Switchin'

I'm switchin' over to tumblr.

Sorry Blogger, you're just not the right one for me.

Mah Brotha (Poem)

Current Mood: Meh.

Wrote a poem today. Just put the pen to the paper and this flowed out. Tell me how it is. Comments WELL APPRECIATED.


So here I am trying to write a coherent sentence,
I've been creepin' around these streets like a menace,
Friend's everywhere: 'dova, The Mound, Bartlett, Midtown
Finding places to stay, keeping life at bay,
Trying to move on with confidence.

These past few years, well they've been a blast.
But all these good years were snatched up too fast.
We had good times, and those that were shitty
And for those, I need no real pity.

For the days were good!
We're all in one piece.
Well except for a few,
I watch them so slowly as their own lives release,

They're growing up in front of my eyes,
I wondered if I, too, or is it just lies?
Will they go away and really grow up?
I'm betting against such fortunate luck.

Many will go and come back more fruitful,
But I'll tell you this, they'll still be the same people.
I hope for good things, and give them glad tidings.
They shut me away and go into hiding.

“What is it you guys? What could I have done?”
“I don't know man, we've just kinda shun,
Everyone, Everything, and Everybody,
that's not like us; we're really quite snobby.

“With what room?” I say.
You guys just play games and say things like “gay.”
Lets be chill and civilized.
Build vocabulary, don't talk like all guys.
“Haha, like you? I'll pass; lets go crew.”

And they shuffle off into obscurity.
None of them will hear this that's security.
No fostering of talents in that group, for sure.
Just competition, competition, competition. Grade Whore.

It's not about the A's, but your talent,
You'd be better off working instead of lament.

“My SAT is crap, My ACT is shit.”
Please, my brotha'. The sky's the limit.
You've reached 23 x 100, that is.
Shouldn't that be enough to fight with these kids?

“I would think so, yeah, but let's not forget,
I'm Chinese/Indian/Jew, not a minority resident.
“So what does that mean? Should I be where I am?”
“Yeah sure, you're smart, have fun represent!”

'What the fuck? Are you for real?'
Did you bluntly just spout that ignorant shpeil?
Thanks a lot MAH BROTHA, for the inspiration,
Now I'll quote you in a book about my hometown nation.

How you treated me, taught me, and more,
I even found out that my heart can be sore,
For a place I call home, right here in the south, nonetheless.
A place I was dragged, thought it was the best.

A place for business, education, the likes,
“The people down here are really quite nice...”
So I played along, I followed these rules,
But this time, for sure, I won't be the fool.

I'm off in a month to a new place, indeed.
Some 1,000 kilometers, or more, I should know.
But it's late tonight, as soon as it goes,
I'll check on that distance for reference, I suppose.

An impromptu poem, I like this feeling,
I surely hope that this keeps repeating,
And I should share this sort of prowess,
I think it's a type of gentle caress,
Of my mind to one's own,
A hug if you will.
In this world anyway, they're really my thrill.

A good time with a lady and cooking,
Is better, any day, than a video-looking.
Or games for that matter, they're really quite dull.
Let's go for a walk, the the night won't be null.

Work hard in the day, relax at night.
That'll get us through this horrendous fight.
For years are ahead, of strenuous battle.
Hopefully this time we'll shake the rattle.
Make beats, form a song of glorious praise,
Let my actions be always ablaze,

With the passionate fire that I can call mine,
I'll be someone to lead these divine,
Talent, skill, cunning, things we all possess,
It's all happening, now let's make some progress.

We're all sociable, with NY to play,
It's a ball, we'll pass it around,
Bounce it over here, just along the ground.
Broadway'll be fun, Amsterdam a blast,
The apple will be bitten, and it won't be the last.

-Peace(maker)

Listening to: My Fishtank.

Thoughts on Franklin: A Colloquial View

Here's something a bit different. I found this on my Blackberry after having written it the morning after a party. No proofreading nor re-reading for that matter. Here it is, in all its unadulterated whatever. Enjoy!

Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. -Benj Frank. These were the words spoken by a very intelligent man about the qualities of a decent man, and how he may be able to better himself. Let's take a deeper look into his catch phrase.
This couldn't possibly apply to the process of attending a high school party, for if one followed these directions, I must say, he'd be straight fucked, and not in a good way. Early to bed? Could that equate to being the first to pass out, either by imbibing a bit too much, or literally falling asleep early? Either way, that would make one a complete fagel in the eyes of the general populous. Early to rise? The first one up at a party has the first chance to review the carnage, probably see things he/she didn't want to see, and will probably puke-- all things that you don't want to happen. Makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. Healthy? Eh. Purging your system might make you healthier than you were before, but in all honesty, your liver will still bitch at you. Wealthy? I have no idea how to approach this... Let's take an idea from a friend of mine. Because he had to go to work at 7 and work nearly all day sans breaks, he left early, went to bed early, and definitely rose early. He's making some definite cash though. Wise? People become more wise with more experience, something you probably won't get by keeping the hours prescribed by Franklin. It has been the case that I've never been able to have a lucid dream, so screw any counter arguments in that vein. Staying up, chatting, sleeping late, waking up late, and having coffee or tea with friends in the morning will make you more than these three states Franklin deems so important. It will make you happy.

-Peace(maker).

Northern Lights, Literally.

Feelin': Normal :)

So I haven't updated in a little while, and with good reason. I have been having quite the time here in New England, and it has given me a lot of perspective on my situation. I've found friends, new and old, and rooted myself in the city. New Yawk, New Yawk!

I love this city so much. It's really something that I would never have expected, going to school there an all. I honestly expected to be somewhere in Boston, whether that be at Harvard or BU, MIT or BC. But on this trip, I've seen an entirely different side of the city with Jeremy, and now I'm even more excited to be here for school. Also, I got to spend a lot of time with someone I have dearly missed for over two years. This is the story of the last week of June 2009.


DC: After a few days of staying in D.C. I realized that I honestly felt at home in Maryland. I was born there; I have heritage there. Even my experiences in Memphis were in a way shaped by my upbringing in MD. Only in the first and last years of my time in Memphis did I realize how different I had become in Memphis. I understand that it's quite normal to have grown and changed in this way, but it's interesting to take a step back and look at my own story.

It's was uncanny how the type of child I always strove to be was exactly the same children that I left in Maryland. I wanted to maintain the attitude that I grew up with, and I rediscovered it in so many of the people my age in DC today. Keeping that in mind though, I am forever grateful for what Memphis has given me. It has given me comfort in almost all conditions, it has given me patience, it has given me an etiquette and candor with which I have definitely impressed the right people, and most importantly it has given me piece of mind and perspective. The former is only just now being solidified-- only now am I content with my situation and happy for the future. The latter came with age and exposure. While I feel that it took much longer to gain this in Memphis, I am happy with this delay. Had it not happened the way it did, I fear that I may have been doomed from the start. Now I can look back and count my blessings.


As a side note: Thanks P and Em. You guys deserve everything for the way you've raised me and my brothers. Hopefully I will stay on track and show you the fruit of the tree you've sown.


NYC: So New York. Silly place really. Business Ops, Art Ops, College. That's exciting, right? And I experienced it all with two of my best friends in the world. The first night was fun. Charlene and I took the bus up from DC, and the whole trip lasted about six hours, so you can probably imagine how tiring it was. It was the night that we were supposed to go to Brooklyn for a 700 to 800 person “The Hangover”-themed party, but Charlene was too tired, so we just stayed home, sat, and chatted until we fell asleep. The next morning JerBear, me, Charlene and her friend Steph all went to SoHo and the Village to hang out and see the sights. We bought silly things including hats, glasses, trinkets and more in the small open markets that lined the streets. Oh, and I bought some pretty slick kicks. Pictures later.

That night, Jeremy and I went to my roommate Dylan's house and spent the night in Ardsley. Fun stuff. Reminds me of small town fun in Memphis.

The next day I went to Dylan's graduation party and oh, was that an experience. It was interesting watching the dynamic of a Northern high school, not that it's all that different from the South, but nonetheless, it was interesting. The kids were nice, albeit a bit rough around the edges, but how else would I expect them to act with a complete stranger. I'd be a tad worried if it were any other way. They were relatively welcoming at first, then warmed to be quite hospitable. They reminded me a lot of some of the extremely close-knit societies in the smaller schools in Shelby County. I guess people tend to act similarly when we're put in situations like High School. Where else are you expected to interact intimately with people your same age for 7+ hours a day (Oh yeah... College.). They had a plethora of inside jokes, too many nicknames to count (mine is SC: stands for Sexual Chocolate), and the distinct air that everyone knows not only everyone else, but everyone else's business. In full high school fashion, everyone wanted to know “What's going on tonight?” and “Who's going to be there?” The nightlife was equally as exciting, with veils of shyness being lifted and walls of animosity being torn down over a good games of 'ruit and flip cup. This is it folks! Do WORK!

Updates on Boston soon, but for now, peace(maker) out!

Listening to: Passion Pit: Sleepyhead

This is why I left the Hamptons. Homecoming.

Current Mood: Entertained

I'm juggling a few things right now, but here's a look into my life.

I'm coming home for the first time in a long time. The thing is, this time I'm by myself. I'm getting to do the whole routine that Omair did. Going to other countries, hangin' out, doin' it big. I wonder if I'll do it right. It looks good right now. I've got my heart set on something good. Lets see what comes from it.

Thoughts of: Washington D.C.

It's SUPER clean
The hobo scene is much more relaxed than other cities
Attire is for comfort and work, but style is still important. The majority of people still look as if their clothing is from a dept. store, but that's to be expected.
The area is quaint. Not nearly as busy as NYC today, but it's Sunday.

Washington is nice. It's very classy, while at the same time maintaining a very function-based living and working environment for its constituents. At this point, all I'm trying to do is put things into perspective. Today is Sunday, it's a day to unwind for most-- Those 9-5's can be killer. The people seem nice. Not standoffish as most some New Yorkers are. Hopefully I don't become to jaded there. The population is a decent mix of black, white, and other, but all of the homeless that I've seen are black. Figures. They're generally more outspoken. If there were white hobos, I'm sure they would be asking for money too, but they're too proud sometimes. More news on the homeless scene as I explore tomorrow.
If my Apple job falls through, I think that I may just come here and enjoy D.C. until I go to school. Going back to Memphis seems like it'll be extremely hard. These three days away have given me a lot to think about, and ironically, time to think about it. Memphis life is such a routine. I'm sick of it. Really. It's not my type of life.
Well, I'm on the train into M.D. right now. Gotta try and get a hold of family to pick me up, but the subways are preventing that >.<. I'll update soon. Peace(maker).

EN WHY CEE

Current Mood: Excited :D

So here I sit, in front of Trump Tower, ogling my future home. The city of lights, the big apple, New York City. It's something I would never have imagined in my wildest dreams, but here I am.

The trip here was particularly entertaining. Not the whole airplane deal, but getting here from the airport. I decided that taking a taxi would be a waste of my limited spending money, so I decided to simply take the bus. I knew I had a few dollars left on my bus/train card, and thank G-d I brought it. I hopped on the train and quickly met a nice African man that helped me find my destination. He simply said, “Follow me,” and I did.

We were on the M60 bus, traveling from La Guardia all the way to Harlem, which is quite possibly one of the most entertaining places in the city. To me, it was a bustling thoroughfare of relaxed (and sometimes rigid) respect where every interaction is a match of wits and a game of the mind. The look in the man's face told me a lot about the area that we were in. It said, “If you know what's good for you, you'll remain chill. Don't fuck with anyone, and you won't get fucked with. If conversation does begin, act chill, be yourself.”

The people on the bus were hardened by their work, and seemed to love every minute of the commute home, to poverty or riches-- whatever the case, they were jolly. People laughed, people sang. But then, there was a disturbance.

A grim looking man came in and surveyed the crowded bus. We were already placed like Tetris blocks, with spaces few and far between in the crowd. He must have been that perfect piece, in an ironic sort of way, because when he came on, he exploded. He accosted the woman next to him, accusing her of a most dastardly act-- touching him.

He stood there, shouting obscenities and speaking quite poorly about her, taking every advantage to show his dominance in the situation. He continued to berate the woman for quite some time, and she began to fan her hand at him, a lame attempt to make him stop. This did nothing but add fuel to his fire. This is when the true extent of his tirade surfaced. He was quite witty indeed, naming all of her flaws and establishing that if she wanted to act “tough and gangster” around him, she should only expect the same. Luckily, the man's stop came soon, and he mumbled and muttered to himself as he dismounted the bus.

At this point, we were getting deep into Harlem, and the streets began to fill with wonder. Shop signs advertising solutions for the world's problems lined the sidewalks, inviting any and all onlookers, to come and do business with them. Men and women in their traditional garb discussed who know what as they mingled atop the asphalt. Car horns, voice, music, and even the steps of the people filled the air to create the symphony that flooded my ears. At that point, I thought to myself, this is my home.

My friends have just arrived to pick me up, and we're in the mood to have some fun tonight. I will report on this fun and more on my next checkup. Until then, peace(maker).

Listening to: Harlem.

Finding Memphis.

Current mood: Exploratory?

I finally found a decent diner in Memphis. Actually, it's in Germantown, so we're still in the 'burbs, but I like it. Feels nice. Not crowded, good service-- Natural. I'm going to work today at 5, but I've been pretty productive. I took my brother's car to the shop, picked up my own; I went on a long bike ride (where I found really awesome places to hang out); I thought about the direction of my life and how I'll use Columbia to reach that goal (I'm leaning towards following an Applied Math major and becoming an activist of some sort. Applied Math: Gov't maybe); Went home; Did some crunches and took an awesome shower; Ate cheerios; Watched Obama's speech on healthcare/edu, Played games with my little brother; and Now I'm about to meet up with John and hang out before work. My burger just came, so I'll update later. Peace (Rhythms).

Listening to: Diner Music

A Look into my Musical Taste

iTunes Listing <--- Click Here!

This is a service I found that allows people to share listings of their iTunes libraries online. This can facilitate mixtape creation, and hopefully I can take advantage of this next year with my (hopeful) radio show at Columbia.

Enjoy!

Ethiopian Family Dynamic.

Current Mood: Anxious.

Saturday evening will be a big day in my life. It is my senior graduation party, and it's kind of a milestone, I think. People have come from all around the world, just to see me? It's interestingly curious why they came to see me in particular. I'm an Ivy League boy? I'm a funny person? I'm family? Whatever the reason, I like it.

There is nothing quite as curious as an Ethiopian family eating food together. Family at the table have traveled all over the world: India (most recently), Berlin and all of Europe, China, Mexico, Ethiopia, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Dubai, Canada, France, Italy, etc. Crazy culture lies deep within the bones of these folks, and they're all crowded around me, waiting to hear me speak, watching my every move, looking to me for guidance. That's a lot of weight if you ask me. I love making them happy, and I guess this is their payment for that. I'm excited for the graduation party. It will signify my separation from my family and moving into my new existence, essentially, becoming independent, and becoming a man. This ceremony trumps the graduation ceremony that has been trivialized by tickets, odd speeches, and black folks hootin' and hollerin' to get everyone to notice their baby. I'm glad to hear from Nelson though. His speech is gonna bring people to tears, promise. I'll document! That's why I made this thing. Not only to inform my readers of my progression through life, but to remind myself that I am changing quickly, and that I need to simmer down sometimes. I hope I don't bore anyone.

I'm working on a few projects at the moment. I changed my cross stitch from a gift to a postcard. I'm gonna send it to a girl I hope to visit in the near future that isn't having such a good time right now it seems. I did get the chance to talk to Wendi Thomas from the Commercial Appeal today. She killed me on Twitter. Also I have to remind myself to e-mail Stan Bell back.

Today I went to work @ 12:14. I was very late, but Mrs. Chang kind of pardoned me. She was mad though, because she had to go somewhere. I went inside and rushed to make the many drinks that I was needed for. I worked really hard today, and none of the people in the kitchen had to stop cooking because I was on the dishes like clean on dem forks, heck yeah. I love working @ Changs.

The bubble tea of the day:

Green Mango!

I love it. I love it. I love it. It's so sour, yet so good for the summer. Hazelnut is out :'( Sanket will be very angry.

Well, it's late, and I'm reading this C++ book for another project. I'm gonna buy a microprocessor and make this robot that I've been meaning to make. Either the robot will display tweets somewhere large in my room, or it'll tweet by itself every 12 hours and I'll get people to send it around the country. Schematics, Source Code, Pictures, and Videos coming mad soon.

Also, I need to work on playing the ukulele often, play WoW/D2, go to work, run, work out, get my license, continue blogging/facebooking/twittering, start praying often, eat more at home and spend more time here. I think I've got this. Now let's wrap this up with some music.

Listening to: Henrietta - The Fratellis

Very, VERY Good Night.

Current Mood - Bittersweet.

So last night was the culmination of months upon months of planning and maybe years of anticipation. It was my senior prom. But before I can tell you about the night, I must speak of the daytime.

Yesterday started as such: I woke up at 8, got dressed, and headed over to Woodland Hills, the venue for our prom. There, myself, along with all the other members of the SPPC ([Semi] Secret Prom Planning Committee), setup the decorations we've been working on since the first semester this school year. It was long, tedious, and expensive, but all in all, I think we did the absolute best job we could have. I'm really sad I don't have pictures to share with you guys, but if I do chance upon some pictures of our arrangement, I will share.

Next, I went home to prepare for prom. I cleaned out my brothers absolutely disgusting car, filled it with gas, came home, showered, ate, and got dressed, all within the span of an hour and a half. I felt quite accomplished, but then I remembered one thing: I completely forgot about the corsage. I made the appropriate phone calls, took pictures with my mother, and sped off to East Memphis to get the corsage. After getting it, I met up with Fadi and headed over to MRI's house to take part in one of the silliest parts of the "prom experience", the photo shoot.

This photo-op consisted of men and women representing the majority of each individual's family taking photos. This process could be simple. One person, preferably with a nice camera, takes a picture of the group/couple and sends the respective pictures to the respective families. But no. Everyone gets whatever cameras are on hand takes as many pictures as possible. Silly, no?

After that, we went to a nice restaurant by the name of Owen Brennan's. 'twas very delicious, and we all had a lot of fun talking and playing telephone at the table. One funny result: "Raptor Claw Central loves Peacemaker's Rhythm" turned into "Raptor's Claw Country loves Method Man" or something of that nature. Tee hee.

Despues de cena, we messed around for a little bit and headed over to prom. That's where the fun began. We walked in, and to my surprise, the party was already pretty pumpin'. I voted for King and Queen (Steve and Chantella respectively) and went on to revel in the party. The "Stanky Legg" was on as we walked in, but we only caught the tail end of it. Sad. But all was well when it came on again later that night. I found Alex and we Stanky Legg'd together.

The night continued, and we danced, danced, danced. What really made it great was seeing Fadi immersing himself in the night. Each ghetto song got it's proper treatment as he fizzled all through the night. Mad props.

So as the night came to a close, and I changed out of my sweat drenched clothes, the gravity of the night began to hit me, in more ways than one. First, I was beat. Waking up so early to decorate, then running around all day to get ready, topped off by some serious crumping (lol)? Needless to say, I was mad tired. Second, I had realized that last night was by far the best night I've had all year. I was with all of my friends, there was minimal drama, and I got to dance. There really isn't more I could have asked for.

I do hope that this summer is filled with experiences like this. Prom, for me, was significant for a lot of reasons. It was the culmination of many months of planning; it was the successful actualization of planning; and it was amazingly fun. Hopefully I can ride on this wave of success and give some of my other plans the attention they need. And to my readers, I hope the same for you. It has always been a hobgoblin of mine that my plans never come to fruition. As my school counselor said her recommendation letter: "He's sometimes too scatterbrained and gets distracted. Hopefully this is simply a problem that will be solved with age." Maybe I'll grow up this summer ;)

That's it for this installation. Hope everyone enjoyed it. Until the next murmor.

Listening to: "Got a Thing on my Mind" - Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings

Quick Post

Currently: Awesome :D

I don't have much time, but just a quick update on the week/weekend.

• Done with AP exams, just working on random projects.
• I got my Columbia E-mail address: raa2148@columbia.edu
• Friday night was fun: CK's at Midnight
• Saturday night: Partied at Jehls, then CK's again. :p

I'll update you guys on projects and the like soon, but for now, I'm off to work!

Also, check this out. Just let it load and press play. You'll definitely enjoy this.

http://soytuaire.labuat.com/

Listening to: Fallin' - Asher Roth

Sloooooooow Sunday.

Mood: Tired. -.-

So today began fairly slowly. Woke up at 11:30ish, like I always do on Sundays, so I could get to work on time. I work at a Chinese restaurant called Chang's Bubble Tea Cafe where I make Bubble Tea! It's really fun, and I love working there for a lot of reasons:

1. I love making people happy, and Bubble Teas make a lot of people happy!
2. Bubble Tea is delicious, and when you get it for free, it makes life better :D
3. Working at a restaurant gives you street smarts. You learn how to interact with and manipulate people to make everyone happy.
4. My boss is THE BOMB. She's an old Chinese lady that speaks Mandarin, Cantonese, and Spanish, and I love practicing Spanish with her. She's really interesting, and she loves to tell me stories of the places that she has lived in (China, US, Canada, Venezuela) and all the adventures she has been on.
5. Free Chinese food. Need I say more?

This morning was really hectic for about two hours. The church crowd came rolling in, and they're somewhat obnoxious sometimes :\ Also, today I was on all of the medications my doctor prescribed for my ailments, so I was a bit out of it the entire day. I did, however, make some of the best bubble teas I've ever tasted.

Odd Bubble Teas of the Day (OBT)

Mango (no syrup/no jam) [tasted terrible]

Mango + Avocado [makes avocado bearable]

After work it was just time to relax and enjoy my home. I watched Star Wars V: Empire Strikes Back, and it definitely made Awesome++.

After watching Darth do his business to Lukie's hand, I chilled and watched some TV with my mom. There was this interesting show on TLC about a woman who agreed to bring a black man to her home in the South to show her family that diversity isn't that bad and all that jazz. It was pretty cool watching her father, this seemingly hidebound man, open up to all the facets of African-American culture.

Now, I'm on the phone with Charlene, working on AP Stat stuff. The exam is on Tuesday (along with Computer Science. >,<) I'll just be mad happy when it's over with. Well, now off to do 1,000,000 javabat problems to save my grade in Comp Sci and get some last minute practice in. I'll update tomorrow. Peace!

Listening to: St. Exquisite's Confessions - of Montreal

Arts and Crafts with Devony: First!

Current Mood: Junked out, but happy :D

So here's the beginning of a series I'd like to call AaCwD. It'll be called that until I can find a witty name/acronym for it :p Basically this series consists of artsy-type project that Devony and I work on. Currently we have a collage, cross stitches, stencils, and various other things we're working on, and I'll showcase one about every week.

Today's Focus: 8-Bit Mario!

Devony came over at about 10, and we chatted, sipped coffee, and made a few things. We made some progress on my coll(a/e)ge that I have yet to unveil (more coming soon!) and we talked about future projects, but the highlight of the night is the cross stitching! I taught her how to cross stitch, and we went to work after finding an image on google. After about three hours of on and off work, we came up with this. Here's the result: 8-Bit Mario Cross Stitch

Here's a video of the cross stitch action in HD!

8-bit Mario Cross Stitch from Ramzi Abdoch on Vimeo.

Cross stitch of 8-bit Mario I made with Devony. Approx. build time = 3 hours on and off. The video beings about halfway into the build.

**Sorry about the terrible angle! Filmed with the only camera I had on hand - My Macbook.

Music - C.R.E.A.M. : El Michels Affair

Well that's it for AaCwD for now, tune in next time for more Awesome++ action! Peace.

Listening to: Kids (Chiddy Bang Remix) - MGMT

Swine Flu Scare.

Feeling today: Bored :/ and Sick! :(

Well, seems like my latest string of posts revolve around my being sick. I'm in the emergency room now, waiting to be called. My mom brought me in after I left Mock Trial practice and she found me sniffling miserably in bed. I don't think it's anything serious, but better safe than sorry.

I've got some of the symptoms of the flu, but not all of them. No chills, no fever (yet? Mama says I'm warm :/), no muscle pain. All these measures are crazy precautionary, and in a way, I think it's a bit too much. They gave me a mask and everything! Hopefully this epidemic doesn't grow any further, but it's getting even closer. A case was found in Nashville yesterday, and a school in Collierville closed for seven days on suspicion. Here in Memphis a few friends aren't feeling well either. Jonathan has been out all week, Luke didn't come to practice because he has symptoms, and a good part of my AP Comp. Sci. class are under the weather. Hopefully this doesn't get anywhere near the magnitude of the outbreak in 1913.

Here's what my friend Justin had to say about Bird Flu:

• Me: Do you know why it's so hazardous? How is it different from the normal flu?
• Justin: There is no resistance. Either biological by people or by medicine. In addition, this virus seems to mutate very quickly, which gives it that X factor. It jumped from birds, to other types of birds, to pigs, [and] now to humans in a short time frame. That's scary. It's like the hive of the flu world, and it has people worked up.

Outside of being sick things are decent. Just lots and lots of AP practice. I got a high 4 on my Comp Sci practice, and I should get about the same on my Stat exam. I don't know though... Practicing for these things always makes me feel like I'm severely unprepared for the exam, but hopefully things will go well. I'm sure when the time comes to actually take the test it'll all come together :)

Well, I'm gonna sit and chill while I wait to get called to get checked out. Wish me well :) Peace.

Listening to: C.R.E.A.M. - El Michels Affair

Home, Sick or am I homesick?

Feeling Today: Sick :\

Symptoms: Sore Throat, Congestion, Headache, Coughing Upset Stomach, Exhaustion.

Diagnosis: Went a little too hard at the concert? Cold? Swine Flu?

Hopefully not that last one...

This epidemic is most severe in Latin America, yeah? Maybe it's traveling with shipping routes and such. Probably even more vulnerable is the illegal drug trade. I've heard a lot of the weed in Memphis comes from Mexico. Hopefully the flu doesn't come with it.

Well, aside from being sick, little else is happening. Yesterday was a long day at school, filled with make-up work and AP practice. I'm happy that we're studying so heavily for our AP exams, but I'll definitely be glad when they're over. I want my Facebook back!

After school, I just chilled at Starbucks with Mock Trial people, then I went to the illustrious Mock Trial itself. For the past couple of weeks, we've been preparing the National case to combat our actual National team. It was the Prosecution's (my side) turn to go, and I performed Detective Randy Towaliga for only the second time. I apparently did well, and even elicited comments from our coaches Michelle AND Buddy. I really hope our efforts as a practice team are helping.

After Mock Trial, I took a trip to the Apple Store to check on my app and buy a connector for my monitor, but they closed at 8? I don't know what the deal is, but I guess I'll just stop by sometime today.

And now I'm sitting in the doctor's office. Everyone around me is of a dark complexion, except for one; there's one rather large woman sitting front and center. She's lighter than us all. I took a few seconds to try and process this, and it's strangely interesting. She even has golden highlights! I thought to myself, "She'd make quite the show in Ethiopia." She's round, fair-skinned, and speaks well. Good qualities in a woman. :p It's as if I were a Discovery Channel narrator.

But wait! She moved to the sidelines. It's because they (the clerks) turned the air on. She turned her head to the ceiling and made quite the face to show her discomfort when the cold air hit her bare skin. Sucks for her. Should've dressed more conservatively.

Well, I'm done being bored and blogging. I'll leave something to blog about later. Peace!

Listening to: Idle conversation between Doctor's patients.

First! First!

First Post!

Ch-ch-check it out! It's Ramzi here, coming at ya' from Memphis, TN.

I'm beginning this blog to hopefully continue through the summer and next year at school. Columbia University, Ivy League, New York City. Fun stuff. I'm mad excited, and I want to be able to share my ideas and thoughts freely, so here's my spot. Also, I wanna update my followers with my latest gadget findings and projects. I'll also look at some really cool art and how I can make some. Check back for music updates too, and that's actually what I'm here for now!

Tonight, I was at an of Montreal concert tonight at Minglewood Hall (1555 Madison Ave). Before they played though, I saw Sugar and Gold(sugar_and_gold.jpg). They were insane! Quirky sound and plenty talented. The show was entertaining, and I'd definitely go see them by themselves. Hope that happens sometime soon! Then, gah, the crazy shit began. of Montreal was freaking ridiculous. They had these intense and really sensual skits in the middle of their playing and it was really quite funny. I went with Fadi, Lyds, and Steph. 'twas legit! I got the tickets from Fadi on my birthday back in February. The wait was definitely worth it. But goodness, a Sunday? That really could have been better timing. Now my mom is kinda mad at me. It'll be alright though, Baba's away in India and she doesn't want to get mad. Ubah is having so much fun right now, just chillin' in the motherland. Carpe Diem, right? Well, tomorrow is a school day. Only a few more to go.

7th day off Facebook. Shit's rough.

listening to: Workout - Sugar and Gold (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwTmarU1igg)