My mother was an authority on pigsties. She would look at my room and say 'This is the worst pigsty I've ever seen.'
Bill Cosby

or...

There is hope for the future because God has a sense of humor and we are funny to God.
Bill Cosby

Oh dear, I didn't want you to think that I totally forgot about you guys!! So much has happened, and is going to happen, this week that I have lost all track of time! In fact, the days went so smoothly, before I knew it, we were in December, with less than two weeks until Finals!!!
First up, holla from da Kat unda da Kangol cap! I was supposed to be on Rockerfeller Center to witness the lighting of the big Christmas tree. But alas, I am at home, studying for upcoming finals, contemplating on the weeks, and days, to come. What am I contemplating, exactly? Hmm...

One Night Stand
Kenny G
Gravity

I can't believe it! Kenny G did 80's pop! I used to think this was something they thought up on a rumormill. But upon buying Gravity, and having everyone listen so they wouldn't think I was crazy, da kliq and I were totally blown away! Love On The Rise was one of my favorites back in the day, but I never knew that it was Kenny G that took credit for it!! But even though I like that song, One Night Stand is awesome. Any 80's fan should definitely check this one out...

There's something about this Wednesday night that won't allow me to finish composing this post. My iMac DV+ has undergone other activites (shrinking album-cover-art file sizes in Photoshop; ripping Good 2 Go in iTunes) that for one reason or another, everytime I go back to type, the window disappears. My only solace is my "Blackbird" PowerBook 540c.
Yes, Apple PowerBook 540c.
This machine after 5 years of service, and despite its near nine year age, is still kickin. I might want to consider getting a new PRam battery; and I might want to find out via EMMpathy why the computer is not recognizing my 1 year old battery, let alone charge it. But, when I want to type, there are no problems. Talk about obstacles...

Speaking of obstacles...

Fan Dem Off
Elephant Man
Good 2 Go

The latest obstacle in graduating from Hunter is a financial one. In the beginning of the semester, I received a book voucher from the school, which basically means financial aid helps me get textbooks every semester. I've been getting these for quite some time now. But this time, the amount was pretty small. It was $110. And with that $110, I bought a Federal Taxation textbook for Federal Income Tax class. Well, as my luck would have it, my professor is so good, you can B'ce his exam by just reading his notes; which is exactly what I did. As a result, the textbook has never been opened, and is still in the plastic.
The Wednesday right before Thanksgiving, I received a threat notice, letting me know financial aid covered only part of the voucher. Usually, the only way you get the voucher is if there is enough after tuition to cover it. I won't ask how or why it didn't cover the voucher; but according to this threat notice, I had until 12/2/03 (that being the Tuesday that just past), to send a certified bank check ($6 at my bank) for $100. And if I didn't cooperate, an academic stop (usually acquired when you fail more than one or two classes, or if your GPA is below 1.0) on my record, meaning I cannot register next week Tuesday, meaning I can't graduate in June. That's why I called it a threat notice. They're gonna have to better than this, cause I ain't havin' it, I snickered. That Tuesday, I went to the person who sent me the notice, in an attempt to put her in her place for making such threats. And as she put it, the threat notice was just to get the attention of the students; that payment had to be made. It could be paid in cash, or credit card, as long as they have something that says it's been paid. To make that story short, these people are not waiting until the rest of my financial aid covers the voucher (oh yes, there is a remainder in my financial aid; they just won't wait until December 15th to get it...), and want me to pay for it at this moment.
Now, the most obvious question would be: Can't I just take back the textbook, and act like the incident never happened? Maybe in your college that would be possible, but not in Hunter. Wednesday after work, I went to the bookstore in my Eddie Murphy, Beverly Hills Cop face to try and end this charade. But my efforts fail, being that the manager wasn't available, so I got some prissy assistant manager. And on top of that, it was after 4:30PM, where no one feels like really taking the time to do shit. So now, I'm stuck with some b-s stop on my record, and a virtually useless textbook in my possession. Well, not totally useless; while the AM bitched to me that new books are coming, I found out myself they won't be available until August 2004, and that my book still has two semesters of life left (Spring and Summer 2004). So now, I must kick out my hard earned Christmas pay, and give these lazy ass-holes my money so I can continue with this graduation process.
Well, no. I can really bitch about this tomorrow. I can go all out on these people, saying they have nerve giving me something I wasn't supposed to get, and then give me so little, to turn around and still make me pay. I can tell them off, and just get really loud with them; saying that it still your textbook, and that this hold is ridiculous. I could really give them hell if I choose to...
But alas, that's not my department.
And more than likely, I'll pay the $100, just to get it overwith.
Lazy assholes.

But, if all goes well tomorrow, my spring 2004 registration is next Tuesday, and my finals start next week Thursday! Wow, I'm already one week away from finals! But it gets better. My next final is on the 16th, followed by the 19th (and we all know what's happenin' on the 19th), and the last of it is on the 23rd.
December 23rd. The day before Christmas Eve.
I've been trying to get the professor to change the date. In fact, the entire class has been trying to get him to change it. But he's sticking to his guns. And guess what class I have my last final for?
Federal Income Tax.
Ain't that a bitch?!?!

Blase
Elephant Man
Good 2 Go

$7.99 for Good 2 Go!! I can't believe that the introductory price for this CD is just a few more bucks than a bootleg! Why couldn't Sean Paul 's Dutty Rock be so inexpensive? Well, I won't answer that; but you gotta admit, that's a sweet deal. So if you're in the area, and don't mind shelling out $9, support the Energy God and buy his latest album.
While I'm on the subject, I briefly skimmed through what this CD had to offer me. And, I must say, this CD is missing a few tracks. For those who haven't got it yet, here's what I didn't find (and what you may not find either) on Good 2 Go:
• Jamaican Girl
• Egyptian Dance
• Chiney Ting
• Nah Mix Up
• Mad Sick (In da Club riddim)
While some of these tracks may be found on Higher Level, you would think that since he, like Sean Paul, is now crossing into mainstream pop, some of those favorites would join him. Oh well, you can't win every battle...

Christmas shopping. I thought I was done, but it turns out I'm not. I'm now a co-worker, and a friend away from finishing. So slowly but surely, I'm getting my shopping done, person by person, until my time is officially up. And as expected, GAP has their scented candles. These things are a hit in Park Slope, so maybe I can luck out this year...
Interesting. I used the Bill Cosby quote on God having a sense of humor earlier to open up this post. At work, while I attempted to finish proving for 2 weeks straight on Wednesday ( I was one shy that Saturday with the GreenPoint old timer on my backside), the older associates start gathering names for some Christmas bashment. I consider this bashment another version of the Kris Kringle gift-giving session. So, with some reluctance, I put my name in the basket; and hours later, I took a name out of the basket. Before I did though, I happened to notice some of the associates sifting through the basket, looking for a specific name. I'm not used to playing that version of Kris Kringle, so I casually took a name, and left it at that. A nice $50 gift to a lucky chap I'm sure would be appreciated, even if the limit is $25. I close my eyes, unfold the paper, and open my eyes again; and now I must be the secret santa of...

of...

of...

Yup, you guessed it. The GreenPoint old-timer. The same one who messed me up on Saturday; the same old-timer who fucked my flow twice in a row.
Doesn't God have an extraordinary sense of humor?!
Deep down, I was saying to myself, Dude, you need to exchange the name! But, because I already made up my mind to do this thing for real, now I got to cater to that, that...
Oh God, that was a cruel joke!! A cruel bad joke to play on me. I can imagine what that woman is gonna say about the gift I give her. I dislike people like her; they are the ones who can make a kat meticulous about what he says, does, and gives. She doesn't look like the type who'll appreciate scents for her home; nor scents for her body. She acts like the kind that will say I gave her scents on Christmas to say that she smells bad. Yes folks, it's that bad. Perhaps there is a remedy: Just buy her a gift card. Put a $40 gift card in a Christmas card, and give that to her. But then, she'll complain about lack of substance. Damn, this is gonna be tough...

More later...