Tonight, April 30th from 5pm to 10pm, select Baskin-Robbins will be selling small single scoops of ice cream for 31¢ to honor America’s Firefighters!

It’s been a crazy last few days for me. Pretty nonstop, so I haven’t been able to sit down and catch up on my blogging. I’ve just been posting crazy stories from around the world. Since my weekend was so busy and chock-full of entertainment, I’m just getting a chance to do a recap.

Friday

First thing Friday morning, I flew home to D.C. for my 10 year high school reunion. (I was kinda unimpressed because my mom was in Puerto Rico all last week and didn’t even think about the fact that I was flying in Friday morning and she wasn’t flying back until Friday night…but I digress.) I pretty much had the whole day to twirl around my homecity, so I started off by going up to my high school to visit my friend and former art teacher. She’s one of my favorites and I usually try to stop by her house to see her and the fam whenever I come home. I spent a couple of hours with her chatting about life and her students before I had to go meet my church buddy LAW for lunch. It’s so cute when I see him because he always feels so privileged that I took the time out to hang out with him…he just turned 21 recently and before then I always told him that I don’t usually hang out with people under 21 because somehow their antics always get me into trouble. I’ve always made exceptions for him, but this time was the first time we went to lunch one-on-one. I’m so proud of the man he’s becoming. He’s taking some time off from school right now, but I’m glad that he’s not getting into the shenanigans that the other fools from church are getting into. (BTW I found out more than I really needed to about those hooligans during our lunch! Praise the Lord for LAW and his siblings staying out of the drama!)

After lunch, I ended up going to my mom’s house to take a nice long nap. I had to pick up Lo’Nique and Malachi at the airport at 12:30am, so I wanted to be sure that I was awake for it. (Just an FYI, Reagan National Airport is a scary place at 1 in the morning.) It was sooooo good to see my Lo’Nique and Malachi. I hadn’t seen them since Christmas 2006 and Malachi has gotten so big since then!

Saturday

Saturday was pretty nonstop for me. I was up at 8am to go to visit the culinary school that I’m applying to. I’m in LOVE with that place! I can so see myself in the uniform, working my ass off…it’s definitely going to be a challenge but it’s one that I’m ready and willing to take on. On my way home from the school, I got a call from my “little brother” Billy. He happened to be near my mom’s house and was trying to stop by and visit. I haven’t seen him in a good 3 years, so when I pulled up to my mom’s house and he got out of his Audi TT Roadster with a full beard lookin’ all grown man and what not, I bout fell out! What am I supposed to do with that? I know everyone grows up, and people are probably saying the same thing about me, but he’ll always be that skinny kid that used to tag around with me and my friends wherever we went. *Sigh* Anyhoo, I chatted with him for a bit while Lo’Nique got Malachi ready to take to Grandma’s luncheon. After we dropped Malachi off, we headed to lunch with my friend Kelly. It’s always great to get together with girlfriends, who may not have each other for the first time, but at the end seem to have known each other forever! After lunch we stopped by Cakelove for some cupcakes (yes, that was a little fat of us, but I can’t resist Cakelove!) By this time, we needed to head back to mom’s house to prep for the reunion cocktail party at my high school.

Me, Lo’Nique and Ike’s Tina were looking FAB! For real, we stepped it up and EVERYONE commented on it! Not that everyone else was looking a mess, but there were a few ladies who had either gained a bunch of weight or just looked a little haggard. After the cocktail party (which was in the school gym — very high school dance!) we decided it was too early to end the night, so we headed to Avenue for a party that my people were throwing. Things started off a little slow, but once our homeboy “Jumanji” showed up, the party got started and didn’t end until the lights in the club came on at 3am!

Sunday

After not getting home until 3:30am, my mom didn’t think that I’d be making any kind of movement before noon. Instead, in true Lboogie fashion, I was up early getting ready for church. I dropped Lo’Nique off at her Grandma’s house, chatted for a bit, then made my way to church. After church, me, mom, LAW and his siblings and Billy went to Sunday brunch. (A good Sunday brunch buffet always makes me happy, and this one did not disappoint!) The food and the conversation was great. It was just enough food to give me energy to get home and take a nap before mom and I headed to dinner to meet my godfather.

Dinner with my godfather is always fun, plus he always brings me presents! (YIPPEE!) I flew back to Atlanta first thing Monday morning and headed straight to work. I fly the first flight on Monday mornings all the time, and after every one I wonder what in the hell was I thinking!?!? I crashed as soon as I got home Monday afternoon — I didn’t even have the energy to take my suitcase out of the car until Tuesday!

All in all I had a great weekend and I got to see so many people that I hadn’t seen in YEARS, both from my high school class and other.

Taken from cbsnews.com:

Dad Kept Daughter In Cellar 24 Years

Austrian Police Say Elderly Man Held Daughter Captive, Allegedly Fathering Several Children By Her

VIENNA, Austria., April 27, 2008

The outside of the house in Amstetten, Austria, where a 73-year-old man reportedly kept his daughter captive in the cellar for 24 years. DNA tests are being conducted to verify charges that he fathered several children by her. (AP Photo/Helmut Stamberg)

A woman has told police that she was held prisoner in a cellar for almost 24 years by her father, who repeatedly raped her and fathered at least six children.

Lower Austria police said in a statement that the 42-year-old woman, identified as Elisabeth F., had been missing since Aug. 29, 1984. She was found by police in the town of Amstetten on Saturday evening following a tip.

Franz Polzer, head of the Lower Austrian Bureau of Criminal Affairs, told reporters that the 73-year-old father, identified in a separate police statement as Josef F., had been taken into custody.

In a chronology of events outlined in a statement, police said a letter written by Elisabeth F. had apparently surfaced a month after her disappearance asking her parents not to search for her.

Police said that, during questioning, Elisabeth F. told them her father began sexually abusing her when she was 11. Police said she alleged that he sedated, handcuffed and locked her in a room in the cellar on Aug. 28, 1984 in the Lower Austrian town of Amstetten.

During the 24 years that followed, she said she was continually abused by her father and gave birth to six children, the statement said. In 1996, she said she gave birth to twins but one died several days later because it was not appropriately cared for; police are investigating. Josef F. had then apparently removed the corpse from the cellar and burned it, the police statement said. It was not immediately clear if the twin who allegedly died was included in the police tally of the number of children.

On Sunday evening police said investigators found the area where the woman had been held captive along with three of her children.

In an interview with Austrian broadcaster ORF, Polzer said the area had “several” rooms and a “very narrow” hallway.

Police found it after Josef F. gave them a code to unlock a hidden door, Polzer said.

On its Web site, ORF reported that the rooms also were very narrow and at most 1.7 meters (5.6 feet) high.

Police picked up Elisabeth and her father on Saturday close to the Amstetten hospital after they received a tip.

According to the police statement, Josef F. had freed Elisabeth and two of her three children from the cellar, and had told his wife that she had come back to them. The third child in the cellar, Kerstin F., was found unconscious on April 19 in the apartment building where the grandparents live, along with a note from Elisabeth asking that she be taken care of. She was then hospitalized.

Police said Elisabeth F. appeared “greatly disturbed” psychologically during questioning. She agreed to talk only after authorities assured her that she would no longer have to have contact with her father and that her children would be cared for.

One of her children, identified as 19-year-old Kerstin F., is currently hospitalized in Amstetten in very serious condition.

Police said three of the children were registered with authorities and lived with the grandparents.

According to the police statement, Josef F. and his wife, Rosemarie, had told authorities they had found those children outside their home in 1993, 1994 and 1997, each time with a note from the mother. In the first letter, Elisabeth F. had apparently said she already had a daughter and son. In another letter, she said she gave birth to another son in December 2002, according to the statement.

The other three children were apparently held captive in the cellar with their mother, Polzer told reporters in broadcast remarks.

“Elisabeth F. taught them how to speak,” Polzer was quoted as saying by the Austria Press Agency.

The agency quoted police as saying Josef F. has been arrested but had not confessed.

The agency also quoted Gerhard Sedlacek, a spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office in St. Poelten, as saying that the surviving children — three boys and three girls — are aged between 5 and 20.

DNA tests are expected to determine whether Josef F. is the father of the children.

Sunday’s developments are reminiscent of the case of Natascha Kampusch, which shocked Austrians less than two years ago.

Kampusch was 10 years old when she was kidnapped in Vienna on her way to school in March 1998. She was held for the next 8 1/2 years by Wolfgang Priklopil, who largely confined her to a tiny underground dungeon in his home in a quiet Vienna suburb. Priklopil threw himself in front of a train just hours after Kampusch’s dramatic escape on Aug. 23, 2006.

3 Detectives Acquitted in Bell Shooting

Apparently I’m in a “personality test-taking” mood today. I guess it helps me avoid things that I should be doing (i.e. work.) I think I may be slightly addicted to doing them, but the results are always so true for me!

The Karma Test

My Result: caring nature

People with a caring nature have an uncanny ability to anticipate and meet the needs of others around them. This nurturing quality has helped them earn their karma up to this point. Their thoughtfulness strengthens their current relationships and suggests that such kindnesses will be repaid to them some time in the future. Through their concerted efforts to express how much they care, they generate good karma for themselves and the universe.

What are you?
http://web.tickle.com/jumpto?test=karmaogt&c=50652

Wow, so I feel like I haven’t slowed down enough to think in the last few days! I had no idea that I’d so busy and get so little sleep, but it was all worth it.

Thursday night, me and my homegirl Jay went to Sugarhill to see Estelle.

(Be sure to get her album on April 29th!) Her concert was hosted by John Legend AND he even performed two songs with her, including a wonderful version of Michael Jackson’s “I Can’t Help It” (one of my favorites.)

After the show, I went home and ended up talking on the phone with Decatur until 2:30am…needless to say, that was not a good idea since I get to work at 7am! I was struggling all day Friday. And then my homegirl DRyCuba called me asking me to work for her at Noir Lounge (SHAMELESS PLUG: If you are in Atlanta, check out 4Play Fridays at Noir Lounge. Free admission all night. Live band from 8pm to 11pm, DJ from 11pm to 3am) I finished up at Noir around 2:30am and since I had to meet the ladies of USD.A on Saturday morning at Camp Creek Marketplace, I decided to stay at Decatur’s house since it’s right down the street…that way I could sleep until the last possible minute before I had to get up and get ready. So as I’m walking back to my car, it started to drizzle. When I get to my car (that was parked in the driveway at my friend’s hair salon), I find a BMW parked illegally behind it. BASTARD! So now I have to go into the studio next to the salon and track down the owner of this POS vehicle! (To make a long story short, I pretty much went off on the people in the middle of a recording session, but at that point I didn’t give a damn!) I finally get to Decatur’s house, and what do we do? End up having a deep ass conversation until 6:30am! WTF??!!?!

My alarm went off WAY too early the next morning, but I was excited about the USD.A outing. Babs and I met KKAvenue and Cathy at the shopping center to carpool to Fairburn and meet Keyalus. The ladies and I had a blast at the Renaissance Festival! Check out the pictures:

| View Show | Create Your Own

After the Renaissance Festival, I was able to run home and catch a quick nap before heading to House Nightclub to work for DRyCuba again (Another SHAMELESS PLUG: Prophecy Events, Status Inc. and Flamingo Black present High Society Saturdays at House Nightclub in the Atlanta Underground!) I got home around 3:30am, and was up again at 10am Sunday. I spent the afternoon at Perimeter Mall with DRyCuba, but soon realized that I was still pretty tired because I got weak…the only thing that would cure me was a Glazin’ Raisin pretzel and a long nap!

I only have a couple of days to recharge because Friday morning I head home to DC for another busy weekend and my 10 year high school reunion…EEK!

OMG…I can’t believe I forgot to mention that there was a celebrity sighting at the Renaissance Festival!

I now present Lord Flavor Flav! LMAO

I was tagged by The True Urban Queen and the 2 Ditzy Broads AND pretty.hip. Since I was tagged twice three times, I guess that means that I have to do twice the work, doesn’t it? Dang nabit! (I ain’t doin’ another one!)

The rules are the following:
1. Link the person who has tagged you.
2. Mention the rules in your blog.
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

1. I can’t balance myself on my left leg.
2. I don’t like when I’m not the first person to read a magazine that I bought.
3. I think most things would taste better with either bacon or pepperoni, or both!
4. I write with my left hand, but I do most everything else right-handed.
5. I remember the birthdays of friends from elementary school.
6. When I get home in the evening from work, I spend most of my time being a computer geek and watching Vh1 reality shows.
7. I flip between Vh1Soul, MTVJams and MTVtr3s between the hours of 4pm and 8pm everyday.
8. I’m addicted to finding the original songs that are sampled in hip hop songs.
9. I talk to myself on occasion. I don’t usually answer back though.
10. There are days when I want to be like Kimora Lee Simmons, only not so crazy.
11. I can remember everything about a few people, but there are a couple of people that I can’t remember conversations we had 5 minutes ago…
12. I think I could live on salads (with bacon of course!), York Peppermint Pattie ice cream from Baskin Robbins and fresh McDonald’s french fries…

Ok — FRM, Apollocreed, A.Tiara, Brran1, Coop, Eb, Alleged Ringleader, and Tiff, it’s your turn! YOU’RE IT!

Will Demps

He’s so hott he gets another picture!

Let me see him at Wally World!?!?!

Steph Jones

Tre-Ace

Sterling Simms

Tony Sunshine

David Beckham…he’s like the hottest white boy EVER!

Boris Kodjoe

Umm…I think that’s enough to get you through the weekend!  Have a good one!

So I was over at Babs’ spot (as always) and she was talking about her name issues. I, too, have serious name issues (among other issues! LOL) My biggest name issue — names that are too “creative.” Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for different names, but it seems like people (black and white, celebrities and common-folk) are getting too carried away. In my opinion, some of these names are setting the children up for failure.

As bad as it is, some of the names give away their ethnicity. Having worked in HR before, I know that sometimes a name can make the difference between getting a job and getting your resumé thrown in the trash. Wrong or not, I will admit that I may have looked at a name on a resumé and immediately thought that I wouldn’t hire that person if I was the hiring manager.

Celebrities

Yes, little Apple is a cutie-patootie NOW, but what the hell am I supposed to do with calling a 60 year old, grandmother of two Apple? Not a good look. Celebrities seem to get a pass for the nonsense they name their children, simply because they are rich and famous. Nu-uhn, not in my book! I mean, the only thing that celebrity kids don’t have to worry about (most times) is money/having to get a J.O.B! After reading the following list, I’m convinced that most celebrities need to be bitchslapped! One thing they do differently from common-folk is they try to make the whole name some cute and catchy phrase. See what I mean:

• Audio Science (Parent Shannyn Sossamon)
• Aurelius Cy (Parent: Elle MacPherson)
• Blue Angel (Parent: The Edge from U2)
• Indian August (Parent: Casey Affleck)
• Memphis Eve (Parent: Bono from U2)
• Moxie Crimefighter (Penn Gillette)
• Phoenix Chi (Parent: Melanie Brown aka Scary Spice)
• Pilot Inspektor (Parent: Jason Lee) WTF????
• Poet Sienna Rose (Parent: Soleil Moon Fry) Did you really expect her to have a child named Katie???
• Reign Beau (Parent: Ving Rhames)
• Saffron Sahara (Parent: Simon LeBon)
• Starlite Melody (Parent: Marisa Berenson

Please believe these names are off the wall, but they are NOT the worst.

Urban Names

Now I know there’s a chance that I’m going to offend someone, but I’m really not worried about that.  Urban/hood names need to stop! RIGHT NOW!  There is no reason for all of the damn apostrophes and the “big letter-small letter-big letter” thing.  All of the extra letters and syllables…yup, they need to go too!  Here are some extreme examples.  Half of them sound like diseases or prescription medicines and the other half?  I can’t begin to figure out how to pronounce them!

• Ark’taveon
• Au’shyiah
• Al’javion
• A’quavionta
• Ah’Justice Armagedon (We got a first and middle name for this one…thanks, I think?)
• A’Shaunda’ya
• Ang’Aaliyah
• BriJourne’
• Cor’tilleous
• Con’Tyjus
• Chamyl’leon
• Che’Lajhia
• CarDaizeon
• D’nieja
• Ce’calvion
• Da’Quaylin
• Dakayjanai
• Don’Quez
• De’Priest
• Da’Variria
• Damillion
• Elijahwon (I hope this wasn’t after Hakeem Olajuwon)
• Err’imanhi
• E-Mireyon’
• G’Yainna
• GaBereion
• J’Coryn
• Jah’Myri
• Ja’Kyrick
• Jakkerak
• Ja’QwaVis
• Jazme’yonnah
• Kaliatanese
• Mi’Uhon
• Min’Tajah
• Ni’Javious
• Na’Chauncia
• Onterrio
• Othevious
• PhaDaidreana
• R’Careous
• R’Khyzon
• Synomious
• Tethavias
• Teohni
• Ti’veon (Is that like TV on??)
• Vaalyque
• VaNivea
• X’Zayveon
• X’Zorion
• Zy’Kavious
• Zhaquavious

Now I know that was a long list, but that wasn’t even half of what I found.  I didn’t even acknowledge the “Qs”!!!

The Ugly

These parents need to be burned with an iron like Penny on Good Times!  Just look at this madness:

• Bamboo (Parent: Big Boi from Outkast)
• Bow-Ty (Parent: 50 Cent) I really hope this is wrong…
• Fifi Trixibell and Peaches Honeyblossom (Parent: Bob Geldoff)
• Jermajesty (Parent: Jermaine Jackson)
• Messiah Ya’Majesty (Parent: T.I.)
• Poppy Honey and Daisy Boo (Parent: Jamie Oliver)
• Rumer, Tallulah Bell and Scout (Parents: Bruce Willis and Demi Moore) What is with these people setting up multiple children???
• Puma and Seven Sirius (Parent: Erykah Badu)
• Tu (Parent: Rob Morrow) Read: the child’s name is Tu Morrow WTF???
• Tryumph and Whizdom (Parent: Jayson Williams)

Now, I don’t have any kids yet, but please believe that when I do have kids, I will be sure to think about how the name I choose will affect their lives.  I hope you will do the same!

Thanks, from your unborn children…

From dictionary.com:

objurgate \OB-juhr-gayt\, transitive verb:

To express strong disapproval of; to criticize severely.

From merriam-webster.com:

semelparous \seh-MEL-puh-rus\, adjective:

Reproducing or breeding only once in a lifetime.

Right, so one mix for you guys wasn’t enough! There were just too many songs that I wanted to include in Tiff’s CD Swap, so I decided to add another one for you to check out. This one is also a Throwback mix, but it’s dedicated to the 20th Anniversary of Yo! MTV Raps!

• Biz Markie - Just A Friend
• Kid ‘N’ Play - Rollin’ With Kid ‘N’ Play
• Queen Latifah - Fly Girl
• Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded
• Raekwon - Ice Cream
• LL Cool J - Around the Way Girl
• De La Soul - Buddy
• Notorious B.I.G. - Unbelievable
• Gang Star - Dwyck
• Slick Rick - Lodi Dodi
• Monie Love - Monie In The Middle
• The Fugees - Nappy Heads (Remix)
• Kwame - Only You
• Salt-N-Pepa -Push It
• Black Sheep - The Choice Is Yours
• Heavy D - The Overweight Lover’s In The House

Enjoy!

How was your weekend? Mine was pretty darn good. Like most weekends, I don’t really make plans to do anything, I just go with the flow and see what my friends are up to. Friday afternoon, I got a call from Cris and she said that she and her boyfriend was going to MJQ. I’m not a fan of being the 3rd wheel but I was down to go, since every other time I’ve attempted to go there something comes up and never went. Also, I love going out with Cris because she’s all about having a good time. It was a blast, though I feel like I may have caught lung cancer because of all of the people smoking in the area where we were dancing. (I know you can’t “catch” lung cancer, but you weren’t around all the smoke…if you could smoke it, I think it was being smoked near us! lol)

I didn’t have anything planned for Saturday, so the fact that I ended up being busy all day was a shocker. Saturday afternoon Cris called to see if I wanted to hang out with her and her son Lil Dave. I love that little boy, and haven’t babysat him in a while so I couldn’t wait to see him. We went to The Container Store (one of my favorite stores in the world!), IKEA, and then to lunch at Californina Pizza Kitchen.

After dropping Cris and Dave back home, I called my boy Decatur to see what he was up to since I was closer to his side of town. Since he was just at the house chillin’ I decided to stop by and hang out. It just so happened that when I got to his house, his roommate Del was just getting back home. After hanging out for a while, we decided to go out for a while. We ended up going to House in the Underground at 1am. We get to House, bypass the long line and walk right in (gotta love knowing the right people!) We left House around 2:45am, but me and Decatur decided that we should check out this after-hours spot that wasn’t far from their house. First of all, I was glad that I was with two guys, this place was right off the highway, next door to a rundown (maybe even abandoned) motel. Not the place I’d want to be as a female, either by myself or with one of my homegirls in the middle of the night…can we say a horror movie waiting to happen?!? There were 10 people there, and they were the most bootleg people I’ve ever seen…needless to say we didn’t stay long! (Though after much discussion, me and Decatur think that it might get poppin’ around 5 or 6…but we weren’t trying to find out if our theory was true. LOL) When we got back to Decatur’s house, Del fell asleep within 5 minutes of sitting on the sofa. Me and Decatur on the other hand, we both still wide awake. We ended up having a great conversation until almost 6am, when both of us fell asleep mid-comment! (Damn that sofa and the bean bag for being so frappin’ comfy!)

Sunday morning, we both woke up after only 3 solid hours of sleep around 9:45am. We continued the convo and then I left around 11:30-11:45. I had to get home to get ready to go see Antwan “Big Boi” Patton and the Atlanta Ballet’s “big.”

When I first heard about the collaboration between Big Boi and the Atlanta Ballet, I was intrigued. I decided that I was going to go to a performance, even if it was by myself. Overall, the performance was great. It was such a contrast between the classic ballet moves and the classic Outkast tracks. Big Boi performed “Morris Brown,” “Southernplayalisticadillackmuzik,” “Player’s Ball,” “Elevators,” “Bombs over Baghdad,” “Church,” “I Can’t Wait” with Sleepy Brown, “Rooster,” “Liberation,” “Kryptonite,” and a new song “Sir Luscious Leftfoot.” Janelle Monáe came out and performed “Sincerely Jane” — she was WONDERFUL! Other special guests in addition to Sleep Brown and Janelle Monáe included Scar, Joi Gilliam, Big Rube, Keisha Jackson, C-Bone, Rock D, Khujo Goodie, Kameron Davis, and Sam Christian.

As much as I and others love the performance, there were some critics. I was reading a review where someone was talking about the dancers’ lack of precision. And I agree there were moments when a few people could have been tighter on the choreography, but it wasn’t so loose to the point that it took away from a piece. Then there was the family that was sitting next to me. One of the daughters apparently studies dance with some of the members of the Atlanta Ballet and she was unimpressed that there wasn’t more fusion of hip hop and ballet. Personally, I liked the fact that it was classic ballet. I think I wouldn’t have been as impressed if the company members had attempted to bring hip hop dance into the mix. But that’s just my opinion. I really wish that the production ran longer or it was in more cities because I think a lot of people would’ve enjoyed seeing the performance.

Kudos to Big Boi, Lauri Stallings (the choreographer) and the Atlanta Ballet for a job well done!

So Tiff has this thing that she’s been doing since September 2007, it’s called the Great American CD Swap. Basically a theme is picked and each participant creates a mix based on the theme. The mix is then uploaded and a link is posted on the “deejay’s” blog and shared with the masses.

The Spring 2008 Invitational had four themes to choose from:

• There Will Be Spring — a mix to celebrate the changing of the seasons
• Throwbacks — your favorite, cheesiest hits of the 80s and 90s
• Memories Frozen in Time — songs that “strike a chord with you”
• Back to the Future — what songs will be played as classics in 30 years?

I chose Throwbacks. It was a lot harder that I thought it would be. All of these songs came to mind, but I had to pick only 18 of them. However, as I started putting my mix together, I realized that all of the songs that I picked were also Memories Frozen in Time for me. These songs remind me of roller skating at Jelleff’s Boys and Girls Club, summers at St. Alban’s camp, birthdays, my favorite movies, elementary school and my carpool girls during my senior year in high school.

Anyhoo, here’s my list:

1. Bobby Brown - Every Little Step
2. Paula Abdul - Straight Up
3. The B-52’s - Love Shack
4. Dee Lite - Groove Is In The Heart
5. M.C. Hammer - U Can’t Touch This
6. New Kids On The Block - Step By Step
7. Fine Young Cannibals - She Drives Me Crazy
8. C&C Music Factory - Gonna Make You Sweat
9. Wham - Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
10. Wilson Phillips - Hold On
11. Ready For The World - Oh Sheila
12. Milli Vanilli - Girl You Know It’s True
13. Peter Cetera - Glory Of Love
14. The Bangles - Walk Like An Egyptian
15. Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up
16. The Culture Club - Karma Cameleon
17. Pretty Poison - Catch Me I’m Falling
18. Vanessa Williams - The Right Stuff

Download the mix here. Enjoy!

How many times did I bust my ass trying to lean forward like MJ???

I busted my ass trying to walk off the chair, too!

Who didn’t know the choreography to this video???

I saw this at Jay Midnyte’s.  I couldn’t help but repost this.

“Hey Mama” by Bentley Green

There’s something about the way you walk, the way you talk, the way you dress, the way you stand, the way you are. I can’t put my finger on that one thing that is so…so YOU. You have a way about you, it’s not forced, hell, you might not even know what I’m talking about. That’s how natural IT is to you.

I’ll tell you what it is. You’ve got a SWAGGER. You aren’t trying too hard, like some. You aren’t trying to be like anyone else, like some. Matter of fact, I don’t think TRY is in your vocabulary. You don’t try to keep up with the Jones’…the Jones’ are trying to keep up with you.

Your SWAGGER is unlike anything I’ve seen. I’ve been told that I have a SWAGGER, and it took me a while to figure out what people were talking about. Then I saw you. It all made sense to me. Not to sound corny, but it’s this air about you, an aura.  You may not be the finest thing around, but your SWAG makes you irresistible.  People are attracted to IT, I know I am.  People want to hang around you in hopes that IT will rub off on them, not a chance.  Your shit can’t be duplicated.  They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery, but, in my opinion, imitation is an insult to you — any attempts look bootleg.

I guess I’ve said all this to say…I just love your SWAGGER…

This isn’t directed to anyone in particular.  It’s more of a dedication to anyone with a swagger, those that I know and those who I’ve seen on the street, in the mall or at a party.

Taken from cnn.com:

YORK, Pennsylvania (AP) — A 2-year-old girl died after being beaten with a video game controller by her mother’s boyfriend, and new charges are expected, police said Tuesday.

Darisabel Baez was pronounced dead late Monday at Hershey Medical Center, police Lt. Ron Camacho said.

The girl’s mother, Neida E. Baez, 19, called for an ambulance Sunday, saying her boyfriend, Harve L. Johnson, had brought the unconscious child to her, limp and wet from an attempt to revive her in a bathtub, a police affidavit said.

Johnson acknowledged beating the girl with a video game controller but did not say why, police said. Baez said Johnson had abused the girl in the past and said she heard the girl scream after Johnson beat her Sunday, according to the affidavit.

Johnson, 26, was charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and other counts.

Baez was charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Detective Dana Ward said Baez was charged because she did not intervene or try to get help for Darisabel.

Camacho said that because of the girl’s death, new charges would be filed.

Johnson and Baez remained in custody Tuesday. His bail was set at $200,000; hers was $25,000.

Ok, what the hell is going on with people these days.  I’ve seen more random stories of child abuse in the last month.  I can’t imagine a little girl acting so bad that you have to beat her to death with a game controller.  A.game.controller.  What kind of man are you?  Wait, you aren’t a man, you ain’t shit in my eyes.  I hope he rots in jail for the rest of his life.

So I really hadn’t planned on calling out my lurkers stalkers, but you’ve left me no choice!

Who are you? Where you at? What the bizness is? LOL

In a couple of weeks, I will be attending my 10-year high school reunion.

WOW.10.years. Like for real, it doesn’t even feel like it’s been that long. The past 10 years have been filled with lots of highs and plenty of lows; smiles and laughter, but a hell of a lot of tears. They made me the person I am today, a better person…though there were times that I was feeling so broken, I didn’t know if I’d make it.

Spring and Summer of 1998…I was on such a high that whole year. At the beginning, I was finishing off senior year with a car, no need to carry a backpack, off-campus lunches (thanks to Becky, the Dean of Students’ car, I was able to drive to get lunch — the possibilities were unlimited!), a relaxed uniform (woohoo, college sweatshirts and sneakers!), and not a care in the world! That summer after high school was the best. Me and Lo’Nique were any and everywhere. We were at all the hot concerts, eating at different restaurants trying to get some culture, meeting some really entertaining folks and pretty much living out of my car. We were inseparable, until it came time for her to leave for school in Tampa and me to head to Atlanta.

My freshman year…I came to my HBCU full of wonderment and culture shocked like a mugg! It was the most black people I had seen in a long time! (My high school may have had 50 black people total — including the janitorial and kitchen staff!) I was officially on my own in a new city, where I didn’t really know anyone. I was faced new challenges and a roommate. I learned that class wasn’t always necessary, especially if the professor didn’t take attendance. I learned that Psychology class at the gym wasn’t going to happen, unless I got a call from my R.A. saying she was driving up there (somehow I managed to pull off a A- in that class!) I learned that it was nothing to walk through the halls of my female dorm and see one of my many friends on the football team roaming around heading to his girl-of-the-moment’s room. I learned to flirt with Smitty in the corner store to get my chicken fingers and wing-on-wheats for free (or at least a discount!) I learned I was “holding my roommate back” — when she was living in my room, she never left (not even for homecoming festivities) but as soon as she moved out, she was Ms. Social Butterfly. I learned that I had more sense than my next roommate, who marked such milestones on her calendar as “first ride in a Benz,” “first time on a motorcycle,” “first conversation with a Que,” and would peek out of our window (on the ground floor in the parking lot) when the cops were arresting someone. I learned that people thought I was stuck up and mean because I would observe people’s interactions with each other. I rationalized not going to class on rainy days.

My sophomore year…I moved into the upperclassmen dorm and gained 5 new roommates. I learned to label my food and to keep our kitchen door close (damn ole girl’s boyfriend eatin’ our shit when we weren’t there!) I was reunited with my car, so a whole new world of opportunities opened up. I had my first stint as a barista at Starbucks. (Which ended up being a wonderful thing when one of my roommates got sick and we had to drive her to the hospital at 1am — I was wired thanks to all that caffeine!) I realized how important my close friends were after my “big brother’s” best friend passed away in his dorm room. I reaped the benefits of babysitting — free food, free laundry, and pay! I was officially in the business school and taking classes in my major. I flirted my way to free groceries — thanks to that dude who lost his job giving me the hook-up at Kroger…he was a cutie! (He would give me 8 bags of groceries for $8!!) I had a blast during Super Bowl weekend…even though we had that “ice storm.”

My junior year…it was pretty crappy. Overall, it was probably one of my worst years in the A. I was excited about living off campus for the first time, in a fly apartment. I was on my third stint at Starbucks and I loved it. There was always entertainment at my location in the heart of Midtown — from the crackheads to the drag queens to the gays, I loved that place and my coworkers. I was in the clubs on the regular (I even had my own parking space — the parking lot attendant had a crush on me!) However, three days before my birthday (on the way home from a great party) I got in a bad car accident. It left me without transportation for a long time, and it meant that I would have to rely on others to get around AND, more importantly, was going to spend my birthday at home, by myself eating a Hot Pocket and working on an accounting assignment (I cried most of the night.) My roommate was MIA and ended up moving in with her boyfriend and left me high and dry (see Letters.) I was really unhappy, and slipped into depression for a minute. Senior year and the end of my lease couldn’t come fast enough.

My senior year…things definitely got better. I moved into a new apartment with my friend Cris. Things were pretty great. We had a lot of fun for the most part. From going out to the doorbell that just rang on it’s own to the late nightswatching Vh1Soul and dancing around our living room. We fought killer spiders and complained about dumb people. I got closer to a couple of my B-School friends. That summer, I met my best friend B.Lanier (what a blessing that was!) At the end of senior year, I moved into my own place. (I don’t know how I survived all of that time with a roommate! LOL)

Fall ‘02 - Spring ‘03…I had 3 or 4 classes to take before I could graduate, so I pretty much coasted through life with no worries. I spent most of my time playing nanny to “my girls.” I had been babysitting four girls ages 1 to 15 for the majority of my matriculation for extra cash, free laundry services and, most importantly, free food.

From Spring 2003 to Summer 2004…I was straight chillin’. I was unemployed, but amazingly was eating out all the time. Me and KRF had met a lot of people and made friends with some restaurant people, which allowed us to get the occasional free meal! We were Sunday brunch connoisseurs, played full court tennis, and worked on our tans. And every Monday night (without fail) you could find me at The Havana Club for Mellow Mondays! Yeah, I coasted through the majority of the time. But that year was an important one for me personally. At the end of 2003, I decided that it was time to eliminate the negativity in my life. I’ve always been a people person and had a good group of friends. Since I’m an only child, I treat my FRIENDS as family — meaning, if I have it, you have it (in a sense.) Through out my life, I’ve always had people to take advantage of that, but have usually just let that slide. Karma is a bitch and always had a way of coming back with a vengeance. I decided that I couldn’t take the abuse anymore and I started making serious cuts to the team. I think I laid off about 4 people in a couple of months time. They all were let go for specific reasons, but it all boiled down to me feeling like I was unappreciated. One or two of them didn’t even realized there was a problem, and that was my fault, but I just got tired of putting in the effort when I wasn’t getting anything in return. Many people doubted that I would just cut people off, even B.Lanier, but I did. And in retrospect, I bet I looked hella crazy like I was losing my damn mind — I went from a crew of 15 to a crew of 4 in a few weeks.

June, 2004…I started working in corporate America. Ahh, the joys of being on salary. I had real money. I didn’t have to clock in…but on the other hand I also didn’t get any benefit financially when I had to stay at work past 5pm. GRR!

2004 - now…I’ve had a lot of personal growth. I’ve discovered things about myself. Definitely learned things about other people. I got rid of more negative energy. I’ve met my father. I’ve gotten closer with my family. I found out who my real friends were and are. I’ve traveled to a lot of wonderful places. (I could’ve stayed in Rome forever!) I’ve met a lot of great people. I found my passion and am making plans to actively pursue it. I’ve become closer to the people in my inner circle. I’ve reconnected with special people who I thought I had lost. I’ve gained 2 more godchildren.

You know, now that I’ve looked back on the last 10 years, I can honestly say that I’ve had some of the greatest times of my life and wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything!

As the years go by, things get sunnier. When it does get cloudy and rain, I have a better understanding of why things happened the way they did and come out a better person.

Here are a few observations that I made after another entertaining evening of television:

• As addictive as Flavor of Love is, no one should be surprised by the coonery that is Flavor Flav.  Flav has always been pretty coontastic…just turn to MTVJamz and it’s Yo! MTV Raps tribute.  I caught a vintage performance from Flav and the rest of Public Enemy and this fool was wiggling around like his leg was broken and changing his sunglasses every 3 seconds.  Granted that he was under the influence back then, but it’s probably still in his system today.
• ANTM really needs to stop showing Saliesha’s “My Life as a Covergirl” during commercial breaks.  She is boring and talks like she has no interest in modeling at all.  I agree with Babs on this on: “I think she is ready for the Chadwicks of Boston catalogue!”
  
• I love watching the Real World, but is it just me or are the seasons getting worse as the years go on.  Like I’m not thrilled about this Hollywood cast…but I am shocked that there are THREE black people this season! (Yeah ole girl in the blue dress is black!) (However what the hell is up with homegirl’s hair???)
• Though it wasn’t on last night, The Real Housewives of New York is the greatest show ever!  I wish it came on everyday!  (Thanks KRF for putting me onto this show!)

From dictionary.com:

deus ex machina • \DAY-uhs-eks-MAH-kuh-nuh; -nah; -MAK-uh-nuh\ • noun:

1. In ancient Greek and Roman drama, a god introduced by means of a crane to unravel and resolve the plot.

2. Any active agent who appears unexpectedly to solve an apparently insoluble difficulty.

From merriam-webster.com:

coalesce • \koh-uh-LESS\ • verb

1. To grow together

2. a: To unite into a whole : fuse

b: To unite for a common end : join forces

3. To arise from the combination of distinct elements

…quit your job without having to think about money, what would your dream career be?

I would either start a catering/event planning business OR open up a diner that was only open from 10pm to 3pm.  Either way, food and cooking would be the focus.