Open Mic Night!

Review the Open Mic night on your blog. What did you find interesting, engaging, entertaining, or surprising? How did you feel about your performance? What improvements could you recommend for future Open Mic nights?

So I did it!
When I found out that the whole class had to speak at open mic night, I went into shock because it was something I had never done before. I always thought about going to open mic nights but never imagined actually reading at one. What i found most interesting is what most people read. People read on a variety of different things. This variety of things is what made it entertaining and engaging. The open issue I had was trying to hear. Since there was other people in the same area as us, it was hard to hear over them. Despite contrary belief I wasn't nervous, until I was on stage and was on the sixth out of ten lines. After I finished, I was actually a bit upset that I stumbled across some words. The only improvements I could think of is to change the venue. Then it could make it easier to hear. Also to maybe broadcast the message of open mic night more so more people could come. I would definitely recommend open mic night and come to more that are planned.

Before you two, my whole Life was A capella.

This Blog is to give a special shout out to, two of my favorite people in like, the world. You should read because I'm sure you may be surprised!

My senior year of highschool, everyone would talk about what college they would go to, what they were majoring in and what they plan on doing with their lives. As for me, I had really no plans. I knew I would be attending U of M-Dearborn, with a bittersweet thanks to Wade McGree but, as far as a major, I was majorly undecided. As a matter of fact, I wasn't even undecided, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I have never been good at anything except for speeding and getting tickets and texting and I can't get a degree in either of those. So fall of 2009 I would be just another misguided ghost, wondering the dearborn campus. Not having anything to look forward to as far as a career, I did have any motivation. I attended class and did what I did. I didn't really apply myself as much as I should because, for what? The one class I did actually look forward to going to was my comp class with Professor P.F. Potvin. I always enjoyed my Englishes class in high school but who was to think I would enjoy my English class in college? Well I fell in love with this comp class and actually looked forward to attending every class, and I actually did all my assignment (as far as I'm concerned, lol).

Since I was engaging in class like a student should, I actually excelled and to my surprise, I actually had some type of talent. I can still remember when Professor P.F. Potvin told me I had somewhat of a gift for writing. His simple compliment actually gave me hope for the future and got me even more excited about future assignments for the class. He gave me hope for my life because I literally had no hope for myself. Then the last day came and the class came to a close. Not only did I learn basic comp, but I made friends, earn an A and discovered a side of myself I had taken advantage of all through out highschool.


But whats next after my favorite comp class is over?


This is funny because I was suppose to have a different professor for this class but on the first day of class, this lovely, bubbly women walked in and told us she would be teaching out class this quarter: Comp 105 with Professor Kristi Stewart (spelled it right that time! =]) Who happens to be none other than the office mate with the Great Professor P.F.!

Professor K. Stewart and I and actually met a time before when I was trying to drop off an assignment to professor P.F. during the time of when I was in his comp class. I remember she was very nice to me as I waited outside their office of about an hour. I remember saying that I liked her because of how polite she was to this random guy wandering into her office. Who would of knew that she would be the next person to inspire me.

On our first essay assignment, she wrote "What Great potential you have DeAndre!" which reassured me what Professor P.F. had told me the past semester. After a couple essay into the class she made another comment about how I have a strong writers voice and how she can tell a paper is mine because of it. She also asked me what my major was and when I told her I was undecided, she told me that I would become an English major, she was sure of it.

But during the winter semester of 2010, I had fallen off with my school work. I grew even more lazy than I was in the past, procrastination was my best friend and lover. I was still infected with "senior-itis" even though I graduated may 2009. I have no where, where I could fully focus on my work. I was distracted b almost EVERYTHING. I put off things that could have made my life better, for some dinner at Applebees. I have so much self-pity for myself, I had in a way, given up.I was struggling with issues in my life and it put on display through my school work. So I decided that I NEED to go away to for school, to re-group, focus and experience different things to help me grow as a person and learn as a student. I fell behind in my creative writing class with the Great P.F. Potvin and I found myself skipping because I could dare face the one man that actually believed in me. I also did mediocre in the Amazing Professor Stewart's class, which made it hard for me to face the one women who is trying to help direct me down the right path in this mess of a journey we call life.


Before you two, my whole life was a capella.
I had no direction,
no drive, determination,
nothing to look forward to,
no skills to brag about.


So with this blog I would like to apologize to both Professor P.F. Potvin and Professor Kristi Stewart, for making you believe in me and then taking that belief away as I scampered around trying to find myself. And I would also like to Thank you both for believing in me when I didn't even believe in myself. You both are more than great professor, but extraordinary people and if I had to write a letter of recommendation for either one of you, it would be a BOOK. And NO, I'm not blogging about these magnificent Professors for any type of extra credit, I just really felt to need to tell the world, or the couple of people that read my blog about how thankful I am for them. They as well as other staff at U of M-Dearborn deserve a raise!!

With All the Love a student can have for a professor,

DeAndre Dean


&please excuse my spelling and grammar, for this is a blog! =]

Killing Yourself to Live

I LOVE the title because I we all really do like, kill ourselves to live.
As for the book, I was kind of left in the dark about on a lot fo things he talked about, like the music mentioned and the places he went.
I did still find most it it interest and not that hard to read.
He was desriptive, told it all and just flat out about a lot things which I enjoyed.
Still I feel that it wasnt really written for an entire audience, just for people who can relate and like or do similar things; which I feel is how writers should write. Everyone can't relate to everyone but there is still some people that can relate to others.
I would recommend this book but, only to a person who has similar taste in music as Chuck, other wise they will be left in the dark like me.

=[

I want to drop out of school.


#thatisall

Our Love's Confession

I hold you so close to my heart, yet you are so far away.
I talk to you the most, but our communications seems to delay.
Our love is the strongest but our connection is so weak.
But I want "us" forever, "we're" worth all the lie and deceit.
I want your love but still your revenge; baby, we are the stars of this bad romance.
So I wish upon us, for a happy ending, even though your smile is fake and I'm just pretending.
We cant be together, even though I love you and you love me; we've been running in the race of love and at the wrng pace and have sore feet.
We've fought so hard, come so far; but as long we have our friendship, its worth this heart scar.

As I stand Alone

As I stand alone
In this empty room
I finally take my life back, I finally press resume

That's when I realized
That the passion we shared
The Kisses and hug, love,
were just empty lies

I fell for you
I fell hard to my knees, all your demands I would exceed; gave you all you could want or need
Just so you would love me, please, baby please, love me
Is all my heart could scream, as I watched you leave
Like falling from trees
And floating in the breeze you flew away from me.

Now I finally realize, the truth in all your shameless lies
That your love you did not hide, but to my surprise; was never even there.

Now I stand alone
In this empty room
shatter pieces of my heart I collect
No dush pan, no broom.

The Purpose of Rain -- Haiku

clouds shoot at the ground
simple mission, with much sound
Just drop; SPLASH, plip, ploP

Visual Inspriation

Ok I admit, I my have cheated.
So I'm not sure if this picture exactly meets the criteria but its a picture I took in my basement, I have it as my background on my Blackberry. I was sitting here in the cafe, trying to think of a picture I could use for this blog when I got a BBM.
So I picked up my blackberry and looked at the screen, when I realized that my background inspires me every time I look at it.

This is inpspires me because its so true, you are who your friends are in a lot of ways. So if you want to be successful, you can't hang around with losers. You should surround yourself with people with goals other than getting the latest pair of jeans. Every time I look at this I think of the turkeys in my life and how they have negatively affected me and held me back. It has helped me realize that certain people don't constantly need to be in your life, no matter how much you care about them. Don't be afraid to let go of them because you might be letting go of your dream.

The Back of My head is BORING!

One day, after my brother cutting my hair, I was reviewing the job he did when I discovered HOW BORING THE BACK OF MY HEAD IS.
So I tried something new!
NO its not a division sign, some random lines, or ancient lettering; its a smiley face!
I came up with this idea, drew it and my brother cut it into my head.
That's one sure way to turn the back of a boring head, into a conversation piece


Its actually pretty funny how many people actually pay attention to the back of your day and how the people you expect to pay you extra attention, don't.
My grandmother just recently discovered I had ear rings after I've had them for 3 WHOLE WEEKS and I LIVE WITH HER. And when she did notice this, she thought I had forgot to brush the back if my hair. LOL!

Ananasi The Spider Warrior.

In the beginning, all tales and stories belonged to Nyame, the Sky God. But Kwaku Anansi, the spider, yearned to be the owner of all the stories known in the world, and he went to Nyame where he found Nyame, some Mmoboro, Onini and Osebo and offered to buy them.

The Sky God said: "I am willing to sell the stories, but the price is high. Many people have come to me offering to buy, but the price was too high for them. Rich and powerful families have not been able to pay. Do you think you can do it?"

Before Anansi could even reply the Mmoboro, Onini and Osebo brust into laughter.

“He couldn’t even try to get even one of the things you want, we have all tried, and Osebo was the only one to get the closet and he couldn’t get the third thing.” Said Onini.

Anansi, whose eyes had not moved passed the Sky God replied: "I can do it. What is the price?"

"My price is three things," the Sky God said. "I must first five cups of Mmoboro, the bee’s honey. I must then have the rattle of Onini, the great rattle snake. I must then have the spots of Osebo, the leopard. For these thing I will sell you the right to tell all the stories."

Before Anansi could answer the Osebo said slapped Anansi to the side and said: “Such a tiny, weak being such as you clearly cannot accomplish such a vast take, you are a mere spider.”

Anansi said: "I will bring them." As he walked way the Mmoboro, Onini and Osebo laughed uncontrollably as the doubted and ridiculed him.

Time passed. And just about all had been forgotten; accept for what Ananasi’s plan to get the stories. One Wednesday afternoon, he came up with plan to achieve his goals, prove those who doubted him wrong and teach those same a valuable life lesson. He first cut a gourd from a vine and made a small hole in it. He took a large bowl and filled it with water. He went to the tree where the hornets lived. He poured some of the water over himself, so that he was dripping. He threw some water over the bees, so that they too were dripping. Then he put the bowl on his head, as thought to protect himself from a storm, and called out to the bees: "Are you foolish people? Why do you stay in the rain that is falling?"

The hornets answered: "Where shall we go?"

"Go here, in this dry gourd," Anansi told them.

The bees thanked him and flew into the gourd through the small hole. When the last of them had entered, Anansi plugged the hole with a ball of grass, saying: "Oh, yes, but you are really foolish people!"

He then went up to their hive and retrieved five cups of honey. He took his five cups of honey and the gourd full of hornets to Nyame, the Sky God.

“I brought the first thing on your list, and som.” The Sky God, humored, accepted them. He said: "There are two more things."

Anansi returned to the forest and cut a long bamboo pole and some strong vines. Then he walked toward the house of Onini, the python, talking to himself. He seemed to be talking about an argument with his wife. He said: "My wife is wrong. I say he is longer and stronger. My wife says he is shorter and weaker. I give him more respect. She gives him less respect. Is she right or am I right? I am right, he is longer. I am right, he is stronger."

When Onini, the python, heard Anansi talking to himself, he said: "Why are you arguing this way with yourself?"

The spider replied: "Ah, I have had a dispute with my wife. She says you are shorter and weaker than this bamboo pole. I say you are longer and stronger."

Onini said: "It's useless and silly to argue when you can find out the truth. Bring the pole and we will measure."

So Anansi laid the pole on the ground, and the python came and stretched himself out beside it.

"You seem a little short," Anansi said.

The python stretched further.

"A little more," Anansi said.

"I can stretch no more," Onini said.

"When you stretch at one end, you get shorter at the other end," Anansi said. "Let me tie you at the front so you don't slip."

He tied Onini's head to the pole. Then he went to the other end and tied the tail to the pole. He wrapped the vine all around Onini, until the python couldn't move.

"Onini," Anansi said, "it turns out that my wife was right and I was wrong. You are shorter than the pole and weaker. My opinion wasn't as good as my wife's. But you were even more foolish than I, and you are now my prisoner."

Anansi then snipped the rattle off Onini, strapped it to his back and carried it along with the rattles snake to Nyame, the Sky God, who accepted and chuckled tremendously. He then said: "There is one thing more."

The spots Osebo, the leopard, was next. Anansi went into the forest and dug a deep pit where the leopard liked to walk. He covered it with small branches and leaves and put dust on it, so that it was impossible to tell where the pit was. Anansi went away and hid. When Osebo came prowling in the black of night, he stepped into the trap Anansi had prepared and fell to the bottom. Anansi heard the sound of the leopard falling and he said: "Ah, Osebo, you are half-foolish!"

When morning came, Anansi went to the pit and saw the leopard there.

"Osebo," he asked, "what are you doing in this hole?"

"I have fallen into a trap," Osebo said. "Help me out."

"I would gladly help you," Anansi said. "But I'm sure that if I bring you out, I will have no thanks for it. You will get hungry, and later on you will be wanting to eat me and my children."

"I promise it won't happen!" Osebo said.

"Very well. Since you promise it, I will take you out," Anansi said.

He bent a tall green tree toward the ground, so that it's top was over the pit, and he tied it that way. Then he tied a rope to the top of the tree and dropped the other end of it into the pit.

"Tie this to your tail," he said.

Osebo tied the rope to his tail.

"Is it well tied?" Anansi asked.

"Yes, it is well tied," the leopard said.

"In that case," Anansi said, "you are not merely half-foolish, you are all-foolish."

And he took his knife and cut the other rope, the one that held the tree bowed to the ground. The tree straightened up with a snap, pulling Osebo out of the hole. He hung in the air head downward, twisting and turning. As he twisted and turned, he got so dizzy that Anansi had no trouble tying the leopard's feet with vines. He then skinned Osebo, leaving not one spot to bare him from the cold.

Anansi took the many spots and naked, dizzy leopard, all tied up, to Nyame, the Sky God, saying: "Here is the third thing. Now I have paid the price."

Nyame laughed with roaring laughter. Then said to him: "Kwaku Anansi, great warriors and chiefs have tried, but they have been unable to do it. Not only have you done it, but you have proven the fools who doubted you, wrong and now they all gravel at your feet. The lesson you’ve taught my children of the jungle, is why I will give you the stories and my respect. You are also now, living proof that no matter how vast a task may seem, no matter what size you are, it can be completed. Whenever a man tells a story of how he accomplished a vast task at which he was doubted, he will be known as an Ananasi warrior, after you"