Need Help From My New Orleans Peeps

I'm making my first trip to New Orleans next week to cover NBA All-Star Weekend and wanted to know what is the one thing I need to see/do/eat/drink (non-alcoholic of course) in the Big Easy.

Bring on the suggestions.

Living with Crohn's Disease

It's 6:22AM on a Sunday morning, my stomach wrapped with a heating pad and my body feeling like I'm in Round 9 of a heavyweight fight.

And I'm up against the ropes.

I tend to keep my health woes on the hush, mostly because I don't want people to take pity upon me as the sick guy.

But I'm now entering my fifth year with Crohn's Disease and I'm trying to open up more about my health.

Crohn's is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that has recked havoc on my body since the end of 2003.

Besides from the 50 pounds of weight loss, the fatigue, the loss of appetite, and the daily abdominal cramps (How do you deal, women?), the disease has turned me into a once very active person to an antisocial hermit who is usually restricted to bed rest on the bad days.

I went out on Tuesday after work with my roommate and I couldn't remember the last time I had been out not just during the week but the weekends as well.

He happened to ask me at the right time, when I wasn't gritting my teeth during a wave of cramps, because five minutes earlier or later, I would have probably said no.

Despite the pain, the extra couple of years in college, the night sweats and chills, I wouldn't trade this experience with anyone.

I wouldn't want any of my friends or loved ones to experience what I go through on a daily basis.

God has struck me with this disease for a reason ... a reason that I'm still trying to figure out.

When I figure it out, I'll let you know.

Bring on Round 10....

No Fried Chicken for Lunch at BET

OK, I tend to have these mental brain farts where I have nothing to blog about.

*Farts*

I just had one.

I'm all good now.

A question I have been asked a lot this week is "What is it like working for BET?"

I started my first week as a web producer for BET.com and besides from the usual headaches that come with any new job, it wasn't as bad as I thought.

No, my co-workers are running around the office, jiggling their ass, singing the lyrics to Lil' Boosie's new song.

(B-O-O-S-I....sorry, got carried away)

All the stereotypes that people have in their heads about black folks and the network and general aren't true.

It's like any other office environment that I have been in.

(At least where my office is at...)

And instead of watching BET, the TVs were on CNN.

So, take that.

The Oprah Winfrey Network? Wha ...the hell?

Is there no stopping Oprah Winfrey?

Ms. Winfrey and Discovery Communications said on Tuesday that they would jointly create OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network, a cable television channel to make its debut in 2009 on what is now the Discovery Health Channel. Discovery Health is available in more than 70 million homes.

A television network?

A freakin television network?!?

Forget Obama for President.

Winfrey/King in '08.

Underwear Gate '08: Case Closed

Underware Gate 2008 is officially over.

The manager of Classic Laundry called me this morning (and woke me up) to let me know that they were going to offer $225 for my missing unmentionables.

Only $25 less than what I asked for.

When I went down to pickup my money, the less than friendly woman behind the counter acted like she didn't know what I was talking about.

"Should I call your manager Aaron then?"

Chain of command. Works every time.

I was going to take a picture in my new underwear while I made it rain with these $20 bills, but I gotta leave something for the imagination.

No Stopping Brady and The Hoodie

So much for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

As much as I wanted fellow Crohn's Disease quarterback David Garrard to win, not once did I honestly think the Jags had a chance to stop the Patriots.

Not at Gillette Stadium.

Not in the playoffs.

Not against The Hoodie.

San Diego/Indianapolis, I wish you luck.

Al Sharpton Likes Black Navigators

There has been an Al Sharpton sighting.

A Pimp Named Slickback was spotted on 145th and Lenox Ave. as I was coming back from a KFC run.

(I highly recommend the KFC Hot Wings.)

His headquarters is literally right behind my apartment building, but it was the first time I actually spotted him out and about.

Who has time to work from the office when you're busy flying to Mexico City.

And yes, the hair was on point.

Even on a Saturday.