Diary Of A Peculiar Soul

Frickin' Freezin'

2007-01-26T12:51:00.000-05:00

[26 Jan 2007|12:52pm]

[	mood	\|	cheerful	]
[	music	\|	Sunshine At Midnight - Sunshine Anderson	]

Yeah it's cold yall... 2 below with the wind chill to be exact.

Prince Charles & Camilla are visiting the city today to get a taste of our Arts & Culture scene... Philadelphia has one of the most amazing Mural Arts Programs in the country and the Royal's will be checking out a few of them in our Mantua section of the city. Of all the places in the city to visit Mantua wouldn't be one of my first choices... but they do have some beautiful murals in that area.

The play was HILARIOUS! It was basically a comedy/musical about a bunch of geeks and how the members ended up being the creative minds behind all of the major computer companies (Oracle, Linux, Microsoft, and Apple to name just a few). The play really ends up being about the rise, fall, rise of both Apple and Microsoft.

I never thought that it would be as funny as it was! I got the good belly laugh that I so needed! This theatre company was superb! Their timing was amazing. There was this one scene where Bill Gates was trying to woo the woman that represented Netscape into merging with Microsoft. She was playing along and when she had him right where she wanted him she pulled his pants down as a last "thumb in your eye" tactic. Well she used so much force when she pulled them down that she pulled down his shorts and all... LOL For a split second I was wondering if that was part of the show... seeing this big, floppy... well you know what I'm getting at... LOL. The look on his face let us all know that it was not part of the act... LOL His eyes got really big and he promptly pulled up ALL of his clothes and did a little jig... He stammered a bit with his next few lines but he found his stride and the show went on flawlessly. I bet he wears a ONESIE for the remainder of the shows run... LOL

I think I'm going to see it again before it leaves Philly.

Post B-Day Bloggin...

2006-05-10T06:50:00.000-04:00

Good Wednesday Mornin' Folks...

Hump Day and all that good stuff!

I had a blast yesterday... Ate so much food it was ridiculous!

I got some housekeeping out of the way early in the morning... Had to get some bloodwork done at the doc... Even popped in on my Twin for a little while. The children she works with are off the chain... a bunc of little people with all types of personalities! I don't know how she finds the strength to goto work everyday... and for 14 years at that. We all got gifts... and ONE of hers has always been being able to handle difficult situation... That one definitely qualifies!

After that I met a friend for lunch at Dolce this fantatic, Italian inspired spot on 3rd & Chestnut. I had chicken marsala... who doesn't love chicken smotherd with fresh vegetables and gravy... LOL (I ain't a big gurl for nothing) I even got flowers... A beautiful bouqet that included my favorite flower (Stargazer Lilies... just in case you plan on sending me some... LOL).

Now I was beyond stuffed! And I still had dinner plans with my oldest set of friends on this planet. So I decided to walk a little bit to knock the spirit of sleep off of my back! It was a BEE-YOU-TEE-FULL day! If you know me you should also know that I have only had three birthdays in all my life that it hasn't rained.... Yesterday was one of them.... I decided to walk up to this yarn goods shop calledLoop (they don't have a website yet but you know I will keep u up to speed when I find out). They are located on 19th & South. So you know I had a nice little hike from 3rd & Chestnut. Got to the shop and it was the cutest little store. The had all the yarns grouped by type then color. The people that work there were actually knitting & crocheting little projects. They have a section of books with tips, project ideas, and even starter kits for beginners like me. I have been trying to cast on since December and have not been able to do it. Well if you know anything about knitting you know that casting on is kind of essential to the whole knitting concept! If you can't get the yarn on the needle properly... You won't be knitting! I am here to say that I was absolutely giddy last night when I got home and decided to pick up my yarn and needles again. My Twin is a witness yall... I totally was able to cast on 18 stitches AND complete another two rows! I was so excited! So as long as I keep at it I should be able to create some beautiful (at least in my eyes... LOL) pieces!

After my adventure at Loop I made my way to my dinner party. I had a blast! Didn't think I could eat another bite... That was until I saw the Strawberry Shortcake! It was fantastic! Add to the mix two of the cutest 6 & 7 y/o girls and you have the makings of another faboo evening.

Got home last night and pretty much crashed (after being able to cast on... I was spent! LOL!

Thumpin Thursday...

2006-05-04T01:12:00.000-04:00

So ya gurl had a wild day yesterday…

I forgot what it was like to be around a bunch of hormone raged children who don’t know the meaning of restraint.

I have witnessed 11 y/o children with makeup, acrylic nails, tongue and chin piercings (yeah man… freaked me out!). I even played double-dutch with my client today…

That was until all the damn helicopters, from every network imaginable, began swarming the neighborhood. I TOLD YALL TO PRAY FOR ME AND MY CLIENT… Didn’t realize how much we would need it. We (the students and staff) didn’t know what the hell was going on… Come to find out… two students got shot just a half a block away from the school. Next thing we know people are coming out in SWAT team suits trying to escort us all inside.

WE WERE OFFICIALLY ON LOCKDOWN

All the students were ushered to their respective classrooms and not only did they lock all the perimeter doors (like Crazy Joe in Lean On Me) but they also had the teachers lock all the classrooms so you couldn’t get in or out… It was a mess.. The kids were terrified (the helicopters sounding like they were about to land on top of the school didn’t help). All in all the two high school student that got shot were able to be released from the hospital later yesterday afternoon.

MAN TALK ABOUT A HELLIFIED FIRST DAY AT WORK!

=====================================

In other news....

C.A.K.E. has made a return with an event at North By Northwest (In Germantown) tonight at 9pm... Come on out and party at one of my favorite hangouts... I'm gonna kick off my birthday celebration a bit early... LOL After the day I had yesterday I need it!

Make the most of your Thursday people... I plan to
!

Hump Day Haps!

2006-05-03T07:04:00.000-04:00

Well today is the day folks...

What day is that you say???

IT'S WEDNESDAY!!!!! (SHEESH! can you say INTERVENTION)

(seriously man... you need to stop smoking that stuff if you didn't know it was the middle of the week!)

Naw but on the real... I can almost see the end of the week!

Saturday is gonna be a blast! But before we get to there...

I'm about to get ready for my new gig... I'll be providing behavioral health services to school-aged children in their schools and in their homes. Pray for me yall... And seriously pray for them... I don't do the little people often. So this is a switch for me. This is just temporary ( and by temporary I mean that I'll have if for as long as it takes for me to find a different gig or complete graduate school... whichever comes first... Hell maybe both! LOL).

So no links today kiddies...

Well maybe I'll give ya a lil one... LOL ( you know I've never met a link I didn't like... LOL)

Check out these dumb a$$ criminals below (you might spot one of your relatives up in there) Check out the rest of the page HERE http://www.dumb.com/dumbcriminals.htm

Chicago: A man was wanted for throwing bricks through jewelry store windows and making off with the loot. He was arrested last night after throwing a brick into a Plexiglas window...the brick bounced back, hit him in the head and knocked him cold until the police got there.

Portsmouth, RI: Police charged Gregory Rosa, 25, with a string of vending machine robberies in January when he: 1. fled from police inexplicably when they spotted him loitering around a vending machine and 2. later tried to post his $400 bail in coins.

When Stan Caddell wanted to wash his Chevrolet, he backed the car into a foot of water in the Mississippi River at Hannibal, Missouri. When he got out to clean the car, it floated away. Police were able to retrieve the vehicle some distance downstream. According to an officer on the scene, no action would be taken against the driver because "you can't ticket a guy for being stupid..."

Kentucky: Two men tried to pull the front off a cash machine by running a chain from the machine to the bumper of their pickup truck. Instead of pulling the front panel off the machine, though, they pulled the bumper off their truck. Scared, they left the scene and drove home. With the chain still attached to the machine. With their bumper still attached to the chain. With their vehicle's license plate still attached to the bumper.

A bank robber in Bumpus, Tenn., handed a teller the following note: "Watch out. This is a rubbery. I hav an oozy traned on your but. Dump the in a sack, this one. No die packkets or other triks or I will tare you a new naval. No kwarter with red stuff on them, too." Dr. Creon V.B. Smyk of the Ohio Valley Educational Council says such notes are, lamentably, the rule. "Right across the board, we see poor pre-writing skills, problems with omissions, tense, agreement, spelling and clarity," he moaned. Smyk believes that the quality of robbery notes could be improved if criminals could be taught to plan before writing. "We have to stress organization: Make an outline of your robbery note before you write it," he said. "Some of the notes get totally sidetracked on issues like the make, model and caliber of the gun, number of bullets, etc., until one loses sight of the main idea -- the robbery."

A lawyer defending a man accused of burglary tried this creative defense: "My client merely inserted his arm into the window and removed a few trifling articles. His arm is not himself, and I fail to see how you can punish the whole individual for an offense committed by his limb." "Well put," the judge replied. "Using your logic, I sentence the defendant's arm to one year's imprisonment. He can accompany it or not, as he chooses." The defendant smiled. With his lawyer's assistance he detached his artificial limb, laid it on the bench, and walked out.

A man in Orange County Municipal Court had been ticketed for driving alone in the carpool lane. He claimed that the four frozen cadavers in the mortuary van he was driving should be counted. The judged ruled that passengers must be alive to qualify.

A man was arrested for stealing a car. When he was taken to court for his arraignment the judge asked, how do you plead? Instead of saying guilty or not guilty the man said: "Before we go any further, judge, let me explain why I stole the car." The judge ruled in record time.

A pair of Michigan robbers entered a record shop nervously waving revolvers. The first one shouted, "Nobody move!" When his partner moved, the startled first bandit shot him.

After drinking a little too much, Stewart Butcher went to sleep on a West Virginia railroad track. A while later, something woke him-- a 15 car coal train. "I raised up," said Stewart, "and it knocked me out..."

An Australian man accused of murdering his wife can't seem to get his story straight. June Mathew, John Rushton's second wife, testified that Rushton told her his first wife died of a heart attack, ran off with a Baptist minister after committing 55 acts of adultery, and drowned after being washed overboard. Rushton also claimed he was a nuclear physicist, a naval commander, and had been knighted for saving the Queen's life. Mathew, who was married to Rushton for five years, believed him because he was a "good talker..." but those pesky microtremors finally gave him away...

An off-duty police officer in Newark, NJ, had a pistol-shaped cigarette lighter, which he had been using all night while drinking at a local tavern. After many hours and drinks, he apparently mistook his 32 revolver for the lighter. When he went to light his cigarette, he shot and killed John Fazzola, who was seated 5 stools away at the bar...

Conspiracy Theories...

2005-09-07T14:24:00.000-04:00

I told yall that I was a bit off the beaten path... This entry will solidify that...

I have long suspected that our gov't while publicly wrestling with the morality of cloning technology has been privately experimenting with it. It is my honest belief that they have cloned many people but one in particular... Heart Attack Jones... umm yeah... you know who I'm talking about... G Dumbya's sidekick... umm Tonto... naw I can't even taint Tonto like that... (He was a cutie... made me want some "Indian In My Family" but I digress... LOL).

I'm talking about the Dick. I mean the Vice-President... Cheyney. Where the hell has he been with all this shit going on down in the Gulf... of Mexico that is. You couldn't turn on any available media with out seeing his ass defending our Pres with good ole' Colin and we can't forget Dr. Rice... on every decision that has been made regarding foreign policy... namely the current endless war we are in.

Yall ever see the Manchurian Candidate? It was a movie with Denzel Washington (who just gets sexier with time). Essentially the movie was about a group of people who funded the programming of an individual and then guided him into making life choices that would land him in the White House as VP. I think that Cheyney has long since kicked the bucket and that the board of Halliburton took some of their year end bonus and funded a "special project"... called... You guessed it... Heart Attack Jones...

Just imagine them (the financial backers for this project) lying in wait... for what you may ask... For G. Dumbya to bumble up enough times to get his ass impeached... Yeah I told ya I was off my rocker on this one... How in the hell else can you explain the fact that SOMEONE convinced him that HE should conduct an investigation on why there was a delay in the response to the victims of Hurricane Katrina? At first I thought that it was because they wanted to be able to spin it in their favor... Now I'm thinking that's what they told HIM in order to get him on board...

So the next time you see good ole Dick.... Be certain to check for any abnormalities... Or actually if he looks just TOO symmetric... we just might have a cloner on our hands... LOL

A Note To Black Conservatives

2005-09-06T13:54:00.000-04:00

This is from a black blogger to conservative black bloggers.

http://stevegilliard.blogspot.com/2005/09/letter-to-black-conservatives.html

Dear Black Conservatives,
I would laugh at you, if thousands of dead didn't litter the streets of New Orleans.
Have you read what your conservative allies have written? How they regard black people?
To all you black ministers doing "outreach" with Bush: as Dr. Phil says, "how's that working for you?"

Seen enough dead black corpses yet to get the point? George Bush is incompetent. He kills Americans with his slovenly ways. Sure, he talks big, but underneath is a tiny man, a man who cannot see beyond his nose.

Sure, he talks about being a God-fearing man, but when it comes to Jesus's good works, he could care less. He did nothing to allivate their suffering.

How can you face your congregations now? How can you look them in the face, after your betrayal of them is in such stark relief. The man you thought would help you has done nothing but let people suffer and die. How will you explain that to your parishoners? Getting government funding is more important to me than my soul?

To the lackies like Deroy Murdoch and LaShawn Barber: your God, George Bush, has failed you. Have you seen what they think about you, Powerline, Instapundit, Ben Stein, they all think those black people deserve to be dead. The people you suck up to, the people you rely on for praise and support , they hold black people in contempt, in disdain. In short, they are now saying what they have always thought, always believed as they smiled in your face. Deroy, how can you stand to fetch Jonah's coffee, when he suggested the women and children in the Astrodome grow gills. Doesn't it make you ashamed, as you shine his shoes and fetch his laundry, to work with such a man.

LaShawn, after all your praising of Bush as a good Christian, is this what your Bible says: let the meek drown beacause it isn't my fault. I am not responsible. Is that how Jesus would act. How can you look in the mirror, knowing you defended these people, people who mock the suffering of your people.

Armstrong Williams, you knew your conservative friends would abandon you at the drop of a hat, now they abandon an entire city of black people to drown and starve. They blame them for their opwn fate, even laugh at them, insult their intelligence. How does that make you feel? How can you look at yourself and realize you have not only defended, but promoted these people and their agenda, and when your people were in trouble, would rather toss insults than offer help. Doesn't it prove the bankruptcy of your life so far, the waste it is?

John McWhorter, can you look at the faces of the dead and dying, the suffering of the victims and justify your subservience to whites? Do you now get the reasons for black anger, human anger. It may make you uncomfortable, but do the dead make you any more comfortable? How can you serve the people who would mock the fate of your breathern.

Black conservatives must face the reality that they have been lackies to some of America's bitterest racists, people who would mock the suffering of children because they were the wrong color. Doesn't that trouble your sleep?

Black conservatives have betrayed the community and must now come to account for their treason. How can they face themselves, much less the community. They have been the allies of racists and those who hold even black children in contempt.

The dead and suffering of New Orleans demand no less.

2005-09-03T10:10:00.000-04:00

I often find myself wondering what goes through peoples heads when it comes to love sometimes... Men in particular. Women as more of an afterthought. We all say we want the dynamic and fulfilling relationship but don't have a damn clue what to do with them once they have have it in front of them.

Now I'm not talking about taking care of your business in the bedroom. That goes without saying. I don't know many people who would be willing to stay in a monogamous relationship where they are not satisfied physically (at the very least), who would be willing to keep the relationship monogomous if at all.

What I'm talking about are those things that NURTURE a relationship from infancy far into maturity. Why is it WE are quick to pull out the stops to win someone's heart & affections... But fall short on the followthrough.

So Tell Me...

WHAT QUALITIES DID YOUR MATE EXPRESS IN THE BEGINNING OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP THAT YOU WISH THEY WOULD RESUME?

WHAT HABITS HAVE YOU NOTICED IN YOUR MATE THAT YOU HAD NO CLUE WERE THERE IN THE BEGINNING?

Wolf Blitzer...

2005-09-02T16:54:00.000-04:00

Professionally trained journalists have a responsibility to choose their words wisely. Knowing that the majority of the population affected by the hurricane are Black, the journalist in question -- in my opinion -- knew full well that his choice word was inappropriate. If, in fact, he was trying to paint a picture by using the word "black" then there were several other words that he could have used. Using the same website, http://www.dictionary.com/, and going to the Thesaurus link, the words "dark; cloudy; somber; depressive" etc. could have been used instead of "black."

Just my thoughts.

The Blame Game

2005-09-02T16:11:00.000-04:00

FEMA says it's the New Orleans residents fault that they got caught in the storm...

Click Here To Read More

2005-09-02T16:08:00.000-04:00

September 2, 2005

A Can't-Do Government

By PAUL KRUGMAN

Before 9/11 the Federal Emergency Management Agency listed the three most likely catastrophic disasters facing America: a terrorist attack on New York, a major earthquake in San Francisco and a hurricane strike on New Orleans. "The New Orleans hurricane scenario," The Houston Chronicle wrote in December 2001, "may be the deadliest of all." It described a potential catastrophe very much like the one now happening.

So why were New Orleans and the nation so unprepared? After 9/11, hard questions were deferred in the name of national unity, then buried under a thick coat of whitewash. This time, we need accountability.

First question: Why have aid and security taken so long to arrive? Katrina hit five days ago - and it was already clear by last Friday that Katrina could do immense damage along the Gulf Coast. Yet the response you'd expect from an advanced country never happened. Thousands of Americans are dead or dying, not because they refused to evacuate, but because they were too poor or too sick to get out without help - and help wasn't provided. Many have yet to receive any help at all.

There will and should be many questions about the response of state and local governments; in particular, couldn't they have done more to help the poor and sick escape? But the evidence points, above all, to a stunning lack of both preparation and urgency in the federal government's response.

Even military resources in the right place weren't ordered into action. "On Wednesday," said an editorial in The Sun Herald in Biloxi, Miss., "reporters listening to horrific stories of death and survival at the Biloxi Junior High School shelter looked north across Irish Hill Road and saw Air Force personnel playing basketball and performing calisthenics. Playing basketball and performing calisthenics!"

Maybe administration officials believed that the local National Guard could keep order and deliver relief. But many members of the National Guard and much of its equipment - including high-water vehicles - are in Iraq. "The National Guard needs that equipment back home to support the homeland security mission," a Louisiana Guard officer told reporters several weeks ago.

Second question: Why wasn't more preventive action taken? After 2003 the Army Corps of Engineers sharply slowed its flood-control work, including work on sinking levees. "The corps," an Editor and Publisher article says, citing a series of articles in The Times-Picayune in New Orleans, "never tried to hide the fact that the spending pressures of the war in Iraq, as well as homeland security - coming at the same time as federal tax cuts - was the reason for the strain."
In 2002 the corps' chief resigned, reportedly under threat of being fired, after he criticized the administration's proposed cuts in the corps' budget, including flood-control spending.

Third question: Did the Bush administration destroy FEMA's effectiveness? The administration has, by all accounts, treated the emergency management agency like an unwanted stepchild, leading to a mass exodus of experienced professionals.

Last year James Lee Witt, who won bipartisan praise for his leadership of the agency during the Clinton years, said at a Congressional hearing: "I am extremely concerned that the ability of our nation to prepare for and respond to disasters has been sharply eroded. I hear from emergency managers, local and state leaders, and first responders nearly every day that the FEMA they knew and worked well with has now disappeared."

I don't think this is a simple tale of incompetence. The reason the military wasn't rushed in to help along the Gulf Coast is, I believe, the same reason nothing was done to stop looting after the fall of Baghdad. Flood control was neglected for the same reason our troops in Iraq didn't get adequate armor.

At a fundamental level, I'd argue, our current leaders just aren't serious about some of the essential functions of government. They like waging war, but they don't like providing security, rescuing those in need or spending on preventive measures. And they never, ever ask for shared sacrifice.

Yesterday Mr. Bush made an utterly fantastic claim: that nobody expected the breach of the levees. In fact, there had been repeated warnings about exactly that risk.
So America, once famous for its can-do attitude, now has a can't-do government that makes excuses instead of doing its job. And while it makes those excuses, Americans are dying.
E-mail: krugman@nytimes.com

Thomas L. Friedman is on vacation.

Philly To House 1000 Katrina Families

2005-09-02T15:31:00.000-04:00

I'm not saying that we shouldn't help those in need... We need to lend a hand to those that cannot do for themselves... But how about having Dubya declare a NATIONAL state of emergency and hustle up the same type of fervor (and funding) for those that are displaced all over our country.

Philadelphia To House 1,000 Families Displaced By Katrina

City Contacted By Department Of Housing And Urban Development

POSTED: 12:29 pm EDT September 2, 2005
UPDATED: 1:52 pm EDT September 2, 2005

PHILADELPHIA -- Mayor John F. Street has offered to take in 1,000 families displaced by Hurricane Katrina. "We will be prepared to receive our brothers and sisters, our fellow Americans as soon as they can be brought to the city of Philadelphia," Street said. "It is our belief that we can do no less." Street on Friday said he had been in contact with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Details of where the families would stay weren't immediately clear. Street said he and the Philadelphia Housing Authority would help decide where the families would go.

Mister Senator... Madam Senator...

2005-09-02T14:33:00.000-04:00

You have the option to stand up for those who are not being heard. Write or call your congressperson, the White House, major news agencies and your friends. Inform them of what is really going on, how it looks to you, as a citizen, and how it looks to a world which is probably as saddened for our loss as they are to see that we have yet again spectacularly failed to live out our ideals and our professed faith.

Make yourself heard: Here and Here

Click Here and Here For More Info:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sample Letter:

Dear Legislator (use other title if appropriate),

I am (name, occupation, location). I am ABSOLUTELY APPALLED at the horrific indifference shown by this administration toward its citizens, particularly those trapped in New Orleans.

This is the most wealthy nation in the WORLD. There is NO WAY that anyone can tell me that this is the best we can do. We cannot send buses with military escorts to evacuate these people. They are dying needlessly and this is a disgrace and a shame before the world. I implore you, if you have any compassion, sense of duty and responsibility to this nation's citizens, to make FEMA and every other government agency with the wherewithal to DO THEIR JOBS and remove these people from harms way.

This was no accident, nor act of God. The mismanagement of FEMA has been ongoing since this administration took office in the form of monies moved from mitigation strategies and diverted to the president's boondoggle in Iraq. Please. Say something. Use your clout. Make them set this right.

These people did not 'choose' to stay. They did not have cars, or money for gas. 'We', as a society which does not value it's poor, and especially its black poor, left them behind.

I plead with you to do something about this, now. And to hold those responsible for this needless tragedy responsible, later. If not, the song of democracy that we sing around the world rings hollow.

Sincerely,

(Your name)

Resources For Those Affected By Katrina

2005-09-02T14:08:00.000-04:00

Immediate Job Openings to Assist Hurricane Katrina Victims The SBA Disaster Assistance Office in Forth Worth is looking to hire 300 to 400 people immediately to assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Positions are loan officers, attorneys, paralegals and customer service reps. The fax numbers for resumes are 817.683.5621 or 817.684.5799.

The Texas Health and Human Services also has a hotline number. They can assist with food stamps and other subsidies. The number is 2-1-1 or 1-888-312-4567.

JLTLA Members Offering Office Space to Displaced Attorneys If any members of JL Turner have attorney friends from Louisiana that are displaced, the law firm of Kelley Witherspoon is willing to donate office space.

Free Home Health Services M & L Medical Services of DeSoto, Texas is offering free house calls for all senior citizens and especially those from Hurricane Katrina. These house calls will aid geriatric patients, diabetics, and congestive heart failure patients. Also included in the offer are free drugs administered by the aiding physician and some free drugs from the cooperating drug store. Please call M & L Medical Services at (972) 228-8500 if you need home care assistance or are a family member of a senior citizen who needs physician or nurse attention.

Complimentary Salon Treatments Kim, With Studio 115, would like to give complimentary services Sunday, September 4th & Monday, September 35th from 1-9 PM. If you know of anyone that has been a victim of Hurricane Katrina, please forward this information so they can have their hair shampooed & styled. The Shop is located at 115 Main St. in Duncanville. The number is 972-572-1115.

Displaced Law Students Ole Miss Law is enrolling and providing some housing for 2Ls and 3Ls from Tulane and Loyola.

Donate Miles/Points To Katrina Victims

2005-09-02T13:37:00.000-04:00

If you're looking for a way to help out and donate to the Red Cross, consider donating your unused airline miles. Many of the major airlines (America West, Continental, Delta, Northwest and United) have programs set up directly with the Red Cross. In addition, many of the credit card type rewards programs allow you to donate your points directly as well. It's an easy way to contribute even if you don't have the extra cash to donate directly.

http://www.redcross.org/donate/donatemiles.html

Fats Domino Rescued

2005-09-02T09:49:00.000-04:00

CNN reports : Click Here

Michael Moore Writes To Bush...

2005-09-02T09:35:00.000-04:00

I know Mike has no love for the Bush Administration... But I think he is right on the money with this one. I swear, Bush has got to be the worst President EVAH!!!

(yes, even worse than Nixon because Nixon was at least smart - GEESH!)

Bureaucracy is still alive and well... We can run off to every other country in the world and not do what is necessary to help our own... Something tells me that if the majority of the families that that are stranded on the streets of New Orleans right now were not of African decent help would be a little more forthcoming.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, September 2nd, 2005

Dear Mr. Bush:

Any idea where all our helicopters are? It's Day 5 of Hurricane Katrina and thousands remain stranded in New Orleans and need to be airlifted. Where on earth could you have misplaced all our military choppers? Do you need help finding them? I once lost my car in a Sears parking lot. Man, was that a drag.

Also, any idea where all our national guard soldiers are? We could really use them right now for the type of thing they signed up to do like helping with national disasters. How come they weren't there to begin with?

Last Thursday I was in south Florida and sat outside while the eye of Hurricane Katrina passed over my head. It was only a Category 1 then but it was pretty nasty. Eleven people died and, as of today, there were still homes without power. That night the weatherman said this storm was on its way to New Orleans. That was Thursday! Did anybody tell you? I know you didn't want to interrupt your vacation and I know how you don't like to get bad news. Plus, you had fundraisers to go to and mothers of dead soldiers to ignore and smear. You sure showed her!
I especially like how, the day after the hurricane, instead of flying to Louisiana, you flew to San Diego to party with your business peeps. Don't let people criticize you for this -- after all, the hurricane was over and what the heck could you do, put your finger in the dike?
And don't listen to those who, in the coming days, will reveal how you specifically reduced the Army Corps of Engineers' budget for New Orleans this summer for the third year in a row. You just tell them that even if you hadn't cut the money to fix those levees, there weren't going to be any Army engineers to fix them anyway because you had a much more important construction job for them -- BUILDING DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ!

On Day 3, when you finally left your vacation home, I have to say I was moved by how you had your Air Force One pilot descend from the clouds as you flew over New Orleans so you could catch a quick look of the disaster. Hey, I know you couldn't stop and grab a bullhorn and stand on some rubble and act like a commander in chief. Been there done that.

There will be those who will try to politicize this tragedy and try to use it against you. Just have your people keep pointing that out. Respond to nothing. Even those pesky scientists who predicted this would happen because the water in the Gulf of Mexico is getting hotter and hotter making a storm like this inevitable. Ignore them and all their global warming Chicken Littles. There is nothing unusual about a hurricane that was so wide it would be like having one F-4 tornado that stretched from New York to Cleveland.

No, Mr. Bush, you just stay the course. It's not your fault that 30 percent of New Orleans lives in poverty or that tens of thousands had no transportation to get out of town. C'mon, they're black! I mean, it's not like this happened to Kennebunkport. Can you imagine leaving white people on their roofs for five days? Don't make me laugh! Race has nothing -- NOTHING -- to do with this!

You hang in there, Mr. Bush. Just try to find a few of our Army helicopters and send them there. Pretend the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast are near Tikrit.

Yours,
Michael Moore

MMFlint@aol.com

www.MichaelMoore.com

P.S. That annoying mother, Cindy Sheehan, is no longer at your ranch. She and dozens of other relatives of the Iraqi War dead are now driving across the country, stopping in many cities along the way. Maybe you can catch up with them before they get to DC on September 21st.

At Last

2005-08-28T11:19:00.000-04:00

Ok so I've been a tad bit neglectful...

There are so many things going on in my life right now that I don't even know where to begin. So I've decided to be selfish and only divulge a lil bit. I figure the rest will come out over time...

One of the biggest events to take place is that I have packed up and moved my wares to some nicer (but considerably smaller) digs on the NorthWest side of the city. I LOVE IT! Moving is such a traumatic experience for me... I don't know how those nomadic spirits make it work for them. I have been here a little under a month but the entire moving process took about two months... And barring any natural disaster I won't have to do it for another 11 or more... LOL

I moved from a very spacious crappy two bedroom apartment that turned out to be a great "first" apartment for someone just coming out of college and not making a whole lot of money. Well unfortunately for me, working in Social Services, I'm still not making a whole lot of money but I've moved to a not-so-spacious beautiful studio that is another great "first" apartment for someone not making a whole lot of money and planning to go to graduate school next fall (more on that in another post).

Never thought that I would be able to make a studio work until I ran across this apartment early this summer. A friend of mine pointed me in this direction and wiggled me in at the last minute. The place has a full sized eat in kitchen (something that isn't common to studios in my area) and a little cubbly-like area where the closet and bathroom are. There was just enough space there for me to put both of my chests of drawers there. I was excited about that little detail because it meant that I didn't have to have those tall dressers in my "main" living area.

CurrentlyI have the main living area set up as much as I can considering the amount of space I'm working with. I have a futon that is so low to the floor that I know that I'm going to invest in a better one in the near future. I can't imagine me (or anyone else for that matter) sleeping on this thing comfortably night after night. But I have a love seat, tv, coffee and end table, the reqisite television, desk, PC of course, three book shelves, and my beautiful, animated, Betta fish named Murphy all in that one area. Much to my surprise you can still see the floor... LOL Oh BTW... my floors are this beautiful caramel colored hardwood!

Well that's all for now... We hosted an event last night in Philly and I didn't get in until 5:30 this morning... A sista is a lil tired! I will update you more in my next entry.

I've missed you guys and plan to check your pages slowly but surely.

Pot Suckers...

2005-07-08T08:47:00.000-04:00

Company agrees to yank pot-flavored pops off market
By KATE CLEMENTS
© 2005 THE NEWS-GAZETTE
Published Online July 7, 2005

SPRINGFIELD - A New Jersey-based company has agreed to stop selling marijuana-flavored lollipops, called "Pot Suckers," after receiving a subpoena from Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office.
"Due to the controversial nature of the item, ICUP Inc. has decided to voluntarily suspend all marketing and distribution relating to their 'Pot Suckers' product," said a statement prominently posted on the company's Web site, www.icupinc.com.
A letter Madigan received from the company's attorney noted that the company had refused to ship existing orders as of June 28, had quarantined its existing inventory and notified retailers not to sell the product.
Madigan spokeswoman Melissa Merz said the marijuana-flavored lollipops do not provide a "high," but they promote drug use to kids.
"It glorifies drug use," Merz said. "By selling kids candy that tastes like marijuana, it's saying to kids, 'This is cool, this is something that's OK to do,' and it's not OK to do."
In a written release, Madigan said she was pleased that ICUP stopped selling its Pot Suckers and encouraged other companies with similar products to do the same.
Madigan subpoenaed another of those companies, California-based Chronic Candy, late last month, seeking information on its advertising and marketing practices. Her office is looking into whether the business violated the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.
Chronic Candy uses the slogan, "like taking a hit with every lick," and sells the lollipops in quantities such as "nickel bag" and "half-ounce," which are also terms often used to label quantities in the sale of marijuana.
"I've been told by the attorney general's office that their investigation is very preliminary in nature and that they've made no decision," said Tom Durkin, the Chicago attorney representing Chronic Candy. "We're going to respond to their subpoena, and we are going to cooperate, and at the end of the day expect they will find that my client is not breaking any Illinois laws."
Madigan isn't the only one taking an interest in the issue. Last week, the Chicago City Council voted to ban sales of marijuana-flavored candy there, and a Michigan lawmaker is reportedly seeking a ban in that state.
"I think it's a good move, because selling those types of lollipops gives a mixed message to young people," said Anita Bedell of Illinois Church Action on Alcohol and Addiction problems.

Live 8 Observations

2005-07-03T02:43:00.000-04:00

8 Observations from Live 8

I had an opportunity to attend Live 8 in Philadelphia. I was intrigued by the event and its goals, but decided to stay for only a little while and went home and watched the stream on AOL when it became too hot and crowded for me. For those that missed it, Live 8 was a music festival held in nine major cities on the same day, each with an unprecedented artist roster. Live 8 was not a charity event, but an awareness event designed to bring global attention to poverty in Africa. It was backed by corporate sponsors in each country and also Time Warner, which had exclusive broadcast rights. The event asked viewers to demand that the G8 group of nations (comprising Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and Russia) forgive African debt, double aid and deliver trade justice. As I spent the rest of my holiday weekend watching the concert and learning more about the situation. I had a few thoughts. Here are some observations:

1) Bono and Bob Geldof are passionate and committed guys.

Aside from the fact that I am so in love with Bono and his genius on and off the stage... you find a remarkably sincere individual. You can view a speech of his, which gives you background on his views and see his passion first hand. Bob Geldof was the man behind Live Aid and now Live 8. I'm in awe of his ability to imagine and produce events that ripple around the globe.

2) MTV bungled the TV coverage in unprecedented fashion.

With day-long concerts jam packed with A-list talent in half a dozen different time zones, you expect a nonstop avalanche of music from dawn to dusk. Instead, you got awkward mid-song breakaways to commercials, video feeds that hopped nonstop to different venues, and incessant banter from VJs marveling at the event. It was stunningly horrific, and it's hard to believe any music fan in Time Warner management could allow this travesty to transpire.

3) Sorry African nations, you can't watch the concert.

In what may be the start of a new trend, I'm told that video streaming of every Live 8 concert was available, and viewers had the ability to navigate directly to any performance then fast forward and rewind the footage. Unfortunately, in an ugly example of music incompatibility, the video stream was available only in Windows Media, which means Mac and Linux users (which I have been eyeing for quite some time) were locked out. You may recall that Microsoft settled claims related to their illegal business tactics used wipe out Netscape with Time Warner. As part of the agreement, Time Warner agreed to wipe out -- er ... I mean "switch" -- from Real Network technology to Microsoft technology, thus making Live 8 a "Microsoft-only" event. How ironic that an event focused on global poverty is only viewable with an outrageously expensive Microsoft solution that is far out of the reach of developing nations, and not viewable with Linux, the technology that is pulling emerging countries around the globe into the digital age.

4) Forgiving African debt is about fairness.

African countries are saddled with more than $100 billion of debt. Unfortunately, those monies did NOT go to the citizens, but were siphoned off by corrupt dictators or used to fund public works projects of highly questionable value that benefited brutal political regimes. There's a long list of African rulers, many still in power, who have amassed billions while citizens go hungry. It seems unconscionable to demand repayment from loans we distributed with no accountability from citizens that have no ability to repay.

"Forgiveness" is a kind, gentle, friendly word, but it should be clear what's happening here. Billions of dollars have flowed from the taxpayers of wealthier nations to a handful of dictators who have no regard for liberty, democracy or human rights.

5) Fair trade is good, but I'm not sure it benefits Africa in the near term.

There's no question that the United States is guilty of preaching a doctrine of "free trade" while at the same time protecting favorite industries like the sugar industry. It's sound economic policy to tear down tariffs and let goods flow to and from the most efficient producing countries. I hope the United States and other nations heed the call.

However, I'm not sure freer trade will substantially benefit African nations. Farmers in these countries aren't permitted to sell their products on the open market, but are forced to sell their crops at state-controlled marketing boards for predetermined prices. Additionally, the market for African agriculture products is not the United States, but other African nations where US trade policies will have no effect. Peasant sub-Saharan farmers will find it difficult to compete on a global scale with agribusiness bolstered by technologically state-of-the-art fertilizers, pest control and genetically designed crops.

6) Half a trillion dollars hasn't improved the situation, so why would a trillion?

About half a trillion dollars has flowed to Africa over the last 45 years and there are no studies that indicate a positive impact. Most shockingly, the IMF (International Monetary Fund) -- which along with the World Bank is responsible for the last $100 billion or so in aid -- recently issued two reports that find "little evidence of a robust positive impact of aid on growth." This from the organization responsible for distributing the money.

By many measures the monies have achieved the exact opposite effect because of the dramatically lower GDP in countries receiving aid. Africa has seen its GDP decline during the last 50 years along with a decline in life expectancy. In comparison, 50 years ago southeast Asia was comparable to Africa in colonialism and economic stature. During the same time period, they received roughly just 20% of the financial aid of Africa, yet their GDP more than doubled.

There are studies that have demonstrated how well-intended aid has propped up cruel governments, crippled economic freedoms, and slowed meaningful change for Africa. It's hard to see how two or three times the funds will yield dramatically different results than the first half trillion already spent.

7) Percentages can be misleading.

Some have criticized the United States for "stingingly" giving just 0.16 percent GNI (gross national income) and calling for all countries to give a recommended 0.7 percent. According to the Hudson Institute, the US Federal Government gave $19 billion -- far more than any other nation last year. And when added to private giving of Americans of $62 billion (which is substantially higher than European countries), you arrive at 0.68 percent. By any measure Americans are generous today.

8) Smarter aid is the key.

To fundamentally improve life for Africans, the aid needs to be packaged and delivered differently. The last 50 years is a long tale of great political minds failing at the task. It's much more difficult than simply signing a check.

I think a positive step is linking aid to meaningful economic and political reform, such as attempts by the Millennium Challenge Corporation. I don't believe it's possible to improve the financial fate of Africans without simultaneously bettering their political and economic conditions. Many nations are in the clutches of brutal dictators who withhold many basic economic rights. For example, peasant farmers in many countries can't even own their own land. Without these liberties, it's impossible for aid to flow to those most in need. (Those African countries with economic freedoms are considerably better off -- for instance, Botswana has a GDP more than 3 times higher than the average African nation.)

I guess the fact that I'm writing this entry is a tiny bit of proof that Bono and Geldof are achieving their mission with Live 8. Well done, guys! And if the rumor is true that MTV is going to rebroadcast the event and actually play the music this time, you must catch Green Day's performance of Queen's "We Are the Champions."

Not A Good Look...

2005-06-20T08:20:00.000-04:00

Study: Black men and white ex-cons share equal job prospects

NEW YORK White men with felony convictions have just as much chance of getting a job in New York City as black men with no criminal histories.That's according to a study by the city Commission on Human Rights. The results found black men with no criminal histories are called back 16-percent of the time by prospective employers. That's the same percentage as white men with criminal backgrounds.

Meanwhile, blacks with convictions were called back six percent of the time. Whites with clean records were offered jobs 21 percent of the time.

Princeton University sociology professor Bruce Western helped conduct the study. He tells the New York Daily News that employers are hesitant to trust young black men.
Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Happy Juneteenth!

2005-06-19T05:24:00.000-04:00

Juneteenth is a day of reflection, a day of renewal, a pride-filled day. It is a moment in time taken to appreciate the African American experience. It is inclusive of all races, ethnicities and nationalities - as nothing is more comforting than the hand of a friend.
Juneteenth is a day on which honor and respect is paid for the sufferings of slavery. It is a day on which we acknowledge the evils of slavery and its aftermath. On Juneteenth we talk about our history and realize because of it, there will forever be a bond between us.

On Juneteenth we think about that moment in time when the enslaved in Galveston, Texas received word of their freedom. We imagine the depth of their emotions, their jubilant dance and their fear of the unknown.

Juneteenth is a day that we commit to each other the needed support as family, friends and co-workers. It is a day we build coalitions that enhance African American economics.

On Juneteenth we come together young and old to listen, to learn and to refresh the drive to achieve. It is a day where we all take one step closer together - to better utilize the energy wasted on racism. Juneteenth is a day that we pray for peace and liberty for all.

Fighting Parking Tickets

2005-05-11T02:41:00.000-04:00

Have any of you ever heard of a website called Parking Ticket Dot Com ? The site claims that you can fight your parking ticket online and they guarantee to get your ticket reduced or dismissed. If they do not get those results you get back your full amount paid. I know that parking here in Philly is a bear so if you live in any of the cities that they service it might be worth a shot.

Finding My Sanctuary

2005-05-10T09:00:00.000-04:00

It is natural to become attached to the people, places, and things in our lives that provide us with a sense of consistency and stability, but it is important to remember that no matter how reliable they are for a time, they are subject, as all things are, to the law of impermanence. As the world around us changes, one thing we can always count on is our relationship with ourselves.

This may seem obvious, but we often forget to turn to ourselves when we need support and love, looking instead to outside sources. We can feel disappointed when we don't get what we need from the people in our lives. While receiving love and support from outside ourselves is valuable, it is also vital to remember that we carry within us an unlimited source of love and support. We can always turn within and find what we need, taking our rightful seat in the sanctuary of our Selves.

Not everyone has easy access to this inner haven, but have no doubt that it is there. It is often necessary to spend time alone in order to find it. Make a conscious effort to take time to explore your inner space. Even if only for five minutes a day, close your eyes and breathe deeply, tuning into your inner being. Greet yourself as a trusted friend and relax into the experience of just being there. The more time you spend in this space, the more you will understand and trust yourself.

Affirmations can also help return you to the strength and support within. Remind yourself: No matter what happens, I will always love and support myself. No matter who rejects me, I will always be here for myself. I am the source of my own safety and abundance. As you say these powerful words, you will see their truth, and you will know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that you are the most reliable friend and the safest haven you could ever want.

Deal Breakers

2005-05-10T02:32:00.000-04:00

Good Morning Folks---

Most conflicts are really about communication and control issues – can be resolved when both people are willing to learn. But some conflicts are true deal-breakers.

WHAT ARE YOUR DEAL BREAKERS IN A RELATIONSHIP?

===============================================
While there are no absolutes, here are the things that would probably send me packing:

COMMUNICATION

If having a conversation with you is like pulling teeth ALL the time I am going to have a serious problem with being excited about talking to you. I thrive on communication. As my twin says... "we are always plugged into the matrix" LOL. Text messaging, Telephone, Email, &, Face-to-Face moments are essential to keeping me happy. If you are not good in one method of communication... Try another! Just don't drop the ball in my lap and then ask... "Why aren't you saying anything".

HAVING CHILDREN

If I meet someone and tell them that I don't want to have any children. As the relationship progresses, I still haven't changed my mind, and my significant other decides that I am the one for them and pops the question. He asks that question knowing that I do not under any circumstance want to have any children. The deal breaker would be if later down the road he tries to make me feel bad in the hopes to have the children that he wanted all along. I would feel angry, trapped and betrayed by his secret hope, as well as by his dishonesty for not telling me his true desires.

It is not healthy for someone who really wants a baby to give that up, and it is not healthy for someone who does not want a baby to go along with having one. This deep and basic issue needs to be dealt with head-on, early in a relationship, before people move ahead with commitment and marriage.

BETRAYAL

Dishonesty and infidelity can often be deal-breakers, depending upon the situation. Some people can learn from and grow through these difficult situations, while for others the wound is too deep to repair. Dishonesty about money can also be a deal-breaker, such as finding out that your mate is earning money by selling drugs or through some other illegal operation. I am not interested in that kind of life. And if you make a decision in the name of US then WE should be informed well before closing any deal...

So what's your deal breaker?

Junk Mail

2005-05-10T02:10:00.000-04:00

I loved this site. He experesses my sentiments regarding forwarded emails that we all get almost every day. I dont' mind getting the forwards so much... My problem is when you have to plow through pages of email addresses of the other people that rec'v the email before you. If ya gonna send the email out how about cleaning it up before you dump it on all the people in your address book. The real kicker is when the email ends with a threat of bad sex for eternity or something equally stupid.

Funny... I thought my bad luck was receiving the jacked up email in the first place... LOL

31 Years & Counting...

2005-05-09T23:50:00.000-04:00

With just a few more minutes left in my birthday I just wanted to thank everyone for all the birthday well wishes that I have rec'v via text/IM, Email, Telephone, and face to face. Thirty-One Years And Counting. Although I love rainy days... I am pleased to say that this is the very first birthday that I have ever had where it has NOT rained. I honestly can't remember a day where we didn't get some type of precipitation on the anniversary of my birth.

We had an awesome time at the Spaghetti Warehouse on Saturday Night. Thanks to Cryse, Darin, Lydi, Elle, Jo, Kym, Stan, Griff, Shannon, for coming out to help me celebrate! The gifts I rec'v were just as special as you guys are... You guys always come through and that is why I love ya! The Tango-Mango Bellini just might replace my Peach Bellini standard after all... Can't wait to do it up next year... be on the lookout for something real BIG!

To those that wanted to come out but couldn't make it... Especially my Brooklyn Bad Boy Hassan... You were there in spirit and we tossed one up for y'all too!

Thanks again guys!

Trumpism's & Dating...

2005-05-07T05:26:00.000-04:00

I was reading an article about the Apprentice and some of the rules that Donald Trump and his apprentice assistants had come up with about business. While reading a lot of them I saw a huge relation to how these same rules also apply to dating, as crazy as it might sound.

Donald Trump is a famous billionaire who has endured ups and downs for a number of decades. It appears a large portion of his wealth has been made in Real Estate. Recently he has had a popular reality series NBC has been showing known as the Apprentice. The Reality Show isn't all frivolous as a lot of the other reality shows around. At the center of every episode are real gems on how to climb a corporate ladder, how to lead, how to stand out from the crowd and even how to fail and avoid getting the boot.

The Apprentice centers on a competition for a job working for the Billionaire Donald Trump. Every episode features some sort of business task or some sort of competition. At the end of each episode some of the competitors are fired which means they leave the show and miss out on the opportunity to work for My Trump. This takes place in the Boardroom where members are encouraged to evaluate their teammates performance, abilities, work ethics. The guy who makes the biggest errors tends to be the one "fired". Beyond winning the competition, each individual team member must act in a manner that earns him or her respect as a project manager or team member.

Some of the gems of the show for thought.

1. Think Like A Winner. Donald Trump's most profound comment (and first commandment) is, "Winning is everything." He explained that while there is no better feeling... the ability to think like a winner is the key to being one. Those who take their eyes off the prize wind up hearing two little words: you're fired.

This relates to dating as somebody who feels confident can be confident. A person who feels he has already won a battle has a huge edge over somebody who feels he has a lot of obstacles to overcome. A person who feels he is a winner is a winner as your beliefs are what shape you. The person you wish to win over will be heavily more attracted to somebody who believes in themselves than somebody who doesn't.

2. Polish Your Interview Skills. The importance of exceptional interview skills became crucial as the field narrowed to the final four contestants in episode 14. Kelly, Jennifer M., Kevin and Stacy underwent a grueling series of job interviews with four of the top business leaders in the world. The two candidates left standing after this process, Kelly and Jennifer M., demonstrated superior ability to think on their feet. Some of the spontaneous answers lobbed by Kevin and Sandy made viewers cringe. It quickly became clear who had the 'right stuff' to survive the hot seat.

This second rule can be applied to having good communication skills. Somebody who can think on their feet and express their thoughts easily can communicate their feelings much more easily. Somebody who is also good at interviews will know what to say that can open somebody up to a whole new level. They will allow a great sense of rapport to be built quickly and be very deep.

3. Lead Strong or Play Along. Getting their team of 'alphas' to follow without question was a challenge for each project manager. Some ruled with an iron fist, others used manipulation and guilt. Some didn't handle it at all. In episode 11, Wes took the lead in a task to create an ad campaign for Levi's Jeans. Maria, one of his teammates, thought she had this task together and angrily told Wes to back off, while she seized control. Maria was so busy throwing her weight around, she missed the primary focus of jeans advertising... the 'butt shots'. This single oversight cost the team dearly. Later, in The Boardroom, Wes was fired for failing to control Maria, and she was fired for posing as a know-it-all. Two for the price of one turned out to be all in a day's work for Mr. Donald Trump.

On this and dating. One of the things we teach our students in workshops is to lead and never hesitate. When a student sees strong indications of interest it is his responsibility to act on them and follow up. If a student fails to lead than the interest level will soon drop to a very low level quickly. Learning to play along can also be taken as a way to see the signals and be aware of them. When somebody is showing interest it's best to play along and let them be interested than giving them something else.

4. Step Up; Take Responsibility. Finger-pointing was rampant among teams on The Apprentice. If you were really slick about it, laying blame off on one of your teammates could help you survive another day. If you weren't... oh well.

This is a common thing I see with some students when I hear about what they have done before working with Fidentia in a workshop. They fail to take responsibility for their own actions. This is done in so many ways its crazy. First, if they have a bad date, they blame the date a lot; where they went, what they did, others around. Yet they never look at themselves and wonder if they could have done anything different to improve the situation. The only way to learn from mistakes is to first realize you made a mistake in the first place.

Another example is guys who use different systems for dating. There are many programs out there. I can make ALL of them work. When a student can not make something work, they tend to first want to blame the system instead of themselves. So they are on a constant search of dating systems, never realizing that each system has had some success. They can not learn if they do not take responsibility for their own actions.

5. Resist the Impulse to Be Impulsive. The game provides that the winning project manager receive an exemption from firing should his or her team lose the following week - an Apprentice "Get Out of Jail Free" card. Bradford won week one... but lost in week two. He had clearly been the hardest working and most productive on his team and Mr. Trump seemed to especially favor him. Moreover, he had the exemption and could not be fired. All he had to do was sit back and make insightful comments about his teammates. But Bradford let his cockiness get in the way of sound business judgment. He bragged to Mr. Trump that he was so confident of his performance he was willing to give up his exemption. Trump accepted Bradford's offer... and then fired him, for making an unwise and impulsive decision. It was a harsh but instructive consequence for acting in a rash manner.

One of the things I can think of with this is somebody who is too impulsive is not paying attention to others. A relationship is a two way street involving two parties. When somebody is being impulsive and the other person isn't respective, this creates a dead end.

6. Instill Confidence in Your Team. Both of the final two contestants, Kelly and Jennifer M., demonstrated how to respect and inspire their co-workers. Choosing people you trust and with whom you have mutual respect goes a long way toward success. In the final episode, eight of the previously fired teammates were brought back to become the support team for the final task. Jennifer and Kelly were allowed to take turns choosing their team members. Kelly took a stronger role with his team, expecting more of each of them, while Jennifer delegated the heavy lifting to herself. In the end, both sets of teams did a great job for their PMs, but Kelly's team proved more loyal and spoke more highly of his leadership abilities. Their confidence in him had an impact on the final outcome.

This can be applied to dating by installing confidence in who you are attracted to. When you are interested in them and extremely confident, others will sense your true feelings. When they can sense your feelings, they will mirror them. Who wants to be around somebody who takes away their confidence?

7. Watch What You Say. Both talking too much and saying the wrong thing can hurt you in business. Jennifer C. was an example of both errors and their consequences. Every time she appeared in The Boardroom, Jennifer was admonished by both Mr. Trump and his property manager, Carolyn, for talking when she should have been listening to others. Later, after making a demeaning comment about two women customers in an episode, she was booted from the show. To add injury to her insult, when the show finally aired, she was also fired from her real world job for that comment.

This applies to dating where the idea of listening is just as important as talking. Telling somebody they are pretty when they are trying to make a point and have something important to say is not what they want to hear. The same would go for things such as negative hits or being cocky and funny, which are terms used in the seduction community. A negative hit is a slight insult which is supposed to be insulting but not seem like you meant it. I do not usually endorse this. It is to try to convey you are not really interested in your target person so they let their guard down. Somebody who is being very cocky and funny can do so at the wrong time too. When a person is showing signs of interest they are asking for rapport. Giving them answers that are cocky and funny will actually break rapport and chase a lot of people away.

8. Know When to Listen. During another visit to The Boardroom, Trump chastised (National Debate Champion) Andy for not standing up and arguing on his own behalf. Andy shot back to Mr. Trump that part of being a debate champ is in knowing when to talk and when to listen. A short and sweet argument that paid off.

I think this and how it applies to dating and seduction is very obvious. Listening is a key part of communication.

9. Keep it Strictly Business. Viewers were told over and over that The Apprentice contestants were culled from over a million applicants and were said to be the best of the very best. This being so, one wouldn't expect the male participants to lose their composure when attractive women crossed their paths, mid-task. And yet, there was Raj. In addition to an unending stream of inappropriate comments, Raj stopped just short of a butt wiggle and a "woooo, whooo " whenever a beautiful woman was within ten feet. And while this behavior did not directly lead to his being fired, it did (often) cause him to lose focus and take his eye off the prize. In fact, Raj was ultimately fired for letting an important detail slide making sure the toilet was installed in a home he was charged with remodeling.

This is a little bit more difficult to summarize for dating. Somebody who lacks focus tends to lack drive. When you really have a goal in mind going after 20 different things usually gets somebody nowhere.

10. Avoid Showing Your Assets. This one should be a no-brainer, but since it actually happened, maybe not. Fairly late in the game, in episode 13, Ivana was desperate for a win. Clutching at straws, she offered to pull down her skirt and flash her underwear to a strange businessman on the street if he would pay her twenty dollars for a candy bar worth one dollar. He did... and then she did... So, it was no surprise that Ivana wound up in The Boardroom, having to explain this gaff to Mr. Trump. She claimed her action as a 'gimmick.' But this taught us another valuable lesson - know when you have done something inappropriate and face it head on. When she refused to acknowledge that she crossed a line, the shock, dismay and controversy surrounding her behavior was palpable.

Well this is true but there is a time to show you're assets and a time not to show your assets. When you first meet somebody, common sense says don't take off your pants when introducing yourself.

To summarize all of this a lot of the rules that help somebody get ahead in business can also help them get ahead dating other To learn more about "The Apprentice" go to http://www.nbc.com/

About the author:

Robert Torrey is one of the trainers for Fidentia a company that teaches men dating confidence. For more info go to their website. http://www.fidentia.org/

Cinco De Mayo

2005-05-05T09:08:00.000-04:00

This has been a really "interesting" few days or so for me, so I thought I'd share some brief insights. For those of you who are planning to spend your Cinco de Mayo lost in a haze of Coronas, tequila, and spicy dishes, first know this: Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexican Independence Day, as it is often called casually.

Mexico won its independence from Spain on September 15, 1810. Cinco de Mayo is about Mexicans taking a stand with the U.S. and against Napoleon for the right to control their own politics... their way of life ... their well-being.

After several conversations with male "friends" and my girls recently, I can see how often we give people FAR too much control over our emotional happiness. Some people manipulate, lie, avoid and hurt as a part of their nature. But, we as individuals are the only people who control what affect those actions ultimately will have on us.

My Cinco de Mayo Celebration has nothing to do with the people of Mexico, though it was definitely inspired by their actions. I join them in saying "You will NOT just land here and destroy everything that I hold dear. Your influence in my life is on a permission-basis only."

Your lesson for today? Don't ever allow someone to come into your space, plant flags and claim sovereignty when they've done nothing to cultivate the soil.

Disconnected...

2005-05-04T20:00:00.000-04:00

As you can see this is the first time you have seen my name up in here today.... Verizon had a sistah on punishment like a mug for the last 24 hours... I called up tech support and discovered that they hada problem billing my card. Well we straightened out that situation and the Service Representative told me that my DSL would be back up in 20 minutes.

Tick Tock it's 8'oclock and I still don't have a connection.

I wouldn't be so pissed off about it if it wasn't for the fact that C.A.K.E. was going to be hosting our very first chat night! I was so sad not to be able to mix it up with the folk that cut up on the boards daily. Alas, I gave up looking for the elusive connection with the net and settled in to watch the double feature of Law & Order (which BTW was awesome!).

Tick Tock... It's the a.m. and you know I gotta give a good mornin' shout to yall.... No Connection Available... I was too tired to think about it so I just shut my PC down. I knew I was gonna get to the bottom of things before the close of business today! Got home from work and after hanging up with my sister... (who always keeps me from losing my mind) I called Verizon...

How about I discovered that they had really dropped the ball. They activated their ability to bill me for service only to neglect filling out the form that would give me service... So I sit and wait for my DSL connection to come back home.

I said all of this to say that I MISSED YOU GUYS!

Test My Patience Tuesday

2005-05-03T08:35:00.000-04:00

Actually I woke up in a pretty good mood. Gotta get up and get ready for work... I really need to go back to school... Can't wait to pay off this damn student loan so I can go to grad school. I have realized that my happiest moments thus far have all occured when I was in school.

In grammar school is where I met my first boyfriend Robert (he used to hold the door for me AND he would bring my milk & cookie money on Fridays),
In high school is where I met my first love Jazz (he help to build the foundation of my life when it came to dealing with men. Some good some not so good but it was a wild experience that almost led me down the isle. Thankfully I never took that path. We were much better off as friends and that is what we are today. And then there was Lamont who is my best friend. He treats me with more respect and devotion than any man I have encountered besides my father. But we are definitely better off as friends.
In college... there were quite a few friends no serious relationships but between classes, sorority business, and work... Having a few friends was just what I needed.

I hope you guys have a great Tuesday... Thanks for going down memory lane with me.

Big Fat Loser

2005-05-01T09:08:00.000-04:00

No, I'm not talking about the television show that chronicles the lives of people trying to lose weight. This is all about me! Eventhough a sistah could stand to lay down a few pounds I'm not talking about that either.

This weekend has given me the ability to put the relationships I have into a light that positions them with amazing clarity. I felt like heaven has fallen from the sky and I have to find my way back home.

I've got so much fucking baggage. I've broken my own heart through my actions (and inaction in some cases) and my soul can't dream anymore. God can't hear me... I done suffered so long... I don't cry no more tears... My body is tired, My mind gets so weary... My heart is so heavy...

That being said I have lost quite a few things. Some willingly and others... Not so willingly. But a loss is a loss is a loss.

I've lost my ability to put up with men who come at me with weak game
I've lost my desire to smile all up in the faces of bitches (and niggas) I don't like
I've lost my ability to give give in my relationships when I am getting NOTHING in return
I've lost my deisre to give the 5th and sometimes the 50th chance to the undeserving
I'm letting go of the notion that I have to be the sacrificial lamb in my family
I'm letting go my belief that my wants should be what God provides
I'm giving up the role of the "Goto Guy" or "Gal Friday" for every and any issue that comes up in my family
I've given up the belief that my happiness is found in another individual
I'm letting go holding my tounge when approached by folks that think that BBW's are easy
I've given up on putting my heart blindly out there... That shyt comes back to fuck you up in the end
I've put down the telescope and have turned inward when looking for true love
I am letting go a few (ok alot) more sources of Toxic Energy
I'm giving up this mentality that I have to wallow in the struggle to prove my worth
I'm letting go any behavior that leads to the breaking of my own heart
I'm lost any desire that I had to be treated like "the side jawn"
I've lost the notion to beat my head against the wall to prove that I want and need something
I've let go the desire to shoulder another person's insecurities
I've officially buried the idea that there are things out there that are too good to be true
I've long since given up the idea that love can be found in a booty call
I've put down the actions which cause me to be a victim of a foolish heart

Now don't get too worried or concerned about lil ole me... can't put down all that shit I was holding on to and not put SOMETHING in it's place.

I am picking up the ideal that if a man wants to be your lover and friend... He will do his damnedest to take care of both of those areas with the same care
I am picking up the belief that I am worth much more than the status quo
I am picking up the notion that ACTIONS speak much louder than words... Don't tell me what you think I want to hear... It's time to put up or shut the hell up.
I've picked up the knowledge that I can fool the world but not my heart
I'm picking up the belief that two people must grow TOGETHER if they are going to stay together
I'm am picking up the belief that I am deserving of time and attention that extends beyond the bedroom or some half-assed acknowledgement at a party
I'm picking up idea that if "nothing has ever felt like this" it needs to be inspected very closely
I'm picking up a good dose of cautious optimism when it comes to matters of the heart...
I'm picking up the ability to learn all I can of those I share my heart and my bed with
I am slowly grasping the concept of following my heart without ignoring the signs around me.
I'm picking up the ability to love the life I live AND live the life I love

Song Cry...

2005-04-24T12:27:00.000-04:00

A wise man once said that luck is a mystical energy that dances around the universe randomly bestowing people with satisfaction and joy. We create our own luck. Only two things can get you through this... Patience & Persistance

What happens when all the methods of communication at your disposal just are not enough. What happens when you say"Here is you opportunity to come clean" or betta yet "Here is your chance to get whatever you gotta get off your chest off"... There's a part in Jay's "Song Cry" where he says... "Cry me a river, Build a bridge, and Get Over It." At what point do you let that shyt go and move on with your lives. We ask for honesty and sometimes we need to be careful what we ask for. SOME OF Y'ALL CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH.

Here are the lyrics for you to chew on... After a conversation with my twin this mornin I had to put my HOVA on and share my two favorite verses from Song Cry with y'all.

==========================

[Chorus]
I can't see 'em comin down my eyes
So I gotta make the song cry
I can't see 'em comin down my eyes
So I gotta make the song cry

Good dudes -
I know you love me like cooked food
Even though a nigga got move like a crook move
We was together on the block since free lunch
We shoulda been together havin 4 Seasons brunch
We used to use umbrellas to face the bad weather
So now we travel first class to change the forecas
tNever in bunches, just me and you
I loved your point of view cause you held no punches
Still I left you for months on end
It's been months since I checked back in
Well somewhere in a small town, somewhere lockin a mall down
Woodgrain, four and change, Armor All'd down
I can understand why you want a divorce now
Though I can't let you know it, pride won't let me show it
Pretend to be heroic, that's just one to grow with
But deep inside a nigga so sick

[Chorus]

A face of stone, was shocked on the other end of the phone
Word back home is that you had a special friend
So what was oh so special then?
You have given away without gettin at me
That's your fault, how many times you forgiven me?
How was I to know that you was plain sick of me?
I know the way a nigga livin was whack
But you don't get a nigga back like that!
Shit I'm a man with pride, you don't do shit like that
You don't just pick up and leave and leave me sick like that
You don't throw away what we had, just like that
I was just fuckin them girls, I was gon' get right back
They say you can't turn a bad girl good
But once a good girl's goin bad, she's gone forever..
I'll mourn forever
Shit I gotta live with the fact I did you wrong forever

Crossed My Mind

2005-04-23T07:08:00.000-04:00

You just running cross my mind
You had that masculine thing DOWN
Shoulders, back straight never sloping never round
It would turn me on just to see you walk into a room,
across the room,
out of the room.
You really impressed me.
I know I'm gonna say some things,
I know you gonna say some things
That we both don't mean to say
Like...how amazing...how amazing...
When you would spread my limbs cross continents
Kiss this and this and this and this and this and this and this...

My thoughts have turned to you more often than I will admit this weekend... Wishing you were here or I there... Enjoying the rain... Enjoying each other... Just being... TOGETHER

Don't you want that too... As much as I?

Toxic Energy

2005-04-14T12:19:00.000-04:00

I know we have all heard the phrase TOXIC PEOPLE.

Lately I've been using a different term to define a similar situation. I call it TOXIC ENERGY. You'll see why in a bit... I am so tired of allowing myself to be drained by the nonsense of others. People will use and use you until they can't do it anymore... We all have people/places that we expect drama to come from. Like that beggin ass cousin... or you job.. don't even get me started about my job... LOL! The point where it truly becomes toxic to me is when it comes from the most unexpected sources. I can deal with the Muhfuggas that consistantly bring nothing but drama my way... I got that down to a science! It's a whole different thang that goes on inside me when it comes from those that are closer to me.

You remember the movie with Denzel called Fallen? Well there was this evil spirit that travels from person to person and makes them do some hateful shyt. Well this is how I view TOXIC ENERGY. It travels all up and through these people and manifests itself in the most catty ways... After closer observation I've noticed that it is most prevalant among the Haters.... I'd don't know for sure but I think they slip it in that "ade" they be sippin...

(Re)Vamped...

2005-04-13T01:08:00.000-04:00

There's something about getting my matters in order that lends to a good nights sleep. Like paying a bill on time... Having that much needed conversation with someone... you know things on my "to do" list.

I haven't been sleeping well lately. I'll lay down for a bit and my back starts to ache so I sit up, check mail, sometimes call my "twin". Well tonite I decided to blog... Most of my thoughts run freely when the world around me quiets down.

I decided today that I want to "do" something with my apartment. It is driving me nuts. I think it's more because I've been trapped in my apartment since I injured my back a few weeks ago. It wouldn't be so bad if I could actually do some things to spruce up the place. I haven't been able bend and stretch or reach very far so my apartment is lookin' pretty dusty... I've been trying to get Hassan to come down here and hook me up but he wasn't feeling wearing the french maid outfit... LOL (Maybe it had something to do with that camera system that I had installed just for him... he he he).

I want to start with my bedroom. I'm thinking total revamping. I started looking online at futons. there were some really nice ones out there. I'm looking for a specific type of futon though. I want one that is sturdy and stylish. I alson want one that I don't have to put together. I love IKEA furniture but I am not in the mood to put together anything. Note to self: Maybe you could enlist the help of Hass for this task. He doesn't have to wear the french maid uniform... If I agree to keep his glass full with some cold beverage that should be payment enough... hmmm. I'll give it a shot and see if he bites! I'll keep ya posted on my redecorating adventure/progress.

Rest For The Weary...

2005-04-13T00:52:00.000-04:00

I want a futon. Went searching the net for one and saw all types of crappy ones. I decided to back track and find out what I should be looking for when I actually start looking for one. After the bed that I currently have started falling apart I realized that you get what you pay for. I bought this bed really cheap and it shows... LOL I'm not looking for a bed to pass on to my children or anything... I'm just looking for one that won't breakdown when I'm going through the act of procreation (which hasn't been happening often enough in my book... LOL).

That being said...

I have to look into how the frame is made. The futon frame is the foundation of the futon. A poorly constructed frame will be difficult to convert from couch to bed and will be more likely to have breakage issues with it. Like I said before... I'm a big gurl and my man is a big guy too... We can't be sitting/lying on the bed afraid to move for fear that the bed is gonna fall apart. Primary assets are strength, ease of use, and durability. Just like a man... but I digress... LOL There are many different arm styles and finishes to choose from.

The next feature to look into is the padding. The futon mattress is the cushion that is used for both sitting and sleeping. A good futon will be comfortable for both and will give years of sitting and sleeping pleasure. I am amazed at how many varieties there are of futon mattresses. Some even have coils inside them. I didn't think that you could put springs in a futon mattress due to having to fold and unfold the unit. Manufacturers use hi-tech pressurized foam futon mattresses.

Lastly, the cover. It's all about the accessories baby! The cover is the most noticeable part of the futon. It coordinates with the surrounding environments as well as protecting the futon mattress from dirt, spills, etc. Because it is removable, different covers can be used for different seasons, moods, etc. Don't forget coordinating or contrasting pillows to provide the finished look!

I'm sure you are saying that I have waaaaaaay too much time on my hands... LOL. You are probably right.

Reckless Love

2005-04-10T01:33:00.000-04:00

How is it the people that you love the most are the ones that treat your heart with the least care. Family, Friends, Significant others... Relationships as a whole are so damn complicated... Ugggh!

Maybe it's the fact that I've been couped up with a back injury for the last week or the meds that they have me on that has me buggin... But it seems that some of the people that I feel should be showing their care and concern for my situation are the least interested in my progress or lack thereof.

How do people feign care and interest when it suits them only... Can you really turn it on and off like that without any consequences? I refuse to believe that karma doesn't come back and level the playing field. I have had much time over the last week to "clean my closet". A few relationships were terminated or ammended in order for me to keep my sanity.

Am I giving my heart to recklessly... Truly caring for and looking for some sort of validation from places that it will never come from? As I have found myself saying lately...

TIME WILL TELL THE TALE

I am so tired of being the strong one... Where to the strong go when they truly need to lean on someone. Between home, work, my spirit, and lack of a decent social life I am almost out of a candle to burn.

Yeah... I'm having a bit of a pity party... Hell this is my establishment... I can do that!

Just feel that I'm being taken for granted by so many people and it's starting to hurt like a mug.

What You Gone Do?

2005-04-09T11:02:00.000-04:00

Saturday's are usually my day for running errands and catching up on housework.
Here's my plan for today...

Rita’s Water Ice, 235 South Street, (215) 629-3910
Goin' To See Sin City
Going To Do Laundry (gotta do at least one domestic task in)
Go on the Ave and do a bit of window shopping
I really want to goto this Dali (see below) exhibit before it leaves.

Salvador Dalí ExhibitionFebruary 16 – May 15, 2005

The Philadelphia Museum of Art Benjamin Franklin Parkway and 26th StreetOpen Tuesday - Sunday **The art Museum is CLOSED every Monday except for March 28, 2005. (215) 763-8100

Tickets are on sale now.

Salvador Dalí has arrived in PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia hotels, shops, restaurants and businesses celebrate and offer visitors a Surreal Philadelphia: The Dalí Experience.

The Salvador Dalí Exhibition and the Dalí Experience are sponsored by Advanta.

Surreal SavingsAdvanta Dalí Deals Card and Hotel Packages are being offered at various locations throughout the city of Philadelphia.

Are We Dreaming?

2005-04-09T03:18:00.000-04:00

I've been gone for a minute but trust me it wasn't because there was nothing going on. Over the course of the last week I have found myself playing the role of counselor and confidant to both my male and female friends. Everyone is going through relationship woes lately. These are a few (and I do mean few) of the phrases that have filtered through my cell phone as of late...

Men are all the same.
I just need to stop looking for Prince Charming,
I've got to be dreaming to think that he would change.
Yo! Why don't she call me?
Ok... I cheated... But why
He just can’t commit to one person!
I Loooove Women! I can’t help it! Women want me!
I have an active sex life with my girlfriend. I look around because of the thrill of the chase!
I hear this one more often than I care to relive... I am sure that you have heard this as well. It is frightening. "Maybe my boyfriend has been unfaithful and I just don’t know about it, or I didn’t see the signs or didn’t want to see the signs".

But why is it that so many people jump the fence? Is it because of an unsatisfying sex life? Or is it for that quest of lost infatuation? Is it a perversion?

Yes, there are those who are just afraid of commitment. The only way that they reassure themselves that they still have that freedom or virility is by sleeping with someone else. Period. This has nothing to do with the level of quality of the relationship that they are currently involved in. Some need a higher dose of freedom then others.

Anyhow, who wants to be with someone who always is looking to prove to themself that they sre free or is indeed "The (Wo)Man"?

Also, there is the element of opportunities. Statistics (call me a ghetto sociologist) have proven that the more beautiful (whatever that means to you) the person is... the incidence of being unfaithful is increased.

Does it mean that we should only date ugly people to reassure our insecurities? HAYELL NAW!

I don't think so. Be aware that if you find someone beautiful (again, whatever this means to you), there are at least 15 other people out there who find your mate attractive, whether he or she has a die hard body or be fluffy just the way you like it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Selfishness is also another indicator of your level of devotion. Selfishness does not care about the feeling of others and that feeling exits in the present only. It is an immature behavior that we are supposed to have evolved from at the teenage age.

Think about it a little bit: when someone is unfaithful, in the moment, that person doesn’t think at all of the consequences or how the partner might feel! They are more likely thinkin' about what they are gettin' out of that moment.

I would say that, in the end, it is the commitment and the level of respect for yourself and your partner that determines if there will be less chance of infidelity within your relationship. With openness and caring of the feelings of your partner, you will better be able not to be tempted by that chick at work, or that overly nice and somewhat handsome colleague at work.

BOTTOM LINE >>>>> Look for that person with a noble heart, a high level of maturity, who demonstrates admiration, RESPECT and generosity towards you.

Bricks & Mortar

2005-04-01T02:08:00.000-05:00

Let Me Hold You
Not just for one night
Let Me Hold you
For the rest of my life
I'm not talking about
No One Night Stand
Oh NO!
Not even the thought of holding your hand
Just let me give to you
All That I Want To
Just to let me let me love you
Let me pray you through
I know that you think that is not fair
We'll take it to God
Oh yes we will
And then we'll leave it there
I want to help you through all of your pain
Just let me love you
'Til there is no more end
Let me love
Let Me Love You
The way YOU want to babe
I want to love you
Let me...

Sometimes God removes the bricks we stack up while trying to build what we believe our lives should be/will be. He takes these things away from us to make room for something that is so much greater. I love him so much and thank him everyday that I open my eyes. Yes, I bitch and moan about work and relationships, but I know that I am a blessed woman. I may not have all the worldly trappings that I believe I should have or desire. But still I am blessed! I have friendships that I treasure, family that I am opening up to a bit more, and a man that loves him some me. What more can I ask for... Well there are a couple of things but I'll take them to God and see if he'll work them out!

10-1

2005-03-28T19:08:00.000-05:00

TEN random things about me

01. I Love Coffee
02. I'm A Daddy's Girl
03. I Have A Soft Heart (if you can believe it)
04. I Am A Civil Servant
05. I Love Deeply... When I Love
06. I Need To Lose Some Weight (just a little)
07. I Love Listening To Sting & U2
08. I Rarely (READ: Never) Answer The Phone During West Wing
09. I Want To Go To Graduate School
10. I Don't Have Any Children... Yet.

NINE ways to win (and KEEP) my heart

01. Bring A Smile To My Face Often
02. Multiple Orgasms (yeah, I said it)
03. Be Honest With Me (in all things)
04. Call Me Daily (yeah, I need that type of attention)
05. Be Real With Me (take off the mask and trust me to see the real you)
06. Take Me Out Often
07. Know How To Have An Evening At Home That Doesn't Have To Involve Sex
08. Support My Dreams
09. Cook For Me

EIGHT things I want to do before I die

01. Goto The Real Paris.
02. Get Married (yes, I want to settle down).
03. Have A Family Of My Own (don't look so shocked... LOL).
04. Design My Own Wardrobe.
05. Own My Home.06. Start My Own Non-Profit Organization.
07. Set Up A Trust For My Neice.
08. Enjoy My Retirement (Lawd Knows I Need It).

SEVEN things I believe in

01. My God
02. Family
03. Love
04. Perserverance
05. Forgiveness
06. The Healing Power Of Music
07. True Friendship

SIX things that get me mad

01. Liars... Especially The Bad Ones.
02. Parents That Do Not Take Care Of Their Children
03. Willful Ignorance
04. Micro Management ( my new sup has this one down to a science)
05. People Who Do Not Keep Thier Word
06. Not Being Paid What I'm Worth

FIVE things I'm afraid of

01. Insects & Rodents
02. Leaving This World Not Knowing That I Have Left My Mark
03. Ending Up Alone
04. That I May Not Be Able To Have Children
05. Letting My Guard Down

FOUR of my favorite items in my room

01. My PC
02. My Telephone
03. My Smurf (don't ask... LOL)
04. My Journal

THREE things I do everyday

01. Thank God For Another Day
02. Talk To My Gurls
03. Surf The Net

TWO things I need to do right now
01. Prepare For Work
02. Iron This Fabric That I Need To Pin A Pattern On (I'm learning to sew)

ONE person I want to see right now
01. Hassan (Tick Tock)

Fool Of Me

2005-03-27T19:34:00.000-05:00

I remember when you filled my heart with joy
Was I blind to the truth,
just there to fill the space

Cause now,
You have no interest in anything that I have to say
I allowed you to make me feel...
(talk)I feel so dumb
What kind of fool am I?
You so easily set me aside

You made a fool of me
Tell me why
You said that you don't care, but we made love
Tell me why
You made a fool of me,
You made a fool of me

I want to kiss you
Does she want you the pain that I do
I smell you in my dreams
Now when we're face to face
You won't look me in the eye
No time, no friendship, no love

You said don't touch you,
I can't touch you no more
Can't touch you anymore,
Anymore

You made a fool of me
Tell me why
You said that you don't care but we made love
Tell me why
You made a fool of me
Tell me why
Tell me why
You made a fool of me
Tell me why
Tell me why

Do you have those people in your lives that can do no wrong. The one that does you wrong in ways that you wouldn't even entertain from others. How do you deal with that? What do you say when you've said all that you can? When you finally put the ball in the other person's court do you wait and watch or do you live and let live? How long do you wait for change? Do you wait at all? I know this is all vague but I am battling a host of feelings and just trying to qualify them. Let's hope that this week is a lot better than the last... Happy Easter Folks!

A Week Of Hell's Fire...

2005-03-25T23:24:00.000-05:00

This week has been the work week from hell for me. I have no idea what type of Karma is going on in my professional life. Let’s not even delve into my personal life… We would be here all month discussing that!

Monday ~ It wasn’t so bad. Coming from the weekend is never a good feeling but coming to my place of employment is particularly excruciating.

Tuesday ~ Very Bad Morning! I lay in my bed at 6:30am. Which in and of itself isn’t a bad thing. I looked at the news for a few moments and decided to move my disgruntled body and use the facilities. I found my mind wondering as to which tasks/errands on my ever growing “To Do” list I would attempt to tackle on this day. Still not a bad thing. But here’s the kicker… I was planning my day as if it was SATURDAY! When the haze of my nocturnal bliss wore off I realized that it was in fact only the second day of my work week! Boy was I in a bad mood this day.

Wednesday ~ If I didn’t get 100 calls on this day my name ain’t what it is! Clients are calling(mainly the ones that have turned in paperwork late and/or incomplete) because they of course, want their benefits to be reinstated before the Easter holiday. This was an insane day (makes me wish that my department would out-source the phone calls that come at my desk… but not at the expense of me losing my job or pay of course… LOL)

Thursday ~ THIS IS THE DAY THAT WILL GO DOWN AS MY OFFICIAL BREAKING POINT! Between the non-stop traffic of clients (that I did not schedule) just dropping by… Still trying to get their Easter money BTW, the telephone still ringing off the hook, AND the added bonus of not one, not two, but THREE Supervisors coming to me at various point of the day to complete tasks that were priority with deadlines that had times of this very day... instead of future dates. I was livid! I had to reorganize the work I was planning to do in order to meet their deadlines and then try to get back on my goals I had set for myself. Just when I would get my rhythm back... BAM! Another unscheduled, unwanted, and unrealistically deadlined task. I of course, got them completed. But at the expense of the work I planned on doing

Friday ~ There is something particularly painful about having to leave my home on a day that most employed folk that I know are curled up in their beds. (If you didn't know today is Good Friday) The ONLY saving grace of this day was the fact that most of the clients believed that we were closed for the day. I made some headway with the paperwork on my desk but didn’t
complete everything that I wanted to. Why at 3:54pm I get a call at my desk from a client who decides to wait until the end of the day to come out and apply for a benefit. This wouldn’t have been so bad if it wasn’t for the fact that a)It’s Friday, b)I get off at 4pm, and c)I have had all I can stand of this place this week and have no more left to give. Why you gotta wait until the end of the day (when you don’t have a job) and take care of business pertaining to your livelihood? I referred the client to my Supervisor and was out!

I have been driven to searching the net for other means of legit employment that doesn’t involve selling anything, looking people in the face, and preferably I something I can do from my home. You think I’m kidding. I have given serious thought as to how I can pay my rent and utilities up and leave the place I have grown to dread going to. So if by chance you are one of my close friends that I regularly exchange messages with. Listen up… If you get a text message/email from me and it says CODE PINK…. You know I’ve found what I needed and have begun to shut down at the current gig… If you get a voicemail/phone call from me you know that It’s CODE BLUE and you best be callin the paramedics or the po po!

Making Love Work...

2005-03-20T20:45:00.000-05:00

The cake is eaten, the dress has been worn (for some folk), the honeymoon is over!

Now what?!

When there is trouble in paridise where do you turn? A friend, Mom, spiritual advisor. Well they all may be very good options but here's another. Log on to your computer (or someone else's), and find out what married (committed) life is really like.

A new web site calle THE NEST, launched in January of this year. There are all types of goodies on there too. They have advice, quizzes, and even horoscopes to newlyweds (or new couples) embarking on the somewhat daunting reality of till-death-do-us-part.

The site editor, Carey Roney, says that it was created for that Post-Wedding/Pre-Baby period. This site was created by the same folk who run THE KNOT, the popular site that that also helps engaged/soon-to-be married people. Roney said that they noticed that people who came to The Knot for wedding advice were staying on the site long after the wedding had taken place. It's for the couples (but mostly women I believe) who have stopped reading the mags that tell you how to get the guy... but are not ready to start reading the mags that give you tips on working and feeding the kids by 6.

Check it out and tell me what you think.

On A Wing And A Prayer

2005-03-15T08:57:00.001-05:00

I'm stubborn... I can admit that. Most of the time. A little prideful... okay maybe a lot prideful. But I need some help yall!

Sunday evening I had a terrible fall... It was something that could have easily been scripted for Jack Tripper. When it was all said and done I ended up with trip to the ER, a snip of my flesh, and a tetnus shot.

No big deal in the grand scheme of things... Eventhough I bitched and moaned about it all damn day yesterday. I was high on pain meds and didn't really hurt as bad as I thought I could have been considering I felt like someone had lit a match to my skin when I fell.

I took a sick day yesterday. My back was aching and it took me forever to get off the bed. So I spent the day in the bed and on the net when my back would allow it. Today I just knew that I would be able to get up, get dressed and make it to my place of employment.

NOT HARDLY!

It must have taken me 15 minutes to get up, walk down the hall, and then get my achey body into the shower. When that how water hit my injuries from Sunday it was like someone had lit the match all over again. It was a mess! But I pressed on and got out of there. Next came the act of getting dressed... This clearly should have been written for a sitcom (I still think Jack Tripper would have done a fabulous job at it).

Trying to wrestle my clothes on needed to be a 2-3 person collaboration. Needless to say... I am still not dressed because my back won't allow me to do the simple task of bending over and putting on my socks and shoes...

Where is your Honey-Do when you need him :-(

Weekend Why Come...

2005-03-13T09:08:00.000-05:00

Why come I had a miserable day at work on Friday
Why come office politics should apply to everyone
Why come they don't
Why come I applied for another job on Friday
Why come I thought I was gonna lose my mind on Friday night
Why come I almost broke Hass' ear I was talking so much about it
Why come he didn't complain one bit about it
Why come that made me so happy
Why come stayed up all night watchin movies
Why come I didn't feel like running any of my errands Saturday morning
Why come I didn't (Shame on It All!)
Why come I decided to I go see Diary of A Mad Black Woman instead
Why come I laughed until I cried
Why come I cried even more when I realized I didn't have anyone there to laugh/cry with me
Why come it felt good afterwards
Why come I played on the net when I finally got home
Why come I found a new Greek site called GreekPeeps
Why come after a few hours I still needed to do something
Why come some friends were feeling the same type of restlessness
Why come I suggested bowling
Why come I was just there last week celebrating my sistah's birthday
Why come I was hyped to go
Why come this place was packed
Why come there was a wait list to get a lane
Why come we had to wait an hour to get one
Why come got a table and ordered food
Why come the conversation was so good we didnt' mind the wait
Why come my Peachtree Iced Tea was off the hook
Why come I bowled the worse game out of the six of us (50)
Why come the montiors at the bowling alley have all types of animations when your game sucks
Why come I think it ran all of them on my game... LOL
Why come I still had a ball
Why come we didn't leave until 2a.m.
Why come it was still jumpin' when we left
Why come they don't close until 4a.m.
Why come Strikes is the new hot spot in West Philly (next to my crib of course... LOL)
Why come I'm going back on Tuesday
Why come we went to 7-11 and got Slurpee's like we used to do when we would come home from the club back in the day... LOL
Why come I feel much better than I did on Friday
Why come I gotta go back to my J. O. B. and do it all over again tomorrow!

Must Have More!

2005-03-11T18:39:00.000-05:00

I have had a miserable day today at work. Then I found a site that let me relieve a little bit of stress... Click Here and be sure to click on manic mode!

My Happiness

2005-03-09T16:23:00.000-05:00

There are a few things that would make (or already make) me a happy woman right now.

Balance of the basics in my life (Love, Work, Academics, Spiritual, Financial)
If the medical community would consider caffeine withdrawal a mental disorder. There are some mornings that I just can't get it together. MORNINGS ARE NOT MY FRIEND.
Knowing that my neice is safe, her future is secure, and that she is happy.
Clarity in all of my relationships (both male and female)
A Slurpee (haven't had brain freeze in a while)
If I could come home and find my man at home waiting for me (with dinner or some other plans for the evening). Just knowing that he has been thinking of me and wanted to do something special just for me. (I CAN'T WAIT FOR THOSE MOMENTS)
Some of my Grandma's homecookin' (mac & cheese) from back in the day
If I could figure out a way to make my living from home that didn't involve a whole lotta selling... I only want to leave my house to do things that are enjoyable for me and mean a great deal to me.
Having a friend that knows my darkest moments and not judge me but still love me for who they know I am.
Date Night
Maintaining my independance
If my student loans could be completely paid off right now. I am so tired of the Board of Education taking my money faithfully... I know and understand that if I don't pay back my loan that some other person needing a loan for school this year may not get it. So even though I gripe I know that this is how the system must work.
A home that I can be proud of
A job that wouldn't stress me out to the point that I'm thinking of working in fast food
A movie collection that Hass would envy... LOL
The fact that I have a circle of girlfriends who have my back in almost any situation.

Callin' Names

2005-03-07T22:09:00.000-05:00

Ran Across this and thought that you might enjoy reading these...

50 Cent aka Curtis Jackson

Former crack peddler from Jamaica, Queens, is hottest rap star in thecountry. Though he's more famous for getting shot, 50 Cent was bustedin June 2003 in an armor-plated SUV filled with guns and bulletproofvests. Outcome of case unknown because it was sealed. Also did sixmonths in boot camp on a drug rap in 1994.

Eminem, aka Marshall Mathers

Detroit-based Slim Shady may be the most famous rapper in the worldArrested twice in three days in June 2002, first for threatening hiswife with a gun, then for attacking a member of the Insane ClownPosse. Got three year's probation.

DMX, aka Earl Simmons

Petty thief from Yonkers conquered '90s hip-hop world as head of theRuff Ryders crew Rap sheet includes arrests for guns, assault, drugs,driving infractions, animal cruelty and using obscene language inTrinidad. Fined $1,000 in 2001 for throwing a food tray at jailguards. Arrested last June for impersonating an FBI agent and crashing SUV through a gate at Kennedy Airport.

Beanie Sigel, aka Dwight Grant

Rapper from South Philly was touted as heir to Jay-Z Serving year-longsentence on a gun possession charge. Awaiting retrial onattempted-murder charge for shooting outside a bar. Lengthy rap sheetincludes earlier arrests for assault and drug possession.

P. Diddy, aka Sean Combs

Bad boy from Mount Vernon is mogul behind music and style empire. Acquitted of gun possession charge stemming from 1999 shooting in Manhattan nightclub for which his protege, Shyne, is serving 10 years.Sentenced to anger management class for 1999 beating of record execSteve Stoute.

Jay-Z, aka Shawn Carter

Former drug pusher from the Marcy Houses is now head of Def Jam and is Beyoncé's boyfriend. Put on probation for 1999 stabbing of fellow rap mogul Lance Rivera at the Kit Kat Klub. Also arrested after nightclubbrawls in 1999 and 2000, but never charged. A 2001 gun-possession rap

Snoop Dogg, aka Calvin Broadus

West Coast rap pioneer, now a movie and X-rated video star Beat amurder-accomplice rap from a 1994 drive-by shooting and a 2000 potarrest, but spent three years in jail in the 1980s. Got probation fora 2001 pot offense in Ohio.

Mystikal, aka Michael Taylor

Gravel-voiced rapper from Louisiana behind the hit "Shake Ya Ass"Sentenced to six years in prison in January after he and two bodyguards pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting his hairstylist andvideotaping it. Had a 1998 arrest for gun and marijuana possession inhis home state.

Lil' Kim, aka Kimberly Jones

Brooklyn native and pint-sized protege of slain rap star Biggie SmallsCurrently on trial for allegedly lying to authorities investigating a2001 shootout involving her posse outside Hot 97. Busted on amarijuana charge in New Jersey in 1996.

Iternet Treasure Hunt

2005-03-03T21:34:00.000-05:00

I decided to traipes around the net and post some the things that I found. Here's one of them...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you are familiar with Google then you may have heard of GMail. Well I have a gmail account and occasionally they give you invites that you can send to your friends (or anyone for that matter). I have sent them to many people (like they need yet another email address... lol) I found a site that actually collects the invites that you do not give out. You can also go there if would like a gmail account.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Condi Vs. Hillary?

2005-03-03T04:47:00.000-05:00

Compiled by the DiversityInc staff© 2005
DiversityInc.com
March 02, 2005

With a successful European tour under her belt, Condoleezza Rice has become an instant frontrunner for the 2008 Republican presidential ticket, the Village Voice reports. There's a Condi fan club "hoping to draft" the secretary of state, Condi blogs, Condi radio ads and even a Condi theme song, "Condoleezza Will Lead Us." Rice's response to the excitement: "Oh my goodness, I think no one should count on such things."

Many Republicans, especially conservatives, are hoping that's true. Vice President Dick Cheney is the best man for the job, they argue. Fred Barnes of The Weekly Standard sums up their thoughts: "The war on terror, national security, and the struggle for democracy will probably dominate American politics for a decade or more. Bush's legacy, or at least part of it, will be to have returned these issues to a position of paramount concern for future presidents. And who is best qualified to pursue that agenda as knowledgeably and aggressively as Bush? The answer is the person who helped Bush formulate it, namely Cheney.

"If Rice becomes the frontrunner, two women would be major contenders for their party's nominations. Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York was back in the spotlight this weekend as "Meet the Press" discussed her 2008 chances. "I think she is the most difficult obstacle for anyone being the nominee," Sen. Joe Biden, a Democrat from Delaware, said. "I think she is likely to be the nominee. She'd be the toughest person. And I think Hillary Clinton is able to be elected president of the United States."

Dean Won't Apologize For Quip At Black Caucus

2005-03-02T19:27:00.000-05:00

BALTIMORE -- Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean had an answer Thursday for Republican critics - including Maryland's lieutenant governor - who accused him of making a racially offensive remark two weeks ago.
"You don't apologize when people call you names," said the former presidential candidate, "you fight back."
Dean was the headliner in Baltimore at a fund-raiser for Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings. In addition to outlining his plans for the party, the one-time Vermont governor addressed the flap that accompanied his remarks before the Democratic black caucus in Washington when he said, "You think the Republican National Committee could get this many people of color in a single room? Only if they had the hotel staff in here."

Republicans, including Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, who is black, claimed the statement was insensitive to minorities.
Speaking Thursday before about 60 people for Cummings, the former head of the Congressional Black Caucus, Dean said he was unrepentant.
"You know why they talk about that - because they have nothing to say about education and health care," he said.

Black Republicans: Dean Should Resign

2005-03-01T03:24:00.000-05:00

African American Republicans in the state are calling for the resignation of Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean for comments they say are racially insensitive.

Mississippi Republican Executive Committee member Charles Evers said Dean should apologize and step down.

He told reporters Monday that in a February 11th speech to the D.N.C. Black Caucus, Dean said, "You think the Republican National Committee could get this many people of color in a single room?"

Then Dean added "Only if they had hotel staff in here."

The Vermont Governor's remarks were published in The Washington Post February 15th.

Evers stood among eight black Republican party members, making his comments at the Capitol Rotunda.

He said The former Democratic presidential candidate owes an apology to not only blacks but to America as well.

Charles Evers said, "Ask the Democratic party do the same thing to Dean that Republicans and other Democrats did to Senator Lott. Ask him to step down, because he's the wrong man for the position."

Mike Biggs, the president of the Jackson State University College Democrats looked on as Evers made his comments.

Biggs is a senior and said he did not understand why Evers and Republicans did not call a press conference to discuss taking prescription drugs out of Medicaid, short changing teacher pay raises and taking money from public schools.

When asked his reaction to the Black Republican stance on Dean Biggs said, "When the governor took a picture with the Council for Conservative Citizens, I didn't see Mr. Evers out asking the governor to, who refused by the way, to take the picture off the site, to get rid of him."

Dean is scheduled to in Jackson Tuesday.

He will give the key note address at an Appreciation Dinner for the state's first Democratic elected officials.

State Democratic Party Executive Vice Chairman Claude McInnis said the Republican party is worried Dean is going run a 50 state campaign and will do anything to belittle him.

Zora, Zora, Zora

2005-02-28T20:54:00.000-05:00

It amazes me the number of people who are not familiar with Zora Neal Hurston. Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) is probably the most significant collector and interpreter of southern rural African American culture in the 20th century. A gifted writer, a woman of great intensity and charisma, and single-minded in her pursuit of collecting material on "the Negro farthest down", Zora has secured her place among America's cultural giants.

This article is about Oprah and her production of Zora's Their Eyes Were Watching God.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Remote Control: Oprah and Halle Give Us Zora Neale Hurston's 'Their Eyes Were Watching God'

By Ronda Racha Penrice, AOL BlackVoices columnist

Those who have taken a black literature course or visited the black section of their favorite bookstore are very familiar with "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston. After discovering Hurston's work in the 1970s, Alice Walker ignited a literary renaissance for Hurston and this book in particular spawned countless papers, two major biographies and the Zora Neale Hurston Festival now entering its 17th year. . So, ABC's Sunday broadcast of "Oprah Winfrey Presents Their Eyes Were Watching God" definitely has some high expectations to meet in the literary community. But expectations do not always sync with those of the general community.

If you are unfamiliar with this landmark work or its creator, let me bring you up to speed. Hurston, as it is now believed, was born in Notasulga, Ala., (not in Eatonville, Fla., as her autobiography "Dust Tracks on a Road" claims) in 1891. Eatonville, however, was where she spent the bulk of her childhood. She loved that it was an all-black town and credited that experience with her self-pride, which led her to dedicate herself to collecting Negro folklore. Those elements found their way into her creative work and though she published many books, "Their Eyes Were Watching God" remains her most popular.

For years, countless readers have bonded with the character of Janie Crawford, a motherless girl raised by her grandmother. As a teenager, Janie is married off to a much older, but financially secure man. She, however, meets another man along the road who has big dreams and runs off with him to Eatonville. When he dies, she takes up with a much younger man and this experience helps her rediscover herself. This now classic novel depicts a black woman taking agency for her own life.

To bring this novel, published in 1937, to life, Oprah Winfrey, who has worked on this project for over a decade, enlisted Oscar winner Halle Berry. She also tapped Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, best known for "Topdog/Underdog," to adapt the book into a script and Latina director Darnell Martin, best known for the 1994 film "I Like It Like That," to direct it.

The film is visually stunning. It looks lush, Southern and rural. Additionally, Halle looks a lot like the Janie Crawford I envisioned when I read the work. Ruby Dee as Nanny, Janie's grandmother, is also fitting, especially since it is this character who is responsible for the novel's key revelation that "de nigger woman is de mule uh de world." Parks' adaptation is pretty faithful.

Although there are lesser known actors in the film such as Nikki Micheaux, whom most of us recognize as the woman tempting Kenny on "Soul Food," Terrence Dashon Howard, Lorraine Toussaint and Ruben Santiago-Hudson also show up. It is Michael Ealy (Ricky from "Barbershop") as Tea Cake, who will probably delight most female viewers. This, however, really is Halle's movie.

For the most part she's fine. The story is somewhat accelerated but entertaining, with Halle playing Janie from teenager to grown woman of 40. During most of the film, she strikes a very good balance between being delicate and strong. Even still Tea Cake and Janie do not necessarily work for me. Despite real-life rumors of coupledom, here, Berry and Ealy do not have great chemistry.

Oprah disagrees with me. During a session at the Television Critics' Tour, she declared that she would offer her open checkbook and some beachfront property for a kiss like the one Berry and Ealy share. Even more than their lack of chemistry, the music selected for their scenes disturb me more. At different points, I heard a voice akin to Donny Hathaway's and his sound dates several decades later.

Unlike me, most Hurston die-hards will probably dislike the film from start to finish. The overwhelming majority of black women will enjoy "Their Eyes Were Watching God" precisely because most of the characters look good and there is a real progressive energy to the film.

For Oprah, who has been involved with the film versions of the black literary classics "The Color Purple," "The Women of Brewster Place" and "Beloved," she's finally made a film version for one of the books she loves most. Additionally, she's said, "I just hope that [the film] introduces the book to high school kids and reading moms and a public that probably never would have heard of her." With Oprah, that mission is so easily accomplished.

Baring A Little

2005-02-25T19:30:00.000-05:00

Said I'm gone close my eyes
Said I'm gon' live my life
Despite what you think
I'm gone be free
I'm a be me
~ Ashanti

I hate my apartment! Don't get me wrong I love living on my own (been doing it since 17). I love being able to do who, what, and where.. when I feel like it. So I guess it's not the apartment that I am unhappy with... It's what's inside it... and what surrounds it that drives me nuts. I didn't have this problem a few months ago because I was able to use my second bedroom (and it's closet) for storage. Well my mother moved in with me and I had to give up that space temporarily... didn't realize how much I depended on it.

I HAVE WAY TOO MUCH STUFF!

I go through my belongings regularly to get rid of things that I don't use or have no intentions of using. Today it was my closet. I threw away a few items and organized the most of the rest. I have come to realize that I need a damn makeover! My life is nothing like I envisioned it. That is not to say that I'm disappointed with my life... It just isn't anything like I planned it.

So my project this weekend is going to be to toss out anything that isn't useful to me right this minute... That goes for People as well as inanimate objects. Then I will work on rebuilding it all.

I'll Get Back... Wish Me Luck!

Show Me The Money!

2005-02-23T09:08:00.000-05:00

If you haven't heard by now there are loads and loads of property worth millions of dollars out there that is just sitting in each state's (and even good ole' DC) treasury departments. There was a segment on Good Morning America today that had the wheels in my brain turning.

All you have to do is put your first and last name in and if they get a match it will pop up on the screen. Check out this site here. Select which state you want to look up and then click on the link.

When I clicked on Pennsylvania it said that the link couldn't be connected. I decided to check the main page for the state of Pennsylvania to see if I could find the treasury (which is where most unclaimed property is held in each state) I found the treasure page here. This is only for the Man I started pluggin in the names of my family members to see what treasures might be waiting for my family to pick up...

I went online to discover that there are also loads of places online where you can check to find unclaimed property. Some are free others you have to pay for. But start with this one. You never know what you might turn up...

Here's a tip... When you put in information for people... try all of the states that they have ever lived in because state treasury departments do not share information.

From The Mouth's Of BABE's

2005-02-20T09:18:00.000-05:00

I am so fed up... not with babies though...

Why is it you cannot get people to be up front and honest with you? We all got our day to day activities and commitments that prevent us from tending to every single thing in our lives with detail that we desire. But if you are seeing someone... or attempting to see them on some level there are a few things that are big don'ts (at least in my book and the book of most if not all of my female friends)

My only job is to be as happy as I can be about my life, and feel as good as I can about myself, and to lead as full and eventful a life as I can, so that it doesn't ever feel like I'm waiting for a guy to come around and finally treat me the way I deserve.

Deal with me as I am... Not as you would like me to be. If that goes for me betta believe it goes for you too... Present your whole self when you are approaching someone...especially me. Don't show me what you think I want to see... Give me some credit. I'm not that shallow!
I have major issues with the telephone. I talk to those in my circle daily. Why is it that in the beginning a man can call and call and call you (two three four times a day even) and then one day you realize that you are doing the majority of the calling. All of a sudden I'm getting the voicemail more often and the calling patterns have changed.... Hmmmm. Kind of suspect to me! In this day and age of modern technology there is no reason why you shouldn't be calling your significant other at least twice a day.... If you can find him... Then He can find you! You mean to tell me that your life is so full and you are so busy that you cannot take a second to tell the person you care for good morning or anything? And what about at night... After work is all said and done and you are home... maybe even ready to goto bed... You can't call your sweetie to recap the day and say I love ya? Hmmmmm. Like I said before that is suspect behavior... Are they really on your mind? Like Madea said... Major deduction! I love to take a break from my generally mundane day to talk to someone I like. It makes me happy. (I know corny right... LOL) If I am diggin' you you would be the bright spot in my horribly busy day. Which would be a day that I am never too busy to call you. Barring disaster... someone had to be rushed to the hospital, got fired, got his car keyed or something like that.. There really aren't many excuses in my book that justify someone forgetting to call. I want the man that will forget about everything else (within reason) brfore he forgets about me. Selfish maybe... But that's what I want.
Excuses. Shit happens... Things get out of our control on an almost daily basis. I understand this and live it in my line of work. There has to be a point where you take a look at all of the excuses that you have been given and decide whether they are genuine or if they just not-so-polite rejections
If a man likes you he's gonna ask you out... I don't have too many old fashioned tendancies. I do believe that there should be some proper courting happening when you are dating. I don't think that I have ever asked a man out before he has asked me. Now before you get you panties all up in a bunch... I am not saying that I have never asked out a man but trust me it was only after we had been going out (at least once) that I may have suggested that we do something.

Bottom Line....

People Tell You Who They Are All The Time... Sometimes with their word... More often with their actions.... Learn to read the signs and follow your instincts.

For The Love Of The Game...

2005-02-15T18:00:00.000-05:00

Got this off of BlackVoices... (now owned by AOL)

NBA’s Future Remains Bright, Despite What You Might Have Read

By Marc J. Spears, AOL BlackVoices ColumnistThe Nov. 19 fight between Indiana Pacers players and Detroit Pistons fans was played on everything from ESPN to The Weather Channel. Kobe Bryant's drama on and off the court owned the headlines for months at a time. Latrell Sprewell said that millions of dollars weren't enough to feed his family. And if the NBA and the Players Union don't work out a new collective bargaining agreement this summer, another lockout could be on the horizon.

Through all this drama, NBA Commissioner David Stern is still smiling. Why? The NBA's most positive and promotional time of the season is about to take place during the 2005 All-Star Weekend in Denver. And considering how young many of the NBA's top stars are, Stern believes that his league will recover from the hits and be stronger in the future. "It couldn’t be in better basketball shape," Stern said. "Despite the hit that our players' reputation has taken, I say to you that Allen Iverson has become a senior statesman. Look at his Olympic experience.

Then go down the list.

Yao (Ming), Tracy (McGrady), Tim (Duncan), Kevin (Garnett), Kobe, Grant (Hill), Ray Allen, LeBron (James), Shaq (O’Neal). "These are good people. Then when you go down the rookies and the sophomores, you got a complete sense of what is going on here in terms of the transformation of our league."

To get an even better look at just how young the NBA's stars are, look at the All-Star rosters. The over-30 crowd is sparse, consisting of O’Neal (32), Hill (32), Steve Nash (31) and Ben Wallace (30).

The 20-somethings comprise the bulk of the rosters with Allen Iverson (29), Antawn Jamison (28), Jermaine O'Neal (26), Ray Allen (29), Tim Duncan (28), Manu Ginobili (27), Kevin Garnett (28), Vince Carter (28), Zydrunas Ilgauskas (29) and Paul Pierce (27). But much of the NBA's best and brightest are still young'uns: Bryant (26), McGrady (25), James (20), Dwyane Wade (23), Yao (24), Amare Stoudemire (22), Shawn Marion (26), Rashard Lewis (25), Dirk Nowitzki (26) and Gilbert Arenas (23).

"Shaquille O’Neal at the age of 32 is the grand old man of the All-Star game. Shaq and Grant," Stern said. When did Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) play in his last All-Star game? Karl Malone?" Well, Abdul-Jabbar played in his last All-Star game at 41 years old in 1989. Malone’s swan song was at 38 years old in 2002.

On the flip side, James will be the youngest player ever to take part in an NBA All-Star game other than Bryant. Bryant, born Aug. 23, 1978, played in the 1998 NBA All-Star game at age 19. "King James," born Dec. 30, 1984,will be 20 years old when he takes part in the game. Prior to those two, the record holder was Magic Johnson, who was four months older than James when he participated in his first All-Star Game in 1980. That's a pretty good reason to be optimistic.

James also will be playing in the Rookie Challenge and possibly enter the dunk contest. The Sprite Rising Stars dunk contest is also expected to include Stoudemire and two rookies in Atlanta's Josh Smith and New Orleans' J.R. Smith. During NBA All-Star Saturday, the dunk contest has always received the best ratings of all the contests. James represents the new era of NBA players and is the leader of a group nicknamed the "Young Gunnas." And the nickname means hoops, not guns. This up-and-coming crew includes James, Stoudemire, Wade and future All-Star Carmelo Anthony (20). The four came up with the nickname for their crew while teammates for the 2004 USA Olympic basketball team.

The Young Gunnas have some other youngsters trying to come up behind them as well. Don't forget Chris Bosh. Or such rookies as Dwight Howard, Emeka Okafor, Josh Smith, Ben Gordon or Luol Deng. The college and international ranks is also loaded with young talent that will soon be on its way to the NBA as well.

"I’ve had owners complaining to me that their players were not selected for the Rookie Challenge," Stern said. "When one sees what's been going on this year… To see Dwight Howard, Ben Gordon and Josh Smith, and of course the sophomores with Dwayne Wade and LeBron and Luke Ridnour and Carmelo and Chris Bosh… To the effect that we're the basketball league we are, that part of the league is in great shape -- both the existing All-Stars and the future All-Stars." The state of the NBA could definitely be better right now. But in order to overcome everything, all that is needed is some good basketball. And considering the stable of young talent the NBA has now and will have, Stern has reason to be optimistic that everything will be just fine in time and will be reminded about it when watching the play during All-Star weekend.

Marc J. Spears is the NBA beat writer for the Denver Post and is a regular contributor to AOL BlackVoices. His column appears every other Tuesday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LYDI!

2005-02-15T07:28:00.000-05:00

Lydia & Me!
Originally uploaded by Audacity08.

This is one of my oldest and dearest friends... She is celebrating her birthday Today! We have been friends for 13 years. She has seen some of my darkest moments and always been there for me. It would take my lifetime to repay her in friendship and that is just what I plan to do!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LYDI! LOVE YOU GURL!

My Anti Valentine

2005-02-14T01:11:00.000-05:00

I am a romantic at heart... I love being in love and the thought of someone loving me. But since I cannot spend the requisite time with my Honey-Do I have decided to post some of the things that I've come across that take a cynical look at heart day... I found these at meish dot org Enjoy!

Yes, it's that special time of year when chocolate manufacturers and greetings card companies encourage you to demonstrate the extent of your fondness in cold, hard, cash (or the satin-covered equivalent) on February 14th.

Fuck that.

This year, celebrate or commiserate (if you are really a Heart Day Scrooge... LOL) with one of these... My twisted mind found them to be hilarious! Leave a Comment and let me know what you would do if you ever received a card with one of theses sentiments on it. Or worse yet what if your significant or not-so-significant other uttered these words to you...

Valentine's Day is like herpes: just when you think its gone for good, it rears its ugly head once more. No wonder some people prefer to call it VD.
You say Valentine's Day is stupid and commercial and meaningless and over-rated and then you moan when I don't get your a card. So, fine: Here's your card... Happy Now?
I'd rather have a good Cup o' Joe than a bad shag.
You'll Do.
This is just to let you know that although I always say that Valentine's Day is stupid and meaningless and commercial etc etc, if you don't get me something really nice, I'm going to go into a massive huff for days and tell all my friends how useless you are, and they'll glare at you witheringly every time they see you for at least the next six mohths! Yes, I'm an effin hypocrite. Any questions?
I know everything about you. I know where you live. I know what you like to do before bed. I know which washing powder you use. I know where you kee your spare key. I love you.
(with a pic of an arrow through the heart) It's okay, I didn't need that particular ventricle anyway.
Uprooted plantlife and sugar-saturated caffeineated fat blocks? (pause) You shouldn't have.
(printed on a theatre ticket) "Admit One" Single is Good
You're Chucked.
SORRY... I won't be giving you my heart this year but I do have another throbbing organ that you might be interested in...
Happy unimaginative, consumerist-oriented, entirely arbitrary, manipulative & shallow interpretation of romance Day... LOL (This is my favorite of all... LOL)

Funny Money...

2005-02-13T09:08:00.000-05:00

Time to check ya wallets gang. You may have more money than you realize in ya pocket.

Flawed Wisconsin Quarters Worth a Mint

MILWAUKEE (Feb. 8) - Some Wisconsin quarters issued last year are turning out to be worth considerably more than 25 cents. Coin collectors say quarters with two variations in the design of a cornstalk on the back of the coin have been spotted at Tucson, Ariz., and San Antonio.

The two coins have been issued with variations, unusual markings on the back resembling extra corn leaves. ( Arizona Daily Star / AP) Rick Snow, who owns Eagle Eye Rare Coins Inc. in Tucson, said he started paying $50 each for the quarters when he learned of them." As soon as word got out about that, the prices escalated," Snow said.

On Monday, he was offering a set of three Wisconsin quarters - the normal one, one with a leaf marking pointed up and a third with the marking pointed down - for as much as $1,099. Individual coins with the variations were selling for $500 to $600, depending on condition, he said.The U.S. Mint, which produced 453 million Wisconsin quarters for its state coin series, is trying to determine how the differences came about."

Throughout history, there have been some instances of variations - very, very rare instances," said U.S. Mint spokesman Mike White. "If there is any kind of situation like this, we just take a very close look at the process and all the different steps."

Saturday, February 12, 2005

2005-02-12T17:08:00.000-05:00

Saturday, February 12, 2005
Originally uploaded by Audacity08.

I just love Huey!

The Power Of Bloggers

2005-02-12T12:13:00.000-05:00

There is something to be said for bloggin' yall. I am an admitted addict. My posting to yahoogroups has drastically dropped because by the time I'm finished checking all of my favorited blogs and responding to the entries I am too pooped to putt... Let alone answer any more emails. There have been many instances where bloggers have altered the outcome/circumstances of various events. Case in point... do you guys remember the Exit Poll Situation during last years elections... Well the accusation is that bloggers took the exit poll information and called the potential election outcomes in error.

One blogger used data released by CNN about 8AM Nov 3 (yes, twelve hours after most polls closed the exit poll data was still changing.). This cut shows Bush leading Kerry 51% to 48% but for the heck of it our blogger decided to add up the state by state total and KERRY WINS! The blogger tries again adding male and female votes by state and KERRY WINS! Oops. With that type of logic it's no wonder the GOP is trying to ban all exit polls.

The most recent occurance of bloggers affecting the media is here It turns out this dude who has some shaky affiliations with sexually themed internet sites was hired as a reporter and was asking our President (shudder) questions that were not cleared by Playschool... LOL

I am a big fan of Google. I put everyone I know up in there to see what type content may be out on the web about them... What would I find if I Googled you? Well bloggers did some searching (Search Engines are a wonderful tool) and found all types of dirt on him and blasted him. In the end it resulted in his resigning from his post as reporter for the news rags that he was working for... didn't these folk do their research and know about his backgroud before offering a postion to this dude?

Jumpin' On The Bandwagon

2005-02-12T10:43:00.000-05:00

livestrong
Originally uploaded by Audacity08.

I was watching Oprah yesterday and she had Lance Armstrong on as a guest. Everyone within camera range (and probably the entire studio audience) were wearing his yellow LiveStrong armbands. We have such a bandwagon mentality. Some may call it being "sheep-like" even. Even celebs are "doing it"

Have you seen these colorful wristbands that EVERYONE's wearing?

While all the proceeds for the yellow "Livestrong" wristbands sold at Nike and Discovery Channel stores were being donated to cancer research, only one-third of the proceeds for the camouflage-green "Support Our Troops" wristbands sold at 7-Eleven were being donated to the USO. I have since learned that 7-Eleven isn't the only business taking a substantial cut of the proceeds from the sale of so-called "awareness bracelets." As the varieties of these bracelets have proliferated during recent months, the charitable impulse that is their ostensible reason for existence has steadily declined.

For instance, a tsunami-relief bracelet costs $2, only half of which goes toward relieving problems caused by the recent massive tidal wave in southern Asia. But that's still better than the 10-percent cut that tsunami victims receive when you buy your bracelet on something called AwarenessDepot.com, where you can also purchase "USA" bracelets, "Jesus Loves You" bracelets, and "God Bless the Dead" bracelets.

Some people would argue that the point of awareness bracelets isn't to raise money for charity so much as it is to raise, well, awareness. The wristbands invite onlookers to take a moment to think about cancer victims, or American troops in Iraq, or any one of a variety of other groups who need help or who perform difficult work for which the rest of us should be grateful.

But over time, that goal has been subverted, too.

The Worst Has Yet To Come

2005-02-10T07:18:00.000-05:00

The Worst Has Yet To Come
Originally uploaded by Audacity08.

If I have never been had a reason to be afraid I believe Today just might be the day. This cover is from one of my favorite political rag. If you haven't heard North Korea has FINALLY admitted that they have Nuclear Weapons and don't have a problem using them to defend themselves against us if they have to.

Not only that but they have stopped (without plans to resume) any talks of disarmament. If you remember... G-Dub made a point to tell the world that he would make it his mission to end North Korea's nuclear program through a series of talks.

How the heck is he gonna convince North Korea to give up their weapons when he knows good and well the U.S. isn't even entertaining the thought of giving up the ones we have right here at home!

If you are not the praying kind... I suggest you take it up! I feel for our troops and all of us! And we thought that Social Security was the issue of the day!

Giving It Up...

2005-02-09T20:08:00.000-05:00

I am a Christian. However, I am not Catholic. So please forgive me if I don't get the terminolgy dead on. For some reason over the course of the last couple of days I've been giving much thought to Lent and the practices that go along with it. Particularly the one which some people give up "something" in their lives for a certain period of time as a sybolic way to strenthen their spirit/walk with God.

For the first time in 26 years I believe, The current Pope (who was hospitalized on Feb 1) did not give the "sermon" that goes with kickin' off this Easter holiday season (for lack of a PC term). That was a bit disturbing for me and I'm not really sure why. I have a problem with the Pope (as in the job itself) having to hold on to the last minute of life is running out of his body before they name another "seasoned" soul the next Pope. It will be interesting to see what the next few weeks will bring as far as News bulletins from the Vatican and the rest of the media.

But I digress...

I've decided to give up my favorite liquid tonic for the next 40 days... Those that know me know that I love Diet Dr. Pepper. I was majorly addicted to Dr. Pepper while I was in college but along the way I developed Type II Diabetes and couldn't drink it like I use to... *didn't stop me when I really need a fix though. It was only after my diagnosis that I even knew that there was such a thing as Diet DP. Over the years I have grown to love it! buy it by the 12 pack and keep it in the fridge...

I would say that I drink around 4 a day...

Yea...

It's like that for me...

No other diet drink for me... Just give me the DDP!

So now you see why giving it up is really a sacrifice for me. We will see how it goes. Especially since they have just introduced the Cherry Vanilla DP......... Yummy! I haven't tasted it yet but I know it has got to be slammin'.

The real question you should be askin is... What will I replace it with? Not really sure just yet... But I think it will be a combonation of iced/hot tea and water.

Angry Black Woman

2005-02-07T20:28:00.000-05:00

I took this quiz and according to my answers this is the type of Angry Black Woman that I am. They writer states that all of us (READ: Black Women) are ABW's we are just different types of ABW's. While I have been known on occasion to "Cuss A Nukka Out" I am not generally like this.

You are a Curse-You-Out-in-a-Heartbeat Angry Black Woman... Let's get ready to rumble! This ABW is no joke. Sistah girl is like a world-class boxer who will pummel those who would dare spar with her. Always on high alert of any little slight, real or imagined, this ABW has been known to knock out opponents with a blistering combination of body blows (comments about victims' physical appearance) and the crowd favorite, the below-the-belt blow (remarks about home life or sexual prowess). Most opponents don't last the second round and are often left in tears, catatonic states of shock, mouths agape in front of sell-out crowds.
FAMOUS ABWs: Aunt Esther from SANFORD AND SON, Mary J. Blige, Mo'Nique

Super Bowl Smash

2005-02-07T06:08:00.000-05:00

Ok... Ok... OK!

I am saddened by the outcome of last nights game. If you haven't heard the news already (or watched the highs and lows like I did... The Patriots won. Yep. I know you think that was a given. With Branch and his 11 receptions and Brady being on fire like he was. But the Eagles gave me hope up until that LAST turnover... You have got to give it to N.E. "dem boys brought their A game... At least for the second half of the game. I don't know what the heck they were doing in that first half... getting a feel for each other or shaking off the Superbowl Spotlight jitters perhaps.

I got a question though... What the hayell was going on with that lame ass Halftime show... Now I like Paul as much as the next person but come on... The networks were so afraid of having another "Wardrobe Malfunction" That they gave us a watered down show instead of one that would get everyone pumped up a bit more... (I guess the fans in the stands didn't really need any help... They were off the hook!)

And what about the advertisers... Those were the weakest halftime commercials that I can ever remember seeing! The only one that made me chuckle were the Ameriquest commercials that had the caption "Don't Judge Too Quickly" or something like that. Not sure what that has to do with that mortgage company specificallly but I liked it none-the-less. When that woman walked in that apartment I was crackin' up. LOL

The FCC has got everyone shook y'all! The gov't got a bonafied bully on the payroll! LOL

Snowflakes I Love 'Em!

2005-02-06T14:56:00.000-05:00

If you can remember from my Snowy Day and The Aftermath posts... I got a thing for percipitation. More love than hate but a thing none-the-less.

Do you remember making snowflakes with paper and sissors? I use to love making them. I found this site that lets you build your own snowflakes. Not only can you build as many any you want but you can look at some of the one's being built by other people all over the globe. Some of them were breathtaking. You gotta check it out. After you build you own flake you will see tons of other flakes falling. Some are close up (meaning you can actually see the finished flake) and others will look like little white dots. When you see the little white dots just hover your mouse over them and the finished product will appear.

Idle hands... you know what they say... LOL

Sweet Revenge!

2005-02-06T13:33:00.000-05:00

You ever have an occassion to have a moment of stillness in your home. You know what I'm talking about. I'm talking about a period of time where there aren't any television, radio, internt (well let's not get too crazy... LOL), and there isn't another soul around to ask for anything...

Well I had a moment like that yesterday. My house was quiet. Still. Peaceful. My mother and neice decided to go on an outing and that left me to have my place back to it's original state... With just me in it. I haven't had a moment like that in months. I took me a bubble bath with my current love Coconut Lime Verbena (Luscious blend of fresh coconut, lime and fragrant verbena warmed by vanilla and musk). Make me wanna eat my own skin. Put in my favorite movie of all time. (If you didn't know that then you need to be spending more time gettin' to know me. And settled down with my dinner and Tropical Fruit Chardannay.

Just as Verbal is spinnin' his web and roping you in... This music started blaring from above...

*Side Note... I live in a building that's a throwback from the 70's... wood paneling and all. It's a three floor, six unit walk-up. I hate it but it is where home is right now... For the moment. The walls are paper thin. The only saving grace is the fact that I am only connected to the apartments above or below me not the one next to me.

I got mad issues with my neighbors The ones above ( like to party all night or play video games at top volume or... their most recent issue... Chirpin' that damn Nextel phone all damn night) and the ones that live below (who like to re-inact scenes from Ike & Tina's hey day).

I was surfin' online and found the perfect solution... The Revenge CD. What better way to show my neighbors what I think of them without someone having to call the law... lol I think I just might have to put it on and accidentally leave the CD on repeat while at work... These non-working mofo's would get a taste of their own medicine....

I wonder what tracks would be the best one to leave on repeat. Here are the tracks on the disc.

Drill
Party (At Least 200 People)
Orgasm (Outstanding)
Train
Drum (Played by a Child)
Inhuman Screams
Walking (High Heels)
Domestic Squabble
Doors Banging
Bowling
Unhappy Dog
Practicing Scales (Violin)
Traffic Jam
Garbage Truck
Newborn
Phone Ringing
Ball Game
Pigeons
Spring Cleaning
Cock-a-Doodle-Doo

Memory Lane

2005-02-06T01:07:00.000-05:00

Think back through the warmer side of your love life, the relationships you’ve been party to. Remember your sweethearts’ faces, the scents of their hair, that little something each did that turned up the corners of your mouth. Think of the ones whom you haven’t seen in a while.
Now consider, just for a moment or two, running into one of these out-of-touch former sweethearts in the park, at the market, on the street.

Which of your former sweethearts would you most like to run into now? Who do you want to see again? Describe this person, as you imagine her or him to be now. In your mind’s eye, look into this person’s soul. Then tell your readers about her or him, how you would like to meet again, what you might say to one another.

Perhaps Fate is eavesdropping at this very moment, listening for the energy directed by your thoughts and by the conscious act of blogging about meeting up with this long lost soul. Focus on the details of this person; imagine what she or he may be like now, on this day.

If you think hard enough, perhaps Fate might arrange the meeting for you.

Celebrity Leakage

2005-02-05T17:18:00.000-05:00

I was just surfing around the net and ran across Black Lilly's post on I'm So Confused. I wonder how often celebs purposely leak info to the masses. I bet it is to beat out someone who was planning to leak the story for money or something... LOL Click the link and tell me what ya think.

Chitown Bash

2005-02-05T16:17:00.000-05:00

Chitown Bash
Originally uploaded by Audacity08.

I don't live in Chicago but it sounds like a fun outing none the less. I would probably attend if I did.

This was taken from and posted for 601am:

Kris and I have decided it was about time the gay and lesbian bloggers of Chicagoland meet up to drink. Anyone is welcome to come, even if you don't blog. Bring your friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, straight friends, or mom.

Check for more details on the main site.

R.I.P. Ossie Davis

2005-02-04T20:48:00.000-05:00

Ossie Davis
Originally uploaded by Audacity08.

Ossie Davis (December 18, 1917 - February 4, 2005) was an African-American actor and activist. I don't know about you guys but I feel like one of my extended family members has gone.
He was born Raiford Chatman Davis in Cogdell, Georgia in 1917. His acting career, which spanned SEVEN decades, began in 1939 with the Rose McClendon Players in Harlem. He made his film debut in 1950 in the Sidney Poitier film No Way Out. He was in Miami to film a new movie called "Retirement" when he passed away.

Davis had the same struggle that many African-American actors of his generation had. He wanted to work but he didn't want to play the butler roles that were the standard for black actors of his generation. So instead, he tried to follow Poitier and play more distinguished characters. Or, if he had to play a Pullman Porter or a butler, he tried to do it with some sort of dignity.

Davis found recognition late in his life by working in several of director Spike Lee's films, including Jungle Fever, She Hate Me and Get on the Bus. He also found work as a commercial voice-over artist.

Ossie Davis and his wife, actor Ruby Dee (they married in 1948), were well-known civil rights activists, being personal friends of Malcolm X, Jesse Jackson, Martin Luther King Jr. and others. Davis delivered the eulogy at the funeral of Malcolm X. He re-read part of the eulogy at the end of Spike Lee's film Malcolm X.

Davis and wife Ruby Dee were receipients of the Kennedy Center honors in 2004. They were also named to the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame in 1989.

Partial filmography
She Hate Me (2004)
Baadasssss! (2003) - Grandad
Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) - Jack
12 Angry Men (1997) - Juror #2
The Stand (1994) - Judge Richard Farris
Grumpy Old Men (1993) - Chuck
Alex Haley's Queen (1993) - Parson Dick
Roots: The Next Generations (1979) - Dad Jones
No Way Out (1950) - John Brooks
Do The Right Thing (1989) - Da Mayor

The Aftermath

2005-02-01T22:40:00.000-05:00

BigSnow
Originally uploaded by Audacity08.

We are currently living the hangover that was the First Big Snow of 2005. As I was walking home from work in the balmy 36 degree temperature I realized that aside from the actual snowfall... This shyt sucks! It's a mess to get around in whether you are on foot or in a semi.

First it covers all of the areas on the ground that are unstable (you know the parts of the sidewalk that you avoid because the ground is all cracked up or uneven)

Secondly, you have to risk frostbite shoveling out your driveway, front steps, sidewalk.. or worst yet your car. That little car in the upper right of the pic is still buried in snow.

And then just when you think that you cannot take one more blustery day the sun comes out. Yes! Maybe just maybe the temp will actually reach the double digits.

Now this is where my problem of the day comes in. This morning I walked to work and I was slippin' and slidin' all over the damn place. That was nothing compared to my walk home.

Where there was once firmly packed areas of snow on the ground was now replaced with these saturated shadows of their former selves. It looks like the same mound of snow but wait... Where you once had to worry about slipping and crushing your behind you now had to figure out if the inside of your shoes were weatherproof since they were now full of sub-zero temped water!

Can ya tell I had a fantastic walk home?

All in all I love the cold weather... Just keep the percipitation floating in the air like I captured it in this photo!

NYC ~ Casting Call

2005-02-01T10:03:00.000-05:00

Casting Call: So you want to be an Apprentice?

If you're in NYC on Friday (2/4/05), you may get your chance. You'll want to be a 40 Wall Street, The Trump Building, in plenty of time to get your contestant wristband by 8am(EST). Appearing will be Trump and the winners of the last two rounds of NBC's The Apprentice, Bill Rancic and Kelly Perdew. Interviews begin at 9am. Bring your A Game, you're gonna need it.

History On Black History

2005-02-01T01:42:00.000-05:00

Black History Month is celebrated annually in the United States in the month of February. Black History Month originated as "Negro History Week", the second week in February.

This celebration of black history in America was started by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, who wanted to bring national attention to the large contribution of African-Americans to the history of their country, in 1926. History books had barely started covering black history when the tradition of Black History Month was started.

At that point, most representation of blacks in history books was only in reference to the low social position they held. Many black radical/nationalist groups, e.g the Nation of Islam, have criticized Black History Month.

The Template From Hell

2005-01-31T21:14:00.000-05:00

ok...

I have been having some MAJOR ism's with my blog.

Correction....

I have been having some major ism's with the last template I was using...

I thought that maybe it had something to do with the modifications that I made to the template itself... you know adding my favorite blogs or adding the snow effect on my blog this past weekend (that was major).

So I went into my settings and reset everything... And my blog was still jacked up! (READ: My side bar contents would still load at the bottom of the page). I'm all excited about getting things back to where I want them and you know what... The shyt was still jacked up! So then I had another bright idea... Let's create another blog under the same name and just transfer my posts to it... well that was a good plan... Until... I actually did it... I took a look at the blog and it hadn't changed for the better at all...

If you know anything about Taurus women you know that we want what we want when we want it. I wanted that damn pink template... I'm an AKA afterall! LOL Well as you can see I didn't get what I wanted.

C'est la vie!

If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."--C.S. Lewis

Spreadin' Rumors

2005-01-30T20:08:00.000-05:00

If it wasn't in the news... I would have thought someone had made it up. We hear rumers all the time about various things. I love going to the Urban Legend site to see the latest tale spinning via those Gawd Awful Chain Letters... Just this past week there were all types of rumors going around about 50 Cent getting his hand severed by the Lamborghini doors that he had on his escalade... Boy the Yahoo Groups were burnin up with speculation...

But this takes the cake... (I pray that it isn't true)

AS seen on Consumption Junction ( a really sick adult humor site... proceed with caution) (I got this article as an email but the wouldn't load for some reason but I linked it to the title of the article below)

Woman Drowns in Beach Sex Romp

A sexual romp at a popular Darwin beach ended in the death of a 25- year-old woman, who drowned while performing oral sex on a man, the Northern Territory's Supreme Court heard. The woman had sexual intercourse with Christopher Sean Payne, 34, in "a number of
positions" in the water off Pee Wee Camp beach, before she voluntarily submerged to perform fellatio on him. Prosecutor Michael Carey told the court that while the woman was performing oral sex, Christopher "became excited and put his hands on her head and kept
her down there." The prosecutor said Payne told police that he noticed something was amiss when the woman stopped performing fellatio. He wondered what was going on, so he let her up.

"He says that she did not try to get up, she wasn't kicking or splashing, and that he really didn't do anything except let her up as soon as she stopped sucking on his penis," Prosecutor Carey told the court. He said that when Christopher realized the woman was dead, he "freaked out," dressed, and drove away.

Christopher, who has been in prison since two days after the drowning on October 11 last year, pleaded guilty to committing a dangerous act on October 11, 1999. His counsel, Suzan Cox, told Justice Sir William Kearney that her client still had "recurring nightmares" about the
drowning. "He keeps seeing it while he tries to sleep at night," Ms. Cox reported. She said a psychiatrist found that Christopher had a deep sense of shame about the incident. He had required treatment for nervous outbreaks of boils twelve times in the past year.

Ms Cox said that before Payne and the woman went into the sea, they had drunk 11 750-ml bottles of beer, and an autopsy found that the woman had a blood alcohol reading of .287 - almost six times the legal Australian driving limit. "She might have just passed out under
the water. That might explain why she didn't struggle," Ms Cox told the court.

She said that although Payne had an alcohol problem, he was considered a quiet, shy, good-natured and considerate person by his employers and friends. Ms Cox said the unusual nature of the case meant there was no need for Justice Kearney to consider imposing a harsh penalty on him to deter others.

My Sister's Are Bloggin'

2005-01-30T18:39:00.000-05:00

Check Out My Two Sistahs...

FlawedDymond's is The Random Thoughts Of A "Good Girl" Gone Bad...

SxySugarLips's is Synopsis Of A Sassy Woman

They are two of the best women you will ever meet.

Loathesome People

2005-01-30T14:30:00.000-05:00

One of my sorors posted this site to a listserv that I belong to... You gotta take a look for yourself but here's ones that made me think back and chuckle at the sheer lunacy of it. Larry King could hardly keep from falling apart on this one...

Check out the full list at The Beast. If you got any comments or opinions and want to send the directly to the author email him here.

11. Dan Rather

Crimes: Along with Cronkite’s so-bonkers-it-might-be-true comment that Karl Rove must be behind Osama bin Laden’s timely October video release, has given the rabid right enough fuel to maintain their bogus “liberal media” charge for years.

Smoking Gun: Made Peter Jennings the most credible anchor in the business.

Punishment: Life sentence as the liberal whipping boy on “Hardball with Chris Matthews.” (wonder how we could arrange a joint session for the presidential cabinet LOL I'm sure Chris would enjoy it... and Cheyney's twisted ass prolly would too... CTHU!"

FYI on the whole Cronkite statement...

In a TV interview on Larry King Live, veteran (retired) CBS anchorman, Walter Cronkite, intimated that Bush political strategist Karl Rove was behind the tape:
CRONKITE: What we just heard. So now the question is basically right now, how will this affect the election? And I have a feeling that it could tilt the election a bit. In fact, I'm a little inclined to think that Karl Rove, the political manager at the White House, who is a very clever man, he probably set up bin Laden to this thing.... (CNN, Larry King Live, 29 Oct 2004)

Of course none of this is analyzed by the US media.

Snowy Sunday's

2005-01-30T05:08:00.000-05:00

It's Snowing Right Now... I haven't slept all night because I was watching the snow fall. I can sit for hours normally and watch the rain fall... Thinking about everything and nothing at all. I thought I'd share a bit of it with ya by bringing it (the snow... I know you noticed it... LOL) to my page... Enjoy. If you want the real thing.. Pack up come to Philly and please take this Snow, Sleet, and Ice with ya! LOL

Wish I had my very own BK Snow Bunny To Cuddle With.

Sigh...

Who's In Charge Here

2005-01-29T08:08:00.000-05:00

As the nation approaches the one-year anniversary of the Super Bowl XXXVIII tragedy, an FCC study shows that millions of U.S. children were severely traumatized by the exposure to a partially nude female breast during the Feb. 1, 2004 halftime show.

The tragic wardrobe malfunction occurred approximately 360 days ago, during Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake's performance of "Rock Your Body," when Timberlake tore Jackson's costume, accidentally revealing her right breast.

"By the time CBS cut to an aerial view of the stadium, the damage was done," said Wasserbaum, who has also worked extensively with orphaned and amputee children in Third World war zones. According to the 500-page report filed by the FCC, more than 90 percent of the children who saw the exposed breast said they were "confused and afraid."

Come on now... I saw worse things than that growing up in South Philly (maybe that's the root of my ism's LOL). The FCC has been pressured for years to put the screws to big media corporations like Viacom and Janet gave them the amunition that they needed...

They basically held "Middle America's" young impressionable children for ransom when the basically said "Either we keep quiet when events like this take place or we have to make a blanket policy across the media board.

So for the past 11 months they have to keep a running tally of who says what where with renewed vigor.

The focus has been on dirty words that have found their way onto broadcast television/radio with increasing frequency:

* U2 rocker Bono (whom I not so secretly love) uttered fuck at last year's live Golden Globes show on NBC.

* Nicole Richie said shit and fuck at last year's live Billboard Music Awards show on Fox.

* Diane Keaton on Jan. 25 spoke shit on the live Golden Globes broadcast on CBS.

WHERE WAS THE PUBLIC OUT CRY...LOL

Does the FCC truly belive that the media has sole control over America's young people? When will we begin to make parents responsible for the upbringing of children... Yes there are times when I have viewed something on television during primetime and said... "I can't believe they have this on at this hour".

But you know what...

When I have my niece over for a visit and I give her a little time to watch television (she earns tv time by doing a variety of things) I program what she can view. Sometimes I even watch it with her... I had no idea that Sponge Bob Square Pants was totally set underwater... LOL. We were watching it one evening and I asked her... what are all of those circles on the screen... Yasi (my Niece) looked at me and said... Auntieeeeeeeeeeeeee... They gotta breathe sometime! I felt like and idiot. But that's another post for another day.

But I digress...

The point is I try to the best I can to keep things that I feel that she is not equipped to handle/understand from her. In the event that we/she encounters something that she has a question/comment about we talk about it as best I can in terms that she can understand. Yes it's a bit simplistic and no I don't have any children of my own (not ruling out having a family of my own though) but this is working for me at this moment. I guess if all else fails you could always make a video and get Super Nanny to come to your home...

Side Bar Slump Day 2

2005-01-28T22:58:00.000-05:00

Ok so I figured a way around the whole sidebar issue... I can only let Three days at a time show on my page... So if you missed a day or so... look to your right and click on a title... I'll see how this works out till I can figure out the coding issue....

I gotta work tomorrow (overtime) so I'll holla...

Sidebar Slump...

2005-01-27T20:08:00.000-05:00

Here I am thinking I'm some type of HTML guru... (well actually I am... LOL) I over here helping my good sista friend setup her own blog and I go inside my template to send her some code to add to her page... Well I must have move/deleted/offended some line of code because my sidebar fell way south on my page...

Now I don't know how to bring it back... So I either wait for the powers that be at blogger or one of you fine bloggers to help a sista out...

Come On... You know you wanna!

I changed my settings to allow non-bloggers to post comments.

Selfish Motivations...

2005-01-26T09:08:00.000-05:00

You know I have a problem with people who make decisions for themselves and could care less how they affect other people...

Take this fool in Glendale, California for example... He decides that he just cannot go on and parks his SUV on some train tracks. After much thought he then decides that he doesn't want to go through with it. There's only one problem... He can't get the damn truck off the tracks... So what does he do... He leaves it there... causing an accident that ends the life of at least 12 people and injures at least 180 others...

I can't imagine going through something so traumatic that I actually act out on a plan to end my life. But this is certainly a case where this guy not following through with his plan to end his own life has drastically altered the lives of at least 200 families.

Now he can look forward to at least 10 counts of murder...

I bet he wishes that he followed through.

Hot Mess

2005-01-25T07:19:00.000-05:00

I love music... I LOVE MUSIC!

Couldn't imagine my day with out my fix of hip hop beats, R&B grooves and a few other genre's in between. Some of the artist/songs that I listen to are derogatory, sexist, racist, and sometimes just plain rude...

But I choose to listen to it so there!

My email was flooded with messages complaining about a particular morning show that aired in NY. If you live in any metropolitan area you more than likely have a hip hop/r&b morning show. Sometimes the content is derogatory, sexist, racist, and sometimes just plain rude (sound familiar... LOL)

BUT... (There's always a but)

This recent airing of the "Miss Jones In The Morning" Show has pushed me past my tolerance level. They played this skit that made light of the Tusnami disaster that has permanately changed the lives of millions of people.

The skit was so bad that the morning show team was suspended and the station posted an apology on their web page. I suspect that it was more for their

Here it goes:

Statement from WQHT-FM, HOT 97
New York City - Miss Jones and the HOT 97 Morning team have been indefinitely suspended for the airing of a song that made light of a catastrophic event, as well as comments made at the time the song was aired.

Earlier this week, Miss Jones said on the air "I apologize to all who have been offended by my poor decision to go along with playing that insulting (to say the least) Tsunami song. I should have known better and I didn't. So I'm sorry and hopefully we can move forward from this, or I can move forward from this being a better hostess, because I am better than that, and I know better than that -- and you deserve better radio than that."

While Miss Jones has apologized on the air, in the media and on the HOT 97 website, station management felt that stronger action was necessary to demonstrate the severity of the situation.

Emmis Radio and HOT 97 will not tolerate such derogatory and racially insensitive content. This incident in no way reflects the spirit of HOT 97. The station has a long-time and well-known reputation for community involvement and support.

Emmis Radio President Rick Cummings said, "What happened is morally and socially indefensible. All involved, myself included, are ashamed and deeply sorry. I know the members of the morning show are truly contrite. They know their actions here are inexcusable."

We would like to clarify that no company advertising on our station had any connection to the Tsunami Song and no company advertising on our station endorsed or sponsored the offensive material aired on the "Miss Jones in the Morning" show. We apologize for any misunderstanding that may have caused listeners to believe that anyone, other than the morning show staff, was responsible for the material that should not have been aired.

Tre' Club...

2005-01-24T06:32:00.000-05:00

I stole this from a Yahoo Board...

There really isn't any original Thought Out there... LOL

Three names you go by:
1. Char
2. Ms. Audacity
3. Puffy (Please Don’t Ask)

Three screen names you have:
1. Audacity08
2. Nu_AKA
3. NubianFem

Three things you like about yourself :
1. My Smile
2. My Legs
3. My Bosom (yeah I went there... LOL)

Three things you hate/dislike about yourself:
1. Not being able to ask for help when I really need it…
2. Not exercising regularlly like I want to... Too lazy.
3. My tolerance level for BS is at an all time low.

Three things that scare you:
1. Ending Up Alone
2. Ending Up Unfulfilled
3. Ending Up With Too Many Regrets

Three of your everyday essentials:
1. Columbian Roast with French Vanilla Creamer
2. Conversation with my Girls
3. Connecting with My Baby

Three things you are wearing right now:
1. A Smile
2. My Quasi-Chanel Eyeglasses
3. My AKA necklace

Three of your favorite bands/artists at the moment:
1. MeShelle NdegeOcello
2. Donnie
3. Jay Z

Three of your favorite songs at present:
1. Get Right (Jennifer Lopez)
2. Lovers and Friends (Lil Jon ft. Usher)
3. Wasted Time (MeShelle NdegeOcello)

Three new things you want to do in the next 12 months:
1. Love Completely
2. Find Work That I Love
3. Organize My Apartment

Three things you want in a relationship:
1. Communication (Mental, Physical, Spiritual)
2. Honesty
3. Refer to I Corinthian 13

Two truths and a lie:
1. I Am A Morning Person.
2. I Have A Male Best Friend.
3. I Have A Gadget Addiction.

Three physical things about the opposite sex that appeal to you:
1. Distictive Lips
2. Signature Scent
3. Quality Shoes

Three things you just can't do:
1. Eat Okra
2. Walk In Grass
3. Get Dressed Without Playing Music

Three of your favorite hobbies:
1. Watching Movies
2. Surfing The Internet
3. Talking On The Phone (T-Mobile Loves Me!)

Three things you want to do really badly right now:
1. Chill With My Baby
2. Get Back In Bed
3. Eat Breakfast

Three careers you're considering:
1. Human Resource Analyst
2. Vocational Rehab Counselor
3. Online Store Owner

Three places you want to go on vacation:
1. Spain
2. Canada
3. Italy

Three kids names:
1. Madison
2. Taylor
3. J.R. (if I ever have a boy he would be a junior)

Three things you want to do before you die:
1. Hold Season Passes for both the Eagles and Sixers
2. Get Married And Own My Home
3. Retire Early And Travel

Dream Engagement Ring

2005-01-22T13:44:00.000-05:00

I took this quiz and the results were very close to what I would have picked... My dream ring is actually an Emerald or an Asscher cut diamond but it is certainly not a deal breaker...

If the man I love (don't get skurred... Not droppin' any hints... LOL)came to me with a string to tie around my finger (ala The Count Of Monte Cristo) I would be very pleased and just as much in love as it he had given me the hope diamond. Don't get me wrong... every woman wants a little bling on her finger no matter how modest she is... But it isn't the most important thing on the planet.

Here are my results from the quiz...

Your Dream Engagement Ring...

Has a Princess Cut Diamond!

That doesn't mean you're a princess though. Far from it :-)
You're modern, sleek, and more than a little bold at times.
You prefer that your old fashioned ring fit into your modern life.
A streamlined princess cut ring is like a work of architecture and 100% perfect for you.

What's Your Dream Engagement Ring? Take This Quiz :-)

Find The Love Of Your Life

Flashback Friday...

2005-01-21T07:08:00.000-05:00

I received this as an email and thought that I would share it with the masses... Check out the site U Thrill Me for more things to reflect on.

Close your eyes...And go back...

Before the Internet or the MAC
Before semi automatics and crack
Before SEGA or Super Nintendo... Way back...
I'm talkin' bout hide and go seek at dusk.
Red light, Green light.
Playing kickball & dodgeball until your porch light came on.
Mother May I?
Red Rover
Hula Hoops
Running through the sprinkler
Happy Meals
Wait... Watchin' Saturday Morning cartoons Fat Albert, Road Runner, Smurfs, Picture Pages, G-Force & He-Man Wonder Woman & Super Man
Underoos Playing Dukes of Hazard
Catchin' lightning bugs in a jar
Christmas morning...
Your first day of school
Bedtime Prayers and Goodnight Kisses
Climbing trees
Getting an Ice Cream off the Ice Cream Truck
A million mosquito bites and sticky fingers
Jumpin' down the steps
Jumpin' on the bed
Pillow fights
Runnin' till you were out of breath
Laughing so hard that your stomach hurt
Being tired from playin'
Your first crush...
Rainy days at school meant playing "Heads up 7UP" in the classroom Remember that?
I'm not finished yet...
Kool-Aid was the drink of the summer
Totting your friends on your handlebars
Wearing your new shoes on the first day of school
Class Field Trips
Remember when nearly everyone's mom was at home when the kids got there.
When a quarter seemed like a fair allowance, and another quarter a Miracle.
When any parent could discipline any kid, or feed him or use him to carry Groceries, and nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it.
When your parents took you to McDonalds and you were so cool.
When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited a misbehaving student at home.
Basically, we were in fear for our lives but it wasn't because of driveby shootings, drugs, gangs, etc. Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! And some of us are still afraid of em!
Didn't that feel good, just to go back and say, "Yeah, I remember that!"
There's nothing like the good old days! They were good then, and they're good now when we think about them.
I want to go back to the time when... Decisions were made by going "eeny-meeny-miney-mo"
Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, "do over!"
"Race issue" meant arguing about who ran the fastest.
Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in "monopoly"
Catching fireflies could happily occupy an entire evening
It wasn't odd to have two or three "best" friends.
Being old, referred to anyone over 20.
The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was cooties.
Nobody was prettier than Mom
Scrapes and bruises were kissed and made better
It was a big deal to finally be tall enough to ride the "big people"rides at the amusement park.
Getting a foot of snow was a dream come true.
Abilities were discovered because of a "double-dog-dare"
Spinning around, getting dizzy and falling down was cause for giggles.
The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team.
Water balloons were the ultimate, ultimate weapon.
Older siblings were the worst tormentors, but also the fiercest protectors.

Fantasies...

2005-01-18T17:46:00.000-05:00

What Is It That You Fantasize about?

World Peace... (yeah right... LOL)
International Fame
An Oscar
Pulitzer Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
MTV Music Award
Meeting some genius hunk, obstensibly bad but simmering with an uncontainable passion for... Something

Fantasies have to be unrealistic... because the moment... the very second you get what you seek you can't/don't want it anymore. In order to continue to exist desire must have it's object perpetually absent... It's not the "it" that you want... It's the fantasy of "it".

So Desire Supports Crazy Fantasies... One cannot exist without the other. It seems, as Pascal has said, that we are only truly happy when daydreams are about future happiness...

You know the old sayings...

The hunt is sweeter than the kill...
Be careful what you wish for...

Not because you'll get it. But because you're doomed not to want it once you do.

So basically Living by your wants will never make you happy. What it means to be fully human is to strive to live by ideas and ideals and not to measure your life by what you've attained in terms of your desires but those small moments of integrity, compassion, rationality, even self-sacrifice. In the end the only way we can measure the significance of our own lives is by valuing the lives of others.

Open Letter To My Babe...

2005-01-17T11:30:00.000-05:00

Antithesis Of My History
Satisfying In Every Way
Radiating This Positive Energy
Obscuring The Negativity Of The Day
Don't Ever Comprimise Who You Are
For I am Dazed By Your Masculinty
Aggressive And Self Assured
Without Negating My Femininity
Imperfections Made Beautiful By Way Of Honesty
Wanting To Please And Feel Free
Letting Yourself Get Caught Up In The Moment
So Longing For It To Be With Me

Defining The Obvious...

2005-01-16T21:08:00.000-05:00

This question is inspired by a recent episode of Sex And The City (Love That Show!) that I watched and the countless number of Girl Talk sessions that I have during the course of a week.

The Eskimo have 100 words for the word snow and we probably have three times as many for relationships... In a world where you can:

Have a date (and be dating) without ever having sex

I remember dating this guy. Had many of the outward characteristics that I find attractive. He was God fearing, tall, dark, employed, took care of himself, no baby momma drama and he had a beautiful smile. We had these great conversations over the phone and he would send me the greatest emails. But I had no desire to take it any furthur than that. (That decision probably came from the fact that I realized that he was socially retarded.) Finally I decided that we shouldn't see each other anymore exclusively. Sadly that friendship dissolved not long after that.

Screw (sorry if this is crass) without ever going on a date

I have a girlfriend who is dating a guy and has never been on a date with him. And yet she considers him her man. I couldn't imagine claiming someone I never see or talk to outside of the bedroom. Well I guess she does talk to him if you count the phone call that actually sets up the booty call.

Maintain a friendship with former partners

One of my ex-boyfriends lives in West Virginia. He and I are friends now... there were a few years in between us breaking up and being able to rebuild a friendship with me. One of the things that ruined our relationship was dishonesty. I cannot tolerate liars... Now I'm not talking about the "Oh that outfit looks good on you" type of lie. I'm talk about the "Oh, I love you and would never cheat on you" type. But like I said we have move past that talk every once in a while.

I guess my question is:

What Really Defines A Relationship?

Is it the feeling you have when you think of that person. Do you have to see that person the a set number of times in order to consider it a relationship? Or is it something else all together for you.

Email Me Your Response or If you are a Blogger Click on Comments

Shrinking Daylight

2005-01-15T18:12:00.000-05:00

Daytime is now 2.68 microseconds shorter because of last month's tsunami.

The massive force unleashed by an earthquake off the coast of Indonesia altered the shape of Earth in a number of minute yet significant ways, NASA scientists have determined.
In data released this week, NASA determined that the Dec. 26 earthquake moved the North Pole, which constantly jiggles slightly, 2.5 centimeters--about an inch--in an eastward shift that is part of a long-term seismic shift.

Earth also became slightly more round, as the planet's oblateness, the quality of being flattish on top and bulging at the equator, decreased by a small amount. Further, daytime decreased by 2.68 microseconds because Earth now spins slightly faster on its axis. The phenomenon is similar to a figure skater in a twirl pulling his or her arms in slightly closer.

All earthquakes affect the shape of the planet, but the force of the recent tsunami-inducing quake--the fourth-largest recorded in 100 years--was particularly strong. Benjamin Chao of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center compared the impact of the quake to the potential impact of the Three Gorges Dam project in China.

If filled, the massive gorge created by the dam would hold 40 cubic kilometers (10 trillion gallons) of water. That shift of mass would increase the length of a day by only 0.06 microseconds and make the Earth only very slightly more round in the middle and flat on the top. It would shift the pole position by about two centimeters (0.8 inches).
"Any worldly event that involves the movement of mass affects the Earth's rotation, from seasonal weather down to driving a car," Chao said in a statement.

The Human Clock

2005-01-15T17:53:00.000-05:00

I've been playing around on the net this weekend and am just laughing my behind off at some of the sites that are out there...

If you are one of those people that like to watch the time pass... (you know like those last few minutes before you clock out at work.. Counting down the seconds... Well here is a mindless activity that could get you through...

Check out the Human Clock. For every minute of the day they have at least four pics for you to look at. The pictures are of every day people doing everyday (and not so every day) things all over the world. The one thing that they have in common is that they show the exact time for the moment that you are looking at it.

Assholes are scandalous

2005-01-15T15:27:00.000-05:00

Got this from another blogger (TTABlog) and thought that it made me chuckle.

A trademark applicant tried to register a mark for Asshole's Guide to... (think: [topic here] For Dummies), and the Trademark Office rejected it as "scandalous", so they appealed. The Appeals board agreed that it was scandalous too, based on an old doctrine in trademark law that trademarks can't be scandalous (i.e., can't trademark American flags on condoms, and so on). But in the "oh-sweet-irony" department: Wal*Mart sells one of the books in the Assholes series.

And to think... I used to think of them as the moral majority... Don't they censor quite a few titles/items in their stores because the don't think believe that they should be available through their stores?

97 Years And Counting...

2005-01-15T06:23:00.000-05:00

Most people who know me know that I'm an AKA... (and those that don't just chose to forget).

Special Shout Outs to my Line Sisters and Starria (#1 Exuberance , Samantha (#2 Non-Chalant), Ms. Audacity (yes I'm giving myself a shoutout... Tre' Club reppin), Adenike (#4 Simplicity). It's been four years for us and we are still ticking.

Here is a bit of information on My Beloved Sorority...

In 1908, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority became America's first Greek-letter organization established by Black college women. Her roots date back to Howard University, Washington, D.C., where the idea for formation was conceived by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle of St. Louis, Missouri. She viewed the Sorority as an instrument for enriching the social and intellectual aspects of college life by providing mental stimulation through interaction with friends and associates.

Through the years, however, Alpha Kappa Alpha's function has become more complex. After her incorporation as a perpetual body in 1913, Alpha Kappa Alpha gradually branched out and became the channel through which selected college-trained women improved the socioeconomic conditions in their city, state, nation, and the world. In a world in which materialism is pervasive, and technology and competition have decreased the need for collaboration and cooperation, it is critical to have an association that cuts across racial, international, physical, and social barriers to help individuals and communities develop and maintain constructive relationships with others.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority is that vital organization.

Alpha Kappa Alpha is a sisterhood composed of women who have consciously chosen this affiliation as a means of self-fulfillment through volunteer service. Alpha Kappa Alpha cultivates and encourages high scholastic and ethical standards; promotes unity and friendship among college women; alleviates problems concerning girls and women; maintains a progressive interest in college life; and serves all mankind through a nucleus of more than 170,000 women in the United States, the Caribbean, Europe, and Africa.

Candidacy for membership into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority is open to women of high ethical and scholastic standards who are pursuing or have completed courses leading to a degree in an accredited college or university. Our official headquarters is in Chicago, Illinois

If you are not familiar with Black Greek Letter Organizations you should get on a search engine and check them out.

A Message To My Sistahs....

2005-01-13T21:46:00.000-05:00

Love is a powerful thing...

Just got off the phone with one of my Sorority Sisters and she is having some serious relationship issues. She loves the man that she is dating. But he doesn't respect her thoughts, her time, or her body for that matter. He doesn't call when he says he will, he never takes her out unless he was already planning to go out already, AND she has never met one member of his family. They have been dating for six months.

There are good brothers out there. Not all of them are thuggish or punks. BUT, you DO have to groom them, regardless. I'm the LAST person with any patience to make sure that a man knows all of the little things that denote a good dating relationship, but sometimes you have to remind a brother that - in order to be with you - he'll have to handle things a certain way. I told her that she teaches him how to treat her. If you just accept the crap that he gives that's all you will get from him.

We (READ: Women) gripe and groan to one another about whats bugging us with our significant others. I often wonder how much of it is said to the one that matters. If we just suppress all that is botherring us and not share it with my significant other are we being true to ourselves and our relationships?

I have never been one to ask a man out on a date. (It really is a moot point since I'm off the market now but you get the point) My philosophy has been "If you are waiting for me to ask you out you will never see me". Once a man understands this, he can either accept it, or move on. No sense in wasting hours on the phone with someone who isn't capable of being the strong person you want him to be. But if all other indications are that he's a suitable companion, this may just be the one area where he needs a little CLARITY. LOL

My honey-do is a laid back, loving Taurus man and very often he shocks me into silence with some of the things he says (or doesn't say). However, he's also an extremely caring and responsible soul who would move heaven and earth for me. So, if I have problem, I address it IMMEDIATELY ... Regarding a date, a mean statement, a misunderstanding or whatever.

If a man cares about you, he'll listen and try to figure out some compromise to soothe the rough spot. After all, you're worth it!

Giving Back...

2005-01-12T01:03:00.000-05:00

THIS MONDAY IS A DAY "ON"FOR MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY ON JANUARY 17,

JOIN THE FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY!

SPECIAL STUDENT OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE PHILADELPHIA:

Consider this: just one person who volunteers once a week during the 13-week tax season of January-April 2005 returns over $30,000 to local, low-income families!
Last year, United Way volunteers helped families receive $15.1 million in Earned Income Tax Credits, just by filling out their tax forms! Help working families make the most of their earning power.

Join Campus Philly and over 400 other volunteers, helping low-income families find their way through the tax-filing maze.

To attend a volunteer training on the 10th Annual Martin Luther King Day of Service, January 17, 2005, e-mail mlkdayofservice@uwsepa.org or call 215-665-2475

BTW...

If you haven't heard yet... Apple is giving back to those of us who couldn't contribute to the recent Iopd craze. They have come up with an Ipod Shuffle. It is smaller than a pack of bubblelicious (telling my age now... LOL). It supposed to go for less than $100.00 and hold 512 MB of music! How cool is that.

Which One Are You?

2005-01-11T21:08:00.000-05:00

Food For Thought.

You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me? What do you see?" "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?" Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity... boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?" Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor.

If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level?

How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches. When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.

Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

We are what we repeatedly do.

Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.