Dawson's Ink

So, my birthday month, aka #AugustWillSon2010, has three sponsors: the site I write for (although not nearly enough) GROOVMNT.com, Crumbs Bake Shop and Blue Moon beer. It’s been a great month with great friends and great surprises. And lots and lots of Blue Moon.

At times this past weekend, I’ve felt I was full to the brim with that tasty beverage, and once I think I even dared myself to take another sip. Methinks September will yield a fast of non-beer proportions, along with a break from sweets as well. Add that to my no-red-meat regimen, and throw in a few bike rides, and I’m gonna be in tip-top shape. #notreallybutIcandream

I’ve enjoyed everything and everyone that has contributed to the celebratory days and nights. I apologize profusely to those who I didn’t call back or get in touch with or communicate with more readily. Blame it on the Blue Moon. And the days that turned into blurs. My heart was in the right place. Love you all.

And now, as I plot my detox, here’s something new that will hopefully become a regular feature here at ‘The Ink’ in order to help me document life on a weekly basis. Gonna call it Dawson’s Links, five things from the week that just ended that stood out to me.

Let’s get to em.
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5. Marina Vs. the ‘Beer Goggles’ guy. Love her. |MSNBC

4. My day job. |YT

3. All ‘Bailey’ Everything. |TVF

2. A Star Named Fave. |APNF

1. Lalah. |YT

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This year, I’m flowing with life, making things happen when I can and letting things slide when I must. Getting better at what I’m good at, and gradually pushing aside all the things that haven’t done me well.

Picking battles, choosing love (eventually…heh). Getting past and over myself. Getting to know the people in my life. Letting them in. Slowly, but surely. Thanking God for their patience, knowing I’m a piece of work.

This, I know.

Below are some other things ‘I KNOW’ during what I like to call my Invincible Summer. Let’s go…
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I know there are many months left in the year, but I can’t recall when there’s been a better year for music than this one.

I know that there’s no one in the music game killing it like Eric Roberson and the enTIRE Foreign Exchange camp are killing it right now. Get up on them. STAT.

I know I get grumpy when people ask about my job, but on the real, I’m very grateful to be able to do what I do for a living.

I know that Dr. Cornel West didn’t mean to “borrow” my notebook, and that Charles Rangel didn’t mean to yell at me for walking too slow, and that those older ladies at the Presidential forum didn’t mean to shoo me out of their way saying they couldn’t see even though there were HUGE screens on each side of the stage, but I tell you this with no remorse: I’m so glad the centennial conference is over and that we made it out alive.

I know there are many female singers out there (all genres) that have gorgeous voices, but I’ll take Lalah Hathaway over any of them… any day of the week.

I know we haven’t done it in a while (read: years!), but this week, in honor of #AugustWillSon2010, there will be KARAOKE!!! Come get some.

I know I have talented friends, but this one cat from Houston is in a class by himself, especially with things like this right here in his arsenal. Get up on that.

I know that his talent stands on its own, but let me just remind everyone that they need to look out for the young sir Isiah Hall, a poet on the rise.

I know one thing for sure: I need a real vacation. And SOON.

I know it’s a less-than-great show, but there’s something about Royal Pains on USA Network that keeps me coming back.

I know that I still ’stan’ for Psych and Burn Notice (on USA) and The Closer and Leverage (on TNT).

I know folks will give it a major side-eye, but I’m kinda feeling the new Erykah Badu/Rick Ross video.

I know I complain about my friends not being worth a damn (grrr!) since they never plan anything in my honor, but honestly, I don’t blame them since I’ve never outright asked them to do so.

I know there are only 31 days in the month, but I’m going to try my damndest to hang with everyone who wants to celebrate #AugustWillSon2010 with me. Let’s do it.

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One of my new favorite quotes (swiped from a friends’ Facebook quote page):

“Real isn’t how you are made. It’s a thing that happens to you… Does it hurt? Sometimes. When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt. You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily or have sharp edges or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”

~The Velveteen Rabbit, a book by Margery Williams

Word.

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Working on a lot of projects right now, the most time-intensive being the conference taking place in Fort Lauderdale in June. That, along with being burnt out on social media, made me decide to step away for a month to both see if I could do it, and to get some work done.

In the meantime, here’s a Q&A I did recently. Just because. I call them “Say What’s” … with a few Who’s thrown in for good measure. LOL

Read the rest of this entry »

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So, I’m currently on a self-imposed hiatus time in the dunce’s chair facing the wall time out from social media. Particularly Facebook, since I was known to spend a LOT of time there when I could’ve been doing so much else.

I’m seven days in, and while it was tough the first few days, I’m settling into a bit of a groove. With the exception of the nagging need to leave status updates. I love those. I literally live those. Not being able to vent virtually causes me to keep those thoughts bottled up inside. Which isn’t healthy for anybody, really.

With that said, they need to get out, even if I can’t post them on my actual page. That’s what a blog is for. Heh. Below, in random order, are my WEEK’S WORTH OF FACEBOOK STATUS MESSAGES THAT I WASN’T ABLE TO SHARE.

(Indulge me, people. It’s better this way. Trust.)
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Will Dawson thinks the knots in his shoulders just had babies.

Will Dawson hopes you know he’s thinking about you. A lot.

Will Dawson wishes for a simpler time, when all I did was listen to music and ride bikes.

Will Dawson needs to just go ahead a purchase a cot for his workspace, since he spends so much time there. Think of the money he’d save on carfare. Hmmmm…

Will Dawson feels bad for wanting to kick that tourist in the shins for ’stopping short’ [(c) Seinfeld] in front of him to take that photo this morning.

Will Dawson is borderline smitten.

Will Dawson needs a hug. Or a nap. No, both. Yes, please.

Will Dawson wishes he could wake up every day to Maysa’s voice singing “When I Fall In Love.”

Will Dawson loves that people are realizing the creative genius that is ‘Community.’ Brilliant.

Will Dawson wants to comment on the Beyonce video, but doesn’t know where to start.

Will Dawson RIP A Pug Named Fender. Damn.

Will Dawson will be rocking the fugg out when the beat drops to EPMD’s “So What Cha Sayin’?” tonight.

Will Dawson wishes every day was Purge Day.

Will Dawson thinks Marcell and The Truth are um, the truth!

Will Dawson can’t make up his mind.

Will Dawson wishes the media would focus more on the fact that Nashville, Tennessee is treading water. Ugh.

Will Dawson thinks some people try too hard. And some, not hard enough.

Will Dawson knows he can’t be upset at what happened today, but is slowly realizing his body didn’t get that memo.

Will Dawson is in a creative state of mind.

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So many reality shows, so little interest. Seriously, with the amount of supposedly unscripted shows careening into our television screens like NASCAR wrecks, just as if the wrecks actually happened every week, over time you couldn’t help but become numb to it all. That’s how it is with these shows.

Think about it: we’re already loaded with fare from singers like Fantasia, actors like Terry Crews, and “socialites” like the Kardashians, with more on the way from the likes of Brandy and Ray-J, Faith Evans and Martin Luther King III. OK, I made that last one up, but really, would anyone be surprised if that happened? Not me.

Out of all the shows on the air right now, one of the worst, in my opinion, is VH1’s Let’s Talk About Pep. The premise of this “reality” show seems simple: Sandra “Pepa” Denton is looking for love. Surrounded by her “girlfriends,” each week is a rundown of the past week of activity, where cameras followed the foursome on their various dates. Seems OK, right?

Wrong. It’s like a conceivable concept gone wrong, and it rubs me the wrong way like a Johnny Gill remix. Actually, there’s more than one thing, so let’s discuss the FIVE REASONS WHY WE SHOULD NEVER TALK ABOUT PEP AGAIN.

Let’s go… Read the rest of this entry »

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