Clueuin The 411 on all things New York

Gurl, Where The Heck Have You Been?- A Year In Review

2012-01-06T17:57:00.000-08:00

Gurl, Where The Heck Have You Been?- A Year In Review

Gurl, where the heck have youbeen?! Is probably what you have all been asking whenever you peep at my blog.If not congratulations you have a life or have found a better blog to read.Can’t say I would blame you as I have been totally out of it since August.However if you do have a life and think my blog was worth reading I sincerely apologizefor being remiss in keeping this blog up to date.

I have a lot of excuses and atleast two good reasons for being hello late, lame, and lazy. One of my reasonswere that I am a writer and if this blog was my only project you guys (and myone follower) would have a really good reason to be pissed. (However yourmileage may vary.) At any rate I have been trying to complete a short storythat I have been working on for the last, oh let’s see, four years or more.What better time to focus than when you’re unemployed, receiving unemployment,and have time in between updating your resume and sending all over the place?Oh yes times are tough but it takes more than economical downturn to get thisgirl down! LOL

So there I was trying to keep upmy major tough writing schedule when I realize that I hadn’t updated my blog! Iswear to all that is holy in this world that I was just about to hunker downand do some research when major bills came along. Remember when I promised anew exciting feature where I would go around town and take pictures ofso-called fashions for real women then make comments? Yeah, couldn’t take picturesif I couldn’t buy a digital camera now could I? Con Ed must be paid and life isa bitch till you learn to smell the roses!

Seriously, I wish I could havebecause I saw this really bitchin’ outfit up by Atlantic Avenue at thisboutique and would have really, really, loved to take a picture of it to showto my audience…..of apparently one follower and whoever glanced at my blog andthen decided to find something more interesting. (No I’m not whining, sniff.)Anyways, I’m really sorry about that one. The second reason? Well, this isgoing to sound really lame but if you’ve ever had a mid-fall flu cold then youprobably will sympathize. I was as sick as a dog! Could not write even ane-mail so much as a snippet of a blog much less work on my short story. L

So now of course comes the lamestof excuses, while I was sick I got hello bored and decide to rise up out of mybed and surf the net. I decided to find out what to do on the internet whenbored at a site that right now I can’t remember the name but I know anotherwoman wrote so I blame her. Her site recommended that I watch old Doctor Whoepisodes. Being low at heel and only being able to afford to pay for myinternet service, (shut up), I had no way to afford to go down to my localmovie rental store; heck much less be able to play the thing considering Ididn’t have a DVD player or a laptop with the latest Cd-Rom attachment. (Shutup I’m not cheap, I could only afford a net book. Yeah, I know, shut up!)

What did I do? Well I surfed thenet and came to many sites that offered for a small fee or no fee at all many,many, Doctor Who episodes. So I picked some episodes off of the Amazon.Comwebsite. (They we’re offering a one month trail of Prime membership. Bigmistake will tell you later about it) Therest as they say is history as I got lost in Time, Space and Christopher Eccleston’ssmile! Then David Tennant then Matt Smith and all my favorite old time TimeLords. Then of course I had to go on Youtube.Com to learn even more fan stuffand it went down hill from there.

There is this cool guy from GreatBritain named MrTardis and he has a Youtube page called “MrTadisReviews” fromthere I got other Youtube recommendations and started watching this hello funnyguy called “The Nostalgia Critic”. OMG, that was one of the coolest threemonths ever spent by the internet! What was not cool was I was only sick forthree weeks in September! So lame! I’m sorry but I will make it up to you. How?

Well two ways. One- I will giveyou these entertaining guys and gals Youtube and web addresses so you two canlose all your valuable extra-time watching them and Two- Load a clip of DoctorWho. Not much of an apology gift to be sure which is why I am also goingoutside in the cold to take pictures with my net book and start on other blogs!I swear and I’m sorry and Oh…

…Happy New Year!

Peace!

MrTadisReviews: www.youtube.com/user/MrTARDISreviews/featured

The Nostalgia Critic: www.thatguywithglasses.com & SearchYoutube.com

Doctor Who:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003LZ5B7S/ref=atv_dp_season_select?ie=UTF8&redirect=true

I'm back. did you miss me? New Stuff from MRCLUEUIN.

2011-06-04T13:07:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone in the blogospere! I'm back and my one follower can finally breath a sigh of relief. (That's if he's still following me.) Now if you are new you'll figure out why. (Look at article below.)
If my old follower is still following, then he'll know too. (Thanks in advance for any possible condolences.)
Meanwhile back at the ranch while I was feeling bummed for obvious reason; I was still constantly thinking of possible essay articles to write. Lucky for me politics have been a buzz with many a new issue. It seems it's a buzz a minute with the Middle East, 2012 Election Candidates, and Health Care, etc. Focused on that for two reasons, one always interested in what's going on in the world, two my Dad was the reason why I'm like that and I thought it would be a cool way to honor him.
But if anybody was thinking I was sitting around glum and crying all the time just don't know me. Did that eight months, stopped thought about Dad some more, laughed at all the good times we had, felt sad, then started distracting myself like a motherfucker. So of course like shiny keys to a baby I got distracted but good by this really good game online. Then I thought about the kind of man my father was and what he wanted for me. So I meditated on that and decided to get back in the saddle.
So to that end here are some new titles to look forward to in the coming weeks. (That's right I said weeks not three months out of the year went I poke my head out and see what's up to write about. Aren't you lucky?)

My New Life With Second Life! - My brand new obsession, Second Life! This virtual reality game that has been around for ages and discovered it like it was brand new. There is so much more fun and excitement in this game that it's more fun the a cluster of shiny keys. Of course since this game is full of game players who control their avatars and talk with other game players it's more than your usual game. Drama? Oh yeah! Cool clothes? Natch! Adventure? A whole butt load! Is it free? To start and as long as you can stand it before you break down and buy the premium menu, yeah. Intrigued? Good then maybe if you stop by you might break down and read the new page that will tell you all about it then won't you? Heh, heh, heh!

Real Fashion For Real Woman- Hard enough to be a large size woman in this city but when the fashionistas finally got the 411 on the fact that fat chicks like cool clothes they decided to do to us what they've been doing to you skinny minnies out there. Offer clothes that no one in there right mind would wear on the regular, (or for that matter on any occasion), anybody wearing shiny silver triangles on there faux fur faux leather jackets lately? No? I didn't think so. So on top of trying to see what's the 411 in the city that we love, New York; I'll be taken shots of real woman wearing fashionable clothes that make sense and of course making fun of all the crazy shit I see out there that the fashionistas out there think we women should be wearing. Let's go get 'em girls!

So much to write and so little unemployment cash to spend on carfare to go see them. So if your passing by how about bookpaging all this mess and give little ole MR a shout out, o.k? Peace!

M.A.R

In Memoriam: Charles R. Jr.

2010-10-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

Part Three continues with the life and times of my father.

Charles in the second act of his life decided to embark on his dream. A dream that many a smart, young, black man has but because of circumstances out of his control can not, a college education. While he was in his younger years he was helped by his friends to enter college and procure his Associates degree (Note: Not yet completed. M.R)

In Memoriam: Charles R. Jr.- Part Two

2010-10-05T13:26:00.000-07:00

......This is Part two in a memorial essay on my Father. As Blogger.com has limitations on so many words per post I find myself breaking up this essay into Three part. Please forgive the inconvenience. M.R.

Of course my Dad was the type of person who knew his own mind and despite the protests of his friends decided to join the U.S Army. Never mind all the rhetoric he was being indoctrinated with, he was an American and found it was his duty to sign up. (I’m thinking that at that time he wasn’t so into Communism as he later became in life. But more about that later. My opinion is so lacking in information that I wouldn’t be surprised to be corrected by some of his aforementioned friends.) So while he was in the Army he was stationed here and about. About this time it was discovered that my Dad had a Mental illness and was honorably discharged. His illness, Paranoid schizophrenia. It did make him less loving, less brilliant, or less of anything. This illness just meant that he saw the world differently than most and with medication and therapy he was just like everybody else except for times when he was in his own world. I didn’t know of his illness in my growing up years, he told me when I was in College. It didn’t change the way I felt about him and it made me understand some of his behaviors when a was little a lot more. I just thought that Dad danced to a tune of a different drummer and I liked the music. Moving on.

This part is about to get murky so I apologize in advance. But it’s such an important part to me and God knows who else that to not mention it would be a crime.

My Father Charles met my Mother Linnett in Jamaica. (This is where it gets murky. But hang in there it’s an Memoriam for goodness sakes not a biography!) Charles was staying with a friend and/or stationed on leave. At any rate they met, they fell into like, (I can’t really say if they loved one another so), and they married. Anything else I could mention would fall under the category of None ya, as in none of your business so there! So Dad left Jamaica and did all the necessary paperwork to get his bride to America. In the 70’s was born to them a little girl, who is the author of this Memoriam. (For obvious reasons I cannot state my name. I am still writing under and assumed name so.) Charles had also adopted my sister D.R a daughter from a previous realasionship. (Once again None ya.)

When I was three years old they divorced but remained good friends, somewhat, throughout the years from what I had observed throughout my childhood. All the rest of their relationship, again none ya. This time it’s because I am not privilege nor is it my right to mention something about an relationship between two people. It was between these two however they might have included some individuals into their issues, so it will remain so until such time as I either get permission to talk about it or the survivors’ death. At any rate my Dad was fond of my Mother and loved me and my sister very much.

I looked forward to the times when he would visit us or whenever he would take us out for a day or a weekend. To me it was like Christmas, Fourth of July, and Halloween whenever he came for us. Dad took us to weekend trips, Museums, Art Galleries, and restaurants. Dad taught us how to behave and act around different classes of society and races. We were taught to respect other people’s differences and taught pride in our own. I liked to think however infrequent those visits, Dad had an impact on me that stays with me to this day.

In Memoriam: Charles R. Jr.

2010-10-05T13:06:00.000-07:00

In Memoriam Charles R. Jr.

September 4, 1929-2010

Part One

It took me a long time to write this and you probably are not really wondering why. If you have lost a loved one, you must have a lot of empathy and realize how I must be feeling these many months. If not, you must find yourself blessed in the fact that a loved one hasn’t left you yet but then you’re one of the lucky one.s Soon the time must come to all that love that a loved one’s life must end. It is the way of things. It doesn’t make it any easier for me and others who have lost a loved one but at least it was expected. So this Memoriam is to give some comfort to those of Charles’ Family and friends who will miss him. Though it was expected, it is still a shock to learn that a man who has loved, learned, fought, and cared has died.

Charles was born in a small town outside of Houston, Texas. That is as much as I could learn from him while he was still with us. Even though he was a gregarious man, full of life, and some who didn’t know he very well would assume he was talkative; there was still some information that he kept to himself. One of which was the name of the town, the other was the name of his Mother and Father. Of all that he would say to me about one; his Mother was that she was deemed unfit to raise him due to the fact that she was mentally unfit. They didn’t have fancy medical names back then of all of the sorts of mental illnesses they had back then; Psychology being what it was they most probably misdiagnosed it anyway. So my father and his brother; (who also was not named to me or else I forgotten, it’s hard to say); was raised by his Aunt and Uncle. Again any names he may have mentioned were forgotten by me and by him. (So sorry Dad, should have paid more attention.)

At any rate from what he told me it was a tough childhood. The time he was born in was in the time of the Great Depression. So needless to say times were tough. As a child in the South of Texas he was deemed smart and loved to listen to the radio about current events of his times. Too poor to go to College my Father when he was about 18 or so decided to have a bit of an adventure. It sounded like an adventure to me when he told it but I’m sure the reality of being a bum riding on the rails was dangerous and fraught with peril. Tired of that life I’m guessing was what led him to go to New York and later join the army.

Charles used his smarts and charm to find himself just in time for the Harlem Renaissance. Where he made a lot of African-Americans and other races very much interested in the Black intelligentsia of that time in the 40’s. He also was on the scene to be pretty much recruited by the disaffected whites of that time. Members of the Communist party in America. (Talk about a life being fraught with danger!) In those times, people were worried about the damnest things, like a Communist take over, Socialism run amok, and a whole lot of stupidest that still runs over to this time today. But my Father found that these caring Whites were looking out for their fellow man and that included the Black Man. In his time those types of Whites were few and far between. So he found like minded companions who cared about where he was going in life and were in their own way trying to strive for a better life.

Meet Jackie Watter And her Fabulous Cakes!

2010-02-06T20:18:00.000-08:00

Hey ya'll we inturrupt this blogcast to bring you this current story. My friend Codie has this wonderful mother, Jackie Watter. Now I didn't realize how wonderful till I heard about this beautiful women's business savvay.
Now in the interest of full discloser I haven't tasted Ms. Watter's Carrot Cake. (Nevermind I'm not exactly objective when it comes to my friend Codie and anything or anybody connect with her right? Full discloser! Just listen to me huh?) But hey I know that Ms. Watter is a smart and savvay lady and is one strong black women to boot!
So that I won't be accused of being to close to the story I will direct you to this website. And then you tell me if this gal aian't a genius!

http://www.ifvnews.com/

(Seen it yet? She's a genius isn't she?)

Facebook $14.99 a month! Oh hell no! My comment to Facebook. Why?!

2010-01-18T10:55:00.000-08:00

Why Facebook? Why? I feel as if I have been stabbed in the back. I really love this internet company. When I found out what they are planning I practically went into shock. I was too tired last night to respond so this morning I wrote a comment letter to them this morning. Here it is.
( I know I only have one follower so if he is reading this I hope he shares this information.)
Here it is for what it's worth:

I don't know if this is really a 'General question or comment' situation however it seems to me that the the person and persons who run Facebook have lost their minds!
You have a mult-billion dollar company, you are number 1 in networking services, and billions of people around the world use your services. Yet for some reason you gentleman, (and for all I know ladies), think that you need to make more money off of the the consumers of your product.
Now what I want to know is why do you think that and how do you think that your consumers in these tough economic times that 'we' can afford $ 14.99 a month?
I myself pay 62.69 dollars a month for internet services and that's because I have just gotten a job. Before that I have been going to public and college libararies to surf the net. I have been pleased; (do you hear me?), please with your FREE services. Don't think however that I haven't noticed the commericial ads, the games that ask for me to buy tokens, and the applications that have commercials. Oh you want your consumers to buy your advertisers products and use their applications in which they pay you money in order to have the privilege to showcase these games.
So you get money from advertisers, you get money from these game companies, and god knows where else, (because I'm not privileged with the full knowledge of where else you get your billions or millions as the case may be), and now your consumers who have been used to receiving these free networking services abeit with the asformentioned commericial ads etc.; must now pay $14.99!
I have praise your services to the skies in my little blog, because of you I have reconnected with friends I haven't seen in years, I have met new friends because of you, but I will get there phone numbers and addresses if I have to and leave Facebook if I have to. Why? Because I can't afford $14.99 a month!
To tell the truth I can barely afford to pay for the internet services I have now. If god forbid I lose my job I can't see myself going though the rain, snow, heat, and travel exspenses to go to Facebook to use your services for the privilege of contacting my friends and family for $14.99 a month.
Now it's your turn to tell the truth. Don't reply back with a standard company response to my comments. Don't try to tell me that it's exspense in these hard economic times for you, President, Ceo's, and manegers of Facebook with billions of dollers at your command. I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!
You must come up with another reason or solution to why you think 'we' the consumers must some how pay nearly 200 dollars a year. Something that I can believe in. Or else just don't do it. I don't belive you can because it just doesn't make sense.

That's it. That's my comment. Oh by the way I will be copying this comment and posting this in my little blog. So even though I may not have a lot of readers I just don't want this comment to be swallowed up in the mismer of comments that will get lost and forgotton by whom ever runs this page. I will be following up on this situation and also reporting it on my blog. Not much of a thing for a big internet company to worry about however you got to start somewhere. You did, in your college dorm with all your friends livin' off ramen noodles and pizza coming up with such a great idea for a networking service. Just think about that President of Facebook and others.

Sincerely,
Michelle Annette Rudd

Clueuin’s New Year’s 09’s Year In Review- (A Single Gals Romp Around Brooklyn)

2010-01-09T19:52:00.001-08:00

Well, well, well, first we started the 21st century and then we all blinked and it is now the teens. So does that mean that the 21st century is now a teenager? Just maybe! We started the 21st century full of hope and now we’re in the middle of one hell of a growing pain.

But before I go off on one of my infamous digressions let’s take a look at my last year. Personally I couldn’t get enough of ’09. Believe it or not I had more highs than lows. Maybe it’s because in ’08 I promise myself to get out more and explore.
It all started with me going to the Brooklyn Public Library in my neighbor in East Flatbush. I had wanted to start a website in order to showcase my writing more. I went to Yahoo.com and they stressed me out with their slow download and complicated web set up. In frustration I did a web search and whala! A new persona was born. Clueuin!

This gal had opinions, this gal had spunk, but most of all she had a library card!
I was writing some rant about my previous job working for this firm that sells directories to people they were trying to con into believe it was a great networking opptunity. It had cheated me out of a paycheck and I had wanted revenge! So I did another web search and found blogspot.com. There were a lot of people with a lot to say about everything, not just about cheating, lying, sack of shit, companies.

There was this really cool guy named Chris with political view different than my own but hell-o funny! Then there is his even cooler and smart companion NY Nerd, more about her later. (Besides she has on her profile and very true and interest statement. Quote: Don't presume you know me because you've read my blog. You don't. So in the interest of not making to any assumptions I’m just going to stick to really, really, cool, and very smart.)

For some reason all they know of they’ve both stop posting in their blog, I miss them. But because of Chris I discovered this whole new neighborhood that has been a neighborhood for quite some time but was new to me. Just ten blocks down from my neighborhood! Kensington! Oh my goodness what a neighborhood! With restaurants, neighborhood shops, and an organic store that is the bomb!

I also discovered this blog that describes all these great places and so much more. With neighborhood concerns and point of interests that make you think. It called Kensington, Brooklyn.

Met some even more interesting people on that blog and found that you never know what some people might say to just about anything. (I think some of these people were a bad influence on me and as it is I have no mental filter. I just say what pops into my head some times. You’ve read what happens whenever I write what I think, right? It can get worse.) But by no means did my intelligence quotient go down. As a matter of fact thanks to the people who post comments in Kensington I have become a more savvy Brooklynite.

Well once I read about Kensington I just had to go there and like I said above the neighborhood—The bomb!

This started me on an odyssey to discover more of my borough. Which then led me to discover that one of the best clothing store’s on Park Slope was closing its doors! Harriet’s Alter Ego.

Sure there weren’t a lot of clothes that could fit me there but their clothes fit my sensibilities to a T. Urban Afro-centric with a little funk mixed in to make it interesting. I was hoping to get one of their stretchy waist Mini-Skirts when I got a job.

But fear not reader, (future, past, and maybe present reader who knows), there is hope because in ’09 I found out that the owner of HAE had formed a collective of designers, artist’s, and musicians (as well as a assortment of other creative types)!

Another web search with Google had me finding WWW.SocietyHAE.com and a whole other world opened up! I went to two events hosted by HAE, a party in the spring to show off HAE’s new line, and a shopping fair with many stalls filled with a whole lot of fashions.

Vendors included:
YAKBLAK, vintage sunnies, www.yakblak.com, Phone: 917-435-2114
YAKBLAK sells vintage style sunglass that made this gal look good

SACRED 77, By AFREAKSTAR, Phone: 917-539-8114
SACRED 77 sells original hand painted cotton clothing that although not my cup of tea, (sue me expressive arty clothing is too young for me.), nevertheless impressed the hell out of me with its artistry. Also his fiancée, Freedom Bey, sells these way cool travel gear another painted wonder that is my cup of tea, cup of java, cup of noodles, all that! Can’t afford either, bummer! (Especially on the suitcases, can you imagine carrying this in the airport?)

(Freedom Bey)

Then there are the urban sport hat designs by Frank Cap and King Cap of the Frank Distro League. WWW.FRANK151.Com.
If you are looking for the most fresh and original caps to swagger down the ‘hood in and still feel sophisticated then these are the caps for you, bo-ys! Frank Cap get there inspiration from the inventor, diplomat, writer, and American statesmen Benjamin Franklyn. To find out more about what their all about go to their website stated above.

BrendaZheng, Lifestyle Accessories Design, brendazheng.blogspot.com, Phone: 917-696-3592
Her handbags made me weep! (‘Cause as cool and wondrous as these bags are no way I’m I gonna be able to afford one of them. Fashion forward design that would make any fashionista weep. (Wish I was one, then I could afford these fabulous bags. Brenda, a F.I.T and Parsons alum is creative and has been in the Independent Handbag Designer Awards ™ Now with Shoes competition. Last blog post had her bags as a finalist. (Now I know I can’t afford her bags, bummer!)

THOSE BROTHERS JEWELRY, THOSEBROTHERSJEWELY.Com, Phone: 646-402-4970
Now I know I’ve used creative way to much but can I help it if it’s the first word that comes to mind when I think of Those Brothers Jewelry. Those fabulous African-centric designs would look great on me! Don’t remember the prices but may that’s a good thing because when it comes to jewelry I don’t want to know. All M can think of is ‘she want, she want’!
There website is a little cluttered but got some nice jams you can listen to and besides their stuff is much better in person. (See I used fabulous only twice!)

I saw all this and more last spring and summer ’09. First time at The SoHo Loft and the second time at Water Street.

SoHo Loft, 38 Howard Street, New York, NY, (On the corner of Broadway & Howard, 1 Block North of Canal).

At The SoHo Loft I rocked to the DJ and looked at all the cool fashions, if I didn’t have to go to work the next day that summer I would have rocked the night away. Ironically one of the songs they played was 'Can’t stop till I get enough’ by Michael Jackson, didn’t even think that it would become even more ironic two months later.

But life has a strange way of going on and I went on to the last month of Summer to Water Street.
The Dumbo Loft, Vinegar Hill, 155 Water Street, New York, NY 11201
*(The Ahficionados, SoundProof International)
A happen time was had by all not only did we have *a cool DJ’s but there were even more vendors there. The same usual suspects mentioned above plus a whole lot more! Sorry but I didn’t get everyone’s card. Bummer!
But I did have a good time which made a good Summer for M.R.

Fall comprised of taking time to morn Michael Jackson during his funeral, (yep it took that long to organize his memorial, its The Michael Jackson we’re talking about here!) Then there was HRA Job training, then a new job, then job training at same job, then job fired employees, then luckily found new job.

Then there were the holidays with a hectic Christmas trying to find time to visit relatives and buying of Christmas gifts. (What fun)! Wrapping up with a Champagne Toast at home watching Dick Clark’s Rockin’ Eve. There you have it folks the year of yours truly, MRClueuin, romping around town.

I hope that your New Year is filled with just as much personal adventure as I had. I am looking forward to a New Year with even more adventures around the Borough I love, Brooklyn, and the city I love, New York.
Happy New Year everyone!
M.R.C.

Facebook Rocks! Or My Love Letter to Facebook

2009-07-22T05:36:00.000-07:00

OMG! You just can't believe it happens to you till it happens.
I mean I've heard all the stories, read all the articles, and I just thought it was just good PR on behalf of Facebook. I mean really you don't see stuff like this everyday and when it happens wow!
My day started like every other day. I mean one minute I'm at my Job Search Room at the podunk HRA supported agency on my computer. Now they keep on telling me and my other job search participants that we should use the computer for job search only. (That's why even though my Case Manager is a part-time actor and would really love this site I can't show it to him because he'll do his job and report my ass.) But as it was beep that I mean I'm only here for a job training course in order to get my licence to become a Security Guard. (Don't ask! Need money, steady job, etc.) So looking for work isn't going to take up must time. However the point is that we're allowed to be in our e-mail so that we can send resumes and stuff so there I was when it happen.

I was looking through my e-mail when I saw the subject line: 'Codie G------ is requesting to be your friend on Facebook. No other important words meant so much to me as to see her name on a subject line requesting to be my friend. A little back story:
When I was a young hip wanna be writer and artist (unlike now when I'm a late 30's gonna be writer and artist.) I moved in with my Dad while going to college. My Dad had moved to Harlem shortly after his separation from his long time live-in girlfriend. (Him 55, she 60 something. It's a story, I'll tell ya later) Anyhoo, we moved from Hell's Kitchen to Harlem to this one bedroom apartment. My Dad sleeping in the living room and me with a bedroom all to myself. For a couple of months this was bliss and I just left dorm life and boy wasn't that a big waste of a college loan! (Again, you might hear more of this in another post.) Well, as I can recall it was the Fall of 93 or so and I was just sitting on the steps in front of our apartment building when this medium height chocolate brown gal in braids stepped into my life with one hand full of shopping and another hand holding this adorable toe-head child of hers. At the time I was pretty bummed. It was my 1 st year here in Harlem and I lived in a building full of either ultra shy or really stuck up people, (depending on who you finally got to say 'good morning' to), and I was really lonely and self-conscious. It didn't stop me however from being the over-friendly cuss that was the bane of my mother when I was a child. For me the saying a stranger is a friend you just haven't met yet was not just words it was a blooming lifestyle!
Anyhoo! There she was coming down the stairs and there I was sitting on the stairs. I immediately remember my manner that were drummed into me by both parents at separate time in my life and got up to give her and her sweet toddler some room to go down the stairs.
I said "Excuse me " or something like that and then preceded to open the apartment building door for her. She said "Thank you. Your so kind" or something to that affect and we both went into the building together.

At this point as we waiting for the elevator and since nature and Clueuin (M.R) abhor a vacuum I started to blather. "Your new here? I have just moved here." And other pleasantries that I this point in my life I'm lucky to remember my own name much less what was said 16 years ago. All I do remember is we just started gabbing like we were old friends forever or something. I cooed at her son, she told me that she lived in the building for quite sometime, and schooled me on the inhabitants of the building. I told her about my downstairs neighbor who hated me and my Dad and took every opportunity to complain about the so called noise I was making and about living with my Dad. And she said just the right thing, that my neighbor was a stuck up bitch and my Dad sounded like a sweetheart. (Leaving crumbs on the counter and collecting cans and putting them in the closet non-withstanding. But hey I loved him and still do.)
I just thought though that Codie was the coolest, smartest (street smart), funniest person I ever met and she made me feel like I was the coolest, smartest (book smart), funniest person she ever met. It was if God said "Honey I know you miss your dear departed sister Beverly and I know no one can replace but how about this kid as your friend and companion." And said after knowing her a few years till she moved.

Oh the times we had! We laughed, we cried, we both yelled at her boyfriend when he was acting up, and tease him unmercifully when he was being funny. (And that was a lot, Anthony was one crazy cuse!) It was like every other day I was at her apartment laughing, sharing, and occasionally drinking the night away. (Hey sometimes the gal had to kick me out. I mean a gal gotta sleep sometimes. LOL.) Then she had to move down south and I was the most bummed creature on earth. I cried, she cried, the boy cried, we all cried, but she had to go. Codie had her son to think of and she needed a better life than what she was living then. I still had the crazy idea that my life would be perfect if only I had my own apartment. (Pfft. Who knew?) I was thinking that she was the luckiest person on earth and I was going to be stuck living with my Dad (as nice as he was/is) and going from job to job without getting published which was/is my dream. Now I didn't even have a best friend to chat with. I had her new phone # (which years later I lost) but it wouldn't be the same. I thought.
So that is the brief saga of meeting my bestest friend in the whole wide world next to my step-sister (whom I will always call my sister) Beverly. Here in lies the rest of my Facebook saga which had me reunited with my soul sista:

So where was I? Oh yeah on the Internet, looking at my e-mail, and finding that friend request in the subject line. It took all the discretion and strength I had not to jump up and scream. ('Cause I didn't want to get busted.) I immediately went to Facebook while shiftily looking from my screen to my case mgr.'s desk in order to contact my soul sista with the quickness. I accepted her as my friend, she e-mail me, I e-mail her. Called her the next day and we started chatting like it was yesterday and I was in her kitchen at her apartment telling her about my day. Except now I was at my Job search center instead of her kitchen and she was oh, just 500 miles away with three kids instead of the one and that toe-headed child is now 16 years old.
I must say this I don't care what anybody has to say about Facebook the company, the President of Facebook, it's trails, tribulations, or criticisms of it in any way shape or form. I love Facebook and I will be a loyal user till I die or whenever they go out of business and close down their site. (Which I don't think will happen anytime soon, thank you very much!)
If it wasn't for Facebook I would still be search on a Internet search engine for my friend Codie (because like a dumb ass I lost her number and her mother's number) wonder what was happening in her life and thinking that she must think I'm the worst friend in the history of friendship. Which she doesn't, God bless her, she says that when ever anyone ask her about who is her best friend, Codie says M-------. I love you Codie and yeah.......

I LOVE YOU FACEBOOK!!!!!!

The Guy in the Tie Part 3

2009-07-17T08:59:00.000-07:00

Yes ladies and gentleman the final installment of "The Guy in the Tie" or "The Guy with the Tie" whatever the case maybe because if I don't start writing this it will never get finished and I know my fans are getting antsy, all two of them. LOL So without further ado.......

So I went with the Guy into Starbucks and we looked around for a seat. There on the left of use just to inches from the entrance where some booths, tables, and seats. A man and a woman were sitting in the booth and two chairs were there in front of their table. They were well dressed and filled with the aura of comfortably well off Yuppies till one of them spoke, then they went even lower in my estimation. (You'll see what I mean in a minute.)

So Guy when up to them and asked the man if he could take two of the chairs. Now at this point I was already having misgivings. "Why I'm I here? Just look at the stuck up Yuppy? Why didn't I just tell him that I had an appointment and leave."

Flashing back I realized that he had said that I could ask him any question I'd like and that he didn't have any intentions of trying to get into my pants. So I sighed and paid a little more attention to what my new companion was saying.

The Yuppies in the Booth was claiming that they were saving the seats for they friends and the Yuppie Guy was quite adamant about not giving up the seats. I'm thinking, "Great maybe we can sit somewhere else." And "Or Maybe forget the whole thing. Nod smile keep it moving"

Well Guy in the Tie was wasting time trying to get the Yuppie Guy to compromise. "Are you sure I can't just have one chair...for the lady at least? I promise it won't take long." Well Yuppie Guy, heretofore now to be called Euro-trash guy, wasn't having it. " No. I told you that thee chairs, they are for some else. Now go away!"

After that little effeminate statement I almost saw red. I mean o.k Guy with the Tie may have pressed his issue a bit too much but, damn! " It's o.k. *-------." I said brusquely and tiredly. "Let the little man have his chairs. O.k? I'm sure we can find somewhere else to sit. Umph!" I sort of snorted after that sentence. Well the Euro-trash guy sort of bristled after that and tried to bring my ass into the little disagreement. " I just told this old man that dees seats they were taken. Is it my fault that he is deaf?" I turned back and said to him; " Don't you bring me into your shit, o.k? You've made your little point you little Euro-trash! Now if you will excuse us we will be leaving now. Come on *------ let go!" Well have you ever met a man that never has the common sense to just let a woman have the last word. Well Euro-trash was that man.

"Who are you calling Euro-trash! I'm from Brooklyn!" (Yea, right!) "Your from Brooklyn? With a phacaca accent like that your from Brooklyn. Well hon, I'm from Brooklyn, New York USA, and if your phony ass self is from Brooklyn then I'm Tyra Banks! Come on *-----!" And with that I took Guy with the Tie by the arm and walked to the counter where they keep the Coffee condiments where I leaned on the window up against the wooden bar.

"Now you said something about talking?" I said trying to drag back my usually cool demeanor. " Sorry about that *------, I usually don't lose my cool like that but rude people like that set my teeth on edge." I said after I notice the Guy with the Tie's bemused look on his face. " No, don't worry about it. Look we can't sit here and have a relaxed conversation with you standing here like that I'll be right back." As he went I noticed that he was going right back to Euro-trash's table. "Oh, no *------, don't go there it's o.k! We can get a seat...."

But by the time it took for me to finish that sentence, GWTT went off and grab the chair. It was just then I notice that Euro-trash was joined by only one other person besides the woman that was with him from the start. " Why that little lieyer!" I thought "Here he his making a big deal about saving seats when he only needed one. What a bastard!"

So GWTT came back with the chair to where I was standing looking at him bemused and bewildered. And him coming back as if he personally slay a dragon for me or something. I laughed shook my head and hell yeah I sat down. "So go ahead asking me anything and remember you can ask anything you want. Just ten questions and you will find out all about me." GWTT said smiling. "O.k GWTT as Sherlock Holmes said to Watson the game's afoot!" I thought to myself as I began to ask him questions in my quest to see what his game was. Here below are my questions as best as I can remember them and his answers.

1. What's your religion?

When I ask him that he was quite taken aback because he didn't expect that question. Little did he know that I was really asking him that question to gauge what his game was because if it was some kind of religious conversion trip he was trying to take me on. I was going to ask him a couple of follow-up questions;(like are you some kind of missionary?), then politely and firmly tell him good day. I don't take to prostenlizing because I believe that any Christain's actions should speak for themselves louder that any preaching can. (For more on my issues stay tuned for upcoming posts.) Well GWTT's answer was that he was raised Espipalian in Boston but has not been to church for quite sometime.

2. So does that mean that you don't believe in God?
(Follow up question just in case and just in case he was some kind of cult recruiter. I don't take kindly to any kind of prostenlizing in any religion and MR does not shave her head for no one!) GWTT: "Well yes of course it's just that I believe in God all around us. In the earth, the trees, nature, you know in the people we met, etc."
For awhile there I was nervous because I felt; "Oh, here we go now he'll expound on his little group in the basement that just hangs out and talks about nature while smoking funny leaves and banging drums. (Not that I have a problem with that or anything as I meditate twice a month and I practice some visualization techniques but now funny leaves now MR don't mess with that. See previous statement about issues.) However after he pauses and asked: "Do you? I mean you don't have to answer that of course, for some there religions views are a private matter." I relax and told him that we sort of shared the same views. (Which of course I won't go into here, right now.)

3. Have you ever been in a relationship?
Now I know what ya'll been thinking and no this was not my little cute way of a pick-up line. Geez folks I'm in my late 30's and GWTT was in his 60's if he was a day. I just wanted to see if he was looking so I could see if he was using this question and answer time to try to pick me up. You know if his reply was going to be something cute like; Why are you looking for someone? Or I'm looking for a young girl like you what do ya say, kid?, so I can drop the bomb on him and say, Oh no y0u didn't! It was just a question, geez what's wrong with you and leave in a huff. You see I was setting a trap and hope (maybe not because he was quite a nice old man and it would have sicken me to find out that was what he was really after.) that he would jump in so I could do that. I think I this point I really was worried about whether I should continue this conversation with a stranger and wanted to be put at ease. Any any rate he said that he was married twice and divorced (yea you guess it) twice and was not looking for another opportunity to try for that experience ever again in his life.

(Now this was just me being nosy and shut up!)

4. What happen in your relationships for you to feel that way?

GWTT explained that his relationships didn't work out because of his job in radio and that he didn't spend enough time with wife 1 and wife 2 had issues. They just didn't work out. I told he that he didn't have to go into that if he didn't want to and we move on.

5-10. Was just about his hobbies, his interest, what was the most interesting book his every read. Mostly questions just to fill the time and to find out if we had any common interests as friends. (And nothing more so keep your mind out of the gutter!) F.Y.I His most interesting book: "Wind in the Willows" and some intellectual political tome I hadn't heard of but it open up a conversation on both our literary views and political ones.

In the sweet by and by I noticed the time and told him that regretfully I had to go. I wanted to go to the Pasterria and then go and find a book at Barnes & Nobles before going home to cook. It was getting late so I wanted to do this before those places closed. We shook hands, hugged, and he asked for my phone number.

(Sound of brakes squeaking)

What? No, Naw, uh, uh. I don't ever give out my phone number to strangers I've barely met. Not even if there my age and a damn site cuter than Guy with the Tie. However he and I had this rapport and I thought that it would be nice to give him my e-mail address. I offered and he replied, " I don't have an e-mail address and I don't believe in them." At this point I raised my left eyebrow. He explained. " You see I believe to face to face contact and voices on the phone connecting. It's from my time in radio." At this point he could have been regurgitating the Genesberg Address for all I cared. I heard it all before from technophobes and the like who just didn't understand the Internet. I was firm yet polite and tried to do my usual, 'You know you should really try it there is so much your missing out of and it's not that hard to learn speech.' Of course he was firm and polite about it and even at the mention of my poetry blog he didn't bit. For all I said I could have been speaking Mars language. At any rate we left it at that. I went to the Pasterriea and Barnes and Noble ate a deletable apple tart with chocolate stripes and read a really good Gaimen book with a warm feeling of having had a good conversation and a pretty good time.

That was till I saw him at Barnes and Nobles and he saw me and walked up to me saying, "Hi, fancy bumping into you here. I smiled wanly and he finally noticed the book in my hand and said; "Well again, it was nice meeting you. I don't want to interrupt your relaxing ready so till we met again." Then he waved and went on his way.

I am such a typical New Yorker. Sigh.

Well I hope you enjoyed my little adventure. Stay tuned in to my little blog for my next Post and a totally different topic. And hey tell your friends, the more fans the merrier.

Sorry, Times up! Tune in Friday for the Last Installment of Guy with Tie!

2009-03-17T13:19:00.001-07:00

Gee, I hope all my fans got a chance to see a picture of me on my blog because as of today I'm taking it down. Already I've gotten a friend request from some guy in real estate; so I'm thinking it's time to take it down before we have a starker situation up in here.

Now to all my friends, fans, and such like I just like to say thank you for showing up! Sometimes you make new friends and sometimes you lose them before you get to know them better. At anyrate I just wish that some of those friends who decided to break things off would tell me why and any new friends in future to try to keep an open mind. Not every person is going to agree with every person they meet but in the end it's the caring about people period that matters.

Well that's my soapbox speech for the day. See ya'll on Friday.

Peace,

Clueuin

A gift for all my fans....All three of them.

2009-03-05T15:50:00.000-08:00

Will be getting that third part of the true to life story sometime next week. To hold you over if any of you are Facebook fans you have up to five days to take a look at my photo. Drool your little hearts out or laugh till ya bust don't care just do it in five days! Look at Clueuin's Facebook badge.

Peace,

Clueuin

P.s Don't go using my real name in any comments please. 'Cause try as I might I can't hide my name on facebook don't ask me why. But well anyway five days counting from now so if you don't see the badge after that......

.....Tough Nugges!

The Guy with the Tie (Part 2)

2008-11-22T13:25:00.000-08:00

I've decided to make this a three parter, partly because my hand is tired and partly because I'm so busy with work that I can barely think straight. Even though I don't have much of a readership as it stands. I just could let an incident like this go by without imputting it in for posterity. So future readers enjoy! M.A.R

You see at first I thought he was a part of this table I had passsed that was giving out fashin tips for free. I had passed that table on my way to the median where he was standing. So for awhile there I thought that he was with them. When of course all he did was give me compliments on my hair, smile, and laugh my secound thought was; "I hope this old guy in't trying to pick me up. (Now don't get me wrong. I have nothing but respect for the elderly and if a guy in't over 55 there is no problem with me dating somebody near the line. I 'm talkin g 54 and under within a year shy of his 55 birthday. What do you think? Too picky? Anyhoo!

He was in his sixties if he was a day to my eyes and he wasn't trying to pick me up. (Later on he said he was 75 years old. Well put together I'd say. Still athough cute still not my type.) The Guy in the Tie said as much as I tried to extrivate myself from tje man with the twikle in his eyes.

He wasn't quite thur with me however. After he assured me that he wasn't trying to pick me up he explained that he just wanted to talk to me because I looiked like such an interesting person and that he loves to talk to interesting people. The Guy with the Tie also mentioned that he was always that way and that's why he wnet into radia when he was younger. As much as I was in crudules about his so -call interests in getting to know a perfect stranger I could quite believe that he was in radio. He had an affable voice that lent itself to a relaxed conversational tone. I say this pass tense because when I had asked him if he was still in radio; still think that maybe he was working for the ladies at the table; he said no, that he was retired.

So what I had here was a mystery tio solve. Who was this guy if he wasn't with those Free Fashionistas behind me? Why was he talking to me, the fact of my gorgouness non-withstanding? What is his game? There had to be a con of something. If so I could'nt wait to turn him down flat. Cute old man or no cute old man I would give it to him with both barres, Brooklyn Style! Finally in the cavacade of mystery I had one more question that needed asking. How come he was out here walking up to people in the street, his quest for interesting people non-withstanding.

So was it my curiosity and thirst to uncover the mask behind this seemly benign elderly gentle man? (Because he was for all intents and purposes a gentleman of the highest order.) I had to find out. So when he asked me if we could find someplace to sit down and talk some more after some pointed questions about what , I do for a living. (Hey quid pro quo people, I did ask about him first!) I went with him across the street to one of the many obsequious Starbucks. (This one was next to a McDonald's.)

What happen next? Boy can't you wait to find out! I mean this little ole true life short story is beginning to take on epic proportions! It's like a saga already! Whooo! Meanwhile I've haven't seen any comments on it. Not even a "Are you nuts!" In case anybody's concerned I'm still alive. Pfft. Tune in next month! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

The Guy in the Tie

2008-11-12T10:34:00.000-08:00

I wrote this two weeks ago, it was such an odd and interesting thing that happen to me so I thought I share. It's a two parter because I'm a very busy woman of late folks. Enjoy!....

It was just an ordinary day in the life of this intrepid writer. You would probably think that nothing in this diva's life is ordinary buy go with me on this. ( I mean I don't start the day with blue birds singing out my window, with squirrels and chipmunks getting me dressed. Me calling myself a diva is a state of mind after all. No champagne and caviar for this girl I'm afraid.) Any way back to my ordinary day.

I mean it was a slightly special day for me but that's not saying much because it was payday. Which in and of itself is not so special to the many people who receive paychecks on a weekly and bi-weekly biases. This being my first paycheck after a drought of no paycheck made my day a special ordinary day.

Well as I wended my way thur the thoroughfare of Union Square my stomach full of hamburger and french fries from University Resturant and my pocketbook fill with cash from my meager but well needed paycheck; I met an special but ordinary man. I will refer him in this writing as the Guy in the Tie. You'll see why later.

To this day, (and from this hour that I write this), I still don't know what made me stop and listen much less continue to talk to the man. Perhaps it was the way this many approach me with a compliment to my hair. Quite gregariously with a sweet smile on his benign face. "I just love your hair it's so beautiful, with the red and the black. Oh!" He said, this Guy With The Tie.

Why would I be taken in by such blatant compliments? I wonder; was it because I was wearing a wig and was subconsciously worried that it wasn't up to my usual standards? I had trouble combing it . (Ever try to comb a wig without a wig stand folks?) Anyway I was enjoying the compliment and felt it cam from an honest place despite the appeal to my vanity. Don't get it twisted of course I'm a quintessential New Yorker. I was going to take my complement and run. A quick pace nod and smile then I would wend my way to my next destination. A new french Pastry shop,, neo-french I believe, called Pasterrie. Then off to Barnes & Noble. A regular New Yorker would smile, nod, and stave off the Guy with the tie for fear of the other shoe dropping. The con, the gag, the mugging, the proselytizing, that may come if we stay and gab with complimentary strangers.

But then even though I am a quintessential New Yorker, I have an unusual proclivity to an unusual personality quirk; I just love a good conversation.

So after I smile at him and said as I laughed;

"Thank you, your so sweet!" As I said I was going to go on my way when he followed up with another compliment bomb. " Oh and such a lovely laugh. Did anyone ever tell you that? Look at you and such a lovely smile!" He went on and on in that vein till he told me that he wanted to know me better.

Now before I go on I must do due justice to this man and the situation I found myself in. First I will describe him, then I'll explain how I ended up talking with him at one of the many obsequious Starbucks in Manhattan. (This one across from Union Square Park next door to a McDonalds.)

The Guy in the tie was an elderly gentleman of average height wearing a blue shirt with white paid stripe, wearing a red tie that had gold colored Teddy bear and clocks; I remembered that his shoes were brown and that he wore glasses. Tied together with neat gray hair parted to the side and you can see that even though I was taken aback a little by this man's shock and ahhh barrage of compliments, I still found myself staying around to see where this was going.

.....Stay tuned there's more next week!

Yaaaaaaaay!!!!!!!!

2008-11-05T13:15:00.000-08:00

Obamaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Now that I have shared the joy, I am now going to share some news.
When I started writing this blog I decided to only focus on local stuff that
was fun but being a daughter of a politically sensitive father has it's downside. :/
So as a result of things current and past I've decided to dedicate a page just for
my political rantings. Believe it or not though I will be just as tough on my democratic
friends as my Republican neighbors so don't worry I won't be totally partisan.
As it is my new leader Obama won't want me to be that way and remember friends I
have issues with the U.S goverment at large so Washington you are on notice. Just
one more citizen that will be voicing her opinion and will be on your case if you don't get
you hands out of every U.S Citizens pockets and your hand out to every lobbiest with an
agenda.
How I am going to do this and write in this blog and my poetry blog as well? With a lot of weekends and coffee folks, with a lot of weekends and coffee folks. I've got a job too so you might not hear from me as much. But since my current audience is about four people, I think Chris, NY Nerd, Ron Lopez, can hang in there for a bit.
One more time before the Brooklyn Public Libarary in Flatbust kicks me out.
Obamaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Soul Food- Our Issues With Food

2008-10-14T06:34:00.000-07:00

I was sitting down to lunch the other day eating two pieces of fried chicken and a soda trying not to draw too much attention to myself while I ate. You see like most people the way I eat at home is a wee bit different from how I eat out.

There are no licking of fingers, no gawning of bits of flesh that hang stubbornly on the bone, nor any gawning of the bit of hangy fat, no sucking of bone, no sound of cracking cartilage, or bone. Oh, no! None of that! I do everything short of using those darn plastic fork and knives. (Luckily for me they had those even though I don't use them because it could be worse; it could have been one of those damn Sporks, half spoon half fork. Once on a date a long time ago I had to use two of those things to eat with. Didn't want my date to think that I had no home training.)

Well the reason this thought popped into my head and is now in this blog is because it wasn't always like this for me. I've been in-between jobs off and on. Had good time and bad times but whatever kind of time I've had of it some people have always felt as if I've spent most of my time eating my guts out. You see I'm a bit over weight, (think less Nell Carter and more Shandra from 227 Fame. In the 80's though I was pushing more toward Nell there.)

I went from a size 12 when I was fourteen years old to a size twenty by the time I was seventeen years old. By the time I was in college I was a size 22/24. I'm telling you all this to put things in perspective for ya'll. (The points are coming wait for it!)

During my pre-teen and teenage years all that time my mother was torn between being pissed, (you try buying a size 16 for a teenager on a budget then you'd figure out why), or perplexed, sometime both. You see she couldn't figure out how the heck I got that size. (I mean she figured I was eating junk food. Which parent didn't have a slight clue?) However you see when dinner time came around I picked and picked at my food like she was serving liver and brussel sprouts every night. (Mind you she had tried feeding our family that once or twice. At those time even my mom knew the dog would be eating better than we would. Liver, yuck!)

But those days were far and few in between that was dishes she made for our family like Curry Chicken with rice and peas (liked), Cow Feet with White rice and spinach (No on Cow Feet, strange enough yes on Spinach, not so much rice, more on that the next blog post. Yessh!), Salt Fish and Akee with White Yam and plantains (So not liking that not even now.) Mind you these are the delicacies that some of you connoisseurs of Caribbean food would happily pay anything from 5.95 to 21.50 on vacation in Jamaica and not even bat an eye. Meanwhile back in the day I was hiding Salt fish in my napkin and spiting out akee after the first chew. "Gal!" My ma Said. "Me don't know where your getting fat from because ya sure na eat no real food!"

Obviously she wasn't getting the midnight cereal eating, the after school behind her back Ice Cream eating, not the beg my Step-Father friends, my neighbor; Mrs. Bolden, for cookies or money, so that I could buy thing like Twinkies, Ho hos, Now N' Laters and snickers.

O.k people I was getting fat from a whole lot of sources however I found out later when I became a adult that I also became fat from a lot of inactivity as a child. Oh I played outside but because I was shy I preferred to play with kids younger that me or stay inside and read my little brains out. When not watching t.v of course. So mystery solve mom! Now riddle me this people; why did I continued to gain weight after college. Doesn't matter what matters is my relationship with food is just about the same as other Women and Men out there who analyze every thing we eat till our eyes glaze over.

Now the government and other health groups claim to be helping us with telling us how many calories are in the food we eat at fast food restaurants. Sometimes I think they just don't get it. Our relationship with food sometimes has nothing to do with nutrition and everything to do with our emotions. (That's it that was my point. Worth waiting for. No? Yes. Maybe. Hey give me something here!) That's why despite that fact that I take a walk every weekend around the neighborhood and park I still probably won't be that healthy size 18 everybody and my mother thinks I should have. And that is why I'll be grawing my chicken at home while watching t.v because I love the fact that I can do that and not have to justify it to anyone.

Enjoy your food and...
Peace!
Clueuin

Food for thought: My weekend sourjourn via the 37 Bus.

2008-10-08T08:20:00.000-07:00

Good day, everybody! I'm back and although I'm feeling somewhat better from the headache from hell I am still a little foggy. So please forgive me if the details from this weekend aren't very clear.

However there are somethings that stick out from my mind so much that I just had to share it with my reading audience. (All three of them. [Smirk.] )

It happen after my interview with Primerica, [Shudder.] Afterwards I left and went outside where I discovered that I was on the same street that the 103 Bus travels. "Oh, wow!" I remember saying. "This looks like the street the 103 bus passes by when I ride it in the mornings. Oh, look there is the little side street that the bus turns on as it goes toward the highway." Little did I know that there would be more surprises in store for me as the afternoon went by.

I thought that all I had to do was to walk down the block until I saw the 103 bus stop. I walked until I reached Jay Street-Borough Hall (or maybe it was 4 ave. don't really recall), stopping only to buy some pretzels and some soda at this corner store one block before it. All the while looking out for the 103 Bus Stop. I walked passed that block and still didn't see the bus stop so I turned down the block that has the 75 and the 77 bus. Then I walked, walked some more, and walked till I reached 9th Street. When I spotted the 103 limited bus coming down the street. Only one problem......

No 103 bus stop. In fact if I wanted one I would have to walk three more blocks down 9th street near Alantic Avenue. As it was I was in no mood to walk three more blocks. "Oh, look there is this bus stop! I wonder where it goes." I said to myself. It was the 37 bus. Now at this point if I haven't lost your attention your problaly thinking; why should I care?! (O.k people stop pounding your head on your desk for a minute and I will tell ya!)

Because that's when things got interesting, I road on this bus and after a while I figured I was on the wrong one. Of course I didn't know whether to ride it out or get off. As it was the deciding factors were the bad bus driving and the level 3 crazy person behind me muttering to herself. (O.k everybody mutters to themselfves, even I do it from time to time but it was what she was muttering about, 'The dog ate my peanut butter, the is something in the water and they're in my head.) So bye, bye, crazy lady! Hello 9th Street and where the hell I'm I?! (LOL).

Found myself in an interesting place full of highway overpasses, Warehouses, and (now here's the pay off) live chicken slaughter houses! What the fcuk! I thought those things were only at some place in Spanish Harlem in Manhattan! Coooooool! (Hey, I'm part Jamacian and my late grandmother own a small farm. These things facinate me, o.k?!)
There were two of them that I noticed, one of them was this Korean owned place, didn't here any chickens squawking inside. (Bad thing, good thing? I guess it depends on whether your a vegeterian or not. ;) ) The other was a Halal Mulism type place, nope didn't go in. Then I walked all the way to 39 street where I say a Costco! (Sing it along with me people, A Cost-----co!)

Never been in one myself, oops I lie I might have been in that type of place when I was in Florida but I don't remember when exactly. But it made my heart soar when I found this Costco on 39 Street and 3rd Aveune. I also found the #35 bus that took me to Church Avenue and the Q Train. So now I know how to get there. (Yeah, me!) Oh, wait now you do too. (Wasn't that worth the long story?) O.k tune in next time when I write to you about my relationship with food and connect you with my other blog with two poems that express how I feel about food. (As if you haven't figured it out from the Yeah, Costco statement.) ;)

Peace,
Clueuin

I almost drank the Primerican Kool-Aid

2008-10-07T10:33:00.000-07:00

O.k so I'm not feeling well and because of this I'm gonna make this post short and sweet. (O.k stop clapping!)

Friday I went to a job interview. (I know! Bet you thought I was just an unpublished author. Nope, unemployed too!) Anyhoo, I went thinking that this was going to be the interview that would drag me out of temporary poverty and solve all my problems. Problem was when I got there I found out that it was for a commission sales job to sell life, mortgage, and health insurance.

I expect that you expect that I was pissed right? Right. I almost left but for one thing; I needed to prove to some people that I was actually looking for work and not goofing off. (Note the fact that I'm writing a blog when I should be on Craiglist.com!) So I went back in there. (Shaaaat Upppp!)

First thing that happen was that I poke my head back in there to see if my interviewer was there. Nope. Perhaps she was in the office next door. Went next door and low and behold they told me to go one floor down. Sh---- was in her office so I sat down next to a girl. Asked her if she knew what this was about, she said that "Umm, I don't know I just got this in my e-mail and I've sent out so many resumes that I don't know if I've sent one out to these people or not."
(Cue inner eyebrow raised ascrew and while your adding answer this question. How many of you guys and gals out there have done the same thing? Come on admit it! 'Chris, raise your hand! There's a fellow.)

"Uh, huh, me too. I'm mean my Aunt took down the number and gave it to me but Sh---- didn't say what this was in reference to." I said smiling dopely.

Speed thur twenty minutes later and two flights of stairs later and we're up in that same empty room that I had poked my head through. Sh---- said that she was waiting for some more people to come in so while we wait we can watch a movie. (Just in case you care it was : "Pirates, The Adventure of the black pearl." Or something like that. Who care?! Moving on!)

Hey have you heard of the rule of 72? O.K look if you put money in your bank account at let's say 4%, (Shaat up!), well if you keep it in there say for oh I don't know, let's say eighteen years you savings would be at $20,000 dollars. Sounds nice, huh? Well it isn't because at 6% in twelve years it would be at $20,000 dollars. Sounds like you'd get your money's worth then wouldn't you? Well your wrong. Here it is ladies and gentlemen the secert that banks won't tell you. (What else is new, Clue?) That they take your money and lend it out or whatever and the money they get back goes into an account that get's this: 12% interest! Wow.

So that is what I was inudated with for about an hour. You can figure out the math for your self if your buying this. I may of course sound cynical now but for about 20 minutes I was buying it. (I almost drank the Kool-aid people!) Then came the big finish!

For just about 99 dollars you can get a license to sell Life Insurance and et al. because of course it's illegal to sell life insurance in New York without a license. (Of course.) And all you have to do is take a couple of course and your on your way to financial security. Just as long as your willing to bug the hell out of your friends, relatives, and neighbors to buy from you!

They were this close to having me sign up except for one thing. Don't have 99 dollars and need a steady paying gig in order to give them 99 dollars. Plus I don't have that many friends, relatives, and neighbors to bug and I have a crazy feeling that if I want to keep these same friends, neighbors, and relatives; (Yes even my Jamaican ones. Hey my mom and aunt are great cooks what can I say?!), that I better just nod my head sanguinely, slowly put my coat on, politely ask for a card, and get the hell out of dodge while the getting was good.

Well at least I had an interesting afternoon afterwards. But more about that tomorrow. My head hurts. (Not for the above reasons. T.V, all night, haven't been watching because lights were out. Nevermind!)

See you next time!

Peace,
Clueuin

Moving Out of your Political Comfort Zone- The Bailout, folks don't panic!

2008-10-02T07:19:00.000-07:00

I usually don't do this; I mean write political articles, except for the occasional comments I send to my favorite blog: Life on Terra Firma, (I like the articles written by NY Nerd. Hey Gurl!). My fellow blogger 'Chris' is one of the members that run the blog, (and I'm thinking runs the thing with NY Nerd). At anyrate no more shout outs, let's get back to business.

The reason why I'm writing this on this blog today is that this whole bailout thing is pissing me off. It's got me so heated up that I'm writing in my blog that is usually dedicated to fun stuff going on in Brooklyn and NYC. But I had no other choice, it's a writer's responsibility to write the truth as they see it and this writer is got to write the truth as I see it!

Now everybody has heard the reason's why this bailout is soooo important and hopefully have heard the other side of why it's not. I mean the Government and Wall Street have pressed the panic button and cried wolf because their afraid of what this means to their rich supporters pocket books.

They've gotten half of Congress and via them half of some Americans thinking that if this bailout doesn't happen that if Wall Street falls we will be headed for another recession.

News Flash people, we are in a Recession Now! We have been since last year as Unemployment steadily climbed up and foreclosers where coming up left and right. So what do they do? Ignore the problem till it becomes to late, affect Wall Street because of the loans they supported with the mortgage companies via stock loans. Oh look now it's Fall 2008 and oh dear we have a problem Huston! Now would the government please be so kind as to give us the money to pay of the debts of the failing banks and mortgage companies so that they don't go bankrupt. Huh!

No matter that taxes go up, the very thing that the Republicans swear up and down that their going to prevent. No matter that the American people will be the ones cleaning up the mess. Oh no let's go down to Washington vote for the bill and then while we're added drag the Democratic Senate into the mess!

Now I know that their are some people that noted that Pelosi supported the bill the first time around but the ole gal had a bit of a trick up her sleeve where as she ask dems to support the bill but not if their consciences or their constituents would not let them. There by lessening the votes and making it easier for some in Congress, (Strangely enough both Rep and Dems), to not vote yes. So as you can see their are some people in Washington with some sense. (Not much but it's all we got, for now. Shush NY Nerd! I know, I know!)

But now what is happening the Dow Jones takes another dip and all of a sudden it's a certainty that this bill is needed. (Luckily for me I checked that little box that said all this is adult content but pardon my french anyway.) Bullshit! The media had said it's because that the first time it didn't go though it was because constituents called up their Representatives in Washington stating that they didn't like the idea because it affected Wall Street not Main Street. But now these same constituents seeing how the low Dow Jones has fallen down to 777 think that now all of a sudden that this will affect Main Street. Yeah, hmm, hmm, yeah right whatever!

Look just in case there is a minority group of people out there who are shaking in their boots right now about what will happen if the bail out doesn't go thur. (Though as of this writing it looks like your fondest wish will come true.) I am going to drag you from out of your comfort zone for a bit.

First of all, now listen cause I'm only going to say this once, it will not have that much of an effect on Main Street America. I'm no financial analyst or a political pundit but I'm going to give it a go and break it down for you. If you don't have any investments in Wall Street it won't affect you, if you don't have a bank account with these following banks it won't affect you : Wacovia,IndyMac Bancorp, AIG, Washinton Mutual, and countless others, if you don't have an investment in one of the investment firms like Bear Sterns, one more time people, it won't affect you! If you own a home that is in mortgage with one of the formentioned banks then yes you are having some issues and I feel for you I really do. (But hey I live in an apartment building and if my Landlord has trouble with his bank I'm as screwed as you are. So back to Main Street shall we?)

So of course your saying well Clueuin let's say I am one of those people, what the heck can I do?
If you can pay off your mortgage before it's to late. If your in forecloser; well I did mention that I'm not a Financial analyst or anything? So all I can say is that my prayers for what is worth are with you. If you haven't been laid off due to the carelessness of Corporate American then your better off than you think and when you move to new digs (if God forbid your not homeless or anything), do not what ever you do when you get a second chance to get a home and your paid off, get a second mortgage. It is in my humble opinion one of the reasons we're in this mess to start with. Real and more honest Financial analysts have been saying for years that this borrowing money with credit and getting second mortgages to pay off your debts was not a good financial idea. (Now in the interest of full discloser I've got credit card debt up the ying yang because I thought that it was a good idea at the time to use my college loans as collateral to get credit. That might be a subject for a later time, might not but take from my experience a cautionary tale at best.) As it is I can see no light at the end of the tunnel from Wall Street getting this Bailout.

So there you are in the majority of people who didn't do all those things to get yourself in this mess or in some cases the mess the banks and corporations have gotten some people in; and your wondering if this will affect you. It won't if your not in the above mentioned situations.
So why does America need this bailout. It doesn't! If the banks were doing there jobs safe keeping our money instead of speculating in Wall Street, if the mortgages hadn't loaned people with bad credit at high interest rates that they could ill afford to payback when this mini-recession hit leading to the forecloser crisis, and if Wall Street had not backed this same loans, they wouldn't need the U.S government to pull their fat out of the fire.

All those years of threatening to cut spending to programs that help people like medicaid, all those years of throwing a hissy fit as the mere mention of a United Health Care (which would save millions for small and big businesses alike), all those years of overseas investments and sending jobs over to India (without due compensation to said employees of that country I might add), then expecting the American government to give these same business taxes breaks. Then turning around and saying that; 'America is a country that expects people to pick themselves up by their own boot straps and should not expect the American government to aid them through government aid'. (Whoever said that is a booby!) And what happens when they fuck up?

I tell you what! Waa, waa, if you don't help us America is going to be in a financial crises and fall into a recession if you don't help us clean up our mistakes. If any social needing group like the elderly, the unemployed, or any disenfranchise group came to Congress with the same plea all Congress would do is cater to any lobbyists making a squawk about how this will affect what ever Corporate industry felt like they would take a hit in making profits and say no. But because it's Wall Street and other corporate identities we the American tax payer is suppose to Bail them out! They must be crazy!

Ladies and Gentlemen if this bill goes through it will be the American people on Main Street that will be screwed! If not with higher taxes because as of this writing this bill is being revised to prevent that. (Big F*ing deal!) Then with Corporate America never ever again taking responsibility for it's actions because all it's has to due is continue what it's doing in it's laid offs, transfers of business overseas that will bring about even higher unemployment. Then (and this is when it get confusing even for me folks) that's when Main Street will feel it babies! That's when we will all be standing on line at the food banks. (As it is I know I'm seeing my fair share of former middle management types standing in line with me as late.) So as it stands I hope that their are still some holdouts in Congress that will not say yea to this bill in any of it's guises.
It's time Corporate America to pull up you own freaking bootstraps!

That's my two cents for what it's worth.

Peace,
Clueuin

411 Tibit- It's all about me!

2008-09-30T12:57:00.000-07:00

Well I've done it!
I've finally decided to bite the bullet and put up a blog exclusively dedicated to my poetry.
I've also put in a little fine art and culture that I've found here abouts on the net.
So look to your right and you'll find another favorite blog, mine! (Tee, hee!)
I didn't want anyone to get confused and think that I've taken down all my favorite blogs list.
It's still there! All you have to do it scroll down and see it on the right, it's with other little things to entertain and sometimes educate on all the goodies the web has to over.

I hope you guys enjoy my other blog as much as you've enjoyed this one. (I say to my one follower and a couple of guys who've visted but see to want to make the commitment to be one of my followers.) I guess I have too work even harder to get more people to get out of their comfort zones. Maybe I'll just write more posts here that will simulate people enough to spread the word.

Meanwhile, take a look at this blog site and the other one called:

Clueuin's Poetry Corner

The Addy: wwwmrclueuinbrooklynrulesArtPoetry.blogspot.com

The managment is not responsible for any fingers that fall off in the process of typing this addy.
Please cut and paste.

Peace,
Clueuin

A 411 Tidbit- Art On The Commons, MetroTech

2008-09-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

I'm bummed. Here I am all ready and set to tell you about the great time I had at MetroTech; located near Flatbush Exstention and it's raining. (9/26/08)

But I guess I can cheer myself up by telling you about the mini-concerts on the Commons that happens every Friday, weather permitting of course (sigh), and how I enjoyed the Salsa Combo that played there last week and the R&B Jazz combo that played two weeks ago.
If your ever there and you want to have lunch there is the place to be. Of course lil'ole me usually just brings her lunch to one of the tables there located in the heart of the commons.
Note: If you like wearing birkenstocks and such you might want to sit at one of the park benches located in the perminiter of the Commons parks as in the center there's no grass but a gravel filled plane and the gravel tends to get into your shoes.

Otherwise you'll have a good time there. Now as for you lucky, lucky, few who have the change to buy your lunch there are several good cafes and resturants there. Every once in awhile I like to go to the Chinese fast food place that serves food by the weight, their General Tso Chicken is great. Don't get the friend chicken wings there though, they're just not crisp enough.
All this talk about food is making me hungrey. [Rustles thur her pocketbook] Sigh! I guess it's tea and peanut sandwiches for me folks!
Whenever you get a chance go down to Metrotech and enjoy the sencenory if nothing else.
This is Clueuin giving you the 411. I'm out folks! [Mumbling: Dang, I know I had a doller somewhere in my purse, where is it!?]

4 Metrotech Center
Brooklyn, NY 11201-3858
T 718 488 8200
F 718 403 1650

A 411 Tidbit-National Stay at home week

2008-09-24T12:54:00.000-07:00

Next week in National Stay at home week. (No I did not make this up folks!)
Now it beats me why anyone would want to stay at home, (says the person who likes staying at home and reading instead of going out to bars and such for booze and a bad pick up line. LOL), but in case you do here are some friendly suggestions to do while your staying at home.

If you've got kids
Buy lots and lots of bored games. Parcheesi, Monopoly, whatever! Because if you think you're going to convince your kids to stay at home and not watch t.v you're out of your blinking minds!
I babysat my sister's two boys, (for no reason apparently because I was informed quiet clearly by my sister's teen age young adult girls that they do it quiet well and that I wasn't needed. Thank you very much.), and believe me even with the T.V on those little hamburgers still found their way into trouble. One of them even banged into the t.v thereby messing up the cable reception, twice! (And they wonder, my mom and aunt mostly; and are asking me why don't I have kids. Huh!)

If your a couple (with no kids)
Go for a walk. (See blog post below.)
Some of my most romantic times with my boyfriend in High School was when we would walked to the park then find a park bench to snuggle at. (Good times! Sigh.)
Make love
Had a boyfriend in college. He had a one track mind. Great for when your bored and have nothing to do, not so great when your trying to study for exams. But since I don't think that my audience have the same issues that I was having, go ahead, knock yourself out!
Play Strip Poker
Fun game, don't invite the friends over. O.k?
Watch T.V
After all it's not National Don't watch T.V Month. What you want to make love like minks all week! What you don't have to go to work or something! LOL

If your alone
Ok as far as I can see you can do one or two things.
1. Go out, get drunk, or get a guy. (Haven't done that since 5 yrs ago. Wasn't all that great. Drunk sex=Bad Sex. (Hence the not looking for a man phase for the last 5yrs after that. Celibacy aian't it grand! Sigh!)
2. Read a book or watch T.V

Well enjoy your PC sponsored holiday folks, I'll be back tomorrow with some 411 on where to go and what to do here in good ole NYC. (Outside of course!) ;)
Peace!

A peek into Clueuin- The Writer, The Bonvibont, The Journeywoman!

2008-09-22T06:41:00.000-07:00

I was at one of my favorite sites (Kensington (Brooklyn) ) when someone mentioned that though I was a funny ole thang, they didn't get that from reading my blog. It was then I realized that I didn't put as much as myself into my writing as I usually do. But let me let you into a little secret........

I usual don't put to much of myself into factual writing, it's in my poetry and short stories that I usual put myself as much as possible. (Mostly in my poetry since it's self-inspection and my own observations. I'm on a spelling roll today, peeps! I've just spelled observations without sounding it out in my head or using the spellcheck. Ya me!) Meanwhile I haven't really mastered the art of inserting to much of my wacky humor, my sense of the sublimely, (well there goes my spelling roll), ridiculous, but to be fair some of what I write is purely objective, and some of what I write is my feelings on a subject that is near and dear to me, so you won't be seeing so much the yuck, yucks, in some of my blogs. But stay tuned you never know!

So that you can get a little peek into the mind of this writer I've decided to give you some insight into who I am, without getting into to many details of course. ;) (Sorry kids can't give you to much details or the next thing you know there will be flowers on my doorstep and crazy people with my name carved into their arms. (Of course not many people get my sense of humor, so of course you've just been warned!)

Let's start with something outside of my profile and go inside my profile from time to time to explain somethings.

I am currently semi-employed. What do I mean by semi-employed? Well it's like this people I am currnetly at a job-search site looking for working and they pay me a stipend in order to help me pay my bills. (Ahh the life of the intenerient artist!) I have had many, many, many, jobs mostly in telemarketing, (Me ducking my head and saying; "Please don't hurt me."), and recently in telecommunications, (i.e customer service). But these jobs if you lack the skills in butt kissing that I do, (and I do lack those skills people, I's a spirtual activist but I's never said I'm a good one!), never last for very long. I do love talking to people and helping people as much as I can.

Now despite the bad grammer back there I 'm college educated, (as much good as it did me), and I'd like to think I am a well read person though to tell the truth I've limited my reading lately to the odd Haliquin Romance and Sci-fi/fantasy books of late. Books I've read in the past are Catcher in the Rye, The Pearl, Fall of the House of Usher, (pretty much all of the works of Edgar Allan Poe really that should tell you where my head is at.), I know why the Caged Bird Sings, and many, many, many, more classics that I just don't have the time to go over. (Any minute my instrutor will buzz by and ask what the hell I'm I doing this aian't no job search, sooo...)

When I mentioned in my profile that I like to go for walks in Parks and in my neighborhood, what I meant was I like exploring outside of it. When I think of a neighborhood I think of the familar places that one gets used to over time. I.e The Grocery store where I always shop, (The Met), the corner store where I get my junk food or sometime my loosies, (no I'm not telling ya'll where my loosie shop is! Remember the potencial crazies on my doorstop?), or the laundrymat where I do my laundry.) So around, around, the familar I go everyday, sometimes a girl get's bored and so I walk.

I walk down toward Midwood where all the nice houses are with the nice porches and the even nicer lawns. Then I find myself on Foster Avenue near Newkirk where that really good pizza place is made by third or fourth generation Italians, (still can't remember the name but go there people, the directions are on one of my blog post, so go look), afterwards it's homeward bound back up Midwood past Ocean Avenue and back to the old neighborhood. (Like I was going to give you that much of a clue to where I live, you silly peoples you!)

Then I go into my building, make myself a lunch, afterward take a smoke of my favorite ciggerette (Newport, though from time to time I have smoke Dunhill, I have exspensive tastes), watch t.v and plan my next adventure. I have always belived in go outside my comfort zone. Maybe it's because of my American side; my dad was a communist and a bit of an intellegencia, plus a part-time political activist, he was a writer of poetry as well, and he took me places outside my comfort zone of East New York Brooklyn on the days it was his turn to have custody. My Dad took me to musuems, Operas, musical concerts, and fine but cheap resturants then when the weekend was over he took me home to honking cars, people sitting on their stoops talking, girls playing double dutch, and loud Jamicain Regga (which I loved and still do, I also love Calipso music and Pop music, much as I love the Classical music vibe that was a gift from my father and believe it or not *my mom who was house proud and wanted the best for her childern so she got me piano lessons.)

Whew! If you let me get away with it I will explain my whole life in asides, (using prerenthes), so do me a favor. Whenever you see me do that to much pull my coattails, o.k? I've been known to get on many a English Teacher's nerves doing that for term papers and essasy. Bad enough I'm a writer that doesn't spell very good, but oye the pararenthes! ,( <--- Is that spelled right?) Anywho, that's enough of a glimpes of who the hell Clueuin is as a Writer, A Bonvibont, and a Journeywoman. Stay tuned for more of my blog post's of things outside your comfort zone of Brooklyn. Bon Vonage!
ClueUin

P.s You might see more about my childhood reminices if your really, really, good! I'm no Ron Lopez but I'll try to give you a peek now and again. *(My mom doesn't always come out looking all this good in my childhood memories so this is one of the good ones.)

Miserable in Minority, Happy in Majority. My Wellspring may have sprung a leak.

2008-09-16T11:04:00.000-07:00

Well I was going to write about Sunday's Book Fair in Brooklyn yesterday but I was still fuming about what had happen at my Church. We had a vote on Homecoming Sunday for a new Reverend and there were some people who were happy with the vote. Then there was some that were, let's just say less than happy. While it's been awhile since I've been to my church I have been following what has been going on via e-mail Newsletters and such. So when I heard about our committee's choice for imcumbent, I decided to give him a look and listen.

(Since I have a feeling some of my readers may either pratice another religion, or might not give a tinkers darn either way I won't bore you with the details about our new Reverend. Of course at this point those who know where hence my wellspring springs from it may be a spoiler for those who do give a tinkers darn. Opps, my bad!)

Before the proceeding votes were taken we were given a briefing on how it would be done. Our church uses a process called Parliamentary procedure (For more info. Go to this Wikipedia Webpage: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliamentary_procedure.)
Needless to say I found this definition slightly humorous and Ironic considering what followed :
At its heart is the rule of the majority with respect for the minority. Its object is to allow deliberation upon questions of interest to the organization and to arrive at the sense or the will of the assembly upon these questions.[1] Parliamentary procedure is used in organizations of self-governing people to conduct debate with the least possible friction in order to as efficiently as possible make group decisions. These decisions are usually determined by voting.
Not to many of the minority in which I was one felt as if the Effect of this style of voting had it's chosen impact. In short I felt as if the Majority had little respect for the minority and some of many fellow churchgoers could atest to the question of the least possible friction part not really happening. It was as if the Majority was saying, "Hey, we waited long enough for a new Reverend, there have been plenty of meetings on this subject as far as we're concered, and we would like to get the voting started so we could hurry up and go home to our Sunday dinners." (Or football games as the case may be!)
Some of us had more than just Sunday dinners to go home to and some of us didn't feel as if a couple of meetings were enough to get to know a Reverend. To be straight with you guys there is nothing wrong with him personality wise as far as I could see, I just thought what my church didn't need was a younger version of the previous Reverend. (I liked our old Reverend and respected very much, plus I was just a little depressed to see him retire. But hey the man worked hard so.....)

Anywho this is how the vote went for those who care. (Those who don't think of it as a window to the voting process, it might come in handy. You never know!)

By a vote of 455 to 66, with 33 abstentions.

I wanted my vote to count so I voted......
.....Now that would be telling wouldn't it?
(Mind you I did give you enough clues as it is.)

I would just like to end this blog post with a codicil : The Lord said; "Judge not others, lest ye yourself be Judged." So in that vain I'd like to ask for forgiveness. (To those who do give a tinkers darn.)
And ask for your indulgence, (for those who don't).

Peace!
Clueuin

You have got to listen to this!!!!

2008-09-15T12:39:00.000-07:00

Snow, Glass, and Apples. I found it when searching the web for some more Neil Gaiman stories, websites, etc. It's a recording of the story with voices by Bebe Neuwirth as the Queen ; Martin Carey as the Huntsman; Mark Evans as the Prince; Merwin Goldsmith as the Lord of the Fair; J.R. Horne as the Archbishop & Friar; Alissa Hunnicutt as the Maidservant; Randy Maggiore as a Soldier; Kate Simses as the Princess; Nick Wyman as the King.
I wish it was longer but it's a short except of 9Mins and 40Sec. in length and it is riviting to listen to. Of course if you haven't read the short story seen in Neil Gaimen's Smoke and Mirror you've missed a spooky treat and have been living under a rock. I would recommend you read the story first but who I'm I to delay a treat. (Warning: Do not read if A: You love the beloved story of Snow White; (Disney version or otherwise.), B: Alone by yourself in a room with only one light on, or C: If your depressed and it's winter. (I kinda think in any version of Snow White that Step-mother just isn't destine to have a happy ending.)
Go, go on, give it a listen.

http://dir.salon.com/story/audio/fiction/2002/11/04/gaiman_snow/

Thanks Salon.Com!

Willamsburg: Welcome to the 21 Century!!!!!

2008-09-12T06:44:00.000-07:00

It's all cool really, to believe in what you want to believe in that is why I call myself a Spritual Activist. I'll be the first @itch on line to defend anyone's right to pray, meditate, sing, jump up and down in airports, whatever! I'm not perfect, sometimes I slip, then I just pray or meditate or joke about my flaws, ask God to forgive me and move on. But some people think that their religions viewpoint is the only viewpoint that matters. I guess it's o.k when it's inside your home, at your church, sometimes those people get lucky and get whole blocks of like minded indivduals to impress their religious viewpoint on each other. Like the Amish, the luckless people in Texas, or our friends in Williamsburg. So at this point your wondering what had gotten me on this tear. Well I'll tell you, in fact I'll show you.

HASID LUST CAUSE
CULTURE CLASH OVER SEXY CYCLISTS

By RICH CALDER

(Saw this little bute in the New York Post this morning. This my friends is one Genuine No holds barred Genifried Neighborhood. Told you Kensington and maybe sometimes Flatbush isn't as bad as some neighborhoods. But enough of my blabbing, read on.)

It's the Hasids vs. the hotties in a Brooklyn bike war.
Leaders of South Wil liamsburg's Hasidic community said yesterday that bike lanes that bring scantily clad cyclists - especially sexy women - peddling through their neighborhood are definitely not kosher.
The red-faced religious sect is calling on city officials to eliminate the car-free lanes on Wythe and Bedford avenues, and to delay construction of a new one planned for Kent Avenue.

(O.k for more of this precious tidbit go to http://www.nypost.com/seven/09122008/news/regionalnews/hasid_lust_cause_128750.htm

enjoy and discuss friends, enjoy and discuss)

To my friends in Williamsburg,

I say this:

Welcome to the 21 Century!

A Little Slice of Poetry.

2008-09-09T12:40:00.000-07:00

Here is a small sampling of some of my poems.
I also write Short Stories but more about that later.

Issues #1

DadMomulipulationonverbaliesweareliezeverybodyearns

(You Figure it out!)

Issues #2

First there was the Void.
Then there was the Word.
Then there was God.
Then there was the Universe.
Then there were the Planets.
Then there were the Waters.
Then there were the Plants.
Then there were Animals (lets not forget the dinosaurs).
Then there were Human Beings.
Then there began Civilizations.
With Cites, Farms, and Suburbs.
Then there came Wars.
Then there came Births.
Then there came Death, practically cousin to the void.
And then there came confusion because where in all
Of this does Chaos come in?
I’m confused.

Issue # 3

You see what you want to see.
You say whatever you want to say.
You believe what you want to believe.
And no one can tell you otherwise.
But you can't tell me who I am
No matter what!

Issue#4
No Apologies

No Apologies
I turned my head.
The Apology was on my lips.
But then you were to rude to admit,
that accidents can happen.
No Apologies

Issue#5
There is a fight for my soul.
Let me know who’s winning.

Issue#6
Trying to catch the spirit

Went to Church the other day.
Had me some church yesterday.
It was a Wedsday Prayer Meeting.
They call it something else but
No matter what they call it,
It was an old-fashion prayer meeting.

Trying to catch the spirit.
What a funny thought!
Made me think of a person
Trying to jump up and down
With there hands out stretched
Trying to catch a pale ghost
That is going around the room.

Well there I was singing
And a praying when I
Couldn’t help noticing
A lot of people jumping
Up and down. The usual
Hand waving and sing
And repeating that would
Usually go on at one of
Those storefront churches.

Trying to catch the Spirit.
Huh, more like grabbing
at a ghost that wasn’t
there. It wasn’t that I
was cynical or anything.
Just mildly annoyed.

I felt like it was peer pressure
at it’s best and worst.
I wanted to have the ghost
fill my soul but all I could
feel was gladness for the company
and the joy of enjoying the music.
Sang as if I had it though.

“Give me that old tyme religion, give
me that old tyme religion, that filled
me way back when.”

Kind of made me feel lefted out
there for a minute then I felt I’d failed
somewhat. Till then something came
over me. Disgust (at myself) and bemusement
(at some others). I was enjoying myself wasn’t I?
Let others jump up and pretend that they were
catching ghosts. My ghost was in my joy

Trying to catch the spirit.

Real Cheap Indian Eats!!!!

2008-09-09T06:50:00.000-07:00

Some people like the cool normalcy of a salad bar at lunch time, others like their Italian-American fare, a little tomato sauce here, a little motzaralla here, nice and herby. While some people like me like it nice and spicy. Maybe it's my Jamacian background or maybe sometimes I just like to go from cool to hot in 0 to 60, something to just wake me up. So when I feel like something hot and cheap; ('cause I's a poor writer ba-by!), here are just some places I like to go around New York.

Whole Foods: 14 Street Union Square- They sell it by the pound ba-by, 6.99 to be exact. Everything from Chickpea Masala to Curried lamb. Ignore the fact you have to get past ill-mannered Manhattanites who seem to be acting like they were raised by wolfes, in order to get to the hot food bar in the back. It's worth it ba-by.

Fisherman's: Newkirk Avenue- Have a taste of the Island mon, right by the Newkirk Q Train. They have fried porgies and Steamed Snapper that will make you wish you had some nice Red Stripe to go with. (Sorry boys, no alchol liesence!) But hey their not just fish! They have grill chicken that they grill right in the front window. Good price, nice atomosphere and above all their affordable. Which is all this writer can ask for when she has some extra change and doesn't feel like cooking.

Stay turned for more cheap eats in this blog.
Note: Fisherman's- Not it's full name but you can't miss it, you come out of the Q train station
to your right, can't miss it. Hell, don't miss it!!!

The best keep secert in Brooklyn. Should it be kept?

2008-09-08T11:23:00.000-07:00

I was hunting around the World Wide Web, looking for a place to live. I had saw a neighborhood while riding the 103 bus and thought it looked kool. It had reminding me of my college days when I was in Manhattan. Hanging around Greenwich Villi age, with my Brooklyn street wise ways and my 'I've been living in Florida for the past year' Naivete. Well anyway I found out the place name is call Kensington and on the web their is a website called Kensington (Brooklyn); (WWW. Kensingtonbrooklyn.blogspot.com.)
It seems however not everything in Kensington is all sunny and bright. No folks it's not all Coffee Shops and busy nail salons. The word here is gentfrication and there are some who think that there is too much of a bad thing.
As I'm currently living in East Flatbush, I was puzzled at the range of ideas that sprang forth. One was that there was too many 'white' people, and the other that the hipsters and yuppies had taken over the place. Living as I was five years ago in Harlem and Alphabet City, I don't believe that they understand the true meaning of genfrication. From what I saw Kensington is a mixed neighborhood seldom seen in these New York streets today.
In East Flatbush you see Caribbeans and Senegalese take over a place with a couple of African-Americans in between; in Williamsburg , Hasidic Jews and Hipsters have a way of making you feel as if your a stranger in a strange land and will you please leave, meanwhile in Park Slope the yuppies there like to pretend that anything east of Atlantic Avenue doesn't exist.
I feel that Kensington feels and acts like a place where all are welcome, (if of course you can pay the high rents, still modest by Manhattan standards. Meanwhile I'm paying 1000.75 in East Flatbush so the rent argument that seems to crop up as one of the reasons African-Americans are getting pushed out seems to be quite weak. (Full discloser: I'm African-American/Caribbean.), and I for one would not feel uncomfortable about moving in.