Oh, and In Case You DIDN'T Know...

I

BLEED

SYRACUSE ORANGE.

Sweet 16 game tonight against Oklahoma, 7:27pm Eastern Standard Time. CBS.
Be there.

DRAKE.

Aubrey Drake Graham, D.O.B. 10/24/86. Look familiar? Nowadays, he goes by the stage name DRAKE, and is one of the hottest up & coming rappers in the scene.

Now, you, as I, may know "Drake" as little Jimmy Brooks, who got shot in Degrassi High School a few seasons ago and ended up in a wheelchair for the rest of his stint on show. (I know, right!) But Jimmy is ALL grown up ladies (22 to be exact) and his name is all over the place.

Some history: He hails from T.O., Canada (which is where Degrassi hails from and was filmed, as well) to an African American father and Jewish mother. He began acting while at Forest Hill Collegiate Institute (high school). He began his role as Jimmy Brooks in 2001 (his largest role to date) but now is more into his rap career.

He has worked with a myriad of artists in the studio, including Trey Songz (Replacement Girl, when I first fell in love!), Lil Wayne, Bun B, Lloyd, Santogold and Omarion as he transitions to the US music scene. He has four self-published mixtapes (Room for Improvement, Comeback Season, Heartbreak Drake, and So Far Gone (set for release this year)) and his first album is also set to drop this year, Thank Me Later.

Oh, and it doesn't help that the boy is QUITE easy on the eyes....check out his websites, and support! You know hip-hop needs it!

http://www.myspace.com/thisisdrake
http://www.thisisdrake.com/
http://www.allthings-fresh.net/
MIXTAPES!

Oh, and it doesn't hurt that I'm seriously considering naming my son, if I have one, Drake. Yes. Drake.

The Soloist

A schizophrenic (Nathanial Ayers played by Jamie Foxx), is a homeless musician from Skid Row, Los Angeles who dreams of playing at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Through "chance," he meets a journalist (Steve Lopez played by Robert Downey Jr.), who tries to help this mentally disturbed man get "back on his feet" and make his dreams come true.

Lopez was walking through downtown Los Angeles three years ago when he came upon a man playing a violin. Over the following weeks, Lopez kept returning to that street corner to listen to the music and learn more about the man who made it. Those visits resulted in a series of newspaper columns in which Lopez introduced the homeless musician to his readers.

"His name is Nathaniel Anthony Ayers. He was a little over 50 years old when I met him," he says. "He grew up in Cleveland and got interested in music through the public school system back then in the 1960s. Mr. Ayers, after high school, went to Ohio University to study upright bass and later got a scholarship to Juilliard, which was quite rare. He was one of the few - if not the only - African-American students at Juilliard in the late 1960s.

Around his second year at Juilliard, Lopez told his readers, Ayers began having problems. Although his musicianship was outstanding, he had trouble focusing in class. At the beginning of his junior year, he had a mental breakdown and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. He left Juilliard and ended up on the streets of Los Angeles.

Today, Ayers is getting treatment for his illness, and while his recovery is far from complete, he now has a lot of people looking out for him. Lopez also has been changed by the friendship the two men developed. Ayers also introduced Lopez to the reality of the link between homelessness and mental illness.
[Voice of America News, February 2009]

Get It Together Ladies.

I haven't decided whether this will make my "next buy" list...Mr. Harvey tends to rub me the wrong way sometimes in the morning...but I WILL admit that sometimes he's right on the money!!

If you've read it, or know more about it, do tell.....

Oh, One More Thing...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!




Have fun. Be safe. Love and live life!

A New Year, A New You?

I know I've talked about "resolutions" already. But whatever. Just because it's a new year doesn't really mean that ANYTHING is changing drastically OR soon. As I said before, any kind of change that you really want to see will be a process. So resolutions typically don't work because people are so set on the destination, that they forget about the journey to take them there. And people have not taken the time to think about what that journey means.

So all these away messages and facebook statuses that I'm seeing about "new year, new me"...are really lost on me. Because most of you people are not going to change. And you're only going to be pissed when 2010 rolls around and you're still acting the damn same. Oh, and PLEASE do not make resolutions for/about other people. Keep your goals to what is in your control. You will only be disappointed if so and so doesn't conform to a goal that you made for yourself through them.

If you're going to make a plan of action, you need to also make some backup plans, and some ground rules of satisfaction. So that if your goal is not met, there is a lesser degree of contentedness that you can find within yourself so that you're not spending the next 12 months of your life pining over what you have not accomplished yet.

Be smart. Take it slow. Be realistic. But also, and probably most important, know when the time is right. Know your motivation style, and don't force it. Me losing 30 pounds ain't the same for you, boo. Know your capabilities, know your limits. Work within a balance.

And learn the whole way through....

2009

I'm not really big on cooking. It's not that I can't. (not saying that I can) I just don't. Too tired. Too lazy. Many things that I'd want to make/eat require specific ingredients that I just cannot find at my Mexican corner store.

So I've decided to make some changes. When is a better time than the new year??

2009 will be my recipe year.

I don't know if that means that I'll be collecting recipes, trying recipes of others, or digging in and making some new stuff. But, with a new kitchen (hopefully to be remodeled by early 2009), I will have new vigor and a new interest in being healthier and getting my "grown" on. We'll see.

Here's to good food in 2009! (and probably some bad food along the way... ;)

World AIDS Day 2008

Public Service Announcement Time folks. Today, December 1st, 2008 marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. I'm sure there are many places in your area where you can pick up a free red ribbon and wear this is honor of the day and pledging a small, silent dedication to this very important cause.

Take the time to remember those you've known, seen, or heard of that have been impacted by HIV and AIDS. IMPACTED, not died from, not sick from, but have felt the effect of knowing someone or losing someone to the disease. Trust me, you know more people that have been impacted than you may think.

Studies are saying that Black women have become the new face of HIV and AIDS. Tough statistics I have heard say that up to between 75% and 82% of new HIV cases PER YEAR are minority women; Black women making up the majority of that percentage. But remember, just because of that, does not mean that HIV / AIDS has a target population. Anyone can be infected, at any time. GET TESTED, wrap that shit up, use clean needles, do whatever you have to do to protect yourself and others. While there are medications out there that can help you live out a full and long lasting life, there is still reason to be cautious.

Be on your J.O.B. Educate yourself. Educate others. Educate children. Educate parents. Today is not the only day to do this, but it's the present day, and I can't think of any better time to start!

GET TESTED. I ain't gon tell you again. I don't give a damn how long you been with him/her, if you know their parents, or if you know all of his/her ex-lovers. The majority of the problem is that people DO NOT KNOW that they have been infected, and therefore do not act accordingly. Many places offer free testing, and if you're nervous, try to go with a friend for support. Results are always confidential and trust me, getting tested of your own will is the best case scenario than what can possibly happen next.

Take responsibility for yourself. Studies show that African Americans should be getting tested twice a year nowadays. So get your shit together. I don't give a damn if you haven't had even a BREATH of sweet lovin in the past year, GET TESTED. (Last time I'm telling you)

www.worldaidscampaign.org

Jams.

updated my blog playlist ----->check it out!

Bad Girls...

Flipping Over Couches

Y'all know what tomorrow night is...REUNION episode!!

Tune into Bravo tomorrow night, 10pm eastern / 9pm central time. A full hour of more info, drama & catfights!

Do It? Don't Do It?

808s & Heartbreak...I heard good reviews from a close confidante Mia is Anita, so I'm probably gonna go with it...what y'all think?!?!?

Heard it yet?

MakeUp Bar!

So on Bravo's Real Housewives of Atlanta, the ladies went to a Makeup Bar located in downtown Atlanta. I'm thinking...what a FANTASTIC idea!

Just think about it...you, your friends, getting spa treatments and your hair and makeup done...while being served fabulous DRINKS!

You would think that every major city would have a Makeup Bar for their elite, and wanna-be elite and wanna just do something special occasion for big bucks type folks.

Wrong.

Upon researching, I've only located TWO makeup bars in the US! One in Atlanta, and one in Oklahoma City.

UPDATE: just found another one, in Cherry Hill, NJ!

Oklahoma City though? What happened to NYC, Vegas, LA, Miami, CHICAGO?!?!? Y'all are trippin & slippin.

However, if you ever find yourself in those cities with your girls and want to do something fun while having a night to remember, check them out!

Oklahoma City
Cherry Hill, NJ
Atlanta

Mia Stylista

check out my homegirl SNAPS in her FIRST feature as Mia Stylista! (click the pic)

Take a Listen

Songs on my playlist (top right) that are a MUST LISTEN:

Goapele - First Love
Musiq Soulchild - Millionaire
Desiree - Kissing You (Romeo & Juliet theme)
Evanescence - My Immortal (forever in my heart)
Chrisette Michele - Golden (definitely a candidate for my wedding song)
Amel Larrieux - For Real
Ne-Yo, Jamie & Fab - She Got Her Own (hottest track out right now!)

...a personal playlist says a lot about a person and what they're been through, what they're going through, and what they're longing for...

Git It.

Be Still, My Heart

(courtesy of YBF)

I don't care if these pics are old, and I don't know if these are T.I. or T.I.P., but I'm sure you ladies will agree that WHOEVA this may be, he is easy on the eyes...

All About Syracuse

Based on the incredible true story, The Express follows the inspirational life of college football hero Ernie Davis (Rob Brown), the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy. Following his draft by the NFL, tragedy struck the star athlete and he was never able to take the professional field. But his tale would forever change the face of professional sports.

Raised in poverty in the Southern Tier of New York State, Davis overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles to become an unstoppable running back for the Syracuse Orangemen. Under the guidance of coach Ben Schwartzwalder (Dennis Quaid)-a hard-nosed surrogate father with an obsession for winning a national, Davis would develop from an impressive high-school athlete into a legend.

While everyone agreed Ernie Davis was a miracle player, few thought this quiet young man would become an icon for the burgeoning civil rights movement dividing America in the early 1960s. Refusing to play by the unspoken racist rules of the day, Davis broke through one barrier after another to alter the way fans looked at men of his color.

Though struck a terrible blow in the prime of his life, his spirit soared when most would crumble. Forcing his bull-headed coach to re-examine a life lived in color-based privilege, Davis would join the ranks of black pioneers who inspired a movement that smashed barriers on and off the playing field. (taken from universalpictures.com)

October 10th!

Well, Hello There...

hot diggity dog!
what y'all know about this??

Bzzzzz....

Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens (Dakota Fanning), whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily's fierce-hearted black "stand-in mother," Rosaleen (Jennifer Hudson), insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides to spring them both free. They escape to Tiburon, South Carolina - a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters, Lily is introduced to their mesmerizing world of bees and honey, and the Black Madonna.