Patience.....Young Grasshoppa(A Year in Review)

Peace all,

I had to think for awhile about how I wanted to do a year ending blog, things flipped so quickly that if I really wanted to fully recap Q's year in review, it would probably be a long, cumbersome blog, so let's trim the fat shall we?

I guess I can say I began to see promise this past February when I was able to start up my own website and expose my art among other things with it. REALQUWWA.COM started slowly, and not having much fanfare, I tried to advertise on my Youtube channel as well as Facebook, but response has been slow to say the least. But I don't despair in any event because I know what to expect, especially as an independent artist, along with the subject matter of my work. Today my website has two displays, the ongoing Lifestyles of the Ignored and the See What I See exhibit (CWATIC) which I renamed The All Aboard the 554 Exhibit , which chronicles scenes in my area of South Dallas. 554 is the route number of the city bus that goes through my area.


The See What I See(CWATIC)Exhibit held this past October 29th marked a milestone for the Q, seeing that I had not presented an exhibit of any sort, the only time I really exhibited my work at any time was at a student art exhibit when I attended Community College, and that was a while to say the least. But the response was great, especially in the fact that many people were able to see the direction my art was going, and also gave the opportunity to expose the possibilities of visual art to an area that does not get a chance to truly see a cultural event like this. To show the mindstate of my area as well as American society as a whole, I received replies from people who were somewhat surprised and/or dismayed when I explained that this exhibit was for FREE, and not to commercialize my work. I mean don't get me wrong, I am not saying I will not sell my work when the opportunity comes, but the purpose of my art is not just to "sell things" and make money, but to make a difference, inspire, and motivate too. In my area people have relegated everything now to a "hustle" or "getting up" and we are missing out on making a serious impact in society today. This is the sad state of society, mostly stemming from the notion of not seeing things in a spiritual perspective, and only seeing things from this temporal materialistic existence. It's high time we start changing that perception. The corrupt only hold the money for a period of time, but in the end everything goes back to Allah(Al-Warith, The Inheritor).

Other events include the inspiring art sale I attend two weeks ago, held by renowned artist and Dallas resident Frank Frazier, Jr. He's a veteran at this thing, and his invitation thru Facebook was something I did not want to pass up. I met other artists, and saw astounding work that inspired me. I am very grateful to witness such an event. Also can't forget the BlogTalkRadio interviews with Angel Ayes and Lady Flava, which let me air out my outlook on many things in art and society as well.

This year has ended on a positive note in that the Paul Lawrence Dunbar Library graciously invited me to display my artwork. This was a library I had targeted for CWATIC, but finances prevented me from holding such an exhibit, but thankfully I was able to present a CWATIC display. Here are the photos:







So I have no choice but to take this as a step in the right direction. I feel that God(Allah) is putting me in a much better position, and I must remain patient and not be deterred from any naysayers, or any type of "slow" response, because in the end the victory will be there for me, if I just hold on. People are politicking for my work to be displayed in different areas, and other opportunities await me. I keep thinking about the day when I almost gave everything up, but that something inside me told me to just submit the proposal. Fear of rejection had pretty much overtaken me, but after realizing I'm just following the course that's already paved for me, things became a lot easier. Now I am more confident in my ability, and ready to expand my repetoire and come up with more artwork. 2012 looks to be very interesting, and I will not wait for February, when my next exhibit hits.





It's about to be fun.....Peace......CWATIC @ www.realquwwa.com

http://www.queensmuseum.org/8230/detroit-disassembled-photographs-by-andrew-moore

http://www.queensmuseum.org/8230/detroit-disassembled-photographs-by-andrew-moore

The Fixx - Less Cities, More Moving People

Peace all, just wanted to drop by and see how the bloggy family doing today...Having problems at the library with this WiFi thing, can't even load up a simple The Dark Knight Rises trailer...drats...Wrapping up the works for the display at the library and oh, I had a blast last weekend at Artist Frank Frazier's home at an art sale. Met some interesting and inspiring artists, but won't tell ya until the next blog(IA)...Right now enjoy the blast from the past. I was thinking about this ditty while taking pictures around my area. Take care and love you all....Peace!

NEXT UP ON THE MENU!!!!

Peace all,

I've been hard at work(well sorta)putting the final pieces together, trying to come up with a theme for the exhibition at the Paul Lawrence Dunbar Library, hopefully I will be able to set up the display this weekend.

This library was one of the few in the southern Dallas sector that I targeted for the See What I See(CWATiC) exhibit, but other things came in the way, and with the exhibition that I'm working on for February 2012 entitled Back And Forth so close, I've kinda put CWATiC over to the side. However I received an email a few days ago requesting some of my artwork to be displayed there. When I received the picture I was like "OK, great" and began to look for some smaller scale paintings to display there, more in the 8x10 to 9x12 range, however when I arrived there personally to take a look, I was amazed at the amount of space that I saw, and from there the ideas just started flowing...



Basically I plan to mix it up a bit, showing works from both the Lifestyles of the Ignored series and a couple of works from the CWATiC exhibit, especially the bottles I worked on for The New Gold Rush and maybe a couple of new twists in store. So it looks as if the CWATiC exhibit will continue, but in a different fashion this time around...I hope I can capture a few shots for a promo video of some sorts, ya know?

Also the same weekend I'm planning to attend this function held by renowned artist Frank Frazier Jr, who also lives in the southern Dallas area as well. I attended an exhibit he held a few years back and recently we became Facebook friends. So this looks to be an exciting and educational weekend ahead for me, and I hope to take full advantage of the opportunity...



Take care all, hope to be back soon with another blog....Peace!

CWATIC @ http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Texas Welfare Office Shooting Mom Denied Food Stamps For Mo 12/09 by PPC1 | Blog Talk Radio

Peace All, found this BlogTalkRadio segment and thought I would just post it to my blog, giving you an indication of what's happening here on this side of the world, for those who only see the bright lights and stuff. I'll be back with another blog soon(IA)and more info on my art. Take care.

Texas Welfare Office Shooting Mom Denied Food Stamps For Mo 12/09 by PPC1 | Blog Talk Radio

Is It Really?(Not Enough)

Peace all,

I had intended to do a blog about this tripped-out documentary I saw entitled "Prohibition" from PBS, about the history of the Law of Prohibition on Alcohol in America, and the repealling of the law, but I'll hold off on that, because I'm still trippin' on it....LOL


Things have been jumping recently for me, and I have everyone to thank for the support, it is greatly appreciated. For starters, I have received an offer from another library to display my work...I can't begin to tell you how pumped up when I received the email, and now I have other things on hand to boot, but I can't tell ya right now....

LOOKS LIKE THINGS ARE COOKING UP FOR THE Q!

Yeah, they do look that way, I just pray that I can take everything in stride, not forgetting what and Who am I doing this for! I keep thinking this thing almost didn't happen.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

I mean I had presented the proposal to the librarian for the CWATIC exhibit, even after going through all of the other drama, and I had pretty much dropped the whole thing, but something internally inspired me to give it to her. The day I was ready to chuck it all in, she summoned me up to the desk and after explaining everything to her, I showed her the website, and then she introduced me to another librarian, who saw what I did, and she just took off and took it to another level, and it hasn't stopped since. Regardless of what happens, this is definitely a lesson to keep going regardless of how things look...I am ever grateful to my Creator for this, and grateful to those who supported me in any and every way.

SO WAS THIS ONE OF THE PICTURES AT THE EXHIBIT?

Yeah, it's called Not Enough. It was constructed almost two years ago, but I displayed it at the exhibit, and it was well received by both young and old. I didn't think it would go over so well, but they loved the blue and the message it contained. The red bowl added to the contrast.

SO EXPLAIN BRIEFLY THE MEANING...

Well it just to show that a growing number of Americans(and the rest of the world too as a matter of fact) are not able to fulfill their basic needs due to the criminal economy and the hyperinflation of basic goods and needs to a point where the average citizen may have to face a decision of whether to drop the health insurance, or have to cut back on nutrition, or letting go of some other type of basic need. Despite this there are some who are not suffering who do not see this discrepancy and do not see the effects of globalization, and make statements such as "any job is better than no job at all." But they miss the point greatly when they realize the menial jobs cannot cover the ever increasing costs of health care( or as one author wrote in a book disease care, which seems more appropriate) and the costs of food(whatever happened to Wal Mart price rollbacks?), not too mention insurance for every freaking thing from homeowners to car insurance to life insurance, to....oh my!!!!

SO PEOPLE REALLY MAKE SUCH STATEMENTS?

Yes they do...funny how humans can forget about others' plight and only judge another's situation based on their own experience, they also fail to understand the difference between a "little" job and not having any job is that even with a "little" job, you will eventually lose everything you own, it just doesn't happen right away....This picture also reminds me of a young man with five children and whose wife recently needed surgery, but was denied Medicaid because his $10 an hour job was deemed as too much for Medicaid to cover the surgery. Then we have politicians who prove everyday that they are more concerned with the corporations and the elite who oppress and exploit, who say in their campaigns for election that they are content with seeing someone dying rather than to sehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gife to it that they would receive care.



WHAT ABOUT OBAMACARE?

Please don't get me started on that....just check out the language, and not just what they say, but what they "don't" say.

SO TRUE...

WHERE CAN ONE SEE THIS AND OTHERS LIKE IT?

www.qartworks.com Just click on the link and I hope enjoy it...

Take care all....CWATiC @ WWW.QARTWORKS.COM

All Aboard the 554

Peace All!!!

IT'S FINALLY HERE!!!! THE CWATIC Exhibit!!! Featuring the revised Lifestyles of the Ignored Exhibit, along with the new exhibit held in my hometown entitled Aboard the 554. Just click HERE to enter the website.



I am also in the process of working on prints and posters!!!! I should be out with those in the upcoming days!(IA)...

I hope to be back next week with another blog, but for now, enjoy, and CWATIC @ www.realquwwa.com....Peace!!!

The Perception of Reality

Peace all....

Putting the finishing touches to the online exhibit entitled The 554, everything looks great, hope to be finished with it and ready to present in a couple of days, God Willing...I think you're going to like it...

Anyway, I wanted to touch a few bases with the reader here, who if one has read a few of my posts or even heard an interview, has heard or read from time to time about my disgust of the declining quality of life in my area, especially in regards to the inability to purchase produce and adequate food unless one goes to the nearest food store 10 minutes away, and if one is "underprivileged" to have meaningful transportation, then one must walk to the nearest dollar store, and get whatever they can find until one can get such means of transportation. Such is the life at the 554....




To set the record straight here, this is not the only beef I have, but it is a strong symbol of a much larger issue that we tend to overlook or even AVOID, and that is the reason why the quality of life is declining in my area so rapidly, especially with the post office threatening to close its customer service operations, just leaving a shell for local carriers to convene, along with attempts to make the local landfill here the GO TO Dump for ALL of Dallas and surrounding areas. Add the emerging police presence and Gang Units roaming throughout the area, the proliferation of liqour, the half-hearted efforts to fix the streets in the area although the people of Dallas allowed intoxicants to be sold in order to "create revenue" , the building of a prison in the locality, and the resegregation process taking place with a new name redistricting, one should understand that there is a certain belief about the people here which is the catalyst for why such events take place here.



Last week while at the library an African American woman was speaking with an White American man who apparently is trying to open a business in this area. While discussing the issue, the Black woman, who appears to be some sort of real estate agent or broker of some sort mentioned that there is a "perception" about this place that needs to be changed before this "revitalization" effort takes place here.

By the way, revitalize is a code word for gentrification. And gentrification has taken a new face now, it's no longer just the White middle class trying to oust the Blacks, but now the Black middle class is ousting the Black poor, calling it revitalizing efforts instead of what it really is, which is removing the grotesque look of "indecency" and "filth" in one's neighborhood. Which is why no one questions the occupying presence of a police, which didn't even come into existence until newer homes were being built in the area, around 10 years ago.

I strongly disagree that there is a perception about my area which disallows people to view my area in anyway except negative. I believe strongly that there is a REALITY that needs to be dealt with, not avoided, not hidden from the masses of the people by corrupt politicians, but CONFRONTED, but before confronting the reality, proper knowledge about the issue must be dispersed.



This picture looks innocent in scope, until you realize the reality behind the picture. I just found out this place which looks like any old warehouse or storage room is actually a peep show. This establishment was actually an underground event until the city of Dallas got wind of the issue, which only resulted in allowing the owner to legalize the business by getting a permit. This establishment which is actually walking distance from my home, somewhat like the prison here, but the city of Dallas is content with this establishment residing near a predominantly Black neighborhood. Never mind the consequences and the stigma that a place of pornography does to a neighborhood, especially one that has a problem with drugs and prostitution that came as a result of the truck stops built in the area, just as long as they pay their taxes and get the necessary permits.

This is a serious indictment upon a city and how it treats is so called constituents, when they feel it is ok to dump all of the unwanted things that predominantly White neighborhoods refuse to take, and go to extreme lengths to do such things. I remember going to the town hall meeting in '92 to protest the building of the prison in our area, only to listen to a prison official tell a predominately Black audience that allowing the construction of a prison will bring the prisoners closer to some of their relatives....And the Black politicians who paraded around television cameras and socking White joggers because they broke through picket lines DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! In fact one Black politician retorted aloud "I DON'T SEE ANY OF YOU COMING UP WITH ANY OFFERS ON THE TABLE!!!"

It's becoming more and more obvious of the intentions of many if not all of these Black politicians, yet many Blacks fail miserably to see the point. We fail to see the double dealing of these politicians to get what they want, the lies and shakedown tactics and the demagogery they display, all many of us see is the color of the skin, and despite the chicanery of these criminals we allow them to continue and let them "get a chance to get a piece of the pie."

We as humans will continue to suffer the consequences of our failure to change our reality...



Peace all...CWATIC @ http://www.realquwwa.com

Curtis Mayfield - Pusherman

Peace all,

Had a couple of blogs on tap, but working on this website to get my online presentation took up most of library time...And I got some goodies too! The degradation of my neighborhood continues with a peep show popping up in my area!!! I guess they figure the people here are TRASH anyway, so why not contribute? Liquor all over the place, no food store, no real opportunities to take care of your priorities, dumping all of the trash over in this area, prison located near the neighborhood? What the heck is this?

I guess this song here just coincides with the rest of the trash that's available at the 554....One of my favorites from one of my favorite all time movies....lol....Take care all...Online exhibit SOON!!!

Pete Rock & C L Smooth - Ghettos of the Mind

Peace all, trying to recover from a serious head cold...Hope to be back real sometime later in the week...In the meantime peep the knowledge.....

Catching Recognition!

Peace all,



Working on different projects at the moment, mainly doing research for the next projected exhibit entitled Back And Forth in commemoration of Black History Month...Pssst...Don't tell anybody the name....LOL

This research has led me some very interesting reads, especially a great book I just finished reading entitled The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander. This book had my mind spinning, for I can see clearly the points the author makes about the Prison Industrial Complex, but even moreso the backlash that affects a disproportionate number of African Americans AFTER they leave the prison, which she calls "legalized discrimination" from public and private housing, welfare, employment, you name it, and mentions the pretext of the War on Drugs...which is a joke to begin with, especially when alcohol has done more damage that crack, heroin, and methamphetamines COMBINED!!!! But anyway...I'll hip you up more on that later. But the book for the most part has some very strong points, and the profiling that comes from the discrimination and prejudices against African American men, suspecting them of drugs and gang involvement.



I experienced this last week walking in my area looking for pictures to take and use in any CWATIC future exhibits I hope to undertake. I noticed a helicopter hovering over the area extensively(which is starting to become more prevalent here). As I continued to walk I saw a transit bus, surrounded by anywhere between 10-15 police cars, along with an ambulance and corporate media(OH OOOH!). Also there were additional cars hovering around the immediate area. As I continued to watch I noticed many of the policemen wore "GANG UNIT" on the back of their uniforms...You probably start thinking, oh ohhh, two helicopters, up to 20 cops at or around a bus , and a gang unit, must've been a gang fight on the bus right?

Then I found out through a newspaper that the incident involving two men who one shot the other in the leg while on the bus, and then left the bus and ran out of the bus and into the nearby neighborhood...First question...What prompted police to think this was gang related? And up to 20 police cars and a gang unit to find one individual? What does that spell for the neighborhood, who continues to see the quality of life disappearing, but an increase in police presence! And coming from my experiences of being profiled yet have NO CRIMINAL RECORD AT ALL, I know exactly what is happening...

Other books I'm looking into is American Apartheid and Nixon's Piano...Looks like good reads...I'll keep you abreast on this exhibit...Take care all! PEACE!!!

More to Come?(CWATIC)

Peace all,

Actually this blog was set to drop earlier this week, especially since I was reeling from the positive response of the See What I See(CWATIC) Art Exhibit, but maybe that enthusiasm turned into brief dementia, as I goofed up and apparently erased the whole frag nabbin blog, and I wrote some stuff! I mean I wrote some quality material.

OK Q, GET ON WITH IT, PLEASE?

OK. Well the crowd was pretty moderate, considering the many promises I received from those local homeys and stuff, telling me that they will support it and show up. I mean some had reasonable excuses, family emergencies, and the librarian who really urged me to take this further had a sudden death in the family, I mean, I'm not trippin' or anything like that, but some people claim to wanting so bad to see something different being presented, but yet the continuing apathy seems to rear its face.

OK Q, AGAIN, GET ON WITH IT!!!! PLEASE!!!!

OK, anyway, those who came gave glowing reviews of the event, the content of the work which ranged from the marginalisation of Black Youth in Written Off to the stigmatizing of Blacks with usage of the words ghetto and gutter to describe certain unruly behaviour in some Blacks, especially poor Blacks, as well as delving into the real meaning and the true implications of the word itself, and why do Blacks gleefully accept this terminology or apply it to others in a double standard fashion.

OOOOOHHHHH.....

Yeah...I went there....

ANYTHING ELSE?

Of course, I mean after all it was for the community, and I only scratched the surface with this. Then there was Preoccupied Territory which may actually turn into an exhibit on its own. This piece dealt with how a neighborhood can be drawn away from the machinations of those who wish to exploit them in any fashion, being distracted from everything with useless or meaningless trinkets including cell phones, texting, social networking and the Golden Age of Wireless...

YEAH THAT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING THAT CAN LEAD INTO BIGGER THINGS. WHAT ELSE?

Oh, then there was Blood, Sweat And Mostly Tears, which dealt with the spurious ads one may find in the local Employment Guide. I mean people were taken aback to find ads requesting those who may have been diagnosed as bipolar or having Hepatitis C to be used as labrats, I mean when did such things become opportunities for employment? And to top it off, ads advertising the giving of plasma? In an employment guide?

And then the piece de resistance, The New Gold Rush, which explains the high anticipation of the selling of alcoholic beverages in my area, turning the gas stations into overnight liquor stores, and neighboring areas into hangout spots. This was the supposed solution offered to create revenue to fix our streets, pools and library. Now the library has drastically reduced its hours, cut employees and inserted electronic check out machines...Gotta love efficiency....Now we hear the same suggestion being used to turn the nearby city dump into the main disposal unit in ALL of Dallas....Did I forget to mention we still don't have a grocery store here, and the post office is closing down its customer service center, causing potential customers to go out of their way to send packages? All of this decline of quality of life, and yet nearby neighborhoods are blossoming and money being spent on providing trolley service to gentrified areas of Dallas? OOOPS, did I go there?

YES YOU WENT THERE...

Well, someone has to...

GO ON THEN...

There were other works, and the one entitle Not Enough really captivated everyone. Guess it was the blues that got them. Then there was a collage that wowwed everyone.

SO WHAT'S THE FUTURE FOR SEE WHAT I SEE?

Only Allah knows, but I don't think this is the end yo...

CAN I SEE PICTURES?

I'm working on a slideshow of the entries to place on my personal website...www.realquwwa.com...I'll fill you in on the haps, God Willing.

SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAD IT ROCKIN' UP IN THERE, RIGHT?

The joy of it all was the children who attended, who asked questions, and finally saw someone put their area in a different light, rather than the usual corporate media stereotyping BIRTH OF A NATION-esque fashion, showing people that we are unfit of any entitlements or any justice, rather imprisonment and exploitation....I went there again, didn't I?

YES YOU DID....

Well, bout time somebody did it...And I just begun....So CWATIC @ www.reaquwwa.com

Peace all...PS...I'm coming back up there in February, go get ready Highland Hills...I wanna know what else do you see?



Eid Mubarak to the Ummah....

What I've Gotten Myself Into(See What I See)

Peace All,

Just dropping by in my usual weekly fashion, still overwhelmed over events that occurred recently regarding the See What I See Art Exhibit next Saturday. I spoke with a few of the librarians and let them see the website, and there was great enthusiasm in the air, so much so that this exhibit looks like it could expand into multiple libraries around the Dallas area. Just what I really wanted, I mean I definitely wanted my area to be a launching spot, but to have it possibly hit multiple areas is something only Allah planned, and I hope I can deliver the goods.

But I can tell you one thing, from what I am working on right at this moment, it could be something real eye-opening, God Willing.

The only setback is the inability to create a video of the event due to circumstances beyond my control, however that's small potatoes here, nothing to really trip over ya know? I mean where there is purpose there is a will and where there is a will there is a way, right? There's more than one way to broadcast this exhibit....I'll let you know when I find out what it is....LOL....



In the meantime CWATIC @ http://www.realquwwa.com....LOVE YA!!!! PEACE

Mind Blowin!!!

Peace all,

Working on this exhibit coming up in the next two weeks, and things are suddenly going top speed for me, I need my ice cream to slow down the pace... LOL

Anyway, the See What I See Art Exhibit is set and I am pumped to say the least. I would never thought that I would be actually promoting my own art exhibit, I usually keep events about myself on the hush hush, one for fear of ...oh many things...confidence is not on my list of strong points, that is until I've become comfortable with the situation. I think I've settled down from the excitement now.

At least that was until yesterday when the librarian posted the flyer she created on the entrance doors and the walls of the library...Then it really hit me when I saw my name on the flyer...Then I really started bugging...not egotistical rapper like, but buggin'...It was a little too much for me.

Then while surfing through the net I ran into one of my Facebook friends who lives not too far from me, who wants to contribute some sounds for the exhibit, to mix with some of the messages I wish to relay to the audience. That really geeked me up.

Then, in an act I can only say was God's Decree, I happened to come back to the library, only to find a gentlemen who noticed my constant presence in the library using the internet and such. Well we spoke about constructing websites, and I showed him my site and explained what my agenda is, which somehow, again saying it was the Decree of Allah, we happened to share the same vision. Well, needless to say, we exchanged numbers and he called me with details that I can give away, but this thing can go a looooong way, God Willing.

Then I received a reply from my good friend Tania Maria Xavier of ColoredPeople.Net and DaughterNature.Com, approving the exhibiting of one the paintings on her beautiful gallery. I try my best to never forget those who Allah put in my path, and she along with others play a huge role in Quwwa. All I can say is thanks to all who contributed, will contribute in any fashion. I am grateful for every effort, and can only pray this gets better.

All Praise is Due only to Allah, and the mistakes are mine. PEACE





Love Ya....It's just keeps getting better. Come See What I See @ http://www.realquwwa.com

Something to Believe In....(See What I See)

Peace all,

Well the anxiety is over now, well at I will say a part of the anxiety is over, thank God!!!

WHATCHA MEAN Q?

Well the art exhibit was approved today by my local library, after what I thought would be just another rejection. I'm beginning to think maybe this is what Allah(God)had in store all alone, I just had to realize it. I keep going back to the failed attempt to make it to The Lost Ones exhibit in August of 2010 with my Facebook friend and fellow artist Joanna Ballard. Trying so hard to find a way there to present the work after losing my car, it really put a dent in my get up and go. Kinda felt like chucking it all in.

BUT YOU DIDN'T...

Yeah but it was close...I mean other attempts seemed to have come up short, trying to get into different arenas to showcase my art and bring forth another message. But in reality I didn't want to go the common route anyway, trying to get into their galleries...At least not on their terms anyway. Too many are immersed in the sale of art, and not what it represents and the impact it can have on many sectors of society.

YOU MEAN YOU WON'T BE SELLING ANY ART AT THIS EXHIBIT?

No, that's not the plan here. The plan is more than that. It's about giving back to my community and showing different aspects and areas of visual art. It's about giving people who have been overlooked and flat out ignored a chance to speak. I represent those people and therefore it's time that other side got a chance to hear from one of the many.

ANY TITLE YET?

It's called See What I See

HMMM Interesting...

Ain't it always? LOL

WHAT DATE?

Slated for October 29th, 2010...

ANY SURPRISES IN STORE?

Now if I told you that where would the surprise be? More on that later....



Peace out...Love Ya....CWATIC @ http://www.realquwwa.com

I am an artist Cendrine Marrouat's Products : Cendrine Marrouat - CafePress Store

Hey All!!! Check out this cool shirt designed by my great friend and fellow artist Cendrine Marrouat!!! Also check out her page filled with other great items!!!!

I am an artist Cendrine Marrouat's Products : Cendrine Marrouat - CafePress Store

Do I Look Deterred?(Contingency Plan)

Peace all,

This is starting to be a recurring song, with me trusting people to assist me in this endeavor, only to find something different after looking deeper into the matter.

OK Q, WHATCHA TALKING ABOUT?

Oh, let me explain. The Down Here On The Ground art exhibit was supposed to be a collaboration with a certain non-profit organization whom I will not name here, however due to constant stagnation and other things that I saw that I felt was not in the best interest to do a joint venture in this regard, so I shelved the project.

CAN YOU ELABORATE MORE ON THIS?

Without going into too many specifics, I found it hard to keep communication with certain individuals regarding issues such as providing proof of non-profit status, which became a tedious task, and led me on many wild goose chases to obtain simple but pertinent information needed to request space to hold this event. Last Friday was the straw that broke the camel's back. After setting up a meeting with this person, I could not get a handle on the whereabouts. This individual told me that he would be at his office. So I hopped on another train and went out of my way to meet this person at the office. When I got there no one was there, so I waited for 30 minutes, then I left a voicemail that I arrived and was waiting for them. I have yet to receive a reply or response from such individual, so what am I to do, continue dealing with this situation? The message I want to give is way more important here.

I wanted it to start in my part of Dallas, and then we were to make rounds in numerous libraries holding this event, giving people a chance in the southern sector to witness a cultural event and also obtaining much needed knowledge regarding local events and organizations whose intention is to help citizens, especially lower income citizens to learn about programs that assist with immediate needs as well as reconnecting those who were in the prison system with their loved ones. But alas, it looks as if that won't happen, due to many issues that I won't go into right now.

My heart goes out to those who try to create and galvanize efforts in their communities, but continue to run into some sort of stumbling block, beit lack of professionalism or lack of scope of the part of people who claim to share your vision. Especially for independent artists who already have mountainous hills to climb, and virtually very little or no support from anyone unless some celebrity cosigns on their work.

But hey, I have a contingency plan here, so no need for the boo hoo. That only wastes time...I'll keep you abreast God Willing...Just consider this a temporary setback. Like the multitude of others I've had....LOL....Love ya!

Kraftwerk - Pocket Calculator

More blogging on the way soon....Hopefully....

...Sweet Sorrow

Peace all, Yesterday was one of those days you wish you could capture it on camera, well at least I wish I did....lol. There was a series of events that gave me optimism and a better perspective on things and how I should approach my upcoming project Down Here on the Ground. .

But first let me tell you about my entry into Borders' Book Store, which brought me back to the old days.For those unaware of the situation, Borders' Bookstore is going out of business, and are now in the process of liquidating all assets, even the bookshelves. It didn't hit me until I walked up to the door and noticed from looking thru the window that the cappucino bar with all of its Wi-Fi capabilities were gone, just a bunch of tables lay scattered all across the area. As I walked into the doors for what will likely be my last time there, I saw that all of the materials had been pushed to the front. In the background an old James Brown classic Papa Don't Take No Mess piped through. I didn't know they had it in them. As I looked throughout the barren areas in the back, I felt a presence of sadness, well at least for me that is, I mean I could never be ranked among the best customers there, but it's just the whole idea of a bookstore closing down that gets me. Call me a sentimentalist, aren't all artists? Anyway, the books had discounts ranging from 60 to 80% off. WHOA!!!!!! DOUBLE WHOA!!!! TRIPLE WHOA!!!!


So what does a brother like me do? Take advantage of the opportunity? I WISH....LOL...I mean in these lean and trim times I had to pass up the opportunity. It wasn't easy though, I mean where else will you find books originally sold for $27 become drasticatically reduced to like 5 or 7 dollars? And the selection was one to go GAGA over(no pun intended). First I found a book entitled The Fifteen Biggest Lies the Right Does Not Want You to Know About Taxes, Jobs, and Corporate America, then I saw Dark Alliance....ooooooh, this is the one I've been looking for, about how the CIA collabed with drug dealers to the sell crack in the inner city of Los Angeles, all to fund a clandestine war in Nicaragua...then I found Bought and Paid For: The Unholy Alliance Between Obama and Wall Street ooooooh, man, I started calculating right away....let's just say I hadn't found so many that I wanted to cop all at once.

The only thing I couldn't get with was the "sexy" fishing magazine they had on the magazine shelf, I mean when did women think so low of themselves nowadays to allow their bodies to be exploited to sell fish magazines? I mean imagine a woman in sexy lingerie holding a prize winning bass....and the slogan read "Putting more throb in your rod" Have we stooped that low as a society?

This picture is a little more lame than the one I found on the front page. The back page had a totally naked lady hiding her breasts with her arms and with certain balls covering her private areas. God Help Us.

But alas instead of indulging, priorities came first, especially when I look down and the shiny silver Reebok running shoes I found for little or nothing now show serious signs of wear and tear, especially at the sole, where the front portion started separating from the shoe itself, making my "rims" look as if it was sticking its tongue out whenever I walked....sniff...sniff...

Thankfully I found that the library had all three books, so I requested them all, but I like to own my materials, especially books like these....Someday God Willing I'll get them. But this is a final tribute to Borders' Bookstore and my "rims" my shiny silver Reebok shoes...you've served your purpose well.....KUDOS...Parting is such sweet sorrow.....Peace.

FOCUS! FOCUS! FOCUS!

Peace all, and belated Eid Mubarak to the Muslims coming from the fasting of the month of Ramadhan. May Allah accept our fasting and deeds done for His Sake.

A very interesting Ramadhan and come and gone once again, filled with many lessons learned and very interesting concepts reflected upon. All in all, it was a very enlightning and uplifting experience. I pray I am able to see and experience another blessed Ramadhan again, there is nothing like the experience.

Keeping oneself focused was the task at hand, I mean imagine me walking constantly through the scorching Texas heat, not having eaten anything substantial in the last few hours, to go to the library and type out a passage or two reflecting on issues very few people ever contemplate over, only to write them on a Facebook book page with only 28 friends that subscribed to, and not even all of them read my writings. But again, mass appeal is not the object. But it does take focus, focus that even I didn't think I had...LOL...But where there is a purpose there is a will. I leave Ramadhan now with even more focus, and still thinking of more writings to fill up my Reflections page. I feel like I've only just begun.

But now I also have to turn my attention to my proposed Art Exhibit entitled Down Here on the Ground, and gear up for that event now. I've sent the proposal for space and I am awaiting a response. I've been looking through several pictures and trying to come up with different ideas to create. Right now I am on a mixed media and collage binge, looking for that right connection or that right energy. This looks to be very exciting, although I still lack many resources to pull this exhibit off. I set the date so I can have some kind of tangible deadline to make my self work and not procrastinate, which happens to be a great friend of mine...lol.

But throught it all, I keep pushing, hoping for something to come along that will give me that much needed boost. I guess I am just nervous due to the fact that about what happened last year, I don't think I can take anymore letdowns. Confidence does wane, especially after recurring instances....I pray this is not the case.




Take care.

Boyz n the hood Compton Scene

Salaams all, wrapping up the last days of Ramadhan, will give more info on the exhibit, God Willing, but the proposal has been sent, and after Ramadhan we're gonna get busy...Give you a hint though....Dealing with this issue. Peace.

Taking it Slowly....

Peace all...

It's been a couple of weeks since blogging and seeming to be so excited about a possible art exhibit. Well the enthusiasm is still there, but it's been tapered a little bit because of two factors:

The first is this heat, with sweltering temperatures in the 100s for the past couple of weeks. Thank God we finally received a little rain, which was enough to provide some shade for a change. These past few weeks have been murder on me due to the fact that I'm walking to the library, which for only God knows, opens in the middle of the day on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. So imagine me walking to the library, looking for paths of shade on the sidewalks because when the sun is in the middle of the sky, roads are not going to provide shades from trees. Thursdays thru Saturdays are not too bad, but this rain or just this one day without the sun beaming on me was badly needed. Thank you Allah.

The second thing is the month of fasting, or Ramadhan. This is my first Ramadhan in the summer months, fasting from the break of dawn to sunset. I've fasted before in the summertime, but never on a consistent basis, and compound this constant walking in this heat, it has sapped my energy and fatigue can set it as well. I am trying my best to complete this proposal, but being drained and fatigued has set a delay in presenting my proposal. But hopefully I will present it this upcoming week, God Willing. I will keep you updated, I'm looking toward holding the exhibit between September 24th and October 1st. That will give me more time to recollect my thoughts and re energize. Plus it gives me time to move about with my camera and develop a video to present as well. I've contacted some friends who have asked to help construct the video, which is just dandy for me. Helps me to concentrate on some other things.

Anyways, I will keep you posted on this event, and I will talk about it in upcoming blogs, and also will include details on a non-profit organization, run by a good fried of mine. In the meantime, to my Muslim family, May Allah accept our deeds and fasting for His Sake....Ameen

To the rest of the world....Look out....LOL



Peace...

Hard At Work

Peace All...

Just a quick blog to give you an idea of what's up...Working on the exhibit, going through the motions, but it's looking better with each moment...I've spoken with some people who could make some things happen for me, and in the process I've come across some special jewels here...Ramadhan begins tomorrow, and I pray that Allah will accept the fasting and forgive us our sins...What do I have planned for Ramadhan you ask? Mainly reading Qu'ran but also reading other material, especially Black on the Block, about gentrification....Pretty exciting stuff, huh? Yeah I'm a party animal...Fill ya in more later....Peace

Keepin ya HIP!!!!

Peace all,

Been a while since blogging, but still at it...Blogging gives me a sense of expressing myself in ways I don't necessarily think I can on Facebook or Twitter(especially Twitter since you are only allowed 140 characters anyway.)But here I get to spew completely uninhibited random thoughts without worry...well maybe some worry...lol

Anyway keeping you abreast on some things have become a bit of a task since my internet has gone kablewy, but on the real it was not all that I had expected in the first place...the wireless internet became more of a pain than an upgrade, and from the onstart I encountered problems with this system, especially being in a neighborhood with homes older than 20 years...And the customer service has been a problem too...

ANYWAY ENOUGH OF THAT...WHAT'S BEEN UP WITH YOU? HOW'S YOUR HEALTH SINCE THE PIT BULL ATTACKS?

Well, the wounds have healed pretty much, and I wasn't diagnosed with hypertension, but was given a strong warning to watch my diet and exercise more. The daily walks are great, but they want more of a faster pace to get the heart going. Eliminating or reducing stress, now that's a horse of another color....haven't been able to figure that one out yet.

HERE'S TO HOPING FOR A SPEEDY RECOVERY...NOW WHAT'S UP WITH THE ARTWORK?

Well I have several projects on tap, I can't fill you in all at once, but hopefully as things develop I will ...First off I have opened the Lifestyles Of The Ignored Gallery on my website http://realquwwa.com. I have a few photos there, and plan to build more as time progresses...I really like what I have done so far, and I pray this is only the beginning. I have also began posting my tshirts and other apparel on the site too.

THAT'S GREAT...ANYTHING ELSE ON TAP?

Oooooh if you only knew...I am filming footage for future video in the works...Shooting most of the footage in my hometown area...

ANY WORD ON THE DIRECTION OF THE VIDEO?

Well it took a turn the more I started filming and gathering more info. It started out as something personal, but as I filmed more on the subjects, it looks like something else is going to come out of this. Not so much as focusing on the homeless, but moreso my area in general and attitudes toward certain sectors of towns, including politicians and such...Can't tell you all about it yet, but it is taking more shape now...This coming Ramadhan, the month of fasting for the Muslims, I will spending it reading The Qur'an and A Book Entitled Black on the Block...It's about gentrification in the Black Neighborhoods, and the behind the scenes look at who really benefits...This will help give direction as well..

GOTTA NAME FOR IT RIGHT NOW?

Tentatively it's called Down Here On The Ground I'll keep ya hip to the latest updates, God Willing.

COOL...ANYTHING ELSE?

Gotta stay tuned...Working on my own exhibitions...May have one in the works...But that's all I can say on that matter for right now...Can't give it all away just yet...

OK, I'LL GIVE YOU YOUR TIME TO KEEP UP POSTED....ANYTHING ELSE?

Just to be on the lookout...I love being under the radar....LOL...PEACE



http://realquwwa.com

Bustin' Out!!!

Peace all,

Well, the website is coming along fine, still have to open up my Lifestyles of the Ignored gallery, but hopefully will do so by this weekend...And stay tuned for a chance to win an original painting from the artist himself!!! In the meantime take a look at the site http://www.realquwwa.com...Check out the items for sale, more on the way...Yeah it may be a shameless plug, but anyway...lol

More blogs on the way...Peace.

Realquwwa.wmv

Letting it GO! Again...

Peace all,

It's uhhruh...let's see here...12:50pm, and I am still trying to launch my website, nerves are really getting the best of me...I need a serious vacation from all of this...

Last week while walking from the store I was attacked by two pit bulls, who jumped out of the owners house. I was startled because I was in the middle of the street, was not agitating them. Minding my own business, yet I was jumped. Bitten in both the calf and thigh...went to the doctor's office and was asked if I was ever checked for hypertension, in which I told them no, and was informed that my blood pressure was at stroke level, and I needed a physical right away, which means more money to be diagnosed with a disease, which means more money that I don't have to buy blood pressure medicine, which will actually cause more stress and distress than initially intended...Every little thing is irritating me now, but I saw this coming a long time ago, from dealings as a customer service representative. The only difference is now I am not working, so that's not an excuse anymore but I can definitely say the stress has lingered, and so has the depression...I'm trying my best to let it go...

Peace all...Love you...

Just Making Conversation

Peace all,

It's uhhruh 12:53pm here in Texas, heat is not as bad as yesterday, but can I fully enjoy the beautiful weather? Well not exactly...I have a bad case of the scratchies from these chiggers while sitting on the grass a couple of days ago...It's all good though, nothing that a nice hot bath won't cure, God Willing. Just need to stock up on the repellant because it could be one of those interesting summers here. Already experienced a couple of tornadoes, the last one came a few days ago, more scary is the fact they are coming more frequently in the nighttime, making it much more difficult to see anything on the outside. This one here came with much hail that rocked the roof here...In the final analysis, a total of eight tornadoes swept through the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex area, rocking areas and even hovering over the downtown Dallas area, where the heedless all play...I'm scared to think what could become of that area should one touch down...Thinking about the tornadoes that rocked Joplin, MO, where one of my friends who just moved to this area lived. At the present 139 killed...Is there a message behind all of this? and more than just a call to go green, which I think is kinda like past that stage anyway...I mean I believe our abuse and misuse of things do have a part in this, but I just think we can't expect to alleviate the situation with abstaining of radioactive waves and aerosol cans and plastics and stuff...I believe it starts in the hearts of man....Change that first...I believe this Earth is in good hands and can always be repaired, remember we didn't create it anyways...But I'm just making conversation...

www.realquwwa.com

The Laying of the Hands Part TOO!!!

Peace all!!!!

Just a few pictures to show you my lack of blogging was not due to laziness!!!




That's right peeps, Q was working on a master plan to make things accessible to the public. Some may look at this as straying away from my art, but I don't think so. I think it enhances my art, knowing that I can be versatile with my expression, beit art, prints, or wearable art. I'm being very careful in choosing my words here, trying to avoid using the word FASHION...which is another way of saying TREND...I want all of my work to be relevant, however have a sense of durability, something that I think is sorely lacking in much of today's culture. Everything is all about the NOW...I think they call it Instant Gratification...LOL



Anyway The Hands On Experiment is something that resembles my approach to art and how I handle my affairs, and it lets me have fun too! This is one of the reasons I decided to remove my Zazzle and Etsy Accounts, although I think I still may be a member of these sites...I think...LOL...It was important for me to learn the ins and outs of creating and distributing my own work. I looked at Zazzle as an opportunity to spread my wings and offer some work to a wider audience, but after looking at who really benefits from these "partnerships" I took it upon myself to make a HANDS ON APPROACH in my ventures, not saying I would not like to partner up, but it should be for the best of both sides, and I didn't see that in Zazzle...I actually think I know how a rapper feels now, to have all of his hard work distributed worldwide and not see a decent percentage of royaties for it...

With Etsy I liked the handmade approach, but it began to get too crafty for me, and plus the idea of communicating with other Etsy members seemed to be too cumbersome, and time consuming, taking away from a lot of other things, and the competing to get front page notoriety and treasures made me tired. I saw some of my Etsy friends complain about not getting enough exposure, people haggling over the prices, which I loathe...So I put together my webbie together...Yeah there is a lot of hard work promoting, advertising, etc. etc. etc, but I like knowing the ins and outs of my work...Becoming more personally involved...The Hands On Approach....DIG?



Available soon on http://realquwwa.com

The Laying of the Hands

Peace all,

Real quickly...Been very busy, my apologies for no blogs recently, several things popped up and had to tend to some personals. I am really excited about the future of RealQuwwa.com and the up and coming events in store. It's just getting started.

In the meantime I'm getting ready to unleash my latest in works entitled The Hands On Collection. It is a collection of shirts and apparel designed by yours truly, coming out very soon. Gotta get the slides and the ads down packed so I can present it to you only the way Quwwa can...LOL...Here is just a tidbit sample of what will be present on http://realquwwa.com.



This is one of a few string backpacks I have worked on, and more to come. The ideas are just coming up from all over, and there is more in store so stay tuned. I have to go and calm down now from the biggest caffeine buzz I've experienced in years...Thank you cappucino!

Take care all.

SPECIAL MESSAGE....

Peace all....

YEAH I'M STILL HERE!!! LOL....

Masterminds - Sunshine (1998) [HQ]

Peace all, just here at the lab, multitasking, and taking care of the personal. Stay Tuned for more blogs and information on the website which can be seen by clicking here.

BTW. I have been able to merge the blog onto my webbie without having to make any major changes, all one has to do on the website is to click on the widget icon and boom, you're back here. I am very happy about that, because I don't have to migrate stuff over or jump on some other format...I likes it right here.

In the meantime, check this indie chumpie I ran across on YouTube...

Just For Kicks!

Peace all...

Hmmm...it's 8:34 in the morning, got a new mixed media project I'm waiting to dry(textures can be soooo funnnn!) and I needs my bowl of cereal! Found the Granola at the store, and it's time to dig in!

Anyway, this small bloggie is dedicated to twelve of the most important individuals a person can ever have...Yeah that's right, the infamous ten toes and two feet. I mean without them one can not run, walk, jump, kick somebody in the booty, or any of those marvellous pastimes without some assistance from technology, which just doesn't have that natural feel, especially when it comes to kicking somebody in the BOOTY!

Anyway my high-top Adidas went sour on me, after travelling several miles on foot...Soooooooooo. I had to get some more comfortable shoes, realizing shoes made for basketball just don't cut it when it comes to walking...I think I now know the difference....LOL



Anyway check out these shiny discoesque running shoes I paid for. Although some say the shoes are not that bad, I felt uncomfortable putting these shiny shoes on, and developed nicknames like nickelfeet...lol

Well after putting them on one time I felt the difference...So it maybe goodbye basketball shoes and hello running and walking shoes...At least until I get on the court....Do yourself a favor...Treat yo' toesies right! Peace.

Up and Down...

Peace all!

Well I got good news and bad news....The good news is that the bad news has not made me lose my freaking mind...YET!

The Bad News is the landline phone went BLEWEY!(as Barney Fife would say) I was on the net last Friday and it just went BLEWEY! No more innernets, nothing. My friend told me he tried to call me, but the line was busy, so I tried the troubleshooting steps I learned during my brief stint at Ver....well let me say there were a few good things I learned there. Anyway turns out the phone line has a short and the other teleplantation BLAH, BLAH and BLAH, tells me it will cost 179.00 AN HOUR to fix this thing...Imagine time ticking away while the technician sits on his derrier talking about he's waiting on a part he conveniently left back at the office, or other things. So I said ENOUGH! Let's take a walk on the wild side, or should I say the wireless side, and I got Clear Wireless...Still no internet...


Anyway things are going fine back at the lab, getting a better feel of Photoshop Elements, and starting to take pics and edit them, making another slideshow and doing a bio for a few others...Juices are just a flowing and I'm loving every bit of it. Gotta few things on the painting side taking place and I'll keep you posted asap. Also looking into videos to post on my site and YouTube as well...Keeping up the creativity as much as possible....






It's time to feel again....Take care all...

Letting It All Hang Out!

Peace all,

12:05am on the dot! Jumuah for the Muslims....Friday morning....Wait a minute....What am I doing up? LOL

Playing with this Nintendo Wii thingy is addictive, even for a person whom the Wii Fitness Meter estimated to be BLAHBLAHBLAH years old...LOL

My arms are sore from the boxing game. Must admit I haven't moved my arms like this in a loooong time...SORE BUT LOVING IT! No pain, no gain, riiiiight?

Anyway, let me tell you about the Tuesday night interview with Lady Flava on Flava News, one of the many shows she has on Blog Talk Radio. First let me say that this lady is a dear friend of mine and a huge supporter of the arts, regardless of genre. However I think the interview was a great shot in the arm for the both of us, for me because out of the other respective interviews I've had in the past, this one was more of a relax, let-it-flow, let-it-all-out thing, and when the internet was working fine, it was real intense. I got to touch subjects I did not cover in previous interviews, and no disrespect to the other because I love them all, but this was the most intense interview I have encountered so far, mainly because the questions were more hard hitting and more to the point of what motivates me and the driving force behind my visual art.

But I also think it benefitted her as well, and gave her more diversity in the sense that she now can prove she is an avid supporter of the arts as a whole, and not just the music scene, with the spoken word scene coming right behind it. She had been trying to get me to get on the show and add some visual artist credibility to her repertoire, and I think it went over fine. Plus she covered the technical difficulties well by putting in some great jazz, too bad I couldn't hear it...LOL

You can catch the whole thing on her site or on www.realquwwa.com. All you have to do is click on the REALQUWWA link above, then click on About Quwwa and then Interviews.

PS...She gave me some very uplifting news when she informed me that she received very positive feedback from people who listened to the archives, and thanked me for a candid and honest interview...

All Praise is due to Allah Alone...

Later y'all...Love ya!

What Da Heezy?

Peace all, check out my interview with Lady Flava tonight at 7pm Central/8 Eastern, if not check it out on www.realquwwa.com.

In the meantime I guess with the new laws allowing liquor to be sold in my area(we still don't have that grocery store yet!) I'm thinking people will react like this when they can't get their drank on....LOL

Peace Out

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

People Get Ready!!!

Peace all,

OK WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN MAN? YOU STARTED OUT OF THE GATES BLOGGING IT UP AND NOW YOU'VE TAPERED OFF? WHAT'S UP?
Been busy with building the webbie, ya know, and trying to take care of other priorities.

SUCH AAAAAAASSSSSSSSSS?
Blogging...lol....Along with working on the photo tip and trying to get some merch to put on the site. Remember now this is not an easy thing when you're flying solo here. But it's the challenge that comes with the territory of being an artist, especially in my case, having to come back from a long hiatus and things seem to go one way and then make drastic twists and turns...

DID YOU GET YOUR INTERNET GOING FINALLY?
Yep, Thank God I did...FINALLY...Took awhile but it fell into place, just in time for the interview with Angel Ayes.

HOW DID THAT GO?
I thoroughly enjoyed it, and wished it would have been longer than an hour. We got a chance to cover some very personal things in an attempt to give the youth of today another outlet to express themselves, and maybe parlay that expression into a career. Many people are grossly unaware of the possibilities that stem from being a visual artist, and it's not just what people conceive as back in the old days. The playing field has opened up with technology, which has also allowed me to evolve into more than just a painter, but a full fledge visual artist.

I have another interview this coming Tuesday with my dear friend Lady Flava, we're going to mix it up on her BTR show.

WHEN IS THAT WEBBIE GONNA DROP?
You can check it out now at http://www.realquwwa.com but it's at its raw stages now, and due to some illnesses, I had to step back a bit, but God Willing it will go on as planned. This is my personal victory...

SO YOU CONSIDER THIS A VICTORY ALREADY?
Yep...

WHY IS THAT?
Because I have it...Sometimes a victory comes at the beginning and not at the end.

ELABORATE PLEASE
This wasn't supposed to have according to many people. Q was supposed to go about his merry way and get a REAL JOB, ya know one with supposed benefits...This was to be left to the hippies and or people who made up in their minds early on this is what they wanted to do. So the fact I opened the site itself is a victory in itself.

GOTCHA. ANYTHING ELSE?
People get ready...Q wants to speak!

MARCH MADNESS IS HERE!

March Madness is here...NO NOT THE NCAA TOURNAMENT! My version of March Madness! LOL




It's been a very eventful year to say the least for the Q and things are right now topsy-turvy. My interview with Angel Ayes which was rescheduled to March 7th(Hey, that's tomorrow, right?) will go on as planned, despite the ever-continuing saga of trying to get some decent internet access. This crap is really beginning to eat at me to the core, with all of the mishaps and stuff going on. I signed onto this service last week, only to have my activation date start TODAY! A FULL WEEK! Then as I tried to activate my account, no access...

So I call tech support today to see what was going on, and they have to escalate my issue to Level 2, which will be tomorrow, hopefully. Sooooo, while connecting to the modem I discovered that I can actually connect to server of my old provider, JUNO, but I would have to pay for the delinquent services in order to the internet. So simple, just call back and pay the bill and have the account reactivated, right? OH SO WRONG!

Usually I do not complain about the services of a company unless they have had a continuous string of inefficiency( I hate that word...efficiency!) but there have been several bad experiences with this provider in the past couple of weeks. I've been told that there was no availability for the service in my area, despite having the service a few months ago. Then I was told that the current modem I have will not work, and they need to send a new one, WRONG! I'm connected to the network right now, I just need to pay the bill and be provisioned to the internet! Then I was told that I could get the service, but my activation will not be until the 13th of March because they have to re-provision my signal and I need to pay a reactivation fee...

I won't go into the language and/or racial barrier, but I will say the experimenting of using foreign people to service your products as a means of efficiency( or shall we just say being plain CHEAP)is failing miserably. Giving people a script and running through scenarios to teach people how to approach certain issues SUCKS! How do I know? I've worked for two of the major tele-plantations myself and this is how they conduct business...All in the name of being CHEAP! Excuse me, efficient. Verizon goes a step further and tells you in training that they have to be cheap on you to stay competitive. So they give you a raise after 90 days, but everything after that is performance bonuses...WTF? So we work for tips now, huh? Like I'm some freakin waitress? Well as Flo used to say "KISS MY GRITS!" The same stress has returned, which means the same overeating and hypertension has reappeared.

These incidents are coming at a time when doubts are arriving, mainly from other factions, but I can't help it! I'm human and I'm tired of being judged or hearing that others are basically writing me off, especially because they don't understand what I'm trying to do here. They're looking at this as some novelty act, or goofy types of craft, but this is serious business...It's hurts me more because it's coming from the mouths of those who say they love me...That really hurts. They are expecting me to stay on a low paying ass job and smile simply because there is a check every two weeks, but if the check can't cover your basic needs, what the f*ck is the reason for staying there? Just to say you have money for a few minutes? What is this attitude that we have that now allows people to accept any type of ill treatment from Mr. Charlie, and tell people to pray on it and leave it to God, but the first insignificant little person ticks us off, we don't pray on it or leave it to God, we go straight for the jugular vein... No wonder these jobs treat us so badly. We worship them the same way or even more than we worship The Creator. We fear them MORE than the Creator, and because of this we will continue to slide down deeper and deeper into bedlam.

But be grateful, right? Yeah but be realistic TOO HOMEY! Struggling just to struggle ain't cutting it!

But when I tell people of my aspirations, they look at it as wishy-washy, so I'm not telling them anymore. I just don't want to hear any fake applause or see fake smiles if this thing jumps off...

Wanna know why I focus so much on Lifestyles of the Ignored? Let's just say I have a lot of experience on this issue.


WWW.REALQUWWA.COM is on it's way...

Peace all...

When You Want Somethin' Done Right...

Peace all,

Hey all, check check check it OWWWT! My new choice of weaponry, in the never-ending fight for truth and justice!




HEY WAIT A MINUTE! HOW CAN YOU FIGHT FOR TRUTH AND JUSTICE WITH A CAMERA?
Easy! By associating the images with that of truth, and not some fabricated, superimposed, cut and paste hocus pocus that floods our media nowadays! Don't you get tired of watching videos and clips of propoganda and just nonsense poised and packaged to fool the public, or is it just willful deceit we are suffering from.

In any case this camera serves a purpose of taking much better pics and with more extensive zoom. I intended to get a new camera anyway, but I did not think of purchasing one with 26X Zoom and 14Megapixels. But this should serve many purposes, especially in the area of creating quality prints, which will go just great with the originals I plan to create. In addition also make some quality videos for my YouTube channel.

The previous blog entitled "Dreaming of a White Super Bowl" is a prime example of sorely lacking quality pictures, especially of the picture of Reunion Tower with the NFL Players Association logo on the building. I had so much trouble focusing in on the building as well as other pictures, which were taken with an older but still effective camera with 7 megapixels. The omitted quality is obviously seen. I tried to play it off as effects, but finally admitted that excuse won't work. So it's time to take it to the next level in photography.

Sometimes you just gotta get more serious about your craft, right?

...All I want is some innernets!

Peace all,

Let's get right to it, OK? First things first. The interview with Angel Ayes has been moved to March 7th, which gives me more time to work on my presentation, which seemed to be sorely lacking, thanks to the wonderful world of the World Wide Web.

The story goes like this...Being able to square up with some of my debts gave me the ability to seek retrieving my DSL internet back, only problem was I had switched numbers and phone companies, and you know how the monopolies go, right? I mean they swear up and down that they are no longer a monopoly, but the little companies who are only there due to deregulation from the government are still unable to be fully effective for their customers, especially when all they offer is dialup! OH BOY!

One provider says they have service for my current number, then calls back and says we are unable to validate the number, since it belongs to BLAH BLAH and BLAH, so after I sqaure up with the phone company and get a switch date, these people tell me it will take 3-5 days to validate, then another 3-5 to activate, oh these are business days too!...I searched different wireless providers figuring I would take a walk on the wild side so to speak, but that was harder than dealing with DSL...

Moving right along, I had to square up with my old provider, then re establish my account, then VOILA, RIGHT? WRONG! I spent time after time trying to contact different DSL providers, whom none could not give me any straight answer on regaining some access. The previous DSL provider, who was pretty decent if I say so myself could not validate my number, although it was the same number as before, then they told me they would have to send a new modem due to the possibility of the one I have now may not be compatible...Uh huh...

I was able to speak with my friend recently, who assured me it would be no problemo on the date change, so now it is March 7th...Hope you tune in, never know what could happen....More to come! (IA)

Take care...