Dating in Detroit

Dating in Detroit is not only the hardest thing to do in America but also unlikely.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics a recent study showed Detroit has been dubbed one of the top five major metropolitan areas that have the highest rate of unemployment, with over a 17% unemployment rate.  Damn, that\'s all, I could have sworn it was much worse than that.  Anyhow, trying to keep your marriage together is tough enough, but what about dating in this economy.  Is this just another excuse for men to complain about footing the bill or is this our new reality.  I find it difficult enough to date in Detroit, but in light of our newest struggle, i.e. the failing economy, I have noticed a few things:

1.        The mofo\'s who were cheap are even cheaper.

2.       Unemployment checks only cover the bills and any extra will not likely be spent on dating.

3.       Many men don\'t understand dating in the first place.

4.       If you plan on giving me a booty call at least have enough respect to do in a more traditional manner vs. e-booty call (electronic booty call)

Fellas, I love you all but you must understand that dating does not consist of a few morning greetings sent via text message or a wall post on Face Book and then a late night \"TBC\"  text booty call.  Technology is the shhh..., however there are still some ladies out here who prefer the cyberless forms of communications.  That being said, dating is game that could soon be extinct.  I meet men here and there, but nothing or no one that makes me wanna..... you get the picture.  Some might say I am wining or bitching, however I would like to clear up the air, I am only speaking my mind.  Some women out here need to do the same, expect more give up less - a lesson to be learned.

So let me get straight to the point. The day of Febuary 13  was the best day of her life, she married the man of her dreams. A man that spoiled her rotten, paid all the bills, and gave her more than she could have ever imagined receiving from a husband besides "faithfullness". There would be time she would just cry herself to sleep asking "Why GOD Why ME"  Her husband has been cheating on her for years(before they were married). Why did she marry him anyways??? She has always been loyal to him doing her best to wait on him hands and feet. She finds phone numbers daily and text messages from other females....after 7 years of this she feels: betrayed, ugly, lonely, guilty, dumb. In the back of her mind she still knows that she is  beautiful and there is a happy woman waiting to jump out. Ok I have to tell you this part also, she is a Christian, who tries her best to live right according to the bible and the husband said that he was also before and after the wedding. Don't know what happened!!! So to speed this story up this young lady meet a nice gentlemen (during the time she is married). He is such a sweetheart and loveable person and he gives her all the attention she needs and wants. She starts to realize to a certain extent that it is not all about money and gifts but how a person treat you. She like the other man a lot but guess what??? He is living with another woman and she dont feel comfortable continuing this...What do she do??? He says he is miserable also but is still there. Is he really miserable or is he hiding something...Time will tell....

Wow you mean to tell me that you didn't notice that?  I hear men complain about not being able to find a good woman, bullshit!  How do you expect to find a good woman if constantly frequently strip clubs and try to wife the girl you snatched from the stripper pole.  You took home the girl from the club that approached you and said, "buy me a drink".  You two seemingly hit it off and a week later you find out she is married or she simply is not interested anymore.  You are for some reason attracted to the women that are undressed for event that they attend.  She doesn't know when to turn the ‘over sexy" off.  Men you must be aware that it is easier for a man to find a good woman than it is for a woman to find a good man.  If you fish in a fresh water ocean you will find "common fish".  If you fish in a salt water ocean you will "most likely" find more exotic and rare fish. I see a lot of "good men" with some tack head, hood rat, bimbo, you get my drift and they love them until death do them part.  They know exactly what she is about and how she gets down.  What about the hard-working women who are independent, self-reliant, and career oriented?  Does that intimidate you?

 I will side with the fellas for a moment ladies, don't get upset, but something has to be said.  Women urggggggghhh, what are you doing? Don't be so quick to turn away or reject that man who does have on Gucci and Bling!, this could be the biggest mistake of your life.  Cadillac Escalade + 28 inch rims does not necessarily mean dollars in your pocket.  The truth of the matter is that he might be broke trying to make for all that ish!  You have some brothers who are not flashy, flamboyant, or attention seeking.  There are some hardworking brothers who have a "Regular JOB" and could give you all the love and respect you deserve. Make sure you keep it sexy.  Run his bathwater, cook him a great meal (No TV Dinners), give him the best loving he ever had.  Make you kiss him in those places that other women gag about.  One question you have to ask yourself is what matters more?  Now don't get my statements confused with settling for less. By no means should you settle for less.  Ladies the  reality of it is that the love of your life may make less money than you, that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve a chance. Now ladies don't get it twisted, don't pursue men that sit around all day smoke weed, not working, play video games, and complain about helping you pay your bills (especially if he lives there).  I don't believe he was looking hard enough, even though we are in a tough economy, flipping burgers is always an option it equals a paycheck.  Men if you meet a woman who does not work and does not intend to work, that should be a red flag.  Don't wait months down the line and then complain about her not working, you knew what you were getting yourself into.  Now that does not apply to women who have children and decide to stay home and take care of their families, those women are exempt from the comments that are being made here.  I never said extend an invitation to a man who doesn't work and is not trying to either.  Being in a fulfilling relationship is more than bearing gifts or receiving them.  Men I challenge you to up your standards as well, i.e. stop trying to wife the "h03's" and stop being so freakin intimidated by women that are successful and simply have it going on.  I will speak on brothers who feel other races are superior to their own.  Now I am an advocate of people being with people they love no matter race, color, sex, etc.  I however don't agree with the brothers making negative comments about black women as whole, the black women that you have dated does not represent every black women in the world.  Men you deserve better too, don't fall for the oke-doke, step your game up.

This has been burning me for quite some time now.  Lil Kim is one of my favorite female rappers but I can't help but to put out there what has been on my heart for a while.  When Kim came on the scene when I was a teenager and even though I know she has had ghost writers I came to like and respect her for her boldness as the "Lil' one in the midst of the male dominated world of hip hop.  Regardless if her lyrics are rightfully hers, her style is authentic when it comes to the rhyme.

But lately that is exactly what has been bothering me, her style. Not her quirky fashion style but the style and swagger of LIL KIM.  I kinda always felt that she had a loving heart even though I don't know her personally.  But that was confirmed for me on her reality TV show Countdown to lockdown where she chronicled her last 30 days till her one year bid in a federal prison for purgery.  It showed a softer and endearing side of Kim.  That is the Kim that I always felt was authentic and I am sure Faith Evans would disagree with me on this one.  But really, I saw a woman who has a genuine love for family and friends and according to her that's what landed her in the slammer for a year.  On that note I will add that this is a part of the reason why we have witnessed a not so subtle change in her appearance.

I am not rally big on judging and being critical of ones appearances because it's to each its own and every one is not the same.  But this thing with Kim hit a nerve with me...I will admit.  She has admitted in the past that her choice to forgo plastic surgery has been a personal thing for her because she has stated "I chose to look like the women that the men I loved left me for".  Ok so what does that mean?  She has gone from a beautiful woman with carmel skin, pretty eyes, and authentic Nubian features to a cross mix of Hispanic, European, and Asian.  And she has also had to have corrective reconstructive surgery on top of the surgery she already had to "get it right".  Now this isn't about "who is better" because ALL women have unique beauty and qualities about them and women from ALL races have SOMETHING that they admire in other races.  So that isn't the point.  Lil Kim and her resentment for herself at the hands of the "men who left her" is the issue.  To be honest, when Tupac declared her "ugly" on his hit beef record "Hit 'em up" and the death of her love Notorious B.I.G., that was the nail in the coffin for her and she hasn't been the same since.

So how many "Lil Kim's" are out here?  When a lover leaves you, is it really because of how you look or was it something deeper?  Should that make you change ALL of your facial features?  I know that people can't help but examine their looks and want to do a little tweaking here and there, especially in this society where there is one imposed uniform notion of beauty.  But don't you think you perpetuate that notion when you change you entire existence to conform?  When do people get to know the authentic you?  What about the men who "love" Kim now?  Do they love her because of her original unique look or the "new and improved" Kim?  Now if the latter is true, is that really someone who loves you for who you really are and if so why is that acceptable?

I can remember all the guys in high school who had the Lil Kim album poster with her squatting with an animal print bikini on; they didn't have any problem with declaring her sexy back then.  She was the only chick that guys admitted listening to and with the stamp of Biggie and Puff on her team she quickly gained her "Queen Bee" status.  I remember that Queen Bee who wasn't afraid of letting it be known who was the best in the game.  I still feel that way about her and feel that this Queen Bee is still in her.  But now she has become more infamous for her "changes" then she is famous for her pioneering spirit in the hip hop world. 

This is a shout out to the REAL Queen Bee Lil Kim.  Or should I say this is a call for help to her.  Yes everyone changes and moves on in their life and career but this isn't the case of just a change for growth.  This is a woman who is hurt by her past and feels that vamping her structure is the only way that she can succeed in this industry and in life.  No she isn't the only one but she is the one that went through the most obvious and striking changes for apparent psychological reasons. Yes I said psychological reasons because these are symptoms of post traumatic stress syndrome via the notions of slavery that has been passed down through the generations in the black community.  That is the larger issue we are dealing with.

There is no going back for Kim in her appearance but hopefully we can help mend the broken heart of her and those who can identify what she is going through.

(KAT)

The Business of Correctional Facilities

What is the most profitable industry in America? The privately run prison industry.
In the 1980s, several private corporations specializing in “correctional facilities” began taking prison management off the hands of federal and state agencies. Since then, those companies have grown into massive operations. They’re in almost every state and their complete takeover of the “correctional market” is predicted to happen in the next five years.

The largest, Corrections Corporation of America, boasts 82,000 beds in 66 facilities, in 19 states and Washington, DC. The corporation has grown since 1983, with stock going from $8 to $30 per share by 2000; it now stands at just over $15. The crime wave of the early 1990s, ensuing “three strikes” legislation, and the War on Drugs have made private prisons a profitable business.

Several factors have led to the increase in private prisons, but let’s consider the number of prisoners currently in American jails. The United States has the highest documented incarceration rate, and total documented prison population in the world. As of year-end 2007, a record 7.2 million (2.3 million were incarcerated) people were behind bars, on probation or on parole. More than 1 in 100 American adults were incarcerated at the start of 2008. The People's Republic of China ranks second with 1.5 million, while having four times the population.

Statistics:
-740 in every 100,000 Americans are imprisoned
-1 in every 100 Americans is in jail or on probation

In the US, a ballooning number of people, predominantly Black males, are being imprisoned. The cost of managing all of these “correctional facilities” has ballooned accordingly:
The Bureau of Justice recorded an increase in spending from $9 billion for corrections in 1982 to $65 billion in 2005. Taking into account police and judicial expenditures; just over $35 billion in 1982 and just under $200 billion in 2005.

A privately-run prison system has absolutely no incentive to reduce the rate of incarceration in the US; in fact, the only reason a private sector even exists is due to the quadrupling of prisoners since 1980.

It’s not just facilities management: weapons contractors, telecom providers and financiers underwriting prison construction are all getting into the booming business of lockdown.
All of the major investment banks, including Goldman Sachs and Co., Merrill Lynch, and Smith Barney, have a stake in private prisons. Today’s economic crisis has hit all sectors of the economy, but with joblessness on the rise and incomes plummeting, expect to see the stock prices of firms like CCA, the Geo Group and other fine institutions continue to rise.

Leading Corporations:
The three leading corporations in the private prison business in the U.S. are the Corrections Corporation of America, the GEO Group, and Cornell Companies.

Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) is a company that manages public prisons and detention centers, and has concessions for many others. The company is the largest private corrections company in the United States. As such, CCA manages more than 60 facilities with a designed capacity of 85,000 beds.Revenue: US$ 1.478 Billion (2007)

The GEO Group (GEO) is a leading provider of government-outsourced services specializing in the management of correctional, detention and mental health and residential treatment facilities in the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa and the United Kingdom. GEO operates a broad range of correctional and detention facilities including maximum, medium and minimum security prisons, immigration detention centers, minimum security detention centers and mental health and residential treatment facilities.Revenue: US$ 1.024 Billion (2007)

Cornell Companies is a large American corporation primarily concerned with providing corrections services and facilities to state governments on a contract basis. Cornell currently operates 71 corrections facilities in 15 states and the District of Columbia. Revenue: US$ 360.6 million (2007)

Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisons_in_the_United_States_of_America
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrections_Corporation_of_America
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GEO_Group
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornell_Companies
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=867
http://matadorpulse.com/how-the-us-prison-system-has-become-a-big-business/

Fetish: An abnormally obsessive preoccupation or attachment; a fixation.

Ok so for some reason I flick on my television.  I guess that was my first mistake.  I often don't have the time to sit idol while being programmed by a bunch of commercials and homosexual propoganda.  But this week I have really noticed a proliferation of this homosexual agenda on television.  On the Internet, and just in general when it comes to the American society.  They are using the entertainment business as a whole to push homosexuality.  Now i am not one to judge a person who has a sexual fetish towards likeing the same sex.  But the problem I have is when something that is clearly a sexual fetish becomes a plight.  Or a group with this sexual fetish wants to throw it up into your face to make it into the norm in our society. 

Now I know that I might get some backlash from the gay community as alot of people that are experiencing this fetish would prefer to go about their normal sexual activity and not be judged.  However I want to nip this issue in the bud and just get to the bottom of this ordeal.  A fetish is A fetish is A FETISH!  Now my problem is not with the gay community but how they want to cram this sexual fetish down our throats and make this the norm in our society.  When you have a network like MTV who's average audience is teenagers interrupting thier program to have rapstar Eminem get teabagged in the middle of a show I clearly as a mother have a problem with this.  MTV doesn't just stop at the teabagging, I mean I have seen grown men tounging each other down, and even watched shows like Real World Road Rules Challenge the Gauntlet show two girls moaning and groaning having lesbian sex through a window as the other cast members giggle and listen in on the whole thing, meanwhile the audio from the microphones loud as day plays on the imaginations of our youth!

Like I said I don't have a problem with homosexuality, but I do have a problem when a group of people try to push their homosexual agenda on the innocent and impressionable minds of our children, teenagers, or anyone else that might let their imagination go where it has never gone before.  It is your life.  If you like taking it up the backside or getting your carpet munched on by the same sex that is your prerogative, but it is a huge problem, and even into pedophelia when you broadcast your deviant sexual behavior to the masses on a network that is clearly aimed at teenagers and young children. 

I began watching MTV at the age of 10! I couldn't imagine how I would see things now if they showed the same type of programming peep the word "programming" that they are sending out to our children.  I believe that MTV and other networks that are aimed at young children should be held accountable for these things.  I mean what's next "Golden Showers of Love?" I mean you have Tela Tequla and whomever else displaying their fetishes why don't we have "Bondage World" or better yet how bout we broadcast that video 2 Men 1 Horse and really get the ball rolling. 

I am not saying all of this to gaybash.  I just want our readers to understand a sexual fetish when you see one, just like some women out there like it doggie style that is something that happens in the bed and should remain there.  We should not cram our sexuality into these young people via their minds on such a subliminal level and then look at them and wonder what the world is coming to when they are hypersexual!  We should take control of the airwaves to ensure that the next generation have sex responsibly be they straight, gay, into bondage, or beastiality by getting down to the crux of it and identifying a fetish when we see one.

Ok, fam, it's time to get our hands dirty and talk about some real shit out here.  Right about now, I'm totally "shook" by the new revelations coming out about various deadly cancers and how some can be SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED, not just inherited.  And with the terminal illness of 70's Charlie's Angels beauty icon, Farrah Fawcett, coming more to the forefront, I was speechless when I discovered the origins of her horrible, debilitating disease.

For the longest time, the public was led to believe that Farrah was simply battling rogue cancer cells in her body like many other oncology patients, and that she was hopeful and optimistic that she could handle whatever came her way---end of story.  Wrong!  With reports of her imminent death now heavy upon us, more details of her "disease" have been made public.  My friends, poor Ms. Farrah is suffering and LOSING a devastating battle to "anal cancer".  When I first heard the name of this condition, I honestly thought the reporter misspoke.  I'm like, surely she meant "oral cancer" or "ovarian cancer"...but hey, you mean to tell missdani, that this insidious, painful, scary disease called CANCER can fukk wit yo ASS too?!!?

Oh my gawwwdddd.

Apparently, the answer is YES folks.  Not only can a person be diagnosed with cancer of the anus, but this secretive disease once believed to be the problem of "gay men" only, is now sky-rocketing among another alarming demographic: WOMEN.  Yo, I'm gon' keep it 1000% for ya'll, I had no idea that "butt cancer" was even a problem for gay men, let alone us...I naively thought their main concerns we're HIV, AIDS, hepatitis, herpes etc...but um, cancer?  Gottdammm!  And after doing research, I also found that male homosexuals have been getting offered "anal pap smears" at their doctor's offices (yeah, you heard right, the same kind of yearly exam that females get, but only of the anus) to check for cancer.  And now, more women reportedly need the same test, given that they too are now engaging in anal activities.

Well, how do WOMEN get this shit?  I can imagine some of you asking..."yo missdani, surely anal-freakin' aint hurting brawds, right?"  Wrong again!  Peep this fam, my research has also revealed the HPV virus (human papillomavirus) is the main culprit for this growing mess.  This is the same virus that causes genital warts and cervical cancer.  There are more than 100 strains of this vile virus, but only certain strains cause anal cancer.  It appears that since there's been a marked INCREASE of women engaging in anal sex with their partners, they have put themselves more at risk for this horrifying disease by exposing their anal opening/tissues to potentially HPV infected semen.

FACT: 1 in 4 women have already been exposed to HPV by her very first sexual encounter.  The percentages rise after each subsequent encounter, totaling an estimated infection rate of 60% of the total sexually active population.

FACT: HPV can also cause PENILE cancer (and anal cancer) in MEN.

My ultimate concern is that with our ever increasing sexually promiscuous culture and the encouragement by our peers to just "let go", "be free" or to be "sexually adventurous" by any means necessary it's having dire consequences for our health.  Many young women are now being prodded by their lovers to experiment with anal sex, the so-called "safer alternative", since pregnancy can avoided by this method.  I've also read articles highlighting notorious video-vixen, Karrine Steffans', giving advice on how to give "anal pleasure" to your significant other and actually enjoy it...all via her new book, "The Vixen Manual".  *missdani rolling eyes*.  Go figure.

But regardless of how much "booty pleasure" that comes from certain sexual practices, it appears this shit is getting crucial for the ill-informed and naïve...real talk.  I'm not here trying to convince folks not to get their "freak on"...we're all adults here, so by all means, do you baby, DO YOU.  I am certainly no hater of some sho' nuff smack-down, hair-pulling lovin' (lol), within the confines of a loving, monogamous relationship.  But at the same time, it is high time we get our proverbial "heads outta our asses" and realize that there are some seriously dangerous, deadly sexual diseases out here that are not solely the spawn of AIDS or HIV.  Act like ya know!

Unfortunately, for our girl Ms. Farrah, this potentially life-saving info must've come decades too damn late and a dollar wayyy too muffukin' short...a truly, truly sad and terrible shame.

Will you date a stripper, or get into a serious relationship with a stripper. I mean how can we have real SEX, when someone just been touching my goodies ALL NIGHT.... How can i respect my queeen if her booty getting seen..

Yall tell Me

Nuke

So I go through life a lot of times questioning "GOD" like I really have thet place to do that. I walk around with an unforgiving heart like I can do that. What is wrong with me? He forgives us everyday and now I go around thinkin it is ok to not forgive others. Today I stand firm to have a heart of forgiveness and to be born again. I choose to try my best to live according to GOD's word and not talk it but walk it. I choose not to waste my time with people that I can not gain from. Im cleansing myself to become born again and clean "white as snow". I'm a baby on board with Jesus...

Hmmm...so he finally give me what I wanted after 2 whole months of craving it....and it was so good...in the middle he ask...can you please trust me again?? I didn't give him a response cause I was concentrating on what he was doing as I was receiving the best feeling in the world. The next morning he gives me a kiss and say "Good Bye and I Love You" while he was on his way out the door to work. I miss him so much being a husband to me and I still don't think there is a man that can replace him cause most of them lie to get what they want. I can can actually leave him and go from bad to worse. He pays all the bills and take great care of his children...He can afford to get his own place but rather stay here to try to work things out..he's confusing me...I know what GOD has to say about divorce and honor GOD's word so Im going to be still and continue to pray but at the end of the day I wonder is he still here because it is "Cheaper to keep her"!!!

In this worrld feeling all alone and everybody you meet seems to be the one that you think love you but hurt you the most. Why is that??? Suck it up and wait it out until it is that time to move to Texas. Been a people pleaser all my life and  don't trust no one cause many people are out there to hurt me. I ask my self, "Would I ever trust again?" I haven't decided yet!!! All I need is GOD and my children to get me though these trials....nothing else even matters.

Happy Friday good people...

On my daily stroll I came across this burning question that really is a no brainer...

Why do black men "make it rain" in the black strip clubs?  What is the difference between a Black or white strip club anyway?

Well for starters, black men get the most "bang for their buck", pun intended, in the black strip club.  Where else can you get a woman to do the splits on a beer bottle on the stage for a couple of dollars?  Where else can you get a woman to give a lap dance ALL nite for 15 bucks?  The black strip clubs is where the black man is a KING...for less amount of cash.

In the "Gentleman's club" A.K.A. white strip clubs...you have to pay TOP DOLLAR to play....

There are is a "prestige" that goes along with the patrons of those clubs...no beer bottle play.  The women in the "Gentleman's club" aren't strippers they are "professional Exotic dancers" that's about the size of it.

But at the end of the day, with these comparisons one would have to wonder where does the true wealth of the black woman lie? 

Hey don't take my word for it...check out this video...Have a good one.

BY

COREY J. GILCHRIST

            Real men are characterized by the actions they make in their life.  A man is an individual who first accepts the fact he was born a male.  In addition, a man is and must be a leader at all times in his environment to make an effective impact on his surroundings.  Furthermore, it's necessary for a man to be responsible for his family, love ones, and community.   A man is a man when he acts like a man.

            Males are characterized by their genitals primarily at birth with the distinction of having a penis.  Furthermore, maleness is a predetermined fact of the biological life which is in no way subject to choice.  Moreover, maleness is also a mentality that operates with the principles as the biology.  In addition, people must understand that the male biology doesn't make you a man.  Otherwise, progressive steps must be taken to achieve this great title called manhood.  Learning the role of the man is to first graduate from maleness to boyhood.  Ultimately, life has its own way of making the male biology evolve into boyhood.  As a result of this evolution, discipline will become an integral role in the development of the man.  Moreover, as the boy begins to take on responsibilities, he begins to discover the fullness of his potential and then can move to ever increasing higher horizons of manhood.  However we have a lot of males who get stuck in the process of boyhood to manhood.  

            Nevertheless, once manhood is achieved by the boy, it's imperative that he understands his position on earth.  First, realizing that the discipline it took to become a man is the same discipline it takes to stay a man.  Second, a man can revert back to a boy and male mentality; which is of a child.  Third, it's necessary for a man to be confident in himself.  Fourth, he must be acquainted with working and understanding man was created to work.  Finally, understand that his very existence is called for leadership and procreation.

            Men have been classified with various titles, but the one that stands out the most is leader.  People have asked themselves on countless occasions what are the true qualities of a man?  Most would say a man must have integrity.  Integrity is the quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness, incorruptibility, and soundness; these are qualities every man need to have to face adversity.  We live in a day and age where nations, states, cities, communities, and families need men thats not afraid of leadership with the strength to exercise their integrity in the areas that are in critical need of men.  Such as, the individual homes, churches, schools, communities, political action committees, and local, state, and federal government. America is a good example of what can happen when men don't take the leadership role.  This leads to what is his ultimate goal and intentions for his own life.  Therefore, in order for a man to lead, he has to have a destination or accomplishment to reach.  Men with vision see things that boys and the male group don't see; discipline brings vision.  For this reason, men who are disciplined with integrity can lead with a vision; on any level because he was created for it anyway.

            It's imperative that men be responsible for every action he makes.  Men are created to be the head of the family and household.  One of the main functions of the head of household is being a provider.  First, men should be able to provide a home for their family.  Second, provide lights, gas, water, and food for his family and household.  If these things can't be provided, he should reconsider trying to have a family.  A man protecting his family is probably what a man is known for; other than working.  Therefore since the man is the head of the household he's suppose to stand in harms way to protect his family. Men are charged with protecting his children from mental, physical, and spiritual abuse. Men must also protect their children from inappropriate messages being televised on the T.V.  However, men know that they won't be ale to protect always.  So, they teach their family the things that will keep them protected from the outside world.  First, a man should teach good characteristics.  Second, a man ought to teach his family how to provide for themselves when he's not around. Third, a man has to teach them how to think for themselves.  Men are not emotional creatures, so it's hard to tell if a man has love for you.  However, a sure way to see a man love is by his actions and demonstrations. A man providing for his family is love.  A man protecting his family supplies security and comfort, that's love.  A man teaching his children the necessities in life is his love.  All in all, the presence of a man changes the household.

            When is a man being a man?  Men have the most influential position on the face of the planet, so men as a whole must accept the responsibilities that have been prearranged for them.  Men must lead their families, homes, communities, churches, committees, and our public offices.

Good people...I will leave you this week with a word from the day from my dear sister Daisy Dooks...courtesy of all places...a post on a notorious ig/nant website...who shall remain nameless..LOL

FIELD MOUSE AND THE CATERPILLAR

There was a field mouse watching a caterpillar as he was crawling along. He noticed how UGLY the caterpillar was. He continued to watch as the caterpillar crawled up a tree, out onto a branch and began to hang from the branch and start weaving a cocoon. The field mouse watched all of this. He watched it carefully and in his mind he wondered, �What the heck is he doing?�

After a while, he didn�t see the caterpillar any more. You see, the caterpillar had completely enclosed itself inside its cocoon. The mouse didn�t see the caterpillar come out the cocoon and was so intrigued that he set up shop just to observe the cocoon. He watched it day after day after day.

And then one day, the cocoon burst open and out came this breathtaking, beautiful, butterfly that began to spread its wings. It was an awesome sight. Its wings got used to the air � and it took flight.

The mouse cried, �I�ll be damned!�

The mouse started tripping and asked, �What happened to the caterpillar? Where is the caterpillar? I didn�t see this other thing. All I saw was an ugly caterpillar that engulfed itself into this thing and now this beautiful creature comes out? What the hell?�

The mouse starts looking for the caterpillar, and a few hours later, it dawned upon him that that butterfly that flew away WAS that ugly caterpillar.

The mouse got angry. The mouse got envious. The mouse got jealous. The mouse developed an attitude because it could not do what the caterpillar could. IT COULD NOT TRANSFORM! Why? Because it was literally NOT in the mouse to do what the caterpillar could do.

So, out of anger, envy, jealousy and a bad attitude, the mouse called a meeting with other field mice and said, �We have to do something about the caterpillars to stop them from becoming butterflies.�

The field mice set up a corporation. They formed a corporation called The Divine Cocoon. They started manufacturing artificial cocoons. The field mice advertised the cocoons as �The Way, The Truth and The Life�.

They marketed the cocoons so well that they actually convinced caterpillars that they didn�t have to go through their transformation stage��Just come to us and exercise faith in what WE have done. Put your trust in The Divine Cocoon. You don�t have to weave your own cocoon. Use the ones we made for you!�

The caterpillars fell for the hype. And when it came time for the caterpillars to do what they were divinely designed to do, they went to the mice, �We want our cocoon!� The mice gave them an artificial cocoon. The caterpillars went into the cocoons with the BELIEF, with the HOPE and the EXPECTATION that everything was going to be alright.

Needless to say, when the caterpillars would have become what the Most High designed them to become, they remained still ugly caterpillars.

The mice were rejoicing because they knew they had sold the caterpillars a LIE.

The caterpillars could not figure out what was wrong with them, �What�s wrong with us? We are not where we should be at this stage in our development.�

They were so frustrated. They started taking it out on each other. They started doing drive-by shootings. The male caterpillars started mistreating the female caterpillars (i.e. by calling them out of their names). It literally produced a systemic dysfunction among caterpillars because they had depended upon The Divine Cocoon � The Way, The Truth and The Life.

Really, the recession has nothing to do with partying because we as black folks always find a way to party.  This is where the house party comes in.  The house party is always cool because in the end it is a very intimate experience.  You have friends over playing cards, dominoes, dancing, music, and whatever else makes you release your tension.  House parties are very economical especially when you factor in the B.Y.O.B. aspect or when the potluck goes down.  You figure like this, 40 dollars will get you admission and maybe a couple of drinks in the club.  But 40 dollars will buy you a nice stash of libations and even some food, free admission, good music and you will still have some change left over.

Yes the club is about the ambiance and the experience of meeting new people.  But with everyone going through hard times today either economically or psychological in nature sometimes a little R & R with some close friends and family beats that hands down.  On top of that a house party reminds me of movies...sometimes it is like the antithesis to the club.  The club is always the "smoke and mirrors" of having a good time.  If you think about it you spend most of your time trying to be something you aren't. Very rarely do you get to go to a club and just let your hair down.  But the house gig is something very different you always seem to leave a little differently then when you came, even if it is not a favorable outcome.  At a house party the real "you" comes out and usually the circle is so closely knit there is no escaping the outcome.

That is what partying in the "recession" is about. We most often think of a recession when it comes to economics to describe the business cycle.  But really recession means withdrawal for restoration.  We have to do some cutting back either on the money tip or just how we look at what we wish to receive out of a good time.  Most often people want all the pomp and pageantry when they go out.  Everyone wants to be a star.  But, really now is not the time for that.  If you want to "make it rain" in the crib that's fine I'm sure that will make for a nice house gift to the host. But the house party is coming back and if you are like me I can remember going to sleep with all of my cousins and friends while all of the "grown folks" were downstairs letting it air out.  To be honest these were the times when people were closer even though at those house parties someone always showed their ass...literally and figuratively. This is one of those cycles and traditions passed down when you withdraw or recess yourself from all the flashing lights and spend some time at a BBQ with friends.  You add a little "truth serum" in the picture and you will begin seeing who the party crashers are or if you are the one crashing the party. At the house party you might find your long lost love, settle the score with family members, or make good with the new neighbors. During this economic recession, we should have a recession of our own and bring the party home to the house.

I had to laugh to myself when I saw a very good friend of mines note on Facebook.  Most of her friends are very upstanding Church goin folks.  But she tagged them and me in a note that was very surprising.  Now I am always up for a good question or debate if it has a purpose and ultimately a conclusion...not an answer just a conclusion.  Even if it is to show were we all stand on a particular issue.  But her note was geared towards the innate "evil" in men according to the Bible.  It was funny to me not because she just asked the question but she did it on a Sunday morning of all times and tagged all of her friends on their way out of the door heading out to give their praises.  I laughed to my self because I wondered "When is it ever a good time to ask these kinds of questions"?

It's like opening up a can of worms or Pandora's Box especially amongst your loved ones.  You may be an individual that took another path in life about how you view spirituality.  But do you ultimately just keep it to yourself, let your truth shine through in your actions, or just break out the debate?  Personally I always find myself as the one that likes to "smooth things over"...but really when is it a time to just let that go and tell people where you stand in your life? It becomes matter of "hey I'm tired of dancing around this thing so this is where I'm at with it".  You will have to deal with all of the backlash and/or support that come with this issue.

The "God" question is never easy.  You are at a point where when that question is introduced in the picture, you will change the way how people see you whether it is for better or worse.  Timing is always important also how deep in wherever you are at with your walk.  You have to decide if you should be tactful or just put it all out on the table.  Most of all what are we trying to accomplish with this question? Ironically that is the same thing when we look in the mirror and ask the "God "question to ourselves.

Man in Indonesia has tree like growths on his body.  Seeks medical treatment

Okay peeps, ya'll already know the story that's been happening since the end of April...it involves California beauty queen, Miss Carrie Prejean, who had been a Miss USA Pageant favorite during the 4/19/09 competition, but unfortunately, controversary insued and tongues began to wag after she answered a loaded gay marriage question in a "non-PC" fashion, which was given to her by pseudo-celebrity judge, a.k.a. notorious homosexual blogger, Perez Hilton.  You see ladies and gentlemen, Perez boldly asked this young beauty if she believed in "same sex marriage" and any potentially forthcoming state laws allowing such unions.  Uh-oh, why did this arrogant s.o.b. ask this poor girl THAT question, you ask?  Obviously, this clown--P. GiveHead Hilton--is pushing a thinly-veiled agenda that he and his supporters/peers wish to slam down the rest of our throats:

Support gay marriage, OR ELSE.

Technically, this isn't what most of us would deem an urban or "black issue" since the players in this game (nationally speaking) have been largely white, however, I smell a rat and it's only a matter of time before we get hit with the sodomite agenda ourselves.  As the old adage goes, "shit travels down hill".  Miss Prejean, answered Perez as politely as possible and informed him and the audience that she does not support gay marriage because of her family values, but did not wish to offend anyone.  But no matter, offense taken--Carrie Prejean lost the pageant.  Fast forward 3 weeks later...not only has Miss California been called every name in the book by pagent officials (homo-judge Perez Hilton even called her a DUMB BITCH on his blog site--professional huh?), her personal medical/surgical records were mysteriously leaked by pageant administrators (revealing Miss California had a "boob job" shortly before the competition), and now, drum roll please...it has also been revealed that she took some risque modeling photos a while back which is now threatening her state crown.

Simple coincidence? 

I say, hell-to-the-naw.  These homosexual zealots actually got their own personal search party together and went on a rabid, seek-and-destroy mission!  Perez himself was so "flaming mad" that when he was recently interviewed on Larry King to espouse his one-sided foolishness, he could barely keep the foam and spittle from his mouth from flying.  In other words, the message is clear folks; in 2009, it is soooo passe and "not cool" to not want two men to marry or two women.  Yes, we must now teach our children (and future children) that homosexuality is NORMAL and should be incorporated into our already morally savaged communities.  We should tell them that it is now OKAY to see soap operas, "reality" programming, music videos etc. with same sex relationships...and we should not only accept it, but EMBRACE IT.  To not do so, makes us now lame heteros akin to Nazis in WW II Germany or cruel, sadistic slave masters in the confederate south...okay, are you guys smellin' the same bullshit I'm smellin'?

Thank God that pageant owner, Donald Trump, was merciful enough (and smart enough) to realize this bafoonery for the crock that it was (a contemporary salem witch trial) and just decided as of today that Miss California can keep her crown.  So unless this poor bird has some Hoopz (fromThe Flava of Love) type sex videos suddenly blast to the surface, let's cross our fingers that's she's in the clear.  But trust, this was simply a "test run" fam.  Can you imagine the NEXT beauty queen that dares to answer such a question the wrong way?  Nada!  We are breeding a culture that will be taught to be DISHONEST in order to merely "go along to get along", regardless of how offensive or distasteful we personally find a particular issue.   In light of this alarming trend, I say that we be on the "look out" for more bullying tactics--there is a very REAL war being waged against the heterosexual community in my opinion.

So do I hate gays?  No.  Do I wish them harm?  Noooooooo.  Should gays have rights and protections?  Of course!  But having said that, there is no-way-in-hell that the rights of gays should supercede my right to have an opinion...just like they should'nt trump (no pun intended) the rights of Miss California from having a "say" either.  She should not be BULLIED, strong-armed and intimidated into silencing her convictions.  America's freedom of speech works both ways people--for the so-called oppressed as well as the majority, NO ONE'S individual rights should override the next persons.  Point blank--period.

My final word?  Preach on Miss Cali, preach on...

This morning I was fired from my job as a security guard for an adult boutique. My supervisor claimed that I left two people in the store (4/28) as I closed that evening. My first thought was that some bullsh*t, why did it take them a week to fire me if I allegedly did this over a week ago? My mother said that didn't want me there anymore and made that claim to release me, and I agree. My question is should I inform some type of authority about the going-on that's not suppose to take place in such an environment. For instance, it's a well-known place where men on the down low meet up to solicit and engage in sexual acts with other men. As a security guard, my primary duties were to maintain the parking lot, thus every 45 minutes i had to walk thriough the store and make sure that the patrons were in their booth handling their business. I've witnessed men sodomizing one another, heard the moans as I walked past the booths, cleaned up cigarette butts and alcoholic beverages, all which are illegal on the premises, yet allowed by my supervisor. I don't want to come off as a disgruntled employee, simply because I didn't care for the environment, especially the men whom tried to socilit me on numerous occassions. Should I just cut my losses and move on or should I file some type of grievance. All I'm saying is that I was unjustly released and what should my next move be?

Being frugal is saving money.  If you’re working to use your money wisely, you want to get the most for every dollar you spend and get the best deal possible on everything you buy.

For a lot of people, that’s as far as the frugal lifestyle goes.  The concentrate on maximizing their use of what they have and, in doing so, they completely miss the other side of the frugal equation.  Being frugal isn’t only about getting the most out of every penny, it’s also about getting more pennies.

If you really want to get the most out of your income, the best thing you can do is figure out was to increase it.  The more money you have, the more you can work to put that money to your advantage.  If you’re smart about how you use your income, you can make every extra dollar you earn work that much harder for you.   Increasing your income will also help reduce stress when bill paying time comes around.  The more money you have coming in, the easier it is to see it going out.

If you are looking for some simple ways to raise a bit of extra cash, here are some ideas that may help.

If you sew, knit, like beading or have other crafty skills, consider opening an Etsy store.

Clean out your closets and your attic.  Have a rummage sale or sell your goods on Ebay.

If I take a good look at my own financial situation and the financial situations of those close to me, I know there are areas that could use some improvement.  Being frugal becomes an attitude of you really have to want it just like you would want anything else in your life.  To be successful in life and your goals takes dedication and sometimes hard work.  The same applies to being frugal.  Learning to be frugal takes time, sometimes hard word and dedication.

I have been getting use coupons and I want to share my experience.  My attitude prior to using coupons - it’s going to take more time then it’s worth.  I will confess that it took me many hours of research trying to learn the secret to couponing but in the end I felt it was well worth it.   After a few shopping trips and saving $2, $5, $50; I actually was amazed and realized just how much money I’ve been wasting all these years.

Whether you’re cutting coupons, finding ways to cut back on expenses or learning to set-up a budget, it’s going to take time and dedication.  If you really want to see these things work for you, you really have to give yourself time to apply them in your everyday life.  You really have to have the attitude that you want it.  Have a mindset that you are going to make this work for you. 

When you start seeing the end result it really is a good motivator to keep you on track and moving on to your next financial goal.

hahahaha!

this shit is really funny!

Birdman & Weezy Talk About Books

Pure Comedy!

The Forgotten Presidents (The presidents before George Washington)
 

Posted on December 3, 2001 10:42:54 AM EST by Luis Gonzalez

Who was the first president of the United States? Ask any school child and they will readily tell you "George Washington." And of course, they would be wrong—at least technically. Washington was not inaugurated until April 30, 1789. And yet, the United States continually had functioning governments from as early as September 5, 1774 and operated as a confederated nation from as early as July 4, 1776. During that nearly fifteen year interval, Congress—first the Continental Congress and then later the Confederation Congress—was always moderated by a duly elected president. As the chief executive officer of the government of the United States, the president was recognized as the head of state. Washington was thus the fifteenth in a long line of distinguished presidents—and he led the seventeenth administration—he just happened to be the first under the current constitution. So who were the luminaries who preceded him? The following brief biographies profile these "forgotten presidents."

Peyton Randolph of Virginia (1723-1775)
When delegates gathered in Philadelphia for the first Continental Congress, they promptly elected the former King's Attorney of Virginia as the moderator and president of their convocation. He was a propitious choice. He was a legal prodigy—having studied at the Inner Temple in London, served as his native colony's Attorney General, and tutored many of the most able men of the South at William and Mary College—including the young Patrick Henry. His home in Williamsburg was the gathering place for Virginia's legal and political gentry—and it remains a popular attraction in the restored colonial capital. He had served as a delegate in the Virginia House of Burgesses, and had been a commander under William Byrd in the colonial militia. He was a scholar of some renown—having begun a self-guided reading of the classics when he was thirteen. Despite suffering poor health served the Continental Congress as president twice, in 1774 from September 5 to October 21, and then again for a few days in 1775 from May 10 to May 23. He never lived to see independence, yet was numbered among the nation's most revered founders.

Henry Middleton (1717-1784)
America's second elected president was one of the wealthiest planters in the South, the patriarch of the most powerful families anywhere in the nation. His public spirit was evident from an early age. He was a member of his state's Common House from 1744-1747. During the last two years he served as the Speaker. During 1755 he was the King's Commissioner of Indian Affairs. He was a member of the South Carolina Council from 1755-1770. His valor in the War with the Cherokees during 1760-1761 earned him wide recognition throughout the colonies—and demonstrated his cool leadership abilities while under pressure. He was elected as a delegate to the first session of the Continental Congress and when Peyton Randolph was forced to resign the presidency, his peers immediately turned to Middleton to complete the term. He served as the fledgling coalition's president from October 22, 1774 until Randolph was able to resume his duties briefly beginning on May 10, 1775. Afterward, he was a member of the Congressional Council of Safety and helped to establish the young nation's policy toward the encouragement and support of education. In February 1776 he resigned his political involvements in order to prepare his family and lands for what he believed was inevitable war—but he was replaced by his son Arthur who eventually became a signer of both the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation, served time as an English prisoner of war, and was twice elected Governor of his state.

John Hancock (1737-1793)
The third president was a patriot, rebel leader, merchant who signed his name into immortality in giant strokes on the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The boldness of his signature has made it live in American minds as a perfect expression of the strength and freedom—and defiance—of the individual in the face of British tyranny. As President of the Continental Congress during two widely spaced terms—the first from May 24 1775 to October 30 1777 and the second from November 23 1885 to June 5, 1786—Hancock was the presiding officer when the members approved the Declaration of Independence. Because of his position, it was his official duty to sign the document first—but not necessarily as dramatically as he did. Hancock figured prominently in another historic event—the battle at Lexington: British troops who fought there April 10, 1775, had known Hancock and Samuel Adams were in Lexington and had come there to capture these rebel leaders. And the two would have been captured, if they had not been warned by Paul Revere. As early as 1768, Hancock defied the British by refusing to pay customs charges on the cargo of one of his ships. One of Boston's wealthiest merchants, he was recognized by the citizens, as well as by the British, as a rebel leader—and was elected President of the first Massachusetts Provincial Congress. After he was chosen President of the Continental Congress in 1775, Hancock became known beyond the borders of Massachusetts, and, having served as colonel of the Massachusetts Governor's Guards he hoped to be named commander of the American forces—until John Adams nominated George Washington. In 1778 Hancock was commissioned Major General and took part in an unsuccessful campaign in Rhode Island. But it was as a political leader that his real distinction was earned—as the first Governor of Massachusetts, as President of Congress, and as President of the Massachusetts constitutional ratification convention. He helped win ratification in Massachusetts, gaining enough popular recognition to make him a contender for the newly created Presidency of the United States, but again he saw Washington gain the prize. Like his rival, George Washington, Hancock was a wealthy man who risked much for the cause of independence. He was the wealthiest New Englander supporting the patriotic cause, and, although he lacked the brilliance of John Adams or the capacity to inspire of Samuel Adams, he became one of the foremost leaders of the new nation—perhaps, in part, because he was willing to commit so much at such risk to the cause of freedom.

Henry Laurens (1724-1792)
The only American president ever to be held as a prisoner of war by a foreign power, Laurens was heralded after he was released as "the father of our country," by no less a personage than George Washington. He was of Huguenot extraction, his ancestors having come to America from France after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes made the Reformed faith illegal. Raised and educated for a life of mercantilism at his home in Charleston, he also had the opportunity to spend more than a year in continental travel. It was while in Europe that he began to write revolutionary pamphlets—gaining him renown as a patriot. He served as vice-president of South Carolina in1776. He was then elected to the Continental Congress. He succeeded John Hancock as President of the newly independent but war beleaguered United States on November 1, 1777. He served until December 9, 1778 at which time he was appointed Ambassador to the Netherlands. Unfortunately for the cause of the young nation, he was captured by an English warship during his cross-Atlantic voyage and was confined to the Tower of London until the end of the war. After the Battle of Yorktown, the American government regained his freedom in a dramatic prisoner exchange—President Laurens for Lord Cornwallis. Ever the patriot, Laurens continued to serve his nation as one of the three representatives selected to negotiate terms at the Paris Peace Conference in 1782.

John Jay (1745-1829)
America's first Secretary of State, first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, one of its first ambassadors, and author of some of the celebrated Federalist Papers, Jay was a Founding Father who, by a quirk of fate, missed signing the Declaration of Independence—at the time of the vote for independence and the signing, he had temporarily left the Continental Congress to serve in New York's revolutionary legislature. Nevertheless, he was chosen by his peers to succeed Henry Laurens as President of the United States—serving a term from December 10, 1778 to September 27, 1779. A conservative New York lawyer who was at first against the idea of independence for the colonies, the aristocratic Jay in 1776 turned into a patriot who was willing to give the next twenty-five years of his life to help establish the new nation. During those years, he won the regard of his peers as a dedicated and accomplished statesman and a man of unwavering principle. In the Continental Congress Jay prepared addresses to the people of Canada and Great Britain. In New York he drafted the State constitution and served as Chief Justice during the war. He was President of the Continental Congress before he undertook the difficult assignment, as ambassador, of trying to gain support and funds from Spain. After helping Franklin, Jefferson, Adams, and Laurens complete peace negotiations in Paris in 1783, Jay returned to become the first Secretary of State, called "Secretary of Foreign Affairs" under the Articles of Confederation. He negotiated valuable commercial treaties with Russia and Morocco, and dealt with the continuing controversy with Britain and Spain over the southern and western boundaries of the United States. He proposed that America and Britain establish a joint commission to arbitrate disputes that remained after the war—a proposal which, though not adopted, influenced the government's use of arbitration and diplomacy in settling later international problems. In this post Jay felt keenly the weakness of the Articles of Confederation and was one of the first to advocate a new governmental compact. He wrote five Federalist Papers supporting the Constitution, and he was a leader in the New York ratification convention. As first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Jay made the historic decision that a State could be sued by a citizen from another State, which led to the Eleventh Amendment to the Constitution. On a special mission to London he concluded the "Jay Treaty," which helped avert a renewal of hostilities with Britain but won little popular favor at home—and it is probably for this treaty that this Founding Father is best remembered.

Samuel Huntington (1732-1796)
An industrious youth who mastered his studies of the law without the advantage of a school, a tutor, or a master—borrowing books and snatching opportunities to read and research between odd jobs—he was one of the greatest self-made men among the Founders. He was also one of the greatest legal minds of the age—all the more remarkable for his lack of advantage as a youth. In 1764, in recognition of his obvious abilities and initiative, he was elected to the General Assembly of Connecticut. The next year he was chosen to serve on the Executive Council. In 1774 he was appointed Associate Judge of the Superior Court and, as a delegate to the Continental Congress, was acknowledged to be a legal scholar of some respect. He served in Congress for five consecutive terms, during the last of which he was elected President. He served in that off ice from September 28, 1779 until ill health forced him to resign on July 9, 1781. He returned to his home in Connecticut—and as he recuperated, he accepted more Counciliar and Bench duties. He again took his seat in Congress in 1783, but left it to become Chief Justice of his state's Superior Court. He was elected Lieutenant Governor in 1785 and Governor in 1786. According to John Jay, he was "the most precisely trained Christian jurists ever to serve his country."

Thomas McKean (1734-1817)
During his astonishingly varied fifty-year career in public life he held almost every possible position—from deputy county attorney to President of the United States under the Confederation. Besides signing the Declaration of Independence, he contributed significantly to the development and establishment of constitutional government in both his home state of Delaware and the nation. At the Stamp Act Congress he proposed the voting procedure that Congress adopted: that each colony, regardless of size or population, have one vote—the practice adopted by the Continental Congress and the Congress of the Confederation, and the principle of state equality manifest in the composition of the Senate. And as county judge in 1765, he defied the British by ordering his court to work only with documents that did not bear the hated stamps. In June 1776, at the Continental Congress, McKean joined with Caesar Rodney to register Delaware's approval of the Declaration of Independence, over the negative vote of the third Delaware delegate, George Read—permitting it to be "The unanimous declaration of the thirteen United States." And at a special Delaware convention, he drafted the constitution for that State. McKean also helped draft—and signed—the Articles of Confederation. It was during his tenure of service as President—from July 10, 1781 to November 4, 1782—when news arrived from General Washington in October 1781 that the British had surrendered following the Battle of Yorktown. As Chief Justice of the supreme court of Pennsylvania, he contributed to the establishment of the legal system in that State, and, in 1787, he strongly supported the Constitution at the Pennsylvania Ratification Convention, declaring it "the best the world has yet seen." At sixty-five, after over forty years of public service, McKean resigned from his post as Chief Justice. A candidate on the Democratic-Republican ticket in 1799, McKean was elected Governor of Pennsylvania. As Governor, he followed such a strict policy of appointing only fellow Republicans to office that he became the father of the spoils system in America. He served three tempestuous terms as Governor, completing one of the longest continuous careers of public service of any of the Founding Fathers.

John Hanson (1715-1783)
He was the heir of one of the greatest family traditions in the colonies and became the patriarch of a long line of American patriots—his great grandfather died at Lutzen beside the great King Gustavus Aldophus of Sweden; his grandfather was one of the founders of New Sweden along the Delaware River in Maryland; one of his nephews was the military secretary to George Washington; another was a signer of the Declaration; still another was a signer of the Constitution; yet another was Governor of Maryland during the Revolution; and still another was a member of the first Congress; two sons were killed in action with the Continental Army; a grandson served as a member of Congress under the new Constitution; and another grandson was a Maryland Senator. Thus, even if Hanson had not served as President himself, he would have greatly contributed to the life of the nation through his ancestry and progeny. As a youngster he began a self-guided reading of classics and rather quickly became an acknowledged expert in the juridicalism of Anselm and the practical philosophy of Seneca—both of which were influential in the development of the political philosophy of the great leaders of the Reformation. It was based upon these legal and theological studies that the young planter—his farm, Mulberry Grove was just across the Potomac from Mount Vernon—began to espouse the cause of the patriots. In 1775 he was elected to the Provincial Legislature of Maryland. Then in 1777, he became a member of Congress where he distinguished himself as a brilliant administrator. Thus, he was elected President in 1781. He served in that office from November 5, 1781 until November 3, 1782. He was the first President to serve a full term after the full ratification of the Articles of Confederation—and like so many of the Southern and New England Founders, he was strongly opposed to the Constitution when it was first discussed. He remained a confirmed anti-federalist until his untimely death.

Elias Boudinot (1741-1802)
He did not sign the Declaration, the Articles, or the Constitution. He did not serve in the Continental Army with distinction. He was not renowned for his legal mind or his political skills. He was instead a man who spent his entire career in foreign diplomacy. He earned the respect of his fellow patriots during the dangerous days following the traitorous action of Benedict Arnold. His deft handling of relations with Canada also earned him great praise. After being elected to the Congress from his home state of New Jersey, he served as the new nation's Secretary for Foreign Affairs—managing the influx of aid from France, Spain, and Holland. The in 1783 he was elected to the Presidency. He served in that office from November 4, 1782 until November 2, 1783. Like so many of the other early presidents, he was a classically trained scholar, of the Reformed faith, and an anti-federalist in political matters. He was the father and grandfather of frontiersmen—and one of his grandchildren and namesakes eventually became a leader of the Cherokee nation in its bid for independence from the sprawling expansion of the United States.

Thomas Mifflin (1744-1800)
By an ironic sort of providence, Thomas Mifflin served as George Washington's first aide-de-camp at the beginning of the Revolutionary War, and, when the war was over, he was the man, as President of the United States, who accepted Washington's resignation of his commission. In the years between, Mifflin greatly served the cause of freedom—and, apparently, his own cause—while serving as the first Quartermaster General of the Continental Army. He obtained desperately needed supplies for the new army—and was suspected of making excessive profit himself. Although experienced in business and successful in obtaining supplies for the war, Mifflin preferred the front lines, and he distinguished himself in military actions on Long Island and near Philadelphia. Born and reared a Quaker, he was excluded from their meetings for his military activities. A controversial figure, Mifflin lost favor with Washington and was part of the Conway Cabal—a rather notorious plan to replace Washington with General Horatio Gates. And Mifflin narrowly missed court-martial action over his handling of funds by resigning his commission in 1778. In spite of these problems—and of repeated charges that he was a drunkard—Mifflin continued to be elected to positions of responsibility—as President and Governor of Pennsylvania, delegate to the Constitutional Convention, as well as the highest office in the land—where he served from November 3, 1783 to November 29, 1784. Most of Mifflin's significant contributions occurred in his earlier years—in the First and Second Continental Congresses he was firm in his stand for independence and for fighting for it, and he helped obtain both men and supplies for Washington's army in the early critical period. In 1784, as President, he signed the treaty with Great Britain which ended the war. Although a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, he did not make a significant contribution—beyond signing the document. As Governor of Pennsylvania, although he was accused of negligence, he supported improvements of roads, and reformed the State penal and judicial systems. He had gradually become sympathetic to Jefferson's principles regarding State's rights, even so, he directed the Pennsylvania militia to support the Federal tax collectors in the Whiskey Rebellion. In spite of charges of corruption, the affable Mifflin remained a popular figure. A magnetic personality and an effective speaker, he managed to hold a variety of elective offices for almost thirty years of the critical Revolutionary period.

Richard Henry Lee (1732-1794)
His resolution "that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States," approved by the Continental Congress July 2, 1776, was the first official act of the United Colonies that set them irrevocably on the road to independence. It was not surprising that it came from Lee's pen—as early as 1768 he proposed the idea of committees of correspondence among the colonies, and in 1774 he proposed that the colonies meet in what became the Continental Congress. From the first, his eye was on independence. A wealthy Virginia planter whose ancestors had been granted extensive lands by King Charles II, Lee disdained the traditional aristocratic role and the aristocratic view. In the House of Burgesses he flatly denounced the practice of slavery. He saw independent America as "an asylum where the unhappy may find solace, and the persecuted repose." In 1764, when news of the proposed Stamp Act reached Virginia, Lee was a member of the committee of the House of Burgesses that drew up an address to the King, an official protest against such a tax. After the tax was established, Lee organized the citizens of his county into the Westmoreland Association, a group pledged to buy no British goods until the Stamp Act was repealed. At the First Continental Congress, Lee persuaded representatives from all the colonies to adopt this non-importation idea, leading to the formation of the Continental Association, which was one of the first steps toward union of the colonies. Lee also proposed to the First Continental Congress that a militia be organized and armed—the year before the first shots were fired at Lexington; but this and other proposals of his were considered too radical—at the time. Three days after Lee introduced his resolution, in June of 1776, he was appointed by Congress to the committee responsible for drafting a declaration of independence, but he was called home when his wife fell ill, and his place was taken by his young protégé, Thomas Jefferson. Thus Lee missed the chance to draft the document—though his influence greatly shaped it and he was able to return in time to sign it. He was elected President—serving from November 30, 1784 to November 22, 1785 when he was succeeded by the second administration of John Hancock. Elected to the Constitutional Convention, Lee refused to attend, but as a member of the Congress of the Confederation, he contributed to another great document, the Northwest Ordinance, which provided for the formation of new States from the Northwest Territory. When the completed Constitution was sent to the States for ratification, Lee opposed it as anti-democratic and anti-Christian. However, as one of Virginia's first Senators, he helped assure passage of the amendments that, he felt, corrected many of the document's gravest faults—the Bill of Rights. He was the great uncle of Robert E. Lee and the scion of a great family tradition.

Nathaniel Gorham (1738-1796)
Another self-made man, Gorham was one of the many successful Boston merchants who risked all he had for the cause of freedom. He was first elected to the Massachusetts General Court in 1771. His honesty and integrity won his acclaim and was thus among the first delegates chose to serve in the Continental Congress. He remained in public service throughout the war and into the Constitutional period, though his greatest contribution was his call for a stronger central government. But even though he was an avid federalist, he did not believe that the union could—or even should—be maintained peaceably for more than a hundred years. He was convinced that eventually, in order to avoid civil or cultural war, smaller regional interests should pursue an independent course. His support of a new constitution was rooted more in pragmatism than ideology. When John Hancock was unable to complete his second term as President, Gorham was elected to succeed him—serving from June 6, 1786 to February 1, 1787. It was during this time that the Congress actually entertained the idea of asking Prince Henry—the brother of Frederick II of Prussia—and Bonnie Prince Charlie—the leader of the ill-fated Scottish Jacobite Rising and heir of the Stuart royal line—to consider the possibility of establishing a constitutional monarch in America. It was a plan that had much to recommend it but eventually the advocates of republicanism held the day. During the final years of his life, Gorham was concerned with several speculative land deals which nearly cost him his entire fortune.

Arthur St. Clair (1734-1818)
Born and educated in Edinburgh, Scotland during the tumultuous days of the final Jacobite Rising and the Tartan Suppression, St. Clair was the only president of the United States born and bred on foreign soil. Though most of his family and friends abandoned their devastated homeland in the years following the Battle of Culloden—after which nearly a third of the land was depopulated through emigration to America—he stayed behind to learn the ways of the hated Hanoverian English in the Royal Navy. His plan was to learn of the enemy's military might in order to fight another day. During the global conflict of the Seven Years War—generally known as the French and Indian War—he was stationed in the American theater. Afterward, he decided to settle in Pennsylvania where many of his kin had established themselves. His civic-mindedness quickly became apparent: he helped to organize both the New Jersey and the Pennsylvania militias, led the Continental Army's Canadian expedition, and was elected Congress. His long years of training in the enemy camp was finally paying off. He was elected President in 1787—and he served from February 2 of that year until January 21 of the next. Following his term of duty in the highest office in the land, he became the first Governor of the Northwest Territory and the founder of Cincinnati. Though he briefly supported the idea of creating a constitutional monarchy under the Stuart's Bonnie Prince Charlie, he was a strident Anti-Federalist—believing that the proposed federal constitution would eventually allow for the intrusion of government into virtually every sphere and aspect of life. He even predicted that under the vastly expanded centralized power of the state the taxing powers of bureaucrats and other unelected officials would eventually confiscate as much as a quarter of the income of the citizens—a notion that seemed laughable at the time but that has proven to be ominously modest in light of our current governmental leviathan. St. Clair lived to see the hated English tyrants who destroyed his homeland defeated. But he despaired that his adopted home might actually create similar tyrannies and impose them upon themselves.

Cyrus Griffin (1736-1796)
Like Peyton Randolph, he was trained in London's Inner Temple to be a lawyer—and thus was counted among his nation's legal elite. Like so many other Virginians, he was an anti-federalist, though he eventually accepted the new Constitution with the promise of the Bill of Rights as a hedge against the establishment of an American monarchy—which still had a good deal of currency. The Articles of Confederation afforded such freedoms that he had become convinced that even with the incumbent loss of liberty, some new form of government would be required. A protégé of George Washington—having worked with him on several speculative land deals in the West—he was a reluctant supporter of the Constitutional ratifying process. It was during his term in the office of the Presidency—the last before the new national compact went into effect—that ratification was formalized and finalized. He served as the nation's chief executive from January 22, 1788 until George Washington's inauguration on April 30, 1789.

Somalian piracy...whenever I hear those words I have to laugh...not at the situation, but at the attempt of the mainstream media to put these people in the "Bad Guys" box. Alot of people have expressed their opinions on the situation and to be honest, most are just downright clueless or just don't want to admit the TRUTH. However, there are a few people who have hit the nail on the head and refuse to be brainwashed by the American Government...these people are truly awake. They see the government for what it is...the most hypocritical CORPORATION (yes, coporation) arguably in the world.

Let's look at the matter for what it is...coporations contracting OTHER corporations to dump their waste in in Afrika's waters. Seems like there is some sort of pass when it comes to sh*tting on Afrika and it's people...whatever would be considered a crime is perfectly legal and justifyable if done to Afrika. You have the western countries who go along these coasts and pretty much treat them like it's their dumping grounds, WITHOUT anybody overseeing their actions...they face no repercussions. Several different countries and organizations have robbed and raped Afrika for GOD knows how long...the richest continent on Earth...the reason these organizations have the power and wealth they have today...but let's focus on Somalia's "pirates" for now...shall we?

Ok...so you have a pond behind YOUR house...on YOUR land. You fish out of this pond...this is one of your main sources of food, fish...along with the vegetation that grows around the pond. Me and a few associates come along regularly and just dump our garbage and waste into YOUR pond whenever we feel like it...as a matter of fact, we even pay contract other people to dump waste into YOUR pond because there is just so much. What would you do? How would you react? If you decided to fight back...would that be wrong? Further more, you fight back...we hire CONTRACTED KILLERS to keep you from fighting us for dumping waste into YOUR pond...does that make any damn sense at all? Of course it does...if you're they type of person or corporation who is more crooked than a barrel of fish hooks...no pun intended.

Here's another scenario for you...from a U.S. perspective...shall we? Me and a few associates get together to do bank. We take the bank for every note that it has. A few days later, the "authorities" scoop up a few of my associates. Me and the remaining accomplices gather and decide that we are going to be "heros" in the situation and "rescue" our captured comrades. We run up into the jail, snuff out a few cops, rescue our friends...and away we go..."heros" who saved our friends who were only doing their "jobs"...???? Doesn't make any sense, does it?

That's the situation at hand people. We have the largest gang in the world who treats YOU like a criminal for crimes they commit everyday. NOW, i'm not telling anybody to go out here and rob a bank...what i'm telling you is real...the TRUTH. This government, not to mention it's "associates" have robbed, pillaged, looted, raped, murdered, etc. other indigenous people and their lands for so long...and always seems to manage to paint itself as the "good" who battles evil...war against terror. If you ask me, this government and it's associates are the biggest terrorist organization in the world...they just make it seem "legal". But Universal Law is coming into affect very soon...what you put out, you surely get back. This terrorist organization has put out ALOT of bad for a LONG time...Universal Law is not one of these man-made laws that will bend because you have deep pockets. Put two and two together...marinate on it.

How can all of mankind (race, religion, society) not be void of offense toward God? It's been well documented that The Trurh (of the Early Church) has been ignored by science, modern religion and education because its considered too "primitive" or "unsophisticated" for "modern" category of thought.

All of us (ME nad YOU) are infected with wrong thoughts and attitudes that have been handed down to us from the socities in which we live. They have been implanted in our herats and minds without our even realizing it. Jesus said, "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemers (Matthew 15:19).

Whether you admit it or not, we are the recipients of generations of corrupt religion, whom taught strong delusions, full of deceivableness and unrighteousness. How else can you explain (being given to a reprobate mind) why we debate whether Jesus is Black or White; is Sunday or Saturday the Sabbath; where in the Bible does it say we must tithe; which religion is fiction; why does modern society call "evil good and good evil"; WWJD What Would Jesus Do as oppose to WDJD What Did Jesus Do? Many believed in Christ when He was on this earth, and they believe in Him now, but they do not believe what He said, what He taught. Neither do they believe they must do the things He taught.

I'll never understand why they preach "hot tub Religion" when the point of it all is for us to "die out" to our (sinful and selfish) nature so Jesus can come in and redirect us to the ways and truth of God. It seems as if most of today's preachers (false prophets) are more concerned with diverting the worship of men from God to themselves, while lawlessness abounds from the vary sanctuaries they tell you that gathering in brings you closer to God. The focus has been shifted from learning to hate sin to (today's) prophets anxiousness to be adored as God-yet society doesn't know God, and many don't care to know Him.

P.S. I'm not claiming to be a spiritual scholar, yet I'm learning as I go and passing this along. I'm tired of being misled by the wyas and antics of Satan, how about you!

Be balanced: secure enough to be vulnerable, strong enough to be gentle, wise enough to be humble, and powerful enough to serve others. Don't let the words of others stop you. Only fear God. Have a quiet confidence, faith, and belief that you can conquer whatever life may bring. Put God first, family second, and yourself third. Respect others, but remain true to yourself. And at the end of the day, know how to have fun and enjoy life!

P.S. Does your man have these qualities...

As a heterosexual, I'm man enough to admit that one of my favorite authors of all time is the late E. Lynn Harris. A young lady I dated back in 2004 introduced me to his work by lending me the book "The Invisible Life." Though I admit I didn't care for the homophobic lifestyle, his wordplay moved me. I sensed Mr. Harris was decsribing his personal life in a fictional manner. What made him an icon (in my opinion) was his soul-stirring memoir "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted", a must read for any aspiring writer. E. Lynn Harris went down into the abyss of his soul and created a masterpiece that should be studied. In readiing it, you'll be able to look past his sexual preference and discover that no matter our differences (gender, culture, status) we all truly want to be loved, respected, appreciated and accepted for who we really are. Rest in peace to a literary icon.  

BEYONCE'S PUTS ME TO SLEEP WITH SWEET DREAMS

9 July, 2009 2 comments FUMBLES AND BUMBLES....

Beyonce comes down from the heavens and benevolently graces us once again with her new dance video "Sweet dreams".

We see her innovative costumes, mind blowing dances, and her masterpiece concepts that takes us to another level in consciousness...a deep consciousness.

It is truly a wonder to watch this star from the heavens come and bless us again...the world will not be the same without her and her sweet dreams.

Ok...enough already.

Masterpiece, innovative, and mindblowing it isn't, but its Beyonce and her signature green screen concept fixed with dancers the same as the last 1000 videos from her.  It's what we have to deal with until the next newbie comes along....

It's truly a cure for insomnia

I'm sleepy now...

                 Ok, i've been wanting to speak on this topic for a LONG time, and i'm finally fed up with this H*ES nonsense. Is it just me or are we all giving the most high and praise to a woman who not only admitted to being an adulterer, but a whore, slut and a quite frankly a high priced hooker. It sickens me how people are always saying, "well at least she's paid." What about RESPECT, MORALS, VALUES that as a child, were all enstilled in us to want to have and do better for ourselves. Karrine Steffans has blatently gone against all that I, as a female, was taught on my quest to becoming a woman.

              Don't get me wrong, I by far am not trying to hate on anyone's hustle, but this has gotten a little ridiculous. In that case, every two dollar whore on Woodward ought to be offered a book deal with a mansion and benz to go along with it. On the first book, i gave the woman her props on wanting to change her ways but even still, don't bring others down with you in your quest for "cleansing," or whatever it was she was looking for. This chick needs a swift kick in the you know what for even trying to ruin carrers with her secret sexcapades. The first rule to the game is NEVER kiss and tell, what every dirty little encounters you want to have, by all mean be my guest, but NEVER and i do mean NEVER do you air all in search of fame.

              My recent disgust with this chick comes from an interview I saw of her on the Today Show. Ok so maybe i'm crazy, but there are young black REAL succesful women out here with their own businesses and companies who grind all day to craeate a real fortune for themselves yet you have NEVER seen them on anybody's today show. But nonetheless we have this "woman," if that's what we want to call her, who gave a few blow jobs and went home and told her diary all about it, on the Today Show, masquerading as some kind of sex/ relationship expert. WTF.?! ok, so the sex part..i actually might take a second to see what she has to say, she's obviously doing something right (lol), but relationships, ARE YOU SERIOUS? The only relationship i would take advice from this girl on is that that of a woman to her vibrator. thats about it.! so call me a hater if you want to, but i can not as a woman nor a person with dignity, respect nor praise this chick for what she is, has done and plans to do. I give her props on turing her "hoe-ing" into to a money making industry but the love definitely stops there.

Breaking and Entering is the topic here, see this weekend I went out had a great time, only to come back to my house and see that my house had been violated.  Initially I felt disbelief.  "No" I said to myself, I am imagining things.  I walked back and forth through the rooms of my house where the items had been stolen from hoping that my eyes where playing some not funny trick on me. 

Now when your house get's robbed it is almost immediate that you know who did it.  I, in this instance knew, but I had to go to my neighbor who was able to verify.  Being in a nosey neighborhood definately does pay off.  Apparently I had let these young kids, in the spirit of neighborhood unity come into my house and play.  Now I have lived in this neighborhood for 2 years and have never experienced getting broken into until I let these young kids into my house.  So immediately they where the primary suspects. 

Children that have little to no parental guidance, or even too much freedom can sometimes be a danger in the nieghborhoods because they are influenced by older kids, bored, or just needing attention.  I guess in my background I always experienced the lady at the end of the street who took care of all of the children in the neighborhood. Baking cookies letting the children in her house to play, allowing them to have something to do rather than run the streets. In essence I felt that day that I was that lady, and I really took pride that these children wanted to come here and do something constructive with their time.  In this instance no only did I feel violated, I felt hurt that the very kids that I showed the same love to that I was brought up in, came back and B&E'd my house. WOW! So it's like that?

The police came (eventually) but surprisingly they where very gentle in how they approached the situation.  The officers told me everything that I could do according to the law (which was nothing).  But I was greatful that they came into this situation and had some compassion. They didn't just do the average, give me a report and out the door there's nothing I can do scenario.  They took the time to explain renters insurance and the importance of it.  (BTW YALL GET RENTERS INSURANCE)

So the next day comes and the best advice I got was to approach the parent of the boys that where the culprits.  Most people would be afraid to go up to the door of the person that you think stole something from you with the assumption that they are going to be automatically defensive. My approach was very emotional but not attacking him as a parent.  I basically showed him the real side of the situation.  I am a single mother, running a business, I let your children come here to play, I give them food, love and attention, they come back and B&E'd my house. Ciome to find out these kids had snuck out and this was the verification along with other verifications that they had snuck out.  I tell you not an hour went past before I got back everything they had stolen from me. 

The lesson I learned in this situation is one in situations of crisis it is best to keep a level head and not immediately go into violence as a solution.  My immediate outrage could have sent me down the street banging on the door of their father hooting and hollaring, getting nothing accomplished.  Good thing it was 3am in the morning and I had time to sleep my anger and frustration off.  Plus I had a good friend that came to my side to guide me in this situation to not let my emotions over rule my logical mind. Sometimes a heartfealt talk with someone in authority who knows the maybe perpetrators can turn the situation around. So often people feuled by emotion will go into this same situation seeking immediate retribution.  What I found out in this situation was that I found a Father that cared.  A Father that was too busy to really have proof that their sons had been terrorising the neighborhood.  Here finally EUREKA! he had the proof.  So many times before there where vandalisms that had happened in our neighborhood that noone was able to proove.  The response to the situations in question where always "i'm going to kick that little boys ass" "I know who did it" or some other type of aggressive behavior. This was a great milestone. You mean to tell me that by me just leveling with the father and giving him a chance to explain his side, and by him listening to my side, he was able to fix the problem? Wow! By my not going on the immediate attack he was able to mend the situation.

I say all this to say how important it is for fathers to be in their sons and daughters life, so that when situations arise like this people can go to that authority figure and say listen, your child violated me, we live on the same block.  Rather than call the goons and create an all out war.  We need to have more dialogue in our communities yall. Talk to your neighbors, get to know them.  So that when situations happen like this, you can be assured that your neighbors will have your back. It happened back in the day, It can happen again today.

What makes a relationship so difficult to start?

When we meet a man or a woman what is the first thing that crosses your mind?  What happens when you discover that you want to take that relationship to the next level?  Do we have some basic standards that we adhere to or do we just go with the flow?  I often get these kinds of questions from friends of mine seeking to embark on a new journey in a relationship.  After all of the sifting through emotions and being a private detective I always come to this conclusion with them...

1. How does this person make you feel?
2. How do you feel about this person?
3. Do you know their background?
4. And if you do know their background are both parties willing to take it a step further?

Now that isn't the "be-all-to-end-all" but those are the basics.  Beginning a relationship is never an easy task.  But the first thing I always examine is what draws you to this individual?  That is the main thing because most people do not understand that people are brought in your life for a reason.  You may not even understand why.  They are here to teach you a lesson about yourself.  There is an innate desire in us to know who we are.  People are just reflections of this desire.  We may feel like we got it all figured out, but in the end we will either discover our power or discover our weaknesses when we are dealing in a relationship. 

I was talking with a girlfriend who was discussing with me her new interest and the intensity of the chemistry between them was unmatched by anything she had ever experienced and he felt the same way about her.  The issue is that both people have a past that they are carrying into this new situation so it is hard for them to deny each other but at the same time they have loose ends to tie up.  My main thing that I explained to her is overall establish a genuine friendship.  Friendships are not selfish.  Women especially when we meet someone we are digging on we see the house the picket fence and all eight children.  But really that is OUR perception and even though dreams can become reality we are talking about what is happening right now.  Right now, the important thing is establishing a foundation with this person.  I am one who gets all in with a person.  I get into the past.  I ask about the mother and the father.  What careers have you had in the past?  And most of all I am not doing it to be nosy...I really want to know.  I really want to get to KNOW the person before I KNOW them...if you know what I mean. 

I think that is very important.  We can become selfish in our thoughts when it comes to a relationship.  We can sit back and say "me me me" and not see the bigger picture.  Someone can be telling us the whole truth even without speaking, but are we opened up enough to this person to read those signs?  See you should have boundaries and standards for yourself in a relationship...hell you should know what you are willing to deal with or not. But that takes getting to know YOU a little more.  To know where you stand takes knowing your own power and weaknesses.  With that being said that is what relationships are all about, being honest.  Relationships are our measure of energy.  What energy are we willing to share and what are we willing to give up becoming a better person.  And that is reciprocity.  Most people are not willing to do that.  We have got this fairie tale notion of a relationship that people should come packaged and bowed.  But are WE LIKE THAT? No of course.  Most people don't even like themselves and that shows in the outside validations we get from entities that ultimately do nothing for our inner peace.  That is the purpose of an intimate relationship.  That relationship has the responsibility to get down in the inner concaves of us and draw out some of the darkest parts of us.  If we are willing to go there.  But it takes developing a trusted friendship with that special one to even begin that process.  Friendships are not about "I only do for you because this is what I want".  Friendships are about "I'm willing to go there to help you because in turn I will learn about myself".  When you have two parties that are willing to take that journey when it comes to establishing a relationship...It is never an easy task...But even if it doesn't work out...ultimately it was worth the lesson.

IT AINT E-Z.............

Especially when you dont know if he'll be home in time for his son's birth. He's been locked up 9 times before for the same shit (drug dealin, street shit) and this time the judge dont have no more sympathy for him. He wants him to do the whole 18 months (and he's only done 4 months so far). Our baby boy is due in another 3 months and I have the strongest feelin that i will be in that delivery room by myself. It eats me up inside but i have 2 stay strong for my son. When i was 21 weeks i started dialating so i've been on bedrest ever since (im 25 weeks now) and i know that stressing myself could be harmful to my son. So i try to stay positive but i'll tell ya.. it gets HARD. Right now i feel like i hate my baby father, i hate him for puttin us through this. Im only 18 years old and i feel like im too young to be going through all this right now, but then again i made the decision to have/keep my baby. And i dont regret that at all. Me and my babysdad just met 10 months ago and I just sometimes wish i was by myself. I dont know if im ready to deal with this man for the REST of my life. U know when u get sick of a nigga u just drop them and leave them alone. I can't do that now. I have to put my pride to the side and try to work it out between us, for my sons sake. I really want him to have his mom and dad together like 1 big happy family, i guess its because I never had that. My baby father tells me all the things i wanna hear. he says we gonna be together, he says he's never going to cheat on me, he says when he gets out he's gonna get a real job and stop this street shit for GOOD, he says he's deeply in love wit me.. but in the back of my mind no matter how much i want to believe it, i wonder if he's just saying all this because he's loney and by him self right now. I still think that he can get out and act a fool. Just the news of me being pregnant has already caused girls he use 2 talk to 2 start hating on me, chicks i dont even KNOW. its like damn all this already???? Let me mention when i got pregnant we were just "messing around" but when he got locked up, thats when he decided to ask me out and make it official between. Hmm... i wonder about him. Well because of all these mixed feelings, I have not let myself fall in love with him. I mean i got love for him, but I been through 2 much 2 get my heart broken all over again, so for this reason its like my heart has a gaurd up that it wont let down. I cant make my self love him, and I know it wont happen untill he proves him self worthy.

All the pain & suffering i been through wit past relationships has led me to not be able to fall in love so easily. Maybe thats a good thing. Toodlez

That song is so true!!

I remember when Proof was alive...I never knew he had so many fans until he died and you seen everyone wanting to show love for P

So when i was on myspace and seen this is reminded me of P all over again

The Myspace HipHop page is posting print screens of celebs twitter pages that are blasting their myspaces

They had one that said "Sadly, Dolla posted about his MySpace page, hours before he was shot outside of the Beverly Center"
So i peeped how many followers he had that day on the print screen then I noticed how many he has today
WHY ARE THEY FOLLOWING HIM NOW? What he gonna tweet "I'm dead now because I got killed" BE FOR REAL!

How about showing folks some love before they're gone...believe me THEY WOULD APPRECIATE IT MORE ALIVE THAN DEAD!

I'm on myspace and i get updates to some people pages Tech N9ne is one of them...some people probably don't even know who the hell I'm talking about but a lot of white people idolize him!! (I'm not racist but its the truth white people love this guy!)

Which made me think why are people so quick to idolizing celebrities I mean its ok to be a fan but when you go as far as tattooing your favorite rappers FACE ON YOUR BODY...you've gone a little too far

Really think about it most likely you will never meet the person you've just tattooed on you

You're stuck with that tattoo forever so if that artist switch up and you no longer like their music LMAO@YOU

When you get older its going to look funny on your saggy skin lol but then again your favorite artist is old with wrinkly skin by now anyway

To top it all off I'm sure they could care less that you even did this and probably thinking "What a dumbass" (I know I would if i were that celebrity)

So anyway to those that are reading...would you get a tattoo of your favorite artist name, face, or logo?

Oh yea and another thing that gets on my nerve is when people see a celeb they act like they've lost their damn mind screaming and passing out...you grown as hell lol WTF are you doing!!

I can't wait until this movie comes out...

Lately I've been watching movies online for free lol but this movie looks good i have to go to the movies to see it

OMG!

Social Networking Makes Connections and Re-Connections Easier.

When I joined MySpace in 2004, I never thought that for the next five years, it would become a consistent part of my life. From blogging, to listening to music, to getting and sending friend requests, MySpace became a way for me to connect with people around the country and around the world. By the end of 2008, the site had lost its allure for me and millions of others, as it turned into a dumping ground for millions of artists seeking someone to listen to their music, authors looking for readers, and more. MySpace had become less of "A Place for Friends" and more of "A Place for Customers". Something that quickly became a turnoff.

Not really impressed with Facebook, because of its less flashy and less personal than MySpace, the pages can't really be personalized, I begrudgingly started going to using it because everybody else was. And were they. The Class President from my high school found me on there, as well as many other friends from Cass Tech. My friends from the Detroit Hip-Hop Community are there, my long-distance relatives, ex-boyfriends, and even the occasional buddy from as far back as middle school. They are all on Facebook.

Facebook has made reconnecting with people in my past as easy as looking up their name in a search box and then sending them a friend request. Before you know it, you are posting on their "wall" about how great they look, or you can even send them instant messages. You can upload videos that you create yourself, you can write notes, that are similar to blogs, you can play games, and you can update your "Status" as often as you like. Facebook is delightfully addictive and while it lacks the flashy personality of MySpace it makes up for it in quality. There is little to no anonymity on Facebook, if you write something on someone's wall, everyone in your network will see it. So, a little internet decorum is advised.

Blogger, Sam Carson wrote about "The Psychology of Facebook: Why are you Hooked?" in 2007. He explained that people are natural collectors, they enjoy going about "collecting" friends, both the new and the old. There is also the voyeurism factor, you can look at the wedding pictures of a girl you had a crush on, or the personal pictures of a boy you used to date, you can judge them right in the privacy of your own home, as long as you keep your comments to yourself. Or if you are less vindictive, you can share your well-wishes and show the world how you've grown. There is also the fact that Facebook is becoming more and more popular with the 30 and over demographic. When I first joined, years ago, I didn't use it because I thought it was for high school kids, now there are more users who are my age and are actively using their pages.

Then, there is the new social networking monster, Twitter.

Twitter is the newest digital fad, and it too is quite addictive. Twitter operates on the concept that you send messages out in only 140 characters, similar to the amount of characters in one text message, called "Tweets". The easiest way to imagine Twitter is that it is one long conversation that never ends. The Twitter tag line reads: "What are you doing?" Apparently, there are millions of people who care about what you are doing. Erykah Badu tweeted about the birth of her new daughter, Mars, who was announced to the world immediately as she entered the world by her father, music producer, Jay Electronica. Twitter is fun and it is a great site because there are tons of celebrities on it, and you can peer into their lives, you can make comments about things that they say, and they may even comment back. On Twitter, the concept is to "Follow". Instead of sending friend requests, you "follow" a person, which gives you the ability to see what they are writing, and if they follow you, they can see what you write as well, otherwise, they can only see what you say when you respond directly to them.

For example, writer Karrine Steffans, author of The Vixen Diaries has thousands of followers, but she only follows one person: Barack Obama. Therefore, she can only see what people are saying when they are speaking directly to her, or in response to something that she "Tweets". Get it? It's not as complicated as it seems. Twitter has been fun for me. I am currently following friends that I know, friends that I have made online and even Ashton Kutcher. It blurs the barriers that existed between people from different places in the world and even in life. However, because the tweets are so small it can often feel like a competition to be as witty as possible as briefly as possible.

There are tons of Social Networking sites in cyberspace, there is even a magazine called Social Computing Magazine for people who want to read about keeping up with people. However, I use them for fun, for business, and for connections that usually turn out to be pretty valuable. If you want to find me, follow me.

 www.myspace.com/bibathediva

www.twitter.com/bibathediva

Game 6 of the Bulls vs Knicks in the '94 NBA playoffs. This is one of my all time favorite dunks right here...not to mention, by one of my all-time favorite players, Scottie Pippen. Patrick Ewing would normally just snuff out an attempt like this...but Scottie wasn't gonna be denied. And check out the trash talk after the dunk..."Get off me b*tch!!" LOL...then he has a little somethin' to say to Spike Lee. This dunk was crucial!!!!

Dayuuuuuummm! Lol...check out Halle Berry when the Paparazzi were all around trying to get photos of her and her baby. I think Ms. Berry had a few flashbacks of being on the set during filming of X-Men. I coulda sworn I seen a few clouds in the sky and Halle's eyes light up, lol.

Good morning Detroit. With the election of our new mayor, are you happy, are you disappointed…DID YOU VOTE??? It’s amazing that in a city that is populated with roughly 800,000 citizens, only 93,000 voted. However, it will be the other 700,000-plus that rant and rave about the election, the decline of our once prominent city in general.  I pose the question does it really matter who’s in office? I say that because we are a society that attempts to bandage the ill effects of our economic decay, as opposed to going down into the abyss and healing the root of the matter. Failed schools grow from failed leadership. Failed government stem from failed leadership. For decades our leaders have (one after the other) allowed the wolves in sheep clothing to manipulate, taint, thus rob Detroit of its growing economic boom and prominent neighborhoods. We are the only major U.S. city without a mall, nor any other major chain within the city limits. My point; if you lead a cub to the jungle, desert him at a crossroad of inopportunity and hopelessness, don’t be surprised as the cub grows into a failed and misguided tiger, that he destroys his habitation.

On last Thursday morning, I had a dream that I was riding in the back of a pickup truck, the kind with the wood around it, with about five Mexican men. I was hitching a ride into New York City and although I knew that Mexico was "Ground Zero" for Swine Flu, I took my chances, however, the whole ride, I had my nose and mouth covered with my t-shirt. I arrived in NYC and it was a mess and not a pleasant trip, I woke up shortly after... with a sore throat.

Did the dream make me sick? Or was it a warning? An acknowledgement by my body that I was not well?

My throat went from "Hmm. A little scratchy" to "Five Alarm Blazing Fire" within hours. And, I had a long day that day. I had work, my other work, and a memorial service to attend. By the time I climbed into bed that night, I knew I was sick, and Tylenol nor Halls were not helping. When my boyfriend called in the middle of the night, which he tends to often do, I could barely respond, and just said "mmm-hmmm" during the conversation. When he hung up, I put on my shoes and went directly to the hospital.

Fortunately, I live less than five minutes from a hospital. I was quickly seen and my doctor stated that everything looked fine. She asked me if I had been traveling or around anyone who was sick. Neither was the case, although, I do work with children, who are little outbreak monkeys. I was given Lidocaine, a numbing agent, Motrin 800, for pain relief, and eventually a big shot of Penicillin in the ass, to help speed along the end of the infection.

By Friday, I was running a fever, vomiting, aching and feeling as if I was living with one foot here and one in the afterlife. I drifted in and out of consciousness for the next two days. My body was so sore from coughing that I was pretty sure that I had bruised ribs, my nose and throat hurt, my eyelids hurt.

But, I survived. I survived the flu. The old-fashioned flu. And, I wasn't on the news. I am inclined to think that a lot of these cases, especially those in the United States are are regular flu bug, and it may be a powerful one, because the one that knocked me down was no joke. However, I don't think it is pandemic. What is pandemic is the fact that because I don't have health care, that trip to the emergency room, should have been a trip to my doctor, and will probably cost me about $800 and take my credit score down further, which could be damaging to my future goals.

I think that this current health "crisis" should call for Americans to do a few simple things. First, wash your hands. I admit, I felt that I was kind of invincible when it came to germs, I was one of those people who "never gets sick", however, it is important to wash your hands, and by making a habit to wash them whenever the thought occurs to me, I already feel better. Secondly, let's call for universal health care. Medical bills affect people psychologically, and financially. Unpaid medical bills mean bad credit, bad credit could mean denial for a job, a car, or even a house, and could perpetuate poverty. Why people don't see that, is unclear to me. Let's lobby our government to understand that health care fulfills the promise of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Finally, take your health seriously. As it stands, when I got sick, I was in the midst of a major lifestyle change. I am currently eliminating meat from my diet, for 21 days, but perhaps longer. I take a lot of vitamins, but even these things are relatively new to my system. However, I believe that I am one of few who is truly taking a proactive stance when it comes to good health, after all, health is wealth.

LOL...man if I wasn't crying listening to this video...i mean rollin' on the floor. Check out Roy Woody Jr's prank call to a Black Woman named Barbara about her money. He called to inform her that they would be reducing the amount of money she had been recieving to only $250...LOL. You could definately understand why this Black Woman was upset...the thought of your check being reduced to such a...laughable amount would drive you to wanna...well, you know.