Good Lord, the universe is calling.

Jesus...................

Please give me the strength.................

I swear if one more thing happens this week.......

this vacation couldn't come at a better time....

Good Lord you are testing me..........

~C

My trip is coming together

Wow, its funny how things just sort of fall into place from time to time... I'm hoping that this is some of that good karma coming back to me.

I checked the local London listings for the day I arrive and I am really lucking out... After the Zaha Hadid show and a stroll through the Tate Modern, I'll be able to catch Soil & Pimp Sessions who are quickly becoming my favorite Japanese band, are performing at the Jazz Cafe. Then I'll have to choose between a Jazzanova DJ set or the legendary Soul Heaven party. I want to do the Soul Heaven party, but they're guest DJ this month is from Chicago... :(

I've done Paris a few times, but my travelling partner has not, so not sure how I'll talk her out of spending a bunch of time there yet, but my plan is to get out of Paris as quickly as possible. I've never done anything but the major cities in France, so this one is going to be a bit different since I've mapped out several amazing cathedrals in small town France.

As much as my students get on my nerves from time to time, I have learned some shit about architectural history that i wouldn't have if I wasn't teaching the class. So when I was doing Gothic last year, I came across a bit that explained that the cathedrals are spaced exactly 1/2 day of foot / wagon travel apart from each other along the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostella. This was the Christian equivalent back in the day of an Muslim's trip to Mecca. I've mapped out the most amazing ones which we should be able to hit pretty quickly since we'll be in a car.

The only thing I'm really planning on spending money on is food. I love food and not being a connoisseur of French food places me at a bit of a disadvantage, so in my research, I figure if the restaurant looks cool, then I can get my design on and my grub on at the same time.

AND, on my way back, if I get back to London quick enough, I'll be able to catch the opening day of the Tour de France! Not sure if it would be that exciting without Sheryl Crow there, but it could be another feather to put in the cap. On the off chance that I'm ever around anyone when its on TV I can sound real egotistical and say, "I've been to Le Tour.".... how obnoxious... French just sounds so pompous when you hear it, oh well, I better get used to it.

I really don't have anything to say, just rubbing it that I'm going to France and you're not. ;) I was doing pretty good about getting out of the country every year, but now its moved to every other year. My ex used to try to leave the country like twice a year... she'd do it too on frequent flyer miles and shit. I wonder where she went this year... I'm sure she's left the country at least once this year.... I wonder how most of my ex-girlfriends are doing... I think of them quite often now that I'm single.

Out of the blue earlier this week an ex from like 1994 tracked me down and dropped me an email .. I haven't wrote her back yet because I'm not sure what to say? ....not sure how that conversation would go.... "So do you still take it in the ass?" might not be an appropriate question, but thats the one thing that stands out to me from her... isn't that ridiculous? I mean, she was the first girl to ever say to me, "I want you to put it in my ass." .... I was like, you want me to put it where? But that's the standout memory for me about her....

Anyway, to rub it in... here are a few of the architectural sites, I've mapped out and am considering trying to get to on the Western France countryside tour...

~C

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/12967
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/1252252
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/631837
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/413269
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/156827
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/1856302

Taking a break

So I decided about a week ago that I needed a vacation.... needed to get out of the country for a bit, but wasn't quite sure where to go or who to go with. I've had this free weeklong stay in a timeshare burning a hole in my pocket for 5 months now, so I finally decided to use it.

I was looking at Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, & Peru extensively, but its winter there now... Even though I swore I'd go to South America next, it just didn't seem like the right time... and I need a vacation now!

So I called and asked them what type of availability they had in Europe this summer and she gave the whole "its real tight and almost everything is booked" speech. Then she found a week long stay at a Thalasso therapy spa (seaweed wraps and shit) on an island in the Atlantic Ocean, just off the coast of France. So I said fu*k it and booked it... but I have to be there in two weeks...

So I started looking into plane tickets into Paris which were like $1600!!! ... just out of control... so at first I thought that I was just going to lose the free week, then I decided to look at other airports and found a flight to London for $750. Cool. I know the trains in Europe like the back of my hand and this gives me the chance to see those sexy British chics I met in New York a couple of weeks ago. THEN, I start doing a little research and find out that Zaha Hadid's first comprehensive show in London opens on the day i arrive! So I'll be getting my freak on as well as my Architecture...

So it was fate, I'll be rubbing shoulders with her heiness in a few weeks so don't hate. ;)

Then I was talking to my girl from Cali whose birthday is a day apart from mine and she says, "I wanna go!"... I told her cool, but she's travelling Curtis steelo... one bag only, architecture from the butt crack of dawn until dusk , then late nights of great food and drinks with very little sleep before we get up and do it again! and she said "cool." So me and my homie from '92 will be rolling through the French countryside in a Benz rental in a few weeks.

The bad thing is the resort is a little off the beaten path and my vacations are like intense architecture immersions with little time to relax, so maybe thats a good thing since it may force me to sit still... I'll be broke as hell afterwards, but I need it though... Since all of my other international vacation plans fell through, I just decided to do it and book a trip...

maybe I'll finally start my book....

~C

Darfur, China, Lebron, & The Olympics

The connection between Darfur, The Olympics in China, Lebron, and why the US won’t get involved.

In THIS article from the Philadelphia Inquirer, David Aldridge wrote about Cleveland Cavaliers forward Ira Newbie, a relative no name who wrote an open letter for his teammates to sign that stated “China cannot be a legitimate host to the premier international event in the sporting world – the Summer Olympic Games – white it remains complicit in the terrible suffering and destruction that continues to this day”.

Excuse my ignorance, but I was not aware of the China – Sudan link until I came across this. According to the article above Dreamfordarfur.org states that China has provided 10 billion in economic aid to the Sudanese government, buying their oil, supplying weapons and complicitly supporting the slaughter. It is also noteworthy that China, one of the 5 permanent members of the UN has repeatedly blocked implementation of the passed resolution which would place 20,000+ peacekeeping forces on the ground to stop the fighting.

Also noteworthy is that Lebron James and Damon Jones refused to sign the letter. I speculate that James’ endorsement deals would be threatened, however, James himself said he wasn’t educated enough on the issue to sign it. But he apparently hasn’t made the effort to get educated on it and sign it yet. Now why would Lebron matter in all of this?

I’ll tell you why. From Bill Russel, to Jim Brown, to Kareem, to Muhammad Ali, dominate black athletes have been involved in social activism as it pertains to the upliftment of black people and actively spoken out on issues to call attention to specific problems that most people don’t want to talk about. This history was broken with Jordan who refused to PUBLICLY get involved in black social issues on a national stage. He did loads on a private, intimate level, but never publicly. Yes, it was Jordan’s right not to sign, but it is also my right to only see him as a great basketball player. Just like it is Lebron’s right not to sign, however it is my right to form an opinion about him based on his choice not to sign.

I am 100% supportive of calling out and exposing those players who are not living up to the standard that previous generations of social and political activism that black athletes have set.

I believe that if the major athletes in this country called for the US to boycott going to China based on its human right violations in particular its continuous support of the genocide in Darfur, we just may see the tide turn on this one. The US refuses to actively get involved because everyone knows we don’t want to go to blows with China, not while we’re in Iraq, and definitely not now, as they are in many ways supporting our economy. (most of the companies who operate in China are continually making the largest profits and gains in the Dow. The Wall Street Journal even suggested that it is international business that is keeping our economy afloat right now.)

So due to economics and politics, the US will not force the Darfur issue, and Lebron will remain complacent and quiet in his quest for a gold medal in China.

~C

Bad party partners

You ever kick it with people that act like they're going to die the next day?

I have a few people I know that ALWAYS party real real hard. Whenever I bump into them these fools are buying shots for folks, dancing like crazy, hollering at hoes non-stop, and genuinely always have a good time. And I always have a good time when I'm with them... But I can't purposefully plan on hanging out with them because these fools drink all day and all night.

Maybe they do lots of coke like so many people in the nightlife scene in order to sustain that level of energy. I originally planned on hooking up with them on Cinco De Mayo and they called at like 11am talking about "you ready?" Am I ready??? man, the eggs in my stomach are still settling, let me call you back in like 7 hours.... wtf???

Well I bumped into them last night at the phat phat phat Bugz In The Attic party, and the first thing these fools do when they see me is hand me a shot.... next thing you know its freaking 2am on a Thursday and I have to get up in about 4 hours.... not good....

I'm still hungover.. good thing its Friday... my throat feels like I swallowed some sandpaper last night...

On another note... I know somewhere a few years ago I went on an anti-apple tirade... well i sold out and bought an ipod... got the big 80GB video jammy.... so I'm a sellout....

oh, and I'm single again... so somebody hook me up!!

~C

Newest Links

Since I know you never click on my del.icio.us page over on the right, I want to take a moment to share some of my recent link with you... These are just a few of the great products, ideas, websites, or whatever that I've found recently...

I rediscovered my favorite place to buy chocolate in Chicago. They'll ship anywhere, but you have to eat it fast, since its all natural ingredients, the chocolate is only good for about a week.

Here is a very funny cartoon about the end of the world.

Wanna be an author? I do one day... working on about 3 book simultaneously, but I found a cool self-publishing site that prints your books and places them in Barnes & Noble and on Amazon... You have to do your own marketing though..

I'd love to replace the radiators in my house as they're pretty old and janky, and found this cool company in England that produces modern looking radiators... cool stuff..

Cool photography on what living in Shanghai is like...

Always trying to be aware of what the enemy is up to, I found a site that teaches people who don't want to deal with race how to suppress discussions on race. The way I see it, if you can understand how people are formulating their arguments against race being an issue, then you will be better equiped to counter their argument.

I've been shopping for a new bed as my roommate has offered to buy mine... I'd love to buy the Lipla model from this company in Italy... Anyone have a few grand to loan a brotha?

If I ever return to Madrid, I'll be staying here.. Each floor was designed by a different architect... definitely mucho swankness here...

My local theater company continues to amaze me with the high quality of the productions. I've seen two so far and plan on catching Ed Shockley's The Oracle coming in May..

If you don't make The Host the next movie you see, then I'll be mad at you. This movie had it all.. action, suspense, a good story, comedy, political satire, and (for the most part) some pretty cool CGI. So many movies do one thing well, this one did many things well. If there weren't so many other movies out I want to see, i'd go see this one again and plan on buying the DVD when it comes out..

The Italians are doing it for me lately... My new favorite magazine is from Italy too.. Too bad the subscription rate is $200 a year.. :(

Lastly, one of my favote Obama speeches, given on world AIDS day last year..

~C

Chris Rock On: Gun Control

In light of today's events... I think this is incredibly appropriate..

~C

-------

Chris Rock Bigger And Blacker Script

What the hell is wrong with these kids?

l got people telling me, ''Come on, Chris.Come up to a school. Talk to the kids.''

l'm like, ''Fuck the kids!

''Do you got a vest? Maybe l'll think about it.''

Everybody wants to know what the kids was listening to.

What kind of music was they listening to? Or what kind of movies was they watching?

Who gives a fuck what they was watching? Whatever happened to crazy?

What happened to crazy? What, you can't be crazy no more?

Did we eliminate ''crazy'' from the dictionary?

Fuck the records. Fuck the movies. Crazy!

When l was a kid, they used to separate the crazy kids from everybody.

When l was a kid, the crazy kids went to school in a little-ass bus.
They had a class at the end of the school... and they used to get out of school at  :  .

Just in case they went crazy... they would only hurt other crazy kids.
And we was all safe.

We was all safe.
Damn, the world's coming to an end.

You'll have little white kids saying: ''l want to go to a black school where it's safe.''

That's right, man.
And everybody's talking about gun control, got to get rid of the guns.

Fuck that. l like guns.

You got a gun, you don't have to work out.
l ain't working out. l ain't jogging.

You got pecs, l got Tecs.

Fuck that shit.
You don't need no gun control.

You know what you need?
We need some bullet control.

Man, we need to control the bullets, that's right.

l think all bullets should cost $5,000.
 
$ 5000 for a bullet. You know why?

'Cause if a bullet costs $5000 there'd be no more innocent bystanders.

That'd be it.

Every time someone gets shot, people will
be like, ''Damn, he must have did something.

''Shit, they put $      worth of bullets in his ass.''

People would think before they killed somebody, if a bullet cost $ 5000.

''Man, l would blow your fucking head off, if l could afford it.

''l'm gonna get me another job, l'm gonna start saving some money...

''and you're a dead man.

''You better hope l can't get no bullets on layaway.''