Jason Toney

Speakeasy: Our Deepest Fear

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God; your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Nelson Mandela's Inaugural Speech (1994) although he bit jacked gaffled was inspired byMarianne Williamson. (Nelson Mandela debunking here)

Hai's Halloween Face Paint

Courtesy of the Disney Studio Lot halloween party

Hai's Halloween Face Paint

My halloween treat.

Peanut butter on the outside!

My halloween treat.

Ms. Oogie-Boogie

Imagine you're a woman working at a company where male colleagues send you X-rated notes, hit on you, and repeatedly grab your breasts -- even once pinch your butt with pliers. To Judge Edith Jones, such depravity does not constitute grounds for a sexual harassment case, though she conceded the facts. During arguments in the case the woman brought against her employers ( Waltman v. International Paper), Jones purportedly commented that the behavior of the man who had pinched the woman's breasts wasn't so objectionable since he later apologized. And, added the judge, at least she hadn't been raped.

From the scariest presidential candidate to the scariest billionaire to the scariest cop, these truly are the worst America has to offer. (alternet, 10.30.06)

Dinner

Garden burger riblets (vegan) and vegetable melange

Dinner

QotD: Ghost Story

Do you believe in ghosts?  Have you ever seen a ghost? 
Submitted by Nancy.

I don't know what I believe (which is probably why I'm both a heathen and a heretic) but I know what my family believes...

a conversation and a revelation...

"I like your tattoo," I said.

"You know, I used to see him all the time," she said and didn't need to clarify who "him" was. "I always feel like he's watching over me. I wanted to do something to honor that, honor him, but I didn't want a man's name on my body. It's too hard to explain to people. So I thought this was the right thing to do."

"It's beautiful," I said, admiring the ink at the base of her lower back. It reads: Angel.

and

a father's words...

One day not too long after the funeral, Pauline went out of the house. I was sitting right here in the kitchen doing the puzzle. She yelled she was leaving, I heard her keys and heard the car start and drive away. Some time later, the latch of the door unlocked and I heard keys rattle. I can still hear it now. I didn't even look up. I just assumed she had forgotten something and came back. After awhile, I realized that she wasn't in the house. I figured I must not have heard her leave again. So, she comes back awhile later and I say to her, "What did you have to come back to the house for." She looked at me and said, "I didn't come back, I was gone this whole time." Then I started thinking about the sounds. It was the latch unlocking and then a rattle of the keys. Now, when you enter the house, you don't hear the rattle of the keys because you're holding them in your hand a certain way, you've got to grip them to turn the lock. But Mike, when he would leave the house, he would unlock the door and rattle his keys for me to let me know he was going.

I guess he was the one who'd forgotten something.

More about my family and the ghost undying spirit of my uncle here.

Skull vs. Robot

Skull vs. robot

On Jamaica fossil watch box.

testing vox mobile from my windows mobile running MDA.

Sunday Random Ten: Zero to Hero Edition

"Now what went down I don't believe it. I just know I can't conceive. I'm searching." - Roy Ayers, Searching

The Weekend: Friday was a home night to prepare for the rest of the weekend which featured me not in costume carting around ladies in full masquerade as a princess, a panda, a kissing booth and a two headed Dragon. I rocked my California Parking Systems shirt to have a non-costumed cover story ("I'm a valet. Can I take your keys and a tip?") and ended up going to two parties. One where some zombies got engaged and another where I danced it out. My girls like to party all the Daylight Savings Time.

This is important because as I was groggily going about my usual Sunday rituals, this morning there was...

Blogarazzi!: After breakfast, we made our way to Target in Burbank and as we're heading to check out, this occurs

Woman I don't recognize walking towards us: I feel like I'm seeing a rock star.

Me (rocking my "Whatchu talkin' bout, Willis" face) laughs nervously as she passes.

Woman: I read your blog.

I turn beet red and continue to laugh unintentionally.

Woman, passing by us again: You're on my myspace favorites. It says right there, "Negro Please!"

Now, okay, at this point I should be saying, "Really? That's so cool. Thanks for reading. Sorry I'm lame and don't know how to react to people in public" but instead of that reasoned response I just provide more uncontrollable laughter but at a louder volume and now with me sweating to add to the excellence of this exchange.

I check out and pull myself together still entirely too confused but as she exits...

Me: What's your name?

Woman: We're not friends or anything but I'm Teresa. You're one of my contacts on flickr. I'll send you a message.

Me: Nice to meet you, Teresa. Thanks for reading.

Teresa: You write well.

Me: Thanks so much.

Blogarazzi!

But now this makes me feel bad about this silly site that no longer gets any love and I feel worse because Teresa's on myspace and I'm not because I hate myspace so we had this awkward conversation in Target because Tom isn't my friend. Which brings us to...

Drop that Zero and Get with the Hero: Vox came out of beta this week and is now open to the public. It is myspace/livejournal for intelligent people who like pretty things and aren't trying to collect friends like trading cards or, hopefully, get spammed to death by internet marketers. It's made by the fine people at Six Apart who create these awesome blog tools like typepad and movable type and I'm spending all my free time playing over there. Negroplease.com is dead right now but negroplease.vox.com is alive and kicking. Sign up. Play around. Add me to your neighborhood. It's cold as ice!

Out of 444 songs played in the last week, we've got ourselves a

Sunday Random Ten

1. The Diff'rence - J Dilla aka Jay Dee
2. Crosses - Zero 7
3. Pack Up Remix (feat. Evidence & KRS One) - Lyrics Born
4. Anna Begins - Counting Crows
5. Secret - Maroon 5
6. I'm An Actor - Phoenix
7. I've Heard - Hot Karl
8. Get Away - 120 Days
9. Friends - De La Soul
10. Money Don't Make U Rich (featuring Strong Arm Steady) - Hi-Tek

QotD: It's All In The Stars

What's your sign?  What do you think of astrology and horoscopes?

I'm a Pisces. I enjoy sunsets but couldn't care less about long walks on the beach. Let's meet at the Regal Beagle at 5 for Happy Hour. We can talk about Stars and Mars and silly people at Bars. Call me.

Pisces

Free Will Horoscope for Pisces This Week:

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness," wrote Mark Twain. I'd add that it also tends to dissolve dogmas, break bad habits, and flush away sterile theories that haven't been tested by actual experience. These are all blessings I wish for you right now, Pisces. I hope that as you wander free of your familiar haunts, you'll have your mind completely blown, get shocked out of your limiting beliefs about yourself, and be so electrified by the world's beauty that you pretty much fall in love with everything and everyone. Halloween costume suggestion: a tourist, nomad, sherpa guide, shaman, Ferdinand Magellan, Sacagawea, Amelia Earhart.

I Can't Commit

To a theme. There are lots of cute ones but I'm not sure if any one of them is quite me yet. I'm going to keep trying them on until I find one I truly truly like.

For Your Sunday Listening Pleasure:

Theme From Shaft

Kashmere Stage Band

I went on a 75 minute walk around my neighborhood yesterday and this was the perfect soundtrack. You can get it drm free and cheaply at eMusic or you can buy the full CD on Amazon.