Tom Ford, Micheal Kors and Peace on Earth: My Christmas List

MY CHRISTMAS LIST!!!!!!

1. Carols Daughter Shea Souffle- Love this stuff, great for the winter and beautifully scented. The set lets you sample a little of the three best scents Groove, Almond Cookie, and Mango Melange. $32 at Sephora

2. Ive always loved the way these soaps looked and these three dressed up in gold foiled paper get me going even more! Cute just to decorate with and even better for actual use. $ 42 at Sephora

3. NARS Lip Lacquer feels moisturizing and not just sticky and excessivly shiney. I have a purpleish color that looks sick on me, I thik Im ready for the brown though. $

4. I love Joe Malone, his products seem so rich and smell sooo good. Ive only tried the lip conditioner, and though everything smells great Im not that much of a product diva to venture that way. The candles however will do just fine.

$45 at Bloomingdales.

5. I frequent B&N far too often, its MY Barnies! I should probably get a membership so I can get a discount on all the wonderful note books and maggies that I must buy everymonth. Get a subcription, you say? I just feel like theyre more official from B&N $25 at Barnes and Noble

6. So I've recently fallen in love with Michael Kors. He used to annoy me with his behavior on Project Runway( Avery does a hilariouse immitation..."It's too matrionly") plus his clothes would always get returned at Macy's because theyre so cheaply made. This watch is sick and on my arm is the freakin plague. $180 at Bloomingdales

The resine or the brown leather, you decide!

7. I absolutely LOVE this ABS Dress. The rosettes are adorable and in silk or velvet its the shit. The velvet is holiday but the silk is year round(nude fishnets and cute hot pink shoes....dammit) $320 at edressme.com or Bloomingdales.

8. Now dont laugh but I really want these pills so my hair can grow. Theyre supposed to make your hair and nails grow and who could'nt use more hair??? Tell the truth?

$50 at Sephora

9. Sabon- Damn, this shit right here. THIS SHIT RIGHT HERE! THIS SHIT RIGHT HERE! There are really words, well, on your part there arent. His words will be something along the effects of "Damn baby your skin is so soft!" Trust me! My girl Sarah put me on, and though Ive been using scrubs for years this stuff will take the above to the umph degree! $16-$38 at Sabon.

10. Grace put me on to Fauchon, and with the packaging being adorable I was hooked before I tasted anything. Some really good Madelines, great with Cocoa!

$17 at Fauchon





11. Another one. This one is so beautiful though, silver burn out flowers, draped back so when you walk it kinda blows in the wind. I need it. I NEED IT! $418 ish at Bloomingdales

12. This is another great candle. I really love candles they relax me! This one comes is some really amazing scents and don't hurt the pockets as much as Joe's. $18 at Anthropologie

13. Yall know I cant get enough of these chocolates. I just went through a pack about a week ago. Its the hazelnuts. Sooooo good! $20 at most grocers( I want the big one.. to last me a few days(hours))

14. Its about time I retire my green bag and step it up. I deserve a nice bag like this Betsey Johnson bag. Love the faceted buttons, like the Marc by Marc Jacobs coat I want(letting yall off the hook on that $548 baby!) $ at Bloomindales

15. I think these boots are so cute, far cuter than UGGS but with the same purpose. $248 at Nordstrom.com

16. Ive wanted these boots since summer and I have tried on about 4 pair in hopes that my big ass man calfs will one day magically fit into them. But alas I am a freak and have been cast down to only wear booties. Is it tacky if I dont zip them up all the way? Nobodys gonna be all up in the inside of my calf right?$225 at Nordstrom.

17.If you've smelled it you understand, no explaination necessary! The sexiest fragrance beside Prada. This is for grown folks almost on some No. 5 shit, but not so 50 years old!

$65 for the 1.7 at Bloomingdales

18. I know thats like four, perfumes on my list but I collect and I need to catch up. Narciso Rodriquez- Perfect everyday scent. Ive fallen off my perfume game, I love this one its just what I need to get right for the new year!

$62 at Bloomingdales

See that wasnt that bad, not that much stuff right. If I think of anything else I will revise. Thanks in advance!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Soooooooo its almost Christmas, I'm making a list and checking it twice!!!

I know Santa's supposed to do that but it cant hurt to both make and check!!!

Stay posted! I figured it would be easier for you all to have one list at your easy convenience for referencing so I didn't end up with more than one of the same Nicole Miller dress!

And just so you all know, I totally appreciate you all skipping that student loan payment to get my Christmas gift!

Remember what goes around comes around!!!


Merry Christmas!

The folks you meet on a NY street.

So, I know NY is different from Richmond. Different in a number of ways.
-There are bags for your drinks at the fast food places
-Every store has two floors (The Grocery Store, Forever 21, Arden B, Every store!)
-People talk on their phones while their at work, dealing with customers(like Walgreen's)
-NY people say "On Line" when they mean "In line"
-You buy your live Christmas tree on the street, right across from the Duane Reid and the local chicken/burger spot
-The bus doesn't take dollar bills
-You ride the bus


I could go on for days but the most interesting and different part about NY is the things that NY people feel so comfortable with saying and sharing with you.

Two examples....




Example 1.

So, apparently dark skinned women are a commodity in NY. I see them everywhere but for whatever reason, the men in NY loose their minds.... really. Ive been called everything in the book for my complexion..."bottle of a boot", black, smokey the bear, midnight, spook, and I'm not even really that dark. Ive grown to love it and apparently some residents of NY do to. My roommate Kim makes fun of me because I often get called "Chocolate" by men(some homeless, some dusty). They make a point to pipe up in their loudest voice to proclaim that I have "beautiful skin, hair, legs (the legs confuse me...i think they just talkin shit)" Now normally all this is great because a VA dude just doesn't have the balls, but there's always one to spoil it for the bunch.

I'm walking around 5th ave near 17th, checking out the holiday sets and just having some me time when I walk past this guy that yells at me
"Take your chocolate ass home!"
now... I'm of course startled and confused and scared and cant decide if I need to run or give him a "fuck you muthafucka" look and keep it gangsta. I however choose to just look confused. He proceeds

" I like em' dark... umph.... The blacker the berry, the sweeter the pussy!"

He prompts

"right?...... Right???"

I run.


Example 2.

I'm at Starbucks after a usually wack ass day at Bloomingdale's. I love working at the SOHO store because I see lots of characters on the way to and from work. There are the black folks who have chosen to revive the regalia of the 80's including HUGE doorknocker earrings, bright colors, and yes, even stone washed jeans, the kinda hippie Anthropologie/LL Bean/Salvation Army(cant believe I just named that like its a brand) folks and the rude ass spatially challenged tourist laden with shopping bags, talkin loud as hell, and looking at the sky or either end of Broadway trying to find their way out. So I'm at Starbucks and the barista proceeds to take my order and while I am clearly at the register this women walks up to my barista while talking on the phone. Shes talking so loud I cant really remember what the hell I was ordering but I finally get it out and proceed to pay. My barista ask my name and I reply.

"Brown"

The lady has finished her conversation at this point and turns to me (because she doesn't understand that you should stand behind me not beside me, because its my damn turn)

"Really, your name is Brown?"

I respond casually and kinda not interested "Yeah"

She checks once more "Brown?"

My barista cant hear me...because of loud hoe...and I confirm the name "Brown, Like the color" to both of them.

Rude Hoe responds " That's perfect!"

Me really just interested in getting some spiced cider, keeps it moving " Its a really common name, I'm surprised you've never heard of it."

My barista roles his eyes ( and hes not the eye rolling type) and says, "yeah really common!" kinda angry like.

I proceed to the end of the bar to pick up my cider( with the caramel and whip cream...so good!) and barista 2 gives me this half laugh/half shaking head look and not until then do I realize why my last name is sooooooo perfect!

Now considering this hoe is clearly crazy to say some out the way shit like that 1. aloud and 2. to an even crazier hoe like myself, I decide that tonight is not lecture night, tonight is not educate the masses night and of all nights that it is not, its not show her ass why my name is so perfect because I'm bout to be just as "brown" as your stereotype of "brown" people is!

I run

this time from ignorance, or both times from ignorance, the second being just a little more sad. I know I can say some out the way shit, hell, I say it right here on this blog, but that was some serious socially offensive behavior...... or just so New York type shit.

Interesting Article: The Black KKK killed Sean Taylor

Taylor's death a grim reminder for us all

by Jason Whitlock

There's a reason I call them the Black KKK. The pain, the fear and the destruction are all the same.

Someone who loved Sean Taylor is crying right now. The life they knew has been destroyed, an 18-month-old baby lost her father, and, if you're a black man living in America, you've been reminded once again that your life is in constant jeopardy of violent death.

The Black KKK claimed another victim, a high-profile professional football player with a checkered past this time.

No, we don't know for certain the circumstances surrounding Taylor's death. I could very well be proven wrong for engaging in this sort of aggressive speculation. But it's no different than if you saw a fat man fall to the ground clutching his chest. You'd assume a heart attack, and you'd know, no matter the cause, the man needed to lose weight.

Well, when shots are fired and a black man hits the pavement, there's every statistical reason to believe another black man pulled the trigger. That's not some negative, unfair stereotype. It's a reality we've been living with, tolerating and rationalizing for far too long.

When the traditional, white KKK lynched, terrorized and intimidated black folks at a slower rate than its modern-day dark-skinned replacement, at least we had the good sense to be outraged and in no mood to contemplate rationalizations or be fooled by distractions.
Our new millennium strategy is to pray the Black KKK goes away or ignores us. How's that working?

About as well as the attempt to shift attention away from this uniquely African-American crisis by focusing on an alleged injustice the white media allegedly perpetrated against Sean Taylor.
Within hours of his death, there was a story circulating that members of the black press were complaining that news outlets were disrespecting Taylor's victimhood by reporting on his troubled past.

No disrespect to Taylor, but he controlled the way he would be remembered by the way he lived. His immature, undisciplined behavior with his employer, his run-ins with law enforcement, which included allegedly threatening a man with a loaded gun, and the fact a vehicle he owned was once sprayed with bullets are all pertinent details when you've been murdered.

Marcellus Wiley, a former NFL player, made the radio circuit Wednesday, singing the tune that athletes are targets. That was his explanation for the murders of Taylor and Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams and the armed robberies of NBA players Antoine Walker and Eddy Curry.

Really?

Let's cut through the bull(manure) and deal with reality. Black men are targets of black men. Period. Go check the coroner's office and talk with a police detective. These bullets aren't checking W-2s.

Rather than whine about white folks' insensitivity or reserve a special place of sorrow for rich athletes, we'd be better served mustering the kind of outrage and courage it took in the 1950s and 1960s to stop the white KKK from hanging black men from trees.

But we don't want to deal with ourselves. We take great joy in prescribing medicine to cure the hate in other people's hearts. Meanwhile, our self-hatred, on full display for the world to see, remains untreated, undiagnosed and unrepentant.

Our self-hatred has been set to music and reinforced by a pervasive culture that promotes a crab-in-barrel mentality.

You're damn straight I blame hip hop for playing a role in the genocide of American black men. When your leading causes of death and dysfunction are murder, ignorance and incarceration, there's no reason to give a free pass to a culture that celebrates murder, ignorance and incarceration.

Of course there are other catalysts, but until we recapture the minds of black youth, convince them that it's not OK to "super man dat ho" and end any and every dispute by "cocking on your bitch," nothing will change.

Does a Soulja Boy want an education?

HBO did a fascinating documentary on Little Rock Central High School, the Arkansas school that required the National Guard so that nine black kids could attend in the 1950s. Fifty years later, the school is one of the nation's best in terms of funding and educational opportunities. It's 60 percent black and located in a poor black community.

Watch the documentary and ask yourself why nine poor kids in the '50s risked their lives to get a good education and a thousand poor black kids today ignore the opportunity that is served to them on a platter.

Blame drugs, blame Ronald Reagan, blame George Bush, blame it on the rain or whatever. There's only one group of people who can change the rotten, anti-education, pro-violence culture our kids have adopted. We have to do it.

According to reports, Sean Taylor had difficulty breaking free from the unsavory characters he associated with during his youth.

The "keepin' it real" mantra of hip hop is in direct defiance to evolution. There's always someone ready to tell you you're selling out if you move away from the immature and dangerous activities you used to do, you're selling out if you speak proper English, embrace education, dress like a grown man, do anything mainstream.

The Black KKK is enforcing the same crippling standards as its parent organization. It wants to keep black men in their place — uneducated, outside the mainstream and six feet deep.
In all likelihood, the Black Klan and its mentality buried Sean Taylor, and any black man or boy reading this could be next.

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

Now, Im not very familiar with the case beyond what detailed here(which is clearly partial and positioned), nor am I familiar with these football figures but the theory that he tries to prescribe could fit a number of cases that I am far more familiar with.

I do agree that hip hop can perpetuate some violent imagery but a very important point that he failed to address is the parental component. My sister LOVES Tupac, my other sister LOVES Prince, yet neither of them grew up to be thugs or freaks!

He did however make a great point that upon your death you are remembered by the life you lead. That reigns true no matter what you do, but it is also important to remember that your parents equipe you with a guard agaist allowing peers and media influences to define you, but without that guard you are subject to following the example set.

Finally, I have to say I too was taken aback when I realized exactly what supermanning the hoe was all about. It could easily mean rescuing her from harms way with your super human strength folks!!! However, I do feel that if he would like to quote Soulja Boy he should do so correctly... its "Bitch ASS" not simply bitch.... Theres a difference Jason !!!

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Sisters:
A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day, drinking iced tea and visiting with her Mother. As they talked about life, about marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter. 'Don't forget your Sisters,' she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass. 'They'll be more important as you get older. No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children you may have, you are still going to need Sisters. Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them.' 'Remember that 'Sisters' means ALL the women... your girlfriends, your daughters, and all your other women relatives too. 'You'll need other women. Women always do.' What a funny piece of advice!' the young woman thought. Haven't I just gotten married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup! Surely my husband and the family we may start will be all I need to make my life worthwhile!' But she listened to her Mother. She kept contact with her Sisters and made more women friends each year. As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to understand that her Mom really knew what she was talking about. As time and nat ure work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, Sisters are the mainstays of her life. After more than 50 years of living in this world, here is what I've learned:

Time passes.

Life happens.

Distance separates.

Children grow up.

Jobs come and go.

Love waxes and wanes.

Men don't do what they're supposed to do.

Hearts break.

Parents die.

Colleagues forget favors.

Careers end.

BUT.... Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you. A girl friend is never farther away than needing her can reach. When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley's end. Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you...Or come in and carry you out. Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers, Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended family, all bless our life! The world wouldn't be the same without women, and neither would I. When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much would need each other.

Every day, we need each other still.

Pass this on to all the women who help make your life meaningful. I just did. Short and very sweet: There are more than twenty angels in this world. Ten are peacefully sleeping on clouds. Nine are playing. And one is reading her email at this moment. Send this message to ten of your friends including me. If you get 5 replies, someone you love will surprise you. Happy days! Don't break this; it's working

So Danielle sent me this, and how timely considering her (along with Erica and Andrea) recent visit to the NYC. I wasnt sure what to do with them. I spent a few weeks trying to figure out what to do and still didnt come up with much. I wanted to show them the city and show them all the amazing things that Ive discovered but I didnt know how to go about it with 2 who wanted to paint the town and 1expecting, which technically makes her count twice, I barely had the time to think! They got in kinda late and while we missed our dinner reservations at Joya we made it work in the apt with my 100% Trader Joes cuisine! The weekend was great and we had a good time just being in NY but the best times were us just sitting around talking. GOD, what I wouldnt give for a good old fashion Pow Wow! I mean a true Pow Wow including The regulars, me, Erin, Sam, Krystal. The commentary crew, Shannon, Erica, and Andrea. The Dynamic, Joycelyn. & The Voices of Reason Danielle and Baby K! I mean whats a girl gotta do to get her crew back together???? At the rate school is going I'll be hospitalized soon and maybe they'll turn out to cheer me up before I pass. Killing myself??? Yeah I am, all for a "Generally Good" . Anyway, QT was great especially dinner at Sylvias with Julee. Politics and baby names of fried catfish was comforting like a hug from LRGB herself! OK Andrea, we promise not to vote along party lines alone .....and Erica we understand that your poor... (says the two time home owner, thats expecting the heiress to the Ralph Lauren (or Laren, or La'ren..whatever) throne!)

The worst part though had to be the departure. It didnt hit me until I hailed that cab that"Hey I miss these girls!" I balled, like a 1st grader that missed the bus. It was awful, and still is. It made me remember people, like my sister, my other friends, my nieces and nephews, my boo, and ohhh my mom. Shit....... I need a hug. Considering I wont be home for any of the holidays.... none of them, I better get more pillows!

So Im reading Danielles forward and considering all the life going on around me and though forwards are such a cliche' the words become so meaningful and again I ball( its my new thing apparently) as I press foward. Dont get it twisted, I still keep it gangsta, dont think I sent that message to you bitches because I love you or something!

...and by bitches I totally mean "Sisters"

Smooches

Good Article: When Women Earn More.... We'll all be facing this pretty soon!

When women earn more…
By Yolonda Lawrence

The trouble began with a pair of shoes—my pink and black Prada Mary Janes. They’re fabulous, and I feel special whenever I have them on. So I wore them on my date with John. John was a 35-year-old struggling painter I’d met at a party. We’d gone on a few dates, and the more time we spent together, the more smitten I became. What was not to like? He was artistic, smart, and incredibly funny. After an evening filled with witty conversation and flirty repartee, I invited John upstairs for coffee. He made himself comfortable while I went into the kitchen and, doing my best 21st century Martha Stewart impression, figured out how to use an actual coffee press. An hour later, surrounded by empty coffee mugs, John and I were gazing into each other’s eyes. Or at least that’s what I thought was happening. Apparently, John had a wandering eye. He grabbed one of my recently discarded Mary Janes and asked, “How much did you pay for these?” I was confused. This seemed like an odd time to talk about… shoes. So I casually said, “I don’t remember,” then flashed him a flirtatious smile. Surely, our question and answer period had ended, and we would happily go back to gazing into each other’s eyes. Except that John was more interested in eyeing my shoes. “Come on!” he persisted. “Women always remember how much they pay for stuff.” It’s amazing how quickly one’s feelings can turn from amorous to annoyed. I almost got defensive, but stopped myself. Why fight? An hour earlier, I’d learned to use my coffee press for this man. Wasn’t that worth something? So I chose to be agreeable and honest. “I paid 400 dollars for the shoes,” I admitted. John was incredulous. This was not a good sign. “That’s more than half my rent. That’s ridiculous. You’re way too expensive for me.” I felt judged, and I didn’t like it. Not surprisingly, the mood was broken, and our date ended. That was the last time I saw John. Does money have to matter?That night I had trouble falling asleep. I couldn’t help but wonder if John had a point after all. Maybe he was right. Had I become too expensive? The truth was that after a decade-long financial struggle that included getting my car repossessed and wondering how I’d pay for groceries, I’d turned a corner. My hard work finally paid off and I’d become a well-paid television writer. But with my new success came a new dating dilemma: If I dated men who made less money, would I need to make adjustments in my lifestyle? Did my hard-won success — and my enjoyment of it — make me unattractive in the dating world? I woke up the next morning with a solution. I might not need to make adjustments, but I would have to lie. I could keep my penchant for the high-end hidden from my dates. Soon I became the woman I thought the men I dated wanted me to be, and I shoved my designer shoes into the back of my closet. Of course, I could have simply started dating investment bankers, but I’m attracted to artistic types. So I continued to date men who made less money—and somehow I managed to keep my finances a secret. But what began as little white lies turned into an endless stream of falsehoods and obfuscations. I even kept one guy from seeing the inside of my apartment and my art collection with what I thought was an ingenious excuse — fumigation — until I learned that when you use that explanation more than once, you sound like a slob and guys stop calling. How honest should you be?I knew when I met Peter, a preschool teacher whom I fell hard for, that I had to stop lying, but telling him the truth about my financial situation terrified me. I had to work up the nerve to clue him in about what I earned and how I spent it. When I finally said the words, I’m not sure what I expected, but it certainly wasn’t an insouciant shrug, followed by, “That’s cool, babe. Guess you’re paying for dinner. Hurry up. I’m starving.” I couldn’t stop smiling. With one brief exchange, I learned that after 20 years of dating and trying various ways to turn myself inside out to become what I thought men wanted me to be, things didn’t have to be so hard. A pair of fancy shoes revealed the ultimate truth. My salary wasn’t really the issue here, just as in the past it hadn’t really been my weight or my clothes or any other thing I felt insecure about. Instead, it came down to acceptance—my own and that of someone who might fall in love with me. I am who I am, and as long as Peter could deal with a closet full of expensive shoes, money would be the least of our issues.

Chillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

My attitude real shitty, temper short

My mind cluttered like the streets of New York

I ain't tryna take a 'L', 'cause I casually fought

This shit, real serious not casual sport

Let time fly by as I pen these thoughts

And I'm speedin through life wit my car in park

And even in the day sometimes it's dark and that cloud hoverin low is not the worst part

Second guessin yourself, tryna remain sharp

See niggaz blowin up who ain't got yo SPARK, uh

and that alone is a burden to carry

Either you'll get strong or you'll get buried

and rap keep plenty room in the cemetery

Pull out your Blackberry's change yo itineraries

I mean, you could be the shit today and tomorrow wake up, fame blown away!

And homey on the real, ain't nothin you can say

That's why I work hard now, got later to lay

In the sands on the beach, mixin drinks wit Belvy

The world's gon' remember my name, muhfuckaz!

Funny little thing called love

(AIM convo with my good friend)
HMMMUWONDER (4:50:36 PM): how is your man
CassandraGarnett (4:50:51 PM): good(OBNOXIOUS SMILEY HERE)
HMMMUWONDER(4:51:05 PM): that's good
HMMMUWONDER (4:51:06 PM): lol
HMMMUWONDER(4:51:11 PM): love the smiley face
CassandraGarnett (4:51:16 PM): yeah, its like that
HMMMUWONDER(4:51:22 PM): lol
HMMMUWONDER (4:51:25 PM): mmmkkk
CassandraGarnett (4:51:49 PM): And yours
HMMMUWONDER(4:52:04 PM): which one?
HMMMUWONDER (4:52:11 PM): lol
CassandraGarnett (4:52:13 PM): your favorite
CassandraGarnett (4:52:15 PM): lol
HMMMUWONDER (4:52:29 PM): ummm..the one i love, is ok CassandraGarnett (4:52:37 PM): awwwww




So if you know me you know I'm all about LOVE, sucker for it, played the fool, all that jazz, but today after this conversation I had to snicker at young love. Young love, is that kind that happens between 18 and 24. Its the precarious type. Young love is the type that can make or break you, like the difference between going to college or just heading straight to work. When you think about it, its that serious, you could make one false move and wind up deciding who gets what, or you could be moving on to the next level of creating a legacy of love for your children to follow. Those 30-40-50 year marriages take time, you know? I look at some of my friends and its so funny to see how differently we all value it. Some of us crave it, some of us could go without and some of us are getting to a point in our lives were we are realizing that we cant go on much further without it. Marriage and engagements running rampant in my friend circle, I have to laugh at it all and muse. I mean look at Will and Jada, could you imagine that just a few short years ago she was dating Tupac, now hes passed away and shes built a beautiful family with the Fresh Prince of Bell Air, who rhymed about Summer Time and other obscure raps that never got half the love and reward that Tupac's own received. What a difference a day makes. My how things change, my how we grow and develop and abandon concepts that we were once soo soo staunch about.
Now were grown and time keeps on ticking and in a few short years were gonna look down and kids will be hanging from our skirt hems. What will the next five years bring to us. Hmmmm I wonder.

Don't let the applications fool you! You think you know, but you have no idea!

So, Ive already written about Facebook vs. Myspace but today after finally getting around to browsing some of the new applications I just had a few more choice words for Facebook. WHAT THE HELL. When you have an application that can help a woman calculate the date of her cycle and what day she is ovulating to avoid(or achieve) pregnancy, you've steped just a little too far. Why on earth? Why?

I know, I know, these programs are set up for us to some how correct the images that are sent out by our live and direct/face to face first impressions, along with present an altered ego, but you all dont need to know when Im having my period. Hate to be so cras about it but.... it is what it is, and Im sure you agree!

So clearly I pass on that application and opt for something of a little more substance or consequence to you, but even I find myself slightly tempted to load up on applications that let you get a good laugh, daily bible verse, hororscope, or see what type of outfit I would pick if I were shopping with you. But then in the midst I think, well, if you can find out everything you ever wanted to know about Ms. Cassandra N.(She Has No Middle Name) Brown why on earth would you bother to actually get to know me in person. Would this excess of facts, and pictures and favorite quotes somehow make me just a little more accessable to you, allowing you to feel much more comfortalb with me, and therefore make you actually wave at me when I cross your path?


Let me remind you of the BITCH that you suspected me to be. It matters not how many of my post you read, or how often you cruise my profile(presumptiouse??? Ya Damn right!) in my best T. I. voice

"Shouty youllnn know me! "

Good Article: Quite Complaining- It may make you feel worse.

Quit complaining — it may make you feel worse
Venting to friends about problems is unhelpful and unhealthy, experts say
By Melissa Dahl
Health writer
MSNBC


When confronted with a problem, Ashley Merydith has a routine for dealing with it: She talks about it. Incessantly. To anyone who will listen.
“‘So he did this, and then I said this, and then he texted me this,’” says Merydith, 23, describing the intricacies of a venting session. “It’s basically rehashing every conversation.”
Her goal is to get it off her chest and feel better about the issue. But often, Merydith finds that venting about her problems has the exact opposite effect. “It makes you more amped up about the problem,” says Merydith, of Charlotte, N.C.
Voicing your frustrations is a natural way of dealing with them — but watch out for when a conversation dissolves into a bitch session. Talking your problems to death can make you feel even worse.
A recent study found that teenage girls who vented to each other about their problems, from boy trouble to social slights, were more likely to develop depression and anxiety — and the same is likely true for adult women, says Amanda Rose, the author of the study.
“There’s a definite belief in our culture that talking about our problems makes you feel better,” says Rose, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Missouri, Columbia, whose research was published in the July issue of Developmental Psychology. “That’s true in moderation. ... It only becomes risky when it becomes excessive.”
Be more like a boyRose also studied the venting habits of young men, but found that guys don’t tend to analyze their problems as deeply as women. That might be because relationship issues tend to spark the most obsessive discussions, and that’s a subject women are more likely to dwell on.
Sometimes a kvetching session can spiral out of control, admits 21-year-old Amanda Beattie. Instead of making her feel better about the problem, it reinforces the small fears she already had — or even introduces new ones.
“It goes from statements about how I’m feeling to, ‘OK, so-and-so must hate me,’ to ‘I bet they never liked me in their life,’” says Beattie, who lives in Kansas City, Mo. “The more you talk, it hypes up your emotions.”
Still, there’s an upside to all that complaining. Rose points out that in her findings, the girls who vented to each other also reported feeling closer to their friends. It can establish an instant bond because the listeners know the complainer trusts them enough to spill their emotions — and the complainer’s just grateful that someone is willing to listen.
For 24-year-old Elizabeth Spencer-Green, a good griping session has often been a way to connect with other women. When she first moved to Seattle as a teenager, she hated her new school — and she bonded with a group of girls who felt the same way.
“I guess I used that as a way to fit in,” says Spencer-Green, who now lives in New York City.
But she noticed that as she complained with her friends about how much she hated the school, she started to hate it even more.
Confirming worst fearsThat’s the danger of talking to friends who let you wallow in your sorrows. It can confirm your worst fears: Maybe you weren’t overreacting. He really did wrong you. She really was flirting with him.
And now you’re convinced: This is so a big deal.
“If I tell you my problem, and the way you listen to me is sort of agreeing with me, then it escalates the feeling, without having a practical solution for it,” says Matthew Anderson, a psychologist based in Boca Raton, Fla. Instead of spilling your problems to those friends who encourage your rants, turn to someone who’ll point you toward a solution.
In Beattie’s case, that was her mom. Beattie was stressed about the tension between herself and her co-workers at her new internship, and she called her mom to talk about it.
“She’d let me run out of steam, and then she’d remind me of what I needed to do to remedy the situation,” says Beattie.
Psychologists also warn against ranting over and over to the same audience. You don’t want to become known as the complainer of the group. That can take a toll on friendships; it’s draining to be around someone who’s always moaning about their troubles.
When faced with someone who’s intent on wallowing in their problems, give them some time to talk it out — maybe 15 minutes, suggests Annette Annechild, a marriage and family counselor in Del Ray Beach, Fla. After that, move away from complaining and on to problem solving.
Merydith, the conversation rehasher, says she’s trying to redirect her venting habit into healthier territory by seeking solutions instead of just complaining. “If you talk about it forever and ever, at some point, you have to be like, ‘OK, let’s move on.’”

I won spider solitair. Feels like I havent been a winner in a long time. Game over though.

Facebook vs Myspace

Man Im so ahead of the game.


Heres an article from MSN about Myspace Vs. Facebook. I kinda got the sense that Facebook would be just a little more affluent because its college related. But its all good if you ask me.


Class War: MySpace vs. Facebook
By Claire Cain Miller, Forbes.com

A flurry of recent articles have observed that young people are leaving MySpace for Facebook in droves, setting off speculation that MySpace is becoming the latest victim of fickle teens following the hot new thing.Not so, says University of California, Berkeley, researcher Danah Boyd. Not all teens are leaving MySpace, she wrote in a recent essay--instead, they're splitting up along class lines.Boyd confirms what teens in any high school across the country already know: Affluent kids from educated, well-to-do families have been fleeing MySpace for Facebook since it opened registration to the general public in September, while working-class kids still flock to MySpace.

That could have big implications for advertisers targeting the coveted teenaged population online, three-quarters of whom have a profile on a social network. Both sites have been powerhouses for advertisers because of their huge, wide-reaching audiences, says Robin Neifield, chief executive of interactive marketing agency NetPlus Marketing. That strategy could change if the sites become more like the niche social networks popping up across the Web for groups of like-minded people from similar backgrounds.

Boyd's essay came amid speculation about the future of the social network giants. Despite the fact that MySpace still gets more than twice as many unique visitors as Facebook, it's littered with postings announcing that users, often teens, are switching to its rival.The number of Facebook visitors ages 12 to 17 jumped 149% over the past year, while MySpace lost 27% of teens, according to ComScore Media Metrix. Rupert Murdoch, whose News Corp.owns MySpace, even lamented in an interview that he was losing readers to Facebook. News Corp. is rumored to be considering swapping MySpace for a 25% stake in Yahoo!.

Estimated ad revenue for 2007 calendar year for Facebook is $125 million, $525 million for MySpace, according to research firm eMarketer. Together, the two account for 72% of all online advertising on social networks.

There's a reason why the "goody-two-shoes, jocks, athletes or other 'good' kids" are going to Facebook, says Boyd, who studies social networks and youth culture and made her observations based on formal interviews with 90 teens, informal interviews with hundreds more, and the perusal of tens of thousands of teens' online profiles.

Facebook launched in 2004 as a site for Harvard students. Gradually, it opened up to other college students, then to high school kids if a college student invited them. "Facebook is what the college kids did. Not surprisingly, college-bound high schoolers desperately wanted in," Boyd writes.

MySpace, meanwhile, is the "cool working-class thing" for high school students getting a job after graduation rather than heading to the Ivy League, Boyd writes. Constant local news stories on predators targeting kids on MySpace further alienated the "good kids," she says. Both companies declined to comment on Boyd's essay.
___________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________
Her analysis could help marketers figure out which sites to target--help she says they desperately need. "Many of the advertisers that I have met are extremely savvy about offline marketing but complete fools when it comes to online marketing," ignorant of who visits Web sites and why, Boyd wrote in an e-mail interview with Forbes. Paying attention to demographics could help. Hot Topic should target MySpace, for example, while J. Crew should focus on Facebook.

"As an advertiser, in my opinion, Facebook users are more qualified to convert and more apt to buy a shirt, so I would go there before MySpace," says Josh Mohrer, director of retail for BustedTees, an online purveyor of hipster clothes and sometime Facebook advertiser.
Facebook can lure advertisers with its affluence, says Bill Tancer, general manager of global research at Hitwise, an online marketing analysis firm. His data backs up Boyd's conclusions that Facebook users are richer than those on MySpace. Still, MySpace attracts so many more viewers that "there's no way marketers are going to leave," he says.
NetPlus chief Neifield says she's not paying too much attention to Boyd's observations. Advertisers should look beyond demographics when placing ads and instead analyze online behavior like who visited other sites with similar content, who downloaded what or who clicked on which ads, she says. "It's not very often these days that we buy based on demographics alone."

Facebook/Myspace

So I took a second (OK, an hour) to browse around face book like I used to in college( OK I still do it) and I just had to laugh at some of the stuff I saw. The groups, the applications, the pictures, this Internet thing is getting outta hand a little. I decided to browse through some of the groups I'm in, just to see what they are really about. I do that about every couple of months or so because I know how much people(including myself) use these mechanisms to represent themselves. So I'm at the "Dark skin Girls are Gorgeous" group that I am defiantly a member of and I notice that there are a couple hundred pictures for this group. Now if you know me at all you know that being a dark skinned girl wont no crystal stair for me, and that it took me a long time, really long time, before I could really be happy with my complexion. I was told all sorts of things when I was little. One girl told me that if I drank white milk instead of chocolate milk I would get lighter, and that was why I was so dark, because I drank chocolate milk. The sadder part about that misinformation is that I actually started drinking white milk in hopes that it would make a difference, not even realizing that hey, I hate milk all together and you would never find a carton(you remember those little ones) on my tray because I hate milk. ( I don't eat cereal and if I do the excess milk goes down the sink....it makes me gag ) Anyway, I love to see a dark skinned girl anywhere, and if shes on point ( it is what it ) then that's all the more reason to lift my shoulders ( in that very Rho Mu way) and give her a compliment even if her life as a dark skinned girl was nothing like mine. I remember crying allllll the time to my sisters who have a little more cream in their complexion about it. My sister Sandy would break out the Essence and do her best to show me that I was beautiful, and that my complexion had everything and nothing to do with my beauty..... I didn't get it though. Definitely one of those lessons best taught by self.

Any way so, I'm looking at these self proclaimed dark skin girls and picture after picture came up brown. These girls were a far cry from dark skin. Some real honey, caramel, just down right brown skinned girls reppin this skin that just a few years ago they would have laughed at and theirs I would have longed for. I realized it was relative, complexions that is. Relative to your family, your friends, same with weight, class, financial status. I kinda cooled out.


My other interest became observing what some people chose to put on the Internet as their best shot. I know nowadays, there's more fun and folly in putting pictures on the Internet and the whole dynamic has totally changed, but some of the things that people where clearly trying to pull off as on the more so than not side of the attractive (meaning eye pleasing as opposed to pretty or cute) scale became far more interesting on both sides of the spectrum. I mean edges that had not recently been permed much less pressed( especially if the ends are trying to tell that story), sweat pouring down your face, outfits with the belt, earrings, shoes, bracelet, and beaded necklace in the contrasting color. I mused. We cant pretend it doesn't happen or that we are picture perfect everyday but the I didn't make up the term "picture perfect". It does mean something doesn't it? Beyond camera readiness, the most comical part was the persona that some gave off in their pictures. People want to display a side of themselves that they value the most. They want to express something about themselves that they may feel is understated. I get it.



And while I may not have pictures of my self in the club with my hair (mid its return to its natural state) sweeping across my face as I don my hottest, newest latest, or pictures of my latest adventure, I do write these post, so I guess I can call it even and turn in for the night.

Excuse me? Was you saying something??

La La La La
Wait til I get my money right

I had a dream I could buy my way to heaven
When I awoke I spent that on a necklace
I told God I'd be back in a second
Man its so hard not to act reckless
To whom much is given much is tested
Get arrested guess until he get the message
I feel the pressure
under more scrutiny
And what I do?
Act more stupidly
Bought more jewelry, more Louis V
My momma couldn't get through to me
The drama. People suing me.
I'm on TV talkin like its just you and me
I'm just saying how I feel man
I ain't one of the Cosby's
I ain't go to Hill man
I guess the money should have changed him
I guess I should have forgot where I came from

La La La La
Wait til I get my money right
La La La La
Then you can't tell me nothing right
Excuse me? Was you saying something??
Uh-huh ... you can't tell me nothing.
Uh-huh ... you can't tell me nothing.
Uh-huh ... you can't tell me nothing.
Let up the suicide doors
This is my life homey
You decide yours
I know that Jesus died for us
But I couldn't tell you who decide wars
So I parallel double park that mother fucker sideways
Old folks talking bought back in my day
But homey this is my day
Class started two hours ago
Oh, am I late?
No, I already graduated.
And you can live through anything if Magic made it.
They say I talk with so much emphasis
Ohhh ... they so sensitive
Don't ever fix your lips like collagen
And then say something where you gonna end up apologin
Let me know if its a problem then
Aight man, holla then

La La La La
Wait til I get my money right
La La La La
Then you can't tell me nothing right
Excuse me? Was you saying something??
Uh-huh ... you can't tell me nothing.
Uh-huh ... you can't tell me nothing.
Uh-huh ... you can't tell me nothing.

Let the champagne splash
Let that man get cash
Let that man get passed
He don't even stop to get gas
If he can move through the rumors
He can drive off of fumes cuz
How he move in a room full of no's
How he stay faithful in a room full of hoes
Must be the pharoahs
He in tune with his soul
So when he buried in a tomb full of gold
Treasure ... what's your pleasure?
Life is a (UH) dependin how you dress her
So if the devil wear Prada
Adam Eve wear nada
I'm in between but way more fresher
With way less effort
Cuz when you try hard is when you die hard
Y'all homies lookin like why God?
When they reminensce over you my God.

La La La La
Wait til I get my money right
La La La La
Then you can't tell me nothing right
Excuse me? Was you saying something??
Uh-huh ... you can't tell me nothing.
Uh-huh ... you can't tell me nothing.
Uh-huh ... you can't tell me nothing.

La La La La
Wait til I get my money right
La La La La
Then you can't tell me nothing right.

Hmmm I wonder....

What ever happen to Juvenile, you know... "Slow Motion", "Back that Ass UP", Juvenile?

Back in my hay, Juvenile used to make a tune that would make me put my dignity to the side and bend over.

"Slow motion for me.." just those few words would send me into a jirating tissy, pinning some unsuspecting boy against the nearest wall.



I guess Im too grown for that now, all I can do is two step and crank dat soulja boy.


Oh, how we mature.

TMI Tendencies

Good article I found on MSN. Great insite into why we share just a little too much


By Melissa Dahl
Health writer
MSNBC


Like so many of us, Dan Estabrook never even saw it coming.
It was a normal day at work when his office manager called him into her office for a normal-sounding meeting — until she unloaded a not-so-normal nugget of information.
“I wanted to let you know,” she said, “I’ve taken a live-in lover.”

Cue the awkward silence: Estabrook found himself victim of an overshare.
Blurting out too much information, or TMI, is something we’re becoming more and more comfortable with, some psychologists say. We obsess over the mundane details of celebrities’ lives and are eager to tell our own stories on blogs and Flickr accounts. And often, all that online openness seeps into everyday conversations.

Blame it on narcissism One psychologist blames the influx of the overshare on an increase in individualism — and with that comes a hike in narcissism. We’re oversharing more now because we’re pretty pleased with ourselves, says Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University.

“We just assume they’re going to be interested because it’s about me. Of course it’s interesting!” says Twenge, who is currently working on a book about narcissism among teens and twentysomethings.

But Leslie Reisner, a clinical psychologist in Los Angeles, is encouraged by all the sharing going on. Calling it narcissism is too negative, she says.“There’s something healthy about sharing,” Reisner says. “It means they know it’s OK to show vulnerability.”Spilling personal details can be a sign of self-confidence, Reisner believes, and 32-year-old Todd Enoch agrees.

“When I was younger, I was much more reserved,” says Enoch, who lives in Denton, Texas. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve broken out of my shell. Now I can share more with people.”
And sometimes, Enoch admits, he ventures into overshare territory. He remembers a scene at work when his co-workers were discussing how happy they were that the T-shirts for an upcoming promotional activity weren’t white.

“I don’t like wearing white things either,” Enoch chimed in, and then blurted out, “I just sweat at the drop of the hat!”

Breaking the Ice
After a statement like that, consider the ice broken. A well-timed overshare can let others know it’s OK to let their guards down, and it can be a speedy way to make a connection with someone, Twenge explains.

How to deal with TMI
Ever been a sounding board for an overshare? Here's how to stop those blabbermouths from telling you more than you wanted to know, without hurting any feelings.
— Suddenly remember that you have to be somewhere. Now.
— Change the subject at the first opportunity.
— Just listen. They'll talk themselves into silence soon.
— A smile-and-nod combo never fails.

Keep yourself out of trouble by learning how to filter your own TMI tendencies. The key is knowing your audience. For instance, here are some appropriate ways to answer the question "How was your weekend?"
— To an acquaintance: “Oh, it was great! I spent time with some old friends."
— To a friendly co-worker: "A bunch of us went to a bar. Good times!"
— To your best friend: "We got so wasted, I can hardly remember what happened!"

“You realize you’re not alone,” Twenge says. “Previously, you might have thought, ‘Am I the only one with this problem?’” But some say that’s looking at a relationship in a very backward way. “People that are oversharing may be hoping for a connection with other people,” says Julie Albright, a sociology professor at the University of Southern California. Some people with TMI tendencies may be attempting to take a kind of relationship shortcut, going through the motions of an intimate friendship when there isn’t yet one.

That’s what happened to 29-year-old Becca Johnson during a girls’ night out. Johnson was talking to a friend of a friend whom she’d just met when the woman blurted out that she was having an affair with a former employee. “In a way, it’s sad because you know they probably don’t have people in their lives to share things with,” says Johnson, who lives in Boston. “Why else would it feel appropriate to share relationship problems with complete strangers?“Watch where you overshareThe woman’s secret was safe with Johnson, but psychologists say to be picky about who’s on the receiving end of your overshare. Blurting out too much information can be off-putting to some people.

Estabrook, the office worker, was so shocked at his colleague’s overshare that he hardly said a word in response. But should anyone else decide to confront him with a “live-in lover” overshare, he knows what he’d say. “If someone told me that now, I would probably respond and say, ‘You know, I’m really happy for you,’” says Estabrook, who’s 41 and lives in San Francisco. “‘But I definitely would be careful about what you share with people you don’t know that well.’” Or, as Twenge puts it, “Not every person you meet needs to know your every problem.”

Wade Stapleton wishes more people would remember that. At the end of a work day, the 42-year-old found himself in an elevator with a woman he’d seen around the office but had never spoken to. Like most elevator exchanges, their conversation focused on the weather — until she took it one step too far. “Oh, the warm weather doesn’t bother me anymore,” she volunteered cheerfully. “I’m at that age where I have hot flashes.”And just like that, she’ll forevermore be Hot Flash Lady, at least to Stapleton. “After that conversation, I don’t want to get to know her,” says Stapleton, who lives in Nashville, Tenn. “I know enough about her already.” Now he’s careful to avoid her at every turn. “When I see her now, I try to go the other way,” Stapleton says.

Hot Flash Lady might do well to take the advice of Enoch, the self-described sweaty guy, who’s figured out a way to structure his oversharing habits. He’s divided his social sphere into three groups — college friends, work friends and church friends — and he knows what he can tell to each group.

“I have friends I can discuss my gastrointestinal activities with, and friends I can’t,” Enoch says.

He pauses.

“That was probably an overshare.”

Can You Buy Celebrity Stye?

A question posed by a recent article in Harpers Bazaar, but something Ive been pondering for quite a long time. The subtitle being " The latest round of celebrity fashion lines comes from icons with serious sartorial cred". This sub title intrigued me the most especially when I think of some celebrity brands that simply seem to make fashion a little more "equal opportunity" so to speak. If you know me you know that I ponder credibility, both my own and others all the time and sometimes take the cop out of saying " ITS REALLY ALL ABOUT WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE AND CONFIDENT"( after offering what was probably too much fashion advise with a slight air of arrogance) Well that could really be a range of things right? Comfortable and Confident?. If your old team sweats and Diesal shoes is what makes you feel fly, does that broad sweeping statement really apply? Is that really fashion, is that really an acceptable application???

I digress.

Back to the cred, similarly to street cred, do you get cred just because you lived in a poor neighborhood? You could have been transported everyday to a private school many miles away, or been a continual participant in a Fresh Air Fund type deal leaving you worlds away from your counter part/ neighbor who did not get the benefit of those same experiences. Last July when Lindsay Lohan graced the cover and pages of my second bible I stomped up and down the streets of New York in outrage, tempted to boycott(I know I could never do that, I can barely waite until the first of the month to get the next issue) but decided not to and assured my self that she could not fool everyone into thinking that she doesnt have one of the BEST stylist in the entertainment industry dressing her drunk ass every day, and that someone else was not the fashion maven that granted her the right to be spread across those sacred pages. Id feel more comfortable seeing Rachel Zoe or the costume director that actually made it her business to be the fashion conessiour that can create such looks that launch careers, than Lindsays ass. As far as Im concerned shes a model and we all know what models are....human hangers. Harsh as it may seem, it is the truth, why else would their bodies, or lack of such, be so important. I dont want your big butt making my short shorts look like panties, or your stomach(cause we all have one) skewing the shape of my dress!!!

So who does have "serious sartorial cred" and who doesnt? Well, as the article detailed and I can attest, I think it goes way beyond a desire to look nice. You really need to see fashion as an art form. Now I dont want to go all CORE on you but, its bigger than clothes and outfits, these are garments, these are functional, living breathing, performing art pieces.

I quote this all the time but I really wish that people would understand how serious this fashion thing is.

"Vain trifles as they seem, clothes change our view of the world and the worlds view of us"
Virginia Wolfe

VA is my girl for that one. When you see fashion in that respect, when you see it beyond an ends to a means or a tool, then and only then do you gain cred. So lets go back to these celebrity's. In some cases its them, its what they do, along with having a talent such as singing or acting they really have grown to have an appreiciation for the craftsmanship and artistry that is fashion. Not so much desiring the most expensive dress on the red carpet (well maybe partly) but really appreciating that just like their ability to make people cry in a movie theatre by really embodying a character, a dress can act in that same capacity embodying, fortifying, personifying! Its the same jig!

I was so excited, I had to highlight( and I never mark my magazines farther than a dog ear) a quote from Linda Fargo, Senior VP at Bergdorf Goodman

" Our store is about authenticity. We're not going to give that up just to have a celebrity name. But those girls just love fashion. For somebody like that to become a designer, that feels very valid"

That was reassuring, especially for a girl quickly coming upon her first days at Parsons. Linda said it well, but Erica did too.

" Think of all the ugly clothes out there in the world Cassy! Someone makes them...... your gonna have your place somewhere"


Im valid, I have cred and most people do too. As long as your not using your fashion as a status symbol then I think you have cred. So there, go out there and get dressed, where what the hell you like, what you think matches, what you think is official, cause at the end of the day were human and I might have a cow about Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen and other celebritys having a clothing line, but Im damn sure gonna check every month.


Oh well.

crank dat solja boy

I came across this while checking out one of my friends FB pages and I was left in a stupper for a good 10 min.



This takes me back to a Dr. Ashe class. If I were still at UR I would write a paper on this. LMAO really.....LMBAO

Crank Dat Soulja Boy Spongebob

And I cant deny, I watched all 3 min and 45 sec of this one. I dont think I can "yooouuuullllll" or "super man" like Sponge Bob. :(

How To Crank Dat Soulja Boy

These boys look like midgets, maybe its the shorts. I spent another 20 min learning how to do it from them( I mean they are professionals, they have props and all). Is it just me or is this a little bit gay for a dude?

I DO NOT!

LaTonia said I have bowed legs. Shes such a mean whore!

Thats why she has long nail beds!

Yeahhhhhh what now????

Testing... Testing....123

Wow, this thing still works. Its a wonder considering my last post was some 5 monthes ago.


I wont bother to make some clever expalination as to why my post have disappeared I'll just quote one of my favorite poems and let it serve as evidence of a new day!

" OUT OF THE NIGHT THAT COVERS ME
BLACK AS THE PIT FROM POLE TO POLE
I THANK WHATEVER GODS MAY BE
FOR MY UNCONQUERABLE SOUL"


Peace Yall

Resolve

Resolve: Theres some hot shit out there right now....




-TI-Beat Down Low- How cute is TI, He reminds me of somone that would have went to John Marshall. I would have had a crush on him, LOL. Oh Tiny? Please, she should go plan a greatest hits album for Xscape, that will give her something to do. Let me find out I gotta go back and get those old TI albums. More than club music hhuuuu Mr. Tip Harris



-Rich Boy-Throw Some D's w/ Kanye West. Kanyes back on his shit I guess.



-Speakin of Mr. West...Heard Em' Say is my shit, not that its new or anything, I guess Im just really gettin with it. Baby used to say it was his song but I didnt really take it in. I really have been listening to it for the last 30 min, over and over and over again.




-Lloyd-You Remix- Lovin Andre 3000, Im falling in love with him all over again, especially the Whole Foods part. I used to go to Whole Foods in Union Square and have Sushi every now and again and read a mag while watching the park from above. Transcending again.



-JayZ-30 Something- Love the whole vibe. Not to sound funny but sometimes I forget im 22. Most of my friends are older 23-26-30 between there. Sometime I have to remind myself that Im not their age, Im younger. Gotta appreciate that while I can.


-The Secret


Ive read it once and have started a second time to absorb it a little more. I wont go off into a tangent about what the book is about because apparently its become very popular lately, and I suppose most people already know. I do have to say that while it seems unrealistic (thats the battle I had as I read the book) The book does help with postive thinking and refining your thoughts. Read it, I wont go further quoting and telling everything, you just gotta read it.











Something New- I just bought it on DVD, I know Im late, and I love it all over again. Again I fell the urge to give it to the white boy thats been giving me that look. Actually he looks Middle Eastern but the point is hes outside of my race and Im feelin the vibe of the movie. I remember seeing this with Danielle E. and Kim and loving it so much I went again the next day with Tonia and Danielle T. Definately a must see if you havent already, and if you havent, then just go buy it to to support the three fab black women that made it!

Peace Yall

Well Damn!

I got this in a forward from my older sister and I had to say it made me feel a little bad. Let me know what you think.

FWD:

BLACK PEOPLE, PLEASE, READ & HEED. POIGNANT.

The sad thing about this article is that the essence of it is true. The truth hurts. I just hope this sets more Black people in motion towards making real progress. Chris Rock, a Black comedian, even joked that Blacks don't read.Help prove them wrong! Read and pass on.Please Note:For those of you who heard it, this is the article Dee Lee was reading this morning on a New York radio station. For those of you who didn't hear it, this is very deep. This is a heavy piece and a Caucasian wrote it.

Dee Lee, CFP Harvard Financial Educators

Dee Lee

THEY ARE STILL OUR SLAVES We can continue to reap profits from the Blacks without the effort of physical slavery Look at the current methods of containment that they use on themselves: IGNORANCE, GREED,and SELFISHNESS.

Their IGNORANCE is the primary weapon of containment. A great man once said, "The best way to hide something from Black people is to put it in a book." We now live in the Information Age. They have gained the opportunity to read any book on any subject through the efforts of their fight for freedom, yet they refuse to read. There are numerous books readily available at Borders, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.com, not to mention their own Black Bookstores that provide solid blueprints to reach economic equality (which should have been their fight all along),but few read consistently, if at all.

GREED is another powerful weapon of containment. Blacks, since the abolition of slavery, have had large amounts of money at their disposal.Last year they spent 10 billion dollars during Christmas, out of their450 billion dollars in total yearly income (2.22%).Any of us can use them as our target market, for any business venture we care to dream up, no matter how outlandish, they will buy into it.Being primarily a consumer people, they function totally by greed. They continually want more, with little thought for saving or investing.They would rather buy some new sneaker than invest in starting a business. Some even neglect their children to have the latest Tommy or FUBU, And they still think that having a Mercedes, and a big house gives them"Status" or that they have achieved their Dream.They are fools! The vast majority of their people are still in poverty because their greed holds them back from collectively making better communities.With the help of BET, and the rest of their black media that often broadcast destructive images into their own homes, we will continue to see huge profits like those of Tommy and Nike. (Tommy Hilfiger has even jeered them, saying he doesn't want their money, and look at how the fools spend more with him than ever before!). They'll continue to showoff to each other while we build solid communities with the profits from our businesses that we market to them.

SELFISHNESS, ingrained in their minds through slavery, is one of the major ways we can continue to contain them. One of their own, Dubois said that there was an innate division in their culture. A "Talented Tenth" he called it. He was correct in his deduction that there are segments of their culture that has achieved some "form" of success.However, that segment missed the fullness of his work. They didn't readthat the "Talented Tenth" was then responsible to aid The Non-Talented Ninety Percent in achieving a better life. Instead, that segment has created another class, a Buppie class that looks down on their people or aids them in a condescending manner. They will never achieve what we have. Their selfishness does not allow them to be able to work together on any project or endeavor of substance. When they do get together,their selfishness lets their egos get in the way of their goal Their so-called help organizations seem to only want to promote their name without making any real change in their community.They are content to sit in conferences and conventions in our hotels,and talk about what they will do, while they award plaques to the best speakers, not to the best doers. Is there no end to their selfishness? They steadfastly refuse to see that TOGETHER EACH ACHIEVES MORE (TEAM)They do not understand that they are no better than each other because of what they own, as a matter of fact, most of those Buppies are but one or two pay checks away from poverty. All of which is under the control of our pens in our offices and our rooms.Yes, we will continue to contain them as long as they refuse to re ad,continue to buy anything they want, and keep thinking they are "helping"their communities by paying dues to organizations which do little other than hold lavish conventions in our hotels. By the way, don't worry about any of them reading this letter, remember, 'THEY DON'T READ!!!!

First of all she steps out with a bang, "Their still our slaves..." I gasped at that one and had to calm myself in order to read on, but as she stated next and throughout the article these are all means that we use to hold ourselves down. While this is mostly true of many black people, I have to say that the same thing definitely happens to white people and other races. Though slavery has been over for some time now, there isn't that much catching up that we can do. I wonder how many of these "rich" white people ( and other races too) inherited the riches that they continue to build today. If you take all I have then tell me to build from the ground up while you already are touching the tree tops what would you expect.

The other points of interest in this article are the points on education. I have to say that many black people don't like to read, and I have heard that adage about hiding things from black folks in books. I'm guilty of this myself as I couldn't bring myself to finish Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki's book on finances, " I wasn't getting into it", but finished Carmen Bryans book in no time. Was knowing that Jay-Z "plays the violin" or the size of Nas' manhood that important to my life. I think not. I have however taken the first step of recognizing that there are things that I would like to bone up on. Everyone (every black person) have to be a genius and wealth of knowledge on every topic but a conscious effort to know a little is worth it. I mean, every white person ain't rich or smart

Many of the things she sights as our weapon of containment are more deeply rooted than she presents them and to look at them psychologically they will reveal deficiencies that stem from slavery. For that matter I think it pretty damn arrogant of her to fly off the handle in a sense and make superficial observations of the black race. Id like to see her address the psychology of our state rather than make what is clearly obvious and pretty general statements.

I don't know, what do y'all think?