T-Minus 10...

There's nothing I love more than a worthy opponent; there's nothing I love more than a good teacher...

They said it was unwise to take 5 upper level courses in the same semester. I didn't: I took 5 parts of a single course called Sociology. But don't worry about that now... it's DONE. I turned in my final final yesterday, and now... I don't even have 5 whole courses left between now and graduation. How ya lovin' that?

Oh yeah, this semester was a big deal. A real big deal. But you know what? Not a heck of a lot actually changed. This was my semester in a nutshell: I came in with deep suspicion; I came out with total confirmation.

So, finally, I can look all those who have questioned me directly in the eye and say, "You think the way you think because you have the mind of a child in a world constructed by grown folks. Oh, you wanna debate that? Okay... I've got Karl Marx; who you got? I've got Durkheim; who you got? I got Hooks; who you got? I've got Weber; who you got? I've got Bartlett and Steele; who you got? I've got Scarboro and Johnston; who you got? I've got MLK Jr.; who you got? I've got DuBois AND Washington; who you got? I've got JESUS CHRIST; who you got?"

See, that's important to me... Correction: that's important to you. Why? Because, for some reason, any conclusion I draw without someone else's seconding is worthless to you. That's the greatest lesson that I've learned from school: we're a society full of sheep who have no direction without someone else's direction.

Well... YOU ASKED FOR IT, YOOUUUU GOT IT! NOW WHAT!

Yeah, this semester has been worth every dime... I said I'd never make friends with professors; now I'm associates with a whole department! And while your people wave goodbye and say, "Stay out of trouble," mine shake my hand and say, "Start trouble". And I'm HAPPY to oblige!

Oh, it's a cooold living tryna do something worthwhile in this life while surrounded by scary, apathetic, sheepish folks; I feel like giving up EVERY DAY. But hold on... I can't leave here until I get me some getback; I owe some people for doubting me and doubting what I stand for. I can't leave this earth until I drop a shoeprint in this piece and change the landscape.

And I'm starting with my own city. I've targeted a long-standing, long-divided issue--- a polluted neighborhood that has been neglected for TWO DECADES. That's gonna be my entry point; and when I stab into the situation, I'm using a poison-laced blade... it's gonna spread to every part of this city. And that's just the beginning.

I have a team that I'm not even gonna count on. Why? Because I can't count on 'em; nobody's got the time, the faith, or the attention span to hold me down, it seems. And knowing this, it would be stupid on my part to put things on hold for them or leave it up to them to make or break this move; I didn't go to school to come out stupid... 'matter of fact, I wasn't even stupid enough to want to go to school in the first place. But I thank God that fires don't start collectively; they start with sparks. My job is to spark in a dry place, like the city of Augusta, and then blow and bank on the fire igniting on the dead grass. If it doesn't ignite, I'll just spark it again. It's nothing; there's no sense in living and not trying.

Tomorrow's my birthday. I'll be off work with no classes. I think I'm actually going to celebrate this year, somehow. Thursday, May 10, 2007... the origin of a new holiday, which I now dub "T-Minus 10"...

...So Begins the Ending. Spread the Word... B-J