Sweet sounds - from one of my favourite movies - Love and Basketball

I'm due a movie night filled with rom-com heavenly movies like this, and.. Brown Sugar
Suits me just fine.


There's a movie staring Beyonce and Cuba Gooding Jr, that I fell asleep watching once, but vaguely remember liking it.. I can't quite remember the name, but once I do.. that'll be on the list also.

Hope you all had a fine day.. Thursday is almost upon us

Thought of the day - Robert Mugabe

Who would I be if I were a boy

I would be a boisterous boy
I would be cool... perhaps like (a reformed) Samuel L Jackson, or David Beckham.

I would be smart but not arrogant ( well maybe a little).
I would seek to define myself by what I do... my special contribution to the world... and not what I have, or own.
I would seek to honour my father, learning from him, adopting his strengths, and strengthening his weaknesses. I would want to know who he was, but accept if that were not possible.
Ultimately..I would strive to be my own man.

I would take care of my mother.
If I had children of my own, I would be a good father, respecting and assisting the woman who bore my children, whether we still shared a bed... or not.
If I were with a woman who had children who were not of my flesh... I would treat them as if they were, becoming a role model... mentor... a positive aspect of their lives... I would be a father, still.
I would seek not a woman who was perfect... just one who was perfect for me.
I would be playful... and no doubt flirt... but I'd fight the urge to go overboard..
I would try to date one at a time... despite knowing I could date many...

I would see my role as a provider... being smart with money, but not mean. I would be generous, I would strive to improve myself... and support and encourage my partners hopes and dreams also.
Yet I would be wary... and very... very... observant
I would choose wisely.
I suspect.. I would be an egoist... and reminded of that by others from time to time... to little avail.
But I would try to learn.. try to be better.
I would make the most of my free time... reveling in the benefits that comes with being a man.

I would be aware that I may have more obstacles to overcome... but take strength and wisdom from my heritage... my past... redefining my future through my willingness to develop spiritually and intellectually

I would work out. Toning my arms, abs and stomach, as best i can... knowing however, that should they extend outwards... it’s cool. Because I am man.
I may feel safe in the knowledge that growing older...greyer.. fatter... is often seen as a sign of wisdom and maturity, but for me?.. I would aim to make that.. a truism.

I would be a good cook, and handy with a sowing machine... despite my macho exterior.
I would be helpful, and not helpless.
I would be like still waters.

I would write.
I would write love letters to woo my intended… and feel a sense of pride that she keeps them safe...in a box.. or brags about them to her friends...
Although I’d never tell her that.
I’d never want to make her cry, but do my best to keep her happy, so I’d listen.. even if she gets on my nerves and won’t shut up.
I would want to earn more. Not just because of the pressure I may feel to be the main provider.. but because of my ego.
Society expects… and I am a man after all.
I would probably be fearful of doctors and dentists... but I’d attend my appointments anyway. Not for minor things.. only when I really need to.
Perhaps I would never admit to being scared or lonely..lost.. insecure..or wrong.. and never ever would I cry in public. But I'd know, someday, I would.
I would feel as though this world was made for me
That I have a right.. Just because
I may even secretly enjoy the old creation story
I’d smile a lot... I’d be funny
I’d be flawed
I’d be a boy..I’d be a man
I'd be as god intended
I’d be loving… and lovable

But I'm not... a boy

Who knows you best?

I had a lazy day today.
Aside from the usual cooking, washing, watering plants ( which I must do again in a moment) it's been a day to catch up on a little news, check out a few Blogs, a little reading, and a little TV.

It's fair to say..not much in the way of excursion.

Watching Mr & Mrs...it's funny to see how the couples often resemble each other
It makes sense, yet I know many couples who look nothing like each other, but in those cases, I've found something in their personalities, that have been quite similar.

I think it's great when someone really knows you, gets you, and understands your quirks
How long did it take for your other half to really know you?
For some.. it can take years.. and the joy is in the discovery

For tonight's bedtime read I think I'll begin to tackle Soul on Ice.. it's been staring at me, and I need to take it back soon..

My Bloggers Sunday

I enjoy reading Blogs, so it's a shame when people delete them.

I guess they delete them for various reasons, boredom, loss of motivation,loss of focus, not enough time... or perhaps forgetting why they began blogging in the first place. I enjoy reading Blogs, more so than newspapers (which I only do online now) as I find them more personal, direct, (sometimes) honest,informative, and the diversity of thought can be outstanding.

In truth, I don't check out as many Blogs as I'd like to. So I've decided to rectify that. I'm hoping I guess, to hear and learn more about people from around the world... countries that interest me, such as Zimbabwe, the Congo, and other Africa countries... hear a new perspective... feel inspired... laugh... learn something new... or even tick me off.

After studying war conflict and development last term, I became even more enthused in the subject matter. So will look into that more.

I also know that right here in the UK, there are some amazing people, writing from the heart, that I haven't yet stumbled across...I'm looking.

So... It's a Bloggers Sunday for me.
It’s a beautiful day... and cool in the shade.

An interesting debate on TV earlier reminded me that I need to read A Clash of Civilizations. I’ve read excerpts, and will try and pick it up from the library.

For some of us, Blogging is the only 'voice' we have left, in a democracy that's not a democracy.. but still a democracy.

Wacky dreams..

Dreams can be funny things.
A friend of mine said that our dreams speak to us, that is..if we learn how to interpret them, that answers can be found, to puzzling questions.

Often I suspect this is the case.
Our subconscious comes to the fore during our 'sleeping state' and suppressed feelings emerge.
Sometimes we forget our dreams, other times, we remember them clearly.
Rarely(I think) do we act on them.. they can be difficult to interpret.

I've had a few strange dreams lately. At this moment I can't quite remember them fully, but what stuck in my mind about a recent dream was a guy with his legs wide open.. with smelly feet.
I was trying to mend a hole in his pants or something... something also about his smelly feet.. contemplating how best to sort out the smell

New cultures.. or old returnees?

New shops seem to be opening at a rapid rate in the area that I live. Shops, cafes… you name it... they're springing up.

I remember the days when if you told a person you lived in Hackney they'd make a joke about it being tough... or rough... an area where no right minded, intelligent or decent person would choose to live. A placed designated prime research material for social scientists and the like…a hotbed of ethnic communities some would say... useful for do-gooders, and not so do-gooders... but hey...either way… wouldn’t wanna live there.
Or so I’ve heard.
Yet I’ve never found it so.
But then... I am an ethnic... so to speak.

I know many people that (once their income increased) chose to leave. Fed up with the jibes, and preferring to boost their social stature... perhaps.
Many of us have heard of ‘White flight’ occurring across London, yet that is something which occurred in many areas across London many years ago.
Fearful of a reduction in home value... or just fearful... who knows.
I know that areas such as Tower Hamlets, Harlesden, and even Hackney, where large numbers of black or ethnic minorities live, are often classified as 'areas in need of regeneration'.. poor.. or just plain undesirable.

In many cases, yes.. these have been areas in need of regeneration, have appeared quite run down, and have been plagued with unemployment. Fortunately, in some areas, regeneration has taken place, and continues to take place.

Our ‘socially disadvantaged communities’... where national, political, power structures, or causes of inequality are rarely fully addressed, instead, it's often the cultures themselves, and the pathology existing within these communities that are deemed the root cause.
Which for some (in the past at least) could be potentially contagious
Are things different now?

Perhaps I am biased. Maybe if I had lived in a rundown area in Newcastle or Sheffield (picked at random)I would have found it difficult. Perhaps there would have been.. 'Black flight'..
Perhaps we all seek out those who are similar to us, and are uncomfortable, vulnerable and exposed in places where we feel like a minority.
Perhaps.
I say perhaps as I've always been a minority.. and I've been fine.
However, I know, that we are all different
I enjoy living in Hackney...and have always seen its beauty... it has always been 'trendy' to me.

I’ve known my local 'shop man' for years... same with the 'laundry man'... and to be honest I hope they remain, and are not priced out... for if they are.. I will no longer know my local store owners... or feel a sense of community with them. I fear that our ‘relationships’ may be reduced to a financial exchange only… minimal humanity, where my only worth is my money (lots of it, or get lost) and not my smile, feedback on how my children are doing, how the store owners themselves are getting on, or our occasional witty conversation
Yet things are changing. Places such as Hackney are now considered desirable places to live, and house prices have rocketed.

What is this change in hearts and minds, and how has it come about?
Is it the knowledge that with investment, pretty much any place can be transformed? Or is it something else?
I took a stroll today to buy a little veg, and salad 'stuffs'. I navigated the tables and chairs strewn across the pavement (I’ll get back to that later) and picked up a few things. What I noticed pretty soon, is that the prices have gone up. My regular grocers, used to do a deal... two cucumbers for £1 or 59p each…same with the lettuce. Yes folks.. that’s a massive saving of ... ooohh... 18p?
Now?...well… they’re still 59p each...just - No deal!. I picked up one anyway, in the realisation that my old money is no longer as sort after as the new money not only on show, but actually available.
Sure enough, If you want ‘deals’ now... it would appear, one would have to travel to the Market Place. The ‘Market Place’... hmmm okay.. nuff said.

So... as I walked back, I wondered about the seeming obsession with eating and drinking outdoors. The visual obsession with the continental dining style. Surely this ‘eating and drinking outdoors’ can be done in back gardens, parks, or even beer gardens, designated spaces... which do not clutter our pavements and corners, as they currently do. I fear we are on the verge of a small table overload.

Will our pavements, be places where one can walk freely again?... or do I need to pull up a chair also?
On the continent, I'm informed that people tend to be fairly relaxed. Brits?... we are notoriously uptight..so what gives?
Perhaps, if I pull up a chair, I will become less uptight... perhaps... but I don’t think I’d get much work done.
I'm not entirely convinced by this change. Is it an internal shift, or purely an external expression? Is it a desire to create a new culture?... or simply a way of 'pissing out new territory lines?' Is it a passing trend? a phase?.. or here to stay?.

There is an upside to the changes taking place in my local area, one being that it's a great way to balance out what appeared to be, too many betting shops and pawn brokers per square mile... yes now... it's a far better mix... of shops anyway.
With regards to the diversity of peoples, classes, and cultures on the other hand... that's an entirely different matter. I see clear divisions emerging, so are we going forwards.. or back.
And… does it even matter anymore?...

**
We saw a helicopter today... I asked my bro to pull up so I could take a photo... how sad am I?
Well... it's not everyday I get the chance to see one up close and personal in my area
Just so you know... I'm not the only one to take photos... the car behind us did the exact same thing.
Hope whoever needed it's assistance is okay.