Merry Christmas

To all my readers, I wish you and your loved ones a wonderful Christmas and New Years. Take this time to share some precious moments and hear the beautiful voice of Mr. Luther Vandross wish us a Merry Christmas. To all that have lost a loved one just know they are celebrating the holiday with you in spirit. God bless.

Naturally Twisted

I have been on a five year natural hair journey. Above are the products I've used to help me through the rocky road. Organic Lock and Twist gel has been my product from the beginning. I use it for hold and shine when I double strand twist my hair. If interested you should be able to find this product at your local beauty supply or drug store.

I came across the Cantu line over the summer and loved it. It leaves my hair soft and very manageable. I have only used the products shown above, but the line has many more products. The leave-in-conditioner allows me to wash and go without worrying about combing through a Brillo pad the next day. This product may also be found at local beauty supply or drug store.

Lastly, I have included Carol's Daughter Loc Butter. I use this in conjunction with the Organic Lock and Twist Gel for added shine and hold. The citrus oils provide a nice natural smell also. Visit Carol's Daughter for this product and other great natural products for your hair.

I'd love to hear any new or old products that my fellow natural hair sisters are using to style their tresses. Please feel free to include in the comment section.

Come on, Stephon

NEW YORK - Stephon Marbury rejoined the New York Knicks in Los Angeles on Wednesday, one day after skipping a game at Phoenix.

It’s unclear whether the star guard will play against the Clippers.

Earlier Tuesday, the team fined Marbury more than $180,000 for missing the Suns game, the latest clash between the disgruntled point guard and coach Isiah Thomas. The Knicks sent Marbury a letter informing him of the fine, according to a person with knowledge of the penalty who spoke to The Associated Press on Wednesday. He requested anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to discuss it. The Knicks would not confirm the fine.

According to the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, players are docked 1/110th of their salaries for a missed game without a reasonable excuse. With Marbury scheduled to earn $20.1 million this season, that would be about $182,800. [SOURCE]

I'm not sure what the hell is going on here, but Isiah and Stephon need to kiss and make up. And I was just getting excited over their 2-1 record. Who knew 3 games later the Knicks would be dancing to Twilight Zone theme music.

Utter Disrespect

So the Southern belle in me hates the utter rudeness of New Yorkers. I took the train with the commoners this evening and was totally disgusted. First my punk ass was scared to take out my white ear phones because I didn't want to alert any bum ass wanna be thugs to the fact that I had an ipod. My friend V says everyone has one these days but I'll be damned if someone jacks me for my birthday gift. I'd have to scrap and probably throw a nig' in the tracks.

Anyways, I get off to transfer to the J train and as I get on I see these little rug rats chit chatting. This non-English speaking woman was sitting across from them. Apparently she was staring at them for quite some time and with reason. From the corner of my eye one chick's leg was thrown over the lap of the other chick and they were LOUD. Mind you this is the damn train, feet should be planted on the fucking floor. So at this point I hear one of the girls say, "She understands English, that's why she's all in our face" followed by another, "No she doesn't, leave her alone." Keep in mind, this woman is old enough to be their mother. So then I hear one of the girls say "fuck you". I shook my head and twisted my mouth. She repeats the insult several times before getting off at my stop.

I'm not going to say the entire generation, but a lot of the kids of this new generation are highly misguided. Having a young mom or living in the projects is no excuse for the foolishness either. It's beyond me for a minor to have blatant disrespect for an adult. I would've been locked up tonight anyhow that was me.

Moving along, I'm coming down the stairs and as I go through the door this dude in front of me is having a melt down. He must've complimented a sister and she must've rolled her eyes which led to his chemical imbalance. I tune in at the point he goes "all Black woman do is roll their eyes" *and give birth to your black ass* So I knit my brows and turn to see if someone was behind me because I knew this mother effer wasn't talking to me. We're going down the second level of stairs which lead to the street and he's really hot now. "they can win a contest...buy the tightest outfit, get your hair and nails done...and when a nigga (or might have been brotha) try to compliment you, you roll your eyes"

So I'm walking behind this loser and he happens to see another man walking and relives his heartbreak. Before I totally tuned him out, I heard him say "I'm going to get my hair cut, get all dressed up and if some female say what's up to me I'm going to roll my eyes".

In short dude was a moron and the chicks on the train were cunt buckets.

It's a No for Allan

Allan Houston changed his mind on rejoining the New York Knicks for the 07-08 Season. I must admit I was excited when my friend sent me the text message stating he was making a comeback. It's obvious at this point the Knicks need a prayer circle, Jesus, and 5 new dudes in order to be contenders. But the idea of seeing Allan's sweet jump shot again brought a smile to my face. He felt as though it wouldn't be fair to the Knicks, if he came back now. I honestly didn't want to see Allan sitting on the bench with bags of ice on each knee (side-eyes old images of Ewing). Isiah Thomas wasn't too thrilled with Allan's return, and Allan mostly likely picked up on the non-supportive vibe. I will keep my New York Knick pom-pons buried and check out Boston real hard this season. It's going to get real interesting with Garnett, and Ray Allen alongside Pierce up North in Boston.

Nasty Buzzards

So obviously, R. Kelly isn't the only one who likes to give golden showers. So I'm at work minding my business and not giving a fluck as usual. I proceed to eat my lunch when the cleaning lady feels the need to ask me, 'you hear what happen' in her lovely Trini accent. I look up, like what now? She tells me the Russian (that's what I call him) came to the kitchen yesterday to make coffee and notice some golden rain in the pot. He sniffed and voila it was pee pee. So this brainiac aka nasty buzzard washed the pot out not once but twice with fucking dish detergent and prepared a pot of 'fresh' piss...err I mean coffee with a shot of piss. So he decides today to tell this other dude about his findings from the day before. Dude automatically gives him the side-eye and tells the cleaning lady, who then asks the Russian if this is true. He says yes and it's confirmed by two managers. So around 3 today his story turns into a misunderstanding. Supposedly, the Russian and dude was in the kitchen at the same time and dude was about to lock the door to the warehouse kitchen and the Russian tells him don't lock the door they might think that you will pee in the coffee pot. WHAT WHAT IN THE BUTT FUCK??? So you know I'm happy I don't drink coffee right?!? But please believe I will be having my tea without the milk.

Hot Vid/Hot Song

I felt the need to post this video for this hot tune, I rock to whenever I hit my favorite bar/lounge in Brooklyn. Tessanne Chin delivers a sweet melody with her influx of rock, reggae, and dance hall, in her hit Hide Away.

Tyler Delivers Again

My friends and I went to see Tyler Perry's new movie, Why Did I Get Married. Let me first mention that Tyler is number one at the box office today, grossing $22.3 million according to Fandango.com. Yay Madea! I found the movie to be very entertaining. I don't want to give anything away for those who have yet to see it. I did enjoy Jill Scott's character and the obnoxiousness of Tasha Smith's character. The movie shows the dynamics of what often breaks marriages and what should or could be done to avoid divorce. In some cases, the marriage cannot be saved at all! This movie is a great opportunity for a sister girl night out. It's also a very therapeutic movie for couples to enjoy too. So if you have yet to support Mr. Perry, please do, you will be thoroughly entertained.

Miami Carnival 2k7

I had the joy and splendor of going to Miami for Carnival this year with my two friends. I love Miami's Carnival, because unlike New York you can drink your rum and jump behind any truck without literally jumping over barricades.

I arrived on Friday and instantly got my Wet Willie's fix. I didn't recall Call the Cab tasting like a frozen NyQuil but it did. So I ordered a Triple Play and was right as rain afterwards. We attempted to go to a dancehall party but the busters were overcharging at the door as usual so we ended up going to 10 to 10. 10 to 10 is a stage show/fete that goes from 10 in the night until 10 in the morning. The party was sweet, with exception to the harsh rain showers. Fine men were in abundance and my eyes were having a good time. As the rain came down we danced to the sweet tunes of Burning Flames, Iwer George and finally Machel Montano.

Saturday I linked up with a fellow Crunkster, which is the fab and oh so adorable Q! An oncoming rain shower shortened our beach time, so we hit up Ocean Drive. We all went to Mangos where this one Gwen Stephanie look alike stole the show. We all left Mangos feeling lovely, I had an extremely strong Mojito. Some random dude on the strip offered to take our pic, though my skeptical ass was wondering if he would make a mad dash with my camera. lol.

Sunday we headed to Carnival, but not as quick as Mr. Zestilicious. The only wack part about Miami's Carnival is the $20 admission into the park. I'm used to rolling up on Eastern Parkway free of charge. Once we were in our comfort zone onlooking the festivities, Mr. Zestilicious was determined to steal the show. He literally posed for the camera now click click click
This dude clearly made my day. But he wasn't the only diva to steal the show. She was too cute.

The song that owned the road for me was Ricky T's, Pressure Boom. Nothing but bad behavior came from me this weekend as that song played. Other hot tunes were Patrice Robert's Wuking Up and Machel's Whining Season. We took in some more fine men and left early to get ready for Jabba's Strike Back party.

Jabba's party was the bomb, and I was mad as hell I had to leave early in order to catch the flight I eventually missed. Yeah no need to go into that because this post is only about good times spent in Miami.

Getting Old and Shit

So tomorrow starts the last year of my rolling 20's. Unlike some of my other amigos, I'm not really sweating it. I did a few fake cries but no real anxiety attacks. I have one friend who can't even say thirty. She can only manage thh thh thh and then her shoulders collapse. I can look back and say I had a damn good time in my 20's. So I look forward to conquering the next stage as a wiser, stronger, and sexier senorita. I plan to travel to further destinations and get a few more degrees. Oh and a family would be nice too. Happy Birthday to me me me!

Random thought spurred from Random invite

I have a baby shower to attend tomorrow. I knew the girl from High School but we haven't really bonded much since then. I'm just wondering if anyone think it's peculiar for someone to invite random people to showers or weddings for that matter. This brings me to one of my best friends in Junior High, yup I said it Junior flucking High. She married her long term boyfriend and invited me to the wedding. Perhaps it's my sometimes anti-social ass who finds this strange. But if I don't par with you and haven't spoken to you in say damn near 10 years chances are I'm not inviting you to shyte. Tell me what do you think...

Hot Vid

I get overly excited when I see a video that exudes raw dancehall material. Often times pretty packaged products come out of the dancehall community and what the mainstream views is a diluted image of the party scene I love so much. This video for the song Boys by M.I.A. is hot! It features most of the popular dance moves taking the dancehall community by storm. There are appearances by Black Blingas, Timeless, Sample Six, Ravers Clavers, G Unit, Kadillac, Shelly Belly...just to name a few.

Be Be Kids

So I'm in my living room watching an African movie, which are the hotness, and I hear all sorts of noise outside. Now living in BK you may think it's normal. I have this issue whereas I feel at a certain time in the night not a creature should be stirring. I go to the window and see a block full of half pints running wild. I whisper a 'wtf' and I see adults in the midst of this fuckery but no one is seeming to handle the situation. I heard bottles breaking with a mix of foul language. Eventually this demented day care scene made it's way to the corner where I heard more noise and eventually police sirens. Now I don't know if the Be Be kids were told to quiet down or if they were actually taken into custody, but it has certainly added another point to the 'has the world gone mad campaign'.

Bundle of Joy

On July 13, 2007 my precious little niece was born. My sister gave birth to the first great grand for my paternal grandmother, the first grandchild to my parents and my first niece. So she is truly a blessing. Not to mention her birthday came straight during midday (lotto talk) on the following Saturday. My stilettos come off to all the mothers out there. The feeling of seeing this little tiny being that once lived in my sister's belly is amazing. I stare at her in amazement everyday. I look at my sister as a true hero after seeing the early stages of labor. I must've ran out of the labor and delivery room about 3 times. Yes I'm a punk, but I still cry if I see my big sis cry. lol. Enjoy the pic and thanks for sharing this moment with me.

Weekend Goodness

This weekend was pretty interesting. So I left work with my mouth watering for sweet and shower shrimp, only later to find out the kitchen was closed. So we just ended up having a couple of drinks. Those couple of drinks made my alcohol intake surpass what I ate for the day. I ended up finding a comfy nucca free corner to dance my ass off in. Of course some chicks came over with their dude in an attempt to crowd my space but I innocently threw some 'bows when hip hop came on. My friend was also bothered by the skinny chick pretending to have hips and constantly bumping into her chair. We manage to leave without getting ignorant.

Saturday, was supposed to be a movie day and another attempt at sweet and sour shrimp. Transformers was sold out, but we were delighted to see that a Cold Stone Creamery opened up across the street from the theater. We hung out and limed a bit and then headed to Squadz for some got damn sweet and sour shrimp. When we got there it was fairly empty to our surprise, the waitress greeted us and told us the kitchen was being remodeled and that Squadz would be closed next week and to reopen Friday! So we went to another spot with good food in BK and yes I had some sweet and sour shrimp and a rum punch. *smiles* My friend and I were en route to go lime at the promenade but a friend called and told us of a bbq he was at. We ended up crashing the bbq and dancing our asses off yet again.

I wrap my weekend by saying by golly I think this ol' goat still got it.

Happy Day Off!!!

Gosh it feels good to wake up whenever I want today. I plan to raid bbq's today and hit up a picnic (I hate this word because the origin means 'pick a nigger to lynch'). Boggling isn't it? I remember back in the days when we lit our own fireworks. But those days are long gone, I love my fingers so I will try and catch the display down by the Promenade. So everyone please be safe and enjoy the hell out of this middle of the damn week day off.

I'm In Favor Of...

So I watched the Democratic debates last night. The candidates discussed topics varying from HIV in the Black community, Economic disparities based on race to handling genocide in Darfur. My favorites were Hillary Clinton and Dennis Kucinich. Barack Obama's views were a bit too general for me. When addressing HIV/AIDS he vaguely hinted that homophobia in churches and other Black institutions is partially to blame for the rapid rates of the spread of the disease. I felt some of the candidates were half asleep with their responses. Mike Gravel insisted that ending the War on Drugs would cure all our problems. Gravel also did not bite his tongue when saying the rest of the candidates had no idea what they were talking about regarding taxation, for he worked in Finance for 8 years. Gravel also hinted that the candidates were lying about what actions they would take based on political actions they have already taken. All in all it was an interesting debate that allowed me to see where each candidate stood. However the candidates were facing a predominately Black audience at Howard University. I will view how these candidates address these same issues when speaking to other communities. Once the flip flopping begins, so will my process of elimination.

Cyber Reunion

It's going to be on like hot buttered popcorn. Today I get to meet a few of the people I speak with on a daily basis perhaps more than my co-workers, fam, and friends. A handful of us will be painting the town all sorts of colors. lol. My sis says she has to hurry up and have her baby because I'm hanging with my cyber buddies. So what! lol. In this day and age you take acquaintances however they may come. I plan to have a good ol' time and not fretting over who the crunksters are or how I met them.

Baby Shower

This weekend was a whirlwind of activity. I had the joy of planning my big sis's baby shower. It was an honor to see the results of months of planning. It was a nice turn out and I got to mingle with family and friends. Although some fam I can do without mingling with ever! Brother of my dad you know who you are if your brain cells ever allow you to wander over to my world. Anyway, the music was cool, the food was delish, and the CAKE...Now let me take a moment from this post to plug the hell out of yet another Brooklyn hot spot. I ordered the cake from Lord's bakery and it was scrumptious and extremely pretty. I went behind the bar to make one drink and ended up being the designated bartender. So my only woe is that I didn't get a pic to my knowledge of me and my sis. I am happy the day has come and gone, and now our family awaits the most blessed day of all, when the new bundle of joy is born.

Shop Till I Dropped

I had the pleasures of hanging with the fam this weekend. I went to the mall with my mom, sis and her husband. I left the house with the intentions to help my sis shop for a dress for her upcoming baby shower. Then a little light in my head went off and told me 'you must shop for work' 'you must go into Nine West Outlet and buy more shoes'. I did manage to purchase an incredibly sexy shoe from Nine West, with a glittery pump heel, fiyah indeed. The shopping did feel good but in my head I already have items that will be going back to the store because they are suddenly ugly to me. lol. We dined at the Cheesecake Factory, which was cool. I cheated on Juniors and ordered a strawberry cheesecake to go. It was pretty damn good too. Although I had to watch Lebron and corp lay the smack down on my Detroit Pistons, I did enjoy every bite of my cheesecake. Now my weekend is winding down and it's back to shitty work on Monday.

The Work Place

Today's blog is brought to you by a disgruntled employee, ME! I blame a bootleg temp agency for my current place of work. Yeah I didn't have to tell the cock sucker that I wanted the job, but hey a sister has to eat. I share an office with a 63 year old woman, who talks incessantly. She probably would still speak with my espadrilles trapped down her throat. Moving along, I am going to note the most irking things to hear before the clock strikes 12 p.m.

1. Good Morning *rolls eyes*
2. Oh you changed your hair...how did you do that?
3. My father fell again...(followed by how and which body part bled *gags*)
4. The smell of hard boiled eggs, which is her daily breakfast.
5. I'm not coming in on Friday, so I'm going to let all the sales people know to call your extension. *from this point forward I have to hear her tell each sales person to call my extension on Friday*

Thank God, I have been sort of blessed with the tool of tuning people out! Because if not it would be hell of hard to explain how I managed to turn my workplace into Camp Crystal Lake.

Weekend Goodness

I had a wonderful weekend, so I just had to blog about it. My Friday night was lifted by a mixture of henney and cranberry, thug passion, and of course double patron shots. I enjoyed karaoke night with my friends. And we had a ball! I sang Rick James, Super Freak...er...no pun intended. And Mya's Case of the Ex, I had my broom stick dance routine and all. After all the fun and games I woke up slightly hung over on Saturday, and somewhat cursed my drinking from the night before, but if I had to do it again, I'd pretty much do it the same damn way. You live and you don't learn much. lol. Saturday I went to Flatbush Ave. in search of a hoochie mama outfit. I felt like Bobbay at rehab, I was totally lost. Later that night my cousin came up from Philly, and we went partying. The party was the bomb! I danced my ass off and made it home in one piece.

Damn Miami

Miami took a blow this past weekend that no team has faced in 50 years of the NBA. After being crowned champions of the 2005-2006 season, they do not stand a chance of regaining the crown. They have been knocked out in the first round. Simply put as Dwyane Wade said, "a one hit wonder". The Heat were swept by the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs. Now the Bulls shall face my favorite team, the Detroit Pistons. But the irony of it all will be too sweet, because my man Ben Wallace who is now with the Bulls will have a chance to compete against his former team. Good Times.

Prevalent Problems With Dating Scene

Perhaps I should have paid attention in 3rd grade when the girls’ line surpassed the boys’ line. This was a sign of an inevitable dating crisis. Once you factor in relocating after college, the picture gets grimmer. Fast forward to you and your girls going out for a night on the town, and whose line is always longer, of course the women’s line. Which means, men will be using recycled gimmicks throughout the night on various women.

Unlike men, women are more skeptical to date younger men. Of course you have women that break this mode, but the majority of women look to date men their age or older. So the older a women gets the more limited her dating options become. As we get older we often have less tolerance for the dating game. We begin to see right through lines that used to attract us in our early twenties. Our mother’s voices soon become our own. Men are scared of us because they feel as though our biological clock possesses us and the first thing we want from any breathing man is a baby.

Another issue is the lack of creativity in planning a date. It seems like a movie and dinner are the staple of what a date should be. Then there is the guy who offers his crib as the venue for a first date. A movie and dinner then turns to let’s order food at my place and rent a movie. Once the relationship is established I see no problem with spending quality time at home alone. But in the beginning and throughout the relationship horizons should be broadened. An offer to go to a jazz concert, a play, and a museum are all very intriguing. For a more intimate dating scene, a walk in the park or along the boardwalk is a nice option.

While nature offers countless priceless ventures, there still remains a problem of cheap stakes. It’s a timeless fact that women love to be pampered. We do not wish to sit through dinner wondering who’s going to pay for the meal. We want a reason to put on our sexy new shoes and get our hair coiffed. For some men, spending money equals brownie points, which can be traded in for sex. I’d like to think that I am not the toy that comes with the happy meal. Even through inflation, the cheap stake is a thorn in a dating female’s side.

All of these issues do not spell out the end of the dating scene. The male shortage may lead to you re locating as well. A new job or town could be a great move for you. This can also mean healthy competition. There is nothing wrong with stepping your appearance up a notch or learning new things to enhance your appeal. Dating should also be fun, so like men we should not limit ourselves to strict age requirements. Instead of waiting for a guy to offer a more adventurous evening we should give examples of the things we like to do. If you happen to fall for a cheap stake, then be willing to split the bill or offer to pay to play.

Overpriced Natural Hairstylist

I got my hair done this past weekend, and I was clearly beat in the head. I always do my own hair but this time I wanted the hands of a professional in my hair. My issue is the cost these natural stylist charge for simple hairdos such as double strand twist. Especially when I can do this style sitting on my sofa while watching television. I'll give the woman credit, she did them very small but let's face it $90 is what I call getting raped in the rear with dry sand. Then there are the African hair stylist that take out all injustices they faced in life on my hairline. I wasn't up for that. So now I must work this overpriced hairdo for it's worth.

Spa Treatment

Happy Monday! Me and the ladies went out for some much needed spa treatment this weekend. I was joined by four of my friends. We went to Cynergy Spa located at 87 Fort Greene Pl, Brooklyn NY. I enjoyed a facial and massage. The environment was very relaxing and tranquil. The girl who did my facial was very helpful in recommending additional items to help in treating my skin. I highly recommend this spa for anyone in the area. We went to a cool Thai restaurant after and had lunch, which I also recommend. I had a mojito, yes I know from a Thai restaurant, and it was slamming. Perhaps slamming too much, because a couple of hours later I dropped my cell phone in the water while getting a pedicure. MUY MAL! So hopefully all the pampering I had this weekend will allow me to have a mellow work week.

Squadz: Bar and Grill

If you live in Brooklyn, or are passing through you must hit up Squadz Bar and Grill. It's a nice laid back environment with great rum punches and good Caribbean food. My favorite dish are the sweet and sour shrimps. The rum punch being the reason I am slightly hung over midway through the work week. Each night has a different theme. Last night (Tues.) was Karaoke, and on Thursday's a live band performs. Friday is Comedy Night, even though the rude ass Brooklyn heads wouldn't keep quiet. Most comedians ended their act by saying 'F*ck ya'll too'. Oh but don't let that turn you off from Brooklyn's new hot spot, located at 1904 Utica/Flatlands.

Machel Montano - HD Concert

This past Friday, March 23, 2007, I had the joy and splendor of attending the Machel Montano concert at the Paramount Theatre. The show was amazing. It was visually spectacular. Each song was portrayed as a different scene from Carnival. For every up tempo song, every one stood and jammed down! At some points I had to leave the confines of my row all together. He had quite a few special guests, which added to the brilliant performance. Machel can have my money anytime he visits the Garden again! Perhaps this time, MSG will know his name and combine both shows and have the show in the Garden.

My Welcome Party

I am throwing myself a welcome party to the world of blogging. Come one, come all. I plan to discuss relationships, sports, night life, art and many other facets of a city girl's life. I will give you my top New York City bars and lounges. So please stay tuned...