GOOD MORNING GOOD MORNING!!

GOOD MORNING!!!

LIVE LIFE TODAY!!!

Dont BE AFRAID OF THE SADDNESS!!! ITS ONLY TEMPORARY! A transient flaw in the cycle of life that will only reinforce the circle.

IN THE END --- ALL IS LOVE!

HAVE A GREAT DAY!

Just Call me REV!

So, I officially became a Non-Denominational Reverend last month. Random? Not really. Any one who knows me is aware that I am a lover of life, a ponderer of the unknown, and a ardent supporter of unconditional love. I am a fan of understanding and communication, and believe that with patience, genuine kindness, and self reflection most problems can be overcome.

But, that still does not answer the "Why" of my decision to become a Reverend.

Well, to be honest and somewhat corny, its rather simple - I love love, and I feel that nothing is possible with out the help of the creator. Now whether you call the creator: The great Spirit, The goddess, Jesus Christ, Allah, Jehovah, or G-D; I think what you call him is really a minor detail. I often think jokingly to myself how antithetical it would be for one's soul to arrive at the gates of the afterlife and have the creator just shake her head at you and say you been calling me Christ that whole time and that really pissed me off -- so no paradise for you.

Now I do think that the creator can become upset at the negligent exploits of the flesh, yet I believe that righteous vengeance is reserved for the amoral, sociopaths. That may sound harsh but think of it - how many amoral, sociopaths are there on earth? Not that many! This means that the creator is more concerned with our salvation. When I say salvation I don't necessarily mean ensuring that your soul reaches heaven (if your a christian) or that you attain Nirvana (if your Buddhist); But rather that the creator is concerned with our efforts to save human kind.

Our salvation is in our treatment of others, NOT in a forward thinking sense of doing something nice or living a kind existence just so that you can end up in "heaven," rather in creating a heaven on earth because of our genuine kindness and desire to advance human kind.

This brings me to what I believe to be my salvation - love. Love is the single most propelling force in my life - where it is self love, love of learning, or love of living. Love is why I think I was put here on earth; to love, be loved, and solemnize the love of others. The solemnizing of the love of others is the crux of why I became ordained. I want to be able to celebrate, sanctify, and solemnize the love others have for each other by presiding over their weddings.

I became a Reverend to help those couples that feel that they have spiritual link to the creator, want their wedding ceremonies to have some ritual, but over all don't feel that one religion captures all of their beliefs. For those couples a non-denominational Reverend like myself would be able to work with the couple to craft a unique, individual, and spiritually significant ceremony that would both capture the sacredness of the day and the important traditions the couple feel must be apart of such an occasion.

So, if you our your significant other think you may be interested in a Non-denominational Wedding crafted to your spiritual specifications, then I am your Reverend. Please feel free to contact me directly at -- Rev.A.Rivera@gmail.com. I reside in NJ, but will certainly travel anywhere. I only ask that you give me at least 2 months notice before the date of ceremony so as to meet with you and apprise myself of the laws of the county where the ceremony will be performed so that I can follow any necessary legal requirements.

Have a blessed day, and go forward to do only that which is right.

natural beauty in the city??

Who ever said that an urban sunset left something to be desired must have not been really looking... Cities usually get a bad rap because of crime, violence, and general druggery. However, all you have to do is take a minute and look up at the right time of day and you are likely to forget your even in the city. Wanting to share those afore mentioned moments with all of you it occurred to me to capture them and place them up here for your enjoyment. So here they are perfect examples of a gorgeous urban sunset.....

**ALL PHOTOS ARE PROPERTY OF A. RIVERA and are COPYWRITTEN (C) 2009

NOT FOR REPRODUCTION OR SALE!

lesson: there is never an end to the hilarious stuff you can find online

So I have decided to take on the dutch language like I do a frosted glass of Hennessey privilege after a long week at work.... in my ardent search for study materials I came across this well dressed well put together women who I was sure was going to teach me the art of dutch etiquette. Yet, what followed was far from what I had expected... youtube never lets you down... ENJOY..

what little boy....?!

Last night as Me and my Partner were walking home rather late in the evening. We were last taking our normal short cut from the train, and its kind of a sketchy short cut because there are maybe 5 street lights to light a 7 block stretch -- but like I said its a sketchy shortcut. Nevertheless people live along these streets so its packed with two family homes and apartment buildings. Yet, I digress... so we are walking and as we cross the street I notice two young adolescent dudes giggling uncontrollably. I thought nothing of it walked towards them with ease continuing my conversation with my boo. But of course something had to happen...

So as I crossed the intersection and as I stepped on the corner the shorter of the two stepped in my path with his arms crossed. I think to myself "what in the hell is this little sucker fucker doing... I am not in the mood to have to kick anybody's kids ass." MInd you im still walking and he is STILL standing in my path. So Now im engaged in a game of chicken with this kid who couldn't be older than 13. Just as we were about to collide he leans in and jumps back causing me to step sidwardsly which is what i think the little punk wanted cause he says: "WHAT ARE YOU DRUNK" and for split second I think "this little jackass thinks he's carrot top or something" so I being the quintessential New Yorker I am say no "But you must be." Later I think maybe I could've been harder on the little shit but I thought if I had yell "Hey you little shit get the FUCK out my way, before I tell you mom your out here fucking with people and she whips your ass!" - it might have been too much.. dont you think?

This stuff only happens to me...i can only laugh

Lesson: PEOPLE DONT HAVE ANY COMMON SENSE ON THE TRAIN

Why do people seem to lose their ever loving minds on the train in NYC during rush hour. Mind you rush hour is like 3 hours long so maybe that is a contributing factor. Regardless people generally don't know how to act. Sadly I must single out the male gender as whole because their shennigans on the train are the most ridiculous. Two stories come to mind -

(1) So a couple of months ago me and my sexy beast of a partner were riding the 3 train, a train referred to as the beast because it goes from the heart of harlem to the heart of crown heights. Needless to say there are usually many strong personalities aboard. So on this particular evening the train was classically crowded.. you know when its so crowded that your ass is like getting to know the ass of the person standing behind you because they are pressed together like the hands of lovers on the glass of penitentiary visitation cubicles, nasty but true. Of course being the aggressive and train savy new yorker that I am hoping that some one sitting directly in front of me will get up and get off, this would allow me or my partner could slide right into that open seat and get out of the gauntlet of inappropriate touching laid down by the bodies packed in like sardines on the train. Then just as the woman infront of me was fixing her self to get up, I turned to my partner and said "would you like to sit down", mind you the train has not come to a complete stop yet --- when the man standing next to me says in booming voice "NO! IMMA SIT DOWN"

well suffice to say that he was the one who sat down..... so much for chivalry lol... then he proceeded to mumble under his breath about how his feet hurt too and who do women think they are...

(2) On an almost empty train... I am sitting there looking nowhere because the cardinal rule of riding the train in new york city is DO NOT MAKE EYE CONTACT... you never know if you might set a fool off... in one way or another.

Many years ago, in the summer of 98 when I was 14, my friend and I were coming back from some party in the mid evening - like 8ish. We were sitting in a train car with three other people. Two women and one man. As we had been told by our parents we kept to ourselves and did not make eye contact or at least I didn't. My other friend (who shall remain nameless so dont ask who it was) was substantially endowed like WHOA even at that age and needless to say she was constantly receiving attention of older men while in public. Anyway we are their sitting on the train and i notice she is smiling, I think to myself I know this big breasted female teen who is not in shape cant run or fight IS NOT MAKING EYE CONTACT with this obviously older man (had to be mid to late 20's). Just as I thought to myself there is nothing good that can come from this I saw the mans leg moving - because you better believe he wasn't going to get us both to make eye contact with him. As I tried to assess why his leg was moving so quickly and so wildly I noticed the man had HIS HAND IN HIS PANTS and was literally trying to rub one out!!!

CLEARLY, we had to get off at the next stop before the confetti or worse was thrown in celebration of whatever he hoped to achieve... ugh the HORROR!

Lesson: Its easy to keep a black man down

I know I usually amuse you all with tales of my escapades throughout the city; however today after my long hiatus I felt the need to address the public's singling out and castigation of Mr. Kanye West. Now I am not saying that what the man did was right, nor that he didn't deserve some heat, but I find it rather convienent that the media is focusing on his blog entries and his acts on that night and HAVE COMPLETELY DISREGARDED the mans heartfelt clearly distressed almost breakdown on the jay leno show two nights ago. Has everyone forgotten that Ms. West passed and Kanye was not able to or could not morn her passing. No one acknowledged his pain, nor gave the man some space. THIS WAS HIS MOTHER - whom he did not know was going in for an elective surgery and died on the table. I mean who would you feel? could you rally? now think of yourself with millions of eyes watching, encouraging you to be boisterous half expecting you to show out and act up... now could you juggle both saddness and pleasing the public?

Let us all remember that through out history the public has been fickle, and frankly inhumane towards artists - especially black men. It seems overall that they only get truely praised in death. Marvin Gaye loved and despised for his adultery - in death a recognized as the truely kind and sensitive soul he was; MJ do i have to really get in to what we did to that poor man and still there is NO proof he ever molested any boys not to mention his 1990 accuser admitted he was forced to tell lies about the King of Pop by his parents. And now Kanye --- some of you may say Kanye is no MJ he is no Marvin --- but this is my blog and i can compare who ever I want ! Anywho GIVE THE MAN A FREAKIN BREAK!! What do you want the man to do kill himself, he is embarrassed, sonned at the awards show by beyonce, and was almost crying on Jay Leno, not to mention he BLATANTLY said that HE IS HURTING AMERICA! further that he has never been able to morn his mom and that his hurt is spilling over.... has he not prostrated himself enough... i think that we need to examine ourselves and why we feel the need to so vehemently beat down the black man in favor of the young blond white woman. Dont get me wrong what he did was wrong and he should not have ruined Taylor Swifts moment but enough is enough already lets not make him into another Black man we use abuse, throw away, and then in death make an ICON. --- stop think about it -----

I know some of you are thinking this is soo not a racial thing at all - and maybe it is not blatantly racial but there are some undertones... to have everyone speak out on it and some to call him a "toobag" or "a waste" is WAY HARSH! But its a fail proof equation : Black man does something to upset white woman - black man is crucified.

political i know but this is how i see it...so why don't we pray for him to whatever god we recognize... why don't we ask that god to help him get better and to channel that creative energy that we the public so love him for into some positive healing for his sake and for ours because as many of you hate him today if he comes out with a banger tomorrow you will be back on his jock....

BODIED!

LESSON:  Keep your whits about you when hanging with your guy friends and their rambunctious well meaning older brothers. Especially when your one of those girls that your guy friends consider a dude, because if things get exciting and they forget your 5'1" you might get BODIED!

As I sit at home breathing pathetically out of one nostril. Covered from head to toe, arm bandaged, head swimming in congestion; I thought I should try to pick up my spirits by trolling for music in bed on youtube that would remind me of better times. Just then N.E.R.D.'s album " In Search Of..." popped into my head. This album in incredible and if you haven't heard it please please please for your own sake listen to it streaming on this site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzPLPb8QuuM&feature=channel. 

     As I played each song on the album, I came across a track called "Things are getting better" and remembered my homeboy, now doing his grown man thing down in ATL.  As I listened to the song I recalled many memories from the summer of 2004. 

      There was on particular night when it was incredibly warm but not humid and there was slight breeze. My boy, whose trini, lived deep in Flatbush. I loved going to visit him because frankly whenever im in East New York, Flatbush, or Brownsville I know I can get an excellent homemade beef patty. Im not talking about the golden crust beef patty's which are okay, or even worse those terrible no name FROZEN BEEF PATTYs that they sell at pizzerias and other establishments (that should stick to their main faire and not disgrace the staple foods of other cultures). But this blog entry is not about my love of bk, or beef pattys, or my homeboy from ATL; this blog is about me thinking that I can hang with dudes that are twice my size because sometimes I think im 6'6"  300 lbs, when I am really 5' 1" 119lbs. Anywho this one night we were hanging in the park across the street from my boys house in Flatbush, with him, his older brother , the older brothers two friends, and our childhood friend, and of course we were having a heated debate about what I just forget. I had been hanging out with my "ninjas" the entire day, and there was a little bit of drinking and spades playing going on which may or may not have led to this heated debate. 

Then there was conversation about football.  We were standing on a grass soccer field which is rare for BK but this is park is particularly frequented by West Indian Soccer players and I guess they frequent it because the city does a good job of manicuring the lawns; but again I digress. While the men argued heatedly about football I began to remember my own football public school and neighborhood touch/push-tackle days.The ever tomboy  for some reason I started to feel sprucy and thought  6'6" 300 lbs, I dont know what happened but just as I had thought like I should try to tackle one of my boys, WHACK! I got bodied. Apparently in my day dreaming I had missed the point in the conversation when the men had turned there attention to one particular game of football , when my friends brother turned to me and asked if he could demonstrate something on me, not paying attention and in my own day dream I nodded not evening remembering i did - all the while reminiscing thinking myself 6'6" 300lbs - and man when he sacked me I fell first diagonally up and back then i went horizontally across, shit I got like 5 feet of air man that has to be some kind of record. Of course what goes up must come down and so did I, fortunately onto the soccer field. I laid on the field sacked, cracking up. 

All the guys rushed over to me chastising the brother but laughing themselves. All they could do was say "Damn Son Why you have to Hulk- out like that. She mad little Dog." The brother could only apologize and say "I forgot homey she said yea i got carried away." I was still laughing. All I could think was "shit I guess im not 6' 6" 300lbs."  They picked me up tussled my hair as if I was their little sister and we all retired to the store to pick a little something to follow that hilariously harrowing experience.

Relax. Relate. Release. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.

Lesson: SLEEP!! Too often we get caught up in our responsibilities and forget to, can’t, or are deprived of sleep. When this happens check yourself or else YOUR BODY WILL CHECK YOU, and having you looking like a fool.

I once thought that sleep was something that could be done only at night. The day was for work, productivity, and play – the latter being my favorite. Yet as my first year of law school would quickly teach me sleep is a luxury, necessity and shit if you don’t get it, it will get you.

MLK Weekend 2007 found me at my best friends Bronx bungalow with her and her boo, enjoying a relaxing grown up weekend. The wild child that I am I thought that I could hang with them in all their debauchery, of course disregarding the fact that I have been neck deep in books for 7-9 hours a day for the four months leading up to this test of valor.

Half a bottle of Hennessey and a Cohiba later I feel literally glued to the lazy boy. I could hear a faint voice calling my name only to realize it is my friend, trying to make sure my catatonic state is not persistently vegetative. As I try to respond I feel (what can only be called the dark spirits from the mid 90’s movie ghosts) pulling my body back into the couch despite my efforts to rise from my semi conscious state of elation and exhaustion. Needless to say I was done. Little did I know there was an entire adventure ahead of me.

Finally revived and feeling somewhat alert, my friend informs me that we have an invitation to well known and popping lounge in the meat packing district. That’s right a lounge in the meat packing district most tourists wet dream, yet yours truly is half a sleep drooling in the rental driving down the west side highway on a dag-gawn Friday night! Yet somehow I am totally un-phased by all the commotion including leaving the apartment and getting into the car which for some reason I don’t ever recall actually happening, however something tells me we didn’t beam into the vehicle.

Fast Forward 30 minutes – all of which I was asleep in the backseat—we pull up to the heart of the meat packing district on 14^th and 9^th ave. My friend and her boyfriend have parked gotten out the car, and apparently asked me several times to disembark the vehicle… needless to say I am unresponsive, unless drooling in my sleep can be considered an acknowledgement.

Fast forward 10 minutes – finally I free myself of Patrick Swayze’s ghost get along gang and muster up a “huh.” Somewhat peeved – and rightly so – my friend tells me that we have arrived and we should go into the lounge. Feeling so irreverently tired that I could not care where I was because sleep was my ONLY priority. She could have told me that if I didn’t get out the car right then my breasts would shrivel to raisins, I would grow a third nostril, and patches of hair would fall out my head; But I still would not have gotten up. I shamelessly ask her if I could stay in the car an regroup, and I would meet her inside shortly.

3 hours later. I awake mildly chagrined to see them re-entering the car. I feel refreshed, but still tired; They just partied their asses off. Damn, Law School – the sleep thief - strikes again; No sleep had me looking like a fool.

PULL OVER !!

Lesson: Don't be afraid to walk around with a letter in your pocket, for fear of forgetting to put it in the mail. You may just see a postal courier from your car window about to cross the street and you can just drive by drop off the letter.

[ I once carried a letter in my coat for 3 weeks until one day after a meal, pupils dilated speech slurred I spotted a postal service courier standing at the cross walk. I suddenly shouted PULL OVER! DO NOT let that postal courier cross! We rolled up like gang busters. I whipped out the letter and handed it to the postal courier. Then we drove off.]


Lesson: Don't sit alone on a gallery bench in the company of small french children. The french are wildly sensual and know no age for flirtation, you never know when a 6 year old might come on to you.

I once went to a gallery opening with my partner. It was a beautiful day and everyone was out gallery hopping. We had stopped an interesting looking exhibit when we both noticed a kind of film area, with a reel playing as a part of the exhibit. My partner walked to the back wall and stood there to watch the film. Since im smaller I sat at a bench right in front of the screen, which was really only okay because it was apparent that I was not going to obstruct the view of even the shortest person standing along the back wall.

the bench was empty when I sat down but as the film commenced a small boy, with a rat tail hair cut sat next to me. I LOVE KIDS, but even i know that in a dark gallery where a film is being viewed is the #1 place not to try and entertain random children with googlely faces, unless you want to look like a pedophile. So with that in mind i sit on this bench, minding my own business watching the film when all of a sudden i feel something wet on my shoulder I look down and the little boy had his lips affixed to my shoulder!!! I of course start looking around as i know that the 10 other people present had to know (a) i don't know the kid and (b) i did nothing to incite the kid to kiss my shoulder. Talk about feeling like at any moment some angry mother was going to swing on me because as far as she knows she only saw her son peck kiss the shoulder of some random brown woman. But that didn't happen. When i turned around frantically for some sign that the others saw everything -mainly that I did nothing to make this boy think that his actions were welcome or okay - I saw what I immediately thought was a Parisian woman, who smiled at me. I felt awkward about smiling back given the context of the interaction, but something said I could smile back so I did. At the moment when I smiled back she spoke in French rather authoritatively and wave her arm at the boy who finally took his lips of my shoulder smiled and scampered off behind what I can only imagine was his mother. OO the French.


Lesson: Don't make googlely faces at the children of mothers who look perplexed, because the source of the confusion may become distracted and fixated on you.

[ I am obsessed with babies. Not in a scary R.Kelley or Jon Bonet Ramsey abductor kind of way, but rather in a more "aww goo-goo gaa-gaa" kind of way. Well one day, on the 125st AC/DB platform, I stood awaiting the arrival of the downtown A train. Having just left work I was a bit frazzled, but excited and relieved. Just as I descended the stairs to the platform I saw the cutest baby ever! She was maybe 3 and just look like a dog-gawn precious moments doll baby. I smiled at the baby careful not to look like the harbinger of "stranger danger" and looked away quickly.

The problem with being obsessed with babies, however, is precisely that you cant stop looking at their little faces. THe more they drool and make incomprehensible sounds the more one would like to tickle, make faces, and raspberry their little tummies. (okay so i obviously am not tickling or rasberrying any random kids on the train cuz that would be rather suspect but you get the idea.) IN ANY CASE, the train comes so I think I am saved from myself, but no I am followed onto the train by the mother, baby, and granddad (or at least I think its the grand dad given how close he was playing the mom, and his visibly gray hair).

Trying to minimize any attention that I might attract to myself by blatantly making googlely eyes at this baby I put on my head phones and look down. I forget for a second where I am and look up, In my upwards glance I catch the eye of the "grand dad" who smile at me. Still feeling awkward since I am the stranger smiling at "his" grand baby, I smile back and look down again.
Just as I resolve myself to retaining my downwards glance for the remainder of my trip I see the "granddad" walking towards me. At that point I realize this "granddad" is dressed in construction attire, and has fresh plater and drywall clinging to his Carhart jumpsuit. He sits down next to me, mind you im sitting in and EMPTY four seater, right next to me in such a way that i am now wedged in between him and the sidewall of the seating row.

Trying not to judge or assume what is going to happen next. I smile and turn to him, and with an intentionally surprised and restrained look I say, "why hello." Then he smiles, setting free the tangy spirit of some alcohol now eternally resting in his gut. I cringed at the rusty smell. (Did I mention he was like 60 + years old)

Anyway he says, "You know when I man sees flava he has to recognize it. And you are flava." I was stuck thinking -WOW... did this fool just refer to me as flava? The only thing I could think to do was tell him I was under age since im rather short and sometimes get cardedI figured it was a non threatening way to get him to leave me alone. Having complete faith this was going to work, I say "thanks, but Im too young to be having this conversation with you." Not even slightly daunted by my statement, he says "well how old are you? you got to be at least 18, and thats legal." (WOW this fool is like 60 plus and he like well 18 is old enough we know he does not suffer from E. D.) Realizing I got a live one here, I say "actually im 17 so im not even legal."

He says, "17... well when will you be old enough to fuck? 18 cant be that far away."
(cue drum roll and cymbal! We got to give him points for delivery, shock value, and the seemless transition from im sure hitting on the mother of a three old with child present, to hitting on me.)