I Think I'm In Love Again

I used to think I was incapable of falling in love again. Even when I met my girlfriend I fell for her right away, but I kept my heart guarded. I'm not sure when I finally let my guard down, but I'm glad I did. Love gives your life purpose and hope. Yeah, there's a chance things may not work out, but if I focus on that then I'm probably not gonna like the results.

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The Refugee

I took a cab to work this morning because I wasn't feeling too well and I was running hella late..while talking to the guy, I find out that he was working for the UN's refugee program during a war and that he was unable to return to his ciuntry. When he first left, they killed members of his family and burned his house and took his vehicles. I asked himwhenthis war occurred and to my surprise he let me know that the war had not completely ended. I was shocked because I had never heard of this and I like pride myself as a person who pays attention to what's going on in the world. Well,this guy who once worked to help refugees is now a refugee himself. I couldn't imagine not being able to go home, but I suppose if my life is in danger I could get used to anything.

Jamaican Evening News - Tropical Storm Nicole Aftermath

The latest news from the storm in Jamaica.








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After the Storm

This morning I get woken up by the storm from the last day on Earth. The sound of rain and hail blasting my window caused me to rise prematurely from my slumber. I tried to go back to sleep but it was to no avail. I realized that the electricity wasn't on so I immediately jumped out of bed to take a shower. The last place I want to be when the power is out is home. I don't have any windows in my bathroom so I had to use the flashlights to light up the bathroom. The water pressure was low, but it was somewhat warm, so I wasn't complaining. I got dressed and headed for the elevator. I didn't take too many steps before I realized that the elevator was not going to work because the power was out. Luckily the lights in the stairwell were on. I'm assuming they were running on a generator.

When I get to the bus stop I see that traffic is at a standstill. After waiting for what seems like forever, I decide to start walking. Where I was going? I wasn't sure, I figured anything was better than waiting for a bus that probably never was going to show up.

As I'm walking down the street from my complex, I see the full devastation of the storm. Branches were down everywhere. A bunch of trees didn't survive and as they fell to their doom, they took out power lines with them. I came across on such incident. The light pole was cracked and power lines lined the ground. I didn't think they were live but I didn't want to take the chance, so I just crossed the street. When I got to the bottom of the street, a mile from my complex, I saw that the street was blocked off by flares and a dump truck. As I turned the corner I realized why...The river near the dam had overflowed it's banks and water flooded the road.

I kept on walking, I had no choice because there where no buses coming on the closed road. As I turned the bend I was shocked to see a huge tree lying in the middle of the road. There was a service vehicle standing near the tree and the driver looked just as dumbfounded as I was. The tree brought down some power lines with it, I was glad to be on the other side of the road...I walked passed that and walked and walked and walked. I end up walking past the beltway and then I saw a bus going up the street. I figured I was in a part of town where the buses were running so I stopped at the next bus stop until a bus finally showed up. Man, my feet were killing me and this bus was a godsend. The trains were delayed because of some trees on the tracks and one of the stations were flooded, but I got into the city without incident.

Another batch of strong showers is supposed be coming through shortly, I hope the commute home isn't as bad as the commute in.

Haiku the News

Oil spills on water
Hurricane churns the sea
Still we blame BP

Carnival is in the air....A look back at DC Carnival 2009

Here are the videos I took from last year's carnival...The energy was off the scale! This year's carnival is tomorrow, I'm hoping that it's even bigger than last year's celebrations!

The New Exhibit

On the first floor of my building we have an exhibit space for different pieces of art. Today was the opening of the latest exhibit and I joined my coworker Bob and his wife, Sharon, in checking out the new art. As usual, there was food and wine and the artists stopped by to give a deeper insight into their work. For this exhibit they brought up five artists from the Richmond area. What made these artists special is that they are also scientists and they have used their art as an extension of their science. My favorite piece was a the Möbius strip made from cherry wood. Unfortunately that wasn't for sale but the other Möbius strip with the stripes was selling for $500. I didn't think it was worth it, but what do I know. Bob and Sharon really seemed to enjoy themselves. I can't wait till the next exhibit, but in the meanwhile I'll have to stop by this one a few more times.

Ebert & Rohan

I really enjoy watching movies. I'll watch a good blockbuster but I prefer independent and foreign films. I like watching movies that very few people know about. Movies that transport you to another world. Here are a sampling of some of the decent films that I've come across. (Even if the trailer is in another language, the movies all have english subtitles)

Sun Yum Guy

Thanks to Youtube recommending some videos for me to watch, lately I've been totally fascinated by the idea of solar cooking. I remember a while back seeing a video about an Indian village that had a huge solar cooking facility. It seemed like a great idea but it didn't seem related to my life, that is until I started seeing these videos of smaller solar cookers. Not only were they a manageable and mobile size, the potential recipes were boundless. These meals could be prepared in the morning and be ready by lunch. Plus, there's no need for gas, wood, or charcoal...What could be better for the environment?

Thinking big...feeling small

The one thing about working for a scientific magazine is that every once in a while, you see an article that just blows my mind! (Does Our Universe Live Inside a Wormhole?) Just reading the headline alone was enough to make me say WOW! When you start to think about space, it makes you realize how small you are. If you traveled at the speed of light, which is a little over 186,000 miles per second, it would take you 8 minutes to get the sun. But, it would take you 100,000 years to go from one end of the milky way to the other. That's just one galaxy. The largest galaxy known would take 5 million years to cross! Scientist believe there are more than 170 billion galaxies in the universe. Its hard to picture 170 billion of anything...It's almost impossible to grasp! To put in perspective, that's about half the number of cells in our body. Many of these galaxies have stars that would make our sun look like invisible by comparison...I think my head is starting to hurt now.

A Chinese chupacabra?

Every once in a while you read an article that makes you say WTF?! Below is one such story.



A mystery beast that resembles a chupacabra ("goat-sucker"), a legendary, fearsome and possibly mythical beast said to inhabit parts of the Americas and Puerto Rico, is seen shortly after its capture in a village in Suining, Sichuan Province on March 24.

In this case, the gray colored animal wasn't attacking goats, but chickens and it was the fowls' cries that alerted village Ke Suying to find the mystery predator tearing into his birds. He tried to drive it away with a stick but failed, though later with the help of neighbors caught it in a steel net.

It resembles a large rat or a mutant mix of kangaroo and dog, with large claws. It is about 60 centimeters long, with a 30-centimeter tail. Villagers describe it as "quite fierce" and said it ravenously consumes both meat and vegetables fed to it.

Most of its brown fur has fallen out, with only a little left on its back and a front foot.
The creature has been given to the Sichuan Province forestry department for further examination.


Source: Suining Daily

Uptown Top Ranking

One of the great perks from being Jamaican is that there's a good chance you grew up with a healthy dose of music, whether its at home or one of the many parties Jamaicans like to throw. I heard this song in the background of one my new favorite shows. I had to spread the love.

How To Make it in America - Episode 5

This week's episode just seemed to fly by. I love this series....You gotta watch it in full screen mode. I guess beggars can't be choosers.

Buy Baron Davis' Beard!

All my life I've been searching for something that would give me that extra swagger. Today I've found it, Baron Davis' Beard!!

You're a jerk...I know

Baked Jerk Chicken...I decided to try to make some more jerk chicken today. While preheating the oven, the place started to fill with smoke. I knew immediately what had happened because it happened once before. My roommate left a dirty aluminum foil on the broiler. She was probably broiling fish so it had char and oil all over it. Since she cleaned the kitchen pretty thoroughly, I assumed that the oven would was clean too. That was my fault I should have checked. I cleared the broiler and finished cooking. It came out as expected but I used too much seasoning so it ended up being a little salty. I should have just used the jerk seasoning by itself. I'm on a quest to make the best jerk chicken in the world...I have a long way to go.

My quest for the best stuff on Earth

In the back of a convenience store on Georgia avenue is a lady who cooks some really good Jamaican food. I think her name is Sharon. One day while on a search for this yummy goodness I was upset to find that she wasn't there. I was a little thirsty so I picked up a drink. I found something that had an image of a beautiful mango on the front. I paid for my drink and stepped outside where I took a swig. OMFG! It was the best beverage I've ever had in my life! I went back to buy every single on they had, it was only 1.49 for a liter of this amazing elixir. Unfortunately they only had one more left. I went home and did some research and found that it was made by a Dutch grocery store called Aldi. According to the website, it was only 69 cents when you buy it directly from the grocery store, so you know I had to take a trip.

I found an Aldi on the street where I live, I had to take the bus though because it's a little ways away. The first thing I notice is that there were no handbaskets. I walked around the store and there are few shelves shelves, but a lot of boxes stacked on top of one another. I find what I came for and yes it really is only 69 cents. I go outside and grab a shopping cart and I see some weird chain on cart. Apparently you have to put a quarter in this little box in order to release the chain so you can get your cart. WTF?! Luckily I had a quarter. I go back in and grab an empty box so I can mix and match what I wanted. The register had a weird set up too, like it was backwards of how a normal register is setup. After scanning my stuff the cashier asked me how many bags I wanted. What?! I was thrown of by the question. I wanted to say something smart like "Enough to hold my stuff!" Turns out they charge you 10 cents for each bag, which took a bit of the bargin out of my buy.

I eventually leave and get my quarter back. On the bus ride home, a guy is stepping out of the back door with his son who is about 2 or 3 years old. Suddenly the door closes in on the son, pushing his tiny. Luckily his dad still had a leg on the bus or the poor kid would have been crushed. The door opened back up soon after, I think the driver must have sensed something was wrong when the door didn't close all the way. The dad eventually pulled him out. It happened so fast I couldn't even react and say something. Afterwards I thought about how big of a lawsuit that could have been...I got home and opened up my amazing beverage, and it didn't seem to taste as great as I remembered...lol It's good but it wasn't the holy grail. *sigh*

Georgetown vs Syracuse...Instant Classic

I went to the Georgetown Basketball game yesterday. My co-worker's son couldn't make it so I went in his place. When I got to the Verizon Center, there were so many people. Believe it or not, close to half the crowd was Syracuse fans. Those guys were really having a good time. We ended up seated in upper-decks in a sea of orange. It didn't help that Syracuse was up by more than twenty points at one point. The noise level was deafening. Georgetown made an amazing comeback, the arena was electric. Georgetown pulled within one point but couldn't pull out the victory. Those Syracuse fans were partying in the streets of Chinatown afterward. Good Times.

Ashy Larry aka Ashford Lawrence

I just discovered Ashy Larry in Ashy to Classy...This is a well done comedy series. It really shows the potential of YouTube in terms of giving you high quality content...and some funny shit!

YouTube is like going to the movies without the transfat

We all know YouTube is great when you want to see a cat play the piano or watch Charlie bite his brother's finger, but I was lucky enough to find something even better...movies. One of my favorite movies, Raising Victor Vargas, is available. If you've never watched this movie, you're in for a treat. Here are the first three parts of the movie, I'm sure you're smart enough how to find the rest.

PETA's worst enemy

It's hard to not start drooling when you're watching the BBQ Pit Boys. They have somehow managed to do the same while cooking a whole pig. I was a little put off at first but by the end of the video I was ready for a plate...Well, I don't know about that brain salad though.

My First Audioblog

I've been meaning to create and audioblog for the longest time now. Now that I've finally done it, the wheels in my head are turning trying to figure out how I take it to the next level. I have some kick-ass ideas that I plan on working on soon. I just need to get a better understanding of the technology out there and I should be good. So, sit back and take a listen. If it sucks, that's ok, it's only the first go-round.

The Language of the Maroons of Jamaica

I was searching for videos on YouTube from Jamaica and I came across a channel about indigenous languages in the Caribbean. For the first time in my life I heard the Arawak language as well as the language of the Maroons. The Maroon's language is said to be very close to a language spoken by people in Ghana. Knowing that people in Jamaica still have such a direct connection to Africa is amazing. My stepmother has said that her family are Maroons which is very cool to know. I'm gonna have to share these videos with my sister, I'm sure she'll be glad to know how special her heritage is.


Maroons was the term given to runaway slaves, from the Spanish word cimarrones meaning 'wild ones.' New Nanny Town in Portland was to become one of four permanent sites where runaway slaves lived freely from British rule. According to legend, Nanny was the leader of this community of runaway slaves in the 18th century.

This photograph was taken by the bridge that spans the river at the entrance to the Maroon town. The bridge acts as a natural barrier for the community. The town is high in the Portland hills with a view that made it secure for this community of runaway slaves.

Big Dig/Superbowl

The snow is over, now everyone is trying to get their cars from under the snows. Most sidewalks are completely covered with snow. Luckily, I don't have to go work tomorrow. I might still go in though, I have some work I wanna get done...Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints! N.O. really needed that win. I wish I was on Bourbon Street, it looks like an early Mardi Gras.

I survived the White Death

Ok, so the snow came and went. Even though this was one of the biggest snow storms in recent history, the storm didn't live up to the hype. It couldn't have. The hype is always so intense in this area you would think that the snow was the white version of the Smoke Monster(a LOST reference). Now it's time to dig out of the snow. The snow has made everyone a little arrogant about snow, almost as though they've stared into the eyes of the beast and survived. There was even a huge snowball fight today. I miss the days when 3 inches of snow brought the city to a standstill. I guess this is the new normal.

Let It Snow

So the snow is finally here. My coworker Bob gave me a cool book about the CIA for my birthday. It was even signed by the author. I'm sure I'm gonna have plenty of downtime while I'm snowed in to read the book. We got to leave work early, 1pm. It was an easy commute home. On the way to the subway I saw a long line next to a pink truck. Apparently they were selling cupcakes. What a cool idea. In the city the snow isn't really sticking to the ground, but at home it was really coming down hard. The snow flakes were huge and sometimes I would accidentally swallow a snowflake. That's a weird feeling.

Where's the beef?

We are supposed to have at least 2 feet of snow tomorrow. If this was Canada, that might not be much of a big deal, but in DC, that much snow is a huge deal...So I decided to go to the grocery store. Maybe it's because I'm a glutton for punishment or I just like being in the hypeness. When I got there I was very surprised at how orderly everything seemed. The lines didn't go to the back of the store like it did in the last storm a month ago. But as usual, the milk and meat sections were totally gutted. They hit the bread section too but luckily the bread I like to get, the sandwich potato bread, was still there. I was a little disappointed that the place wasn't chaotic but I did get what I came for, so I'm good.

Blodclaat!!

I have a blood clot in a vein in my leg. It felt like someone was banging a bag of quarters against my leg for days. I've been giving myself heat therapy and it's working really well. I found this heating pad called Beyond Bodiheat. You just open it up and let it get exposed to air. It has chemicals in it that react with the air and it starts to get warm. The amazing part is that it stays warm for more than 12 hours! It only cost $5 and you get three pads in the pack. What a bargain!