Money Monroe.

Today's recommended listen isn't just about an artist and his solo journey from his musical group, it's about the entire entertainment establishment. I'm sure there's not a living soul in Long Beach who hasn't heard of F.L.I.P. The CEO's of that clique have evolved into something much greater past high school prosperity, making music and changing the name to what we now know as Beast GanG Ent.

I had the honor of interviewing one of the CEO's of the Beast GanG rap group, Money Monroe, and he filled me in on some detail of his rap style as an individual, and what else to expect from his popular clique-turned-rap crew.

Money Monroe

Artist Money Monroe, who's real name is Jamaile E.M. Hampton, first started rapping at the age of 12. Rapping songs off of his tape deck at a young age, visualizing that one day he would be able to perform those songs in front of large amounts of people. Nine years later, Jamaile E.M. Hampton is still writing not only for himself, but other artists. He's now 1/3 Ceo of Westcoast Hip-Hop Powerhouse Group "The Beast GanG" whose debut album is expected to drop by June of next year.

Here's a look at the exclusive interview that I had with Money Monroe himself;

I know you're part of a bigger movement; Beast GanG Ent. Who are the other members of Beast GanG?
There's four rappers that form the group "BeA$t GanG". Three of which are CEO's, (Monroe, Bizzle & Boogie), then theres Beast GanG Ent., which is multiple independent artist under the same Ent. That's about 15+ people or so, all coming out with different styles of relevant music.

How long have you been making music with Beast GanG?
I would say for about four years now. We weren't always called Beast GanG, however. We were originally named after a High School [clique] that we were from (F.L.I.P.) and later changed the name for business purposes.

There's all types of styles of rapping. What would you say your style is?
UP-BEAT, EXCITING. How about REFRESHING ?

Is your rapping style different than the rest of Beast GanG's?
Most definitely. I feel being from Beast GanG [you] have to have a rap style like no other. It's as if being from this kind of establishment anything less isn't an option. So you better STAND OUT.

If you had to identify your music with someone who's mainstream, who would you compare it to?
OHH MAAAAN that's a tough one. "Who in the mainstream would I compare myself to"... I'd have to go with a few of my favorite artist on that. I mean, quite frankly, I feel to be in this game you have to have a certain uniqueness that makes you different from any other. People want originality, people don't want a Copy Cat.

Who would you love to collaborate with (signed or not)?
I'm not really one for the offering of other artist to hop on a track with me. There's times I view that as a weakness, due to the fact that I don't want people thinking I need other artist on my songs to make a good album or to come out with a hit. But there are times where I do collaborate due to the artist relationship or due to business reasons. But if I would have to say... then signed, I'ma go with T.I., Drake, Kanye, Kendrick Lamar, J.Cole, Nipsey Hussle, to name a few of my favorites. Unsigned I'ma have to say I'm always open for any collaboration. Let's go with Cold Flames off bat, whether we do a song battling or a collaboration, but mainly just because 3 of their members used to be members from the high school clique that we started and once had our group named after ! Then let's go with Blaq Diamonds just cause I've heard some of their music and actually thought it was good ! How bout FAMxBIZ with a HUGE group collab? We actually have been talking about working on tracks in the future but nothing's final.

Where do you record your music?
Numerous places. I have different places for different sounds, with multiple engineers on the clock 24-7, READY to grind out another hit at any given time. I'd have to say I have 'em in Long Beach, Lakewood, Paramount, Bellflower just naming a few.

How many singles have you dropped so far besides "When I'm Done Grindin'" and "On My Own"?
Just those two. We're actually focused on finishing up and releasing our group project, then our solos will follow after shortly. "When I'm Done Grindin'" was sorta like my debut single, and "On My Own" was actually another artist from Beast GanG's song in which I just harmonized over the chorus. We're working on the video for that as we speak and I will be dropping my second single entitled "ART". Which is kind of like a poetic rhyme expressing a man's Love for a Women and all of the ART over her body.

So you've been rapping since you were 12 years old. What in the world were you talking about at 12?
Lol lots of things ! I mean what else does a 12 year old rap about? I was rapping about crushes on girls and things I considered an actual problem in the community. In fact I once wrote this song called "Deadbeat Daddy" and it was a story of a man and his fears of being a deadbeat daddy to his child.

Who produces your beats?
Well to be honest I used to produce and still can for myself but I'm in connection with a few as well. I don't like to be left feeling as if I can't do the one thing I love most and that's [making] music. J Boyce off top he made my "When I'm Done Grindin" single and he recently produced my latest single to be dropped "ART". I also have gotten close and rebuilt my friendship with my boy B.Harris who has produced some SICK Beats straight outta' Boogietown Productions. Look out for him on a few of my newest Mixtape hits.

Where are some places that you've performed at so far?

ALL OVER CALI ! From San Diego Clubs back down to L.A. ! Club Woodies, Weibers, The Oceanside Beach, The Airliner Club In L.A., Club Eclipse in Carson. And we're just racking up the totals, checking off the cities we will be performing at in the near future.

Do you feel that aspiring artists should have a backup plan that doesn't involve music? Why? 
Most definitely because they're just that: "ASPIRING". Unless you have the type of music pushing sales like that to where you can financially support yourself, you're gonna need a backup until you get your feet off the ground. Besides, most people will tell you if that's why you're in it, then your in it for all the wrong reasons. And that you should be in it for the love of music and the lives you've touched and could possibly touch through your music. I'm tryna bring Lasting Lifetime Memories of the things you've did while listening to one of my songs ;)

- Personal Questions -

What high school did you go to? And what year did you graduate?
LAKEWOOD ALUMNI 07'

Are you still in school? If so, what school, and what's your major?
Yes. For Commercial Keyboarding. Monroe 101: You should ALWAYS be improving yourself as an aspiring artist.

Name three brands people can always catch you wearing. (shoes included)
Levis, Nike, Pro 5

Your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Cookies N' Cream

What's your Zodiac sign?
Clever Cancer

Are you single?
No. I'm in the process of working on an empire, sorta' like [what] T.I. & Tiny got ! :p

WalMart or Target? (:
WalMart. I just saw a really cheap laptop for sale that I wanted to get. I don't care if I become a MILLIONAIRE, two places I will continue to shop at is WalMart & The 99cent Store !

And there you have it. I loved interviewing him, his answers were so much fun. His personality is clearly evident in this interview, as it is in his music.

Listen to his debut single, "When I'm Done Grindin'", and be on the lookout for more from Money Monroe and the rest of Beast GanG Ent.!

Here's a list of other links to stay connected with Money Monroe;

- Facebook Fanpage- Money Monroe on ReverbNation
And as an insider tip, I'll be interviewing the rest of the Beast GanG rap group in the near future. So stay tuned! (:

The Shy Social Misfit.

Shy SocialMisfit

Today I just had to talk about this guy, Social Misfit, and his photography skills. My creative mind has a weakness for other creative minds. I've taken a look at his pictures before, but today was the first time I actually went in depth with his albums, and I must say, I'm in love with his work.

Photography is a hobby of mine, actually. One I never spend enough time doing. I could look at pictures of flowers all day, but Social Misfit's urban photography is like... Candy for the mind, or something. I love the way the colors pop in some of his pictures. He has a good eye for capturing a moment as if you're really there.

He's already been featured on Ekqualyte Style Hause, a notable fashion-forward blog, for his work. You've probably seen this Philadelphia native on Facebook before, since his fanpage has already pulled in over 1,200 fans (I'm jealous). His photography style mimics his personality, much like his hot pink mohawk. You could only expect greatness and confidence from someone bold enough to present himself to the world like that.

Here's some of his work that I loved:

You can see more of his work here.

It's stuff like this that really inspires me. I just want to go out and take pictures of everything now! Keep shooting, Shy! Can't wait to see your work in magazines (:

Listen up !

Just a quick announcement, guys.

I'm running a little bit behind schedule for the next interview that's up for "Blah," she said, just because of the holiday and my random work schedule. I know a few of you are expecting the post this weekend, but I'm postponing it for, at the most, another week. The interview with Money MonRoe should be up no later than December 5th, which is next Sunday.

In the meantime, check out his Facebook page and become a fan!

Blaq Diamondz.

I'm back again with yet another Recommended Listen! This group resides in Texas, but don't label them as a strict Texas style. I present another one of my favorites, Blaq Diamondz. I'm a close friend with one the members, Amboogie, and I always knew she had musical talent. But collaborating with her cousin, Tonio, gives this group a finishing touch on perfection.

Blaq Diamondz

Their song "She Like" has already made myself along with plenty of others a fan, but their new song "So Seductive" clearly shows that they're not a one-hit wonder. They're set in their style of music, and I love their consistency. I had an interview with the group and I have it here to show all of you (:

First and foremost, why "Blaq Diamondz"? Who came up with the name?

We all discussed the name, and thought it was unique, so we all agreed on it.

Individually, how long have you two been writing music ?
Tonio: 8yrs
Amboogie: 3yrs

Are you guys currently signed? If not, what label do you want to be signed to?
No we're not. But we want to get signed with Island Def Jam.

What are some of the biggest shows that you've done so far ?
We've opened up for Soulja Boy, J Holiday and B5 hosted by 97.9 The Beat in Dallas, TX. We also did the Custom Car Show after party with Swisha House which was advertised on 97.9 The Beat in Dallas, Houston and Louisiana. It was held at Club Axis in Fort Worth, TX. And also we've opened up for Shawnna from DTP in Chicago.

What would you say is the style of your lyrics?
Tonio: Lyrically smooth, like a John Legend, Dwele & Drake sound.
Amboogie: Relevant, energetic. smooth. Erykah Badu sound. Mainly I'm my own style :)

Who produces your music?
20-year Music Veteran Tracy Kendrick. He has produced music for DJ Quik, west coast rapper AMG, India Arie, Jazz Musician Boney James, the famous funk band from the 80's, Lake Side, and one of the west coast pioneers of west coast hip hop, Egyptian Lover. You can look him up at www.TracyKendrick.com

Would you say that the style of your music is Texas, Cali, or both?

Tonio: [I don't] make music from this planet lol

Amboogie: All over, we're very diverse.

What was the first club that your song was played in?
Carson's Live in Dallas, TX. Its one of the biggest clubs in the DFW Metro Plex.

When first starting to work together, did you go by a different name?
Yes, we were in a group called The Thobacks.

Was it always just the two of you?
No, it was 3 of us the other guys name was Yung 1.

Did you each do something different in the group before you both ended up rapping?
Tonio was rapping with Yung 1 and I, (Amboogie), was the group's DJ.

Other than music, what do you guys do for fun?
Tonio: Play basketball, football, and make beats
Amboogie: Going out places. Take pics. Make up random songs. Freestyle off the top of my head lol lycie. (She's referring to our one song, "Pee in the Sink", which I'm not too proud of today, by the way)

What are some other things you do with you time? ( ex; school, work, etc. )
Amboogie: Church, read The Holy Bible and college.
Tonio: Church, read my bible and college.

Where do you record your music? Is there a special studio? A room in the house?
We record at a professional studios in Dallas and we also have our own professional studio at our house.

Do you guys have any other talents?
Tonio: Acting and singing.
Amboogie: Dancing, acting, singing and modeling.

Who is your manager?
DJ Supreem and Laura aka Lo Lo.

Lastly, cats or dogs ? (:
Tonio: Dogs.
Amboogie: Neither lol.

I must say it's crazy to see how big they're getting. It's expected, of course, with good music, and I couldn't be more proud of their success. You can listen and download their music here for free! Also, be sure to check out their Facebook page. Add them and be one of the first to know when they drop a new single.

You can listen to "So Seductive" here and download the free mp3 today!

Family Business.

Guess what? I've got new additions to my iPod's "Most Played" list! It's FAMxBIZ's album Hardwork&Hennessy and also their mixtape Hunting Season. It's a function favorite with me and my friends, and I've already managed to get my friend Alex hooked on it. The track "Hardwork&Hennessy" happens to be my favorite, but I'm torn between that and "Letting You Go" which features the one and only, Lamar Jay. With music like these boys put out, it's a real wonder why they're not ridiculously rich and famous.

Steve Sincere, Matt Mann, Just Jae

I talked to Steve Sincere, the leader of FAMxBIZ, and like Lamar Jay he is extremely humble; which really makes sense to why they collaborate so much on the Hardwork&Hennessy album. I'm still working on setting up an interview with FAMxBIZ, and hopefully our schedules will mesh well sometime soon so I can finally make that happen. But until then, check out their album and download it for free while you can! And but of course, they're also on Facebook.


They're really fan-loyal, and it shows all over their Facebook wall. They're always looking to work with their fans, involving them in their journey as upcoming artists. That has to be the coolest thing I've heard since "free wifi". They do shows all over, the next one being at La Mirage Night Club on Thursday, November 18th. Check 'em out!

Check out the Hardwork&Hennessy video !!

Back In the Day.

Caution.
This is a bit of a history lesson. If history causes you to rip the skin off your own face, don't attempt to read this post. You've been warned.

To be honest, I haven't had anything to write about lately. Not that my social life hasn't been on fire (which it has) but I haven't found the need to blog about parties & minor social gatherings. Plus they all end up the same way; me, drunk, talking to anyone who isn't too sober to listen, & my friends dancing to any audible beat they hear nearby. All of those party updates are usually on my Facebook wall, anyway, so there's no real need to blog about that. Am I right or am I right?

My blog's been collecting dust, and I've been anxious to find a good topic. So, sadly enough, I've decided to go from the super-interesting subject of Lamar Jay to the history of Long Beach and Lakewood (my neighboring hometowns).

*watches people hurry up and click out of the blog*

Lol, I'm actually the last person interested in history. But when it comes to a place that I've grown up at and still walk the streets of today, I'm very intrigued by it. One thing I've always imagined is that if a time machine were ever invented, I'd go back to the first day my city got started, just to see how much has changed. Thanks to the internet, I was able to do that in a sense. My life is fulfilled; I can die now.

But for anyone who's grown up in Long Beach or Lakewood, I think the discovery of what used to cover these streets eons ago would be a shock to them too, right? RIGHT?! I mean, can you imagine Native Americans walking the streets of Signal Hill? And who thought that Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was actually the first person to discover Long Beach*? The only thing really remembered in his name is that high school that looks like a state penitentiary. He wasn't feeling Long Beach, though, because he wasn't able to grow his crops due to the inconsistency of the climate (look at my attempt to sound smart).**

*side note: It may say on some sites that the Spanish discovered Signal Hill, but it was occupied by the native american Indians before Juan Cabrillo and his crew crashed his little boat onto the coast. Don't believe the hype.

**another historic fact: You know Shell gas station? The name comes from Shell Oil Company, founded when oil was discovered in Signal Hill. Not to mention, that oil field was one of the most productive in the world.

Okay, enough nerdy talk.

"May Co" is now Macy's. The vents on the corners are still there.
Courtesy of Malls of America (blog)

The next time you take a stroll through the Lakewood Mall, try to imagine all of that area being used for a lima bean farm. And miles continued down south of nothing but... lima beans. I mean, not even corn, or something necessary like wheat or cotton. But lima beans.


Before the schools, busy streets, and executive buildings that now crowd Bixby Knolls, it used to be occupied by sheep galore. Sheep?! Wow. I guess you can already imagine that black people weren't seen for miles in the Bixby Knolls area. (That's actually fact)

The only school that would accept black students for a while was Polytechnic High School. Surprise, surprise. According to a family friend, Poly's been around for over 200 years, it's first teacher only being 16 years old. It was the first high school that even existed in this area.

Is that a lima bean in the corner?
Courtesy of Mall of America (blog)

I can't even try to think back to how this wasn't even a city at one point. Whenever do you see closed-off construction that says, "Do Not Enter, We're Building A City"? Never. Does Pan American sound familiar? It's the park that's between Mark Twain Elementary and Bancroft Middle school. Back in the day, there used to be the annual Pan American Fiesta, held in the parking lot of the Lakewood Shopping Center. I can't say which came first; the park or the fiesta. But either way, that explains the goofy name.

Another thing that I found interesting is that Denny's first found it's home in Lakewood. Denny's is a favorite of mine and my friends, & you can almost always find us there in the ho-stroll hours on the weekends. It's original name was Danny's Donuts. Go figure.

But yeah, that's just what I wanted to share since I couldn't find a decent topic to save my life. Hope I didn't bore anyone to tears!

Recommended Listen; Lamar Jay.

Lamar Jay & all his awesomeness.

Lately, all I've been seeing on Facebook is the craze about a new up-and-coming solo artist by the name of Lamar Jay. This guy easily has made his way onto my "25 Most Played" list on iTunes. Don't try to call him an amateur artist; Lamar Jay's single "Mysterious Love" has already been featured in the beginning of the hot summer flick "Lottery Ticket", starring Bow Wow and Ice Cube. The genre of his music is a mixture between pop and r&b, and his voice is so easy to listen to, it's hard to not find yourself hitting the "repeat" button.

However, the song that I've been going crazy about is his newest, "Nicki". It's an up-beat dance track with an addictive beat, about the infamous Nicki Minaj (obviously), where he sings out the verses while Nicki is heard on the hook. It kinda makes me wish my name was Nicki. "All the Nicki's around the woooorld, you're my number one." What about the "Lycie's", huh?!

Lamar Jay works very hard and loves what he does, and it shows. Not to mention he's unbelievably humble for someone rising so quickly. It might be cliche to say, but he really does love his fans and he aims to please them in his music. I can't tell you how many times I've come across arrogant rising artists. Making more enemies than a fan base? No bueno. Lamar Jay's personality is easy to like before you even hear his music, which makes his music that much better. So he's definitely a recommended listen. Shoutout to my new favorite artist, Lamar Jay. Keep it up (:

Click here to check out Lamar Jay on Facebook and look below for his latest single that's my favorite so far:

50 Tyson is My Hero.

Everybody knows who 50 Tyson is by now. If not, I'll elaborate: 50 tyson aka Fatty Fitty aka 50 IQ is notoriously known for his horrible rapping skills performed in his YouTube videos. He's best known for such singles as "Can I Hold You Down" and "I Ain't Gon' Lie", where he loses train of thought mid-flow, and can't remember what number comes after 16. 50 Tyson has become so popular, in fact, that Kevin Hart did an impersonation of him on his own YouTube account.

Some say 50 Tyson is slow, I say someone that slow wouldn't be able to operate a camera. Since when did a severe lack of talent transform into a mental disability? If that's the case, then Miley Cyrus has been running around without her helmet for far too long.

With the sudden e-fame that 50 Tyson is receiving, he's been used to promote other YouTube channels such as TheOfficialTrade. I'm guessing it's without 50's consent, seeing as how they've taken all his videos and put them on their account with a link covering the whole picture of the video saying he's been "hacked". Another factor is that they've used the account name "hd50tyson1" where 50 Tyson's account name is "hd50tyson". Hmm; peculiar. Sadly enough, the publicity isn't working in their favor, and they're more known for "stealing from an autisitic 17-year-old". Womp, womp. The only thing worse than having no talent, is stealing from someone who has no talent. #wheredeydodatat ?

50 Tyson is my hero simply because he's genuine. And with all genuine people come the clones of personality-deficient nobodies. Luckily nobody wants to be like me (:

Here's to you, 50 Tyson!

Run & Tell That!

Normally, I don't jump on bandwagons. I wasn't a major fan of "Pants on the Ground", I'm immune to Beiber Fever, I never owned a Snuggie... But on this particular bandwagon, I have a first class ticket.

By now, everyone's heard the story of Antoine Dodson's sister waking up to a man in her bed while sleeping in her fabulous home in the projects of Lincoln Park. The newscast became ridiculously infamous, and has been remixed into an autotune song now available on iTunes. If you just so happen to live under the biggest rock ever known to mankind and still haven't seen the iconic video, here it is:



Easily, Antoine became the star of the story rather than the true victim, his sister. In all honesty, the story wouldn't nearly have gained so much popularity if it wasn't for Antoine's lovable reaction to the incident. If it went any other way, the story might have been twisted to say that the girl got so drunk that she didn't recognize who she got into bed with the night before. Gotta love the press and the ignorant thoughts of society, right?

Controversy of the claim being the truth or not isn't even the case, though. No, no one's paying attention to that. It's Antoine's flamboyant boy charm that made the video what it is. "We gon' find you, so you can run and TELL THAT!" (I'm thinking about making "run and tell that" my new catch phrase.)

In natural YouTube humor, there's already been a series of music videos made in honor of Antoine's performance. And I'm pleased to announce that my talented little sister, Nellie, is one of the YouTubers associated. P.S, be on the look out for this girl; she's really going places. She finally got signed to an agency and I couldn't be more proud! (:

Here's Nellie's edition of "Run & Tell That":



Though she may have a little too much time on her hands, she's definitely good at what she does; making people laugh. Love you, Nellie!

The Public Transportation Blues.

"The Metro doesn't care about poor people."

As I previously posted before, but ended up removing because I felt that I posted it out of anger and it was wrong, I moved out. Currently I'm living with my mother a good 5 mile distance away, and 5 miles further from my school. I still have to take the bus to school, and the amount of time it takes to get there is about the same. But this past week has shown me just how much money is spent for public transportation; thus giving me a brand new thing to complain about.

I take the Metro bus, which runs from Lakewood to the dirty ghettos of Los Angeles. Bus fare recently went up to $1.50 from the long-lasted fare of $1.25. I take the bus four times a day; two buses going to school, two buses coming home. So, hmm, let me calculate that:

$1.50 x 4 = $6 a day?!


So wait, I take the bus five times a week. Therefore my grand total for fare per
week would be $30. Run that over a course of five weeks for the month and that's… $150. What the HELL? That's a grocery bill, an entire outfit, a day at the salon, or, I don't know, a CAR NOTE? Sure, it'd be a cheap car, but I seriously could pay some kind of car note for that amount of money.

You get a serious discount if you get a bus pass. Monthly bus passes cost $70, $20 if you opt for weekly. $20 a week is gas, if you're driving a basic car locally. $70 a month could fill a gas tank and an entire cupboard of Cup O' Noodles for a starving college student.

Even though it really is a discount, that's not the issue. And I know the obvious question is, "Uhh, what about student bus passes?" Now that's my issue. A student monthly bus pass costs an easy $30. That's way beyond affordable to be taking four buses a day, 20 buses a week, 100 buses a month. The hard part is actually getting the student discount.

First and foremost, you need the application. Luckily, my school has the transportation applications at the front desk of the office. But if they didn't, I would have to contact Metro Corporation and ask them to send me one via U.S. Mail. I mean, really? Do we not live in 2010 where Internet connection can be found at a homeless shelter? Why use U.S. Mail for that crap?

After you finally get the application, you fill out all the information, school included. They want the basics, like your full name and address, the name and address of your school, your phone number, everyday things like that. But they also want: 

• a photo copy of your state I.D
• a copy of your school I.D
• a print-out from the school verifying full-time enrollment
• a letter from the dean
• five reasons why you feel you are eligible
• a copy of monthly expenses
• a copy of your light bill
• and a midget and three balloons.

This isn't a luxury charter bus to the Vegas Strip. It's a city bus filled with bums, freaks, and crying babies. Not to mention, it's a $1 fee just to send the application! And, it has to be made out in a money order. Do you have any idea how hard the people at the check cashing place laughed when I asked for a money order for a dollar?

When you finally have all required items just to send the damn thing out, there is still a 20-day waiting period for verification. Then they make your student card, and then you still have to wait for it to come in the mail. Wouldn't it make much more sense to just show your student I.D. at the place you get bus passes, and have them give you a student pass? Probably! But no, Metro wants you to jump through five hoops of fire to get a discount of $40. I wonder what crackhead screwed up the application process for all the other students.

The process is so irritating that it makes you wanna go ahead and pay $70 a month. But what are they really doing with all the money they get from fare and bus passes? They're not putting it towards any cities that they drive through, which is evident by the way it looks. They're certainly not putting it towards maintenance of the buses, because one of my buses broke down twice last week. If anybody had money to afford bus fare like that, then they would have a car. After taking the same buses for almost two months, I've come to the conclusion that all the people who ride the bus are BROKE.

Getting a job sounds like the obvious solution, doesn't it? I go to school Monday through Friday, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. I'd have to get a job working from 6 a.m., and get off at 12:00 p.m. just to have to turn around and go to school. It would take probably a solid two weeks for me to die from exhaustion. Then the money would be wasted for the extra two weeks I have before my bus pass expires, because I'm dead. I can't even get a car until I have a job to pay for my insurance.

Charging that amount of money to take a bus that's always late is robbery in my opinion. Next time the driver slams on the breaks at a stop light, I'm gonna allow myself to fly to the front of the bus and get hurt. Maybe then I'll be able to afford a monthly pass.

"Blah," to My Bad Day.

The driving test is a set-up for failure

So today I took my behind-the-wheel driving test… I failed.

First of all, my appointment was at 1:00 p.m., but I had to pull my car into this drive-thru and wait for an hour and a half – crap. When it was finally my turn for the test, this old black dude comes and tells me to pull off to the side before I start my test. He asked me for my hand signals. This is how that went: 

Fat, old, crappy instructor: "Do you know your hand signals?"

Me: "Yes."

Fat, old, crappy instructor: "Show me the hand signals."

Me: [puts arm out the window]

Fat, old, crappy instructor: "No, your hand signals."

Me: "Uhh, you want me to use my hands, right? Not the car signals?"

Fat, old, crappy instructor: [impatient sigh] "Did you read the driver's handbook?"

Me: "Yes, but that was a while ago." (Lies)

Fat, old, crappy instructor: "Tell ya' what. I'll just mark it off."

Me: [sad, pathetic face]

I knew my hand signals. Not because I read the book, but because I remember seeing it on an old episode of Franklin on Nick Jr. But before I could get my arm all the way out the window, he was saying, "No, your HAND signals." I thought to myself, "Uh… Yeah! That's what I'm trying to do!" It's not like I stuck my frickin' foot out the window. So before the car was even put in drive, I was already deducted points.

As the test continued on the road, a big rig was pulling out on the street, backing up in front of me. There was still fairly enough space in my lane so, without thinking, I tried to go around. Luckily, I wasn't hit. But that took a big chunk out the ass of my points. All other points deducted were little petty things like wide turns, not scanning enough in residential areas, and… not checking my right side completely when making a right turn?! Who does that? There wasn't enough space for a biker to be on the right side, let alone a car. What a BS call. Needless to say, I wanted to shoot my instructor with a paintball gun. I was only allowed to lose 13 points; I missed 15. After failing, I sat for a minute, cried like a little bitch, and then finally went to school.

That kinda ruined my mood, and painted a "sad puppy" expression on my face for the rest of the day. But I'll be going back on August 16^th, and I REFUSE to fail. Failing the same course twice? Someone say "stupid," so I don't have to.