to get to down town D.C. in time to pick up Neighborhood ball tickets at face value - $33 dollars! That's right! Eat it you people who had to take out payday loans for yours! My friend wanted those tickets so bad, I think if we would've got in an accident on the way there, I might've been cut for dead weight, and she would have kept it moving. We finally GPS, finagle our way, and get talked over the phone within a couple blocks of 'the drop.' But since traffic is a parking lot, and the area is a nest of one way streets, it is almost impossible to be timely to our destination. I've never seen my best friend so determined for anything that I've seen her bolt so fast out of her own vehicle, leaving me with her own children, while she double times it to her destination. Ladies and gentleman, I do believe we have a new world and olympic record!...Traffic was so bad, that she was out of her car, and I had only moved one city block before she was back into it! Yeah, TOMORROW is going to be really fun!...on our way out (and I must mention this, because the absolute, entire world must know this situation occurred), my friend was able to use her negotiation skills to get D.C.'s finest to open up a blockade for us, since it seems the various law enforcement agencies were not in sync with each other, essentially setting up blockades that turned motorists into hamsters on a spinning wheel. I hope she is happy now that everyone in the blogosphere knows that it was her, on the evening of Monday January 19, 2008, that was responsible for this - just in case you might've been behind us that day and you had no idea of who to thank because you were able to escape this horrific situation!

It is finally time to sit back, and wind down from our stressful and adventurous day. After a stop to thank the person who was the hookup for the inaugural ball tickets, and a stop at my friends' house to recharge and drop off kids, it's time for just us two to belong to the city - to belong to the night! We choose to go to the movies solely, since it is too late to do anything else in addition to the movie like we were originally planning. Since it is Golden Globe and Oscar nomination season, it would be obvious that we would go see a movie fitting of the occasion, such as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button or Milk. So which of these movies had the honor of receiving our money, on this, the day before the most historic day of our life time?...No, No, No, NO-TOR-I-OUS!!!...Yeah that's right! Said it and did it! I mean, come on! We're talking about the man with the greatest flow of all time here! I'd like to see Harvey Milk just try and spit words like this:

The doctor said I need about three weeks of recovery
but the nurses is lovin me
Sayin the best part of the day is my half
Feedin me breakfast, and givin me a sponge bath
Niggaz say I died dead in the streets
Nigga I'm gettin high, gettin head on the beach
Chillin, sittin on about half a million
With all my niggaz, all my guns, all my women
Next two years, I should see about a billion
All for the love of drug dealin
Got no love for the other side, fuck them tricks (fuck them)
Any repercussion, Junior M.A.F.I.A. spit clips (that's right)
All the time, Big Poppa kick the war rhymes
Raw flows, and that's how it goes


Now that is poetry! When I just think of the sacrifices that King made so that us black folk could have the liberties to say some of the things we say today, it just brings a tear to my eye.

Day 1 of Inaugural blog

I have finally descended onto my home of Washington, D.C. - two days before the world shall see the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama. I can't say that getting here was as smooth as I would like it to have been, but I am here. I left Los Angeles where it is at least in the comfortable '70's, and I am now dealing with temperautures with highs somewhere in the thirties. When I left Saturday to come to D.C., I was really tired. I had been out late Friday night having drinks in Old Town Pasadena, and Saturday morning I had my martial arts exam. Having had the wine I had Friday night, the martial arts exam I had Saturday, and the lingering head congestion I've been dealing with due to extreme temperature changes, my energy was sapped for journey to D.C.
I'm not the biggest fan of flying, although any fool would understand the convenience of it. If you're anything like me, you're probably not too cool on flying if, once you've arrived to your destination, you feel as if you've just cheated death as opposed to being nonchalant about having just flown. It also doesn't help my conscience to know that two days ago, a plane went water skiing on the Hudson River. Funny side note: you know how the flight attendant always goes through the safety mumbo jumbo at the beginning of a flight? On my connecting flight, as the flight attendant was going through this very procedure, it had made it to that point where it is announced, "in case of the very unlikely event where there is a water landing..." And I was thinking to myself, "unlikely event? Oh, you mean like that unlikely event that JUST happened 48 hours ago?" Screw that! I want to know if this plane comes equipped with optional water skis, and a pilot from Top Gun...flying wouldn't be half as bad, if it weren't for the strip search, slash destination interrogation, slash cattle herding at the screening process.It's just too much pressure going through the metal detector. It always feels like a Survivor challenge to see which group of people can move faster and be the first to complete the challenge - your group or the groups at the other detectors. And you have to use a different tray for everything - your shoes, your coat, your laptop, your camera bag, your hat, wallet, change, keys, belt, bluetooth, cell phone, jewelry, and medication - have documentation out and prepare for delousing and branding...because my flight was a night flight, I wound up arriving at JFK after the airport had closed. I essentially had to 'sleep' at JFK until my connecting flight was to leave in the morning when the airport re-opened. You haven't known roughing it, until you've been burdened with carrying too much stuff, traversing airport terminals in order to find sleep zones, and that 'bed' of yours winds up being some kind of concrete food bench. To top it all off, my trip reservation acutually included an airline change - not to be confused with a gate change. Yes, I went from American Airlines to United Express. This type of situation just begs for luggage displacement and delay, which is exactly what happened with my only piece of checked luggage. As I write this, I await at home for United to deliver my luggage which pretty much contains ALL my clothes. This situation has prevented me from going to an affair with my best friend tonight...there was one small nicety - my connecting flight from JFK to Dulles. A short and smooth flight aboard a much smaller plane, the Embraer, I highly recommend that type of flying as opposed to the cattle herder planes where you must contend for bathroom usage, appreciate the position of the person at the window seat, and deal with the Bebe's kids of any race. My plane must've had at most fifty or sixty seats.

Once I had arrived to Dulles and submitted my luggage claim, I was on my way home in my uncle's car. I found myself fighting to stay awake on the drive home, as I was getting de-briefed by my uncle on all the family goings-on. Looking out the car window however, I was able to take notice of some inaugural preparations in downtown D.C. A police blockoff here. A national guard set up there...D.C. looks wintry - as it should right about now. Winter in places like D.C. have a look of despair, and at about 8:30 in the morning, when no one is out on the streets, loneliness adds to it. It's sometimes hard to see beyond that look in the winter time even in the best of neighborhoods and other areas of the city...

...I am proud to be home though. I was too tired to muster energy to attend the inaugural concert at the Lincoln memorial today, and the luggage situation botched my evening plans. Without a car right now, I found myself bound to home watching the AFC and NFC championships. I shall be ready for what comes tomorrow, Tuesday, and beyond. Even through this winter wonderland, you sense the excitement and energy building up for this very big day on Tuesday. There are life size cardboard structures of President elect Obama setup at the airport that people are more than willing to use as a substitute for picture taking of the real thing. Businesses of all sorts are selling Obama souvenirs...and with pride, our community is showing up in great numbers in support of our first black President. I will be one counted amongst the millions of people who felt the need to travel from wherever, to be a part of this. Travel, which however tedious, was a small sacrifice to pay for something once in a lifetime, that I will always remember for a lifetime.

I am now on my way to Washington, D.C....

to bear witness to the most historic event of our lifetime.

Today in church....

...as service had ended, I found myself exiting in normal fashion amongst the crowd of other church goers. The church I go to is fairly big, and I usually sit upstairs in the upper balcony section. Making my way to the stairwell so I could take the steps down to the floor level, I found myself meeting up with a young man who was making his way to the stairwell, from the lower balcony section. It didn't take me long at all to realize upon first glance, that I was now walking next to Denzel Washington. Let me say this...the church that I go to is sometimes referred to as 'the church of the stars.' Generally, celebrities and pseudo-celebrities are seated in a section of the church on the floor level, not too far from the pulpit, which I'm quite sure is reserved for them. I had seen Denzel in church on a couple of occasions before - one time as he actually came in with his family sometime after services had already started, and again sitting in lower balcony sections seats not too far from me. Leaving today and noticing him, salt & pepper hair, wearing his Sunday best, humming a little, and just casually walking out amongst the rest of us, I'm realizing that although he knows who he is, and everyone else knows who he is, he doesn't at all try to make a big deal about it. Cool brother! I guess there's a reason that he's so well liked by everyone. I mean, I was right next to him walking out. So close, I wanted to shake his hand and tell him to take care of himself, because I would be working with him one day...

...and during church today, they had a guest choir sing. It was the Tokyo Mass Choir. They were pretty good, but what I'll always remember today about the TMC, was the young lady soloist who performed a selection for which I can not remember the title. What I do remember was that the girl could sing her ass off. She sang like she was black. In fact, if you were to listen to her blindfolded, you would be sure that she was black. It's a shame I don't know her name. Maybe I'm making a bigger deal of this than it probably should be, but how many times does a Japanese choir step into a mostly black church, and then a Japanese soloist steps on stage and tears it up? Not often. When she was done, I gave her a standing ovation, as others in the church did as well. Those who didn't stand to give her a well earned ovation were probably hating on her just because she was Japanese. I, however, found myself so appreciative of her performance, that not only did I give a standing ovation, I was driven to speak on her performance...have you ever been in church, and let something slip from your mouth like you were on the phone with one of your friends? Well it happened with me today, as this young soloist finished her performance. I don't remember the exact words, but when I stood, I think I could've said something to the effect of, "that shit was hot!" I didn't yell it or anything, but it spilled from my lips on to myself, and POSSIBLY some other people who could've been within extreme earshot of me. And if anyone of them is reading this right now, I would just like to extend my apologies to the children of the boys and girls club of Hollywood...No, I'm just playin'.....I was a bad boy in church today. Does this mean I'm going to hell now?

The End Cap

Happy New Year to all!...So the first full week has passed in 2009, and so far I still have a job, and my car is still getting me where I gotta go. Heeeyyy! Pop the bubbly - I guess I'm batting .400 so far. Surprisingly, things have been slow all week in SoCal with traffic and all, which was a good thing. I guess it's because kids don't back to school until this Monday. I hate to think how traffic will probably be back to its normal shitty state out here, but it's been nice, and we know that all good things must come to an end eventually. I guess the trade off is bad traffic for 70 degree winter weather - which is about what is was all week...A couple of my goals for this year are to find a new job, getting a gig in the industry, and to expand my creative interests into acting. As far as trying to land a job, it appears to be more difficult with the whole recession thing going on now. I've been trying to find other work since about the end of last summer. Now that it's a new year, I'm hoping that I will start hearing something back from some places that I've applied, hoping that some of these people were just holding off hiring until the new year began. I've already put one new year goal into action, as I auditioned for a play and won myself a role. This play is hardly one to make a career, but I can definitely use it to slingshot me to other acting opportunities with which to cut my teeth- especially since I seem to have a major character role in this play that I'm about to do.

It seems as if this will be a busy year for me. The year has just started and I already have a million things to do. Now that I have been cast in this play, I have to remember lines for when the show goes up in February; I must prepare my things for business tax filings; I have to figure out what inauguration event(s) to plan for when I go home, before it's too late and I'm screwed, and I can't go to anything because everywhere is sold out; I have to try to figure out how to field businesses to Hoopla's this year; and I need to step up the comedy career where I can either do the legwork to get myself out there more, or do the work to find a manager/management company in which their job would be to do that work for me - all this, and this doesn't even include the regular 9-5. It's safe to say, that I always have something that I should be doing, even when I'm just relaxing around the house...and I don't think tomorrow will see much getting done in the aforementioned. Tomorrow when I wake up, I plan to go to the 8 a.m. church service, watch the Eagles/Giants game after I get home from church, and then go to the movies after the game to see the Eastwood in Gran Torino. By the time the movie is over and I get home, I'll be wanting to prepare myself for the bull on Monday by going to bed early...lol...Don't be fooled by my words, however. I embrace all this excitement of the things that are going on, and the things that have yet to come for me. I have to say, with the exception of that thing that flew off the roadway today and hit my windshield and made nasty cracks in it (Replace windshield! Damn it! That's another thing I gotta do!), it's starting off for me fairly well....and how was your week?

Where did Sin-N-Bones come from?....

I came up with the name Sin-N-Bones because it sounded cool, and it was a play on words. Here is a little self deprecating humor, that was born out of the stage name no longer used.

Health Insurance Card????????

Part of my bit done on health insurance. This was shot May 31st, 2008 at the Camarillo, California Moose Lodge. TRT: 2:34

...and one year later

Right now as I start writing this, it is about 12:42 in the morning. It is officially the day after New Year's. I probably should be in bed right about now, as I do have to work today. It sucks to have to go to work for only one day after having a holiday on Thursday, but I only work until 3:oo today, as opposed to getting off at my usual time of 5:30. Given that, and the fact that they're showing the lamest of the Rocky series on television (and just one of the lamest movies made in general), Rocky V, I figured that I would write a little.

About a year ago, October 2007 to be exact, I wrote a blog entitled, "And The 44th President of the United States is...not Barack Obama." It's not as if the title to the blog doesn't give away the subject matter, but should you want to read that blog before continuing here, feel free to do so... continuing on, I made a prediction at the time, that America would never elect this black man, Barack Obama to the most powerful office in the whole world. To be forthright, I just thought that America was not ready for this very dramatic change...and one year and some change later, I would just like to say that I was flat out wrong, wrong, WRONG!

By the way, I am the type of person that doesn't like to be wrong. No one likes to be wrong. But if there's one circumstance where I'm glad to have been wrong, it was this one...because I knew. I knew this country was not ready - with all the problems in our country with race, and class distinction; with the dirty pool that abounds in politics, I honestly believed that I would never live to see, or would be a very old man before I would live to see this day come. I am a comedian - I had the "he must be crazy or high!" jokes. My personal belief that our race, although considered in the inclusion of Americans, is tolerated, rather than respected or accepted in this country. Michelle Obama was chastised for stating, " ...for the first time in my adult life I am proud of my country..." She wound up having to defend what came off as sounding like an 'unpatriotic' statement. This apology I understand, doing what she had to do, but I have my own personal belief on the meaning of her statement because it is the exact sentiment that I and countless other 'black Americans' have had since the last stretch of the presidential election.

Ultimately, it was/is an issue that came/comes down to respect and acceptance. In this country, we understand that we are one huge melting pot. And we know that there are cultural differences in the way that we live because of that. However each of us chooses to live, it should never negate the idea however, that we can respect and accept those who are different from ourselves. On November 4th, when our country chose to elect Barack Obama as the next President of the United States, it was tangible confirmation that America at last, was accepting us. America didn't choose for or against a skin color. America chose a man that was an everyday man; a man whose family instilled in him while young, the importance of education - that he could be anything he wanted if he worked hard for it; a man who took those values, worked hard, received some of the best schooling, and used his ambition, talent, and intelligence to carve a political career for himself. America chose a man that was the American Dream that it sells - whom, because he came from rather modest means, was just as American as the next person. America chose what it believed to be the BEST person to lead our country forward in a much needed new direction. America chose a brilliant, inspiring man with integrity. A special young man whose life story was written for the change he articulated in oration - and he just happened to be black. Now for first the time in my life, I have unequivocal belief that anyone in this country really can become anything he or she wants to be. I finally believe what I, and so many others of my generation were told as kids by schoolteachers.

I have a friend who trains with me in Aikido. He is caucasian. His is from Texas. He likes his country music...and he is an intelligent and very cool guy. He said to me that he kind of got why this moment was so important to African-Americans, but he wanted me to try to explain to him in a way where he could get a stronger grasp or understanding of why this moment was SO important. I explained to him that although I could break down to him the 'whys', that he could never fully understand - not because he was white, but because he is not black. Bottom line, as I stated before, it comes down to respect and acceptance...finally. To those who kind of understand the importance of this moment, but want to try to get a stronger grasp of this very profound moment, it explains the shots CNN captured at Obama's victory speech of teary eyes on the faces of a group of young women from Spelman College. It explains black centenarians, whom no matter what their health circumstance, cast their vote in this election. It explains why so many of us [blacks] with young children, children who would be too young to remember November 4th 2008, took our sons and daughters with us, so that pictures could be taken of them at the polls on this day; so that they could help us place the ballot in the box.

Given this most historic moment in our time, my only admonishment for America is to not get lazy. I've been reading since the election that this event, albeit historic, has been an atonement of sorts. I personally look at this as a beginning - the beginning of great and promising change for our country. But there is still much more work to be done. Plus, there are so many more of us behind Barack Obama that deserve every opportunity at even the most far reaching of American dreams - and because it was hard worked to obtain. And I'm not just talking about "us." I'm talking blacks, latinos, asians, and any other color minority.

If I had the opportunity to talk to President elect Barack Obama, I would say to him that I am sorry. I would say that I apologize for doubting or never seeing what he always saw for himself. I would say that you have given so much hope, inspiration and renewed vigor for even the most accomplished of us in our community. I would say that you are a real live hero, a shining king among men, a portrait of our strength, and the Kingsian influence of my generation - and a great inspiration to myself. And although I'm quite sure he knows, I would ask him if he really understands this, and if he really understands what he's done...

...and finally, I would ask him, ''what ever happened to that bumper sticker that I was supposed to get from donating to your campaign? I donated a whole $10 to get that bumper sticker, and it still ain't come in the mail yet!"

Old Obama Material

1 minute of work out material about then Presidential candidate Barack Obama. Done at a coffee house open mic in Long Beach on February 1, 2008.