A very Happy new year to each of you!

I've been a no-show for a lot of this year, for various reasons. 2013 was a very roller coaster year. But it is my resolution to be a much better friend to you all who've been so kind to me here.

May your 2014 be full of laughter and joy and love and peace.

To everyone out there who, like me, are effected by this hurricane: I hope you all are able to stay safe and keep yourselves dry.

My thoughts and prayers are with you all.

No joke. Natural disasters and the like are no laughing matter.

Just found out that my grandpa, Papa Jack, passed away. He went peacefully, and it wasn't totally unexpected, as he was pretty sick. He had broken his hip, and was just diagnosed with cancer. But it was still sad.

He was one of my favourites members of my family. After my first year of university, he asked me if I got any sex up at school XD I had to admit that I didn't.
It honestly made my day. He was such a funny man. And he absolutely loved Pepsi, like, more than anyone else I ever met.

I'm gonna miss him, but he's no longer in pain, which is a blessing in disguise.

Rest in peace Papa Jack. We had you for 78 years, such a blessing.

I find myself so blessed that I have a father, and grandfathers who mean the world to me. My step-gradfather, "Papa" Jack Spencer is currently overcoming hip surgery and fighting a cancer that was supposed to kill him 4 months ago. My grandfather, Dennis Lucas, has overcome prostate cancer, and is a vocal leader for cleaning up and preserving the East Side (the ghetto) of my hometown. My father, Tim Brown......well, for the purposes of keeping this journal short, I won't go into too many details. But I'll just say that my dad is the ultimate case of leading by example, as I emulate him an awful lot, especially in terms of my actions towards others. My dad always pushed respect for self, and respect for others. It's because of him that I completely lathe disrespect towsard anyone, especially women. One of these days, I will write an entire journal about all the ways my dad has taught me and inspired me to be the man I am today.

Today, me and my siblings sang my dad's favourite song in church. He started crying. That absolutely made my father's day.

I love you dad, and I love you Papa Jack and Grandpa Lucas. Happy Father's Day. And a Happy Father's Day to anyone here on FA who is a father, and to fathers all around the world!

There is a tornado warning for my city and the surrounding area. Just pray that we'll all be alright should a tornado actually touch down.

And to any of my fellow Southern Ontario furs out there, specifically in the Windsor/Chatham/Sarinia/London area, stay safe and stay sheltered til it's over!

Hi all!

I've got a job interview today at the Chatham-Kent Black Historical Society. Basically, if I get the job, I'll be a Historical Interpreter. This entails doing research and giving presentations on Black History, as well as giving tours to folks who come in. I've been wanting this job for a while now, and I finally have the opportunity! Wish me luck!

It's HOT!!
The heatwave hit yesterday, after a thunderstorm. It got even hotter and more humid today. It's only the second week of May, and already I'm missing December.

In other news, just uploaded a bunch of work onto DeviantArt the other day. Take a look if you like (username: Mahewa-Mbweha)
Gonna be uploading some Foxes stuff tomorrow, even possibly tonight. So stay tuned!

So, what's new with y'all?

This past Sunday, I ran in my first ever 5K race. I did it in under 40 minutes (38:42 to be exact). And my legs are still sore ^^;

However, this has been a dream of mine for a while. I always wanted to be fit enough to run a 5K, and now that I am, I feel I can only go farther :D

In other news, I'm getting my piano back soon, so I'll be able to pound out some new tunes for y'all. And the drawing bug is hitting me now that I'm on summer break, so expect a return of the Supreme Foxes :)

So, that's what's up with me. What about you guys? What's new with you?

I hope you all have a very happy, blessed New Years! May 2011 be just as fun, eventful, and unpredictable as 2010...thogh hopefully there will be less computer troubles lol

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends! Enjoy all the company, and the food. And the football. Can't forget the football ^^

And remember not save all your thankfulness for today, spread it throughout the year!

I'm a couple of days late, but just wanted to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving (Canadian Thanksgiving, but it's the same thing). Remember to always count your blessings, regardless of what day it is.

Has school bogged you down with piles of work to do? Has work become a little stressful as of late? Been a little under the weather? Lost your creative drive?

I'm not saying this song will cure your ills, but I know damn well it will at least put a smile on your face, and make you feel like dancin'. I know it does the trick for me everytime. Guaranteed, or your money back...or, yeah. I don't have any of your money, so...hmmm. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGvZnGTMSqU

Well, today marked the end of the string of severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings that have plagued my Southern Ontario, and my area in particular. Chatham-Kent is overdue for a tornado, but we had warnings for four days straight. Four days! I'm glad none touched down in Chatham though...I've been through three of those things already. I don't need to endure another one.

On an unrelated note, I'm really diggin' this new layout for FA. It's sleek and stylish, definitely a step up. What do you all think?

sigh.......so, I haven't been able to get on the site for quite a while. I thought maybe I was banned or something. I still don't know what was up, but none of the computers I tried would let me log in. Now I'm back. Not much of an explanation, because it's really that simple. Either way, I'm back!

Hello all. It's been just over a week since my dad's surgery, and he's recovering nicely. He made it through the surgery alright.

It was halfway successful. The blockages in his left leg were all cleared out, and he said it already feels much better. However, the blockages in his right leg were too difficult to break up with the angioplasty, so now he may have to undergo a bypass in the leg. This is much more invasive procedure. Basically, they take a section of artery, and bypass the blockage by reconnecting it on the other side. However, if blood fails to flow through this new pathway, another blockage will occur, and my dad will have to get his leg amputated. This is rare, though.

As it turns out, he may not have to undergo this procedure for two reasons. One: because the surgery was successful in the left leg, and the blood is flowing much better and stronger, this may have the same effect in the right leg,, despite the blockages. And two: there are tiny little arteries and veins that are actually branching out from the existing ones, trying to bypass the blockages themselves. They're too weak to carry much blood right now, but with time, they may get stronger.

Anyways, that's all I have to say about that. My dad already feels much, much better, and all of us in the Brown family want to thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. It means a lot to us.

So, sorry I've been gone so long. I finally wrapped up my second year of university, and I'm now settling into my summer. The final two weeks of classes, not to mention exams, were pure hell. But now that's all done. Needless to say, I am much less stressed as of late ^^

I have been working on more piano work and more lyrics, so look out for some more of those in the near future.

Also, my dad is having an angioplasty done on his legs tomorrow, to clear out some blockages. He has a disease in which his arteries and veins are hardening (this usually happens in senior citizens...my dad is 47). He's been suffering with this over the past two years. However, the procedure is fairly standard, with a high success rate, which means that if successful, the surgery will pretty much cure him. So pray that that goes well.

All in all, I plan to be more active here in the coming months, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, how have you all been?

It is that time of year again. It is Black History Month, in which we celebrate the achievements and contributions of blacks throughout history. This is a very important month to me, as researching black history is my passion. This is due to my parents teaching me to be proud of my culture, and also because my church was the headquarters for one of the most famous slave raids in history. In 1858, abolitionist John Brown used the First Baptist Church, in Chatham, Ontario, to plan the unsuccessful raid on Harper's Ferry, Virginia. The raid was intended to free the slaves imprisoned there.

At this time last year, I was very discouraged when I found out that my university had done very little to recognize Black History Month. Well, this year was no different, as the school put on a one-hour presentation on the first day of February...same as last year, and once again, they didn't even advertise it. However, thanks to advice from  farellemoon last year, I decided to take things into my own hands this year. I am bringing black history to my friends and school community, rather than waiting for them to stumble upon it.

I am taking a two-tiered approach. Firstly, every day this month, I have been posting little-known black history facts in my Facebook status, so as to reach as many friends as possible. Secondly, in terms of the unitversity, I am planning to draw posters of black historical figures whose achievements correspond with on of the faculties on campus. The posters will hang in the related faculty building. For example, the Nelson Mandela poster would hang in the Political Science building, Shirley Chisholm in the Law building, and Langston Hughes in the English building.

This is a huge undertaking which will probably flood into March, or even April. But I've always believed that black history, as well as every other culture's history, is too improtant to restrict to one month.

I would like to extend a huge thank you to  farellemoon for inspiring me to do this, and encouraging to take my frustration and turn it into good. It was her advice and that led to my plans for this year. Thank you so much!!!

As she encouraged me, now I encourage you: go out and explore history. Not only black history, but any history that fascinates you. Whether it's your own cultural background, or a culture completely different from your own. And feel free to share the wealth of your research.

I hope y'all missed me, cuz i missed you.

Sorry about the disappearance. All I can say about it is that HP laptops need major maintenance. What started out as a problem with the fan quickly turned into a major system crash. So I've been without a laptop since before Christmas.

Oh well.

Happy New Year everybody!!!! My new year's resolution is to be more active in the fandom this year, so stay tuned!

I want to wish everyone a very merry and blessed Christmas, and have a most wonderful holiday! :D

A very Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American friends!

And to everyone else as well...since we should be thankful everywhere, and everyday!

...is how school can be described right now. So many people, so little space!

Anyways, I will be uploading a lot of work after Halloween. I have midterms right now, so I'm busy studying. But rest assured, artwork cometh!

Also, I have an idea to earn some cash, but I need your input. I did a drawing for my Drawing/Painting class that I really liked (will probably post it soon, so you get an idea what it looks like). It's a charcoal image of basketball player Michael Cage, in a very realistic style.

Well, I thought that to make a little more money besides commissions, I would make more pictures in this style, and then sell them on Kijiji, eBay, Facebook, or all three.

Here's what I need from you all:

1. Are there any standards for pricing artwork out there? Or are the figures up to me completely? I just don't wanna cheat anybody.

2. When buying an artwork from someone in the same city, would you rather pick it up yourself, or have someone deliver it?

3. Is it expected that the artist provide some sort of framing for the artwork, or is that completely up to the buyer?


These may have straighforward, obvious answers, but if I don't ask them, then I may feel like I may accidentally rip somebody off, especially with the first question :S

Any feedback is appreciated. Thank you!

Well, I went to go see Zombieland last night...and it actually had a suprisingly decent story. I was fairly impresssed by the comedy, and there were actually some parts that were heartbreaking...oh yeah, sometimes it gave you a startling jolt, which I appreciate, since this was primarily a comedy movie.
I recommend that you go see this movie, as long as you aren't adverse to any/all of the following:

Zombie apocalypses
Blood
Vomit
Drool
Other bodily substances that may have a slight quease factor
Immature comedy
Mature comedy
Domineering, kick-ass women
Puny, little white boys
CGI text overlays
Gas-guzzlers, such as Escalades, Hummers, and Chevy SUVs
Amusement parks
Monopoly
Big guns
Really big guns
The dark
Clowns
Bill Murray

If you like any of those things, this movie is for you.

*On a serious note, this movie was actually very well done. I was thoroughly impressed, and left the theatre with a smile on my face. You should see it.

Alright, with that out of the way, a very happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Canadians (I know that Thanksgiving is tomorrow, but oh well). Eat some turkey (or tofurky), enjoy the day, and make sure you count your blesssings...not just today, but everyday. Actually, this goes for everyone in the world, not just the Canadians. So Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Okay, I'm gonna go enjoy my long weekend now.

http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/975742/

 pellpell's corgi was hit by a car. She needs help to pay for the bills. Please commission her. And if you can't afford to commission her, at least spread the word.

Please help her if you can.

It started out innocently enough. From Sept. 5th to the 9th, I had shotty internet connection, at best...which made sense, since I had just moved into my house, and the connection was new. Then, on the 10th...well...

All hell broke loose.

My internet was gone. Not a weak signal, just gone. Disappeared into thin air, without explanation. I tried to fix it myself for weeks, but it was to no avail.

To say that I was mad is a gargantuan understatment.

So, before this journal goes any further...I have some apologies to make:

To  sugarcup, I'm sorry that it's been at least 7 weeks since I first said that I would draw a picture of Harry. I really feel bad about this. I hope you can understand.

To  speckled-paws, I'm sorry I've missed the Art Jam deadline twice. I really tried hard to get the picture uploaded, but I could have tried harder.

To all of my watchers, I'm sorry I've been gone, without a trace.

Now, although I'm online, my connection isn't perfect now. I can record this journal because the signal is just barely strong enough...the service guy is coming out tomorrow to reroute the signal, which will result in a stronger, more direct connection. I will most likely be offline all of tomorrow, but come Friday, I'll be ready to go.

So again, I'm sorry to those who I've let down through my absence...and a huge thank you to  newgeorgiarr, who I was somehow able to keep in contact with.

Taken from  Pellpell
tl;dr: it's a bunch of stuff about me...that's about it :)


Ten Things You Want To Say To Ten Different People:

1. "Why you whispering, man? Speak up! You've got a lot of good things to say."
2. "No, I will not submit to what you think a black man should be, which is a disgusting stereotype."
3. "I wish you would lighten up a little bit. Life's too short to be worrying about the stuff that you worry about."
4. "Egotistical prick...that's all you are."
5. "You have no idea just how beautiful you are...seriously."
6. "Why can't you sit down and decide what you want to do, rather than doing a zillion things at once, trying to find out?"
7. "I wish I got to know you a little better. I guess we can catch up this year."
8. "I don't care what you say, raw chocolate chip cookie dough is delicious."
9. "I'm just as Canadian as you, but there is NO way the CFL is better than the NFL!"
10. "Don't worry about me...I'll be fine. I'm glad that you love me enough to worry, though."

Nine Things About Yourself:

1. I hate coffee and tea, so I drink hot chocolate in the morning instead.
2. I have genetic asthma...some people have seasonal asthma, which disappears in the seasons where it's not triggered, or athletic asthma, and some people grow out of it. I'm stuck with mine for life.
3. I still sleep with my baby blanket every night. It's been reduced to a rag over time, but it's still my baby blanket.
4. I have an overbearing fear of disappointing people...so I have a really hard time saying no to things.
5. If there's one thing that pisses me off more than disrespect toward women, it's the social "thumbs up" given to the word 'nigger'. Most people who use it, I find, don't even know the true meaning of the word. It has not lost it's stinging edge, and I feel hurt whenever I hear it...almost like the person who uses it is disregarding my culture, my history. Oh, and 'nigga' is NOT an appropriate substitute. There, my little rant is over.
6. I absolutely LOVE guinea pigs.
7. Family is one of the most important aspects of my life. I cherish my family every single day.
8. I can't read music to save my life...I play everything by ear.
9. I have zero tolerance for new country...I apologize to those who like it, but I can't stand it :P

Eight Ways To Win My Heart:

1. Respect yourself.
2. Love me for who I am.
3. Enjoy a good laugh.
4. Be able to hold a conversation. Giggling and squeeing are fine (and sexy in their own right), but I like to be able to have a deep, engaging conversation with a woman.
5. Know how to make fun of yourself.
6. Enjoy a little romance...I'm not sappy all the time, but romance isn't all that bad.
7. Be confident about yourself.
8. Take an interest in my heritage. I love talking about black history.

Seven things that cross your mind a lot:

1. "Am I doing this right?"
2. "I'm probably not doing this right."
3. "Why am I worrying about this?"
4. "Just go up to her and ask her out! Why are you so hung up on this?"
5. "I really need to get my driver's license."
6. "*random funk/soul/gospel song lyrics*"
7. "Well, what to do today?"

Six Things You Wish You Never Did:

1. Help carry my dad out of church, because his leg gave out on him (I don't wish that I didn't help him...I wish it never happened)
2. Witness my mom suffer a monstrous lupus attack a few years ago.
3. Kept quiet about my feelings about girl after girl after girl (this is gonna change this year)
4. Work at KFC...it was a horrible job, seriously.
5. Put my hand through a window.
6. Try to jump a bike ramp...I wasn't going nearly fast enough, and almost broke my wrist.

Five Turn Offs:

1. Overt superficiality and materialism
2. Disrespect (for self/others)
3. Irresponsibility
4. People who are overly pessimistic/cynical
5. Sense of entitlement-without-doing-anything-to-earn-it

Four Turn Ons:

1. Freckles (I don't know why)
2. Girls who don't wear makeup all the time. I like to see the real you.
3. A nice pair of legs (I'm a leg man XD)
4. Confidence/free spirit (like singing and dancing like you think no one's watching)

Three Smileys That Describe Your Life:

1. :D
2. :S
3. :)

Two Things You Want To Do Before You Die:
1. Visit Africa
2. I would love to start up homeless shelters that actually engage with homeless people, help them get back on their feet after they leave the shelter, and follow up on them, and get them the help that they need, rather than just giving them a place to sleep at night.

One Confession:
I think that Coke and Pepsi taste the same...there, I said it.