I haven’t been in here for a few days as I am in the process of applying to grad school. I signed up for the GRE on Monday 7/21 and I’m gonna give myself the next few days to prep for it. I started to freak out when the scale of what I am attempting began to set in. I was running through some of the sample questions (and performing miserably) and began to feel overwhelmed. I called my son and asked for information concerning a particular question and after a brief chat I realized that I just need to brush up, relax and let my anxieties wash away. The test is not the be-all end-all. It just is.

But what really bolstered my resolve to “Just let it rip!” was a text message from my son instructing me to check my email:

Hey Dad,

I figured I'd give you some general tips since you've been outta practice for a
while.

First, remember your time. I dont know what test you're taking, but the
probability is that they are going to give you the greater part of a minute for
each question. What this means is that you should take your time. Zip through
the ones you know right off the bat quickly so that you can take the time to
plug in a couple numbers for the ones that might take a little longer.
(X)(X)(X) vs (X-1)(X)(X+1) The test is not as hard as you want to make it out to
be. Everyone's always going crazy about these tests and how hard they are going
to be. If you stay relaxed in there and realized that no matter what, they're
hoping you're going to pass this test, you'll be much better off.

Don't spend too much time spinning yourself in circles. Skip the question and
come back. And if you still cant get it then, guess. You're gut instinct
shouldn't be too far off if you've taken the time to think about it and work out
the problem a few times. 

READ THE QUESTION: One of the biggest things people screw up on is they dont pay
attention to the wording of the questions. Often times there's a hidden clue or
one word placed in there to throw people off that people dont pay attention to.
This hearkens back to the Dont Rush part of it. All tests are kind of like
Jeopardy, half the time they hide a secondary clue to the question inside of the
original question. 

Have fun! If you think of it more like you're playing a game it'll go a lot
smoother. I know it sounds cheesy and cliche, but seriously, the less you allow
yourself to really care about those tests the better off you're going to be.
Things will turn out how they turn out, and the more or less pressure you put on
yourself while taking it isn't going to help you. 

Just some general tips to hopefully help you out a little, if you have any more
questions...just ask. You know I'm down to help. This list might sound cheesy
and overdone...but it really does help! Shit, I got a 1330 on my SAT without even
thinking about studying and when I fell asleep after one of the sections of the test.
That means I did way better than average by just staying cool.
Chill on it, dont worry about it! Aiight, ttyl and Good Luck!

I am a very lucky man.

My Mom has been in town for the last couple weeks. So I am squeezin’ every moment of time with her that I can.

See y’all.

SFX: Crickets

I was going to write about the McCain campaign kicking into desperation gear. They’re complaining that Barack Obama, who they spent months characterizing as a doe-eyed innocent they are now complaining that the candidate who rose to prominence from the south side of the Chicago (…is the baddest part of town) is a “typical politician.”

“There appears to be no issue that Barack Obama is not willing to reverse himself on for the sake of political expedience,” said Republican National Committee spokesman Alex Conant. “Obama’s Iraq problem undermines the central premise of his candidacy and shows him to be a typical politician.”

Dude! Obama lost to Bobby Rush, learned his lesson, won a senate seat and is now the “presumptive” democratic nominee. He is faaaar from being a “typical” politician. He is a damned good politician… a pro. You know it. McCain knows it and the folks who fund the throwing of red meat to the conservative base know it, too. And they are very afraid. Why else give Limbaugh $400 mil? Because they know that by January 20, 2009 he will be the spearhead of the disloyal opposition… regardless of how the presidential election turns out.

So I was ready to hurl invective at this nonsensical attack on Obama for going too far to the… middle.

Earth to Ms. Huffington: HE’S BLACK and this is STILL America. He better galvanize the left while NOT alienating the great unwashed middle…

But I digress…

What really got my attention today was this.

Da hell was this kid thinking? I mean beyond the fact that he actually endangered a baby… more than once, he actually videoed the atrocity and then posted it up for all the world to see.

Full disclosure: When my younger brother, Mike, was born it was like getting a brand new toy that actually moved and made noise all by itself! Yep, by 10 months old Mike was the test pilot for the Batmobile my older brother, Bill, and I made from a box, a flashlight and Halloween maskstrapped to a skateboard. Hmm… fun times!

This guy in Georgia did something really stupid and mean and then said, “Look at me! Wheeee!”

It reminded me that we can be a country of imbeciles. We do stupid shit and then brag about it. It reminded me of the photos from Abu Ghraib. Our soldiers displaying “aberrant” behavior in photos that shocked the nation, and the media, into taking a harder look at what was going on in Iraq. Suddenly they realized what a beating our image was taking abroad and “What in the world was happening to our society?” The nation was astonished that these knuckleheads would actually make photographic evidence of their actions.

Didn’t surprise me in the least.

Nice youtube clip on Iraq war set to Les McCann and Eddie Harris.

“The President, he’s got his war
Folks don’t know just what it’s for
Nobody gives us rhyme or reason
Have one doubt, they call it treason
We’re chicken-feathers, all without one nut. God damn it!
Tryin’ to make it real � compared to what?”

–Les McCann

Why did Obama give his speech on patriotism?

Gotta be an established patriot otherwise you’ll be labeled a treasonous commie-pinko or some such.

more on this later…

Yesterday, June 29, 2008, was my 50th birthday and what would have been my parent’s 61st wedding anniversary… except they were divorced before I was two. Oh well.

Thanks to all who have helped me get this far on my journey through this world and a hearty “screw you” to a slew of MFs! Yeah, you know who you are.

Today, June 30, would have been the 50th birthday of Steve Robinson who was a good friend of mine through our formative years in Amityville, NY to our college days at Hampton University. Steve was a tremendous athlete starring in soccer, baseball and track for Amityville and he was one heckuva sax player. We had BIG fun in various bands at Amityville and Hampton and Steve went on to coach track and field on an elite level in South Carolina where he developed several Olympic level athletes. That Steve Robinson is no longer with us is a tragedy and all of us who knew him miss him terribly.

Steve-O. Wish you were here.

Another freaking blog!

For several months family, friends and associates (not all of ‘em, just the ones who are tired of hearing me  pontificate on EVERYTHING!) have been telling me to shut up and write! So here’s a place to get some first rate “Yap” time. I’ll post my view on what’s going on and you can tell me I’m full of shit… IF you bring the facts. Come correct to the table with your POV and join the  party.  Politics, culture, history, sports? Whatever ya got I’m with it. I have a vast reservoir of random facts and useless information that will either impress or annoy the hell out of anyone dropping into this space.

Welcome to all!

–Larry B

SFX: Crickets