And the Card Attached Would Say......

........thank you for being a friend!!!

That's just one of the lines that I used to sing every Saturday night when I was a kid, and still sing today when I hear the theme song from one of my ALL time favorite shows. Before there was Sex and the City, these four gals were the ultimate Sex. The Golden Girls is still one of those shows, that although I have seen EVERY single episode, I can still laugh my ass off. Whether it be southern belle and over-sexed Blanche Devereaux talking about one of her many escapades with some gentleman caller; Rose Nylund the ditsy innocent one talking about the crazy things that she did as a kid and the many townspeople of St Olaf that sounded more like an amusement park then an actual town; to even the straight and narrow Dorothy Zbornak that could never catch a break with the men, but kept everyone in check. How ironic that it was her and not Blanche that actually got married in the series finale. But I will have to say that out of the three of them, no one and I mean no one could deliver such witty lines and had a toungue like a whip, than Dorothy's mother: Sophia Petrillo.

Played by Estelle Getty, Sophia was one to cross that was for sure. Whether she was calling Blanche a slut, Rose an idiot, or tellin Dorothy about her flaws, she never eased up. And that's how she showed her love for each one of them. There were times where she wore her heart on her sleeve, but then the quick witted money schemer would come to the surface. We all know it was a front, but we couldn't help but laugh at the fact that she didn't take crap and she sure dished it out.

I was sad to hear that Ms. Getty passed away today, but Sophia will always live on in reruns of the Golden Girls that have actually gotten more popular since the series first aired, 20 years ago. As I stated before there are so many times when I have watched an episode of these ladies and although I know what's about to happen I still laugh and enjoy it as if it was the very first time.

Estelle, you will be missed. Keep em' laughin!

BTW Check these out:



and of course, the famous condom skit:

Just Thought I'd Share

I'm not really going to write anything long and in-depth, just some things I would like to share.

I love, love, LOVE Obama. Even before he decided to run for President of the United States, I read his books, and enjoyed them both. And the fact that he's a breath of fresh air, something America really needs right now.

Get out and vote, no matter whom you support, just do it!

My nephew just got accepted to his top school, UMES (University of Maryland Eastern Shore) and I couldn't be more proud, not only for him, but in a little way for myself, It was the top school of my choice, got accepted, but just couldn't afford it at the time, *sigh. And yes, I know I'm too young and fabulous to have a nephew about to enter college, lol. But Biological was a rolling stone.

On that note, my nephew's mother (my half sister) and I are starting to communicate a little more than we have been. She just got engaged to her long time boyfriend. I'm like damn, it's about time! My family, especially on the Biological units side is a little complicated. Hence the lack of communication, but I digress. More on that at a later time.

I think it's my life's mission to become a father one day. I have known for a long time that I like and want kids. Going about getting them is another story. =)

Still havn't decided what I will purchase with my 6 month review bonus. I bought an iPod touch a couple weeks ago, and I AM LOVING IT!

Maybe a PS3???

I have been feeling this pretty lady for a few months now:



Estelle is her name, and filling a void could be her game. She comes in the game at a time, where me like so many other people are tired of waiting on a Lauryn Hill return, and this rapper/singer could be the medicine for the cure.

Can you believe we turn the clocks forward on Sunday? I say we get rid of daylight savings all together, so it will stay light longer all year long.

I REALLY need to find a place to go for my 30th Birthday, I mean, it is ONLY 10 months away!

Hell I need to find a place to go for about a week or 2 this summer!

Finnaly watched A Raisin in the Sun from my DVR and I must say that it was pretty good. I remember watching the original with Sidney Poitier while in school, and I must say I didn't think this was going to be as good. I know if it's released on DVD it will be added to my collection.

Looks like I'm going to have to start buying Blu Ray, damnit!

And because she was so good in the movie, I can't wait to make my first New York trip next month to see A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Cmon, Phyllicia Rashad, Terrance Howard, James Earl Jones!!! I cannot wait to see this!

Ma ma say, ma ma sa, Ma ma coo sa

Yeah Michael may have used the words first, but Rihanna brought it back in style and made it sexy.... more on that in a second.

I know it's been a minute people, but I have been extra busy, and at the same time not really in the right mind set to write about anything. So hopefully I can get back in the swing of things.

A few days after my birthday I took my best friend out for dinner and we actually had the privilege of going to the Washington Auto Show. It was the first time that I had the chance to attend, so it was definitely an experience to see all the different types of cars. As a kid until my early 20's I collected Hot Wheels, and now they're just sitting in a box somewhere until I can put them on display. But I think the auto show may have reignited that passion and I may start adding to that collection again.

I am so excited that in an effort to do something for Black History Month and to support my fellow bloggers, I recently purchased, Dayne Avery's I Wrote This Song and Fred Smith's Down for Whatever & Right Side of the Wrong Bed. Once I am finally finished with my current reading, I'll be ready to immerse myself in the lives of these characters that both authors have brought to life.

So back to my girl Rihanna...... I probably first came across her the same time everyone else did, when S.O.S. was heatin up the dance floors, but she had actually been out longer than that with a previous album, but I was a little skeptical about whether she would have staying power, but with the last few singles, this sexpot has a lot to offer her fans as well as a place in the music biz. It might just be me, but I am loving, Please Don't Stop the Music, and I have been Ma ma coo sa'in for weeks! lol

Ummm Ummm Good! (CONTAINS NUDITY!!!)

I know I have mentioned my guilty pleasures on here before. One more to add to the list is the Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency. I have continued to watch the show, now in it's third season since the beginning, and it has yet to disappoint. Although it comes on Oxygen, I am still shocked but delighted at the amount of butt that they show on a weekly basis. I never thought of myself as someone with a fetish, but could it be nice gluts? LOL.

The model I'm enjoying right now is Danny. A newer addition this season, there's just something about him.



And Danny from the back:



Of course there are more pics from the photoshoot, but those were my favorite.

Countdown

As the clock slowly ticks on down to a brand New Year and we say goodbye to 2007, I can't but help thinking that my life has taken such a wonderful turn this past year that I will actually miss it some. In the past I couldn't wait for the year to be over and a new one to try to make it better, but that's not really the case this time. Am I excited about 08? Sure I am, because of the good things in 07, I'm ready to see what better things lie down the road.

The last few weeks have been the most interesting and fulfilling of the year if I say so myself. My job continues to be a pleasant experience and I was even more shocked to receive my very first bonus ever! I have never worked anywhere before where the job is just as grateful of its employees as it's employees are to have a job. I was discussing this with my mother, my best friend and she was like I should buy something that I really wanted. I was indecisive at first, because there were a couple things on that list. She mentioned something about a stereo that I had wanted since earlier in the year, which not only played my collection of Cd's but also docked my Ipod. After much debate and urging from her, saying I deserved something nice for myself, especially after all the hard work I've put in over the years to get to this point. I was like, you are absolutely right and went ahead and splurged a little. And to make things even better, the site had taken down the price for the holidays.

I can't believe a few months and posts ago I just wanted to sleep my way thru the holidays. I wasn't looking forward to them at all, but after Thanksgiving I think I was recharged enough to put an effort in, and it paid off wonderfully. I am the kind of person that would rather buy the people that I care about gifts and make them happy instead of expecting something in return. This year however I was pleasantly surprised that my boo got me a digital camera, and the parental units bought me something that I considered, but never really expected on some level:

The Nintendo Wii is one of best game systems I have played in ages! It has brought back that inner child that I thought was lost forever. I haven't played games on an everyday basis like I have this past week probably since I moved to DC, but I am definitely getting a kick out of it. The fact that I can download old Nintendo game from all the previous consoles is a delightful bonus I did not expect.

Now as we hop into this New Year, I know that my birthday is around the corner, and although I don't expect much, there is something that I have my eye on to purchase for myself:

But the bigger picture is using all of 08 to prepare for my 30th birthday on 09. I mean, you only turn 30 once, at least most of us. So of course I have to find the perfect place to go and there are so many places I would love to see, so hence using the entire year to do so.

But 08 is not only going to be used on self indulgent things, but also trying to better myself further than I have done this past year. I want to get myself out of the small but tedious debt that I have accumulated over the years. I want to also use 08 as a starting point on going to grad school and getting my Masters in Non-profit management. I would also like to seriously getting back involved with my fraternal duties and get back to volunteering, especially with kids.

So look out 08, here I come!

Theme for English B

I figured with my last post, Some Days that a few people would know whom I was speaking of right of the bat, and some that wouldn't, but was even more surprised and flattered when someone else thought I was talking about myself. However, the person that I was referring to was none other than the Poet Laureate himself, Mr. Langston Hughes. I have been a fan of his poetry and his writings since I was a kid. He was sort of an accidental discovery, but one that inspired me to one day become a great writer, which is still a work in progress.

It had to be in middle school, but during one of those English classes where we were reading the chapters aloud, I had read ahead (mainly out of boredom, but also sheer disgust that she picked yet another classmate that read slower than molasses, "the word is THE, damnit!")and started flipping thru the book, and found that there was a poetry section towards the back. I read a few of them, and although all of them were good, there was only one that stood out in my mind called, Theme For English B. I think more so, because it was apparent that the person that wrote it, this Langston Hughes was a Black man. Wanting to know more I used my next chance to go to the Library (it was the early 90's, so no damn internet)and find out about Mr. Hughes. From the moment I started researching him, I knew this was someone that I would always want to learn about, and thru the years, epsecially now that I am an adult and a few other things have come to light, I now know that it was not only the poetry, the writings, the interesting life, but a few other things that drew me to Langston in the first place. I also fell in love with the time period that he lived in. If there was ever a time in history I could travel back to, it would be during the Harlem Renaissance.

To this day, my favorite poem by Langston Hughes is:

Harlem Sweeties

Have you dug the spill
Of Sugar Hill?
Cast your gims
On this sepia thrill:
Brown sugar lassie,
Caramel treat,
Honey-gold baby
Sweet enough to eat.
Peach-skinned girlie,
Coffee and cream,
Chocolate darling
Out of a dream.
Walnut tinted
Or cocoa brown,
Pomegranate-lipped
Pride of the town.
Rich cream-colored
To plum-tinted black,
Feminine sweetness
In Harlem’s no lack.
Glow of the quince
To blush of the rose.
Persimmon bronze
To cinnamon toes.
Blackberry cordial,
Virginia Dare wine—
All those sweet colors
Flavor Harlem of mine!
Walnut or cocoa,
Let me repeat:
Caramel, brown sugar,
A chocolate treat.
Molasses taffy,
Coffee and cream,
Licorice, clove, cinnamon
To a honey-brown dream.
Ginger, wine-gold,
Persimmon, blackberry,
All through the spectrum
Harlem girls vary—
So if you want to know beauty’s
Rainbow-sweet thrill,
Stroll down luscious,
Delicious, fine Sugar Hill.

Some Days

There are days when I feel like this.....

------IMPASSE
I could tell you
If I wanted to,
What makes me
What I am

But I don't
really want to -
And you don't
give a damn.


And then there are other days when it's more like this....

-------MOTTO
I play it cool
And dig all jive -
That's the reason
I stay alive.

My motto,
As I live and learn
Is Dig and be Dug
In return.

These simple poems say it all. Can any of you guess who wrote these? C'mon it's really easy; but remains one of the most influential people I have ever had the pleasure of learning about.

I'll explain why in my next post.

Peace

And the Winner Is.............

Sorry folks, It has been a minute, but a brotha has been pretty busy. I'm still settling into the new job and the responsibilities are starting to really come in.

A few thoughts though:

Now that Kanye West has spanked 50 cent in the battle to outsell one another, will we be so lucky to have Fity retire? But what would it be with out some lame excuses? (people always go for the underdog? yeah right!) Just put the damn mic down already. I am one of the many that bought Graduation and I would have to say that it is a great listen. I was driving somewhere and was able to listen to most of the album all the way thru without skipping any tracks, so that's always a good thing.

I'm the kind of person that always finds the time to read all during the year, although this summer I read a couple books, not to mention ALL 6 of the Harry Potter Books, to prepare me for the 7th! So I took a little break from anything heavy and picked up something I thought would not only be a light read, but also beneficial in the end. The Green Book not only was a way to try and get myself more environmentally conscious than before, but how to do it in a realistic manner and not cold turkey. It's little things like going to the ATM and not getting a receipt that can help out in the long run, something I have definitely adopted as one of my new practices. You want to know what's in your account, check the Internet! There were also other things in the book that I was taught growing up as a kid that we practiced, not out of concern for the environment, but concern for our parents wrath. (Turn out the lights when you're not in the room, and don't waste water while you're brushing your teeth are just a couple that come to mind.) So if you're even remotely interested in the environment and want to learn some tips that are easy to follow, The Green Book is a definite read.

And lastly, I may be pretty late on this, but another group that I have found interesting in listening to, especially with the catchy tune of Clothes Off is Gym Class Heroes. If you like different kinds of music, I would check these guys out if I were you!

When things get taken away!!!

Remember when I said I have certain Guilty Pleasures?

2 things about this summer that made me say, WTF??:

- Of all the times to discontinue something, why the hell did StarBucks stop making there Pomegranate Frappucinos? I mean damn, I never went there for the coffee, so a nice refreshing ice cold Pom. Frapp would of made these hot ass days a little easier.

- And when did Baja Fresh stop having shrimp tacos? There isn't much that I won't eat, but when you have a certain craving for something and you bother to go all the way there and then find out they don't have what you wanted, it's heartbreaking.

Guilty Pleasure's that I can no longer have. DAMN, DAMN DAMN!!!

*sigh*

The End of an Era?

I guess not having a job at the moment has kept me more occupied than I would of thought. At the same time, this is my first summer "vacation" since high school, which was 10 years ago, so although I'm looking hard, I'm also not going to stress myself out about it and enjoy this time.

There are several things in my life that I consider to be my "Guilty Pleasures", whether it be a favorite food, activity, place, etc. which I'll explore on numerous occasions such as today.

This week one of my guilty pleasures will mark the end of something that I have enjoyed for the last few years, or on the other hand, it could possibly mark the beginning?........

..........I speaking of course about Harry Potter!!!

Yeah, yeah, I know I'm probably one of a few people that would actually admit to being a fan, but I am. So what? I didn't even find myself enjoying the many characters that JK Rowling introduced to the world in the late 90's until two summers ago. This is when I decided to see what all the hype was about and read the books that had been made into the movies that were just as popular. This was around the time that the 6th book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince made its debut. So not only did I have to read the 5 previous books, but then the 6th. I was totally taken aback about how much the books were enjoyable. I mean I love to read, but reading that many in less than a month had to be a record even for me. And since that time I have seen the movies thus far too many times to keep track. Hell, some of you can quote The Color Purple by heart, so I can do the same with the series.

So this month is marking the culmination of the series, with the movie release of book 5, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix last week and then the 7th and final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows coming out this Saturday at midnight. For one I have always enjoyed the movie versions, of course there are things taken out due to time restrictions, but they flow easily without the loss of the main plot. This latest installment did not disappoint and I hope to see it again real soon. And I also have to admit that I will be in line at midnight to pick up the final book, to see how everything turns out in the end for these characters that we have watched grow up in front of our eyes, in the pages of fiction as well as on the big screen.

So when I say it's an end of an era, because once I've read the fates of these characters that will be it right? But then again I say maybe not, because the last two movies won't be released until 2008 and 2009. Not to mention that a theme park will be opening in honor of this fictional world in late 2009 as well. So who knows where that will take the many fans that have grown to enjoy such a multi dimensional character. All I can say is I've enjoyed the ride, and I hope to continue thru the very end.