Monday, May 18, 2009

Did you realize....


you may or may not know by now that i both love and hate track and field at the same time.
track is a one of a kind sport, there is no ball, really no real goal, purpose, except than to prove that you are better than your competitors, that you will always find a way to win, a way to get the job done no matter the circumstances.
so on that note, i want to introduce you to my 4x100m relay team mates, most are already familiar with them:
in the order we run
(from right to left)

General Jackson
Yours Truly
Christian Percy i.e. face of the programme
Lord Lewis

So to all of you record breaking, All ISL winning, All New England earning teammates i say thank you and congratulations!

...that you are a champion?!


Sunday, May 17, 2009

Ebony Eyes: Priceless Moments Vol. 1

There are times in life..moments..that take our breath away. There are those which make us want to go back and time and take the breath out of our mouths so we would not be able to make those moments possible, as well. Some are just down right hilarious, and need to be archived and stored so future generations can share in the merriment. The newest edition to the Ebony Eyes themes, will be a collection of such pieces life, aptly titled Priceless Moments. These will be a short montage of quotations from people I know, but what they say is only as important as how they say it. Sometimes. There will be humor, serious content, and everything in between, I hope. So without further ado, the man on my left is Nick..and this is our moment.






- Mr. Jackson

Friday, May 15, 2009

Shine Sessions Vol 2 : Anchorman



For every team, no matter what the sport, there is always that intangible player. Maybe its that 6'8 power forward who can explode on any given night for 30 and 20; that mid-fielder on the pitch who, when he touches the ball, makes the ball seem like it is attached to his feet and makes Joga bonita into a lifestyle; The running back who uses just the right amount of finesse to squeeze through that tiny gap of sunlight between the defensive line man and the outside lineback, but tempers his attack with the strenth to shrug off the strong safety on his way to the goal line. Kieran Lee Lewis is one such individual. He gets credit for his work his work outside of the athletic field, as an SAO and a Prefect, but what he can do with his feet, has never gone unnoticed.
Simply stated, the boy is lightning. Not quick, not speedy, not fast, but he is a force of nature when he touches the track. (It can aptly be renamed "the tarmac", because he takes off, when he starts, and he flies when he is running...you get the drift). But despite all his athletic prowess, he remains humble, and his sense of humor is a constant source of joy for all his friends. So..ladies and gentlemen, I proudly present to you Kieran Lee Lewis. His body of work is as impressive as his hair. ooh...and he plays soccer. Well. Soon to be tearing up a NESCAC soccer pitch ( or track) near you. Get Familiar with the hair.


Kieran at play




Kieran at the office



- Mr. Jackson

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Get Acquainted Archive

I just wanted to have a list running list of all get acquainted posts so it could be easily accessible to all of you. Just click the names to get to each post

Emilio Rojas

Charles Hamilton

Fedd Hill

Drake

More to come really soon.

As always,

Pax, Amor et Musica

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Effort x Heart

No explanation necessary.




We are all on a journey to a particular path...


- Mr. Jackson

Pray For Rain

"We're too close, can't stop praying now/
Though it seems there's no end to this pain/
Everytime I close my eyes, I pray for rain/
I pray for rain to wash away the pain..." - Jim Jones

My parents came up to see me today and we went out to Uno's for dinner. While we were finishing up, the sky darkened, the wind started blowing and the rain started pouring. Hard as hell. As I sat there eating my scampi I got upset and thought, "Damn, it was such a nice day, and now the wind decided to come and mess all up." right after that, however, i thought back to a conversation i had w/ my mom earlier in the day and realized that it wasn't all bad. My allergies have been completely using and abusing me since the weather got nice, but it should be better now that a lot of the pollen will be washed away. There's a sliver lining in every cloud, even the ones with thunder and lightning in them.

I think everyone can find some good in a rainy day. For some people, the constant pitter-patter provides them with a natural lullaby that eases them right to sleep. It induces others into a very introspective state, allowing them to ponder all the various aspects of their existence, which is not always a pleasant experience. I, however, believe that rain has the ability to cleanse you, in a sense; to thoroughly wash away all the dust gathered from walking the road of life. And who doesn't want to be clean?

As always,

Pax, Amor et Musica

Saturday, May 9, 2009

The Quest

My last post was a little... let's call it"angry". This one is different:

“Midway on our life’s journey, I found myself In dark woods, the right road lost.”

There is nothing peculiar, or foreign, or even intrinsically different about this quote; it’s fairly self-explanatory and even more common. There will be a point in our lives – all of our lives - if there hasn’t been already, where we find ourselves in a dark woods, removed from life’s correct path. And during that time it will be this quest that we have begun to embark upon that ultimately offers us guidance and direction.
When lost or misguided, one’s mind undoubtedly begins to wander; and when one’s mind wanders, it questions; and when one’s mind questions, it effectively strips down that which its owner has worked to establish over the course of however many years.  The mind and soul become susceptible to self-doubt, fear, inexplicable or uncharacteristic rebellion, and plenty of other detrimental attributes. Dante acknowledges this by referencing death, fear, and terror, all while describing himself as weary and tired, which I believe one can either interpret as the state of his mentality, or his physicality. Either way, his mental mindless wandering and erring has led him to unchartered inner territories.
And this is how the Quest essentially begins. Our inability to sustain the straight and arrow leads to our ability to wander and think. Although that wandering and thinking often attacks the fundamental aspects of our character and moral code – essentially the well from which we extract our beliefs – it is essential to our growth, if only spiritually. Dante acknowledges this, as does Milton, as does Hagel, as do the other countless philosophs, writers, and thinkers who’ve tried to outline the importance of the Quest. Until we cease fearing this inevitable inner journey whose destination will forever remain unknown and unforeseen, these great minds and their works will be of relevance. In many ways, their Quests live vicariously through ours, serving as the Vergil to our Dante and offering us the guidance required to undertake a journey more pertinent, significant, and necessary than I could describe.
So midway on our life’s Journey, when we’ve found ourselves in that dark woods having lost that right road, fall back on the foundation of guidance with which we’ve only begun to be supplied in this class – that’s what its here for.


- excerpt from a declamation written for my Philosophy class.

JbP

Thursday, May 7, 2009

They Are Who We Thought They Were...

Let me start by saying the original post for this evening was going to be entitled "Spoiled Bitch Syndrome".  That should let you know a little bit where I'm at right now. So, with that said, I apologize in advance for the undertones of this post.

But, I digress..

Denny Green, former Head Coach of Super Bowl Runner-up Arizona Cardinals, is probably most famous for his outburst in a press conference after a game in which his team led by (I think) 3hree touchdowns and ultimately ended up losing in Overtime. During that conference he was asked by a reporter if the Steelers (team they lost to) did anything in particular that the Cardinals weren't ready for - anything that may have led to the stunning comeback victory. To this, Coach Green answered, and rather belligerently might I add, "THEY ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE... AND WE LET 'EM OFF THE HOOK!"

What an apt quote. After going to school here for four years, I pretty much know the ins and outs of this place; the different personality types; the different "quiet spots" on campus; who to go to when I need something; who to stay away from - the list goes on. 
This place is what I think it is. 
Now with that said, I don't know why I was shocked when some (expletives deleted) peers of mine acted in a manner... well indicative of how I've known them to act: selfish, spoiled, sanctimonious, passive-aggressive, repugnant, sessile, filthy - the list goes on when describing these explatives deleted- to say the least. I think it is the fact that we all like to think that when we see a different side of somebody (or somebodies) we attribute that different side some sort of drastic personality change when in reality its just a ray of decency shining through the sometimes porous armor of self-interest. People do not change; a b*itch will always be a b*tch, its only a matter of how much; a b*stard will always be a b*stard, its only a matter of how much; an expletive deleted will always be an expletive deleted. Period. End of Story. 

So, Simple (expletive deleted), I apologize for holding you to a standard that you've shown you cannot, or will not, meet. In the future, I will remember that you have been but mere idiots, are but mere idiots, and if my theories hold true, will be but mere idiots. 

They will always be who you think they are...

JbP

Monday, May 4, 2009

-

The funny thing about this Blog is that I am no able to identify the author of a particular expose, article, poem, what have you, before I get to the bottom, at which point the author actually identifies himself. I know these contributors so well I need only read two lines of a particular piece before I know the general direction of their commentary. 

44/45 times thus far, that has been the case. The one outlier...?

The one outlier... Allow me to take this opportunity to be blunt: I was shocked when I read"Going in for Life" by my roommate of ... call it 2 + years; and shocked for more than the obvious reasons of topic choice and tone. I thought that if there is anybody - ANYBODY - who writes for this blog who's writing I am able to promptly identify, it's his. But, as I read and re-read and re-re-read, I could not for the life of me deem who could have possibly wrote that piece. 

Now, let me use the next few lines to explain two things, and I'm going to be straightforward. I agree with only 50 % of what he asserted in that piece. Not only do I agree with only 50% of it, but as he pointed out, I'll probably hold about 100% of it against him if and when I choose to make fun of him (I think he said I would say he was being soft... umm YAHHHHH).

But here's the beauty of a post like that, a blog like this, and ultimately friendships like the ones I have in these 4our other young men. I can disagree with a certain thing - hell, I can disagree with all of a certain thing - yet maintain a high level of respect for them. Lubeen said what he said because he meant it, and I know he meant. He wrote what he wrote because he feels passionately about it, and I, however reluctantly, however begrudgingly, stand behind him in full support. I can clown him, and make jokes, and harken back to the times when I believe he didn't believe what he wrote; I can pry, and nitpick, and claim his ridiculousness; but at the end of the day, his post, "Going in for Life" represents the manifestation of the maturation that he has undergone here at St. Paul's. In fact, it represents the maturation that the 5ive of us together have gone through here, whether I'd like to admit it or not. Granted, some of us display that maturation more than others, but you'd be hardpressed to find one willing to refute its presence. Period. 

So, in closing, Lubeen, although I know you won't take this as a slight or a calling out of sorts, I want you to make sure you know that I admire, truly and wholeheartedly, how you feel as indicated in "Going in for Life". I don't agree with it...

But its admirable. 

- Show Stoppa

And I'm late for class...

Friday, May 1, 2009

Going In For Life

I was sitting in my leather executive chair in my room about twenty minutes ago, just relaxing after a long, stressful week, enjoying my music when I began to think about my relationship. After about as much time as it took for me to click the "next song" button on itunes, I came to the conclusion that it was great, and only getting better. But then, as Girls, Girls, Girls by Jay-Z began to play, I began to consider a much broader question: Is the "Bring em' in, Kick em' out" - 50 cent, more girls, more respect mindset still cool? To quote Dave Chappelle, "Is that what's hot in the streets?"

Now, I can/will only speak from a male's perspective because, needless to say, that's the only perspective I have. Over the past 17 or so years (as long as I've been alive), pop culture has ceaselessly bombarded the public with misogynistic ideals and promoted this lifestyle of philandery(the adj. form of philander, maybe?). It was not your achievements nor your character that garnered you respect, it was the number of names in your little black book (which has now evolved into the little blackberry). Although I've never particularly lived by these values, if I can call them that, I spent the beginning of my adolescent years simultaneously reaching for and shunning them. I a grandmother, mom and four older sisters. I'm not using these facts to explain why am against this "player" lifestyle, but I will cite the fact that each of these women are happily married and the men in their lives would not have it any other way. Now, I'm no where near thinking about marriage, despite the jokes from Brian and Jordan, but I do think it's time for us to really sit down and reconsider this whole "Big Pimpin" mantra which is so ingrained in our culture.

Call me a softie. Call me a Sucker for Love. I'll simply reply by saying "sticks and stones may break my bones, but my girl will make me feel better". Go ahead. Be jealous. "I hear you out there, HATINGGGGGGGG!!!" - The Mad Rapper

I mean, if you want to get scientific, it's in human nature to settle down. Primitive human beings were a nomadic people who wandered from place to place, only making temporary stops. When that stopped working, they began to settle and civilize, and thus the family was formed. Why do we chose to digress and move backwards through the evolutionary cycle? Even look at it Biblically. King Solomon may have had many wives, but centuries later, Joseph found himself his wifey-for-lifey, Mary (no Blasphemy).

I just don't understand it. Why would you want to have to go through all that trouble juggling, balancing, appeasing (to whatever extent you do) the multitude of females in your life? Why spread yourself thin, forcing yourself to consort with people who, aside from when you're [insert word of choice here], you have no interest in whatsoever? Isn't that counter intuitive? Doesn't it make so much more sense to find yourself one person whose company you know you will enjoy, who will pick you up when you fall and sometimes even make you fall, laugh at you, but then do what ever it is that they do that will make you completely disregard the fact that you ever fell at all?

I'm not trying to point the finger or judge anyone who has that "Love em' and Leave em'" mentality, I'm just asking you to consider how long you think you can keep it up until it finally realize you're ridiculous (no shots).

*Steps off Soap box*
*laughs at dudes trying to bag girls at the mall*
*meets wifey at starbucks in Morningside Heights for the next four years*

"I think I might wife her/ you know powder-blue rocawear suit, white nike her.." - Jay Z

As always,

Pax, Amor et Musica