Eddie Long Gives Us The Business...

...not quite -- but I know a Queen when I see one.

Check it. Eddie puts hands on his hip and almost comes out @ 1:26. The hand on the hip is just too juicy for me. Then, right after that, as if the news editor totally agrees with me, a flaming member of his church comments about how giving the Bishop is.



no.soap.opera.can.write.this.storyline!

What we have here ladies and gentleman is some messy punk ish combined with pedophilia and deep hatred for ones own sexuality. But, keep in mind, the basis of this is PUNK ISH.

Follow me if you can: Eddie Long - who I will shall not call a Bishop - is, if not a pedophile, a gay man who pastors a huge congreation in ATL. I've noticed that many of his parishoners are gay too. That's not a bad thing, but it is a gay pastor's playground.

Eddie Long has not denied any allegations. Eddie Long is still wearing a jherri curl toupee with much pride. Eddie Long is still rocking the muscle shirt and vest and he almost gave us two snaps and a "thank you very much". You don't understand what is happening before you!

How far is Eddie willing to go? He already asked the congreagation to, basically, ride with him; in the clip he says that "God can handle Eddie Long". Well, ok - God can, but in the meantime -- who wants a DL pastor who marches against homosexuality before church and bangs little Jamal in the pastors study after? And what about all of the double talk he's giving the church members? Really? This is the expectation for a pastor? If the allegations are true, this "bishop" needs to jump down from his super high horse and get it together. He shouldn't have time to lead a flock of people to wherever he's trying to lead them.

If no one takes a stand, and if everyone keeps drinking that filthy kool-aid he's passing around, I will bet that Eddie Long is going to be the first OUT mega preacher. That anyone of sound mind would accept his leadership, at this point, is very sad. One must read the bible for him/herself and know exactly what they should expect and demand from a pastor. Not everyone is called for a reason. And even the called ones are sometimes re-called.

If I were blogging for comments, I'd Plaxico Burress my hand! - Random thought.

Seal (with Heidi Klum) - Secret

So what do you think about Seal's new video with his wife? Too risque?



The Good:
Seal is probably an excellent lover
The song is beautiful
Heidi has natural breasts
Visually captivating

The Bad:
Too intimate
Seal's nails
Seal's unattractive

Seal and Heidi love to display their affection in public, and with this latest offering they tip right over the line. But I'm glad. Even though the soft porn tends to make my stomach churn, I can't help loving it. Secrets is a tenderly strong song, and I'm definitely feeling it.

I once dated an extremely unattractive man. I'm talking Biz Markie-is-cute ugly. But he had a fantastic personality and made me laugh. Of course, he turned out to be trifling and didn't worship the ground I walked on so we didn't last too long. Our situation was nothing like Seal's and Heidi's.

Still, that ugly dude captured my heart and my mind for a while — but he never quite stopped being ugly. Sure, I'd look deeply into his eyes with love and affection, but if I dared gaze beyond his dirty brown pupils to that face, the mood was KILT. You know how your heart jumps when you see your handsome man walking up? Well, I never got that jump. My heart would beat once we started laughing and talking, but it didn't flutter upon sight. I wonder... if he had been as thoughtful and successful as Seal... would I have grown to love his scars and life wounds?

Now, consider that Heidi is belived to be one of the most beautiful women in the world... and she's a SUPER model... who's loaded ...with her own money. She's practically a goddess in the eyes of many men. And she's with Seal? We can be certain that love's sweet fragrance is in the air, but I wonder if Heidi ever thinks in the back of her mind, as I did with my ex, "You shooooole is uuugly."...?

Just a thought. Love is beautiful no matter how you look; I sound shallow, blah blah blah.

Eddie Long Can't Make Me Lose My Faith!

Let me start by saying WHOA.

Whoa!
Whoa!!
Whoa!!!

I’ve been reading and hearing everyone’s comments about the Eddie Long situation and I’m going to address the ones that interest me the most.

If the accusations are true, how will it affect the Black Church?

#1: The accusations look mighty true. #2: Shouldn’t we be asking, “How will it affect Black Christians?” If a man can make a Christian waver in his faith to the point that he loses his faith, I think that man didn’t have enough faith to begin with. Unless I see Jesus, himself, sending inappropriate spandex snapshots to the kiddies - I’m good; my belief is intact. Yes, I pass judgment on the Bishop, but I know that this is his struggle, and ultimately, it’s between him, God, and the boys he ruined. I hope his parishioners will pray for themselves and continue to believe. I hope they will understand that man let them down; God’s commandments remain standing and people still follow them all around the world.

Maybe God's allowing this to happen because He wants to blow the lid off corruption in the Black Church. Maybe He's fed up with how the Black Church hides and ignores abuse and downright evil. The Black Church might want to stop worshiping the pastor and pray for DISCERNMENT regarding the pastor. God should be your Father and your Leader. Know HIM.

But it can’t be true. He’s married!

Girl, bye.

Why do women think that married men can't possibly cheat on their wives with other men? In 2010? When the DL man is a huge problem within the Black community? It’s almost as if women don’t even know men and they can’t tell a potential punk from a bonefide hetero male. I need women to pay more attention.

If all of this is true, those boys were the age of consent. They knew what they were doing! They just want some money!

Stop being so ignorant.

It’s alleged that the teens (possibly 30 boys?) were “groomed” by the Bishop since the age of 14 or 15. He picked the most vulnerable boys of the lot – just like predators do. When a kid is such an impressionable age, and when he places trust in a much needed father figure, anything is possible. Have some compassion. This man turned those boys out and manipulated them in the worst way.

I have a question -- Who didn’t suspect this? Eddie frequently wears bedazzled velvet dresses/robes. He unashamedly wears a toupee. 90% of his wardrobe consists of size small muscle shirts. He doesn't come across as annointed AT ALL. His sermons always lead to nowhere. He spent way too much time with teenage boys and too little time with his wife. The signs were there. Who didn’t know this crusty hip hop preacher loved the fellas?

The Complexity of a Woman

Do you want to know why I can't keep up with this blog? Simply because I'm a living, breathing, doing everything, complex WOMAN.

The load is heavy! The rewards are rich! The time is limited!

I sit here now thinking of all that I should be doing, but am not. In an effort to go easy on myself, every now and then I think of the productive times and keep it moving.

Thank God for a flexible work schedule, but I still put in 40 hours a week, regardless of the actual hours I sit in the brick and mortar building. I work. I think. I analyze. I surf the web, and try to think of things to share on Facebook. I live. I love. I make lists. I lose lists. I chill. I clean. I cook. I read. I chill.

I chill.

In shame, I bow my head and confess that I haven't worked on my book in 2 months. Sure, I record and write notes here and there, but I'm not on it. But hey - I just moved in a new home, it's summertime, and I can only do so much.

Excuses.

And, then, my side business has dried up because I can't devote the proper time to it. DashCo. Editing Services is not dead, just on a sabbatical. But, I thank God tremendously for having a busy mind. I may not be putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), but I think I know what I need to do, and eventually I'll get it all done in between trying to be a healthier, better, even happier, wife and mother...and employee...and entrepreneur. You get it: I's busy!

Here's a shout out to sistas all over who get up everyday and make it happen. Those of us who are also night owls because we don't want to miss anything. Big Ups to the Superwomen we are... Of course, our celebration wouldn't be complete without a little mood music. Let me know which ones I missed in the comments section.

Gloria Gayner - I Will Survive (Live)


Alicia Keys - Superwoman (Live) (no matter what, it's a FAB song!)


Lisa Stansfield - All Woman (Live)


Whitney Houston & CeCe Winans - Count on Me (Live)


Destiny's Child - Independent Woman (Live)


Karyn White - Superwoman


Christina Aguilera ft. Lil Kim - Can't Hold Us Down


Helen Reddy - I Am Woman (y'all don't know nothin' bout Helen!)


Janet Jackson - Control


Diana Ross - I'm Coming Out


Mc Lyte - Lyte as a Rock


Queen Latifah and Monie in the Middle - Ladies First


Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun


Eve - Who's That Girl


Ne-Yo and Jamie Foxx - She Got Her Own

Love and Hate

I don’t think I’ve ever done this before. Wow. I’m not a narcissist.

Loves:

• Peaceful landscapes
• Interesting/weird/different/unique people
• Tiger Woods Golf (Wii)
• Plain toast
• Ice
• Bacon
• Lasagna
• Competition
• Strong and respectful women
• Wild and crazy women
• Tall men
• Beautiful smiles
• Fit, taught bodies with muscles that don’t bulge
• All skin tones. ALL.
• One on one conversations
• Nas
• Beyonce
• Honesty
• Real hair
• Intelligence
• Common sense carriers
• Words on paper
• Solitude
• A good party
• Money
• Soulful, deep ballads
• Kindness
• Erykah Badu
• Yolanda Adams
• Tyrese
• Gospel music
• Looking into my husband's eyes when we're in a crowd
• Jesus
• My family
• Beaches/swimming/the pool
• New restaurants/places/things
• Paying bills
• Traveling
• Late night drives
• Planning
• True murder mysteries
• Survivors
• Love

Hates:

• Talk when there should be silence
• Silence when there should be talk
• Mayo (yuck, gag, gross!)
• Greedy people
• Rude people
• Lazy people
• Superficial people
• Cats
• Caterpillars
• Music that’s overly sexual and tacky (70% of R. Kelly’s stuff)
• Naps
• How accessible celebrities are now
• How influential celebrities are to children and weak adults
• Violence, especially against women and children 
• Being wrong
• Lou Rawls
• Uncomfortable change
• Going to movie theaters or places that aren’t new
• Al Jarreau
• Public restrooms (ewww!)
• Criticism
• To eat at other people’s homes if they have pets and don’t keep a spotless home
• Racists who aren’t black
• The way I procrastinate
• Hate

Ode to '80s Hip Hop!

My good friend Leslie stopped by for Martinis and Spades the other night and cold shocked me speechless ('80s lingo intended). Leslie's only 30, but until LAST NIGHT we seemed to recall the same moments in history. Then suddenly the name KRS-1 came up and in an utter state of confusion she asked, "What's that? A who?"

My sleeping husband jumped up in disbelief. I thought she was kidding. I joked around and mimicked KRS-1: "Who am I? I AM HIP HOP [insert random big words, real and made up]. I thought she'd laugh and confess to knowing The Philosopher.

Nope.

"What about Whodini? Grandmaster Flash?"

Another blank stare. "I think I heard of..." Blank stare.

This is for you, Leslie: A brief look at the '80s hip hop that I listened to (and loved).

Whodini - 5 Minutes of Funk (1984)

This is the first rap song I remember listening to and reeeally liking. I loved Whodini.

Whodini - I'm a Ho (1986)

Oh my God, I would never listen to this around my parents! Loved it.

Kurtis Blow - If I Ruled The World (1985)

Never been a Kurtis Blow fan, but he was one of the very first rappers I remember.

Grandmaster Flash - The Message

Classic HIP HOP.

Fat Boys - Fat Boys (1984)

Funny and fat, yes sir... Look up thier "Human Beat Box" song.

MC Shan - Left Me Lonely (1987)

Love it!!! This is the way to make a rap love song, Plies.

Ms. Melodie - Live on Stage (1984)

Click here to see the video.
Understand, KRS-1's ex-wife SLAAAYED IT!!

UTFO - Roxanne, Roxanne (1985)

Jammin!

Boogie Boys - Fly Girl (1985)

Gold nails!! I had one. *smile*

De La Soul - Me, Myself and I (1989)

Who doesn't remember De La Soul? It's late 80s, but I had to include!

And to the man who sparked this post...

KRS-1 - My Philosphy (1987)


KRS-1 - Criminal Minded


Eric B. and Rakim - I Aint No Joke


Of course, I couldn't leave out the best rap of all time!
Eric B. and Rakim - Paid In Full (1987)

Mashonda Gives First Post Divorce Interview to Vibe

...and I loved every minute of it. Loved it!!!!

Before reading the interview, I'd written some jive junk criticizing Mashonda for talking about Swizz and Alicia still. But I had to delete all that crap because baaaaaby Mashonda gave the number 2 interview of all time, second only to Whitney's infamous "Crack Is Wack" delight!

I completely understand that Mashonda had to GET A FEW THINGS STRAIGHT AND CLEAR A FEW THINGS UP! I hope Alicia reads and learns.

A few pearls:

I know it was very important for you to sit down with Alicia if she was going to be around your son. Safe to assume that happened?
When I wrote her that Twitter letter everybody wanted to say things like ‘Oh, what do you need to meet her for? It's not her problem, it's Swizz's." I'm like, ‘You have a kid, go through what I went through and then talk to me.’ I'm not having my son around anybody I don't know. I don't give a shit who you are and how much money you have and what management he's going to be under when he visits you. I need to see you and I need you to see how serious I am about him. And that's what happened. We had to sit down, and I told her how I felt. I didn't mention anything else, it was all about my son and it was fine after that. I'm not going sit and talk to [them] about what happened between the three of us. This is about my son.

When did this meeting finally take place?
It took a good year and a half. I think that only happened in March.

How was Alicia’s demeanor?
She just listened.

This all sounds like a really awkward gathering…
It wasn't awkward; I wouldn't have done it if I wasn't ready. I said what I had to say as a mom. It was a whole sit down dinner. So you know how intimate that is. There are certain things we have to do as women in order to move forward. Love does not happen like this. Love doesn’t involve hurt, lies, or destructing anybody else's soul.

Very true, have you received an apology from either one of them yet?
Nope.

Surprising?
No, because I honestly feel like they think they didn't do anything wrong. I don't care about their apology. As long as he’s a great dad to my son and she's a good step-mom, they don't have to worry about apologizing because they will never understand or care about the pain I went through. That was a big thing at first, I felt like nobody was respecting me. He's not respecting me, she's not respecting me. [But] then I had to say, ‘Fuck my ego, because this can't be an ego thing. If it is I'm going to fall down and die.’ People feel that they are so happy and they are so in love, but what really happens is that real love does not come from a foundation when you hurt somebody else. Love does not happen like this. Love doesn’t involve hurt, lies, or destructing anybody else's soul.

If real love isn’t born from infidelity, are you saying it wouldn’t shock you if their soon-to-be marriage ended in divorce?
I don't think about it, it's not my concern. I don't think about them anymore. If there was no little boy involved in this, I would’ve probably moved to another country by now. I've thought about going to live in Europe, but I can't because his dad is here. I don't like confusion, I don't like drama, I don't like none of that stuff. I would have left before the divorce was even final.

Full story here

She'll never be a star (music is yuck), but she definitely has my respect.

The Dream Dips on Christina M.

Like, really, what the hell? Frolicking on the beach with the hired help? For real?

It's a fact that Christina dumped her boyfriend (Cool? Dre?) for The Dream, but who cares? Karma doesn't necessarily say that dumping a boyfriend = cheating on a wife. I don't care if Christina is fake, a gold digger, or the second coming of Mel Gibson — The Dream and his wack ass CD, Love Tit-tays, didn't have to do the girl like that.

Are they doing this for publicity? Not hardly. These celebrity marriages are built on the flimsiest foundations, and they tear apart everyday. It's a shame, really.

I have a pretty good idea why The Nightmare showed out, too. I'd bet that it's the same reason he dumped Nivea: Christina wasn't hot anymore. Come on ladies, a lot of us have been there: young, hot, and desirable until a man impregnates us and forgets that we were his ultimate come up.

Idiot.

Usher: There Goes My Baby

I loooove this song. Sexy. Strong. Beautiful. Usher's latest offering just oozes grown up and classy sex appeal. Now this is how you make a song. Video is cool, too.

Tantilizing News from Across the Pond

I'll bet that you've never even heard of Chris Hune before.

How about Hune and his wife?

Nothing yet?

How about the woman who Hune left his wife for?

Still nothing?

Ok, then, how about Hune's mistress' WIFE?

Yes, that's right. The Energy Secretary in the UK left his wife and 3 kids for the lesbian/bi-sexual/straight (?) woman in the dress (above). 

Hune's political career is of little interest to me but I thought it was interesting that he left his wife for what amounts to an unpretty Ellen. My only question is this: Will the mistress, Carina Trimingham (trim? lol) divorce her "wife" too?

I don't think so. There will only be one messy and heartbreaking divorce in this scenario. Miss Trim can just chunk her "wife" the deuce and keep it moving.

Look at Hune, his wife, and his mistress on election day. SMH. I can't help but laugh though.

The whole sordid story here.

More here

In Case You Didn't Know...

Kelly can't blow.

This is so bad you might have to listen a few times just to get the fullness of the bad.

Lauryn Hill's NPR Interview

The reputation that surrounds Hill is wild — it's hard to know what to believe, because she does so few interviews. She's got handlers on top of handlers, publicists and managers who you think will lead you to her, and then they turn out to be red herrings. My editor and I chased them all down during the weekend of the Harmony Festival. I was told by various people to not touch her, don't look her in the eye; that instead of talking directly to you, she writes on a Post-It note and sticks it to your chest. I've also been told repeatedly not to call her "Lauryn" anything — she goes by Ms. Hill. This is the only rumor that turns out to be true, in my case. Because after her performance in Santa Rosa, when we ask Ms. Hill if we can ride with her back to the hotel and ask her some questions, she tells us to get in the car.

I ask her the question her fans have been asking each other for years: Why did you stop putting out music?

"There were a number of different reasons," she says. "But partly, the support system that I needed was not necessarily in place. There were things about myself, personal-growth things, that I had to go through in order to feel like it was worth it. In fact, as musicians and artists, it's important we have an environment — and I guess when I say environment, I really mean the [music] industry, that really nurtures these gifts. Oftentimes, the machine can overlook the need to take care of the people who produce the sounds that have a lot to do with the health and well-being of society, or at least some aspect of society. And it's important that people be given the time that they need to go through, to grow, so that the consciousness level of the general public is properly affected. Oftentimes, I think people are forced to make decisions prematurely. And then that sound radiates."

Full Interview Here (audio also)

Come back Lauryn!

The Alicia Keys Situation

Look at her, smiling extra wide because she took (i.e. stole, lured, seduced, captured, took possession of) Mashonda’s man, Swizz Beatz. Alicia Keys could have had any man she wanted – mine included – but she had to take Mashonda’s high school sweetheart?

Stuff happens.

Still, the wife in me (and the self righteous little woman on my shoulder) thinks that Alica and Swizz are low down dirty dogs for doing this. Despite her humanitarian good deeds, the mother of Swizz’s love child has always seemed pretty fake to me. I’ve appreciated her talent and jammed hard to her music, but I still remember her words after she won her first Grammy. Backstage and fresh off her Grammy sweep, Alicia was replete with arrogance and braggadocio. A few months later, I personally witnessed this same attitude during her performance at the Essence Festival.

Then, all of a sudden she was full of grace, humility, and good works. Maybe she grew. There’s a chance that over the span of nearly a decade, Alicia grew to be a beautifully humble person with good intentions. I doubt Mashonda would agree.

The realist in me wants to call Alicia Keys a home wrecking sluttramp, but the human in me considers that, perhaps, Mashonda and Swizz were separated. Maybe Mashonda lied when she said they were living a life of happiness when the affair started.









Mashonda says she called Alicia many times, but Alicia would never talk to her. Mashonda says she wrote Alicia, but Alicia never replied. Mashonda says a lot that makes Alicia look pretty doggone bad. Maybe Mashonda is just a scorned ex-wife? I do realize that I don’t know the inside story, and unless someone does an in-depth documentary, I never will. I also realize that we are all human and we all screw up. Having said that…

This is what I see:

Alicia dated Krucial Keys/Women/Somebody who wasn’t too serious. Then, she met Swizz Beatz. She met his wife too. She thought, “Hmmm….I might like him…let’s have some fun...” She flirted with Swizz. He flirted with her. To Alicia, Mashonda was just a regular, untalented ride or die girl with a husband who she’d been with forever. Probably didn’t think Mashonda was on his level and she figured, maybe, she’d bring him up to HER level. Maybe he could be her Jay-Z?

Alicia knew he'd just had a baby with Mashonda, but she had a connection with Swizz in and out of the studio and she wanted to see what was up. That he had a wife was of little, if any, consideration. Alicia got on this ship and never jumped off. To hell with a Mashonda.



Before the affair, they probably shared dinners, texts, phone calls, and studio time. And, as Alicia knew he would, Swizz fell on Day 1. Like a ton of bricks falling through paper towels. Satisfied just to share a meal with THE Alicia Keys, he didn’t even make a move on her. She made the first move.

Moment of honesty
Someone's gotta take the lead tonight
Whose it gonna be?
I'm gonna sit right here
And tell you all that comes to me
If you have something to say
You should say it right now

I’m not a racist, really, I’m not. However, I do appreciate the strengths and recognize the weaknesses of the races. Not all stereotypes apply to everyone, but some apply to enough. So, to put it bluntly, I think Alicia used her inner white woman to quickly pull him in. She got him with her confidence, aptitude, beauty, praise, seduction, and azz. She actually put her stud on him...she was that interesting, beautiful, giving, IN CONTROL woman he wanted. You be all THAT and see if you don’t take a man.



In a nano second, Swizz calculated the pros of being with THE Alicia Keys; Mashonda didn’t have a piece of a chance. He chunked his wife the deuce and woke up in Africa with a superstar carrying his third child. And oh yeah, see that dazed and blissful smile on his face?



Watch out Swizz. Alicia is a BEAST and she will eat you alive if ever need be.



I know some readers may think I'm crazy for saying this. I know some think that you can’t TAKE a man from a woman. In a sense, that’s true. But you can also live by the rule that you don’t make time with married men. You can live by a personal moral code of never stepping into someone else’s relationship. It's the quickest way to avoid that Karma.



Great performance though. And she’s never looked better. Poor Mashonda.

Chris Brown Puts His Foot in His Tweet Again

Basically, Chris Brown went in (insert smirk and eye roll) on Sandra Rose. Um Chris, if you are going to throw out dark skinned jokes that you've even labeled a JOKE, then please, by all means, make the ish funny!

For the record, Sandra talks all kind of crazy about any given person, but I love it most of the time.

Chris, dude, stop tweeting. It's absolutely not working. Nothing's worse than a lame woman beater. And at this point, be assured that the general public does indeed think you're lame now. What are you giving us to LOVE?

It always amazes me that one minute Chris Brown was the boy next door who had the entertainment world in his hands, and the very next minute *POOF!* everything was gone. The hits. The love. The endorsements. The NICENESS. The everything.

Kelis is a Beast

Kelis,

For real? You took it here?

I used to like you Kelis, honestly. In fact, I loved you the first time I heard "Bossy". What couldn't I identify with in the song? For a minute there, you were IT, girlfriend. You had that sexy husband and your beauty and allure appeared effortless.

No doubt, you came on the scene a different woman than most. "Off beat and beautiful" would probably describe you. I'm not ready to think about your description for 2010.

Recently, you tried to prepare us for something we could not and would never understand (the long grey hair), but nothing could have prepared us for this dog shot. What happened? Have you always been this crazy? The picture makes me think of a woman and dog having I N ter course. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who sees you wrapped up with a dog when I look at this soft beastiality pic.

I want to throw up in your brain.

Take it As Love,
Smokie

No Kissing Allowed

WOW. I have nothing.

FourFour

Behind the Scenes: Jaheim and Regina King

Two of my favorite celebs star in Jaheim's upcoming video, "Finding my Way Back". Can't wait to see the video. Regina King's the leading lady and the director. Do it, girl.

Usher - There Goes My Baby LIVE

Now this is what I'm talking about! Usher sang that song, didn't he?!

Tupac Lives?

Call me crazy, but every now and then I look up Tupac info. I don't know for a fact that the brotha is dead. He was cremated and his whole death and after death has been somewhat of a mystery to me. So, I keep hope alive.

I ran across this video and I'm pretty sure it's NOT Tupac. But...what if? What if Pac is actually a lot of those Tupac impersonators that we see here and there? What if, sometimes, Tupac actually walks around with a bandanna on his head, like "you know I'm not Pac"...but it really is him? What if dude in the video is him?

Surely the FBI and detectives everywhere would have analyzed all of the Tupac sighting footage out there and been ON it if Pac were really walking around, chilling, being caught on camera and video tape.

Or...what if he's hiding right under our noses?



Really, who is this old dude and who does he think he's fooling?

Mario - Just for You

Niiiiice.


Music by Singersroom.com | More on Mario

Vivian Green - Beautiful

This is really a beautiful song...


Music by Singersroom.com | More on Vivian Green

Chris Rock - Crackers

I just want to know if the Revolution will be televised because it's damn sure coming!

SandraRose

Erykah Badu!!

Erykah!!!



Symbolism, artistic expression, creativeity yada yada yada...all that can get lost in the crack of that badonkadonk! 3 kids? Go GIRL!!

(Love the song too.)

A Panther in Africa

I know I'm late, but I JUST realized that YouTube has a section for full length movies. I clicked on "A Panther in Africa" thinking it was an animal film, and discovered an interesting movie about a man from the Black Panther Party who's been living in Africa in exile for 30 years. Anything about another culture, especially the African culture, is of great interest to me. Check it.

The (Fake) Relationship (Fake) Ends

Eva and Lance broke up. No surprise here. I wish I would have cared a tenth of a fraction about Eva and Lance before today. If I had, I would have written a small post about what I really thought of them. Instead, I never addressed the couple and only chuckled to myself at the idea that they were more than an attractive Dawn and Que.

Separately and together, the two are both visually appealing, but they never seemed like a real couple to me. It never seemed true to me. They appeared like a manufactured relationship brought on by two D list celebs who wanted to become a hot couple in Hollywood.

They were hot - sizzling and crackling aike fire - but, who followed them like that? Their whole relationship was one big photo shoot. As a single or married couple, what could Eva and Lance ever do to get Jay-Z and Bey kind of attention? Or even Kim K. and Reggie B. attention?

So yeah, I knew the wedding would be called off. It's one thing to take a bunch of pictures together and memorize cutesy little anecdotes about each other, but it's a whole 'nother bucket to plan a wedding and have to marry your cute lil gay homeboy. Ok, Lance might not be on the down low, but I still never saw them as a real couple.

Source

She Get It From Her Mama

So it turns out that Gabby Sidibe’s mom is just as confident as good ole Gabby herself (or "Notorious Precious" if you're Jamie Foxx). Never mind that her daughter was just in an Oscar nominated film, Alice Tan Ridley is still singing in subways for some spare change and loving every minute of it. And now? Now she's jumping into the ring while it's hot as fried chicken grease for the plus sized confident black woman.

Age, race, size, and missing teeth be damned! Alice will be an inspiration to us all as she auditions for America's Got Talent on March 20th.

Oh yeah, you thought there would be only one Hollywood star in the family? Baby boom. I just love that mother and daughter team. I can't wait to see them slim up as the get deeper into Hollywood.

Whitney Houston: Sweaty and High

I tried to support her, but I can't keep cheering for a crackhead. This is totally unacceptable. I know Whitney hates she ever recorded "I Will Always Love You".

Really, WTF is this?

Jay Speaks on Bey

Would Jay-Z even be relevant without Beyonce...?

Letoya Luckett - Good to Me

Loving this song. Her voice is so clear and her look so refreshing. Love the high note near the end. You GO Letoya! (Sorry I slept on your CD.)

Just Wait

I love Marvin Sapp's I "Never Would Have Made It"* as much as the next dope dealer who dodged a bullet, but my anthem is They That Wait by Fred Hammond and John P. Kee. I identify with that song profoundly. When I first heard it, I realized it summed up my whole life.

Let me tell you, I've passed up a lot of (weak) opportunities because I knew God had something better for me. In some areas of my life, I've definitely practiced delayed gratification -- and for the most part I haven't cared about outside opinions.

I've been the single chick at birthday parties and weddings without a man next to her or even on the phone with her. I've been single while my son's father has had 3 wives. (Don't get it twisted, I was the first one who turned him down. lol)

I waved goodbye to - or just passed up - the ones who'd have me immersed in drama and self doubt. I let the sheets be cold many nights; I knew they'd warm up with the right one one day.

I've worked at jobs that didn't pay as much as I wanted, but I stayed to get a little tenure. I moved on eventually, but I waited for the right time. I never quit a job after I had my son; we haven't had to go without insurance or lights or food because I get up most mornings and drive to work. I've never depended on a man to provide for us.

I worked the structured jobs so that now I am blessed to make my own schedule.

I could have lived with a number of boyfriends (and could have even married a few mis-matched ones too), but I didn't want my son to grow up with that image in his memory (might be other bad images, but not that one. :-)); I didn't grow up seeing it and I'm thankful to my mother for that. It wasn't always easy to pass up invites to shack up, especially when friends were living with their men, but I knew something better was out there.

I could have gotten on Section 8 and moved in a house. I could have even pulled some funds together and bought a regular little home. Then, when I married, we could have been in a hurry to compete with the Joneses, but we wanted a nest egg. We wanted a certain house. Planned. Saved. Waited. Sometimes it was hard.

When you see my joy or when I say, "I'm so glad I didn't this or that", please don't take it as bragging. It's testifying. I sacrificed and went without in every area possible, but I held on because I wanted God's full bounty. I'm glad that God is showing through me that He's true to his word if you fully believe in Him and just do what He says as much as you can. I'm happy for GOD. I'm praying that someone will pause after reading this and change up one thing they are doing to align with what God would advise in that situation. You'd be so much happier and freer if you'd just release it and let Him gently work it out.

Of course, I make stupid decisions and I have my regrets, but the goal is always true happiness and peace. I'm thankful for His mercy when I veer off track, but I pray while I'm off track that he will put me back on the right path. He does. Something tells me that if you try to live with love and wisdom, God will reward you. Life will reward you. Your heart will reward you. I've tried to resist leaning unto my own understanding because I always know that He has a better plan for me. My trust is finally paying off in big ways. But you know what? I don't feel like "it's taken so long". I think I feel more like "it's right on time".

I'm not saying be a holy roller, but read Psalms and Proverbs and learn about people and life situations and how to handle them. Learn about those you should avoid and those you should hold dear. Learn about actions and reactions and better solutions to every day issues.

Understand, God doesn't move at your pace so He might not work it out when nor how you think He should. But just wait. While I wait for Him to do His magic -- because when it all works out in the end you SEE how He worked -- I pray for guidance so that I can make good long term decisions and I fill my life with happiness and truth as much as possible. Sad, mad, and confusing days come, but a steady convo with God brings about understanding and clarity. I know He's going to fill my life with a joy and peace that passeth understanding. All I have to do is my part by staying the course and allowing Him to do His thing. He gives many small rewards on the path to the larger ones. He is the BEST kind of father. (I always make sure to shake things up a little bit though just to keep it hot!)


* On the real, I had to click on the link and listen and he IS the truth! These songs might be a tie!

Checking In

It's been a long time...I shouldn't have left you...

Thanks for the emails from people who don't even comment. LOL Glad to know I was a liiittle missed.

This world is moving at an accelerated rate, and to be honest I can't keep up. Between work, raising a 14 year old son, my crazy friends, preparing for a new home (!), Facebook, and working on a BEST SELLER that must be finished by July of this year - I'm swamped! But I'm loving it.

I'm going to start posting more often, but for now, I'll leave you with a few things I've learned over the past couple of months:

1 - Women accept way less than they deserve. Self love is crucial!

2 - Amber Rose has boring on lock. Somebody said she's like Queen Latifah's woman in Set It Off: mute and blonde. I totally agree!

3 - I just feel in my spirit that Precious cries herself to sleep most nights.

4 - John Edwards is a low down dirty pimp and that could have been your president!

5 - Ellen is the most likable lesbian EVA. Rosie should take notes.

6 - Nelson Mandela has been out of jail for 20 years.

7 - Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2010 is, perhaps, as addictive as crack. Yeah I come home at lunch to play.

8 - John Mayer is one of the funniest, realest white men ever. I feel you Holly Robinson Peete. He's a total racist, but who cares -- everyone is entitled to feel how they feel. He was totally out of line.

9 - Nikki Manaj would be the ish if she dropped the gimmick and the name.

10 - People can love you and still use you. It's up to YOU to love yourself more and tell them to kick rocks!

11 - Barbara Jordan was the female Barak times 10. Remember her for Black History Month. Read up on her. Learn about all of the laws she passed for the poor and minority. Bring your kids out to see I, Barbara Jordan at the Alley Theatre by Celeste Bedford Walker (Mama :-)) Fast paced and entertaining...you'll love it.