Libra for Life

What's this talk about there being a new zodiac. Can you imagine now being an Ohpiuchus? Seriously? If this is supposedly true, I would now be a Virgo. NOT. As the title states, I will be a Libra for life. Someone has too much time on their hands. It's so funny though because I've never really been into the astrology reports and readings, but lately I find myself checking every other day. And surprisingly, the readings are on point. Needless to say, I think this is a hoax.

Long Time...

Well damn, the last post was December 2008. Where has 2 years gone. My mind must be extremely heavy to venture to the blogsphere. I've been so consumed by real life. It's the wee hours in the morning and NYC is in the process of being buried with snow. The last blizzard had oh dear Mayor Bloomberg in hot water so he's making sure everything goes smoothly with this clean up effort. I already heard the plow come thru the block 3 to 4 times in one night. I didn't hear a plow for 2 days after the blizzard.

Well enough about that, I have directed my focus to a new book I bought today titled, The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson. With the way this winter is going, looks like I'll be spending a lot of time in doors so I might as well catch up on a few good reads. The last 3 books I've read were written by my cousin, Varian Johnson. I would highly recommend them to teenage to young adults.

As expected this blog is all over the place, which helps to break up the monotony of my head space's current topic. I'll take that yawn to mean the dream gods are calling me. Until next time, and hopefully that's not another 2 years.

In Memory of Ice

This past Christmas season, Black Roses Crew lost yet another member of it's family. The loss of Ice, marks the second major dancer gunned down from the crew. I cannot speak on the cause of these tragic murders but I will say it's ridiculous.

I recall Ice 'taking it to dem' in Beenie's World Dance video. I would rewind the video countless times to capture Ice's every move. My fondest memory is the first time seeing Ice dance live. My friend and I were at an Ouch Crew dance at La Roose in Portmore. Black Roses took their spot, center stage. And Ice just glided on the concrete on his tippy toes as if he was literally on ice. I watched without blinking, certain to bring some of the moves back to the states.

I know in the dance, violence and good times go hand in hand. For a while Ice appeared to be the lone survivor of Black Roses, still innovating new moves to bust in the dance. Still taking it to the new cats who were destined to dance their way to the top. Now I don't know if this is an isolated incident or one to silence Black Roses for good, but whatever the issues are, the violence and disrespect for mankind has to end. And I pray this tragedy doesn't end in folks pointing fingers at which artist or dancer is responsible for Ice's murder. I hope justice is served. I hope the dancehall continues to be an arena for ghetto youth to dance or dj their way from JA to Japan to New York to Germany to Cape Town and so forth.

R.I.P Ice. Gone too soon and will never be forgotten.

Suck a fat one Bob

So Bob Costas and Ato Bolden are talking fuckery about Usain Bolt celebrating before crossing the finish line. Shit like it's not fair to the other runners and the Olympics and the audience as a whole. Are they fucking kidding me? Bolt is 21 years old and was in the midst of accomplishing history. Who the hell are they to determine how he should respond. I'm really side-eying Ato, because he should know the adrenaline and excitement that Bolt was feeling. Bob is just being a dope as usual, he probably was having withdrawal symptoms from leaning off of Phelps’ balls to even discuss track and field.

My opinion, as you may already assume, is Bolt can do whatever the hell he wants. He didn't flip the bird to the other Olympians, the youth was simply overjoyed. Is there a book of etiquette for how one should celebrate? What about the volleyball player running up in the stands after his victory? I didn't hear shit about that. Bob also says that Bolt slowed his numbers down by the early celebration. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. It's his record to make or break. He clearly was in the lead and won. Damn must we 'yes massa, I's sure happy I won' all the damn time?

Bolt to the world! He should have nah lingered with the sweep all the way to the finish line.

Take it to them Jamaica!!!

I've been enjoying the Olympics so far. But my highlight was track and field. Too bad, so sad for Tyson Gay. Jamaica just came well prepared to damage hopes and dreams. Usain Bolt took the gold for the men with ease. Dude was beating his chest and opening his arms like 'what' before even crossing the finish line. The ultimate was when he bust the Nah Linga with his sneaker in one hand and flag in the other. Shelly-Ann Fraser, Sherone Simpson, and Kerron Stewart conquered the gold and silver. The youth basically snatched this one from the old timers.

Take it to them Ray

I've always been a fan of Ray Allen, but have not been feeling his play in some of these play off games. But watching him play the entire game on Thursday and blow past the young legs of Sasha Vuyacic, was exciting indeed. And the finish was oh so sweet. Not to mention the Celtics lost me when I saw them go down by double digits early. I tuned back in toward the end of the third quarter to see them storm back from a 24 point deficit. And sat astonished as they took the lead and ran with it. Go Boston!

What would you do?

Folks, what would you do if you were boning or getting boned and you or your partner's pacemaker went off?

A relative told me he was down at the Thursday nightspot dancing Salsa and something felt like it hit him in the back of his head. The shock sent him to the floor causing him to land on one knee. His auto response was, ‘who did that?’ as he assumed his fiancé came along and knocked him upside his head with a ‘pipe’. He later learned upon getting an exact reading of when his pacemaker went off, that it was (get down on it) Thursday in the midst of his spicy two-step.

I found this whole ordeal to be severely humorous because said relative swears he’s a sugar mac daddy.

Fellas, watch your pace…

Blazin De Trail

And just like that it's a year gone again. My friends and I went to MSG to see Machel and friends perform. Of course it was spectacular, but not as amazing as last year. The special guests included, The Mighty Sparrow, Patrice Roberts, Peter Ram (delish), Ricky T (screams Pressure Boom!), Macka Diamond, Pitbull, and others I can't think of at the moment. I had a great time, the crowd was profound. To see all the hands waving rags in the air was just joyful. Though Machel's pants were kind of snug, he still juked and whine. The highlight of the show for me, was when he performed Jamishness and then Ricky T came out. I nearly lost it and I thought I was going to fall into the row in front of me. Once again thumbs up Machel Montano you tore down the Garden's stage again.

Love is Blind, But a black eye is black

Why do women justify being abused. How does a punch become a scratch in 2 days? Don't kick someone out unless you mean it. If a dude laid hands on me he would not be able to re-enter my home period. And if he was crying then we'd have to go another round. I do not understand how my beautiful black sisters can take abuse and then make excuses for why their asses were kicked. Bottom line is, the dude meant to do it. There was no accident, his hand wanted to land on your eye, nose, bottom lip, lower back, etc... The bum is only crying because he realizes he has nowhere to stay and hell it's still cold at night in the NYC. Stop saying 'oh it's because he's...' I don't give a fuck where a dude is born, abuse is unacceptable. I can't tell anyone how to live their life, but I'll be damned if I'm using concealer to cover up black eyes. I've been blessed to have never been put in a circumstance where a dude was feeling froggy enough to leap, but I am also blessed at knowing how to choose a dude that loves life. Ladies love you!

A Moment to Reflect

I'd like to take the observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day to discuss my mom's experience in Wilmington, North Carolina. In the late 60's as my mom sat in New Hanover High learning history with no account of her African American history, a follower of Rev. Ben Shafer entered the classroom. With great intensity he shouted, "Get out of class, come and march. There is a revolution going on!" My mom recalls jumping out of her seat without hesitation. My mom and several classmates joined Rev. Ben Shafer and his followers (I believe they were known as Wilmington 10) in a march against injustices of Blacks in Wilmington. They went from the streets to the church. The protest was interrupted when shots were fired from a car. The protesters shot back letting the racists know that they were not going to stand down and watch while their brothers and sisters and children were being destroyed.

Over the years I loved to hear my mom tell this story. She said it was always the youth who helped to bring about change because they were fearless. The older populace were set in their ways and they didn't want to 'start trouble' by marching and challenging the status quo. So it was her generation at the time who supported Martin Luther King Jr.

The unified voice of people of color has lost its steam. In today's society, the youth are taking advantage of what our parents had to fight for. They are embodying too much of the individualistic mindset that this society promotes. Please reflect on the purpose of Martin Luther King Jr's dream. His dream was one of uniting a nation for the improvement of humanity, not just for self-improvement through monetary or material gain.

Old Man Magnet

I find myself asking, why is it that old ass dudes are always attracted to me. I have a friend who is the opposite, she's older and adores the young guys. Then I compare our personalities. She's a very out-going people person. On the other hand, I am more reserved (except at a party) and to myself. I find myself telling her to calm down sometimes. I have my Nana's spirit in me big time. I often hold my finger to my mouth and tell grown ass folks 'ssh' if I feel they are speaking too loud.

Aside from the personality, I do not have a geriatric swagger. What the hell is wrong with these men, I would not want to try and talk to someone who was just learning to walk while I was in my junior year of freaking High School! Another thing is the older guys have a been there done that mentality whereas they try to suck the youth out of you and make you just as old and miserable as them but without the fun.

I hope this year is a year of new beings in my life, who if I say 'I don't believe you, you need more people', they don't turn and look at me like, 'what? who are these people you speak of'.

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.