Tragic Shooting of Oklahoma University Alpha Phi Alpha Student

OU student shot, killed near OSU By John Estus

STILLWATER - Authorities arrested a man from The Village on a murder complaint Sunday after a shooting at an off-campus fraternity party killed one man and injured three others early Sunday.
Oklahoma City police arrested Karras Mitchell Harrison, who lives at 2721 Carlton Way in The Village, Sunday evening. He was held at the Oklahoma City Police Department until Payne County authorities could retrieve him.
He was taken to the Payne County jail, where authorities expected he would be held at least until Tuesday, when an arraignment is planned.
Three other people believed to have been with Harrison are being sought for questioning, Stillwater police Sgt. Jeff Watts said.
Paul Shanor, 20, of Carrollton, Texas, died at Stillwater Medical Center on Sunday afternoon from a gunshot wound to the chest.
Shanor was a member of the University of Oklahoma chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
"The university family feels a tremendous sense of loss," OU President David Boren said in a statement. "Paul was a highly respected student. It is heartbreaking to see his life cut short in such a tragic way."
Oklahoma State University officials also expressed remorse.
"It is deeply saddening and troubling when a gathering of students and their friends turns violent because of the actions of a few," OSU President David Schmidly said in a statement.
Metcalf said Harrison could face at least one charge of second-degree murder and three charges of assault with a deadly weapon.
Metcalf said officers were called to Holiday Inn, 2515 W Sixth, at 3:11 a.m. Sunday and found four gunshot wound victims in the hotel's Iba Suite. Metcalf said about 40 to 60 people attended the party, sponsored by Oklahoma State University's chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha.
The gathering was described as an after-party for the fraternity's dance at the OSU student union Saturday night.
Metcalf said investigators believe the shots were fired after some uninvited guests tried to enter the party and were denied entrance by Alpha Phi Alpha members.
Multiple shots were fired from a .45-caliber weapon into the hotel room, striking four people.
Legaria Thomas, 19, an OSU student, was at an Oklahoma City hospital Sunday after having been shot in the face.
Curtis Canaday, 22, a Langston University student, was shot in the hand and was treated at Stillwater Medical Center before being released.
An unnamed third victim was in critical condition in the intensive care unit at Stillwater Medical Center Sunday night.
Cory Cox, president of Alpha Phi Alpha at OSU, would not comment.
On Nov. 18, 2004, OSU administrators banned Alpha Phi Alpha and seven other African-American fraternities and sororities from having dances in the student union after Stillwater police found a gun on a man who was involved in one of many fights at an Alpha Phi Alpha dance in the student union Oct. 2, 2004. The man was not a student.
At least one other event has been held in the student union since the ban was lifted last fall.
Contributing: Augie Frost

To my frat brother who has now entered Omega Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., '06!

In Honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Last night on the eve of the day we celebrate the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I had a conversation with Kelley about my experiences in our segregated hometowns (we are from cities that are 40 miles apart). I recalled for him my memories of boarding buses/trains after all whites had been seated, male relatives forced to urinate over the side of the ferry because the only bathrooms onboard were for whites, standing at lunch counters but not able to be seated, and about my mother and me being put off of a train in the dark, forced to stumble down the tracks back to the train station, and then having to sleep on the wooden bench all night in the "Colored" section within sight of the more comfortable leather seats in the "White" section in Petersburg, VA. Kelley asked me how I have been able to make the transition from a segregated society to the one we live in today. My answer to him was that all that I experienced during those years has made me a somewhat vigilant person about the value of basic freedoms and suspicious of signs that I take as ways to put a face of sophistication on racism. Segregation of yesterday is being replaced with "compassionate conservatism" today. Race neutral policies leave in place the unbalanced economic, political and social power structures that were constructed during de facto and de jure segregation. States rights, decentralized federal government, and individual liberty undergird the belief that 'we are not our brother's keeper' and that the poor and/or unempowered are thus made by their own choosing.

And so I cannot be completely trusting of the America in which we find ourselves in the 21st century. One hundred forty years has not undone 300 years of slavery or 60 years of Jim Crowism. The words of Dr. King are a reminder that America still has not delivered on its promises to its citizens of color. I remember watching this historic event on our black and white TV that received the 2 networks in our area - CBS and NBC. For those of us living under the nightmare of segregation, his "sermon" gave us a reason to get up the next morning and continue to "fight the good fight."

I know that many of you were born after Dr. King's death. But as you hear Dr. King's message played on radio and TV throughout today, try to imagine what it would mean to you when you have just finished peeing over the side of a crowded boat. Shem hotep.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity. But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free.

One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land.

So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition. In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.

This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation.

So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights.
The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges. But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. we must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" we can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor's lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring." And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania! Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado! Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California! But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia! Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee! Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

(Be sure to click on the Dr. King photo above to hear his magnificent excerpt - "The Drum Major Instinct").

Fratman1906 At 360 Yahoo

Hell, it's hard enough to keep one blog going, so don't asked me why I decided to replicate it at 360 Yahoo. But I did, so take a look and tell me what you think. Fratman1906 on 360 Yahoo is live and kicking. And if you can connect as a "Friend" then just do it.

Now I am going to visit the clubs in Myrtle Beach, SC. Will let you know in my next entry about the night life that I encounter. Shem hotep!

Changing the MLK weekend plans

Fratman1906 is resting up for a weekend at the beach. Originally, Maxim and I had planned to spend this weekend in Atlanta. But, it was a trip that was just not meant to be. We began planning for this weekend in November while returning from our excursion in the NYC for the Veterans Day weekend. We thought we might recreate some of the excitement of the Labor Day Pride weekend. Coming off of Christmas, we needed a few more participants to pull this off and share expenses. Unfortunately, for several good reasons, our bois backed out after the New Year. I had a room reserved at the Doubletree in Buckhead (canceled last night), so if someone is looking for a room, there is one available for 3 nights.

Since I had already put in for a vacation day on Friday to travel to ATL, I decided to use the day off to work on the blog (you wouldn't believe how much trouble I had putting that damn picture on the profile). So now I have that worked out. Anyway, I have re-grouped for the weekend and will spend Saturday thru Monday in Myrtle Beach, SC. It is going to be a nice quiet time to get away from the chaos of work (2006 has been kicking ass and taking names) and do some reading, sleeping, eating and flirting (oops, did I say that?). Found a nice hotel on the beach for $41/night plus tax.

So, there might not be much to blog about when I return, but then again.... Meanwhile, let me recommend to you a new blogger who definitely has some fiction writing skills. Meet Defense, Doniel who has been posting to Keith Boykin's message board. When you read "The Crack Addiction of Samuel McGee," you will see his grasp of some potent issues and his ability to narrate them.

And now this important message from Rashid Darden, author of Lazarus -- COVENANT is coming!! Yeaaaaaa!


Shem hotep!

From Brokeback Mountain thru the Fireplace to the Banana Republic

(Let me say upfront that this is a long post, but I decided to post it all at one time rather than promising installments that might not get delivered. Read some, do something else, come back to it, but by all means enjoy it. I DID!).

What an incredible holiday vacation I had (THANKS Maxim; you're incredible and played a big part in this). I really thought that I would write a blog entry or two while I was away, but the temptation to just chill and vegetate was too strong. I left work at 2 pm on 12/21 and didn’t look back. I was bound for CT/NYC (an 11 hour drive), but spent two nights with Maxim in VA along the way. Since central NC is one of the markets where the LOGO channel is not a part of the line up, I had not seen any of the episodes of Noah’s Arc. Maxim had two episodes recorded on his DVR and I was finally able to see my first shows. Coming from a Bible belt region that is still struggling to say the word ‘homosexual’, I must say that watching black gay males on this show was absolutely “fab-u-lous”. Now before some of you decide to throw darts at me for saying that, remember the “deprived” environment in which I must constantly live. Therefore, NA was as refreshing as spring rain. The next night, we got the chance to see ‘Brokeback Mountain’ (in Dupont Circle, of course – lol). And, isn't Heath Ledger's character the non-stereotypical, straight-looking sweetie with more issues than the New York Times? The theatre started the movie on the hour, every hour on most of the screens. That really helped keep long lines from forming although there were plenty of people there. I don't know about the rest of you, but Jake Gyllenhaal's character certainly set off my gaydar early in the movie. Of course I have read the articles on Keith Boykin’s website and other Single Gender Loving (SGL) blogs about this movie (btw, I agree with Keith’s love/hate assessment of the movie). But just as shows like “Will & Grace” and “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” opened some doors for gay black shows (even if they are confined to the LOGO channel), I believe that movies such as Brokeback Mountain may open the doors to some major cinema coups for black gay love stories that are not categorized as ‘down low’ films. How about a movie about a high ranking gay member of the President of the United States staff who eventually settles down with a creative producer and forms a loving power couple sgl family (hint, hint Keith and Nathan).

Ok, back to my vacation. From Brokeback Mountain, we hit Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe in Dupont Circle for dinner. I am a solid fan of this bookstore/restaurant and this was actually my second time eating there in December (the first time was with two other Duke alums - Maxim and Tim'm West). The sharezies are a great way to sample foods (sort of like tapas), and there is a great view of men passing by on the sidewalk entering or leaving Dupont Circle. But I digress, whew. One of Maxim’s friends came by to deliver a Christmas gift while we were in the restaurant. I had a great laugh when he asked if I was Maxim’s mentor (forgot to use my Just For Men formula lol). Maxim’s reply was better than any I could have given when he told him that he (Maxim) was my mentor (which is true).

On Friday, I was off to NYC/CT for a week-long holiday vacation. Another aside here, what’s up with slow azz drivers on the NJ Turnpike. If you can’t stomp with the big dogs, stay on the porch (and off the turnpike). Ok, enough venting. While no one has ever accused me of being a fan of cold climates, this is my third or fourth time in the area during the winter, and God help me, I am starting to enjoy it (last winter, I was walking in Times Square during fast falling snow and handling it like an old New Yorker). There is something magical about the Big Apple that will make you change your opinion about being there. There is literally something for everyone and all of the time. Ok, during the week, we (my CT relatives & I) went to Mohegan Sun and contributed to the economic security of the native Americans there, even left all of the winnings from a pretty nice slot machine hit. I upgraded my cellphone to a picture phone and added the wireless earpiece. I am so hooked on that little Bluetooth piece of technology, that I am beginning to feel/look like a Borg who is being assimilated; resistance is futile.

On Christmas Day, I slept late, chucked the diet and ate like there would never be another holiday, slept like a bear in hibernation, opened presents from the family plus those that staff and co-workers had given me earlier (I have enough restraint to wait until Christmas day), and never bothered to get dressed all day. But the real reason that I slept late can be attributed to the LOGO Channel. Remember from above that I got to see my first 2 episodes of Noah’s Arc with Maxim? Well, on Christmas Eve, while channel surfing, I stumbled upon a marathon of Noah’s Arc running on LOGO beginning at 11 pm. I watched every one of them and am now completely caught up. Let’s re-open those discussion topics on the shows now that I am armed and ready to debate the pros and cons. Now that is what I call a relaxing holiday.

On Wednesday, I drove up to central CT for a mid-afternoon lunch with No4real4real. Now those of you who follow my blog know that this man is someone I admire greatly, and each time we meet, talk or IM, I continue to marvel at his wonderful personality, insight into the condition of sgl life, and his comfortability with who he is. Our original intent was to eat at Sally Apizza, but they did not open until later in the evening. So, we walked down the street to Frank Pepe's pizzeria which was as delicious a pizza pie as any other I might have sampled. I was trying diligently to maintain the momentum I built over the last 18 months resulted in losing 67 lbs., but this opportunity was too great to pass up. It was worth every damn ounce that I gained, but now I am having to hit the gym twice a day to get it back off. Oh well. No4real4real hit me with a bit of philosophy that had been shared with him by someone with the Human Rights Campaign (I just became a member last month). It was that older men who are just coming out are like adolescents in terms of hitting the gay activities scene. Hmm, now did I fit that or what? ATL Pride in Sept., the Octagon, X El, Chi-Chiz, and the Hangar in November, the Bachelor’s Mill and the Fireplace in December. Life is “jood” (thanks James Earl Hardy for that word). After some really good conversation, we drove to the local Ikea. Of course I spent money that I didn’t need to spend, but I convinced myself that the things I picked up were needed for the renovation of my condo. My ass will be broke all of January (we get paid once at the end of every month). After dropping No4real4real at his place, I was back in southern CT in quick time. Thursday was all day rain, so I canceled my plans to go into NYC and had another sleep-a-thon.

Saturday was my designated day to take NYC by storm. I have learned how to leave my car in CT and take the Metro-North into Grand Central. After some tremendous seafood at BB King Blues Club & Grill near Times Square and a tour of Rockefeller Center, I hopped on the #1 subway to Christopher St. I am still not great at starting conversations with folks that I don’t know, but I did enjoy the eye candy in Chi-Chiz on Saturday afternoon, not to mention some hotties who came into Starbucks. No wonder folks pay southern mortgage payments in rent to live in NYC. I could get a serious addiction to the area. Now my biggest challenge of the trip was deciding whether to stay in the City and be a part of the midnight crowd in Times Square or not. Worsening weather conditions in CT made me decide to head to the house and put off TS for another year. Besides, its more fun when you’re with someone. Sigh, maybe next year.

Sunday was back to Maxim’s in the DC area. We did dinner at Kramer’s again (love that space), and then he introduced me to the Fireplace in DC at 22nd St. & P in NW. This popular watering place was jammed with phyne sgl men to turn your head. What’s more, it is so crowded that it is impossible not to have physical contact by being in the right place at the right time. Plus, it is good to be hitting the circuit with Maxim who seems to know a great many of the bois and is known by many as well. Those who don’t know him try to get to know him, and that’s a good thing. He and Braids had a special thang going that evening. Life is jood for everybody!! The drinks are not watered down, either.

After delaying as long as I could on Monday morning (watched old shows with Maxim, any excuse to keep from leaving), I finally headed back to NC. I had to stop at Banana Republic for one last mini-shopping spree to counter the depression of going back to work. It helped some.

Now I am going to end this with my New Year’s resolutions. I don’t ordinarily get into doing this but feel these two are especially appropriate (and do-able):

1. to weigh no more on Dec. 31, 2006 than I did on Jan. 1, 2006, and

(drum roll please because this is the spoken word...)

2. NEVER MAKE SOMEONE YOUR PRIORITY WHEN THEY ONLY MAKE YOU AN OPTION! -- Author: Unknown (for me, no more trying to stay in touch with folks who don’t want to be in touch).

(A special shout out and HAPPY BIRTHDAY to No4real4real who turns 26 on January 7th. It's your day, seize it and hold it!)

To Maxim, Tandy, Kelley, T-Bone, Rashid, No4real4real, Tim’m, AlbuK, Dalite1, all of my fellow bloggers, readers, friends, “mentors” and supporters, A Happy Prosperous New Year and Shem hotep!

Merry Christmas to All

Here's hoping that you and your loved ones will have the Merriest Christmas and a Happy New Year. I am spending the holidays in the NYC area and may not blog frequently for the next 10 days. I will do an occasional post as the opportunity arises. There is so much to do here, and I intend to take full advantage including spending a little time with No4real4real this week. I have already spent 2 nights with Maxim in the DC area and look forward to stopping in there on New Year's day on my way home. Looks as though I won't get to see THE COLOR PURPLE on Broadway as I had hoped (sold out until January), so I am going to try for RENT.

Shem hotep!

A Fire Week/Weekend in DC - A Forty Year Old Secret Is Resurrected (Part II)

On Saturday, I met Kelley for coffee at Starbucks. We have fraternal connections as well as roots in the same part of our home state. Turns out we know some folks in common that I had just as soon not had to remember. During our casual conversation and lattes, he mentioned the name of the church that he had grown up in. Well, even the church name holds memories for me that I had tried to bury long ago. As a kid growing up, I was real active in my church and attended church conventions in nearby towns. As you younger generations have read, there were no motels/hotels for black folks to stay in during the 60's. Instead, members of the church would host conference participants. When I was 12, I attended a Sunday school convention and was assigned to stay with a church family composed of 3 brothers and a sister (all of whom were in their late 40's to early 60's in age). None had ever married and they lived in the home built by their parents at the beginning of the 20th century. When Kelley told me the name of his church, a forty year old memory that I have continually kept quiet about found its way into words. Last month, only Maxim had ever heard me mention something had happened to me as a child, and I was very general leaving out a lot. I told Kelley that some members of his church had molested me, and he was able to name them right away. Shock.

Since, sex and especially homosexuality had NEVER been discussed in my home or community within earshot of us kids, I was as dumb as a concrete block. Boy, did I get educated, confused and shamed real fast. Bottom line is I was molested those 2 nights by two of the three brothers. I managed to avoid penetration, but everything else was done including oral sex, fondling, french kissing (you get the picture). My tears had no effect on them. In looking back, the oldest brother who didn't touch me was in his 60's and had probably had enough youngsters. The other two had twin beds in the same room, and I was required to go back and forth from one bed to another. I never was given a bed to sleep in alone. They kept close to me at church and made sure to buy me things at the stores after the church meetings ended each day.

The sister had a young girl who they had "taken in" sleeping with her. Looking back, I still see Brenda's sad, downcast eyes as she climbed the stairs each night to go sleep in that room. They had also "raised" a boy from the community who left home and cut off all contact with them. I could understand why he would do that. Later, I would understand their concern was not so much for his welfare as it was for whether he would tell the world what they had probably done to him as well.

I learned from Kelley that all of the brothers are dead now. The sister is well into her nineties. I am in a way, grateful to Kelley for being there and bringing this to the surface. Each time I have thought about it, I have been depressed and pushed the memories away. It has been a private hell. Perhaps now the healing begins.

In part III, I will blog about my visit to a DC church that welcomes and affirms single gender loving folks. Shem hotep.

Another Family Member

In July, I wrote about MySon2 who died of AIDS in July 2003. You never seem to recover from these losses, and hardly a day goes by that I don't miss him. His journey from knowing that he was HIV+ to dying of AIDS was 3 short years. I know people are living longer now HIV/AIDS through the use of some very powerful drugs. I also have met through blogging friends who use alternative medicines, treatments and meditation to control the effects of the disease.

Last weekend, a family member whom I am closest to was admitted to the hospital for extreme exhaustion. The early diagnosis was kidney failure and anemia. Of course, more blood work was required to find out the causes of these two events in his body. The answer is back, and he is HIV+.

He is strong and in otherwise good health, so the prognosis is encouraging. He reads my blog, so when he is released from the hospital and gets around to catching up, I want you to know - I LOVE YOU, CUZ and I got your back.

Shem hotep.

A Fire Week/Weekend in DC

I had meetings that took me to the District for several days last week and kept me there through the weekend. Well, just as I had good times in ATL and NYC, DC was not to be left out of the running. The first night was meet up night with Maxim (we hung out in ATL and DC, too). We used dinner at Café Salsa in Old Town Alexandria as our place to catch up on everything that may have happened to/with our friends since the NYC trip. Of course, we didn’t miss the opportunity to observe some of the hot Latino waiters in the restaurant. In fact, the vision of the wait staff combined with the Puerto Rican piononas (beef picadillo wrapped in sweet plaintains) and several glasses of sangria that rivaled my experience in Spain put this eatery on my list of “definitely go again.” That’s my own special rating system for restaurants – those on the “go again” list are 3 stars or better. Since the night temps were bit frigid, we called it a night early, especially knowing that would not be the case on Thursday night.

Now Thursday night reminded me of my undergraduate days when the weekend began on Thursday and ended on Tuesday (every week). Wednesdays were the day off from partying. Tandy joined Maxim and me for Ben’s Chili Bowl on U St. in NW before we headed to Busboy And Poets to catch my friend, Tim’m West’s Front Porch 1st anniversary celebration. If you caught my blog last week, you know that a fire destroyed Tim’m’s usual space at Café Mawonaj. Being the resourceful person that he is (we Duke men know how to handle business – lol), he turned to Bus Boys and Poets and secured the stage for his show. We arrived during open mic and heard the spoken word on loss of friends to AIDS. This was especially significant since it was also World AIDS Day. Tim’m came from his heart with his spoken words from past published works and from his blog. Complementing the show and complimenting the life work of Tim’m was a performance by Monica McIntyre accompanied by her sister Marcia. Monica is an accomplished cellist while Marcia commands the audience attention with her mastery of the classical violin. Together, these two women cover the full range of emotion as told through their music. The most touching moments of the evening came with Monica’s unexpected dramatization of a young women learning from her doctor that the health issues she is experiencing is a result of her having contracted the AIDS virus. You felt the devastation, hurt and betrayal in her characterization of the black female victim whose supposedly monogamous relationship turns out not to have been so monogamous. Monica indicated this was the first time she decided to perform this soliloquy. I encourage her to continue to perform and refine this piece because the message is so vital. If you get an opportunity to catch her in Philly or some other venue, I recommend her to you.
From Bus Boys and Poets, we headed downtown to the Bachelor’s Mill on 8th St. in SE. In addition to having a reasonable cover charge - $5 – the boys in there, were as hot as any I saw in NYC or Atlanta Pride 2005. The music was raging, the energy level high, and for the first time, I was in a club where I could dance, enjoy every minute of it, and not wish the track would end so I could leave the floor. Not only that, I met two guys right off from my home state. It’s a shame that we must leave the Bible Belt in order to have the true freedom to fully develop as loving human beings. Anyway, Rocky and Will did just that and the self-assuredness they have developed was evident. Dance floor downstairs, bar and lounge upstairs, outside secluded area upstairs, and heavy drinks (no watered down stuff here) makes for a highly rated evening in DC (and that's just on Thursday). We left around 2 am when the club closed. Tandy is well known and liked in the DC circuit although he had been away from the scene for a minute while pursuing a love interest. So leaving was made difficult by the number of guys who wanted to holla and renew old acquaintances. In addition, Maxim has more than a few friends some of whom are eager to renew and pursue a relationship with him (he really is a phyne 23 yo who knows it - don't let that go to your head when you read this).

Next entry about "A Fire/Weekend in DC" will talk about a 40 year old secret came out on Saturday.

Domestic Abuse and Violence in Gay Relationships (Part IV)

This final entry concludes the interview with Libra03. Remember, if you're a victim, seek help. If you're an abuser, seek help.

Fratman1906: Let's shift gears. Have you ever been a victim of abuse or violence?
Libra03: I dont know if i would say I was a victim, but me and my first fought once
Fratman1906: How and why did that happen?
Libra03: Jealousy my behalf.....funny thing is that we wasn’t even together at the time...just living together
Fratman1906: What led to the fight?
Libra03: Well, we didn’t have the healthiest relationship. It was my first gay relationship so I knew nothing aside from all that what led to the fight was that he was sneaky to me, and I never trusted him.
Fratman1906: And when you got into the fight, did you leave each other after that?
Libra03: I became like almost obsessive with jealousy, but yes we broke up.
Fratman1906: What did you learn from that episode?
Libra03: We have incidents prior to this one though, usually with me hitting him. It was unhealthy and there really was no point. Funny thing is that I viewed it as a fight between to males at the time. Now I see it differently.
Fratman1906: It was still violence within a domestic/romantic relationship.
Libra03: yes...and it was because I didn’t know how to direct my anger and frustration with him.
Fratman1906: There doesn't necessarily have to be one stronger and one weaker person in domestic violence situations. Both may be equally yoked, but physical or mental abuse is still problematic. Is this the person whom you pushed through a window?
Libra03: Yes, during our last fight that happened. It was my actions that started it but he hit me first. The thing is at the time I looked at it as we are both males and it was self defense. I think most people look at it that way and that is why they remain in those situations
Fratman1906: You said this was your first gay relationship. How long had you entertained the idea of hooking up with another male? Were you out? How long?
Libra03: I wasn’t out....I always knew i was interested in guys....I met him when i was 21, and this happened over the span of 2-3 years.
Fratman1906: Did this have any effect on your subsequent relationships, especially involving long term partners?
Libra03: If anything it helped me for the better. I can remember Friend and me getting into an argument one night, and it could have escalated to a fight.
Fratman1906: Did your previous experience help you to pull back?
Libra03: yes...it did. I was not interested in fighting him, but he told me later that he felt as if he wanted to fight me.
Fratman1906: Why do you think he felt that way?
Libra03: He was really angry and intoxicated. Something happened prior to that he didn’t like. He doesn’t like to feel controlled and I think that is the way he felt with me sometimes. Not that i tried to control him, but it came off that way
Fratman1906: Do you think Friend is comfortable with his sexual orientation or still coming to grips?
Libra03: I think he is way more comfortable since he was with me. I think he will agree that I made him more comfortable with himself
Fratman1906: Having witnessed Jason & JM along with your own experience, what advice would you give SGL couples and is there anything else you want to add?
Libra03: That no matter if its a male/male or female/female or male/female relationship that violence between partners is still domestic violence. Its no different just because you are the same sex and ceteris paribus; it is still domestic violence. In this type pf situation the healthiest thing for you to do is remove yourself from it because I think that the level violence is worst in gay relationships than hetero relationships. I don’t have the reason why but I would surely like to find out why.

Shem hotep!

World AIDS Day - December 1, 2005

Forever in my heart. I miss you guys:

Thomas J.
Richard C.
Robert F.

The world can never be the same because you left us much too soon.
With great sadness,
Your friend forever.

Tim'm West Celebrates the 1st Anniversary of the Front Porch at Busboys and Poets in DC

Live in the DC/MD/VA area? Or are you going to be in the District on Thursday Dec. 1 (like me)? Then come hear/see/experience one of the best hip-hop artist around as Tim'm West celebrates the 1st anniversary of the "Front Porch." Tim'm has been recognized by everyone from Keith Boykin to Newsweek magazine for his fantastic talent. Normally held on the first Thursday of each month at Cafe Mawonaj in DC, the show will take place instead at Busboys and Poets.

Here are details followed by a word from Tim'm:

December 1 , 2005

Front Porch at BusBoys and Poets

Celebrate Our 1st Anniversary Show!

As Tim'm presents "The Front Porch"

family, flow, friends, funk

Busboys and Poets
www.busboysandpoets.com
14th and V Streets, NW

(near U Street Metro/Green Line)

Washington, DC

9pm FREE!!!!

December (World AIDS Day)

Features

Monica McIntyre (Philly) with Marcia McIntyre

Ayanna Muhammad (Chicago)

Monica McIntyre is a talented cellist, vocalist, and lyricist who started playing the cello at the age of 7. Ms. McIntyre is originally from Hyattsville, MD where she studied classical cello for 11 years. Monica came to Philadelphia, PA to study Fashion Design at Drexel University. Her debut album Blusolaz was released in October 2003. Monica has performed at The Black Women's Art Festival 2003, Philadelphia Fringe Festival 2003, Soul Sista's Jukejoint GA 2004, The Philadelphia Underground Music Phestival (PUMP) 2004 and Women Against Abuse 2005. She was also featured in BInformed Magazine 2004, The Writer Blocks 2004, Philadelphia Arts Writers (PAW) 2004, MagnaPhone Magazine 2004 and The City Paper, PA 2004. Look out for Abuse, Monica McIntyre's newest project to be released in the Fall of 2005. She will be joined on December 1st, by her sister violinist Marcia McIntyre!

Ayanna Muhammad is a Chicago native who has become very active in the LGBT community. She is a model, actress, dancer, writer and performance artist who uses her talents as a platform to entertain and inform. In her latest and dearest venture as a spoken word artist, Ayanna has traveled the country sharing her words and experiences with her national LGBT family. As an educator, she has worked with groups of gay, lesbian and trans teens building a network of resources and providing safe spaces and activities. Her students have volunteered with HIV/AIDS organizations doing community education/ outreach projects and providing direct services to HIV/AIDS positive patients and their families. This spring, Ayanna’s first collection of poetry, Raw Sugar, will be published with a national tour scheduled for the summer of 2006. Ayanna is a member of a lesbian performance group, POW-WOW Poets, in Chicago.

And now an open letter to you from Tim'm:

Dear Front Porch Family,

Spirit moves in remarkable ways. Something was bugging me while teaching at school on Tuesday and I came home earlier than normal with a fatigue I couldn't explain. Soon after arriving home, I started getting word from several sources that Café Mawonaj, the site where I've been holding the monthly soul/spoken word/hip hop showcase "The Front Porch", experienced a fire over Thanksgiving weekend, leaving the equipment and kitchen damaged and the space, generally uninhabitable (details at the very end of this message). Please show them your support as they try to rebuild their space in a community that much needs their presence and sense of awareness.

I immediately thought about the relevance of celebrating one-year of the "Front Porch", a safe space where people embrace the intimacy and fellowship of "family", friends, and sharing, much like I grew up experiencing as a kid on Arkansas front porches. I thought about the Ayanna Muhammad and Monica McIntyre traveling from Chicago and Philadelphia, respectively to honor one-year of this tradition. The show would have to go on. Being a pretty resourceful guy who has performed in a variety of venues in DC, I thought about alternative locations in the NW area that would be just a few minutes away, in the event that people don't get this notice and have to rely on signs posted at Mawonaj.

I called Andy Shallal, owner of Busboys and Poets www.busboysandpoets.com, who I had the good fortune to meet on several occasions during poetry or literary events there. Busboys and Poets seems an ideal space for the event because of their teaching and activist bookstore, their excellent restaurant, as well as their dedicated space called the "Langston Room", named after Langston Hughes, who himself was a busboy and a poet while he lived in DC. The Langston room has been a inspirational repository for cutting edge performance, film, and literary showcases. Andy Shallal was incredibly understanding and sympathetic to the crisis at hand and permitted me to advertise our move to Busboys and Poets for the December Anniversary event!!! We begin the event at 9 pm rather than the usual 8 pm, so it is important that people get there promptly. The space is open so you are even encouraged to eat or grab a bite at the usual 8 pm and enter the space as soon as it becomes available. This will undoubtedly mean a shortened open-mic session, but you'll certainly have an opportunity to hear Chicago's Ayanna Muhammad, Philly's Monica McIntyre (who will again be joined by her sister, Marcia), and your host, that Tim'm guy. December 1st is also World AIDS Day, so I've asked that the features bring at least a piece of work that honors the occasion and our commitment to the cause beyond this date.

I ask that you spread the word to as many as you know about the change in location. Upon your arrival, I also encourage you to let the staff at Busboys and Poets know how grateful you are that they've opened their doors to us. I had already pitched moving the "Front Porch" to their space, but they couldn't, at the time, secure every first Thursday. Perhaps a strong show of support can help them reconsider that decision-- help them realize that there's no other space like the "Front Porch" (anywhere) and that supporting and preserving it, in a space committed to activist arts and education, is a match made in heaven.

Thank you for your indulgence, and I look forward to celebrating one year of the "Front Porch" at Busboys and Poets with you on Thursday evening!

Tim'm T. West
www.reddirt.biz


And from the Fratman1906, shem hotep!

Domestic Abuse and Violence in Gay Relationships (Part III)

Earlier, I provided entries on this topic from discussions with friends who have been victims of domestic partner violence within gay relationships. You have heard from Maxim and Tandy. Now hear the interview of a young man who observed violence between his friends and was involved in incidents of his own.

Fratman1906: Hello Libra03. Thanks for agreeing to talk with blog readers and me on this serious topic. As you know, I have posted on this previously after talking with some victims. You bring a different perspective, and I hope that your forthrightness will educate some folks who may be suffering right now and need a little push in the right direction. We have talked about domestic abuse. Let's start with your observations from having to go to an emergency room to be with someone who has been a victim. Tell us about that.
Libra03: It was weird to be an outsider looking in at this; it was almost like a dream. I knew that the two of them had a violent relationship but I didn’t know it was that serious. It all began over the two of them messing with the same boy.
Fratman1906: Did you know they were messing with the same boy? How did they find out about each other?
Libra03: I didn’t know that...well here it is.... the one who is more my friend is named Jason and has this friend from VA that he calls his little gay son, and who comes up from time to time. Apparently one time he came up and the two of them had a sexual encounter. Jason has a live in lover that he is off and on with named JM who found out about Jason and his buddy and in return decided he was going to get even and hook up with the friend as well.
Fratman1906: Did JM and Jason have fights b4?
Libra03: Of course but nothing of this severity that I’m aware of.
Fratman1906: Was one pretty much dominant over the other? That is was one constantly a victim and the other an abuser?
Libra03: No, both were equally as bad. Well, it all came out and the drama began. It was August, the night of Brooklyn pride and also JM's birthday
Fratman1906: How did the violence begin? Were they fairly even in size or was one much bigger than the other?
Libra03: Equal in size. Jason is a little shorter but overall equal. Jason promised JM that he was going to ruin his birthday. It all began with arguing in the club. Jason wore this t-shirt that read something like “I mess with only the best” or something like that. The two of them were arguing outside and in the club; mix that with drinks and it’s a mess. JM is also the person who throws parties at this nightclub called The City. Jason called the police and said that they were selling drugs in there and that it was over the allowed capacity. The cops came and closed the party. No one knew what had happened except me because I was there when he had called.
Fratman1906: Go on.
Libra03: So now party over...we were supposed to go over to their house in Brooklyn for more partying...Jason and JM house. While we were on our way there, we get a call asking where we were and I that is when all of the fighting began at the house. When we pulled up, there was an ambulance sitting out front with the back doors open. Then my buddy and I walkover there because he noticed a pair of timberlands outside the ambulance. We find Jason bleeding from his head. It was a mess...blood all over his clothes and everything. I was in awe and immediately asked what happened. He said that JM and his two friends came to the house and jumped him. So, we went to the hospital and he was given a staple in his head.
Fratman1906: Was this fight one of several physical fights that they had had aside from arguments?
Libra03: Yes.... but nothing of that severity; that was over the top. Apparently, JM came home, John had people over there, and the door was locked. He was upset about that and he told everyone to get out his house. Actually, JM’s two friend are the ones who told Johns friends to leave. When they left, John went to get his shoes to leave as well but John and JM got into it, and the fight began. Then John and JM's friends started fighting. Believe it or not, the two are still living together and I am sure still involved.
Fratman1906: That was going to be one of my questions, if they were together now.Libra03: Yep...they have a really nice place in Harlem but they have torn it up from all the fighting--holes in the walls and broken doors

To Be Continued As Libra03 tells of his own domestic violence...

Albuquerque Pride Logo Contest - Need Your Vote

Fellow blogger, Kenneth Winfrey, has submitted his logo design for the Albuquerque Pride 2006 Logo Contest. Voting is open to every one. He needs your vote (you don't have to live in New Mexico to vote). Let's help him by voting. Click his design at the right to go to the voting page. Shem hotep.

The Failure of the Black Church

by Rev. Renee McCoy
"The Church must seriously work to develop ways of ministering to Black Lesbians and Gays, or else it must stop preaching an all accepting, all liberating gospel and calling itself a church. The good news of the gospel is that God's love is for all people unconditionally. "

I couldn't agree more. In NC, the NC General Baptist Convention and the United Methodist Church took positions to deny affiliation to churches that accept openly gay members. They ignore the message of love preached by Jesus Christ in the New Testament and rely heavily on the Old Testament instead. As one minister so aptly points out, Christ never spoke on homosexuality.

Now, let's have conversation on this one. I am not trying to "expose homophobic ministers," but rather to have a true dialogue on the biblical interpretations that underly the homophobic rationale for exclusion and condemnation. Shem hotep.

Mini-Katrina

I know that I need to finish the post about my weekend in NYC. I had a small disaster at my condo last week when the toilet tank cracked (stop laughing) and pumped water all day throughout my condo. The insurance company had everything removed and stored in a "Pack-Rat" in my parking lot. I have been living like an itinerant for several days with neighbors and friends. My DSL will be back up this weekend. Meanwhile, this dial-up is too slow for my blogging needs. Stay tuned. Happy Thanksgiving and shem hotep!

Beyond a "Wicked" Weekend

We got a later start than planned on Saturday. That translated to trying to get into NYC to see the Broadway play, "Wicked," about 30 minutes after start time. Nonetheless, we settled into our seats and watched a very good performance. Go see it if you haven't already. It will definitely make you see the good/bad witches of Oz in a different light. Now anyone who knows me knows that I like to eat. So, we headed up to Harlem to hit Sylvia's Restaurant on Malcolm X Blvd. I recommend the smothered pork chops everytime. I can't seem to get around to trying anything else on the menu because I am so hooked on these tender, succulent chops that make you wanna suck the bone - (oops, is that a double entendre?).

Then it was on to Chi-Chiz to meet up with Maxim's new friend, Palmer. I really like the atmosphere and company of Chi-Chiz because I wasn't the oldest one there :-) And the easy interaction of young and old, hip hop and old school, was really refreshing.

From Chi-chiz, we head up to X El on W. 16th St. This is a very different mix compared to the Octagon. The interracial crowd is made up of straight and gay couples in an upscale atmosphere. There is a lot of dressing in black going on here. The music pumps but there is no room to dance. It is a good place to meet friends, have drinks and plan where to next.

After X L, I drop Maxim and Palmer at a crib in NJ and head back to my hotel. At 3:30 am, I am counting on getting a few hours sleep before heading back to NC. That was until I got this phone call in the parking lot and ...

A "Wicked" weekend in Oz! I need some rest.

Finally, something to blog about. This past weekend. Whew. I figure from reading my fellow bloggers that life in the community can be pretty interesting in some areas of the country. Well, as many times as I have been to NYC, I have not had one quite as adventurous (for me) as this one. First, it was a holiday weekend because of Veterans Day (VD) which gave me an extra day to travel. I usually try to do something predictably enjoyable such as taking in a play. The lucky winner for me was "Wicked" on Broadway.

I first learned of this one through lunch with my fellow blogger No4real4real last summer (thanks and a great big hug on this one to you). Since Labor Day weekend was already taken up with 2005 Atlanta Black Pride, the earlier I could go was VD. Most times I do these alone or with family. This time, I invited Maxim who luckily had the same holiday off from his job. We hooked up Friday and hit the Big Apple on Friday night. I need to digress a moment to tell you that Maxim knows the NY-NJ area well and took me to a little greasy eatery in West Orange called "Jimmy Buff's" that turned out to have some of the best sausage and potatoes in pizza pocket bread that I have tried (pocket bread? Yeah, that's what I said - lol).

Ok, after a quick "ho-nap" at the hotel, we headed to Christopher St. around midnight. Our first stop was at this gay bar called "The Hangar" where we met up with Maxim's college roommate, Reader. Reader is a transplanted Brooklynite who is actually from my part of the Old North State. He will 'read' you and tell you quickly about what he sees in you even when, as Maxim points out, "it ain't pretty." We also wait for Maxim's new interest, Palmer, who will be joining us throughout the weekend. Palmer comes in with Jazzi.

From The Hangar, we all headed up to the Octagon Club on West 33rd St in Manhattan. If you are looking for 20s to 30s year old hot boys who know how to party, this is a spot for you. The music was non-stop hip-hop and the models/dancers were off the chain. Those boys knew how to work it and, in the words of James Earl Hardy, they were JOOD. Since this was my first time (hell yeah, I'm a late bloomer), I pretty much watched the scene. Next time, lawdy- lawdy, I intend to party! Shortly after 5 am, we call an intermission to our activities. Btw, the best time to travel through the Holland tunnel is 5:30 am. No traffic at all, no back ups. We were alone. And I thought NYC was the city that never sleeps. Ha.

Anyway, I gotta do some other things right now, so I will continue with a part 2 about Saturday night, Chi-Chiz and X L Bar & Lounge. Shem hotep!

America's High Tech "Invisible Man"

By Tyrone D. Taborn

You may not have heard of Dr. Mark Dean. And you aren't alone. But almost everything in your life has been affected by his work. See, Dr. Mark Dean is a Ph.D. from Stanford University. He is in theNational Hall of Inventors. He has more than 30 patents pending. He is a vice president with IBM. Oh, yeah. And he is also the architect of the modern-day personal computer. Dr. Dean holds three of the original nine patents on the computer that all PCs are based upon. And, Dr. Mark Dean is an African American.So how is it that we can celebrate the 20th anniversary of the IBM personal computer without reading or hearing a single word about him? Given all of the pressure mass media are under about negative portrayals of African Americans on television and in print, you would think it would be a slam dunk to highlight someone like Dr. Dean.Somehow, though, we have managed to miss the shot. History is cruel when it comes to telling the stories of African Americans. Dr. Dean isn't the first Black inventor to be overlooked. Consider John Stanard, inventor of the refrigerator, George Sampson, creator of the clothes dryer, Alexander Miles and his elevator, Lewis Latimer and the electric lamp. All of these inventors share two things:One, they changed the landscape of our society; and, two, society relegated them to the footnotes of history. Hopefully, Dr. Mark Deanwon't go away as quietly as they did. He certainly shouldn't. Dr. Dean helped start a Digital Revolution that created people like Microsoft's Bill Gates and Dell Computer's Michael Dell. Millions of jobs in information technology can be traced back directly to Dr. Dean.More important, stories like Dr. Mark Dean's should serve as inspiration for African-American children. Already victims of the "Digital Divide" and failing school systems, young, Black kids might embrace technology with more enthusiasm if they knew someone like Dr. Dean already was leading the way.Although technically Dr. Dean can't be credited with creating thecomputer -- that is left to Alan Turing, a pioneering 20th-century English mathematician, widely considered to be the father of modern computer science -- Dr. Dean rightly deserves to take a bow for the machine we use today. The computer really wasn't practical for home or small business use until he came along, leading a team that developed theinterior architecture (ISA systems bus) that enables multiple devices, such as modems and printers, to be connected to personal computers.In other words, because of Dr. Dean, the PC became a part of our daily lives For most of us, changing the face of society would have been enough. But not for Dr. Dean. Still in his early forties, he has a lot of inventing left in him.He recently made history again by leading the design team responsible for creating the first 1-gigahertz processor chip. It's just another huge step in making computers faster and smaller. As the world congratulates itself for the new Digital Age brought on by the personal computer, we need to guarantee that the African-American story is part of the hoopla surrounding the most stunning technological advance the world has ever seen. We cannot afford to let Dr. Mark Dean become a footnote in history. He is well worth his own history book.

And The Beat Goes On.

Ok. I know I haven't really blogged about anything exciting in a while, but that's the way life is for us baby boomers. Not a whole lot happens that is exciting in any way. So, for what little bit is going on, here are my recommendations:

1. If you haven't seen Tyler Perry's production (up close and in person), go see it if it is in your area. My ex and I went last week to see it and I laughed until my jaws hurt. This show was Medea Goes to Jail and it was one hilarious show. At times, even Perry gets to laughing at himself as Medea and has to catch his breath. On the serious side, Tyler is a gifted actor and a great humanitarian. He is donating $1 million to his hometown of New Orleans for Katrina relief.

2. This weekend I am going to see "Men Cry In the Dark" being performed at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium. I will blog about it after the show. Stay tuned.

3. Y'all know by now that I am an absolute fan of my frat, Rashid Darden. If you haven't read Lazarus, then what are you waiting on? You won' t be disappointed. Help a brother out, here. This is his first novel and there is more to come.

4. Then read Down For Whatever by Frederick Smith. I did, and I am glad I did. Not only that, I had the opportunity and pleasure of meeting Fred in ATL during Pride (I still have a high from Atlanta Pride and can't wait for next year). Fred is down to earth, and I am hoping to get my alma mater to sponsor him for a book reading/signing in the near future.

5. Coming up, Maxim and I are going to see "Wicked" in NYC during the Veterans Day weekend. No4real4real told me about this play during our meeting in CT this summer, and since I am a Broadway junkie, I began making plans to get back to NYC and see it. Now is the time.

6. Speaking of No4real4real, he has been having some difficulties of late. Stop by his blog and show some love. He is one cool dude who will not let stumbling blocks get in his way. As he says on occasion, "He stomps with the big dogs." Holla at him.

7. Another blogger whom I consider to be really sharp on many issues is Kenneth Winfrey. He is self-employed (so give him some business), but if you keep up with Keith Boykin's website, Kenneth is a frequent (and eloquent) poster. Agree or disagree, you cannot take away from the intellectual prowess of this brother. Just look for the long responses to identify his observations (I am sure he will respond to this comment - "wink"). He also posts on Keith's blog and has started several interesting threads.

Ok. This got longer than I intended, but this is the word for now. Shem hotep.