http://qik.com/video/1907004/bksoulution-blurr-618...

Show the band did with Soulution at this DOPE new club in Newport News called Blurr (www.gotoblurr.com). It's awesome, check it out.

In one word, everything was indescribable, even the bus travel to DC... Northbound traffic was halted, but we were accompanied by a police escort *the police presence was UNREAL, blue lights literally every 200 yds the whole way*. I could say that it was cool, but it was actually freezing!! The sheer number of people in attendance was incredible. SOOOOOOO many people were out there it was IGNORANT, but to begin to put it into perspective think in the range of what a swarm of ants would look like and make that swarm human sized. Never in my life had I ever seen so many folks in one place, even on TV. Maneuvering through the city was a battle because of folks darting in between our buses, taking their lives in their hands, and then when one would get through, a sudden throng of jay walkers would follow suit and create a literal living barrier. The sad thing is that we didn't even get to see the actual inauguration ceremony that they had just seen because we were on the bus and waiting for security sweeps. After that we went to a place to assemble and warm up, along with the other groups and bands in our division (Grambling was in our division also and was seated right along side us in the warmup tent) Then the time came for us to step off, and there was some sort of delay and we ended up waiting for like 1.5 hrs - OUTSIDE, in the same spot. Now for anyone that doesn't already know, standing in one spot in the cold is NOT conducive to retaining or building any sort of body heat so we (Low-Down) took it upon ourselves to warm up the dance girls and a few of the flag girls. Then we started playing to keep our horns from literally freezing and our lips too. Then other sections started copying us *as usual* and then we were ordered to stop (not by parade officials, but by our band director). Naturally, we're like WTF? And also, being Low-Down we started playing again. Then one of the police officers suggested that we start playing to keep warm. Our band director is like "But this is a no playing zone". The cop was like "Fuck the rules. You guys have to do something to keep from freezing!" SO we started playing and put on a mini-concert for the folks that were around (Overnight Scenario, Poison, Talkin, My President is Black, and I feel like two more) and got our blood flowing. Then we stopped playing and started walking.... and walking... and walking some more. Suckitude.... Verily... FINALLY we stepped off and cold was forgotten all about. Because it was so late, the sun had started going down and the HAWK was out, causing the majority of the crowd to leave the elements for the warmth of their home/hotel/car/box. The parade went off without a hitch *well, few hitches* and we finally get to the area where the First Family is in the press box, and for the first time ever I'm star struck. I'm looking out the side of my eye the whole time trying my HARDEST not to turn and straight gawk, and I turn my head and who do I see? The First Lady, smiling, winking, and waving - AT ME! (Ok, maybe it wasn't directly at me, but it was right in my direction! I'm thinkin she caught me looking lol After that, the parade was very relaxed and there were almost no folks left along the parade route. We had effectively stopped marching and started walking then. We reached the buses, kicked down and packed up. One of the percussion cats fell out when we stopped, but he's ok now. It's a good thing that he collapsed where he did, because we were advised beforehand that if anybody had become a straggler, they would be taken into military control and there was no telling when we'd see them again *when we first heard that, we started joking about how if you became a straggle, you would be shot or disappear never to be seen again lol* SO we're back on the bus, amazed at our involvement and that we made it through. And we did pretty damn good! Begin the bus ride out of Dodge City.... I don't remember much about what happened, because I fell asleep while we were waiting for our *straggler* to be returned after medics looked at him, but when I woke up we were at our dinner stop, a family buffet in Manassas, VA (Shonda, I had fried shrimp. Lots of it) Back on the bus for more of what we do best... Chillin and jokin... I wish we had a video camera set up to capture some of the good times, but ya'll get the idea. You know me and how I like to joke... I'M the calm one out of my brothers lol So yeah, eventually I fell asleep and continued the trek back to Hampton. We got back to campus around 2:10 this morning and I've been awake ever since. I saw the parade after the First Family had made their way to the press box on C-Span2 this morning, and have been watching highlights and things ever since.

Yesterday was a day I will always remember, even though we didn't get to see any of the actual inauguration events. Everything was still just entirely too awesome! I got my 2.4 seconds on TV! What I'm the MOST hype about though.... The First Lady waved, winked and smiled at me. I think she caught me lookin That was entirely too awesome.......

Well, that's all for now. You good folks be easy and don't forget about your boy.

I've got pics documenting the trip posted on Facebook already, so check em out.

I think MusiqSoulchild really said it best when he told the world how so many people use the name of Love in vain; that doesn't mean it doesn't still exist but that we just have to value TRUE love when we find above all else. Even more than Gold, Pearls, and Diamonds.

Gold shines even after being buried inside the earth and amidst all sorts of dark and dirty things, which is why people have long used them as symbols of their love in wedding unions (the wedding ring), the circle of gold being a symbol of the never ending cycle that love should be and of the connection that joins the two into one...

Pearls seem to come out of the depths of nothingness in the middle of nowhere, growing into something everyone recognizes as being so beautiful from something seemingly as insignificant as a simple grain of sand. Known and valued for their beauty and frailty, and not for where they've come from.

Diamond is one of the hardest materials known to man, and it comes from coal; a dry, dull, black rock. Coal is something that people the world over simply burn like trash, much worse than throwing it away because they totally destroy it. Coal comes from the very depths of the earth, unseen and never thought of until it's needed for more burning. Sometimes when much pressure (effort) and time is applied, that black, filthy lump of coal will turn into something bright, shiny, crystal clear and undeniably beautiful: Diamond. Love is a lot like that... With time and effort a situation can become something even more beautiful than the clearest diamond in the world. And just like diamond, when people see the beauty that others possess called love it makes them want it just as much as others want diamonds if not moreso.So yeah, I guess Love is just that valuable to me.... What do you think?

Dear Homie,

 

Fuck it.

Yeah, it's that simple. I'm tired of dealing with this and having to be upset every week over the same bullshit, and I'm REALLY tired of being blindsided by the random new shit/bama/situation. SO, I've decided to say fuck it and separate myself from you and your bs ways. You say one thing and sneak and do another. But that's perfectly fine, you can keep doing what you want. Just leave me the hell out of it. I'm done with you, the same way I should have been years ago. I leave you to yourself, so find somebody else to share your bullshittery with. Oh, wait you already have! Lucky him.

 

You asked if I was mad at you earlier. No, I wasn't mad at all. It would be more accurate to say I'm actually way fucking beyond pissed at you, but I'm more disappointed in myself for thinking there was gonna be something. For the past however many months all I've been hearing about is "It's time for a Change." Well, the brotha was right. It IS time for a change. And that change is for me to stop being upset over you. Separation is the only option I can possibly see. A clean break should have been made back then so that we wouldn't be in this situation. (Or at least I wouldn't.) I dunno what you'd be doing, probably same script different cast. I'm just tired of this ride, so I'm getting off. Knock yourself out though.

 

Now I'm not throwing our friendship under the bus and saying it's been all meaningless, but I just can't sit here and be around you anymore and do the things that you've been trying to do to/with me while you're steady trying the same process with this nigga. And you have the audacity to ask me, *your big brother* for advice. Honestly homie, sometimes you make me sick and I don't want to see you. (Wait, do you understand that word, "Honest"? I know it's not real high on your priority list.....) I try to keep all that to myself cause I don't want to hurt your little feelings, but damn all that. I'm sick of bein hurt quietly. I wanna say fuck you, but I can't. I'm just empty at this point. I ain't got nothin left to give to you and this mockery of a relationship, this fuckery of the mind, this malignant cancer in my heart, this metastasis of my soul. So yeah, I'm done. Like I said earlier, don't worry bout me. Your "friends" can take care of that, just like those nights.  (Right in front of me? How could you?) Decisions had to be made, so I made one just like you have. I don't deal with being upset well homie, you should know that about me better than anyone. If something upsets me, I usually say fuck it and leave it to fester on it's own. Guess what that something is now?

 

"....I don't have a problem waiting for you, Des..."

"I'm not studying *him* like that…."

"….but we've only hung out a few times since then…"

"….friends…." – My lil homie, the beautiful liar

 

I'm sick of the BS. So I'm tapping out. If you're reading this and you think I sound bitter, fuck you. I am.

 

Sincerely,

Master Splinter

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Listening to: Maroon 5 - Through With You
via FoxyTunes   

That's right ladies and gentlemen, before you sits the link (short for hyperlink) that points to a veritable online Battle of the Bands, the online voting that will decide the entertainment for the 40th Anniversary celebration for Virginia Commonwealth University. I'll get right to the point with you folks:

But somedays, I sit and wish I was a kid again....

Yeah, I said I wouldn't blog. If you know me, you know I don't say much about anything, especially my own thoughts. But I had a thought today and felt like sharing a lil bit of what was on my mind... So do me a favor and see if you can feel me on this one......

Remember it ya'll? Remember how EASY life was? (Hopefully) All you had to worry about was mama gettin you up to go to school, what game you wanted to play at recess, and what cartoons were coming on when you got home. Never worrying about material things. Not worrying about gas prices. Not calculting how much that next check is gonna be, or what the next hustle is. Not even really caring about what most folks thought about you. Except maybe that lil girl you had a crush on. Rent? What's that? I live with mama. Money? Mama can get it for me.
Carefree.
And LOVING life.
I miss those days..... The carefree part that is, cause I still love this gift called life. What is it about a few years that changes the way we look at everything? Where did the time go? One day all I'm worried about is homework, the next day I'm workin so I can try and make a home. $$Money$$. Yeah, I guess that changes things huh?
I remember thinkin "MAN, I can't wait to grow up.... Imma do THIS, and Imma do THAT..." The mind of a child is a beautiful thing. Imagination was REAL, and at its brightest and earliest beginnings. Remember arts and crafts ya'll? Bringing home those heavy pieces of glue with some construction paper and paint or glitter attacted? That made mama's day didn't it? Coming home and going outside to play some more. Constant activity. Constant energy. Constant love. Damn. We might be responsible for teaching these kids today things, but yo, what happened to us? Looks like we have a little something we can learn from these kids. I mean, who are we to try and tell somebody about things we forgot about so long ago? Somebody wise once told me "I'm never too old to learn something." I think we all should take those words a lil more seriously, myself included. Hmmm.... Maybe it's not learning as much as it is remembering..... Remembering what imagination really is. Creativity. Activity. Energy.
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Now playing: Ahmad - Back In the Days

*This has been a public service announcement brought to you by the makers of:

Ok, I know I said I wouldn't blog, but damn that..... This just in, a life lesson learned (I mean actually learned, not just heard) very recently.

If you're ever gonna do something in life, make sure that you think it through. If you don't, you could really end up missing out on the VERY BEST things in store for you in this life, and the next person will get what was truly meant to be your blessing.... I hope ya'll take a second to think about that, because I for one didn't and now I have forever to think about it. I face the very probable chance of  having to live without that blessing, and the curse of actually knowing it. One second is all it takes to change forever. Ya'll be easy. And think. You've got the rest of forever riding on it.

Much LOVE and happiness to you....
Splinter

Sorry, I don't blog! I know that I'm probably 90 years behind the ball on this one, but I don't blog. I don't see the point in it really. Now that doesn't mean that I'm knocking you if you do it, but those of you that know me know that I don't really like to talk all that much. Blogging is too much like talking, so out the window it goes for me. Besides, I'd have to sit and think about something interesting to say every day.... Nah, you can have that one homie! But yeah, for those of you that DO like blogging, more power to ya!  If ever I do blog, then that there's something that I HAVE to speak on. So I guess there'll be an occasion or two where someone will learn how to irritate me to that point..... Blah, whatever though. Ya'll be easy.