RHOA (S2 E1):What Ever Happened To Community Service?!?!?

Thursday was the premeire of Season 2 of the Real Housewives of Altanta & it was GREAT!!! This season is gonna be sooooo much better thatn the 1st. I do miss Deshawn though, but NeNe will be enough for me for now.

First thing that happened was NeNe moved into a new home, and Dwight came over to "decorate". They went through their usual antics, which included Dwight seductively popping the cork of a champagne bottle. These two will have me rolling all season...I can see it now & I bet you he gets a spin-off by the end of it.

Kim goes to see her psychic, Rose, and I immedaitely check out becasue she is so uninteresting. Apparently, she & "Big Papa" have split up (if they were ever together in the 1st place) & she has nothing better to do but talk about NeNe & Lisa, who both almost beat her ass @ last season's reunion. Anyways, Rose tells her that she is going to starting some business venture to make her own money, as in starting a wig line &, dare I say it, SINGING!

Sheree moves into a new home as well, apparently after her old one was forclosed because her ex-husband did not pay her morgage like he is supposed to. But her divorce is final & she starts throwing an "independence party" for herself. How low is your self-esteem when you have to throw all these parties for yourself for no reason??? However, she hires a party-planner named Anthony to iron out the details.

We finally meet Kandi, the Grammy-winnning singer/songwriter from Xscape, who I think is only on the show because her Tiny has a show, but that's just my opinion. She is working a a few things, like a solo album & getting married to a man with 6 KIDS!!!! I think that it is gonna take me a few episodes to get used to her.

Later in the episode, the ladies go to Niecy Nash's birthday party and discuss Kim's gossiping about them (saying that NeNe's husband, Greg, was broke, & saying Lisa had a criminal record). Kim leaves the party early, probably to keep from being confronted by the rest of the cast.

In order to start her wig line, Kim goes to beauty school for a day to learn about hair. She becomes bored easily:

“Thirty seconds into it, I’m already on another planet. I’m already thinking what I’m eating for lunch and what I’m doing for dinner. Classrooms are terrible.”

...& she wonders why no one takes her seriously. Her line is gonna be the She by Sheree of wig lines (How do you have a clothing line but know nothing about fabrics???).

NeNe agrees to meet with Sheree to "mend fences" after all that they have been through. They reconcile (for now) & Sheree even says that she appreciates NeNe for being there for her when she needed. Kandi also talks to her daughter, Riley, about the changes that will come with her marriage to A.J. & she is not cool with the idea of having 6 brand new brothers & sisters (I don't blame her).

At the end of the episode, Sheree has an altercation with her party planner, Anthony, after he is reluctant to take her phone calls or suggestions. I will take Sheree's side in this one, because she is the client & is paying him (with what money???) to plan her party & she should have imput on every decision. When she gets to his office & meets with him, the converstion quickly turns into confrontation, as Anthony is rude & claims that she should just let him do his job. They exchange words which include a "yo mama" (who does that anymore???) from Anthony, & as far as I am concerned, he just committed career suicide because no one is gonna want to hire him if he is throwing out insults like that.

Next week on RHOA: Sheree & NeNe confront Kim, & that (fake) friendship seems to be out the door.

WELCOME BACK WHITNEY!!!!!

I am SOOOOO happy that Whitney Houston is making a comeback...4 real this time!!!!! She looks FABULOUS on her album cover & I am glad that she was able to get everything back on track.

She is one of the greatest singers EVER & I think that it is great that she is able to revive her career. It seems like when you are as great & as successful as her, it is almost inevitable that you have some sort of meltdown, and Whitney is NO exception. With the failed marriage to Bobby Brown to the drug addiction, she has had her ups & downs, but if anybody can come back & be better than ever...it's her. She obviously has the fire still inside of her & judging by her single, the pipes are still there too.

I can't wait until September 1st when her cd, I Look To You, comes out, & I will probably write a review on my page (The Scene) in the award-winning A&T Register this fall. She look FABULOUS on the cover & I am sure that it will be a success. Her first single of the same name sounds like classic Whitney, & a voice like that could not be matched, even with the drugs. I am glad that she was able to go to rehab & make all of the necessary changes for this comeback to be possible.

Reggie Leaving Kim K Will Help His Career...Romo leaving Jessica Simpson...not so much!!!

I happen to like Jessica, & I think that it was unfair for all of the Cowboys fans to blame her for Tony's lackluster performance on the field. If you think that Romo was playing bad on the field when he was in a relationship, imagine how horrible he will play no that he is not getting any (@ least not from his girlfriend)? Would you rather have someone who has a girlfriend or someone who has a different girl every night? Neither instance will detour the "distractions" that are reportedly in that locker room :(

Let me be the 1st to admit that I was HAPPY to find out that Kim Kardashian & Reggie Bush had broken up. It is not that I do not like her, because I watch "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" but I think that I support Khloe more so than Kim (that chick is AWESOME).

Reportedly, Reggie wasn’t trying to be Mr Kim Kardashian. She always wanted to be in front of the cameras, and had to live her life out in the public for everyone to see. He wanted some privacy, and he knew he’d never have that with Kim.

First of all, if you would do something on the field then you wouldn't have to be known as "Mr. Kim K". Maybe if you would act like you are worth the Heisman Trophy that you have, you would average more than 3.8 yards a carry. I will defend Kim in this instance, because she is older than he & probably wants to get married (again) & he doesn't right now.

By the way, he probably wasn't trying to "wife up" the girl who is the star in ANOTHER man's sex tape...SMH!!! (Shout out to Ray-J :) )

For someone who is famous for being Paris Hilton's friend or for a sex tape or for having a BIG (fake) BUTT & does not have any noticeable talent (did you see that ATROCITY on DWTS...Is she even a star??? Sorry but I can do ALL DAY on Kim K), she let a "career" get in the way & is letting that sexy chocolate man get away from her. But if she did want him to be her husband, she had to compromise with him & move to New Orleans, where he plays. If your relationship cannot survive the long distance, then you have two options:
1) Move to New Orleans
-or-
2) Break Up
...& it looks like the chose the latter. CALL ME REGGIE!!!!! lol (seriously)

Tiny Needs to Get From Under T.I. While She Has The Chance

I found myself watching an episode of Tiny & Toya where Tiny was dealing with the effects of T.I.'s imprisonment & I have to admit, I shed a little tear when I saw her emotions when talking about it.

She spoke about wanting to work on her music again, but was worried about T.I. getting upset. Apparently, she is well taken care of & he has "insisted" (more like demanded) her to not work. I guess he said that he didn't want her to work b/c "she is his woman".

First of all, an engagement ring is NOT a wedding ring. He is not her husband & has no right to make demand of her like that. She said it herself; she was well off before she met him & she obviously has some songwriting and singing talent left.

Secondly, he is in JAIL...not on tour or in the studio. He should have thought about her & the family before he went & bought illegal machine guns & silencers (for whatever reason).

My friend Namon gave some interesting insight into the Tiny situation on his FB status:
I wish people would quit hatting on Tiny. Especially females...Cuz she does things alot of females, especially black females fail to do nowadays: That's Hold Her Man TiP down.

That made me think about my feelings of Tiny for a minute. She does stand by her man no matter what, but at what cost??? I don't think that it is fair to her to keep from doing something that she loves to do & has a passion for on account of her man (not HUSBAND). If he really cared about her, he would allow her to pursue whatever she wanted, even if she didn't need to. If she says that she wants to get from under the stereotype of being a "hip-hop" girlfriend, then she has to make her own name.

Black In America 2: Everyday Black Experiences????

First off, I would like to say that as a Black American and an aspiring journalist, I think that it is great that CNN is telling the stories of African Americans in this day and age. However, I do feel like some of the stories are an eye-opening experience for some, but an everyday reality for many others.

I did not watch the series in its entirety, but I did see enough to say that I know many people in the situations that were highlighted, such as race in politics, business, & entertainment. But I ask myself the reason why these particular people are given the opportunity to share their stories & others are not??? I know many other black people who are in every field that have equally inspiring stories of struggle and perseverance when it comes to race. My father has over 20 years in the hospitality business, but was laid off from his job @ a hotel and is struggling right now because of the economy.

One example of this is the piece on Tyler Perry. I am a fan of his and I appreciate what he is doing for black people in the entertainment industry. I also appreciate the fact that he has a story, as in being homeless & making his dream happen based on hard work and determination, but I feel that there are other filmmakers and such who have an equally compelling story, if not more. What about John Singleton, Spike Lee, Rick Famuyiwa or others who are black and go through the same thing he went through to get where they are??? Is it because Perry is always on Oprah or because he has a show on TBS, which is owned by Time Warner, who also owns CNN???

I understand what CNN was trying to do with the series, and with the Gates situatiuon looming, it is nice to see the point of view of black people in today's society. However, I feel that some people see that example of hard-working blacks and think, "Hey, I do that too!!! What is the big deal???

Let Vick Play!!!!!

Michael Vick should be allowed to continue playing football. He met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell last week to discuss possible "conditional" reinstatement as early as this upcoming season.

A possible suspension at the beginning of the season is up to the commissioner, but if he is allowed to play, I would take whatever I could get if I were Vick, considering that many (if not ALL) of the GM's in the league are concerned with the ramifications of taking Vick are. I would take a 3rd-string job to start off with.

He has served his 23-month federal prison sentence and home confinement and has lost millions of dollars in salary and endorsements. As long as he shows remorse for breaking the law and the conduct policy, he should be allowed to play.

There have been several instances where players have dealt with legal problems (Pacman Jones, Plaxico Burress, Tank Johnson, Donté Stallworth) and some others that are continuing to play in the NFL.

I know that dog fighting is against the law, but he has served his time and should be able to go back to "work" (his career is football). There is at least one team that can use him on their roster as either a QB or runningback, because he is good at both positions. Some one she take a chance and invest in him for the sake of their team because he is the only quarterback in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards during the regular season.

And while I am on the subject, why did it take so long for ESPN and all of the other sports media world to report on Ben Roethlisberger's rape allegations but Micheal Vick was "breaking news"??? I know that Ben is the NFL's "golden child" as he should be with 2 SuperBowl rings in 5 years...but DANG!!!!! I'm just saying...

Both Parties To Blame in Gates Arrest

The Henry Louis Gates arrest is a deafening reminder that racism STILL exists in our country. Even though we have reached the political "promised land" and have a black president, our country is still victim of racism and the problem will not go away easily.

The fact that someone of his professional stature (with a Ph. D.) can be the victim of racial profiling makes me believe that my father is not crazy after all & that people are still bound to their racial beliefs and views. Even if Gates was acting in a irate manner, he obviously thought that he was in a racially-charged situation. We don't know his prior experiences with police or something that would make him sensitive to it and become combative. You can't completely believe the police report either, because the officer could have said whatevr he needed to in order to make the case against him.

When I first heard about this situation, I have to admit that I came to the same conclusion as many people did:
"Why is this educated black man being arrested for trying to get into his own house?"

I immediately took his side because, frankly, when I heard that he was arrested by a white police officer for trying to get into his own home, I thought it was racial profiling.

I thought of a Dave Chappelle joke that I had heard:
"I didn't even call the police. I wanted to, but i couldn't. My crib was too nice. Not that it's too nice, but it's too nice for me. Soon as I open the door, they'd be like 'He's still here! Open and shut case, Johnson. Apparently this black guy broke in and hung up pictures of his family everywhere. Never seen anything like it.'" That was meant as a joke, but it hold a different meaning today.

I do not believe that Sgt. James Crowley is racist, even though you can teach against racial profiling and still have your own views, I do think that he is guilty of following the "unwritten rule" of police in racially-charged cases: GUILTY until proven innocent.

The person to blame may not be Gates or Sgt. Crowley, but the insensitive person who called the police about a break in without knowing that it was indeed a break in. I understand that the people in the neighborhood may not have been used to someone leaving their keys and trying other ways to get into their house, but immediately thinking that it was a break in because of race brings some fault as well.

Honestly, I do not like the fact that President Obama is being ridiculed for saying that the police acted "stupidly". People sometimes forget that he is a BLACK man and will have his own reservations and experiences when it comes to the police. They asked him the quesiton and he answered it...that's all.

Solange's SCREEEEEAM 4 Attention!!!!!

<-----Is it just me or am I witnessing an unneeded trend here??? A few posts back, I discussed the string of R&B singers cutting their hair & whether or not they are trendsetters or "attention whores". I did not in any way, shape, or form, think that any of them would pull a "Britney Spears" & shave their heads...but here comes SOLANGE!!!!! The fact of the matter is that this is a trend right now and if she was the 1st one to do it instead of the 15th, it would be cool. I just don't know if she felt like doing her or doing what everyone else is doing :( At first glance, I would just think that she was trying something new (yet unusual). However, when I think about it, she has ALWAYS been overshadowed by her older sister, and this is the prime example of "SCREAMING FOR ATTENTION".

She will always be under Beyonce's shadow, and while it is not her fault & she actually makes good music, she just made the kind of mistakes that either excels careers or brings them crashing to the ground. Which one will it be?????

My Thoughts on Chris Brown's Apology

I am sooooo over this Chris Brown/Rihanna situation!!!!! Just when I was about to forget all about it, hear comes "Breezy" with a video statement (why soooo late???) on Youtube of ALL places.

I understand that he was told by his lawyers to refrain from speaking, but I still think that there were other ways (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) that he could have expressed his "sincere" apologies and in a more timely fashion. I am not going to say that I forgive him because he did not hit me...

...but I will say that I believe that he is sorry for his actions, especially after not receiving jail time for what he did (even though he was not going to jail anyways b/c he was a 1st time offender). I am glad that he is able to accept responsibility for it, which is what a GROWN MAN should do. We all make mistakes, but it is up to us to not make excuses, take responsibility & ask for forgiveness, which is what he did.

I had a small soft spot for the message when he talked about making people proud of him & him letting them down. He said that he is blessed with talent & fans who support him (me included). The only thing that he can do now is serve out his sentence & probation, while continuing to make music. I am sure that if he makes a hot record, the radio will play it after some time passes.

FOR THE RECORD: I do believe that NO man should EVER hit a woman under ANY circumstances. I also believe that we do not know what happened in that car that night & she could have said anything to set him off like that. Both should take responsibility (which is probably why she didn't wanna press charges against him).

P.S: Be prepared if you are really gonna go on Oprah for an interview. She was really mad @ you for that whole situation & she is liable to go OFF if you go on there talking crazy!!!

I'm just saying...

Here it is for you to watch & make your own judgement...

LOOOOOVE the Atlanta Housewives

I cannot WAIT until next Thursday @ 10pm, when one of my favorite shows, Real Housewives of Atlanta, premieres its 2nd season. I am soooo excited about all of the DRAMA that will most likely go down between the 5 women. I can see from the commercials that I will NOT be missing a single week & will be on the edge of my seat.

First of all, if we are being "real", I absolutely HATE that DeShawn Snow is not on the show anymore. She was tied with Nene for my favorite & was the "realest" one on the show. I am gonna miss her & I hope that she succeeds in whatever she does.

I can't wait to see what kind of craziness will go on this season, especialy with my girl, NENE!!!!! She is the BEST & I just love seeing her every week. BTW...I LOOOOOVE the short hair!!!!! I hope she comes to some kind of closure about her father-situation. She is the "realest" of them all...& she "tells it like it is"...BAM!!!!!!

I am excited to see the rest of them also, especially Lisa's hyper-active self. She is an inspiration to me because she puts everything into these ventures that she does & hopefully everything will work out for her. I am actually ready to see what Kandi Burruss will be talking about, & see if she acts a fool like her girl Tiny.

Sheree & Kim...ummmm...yeah...IDK how they qualify to be on a show about "housewives" (keyword: WIFE) & neither are married. I am ready to see them but I am GLAD that they will get into it because their "friendship" was sooooo fake last season. It made me sick how she was "supposedly" friends with Nene then she saw an opening with Sheree. She has to be friends or fight with one of the black women to stay relevent...SMH!!!!!

Tune into the Real Housewives of Atlanta each week @ 10pm on Bravo!!!! & Stay tuned for my commentary each week on the show!!!!!

Wendy Williams: My Guilty Pleasure

How YOU Doin???????

First off, let me say that I have been a fan of Wendy's for years, & I happen to think that her "shock jock" persona is refreshing. You should be able to say what you want, & I believe that is what she does. She has been through a lot in her life & I enjoy her point of view on things and how she will talk about any & EVERYBODY. She is, after all, a radio talk-show host.

Wendy is a great example of some of the things that I want to do in my life regarding the media, & I actually see her as somewhat of a professional role model in the journalism field (she does have a degree in communications). She has also won several awards for her work.

Last week was the premiere of her new talk show on Fox. It is also shown on BET @ 11pm (that's when I watch it). I don't know what it is about her that keeps me locked into the TV until she is off of it, but she just keeps my attention for some reason. She had my FAV Atlanta housewife Nene Leakes on her show, & I just loved watching the two of them. I did not miss a single show last week & I am looking forward to her antics for this week. She is sooooo my GUILTY pleasure...

Joel Osteen is My Pastor

"Don’t worry about anything, instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done."
-Philippians 4:6

Happy Sunday everyone!!! Since it is the Lord's day, I would like to talk today about how much I love my "pastor", Joel Osteen. Being that I do not have a church home here in Greensboro, I usually go to church with a friend or watch Joel Osteen, in addition to praying and reading the Bible.

I have to say that I watch Joel Osteen's sermons from Lakewood church more than I watch any other show. I do not miss him on any given Sunday & I think that he has a special way of preaching that keeps my interest. I like the way that he preaches, he doesn't overdo it or scream at you to get the message across. I have him on my podcast too, so whenever I watch it on TV, I can plug in my ipod the next day & get the sermon. I watch him enough to say that I attend Lakewood church...LOL.

I even have a copy of the quote that they say in my Bible...

“This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do. Today I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess my mind is alert, my heart is receptive; Ill never be the same. In Jesus name!"

I remember when I first heard about him. I think that someone was watching him & I just sat & watched too. He got me with his stories that he tells at the beginning. I appreciate his preaching style, and even the way that he tries to reach the masses with books & podcasts. His sermons have inspired me in many ways...to NOT give up & give every trying situation to God & let him handle it.

Some people might say that he is trying to make money off of the Lord, and I say...DUH!!! Every pastor in America gets a paycheck that comes from tithes & offerings or something. Also, I think that people hate on him because he has a church that was made from an arena. That place is PACKED every week, and above everything else, it is just the ability to reach more people at one time.

My favorite sermon that he has done was #422 - You Can Have the Last Laugh. In this sermon, he taught me that God has a plan for us to succeed even when we're treated unfairly. Our human nature wants to fix things on our own; getting even with someone, repaying evil for evil, but that's not God's plan. It was EXACTLY what I needed that morning.

It seems like every time I watch Joel Osteen, he has a message that I need to hear at that time. I hope to one day be able to go visit the Lakewood church & meet him so I can tell him how much he has helped me with my faith & other situations in my life. He is an inspirational pastor and he is doing a great job :)

R&B Divas Starving for Attention???

What is up with Cassie cutting her hair off like this??? And Rihanna getting tattoos and moving from man to man (Drake to Kanye to WHOEVER)???

Are they starving for attention or is Beyonce' killing it so bad that they have to pull a publicity stunt or keep the internet buzz of Mediatakeout.com (SHOUT OUT)???

I am not opposed to changing up your look & switching it up a bit. However, I happen to believe that making a drastic change (like cutting off ALL the hair on the right side of your head) is a SCREEEEEEAM out for attention.

For example, the fact that Diddy has been romantically linked to Cassie but seems to still be (on & off again) with Kim Porter, one of his "baby-mamas" (& the ONLY one I saw him marrying). Not only is that a conflict of interest (Cassie is still, after all, signed to Bad Boy), but her sophomore album keeps getting "pushed back" just as her romance with Diddy seems to be blooming.

They have been seen together more and more lately. Unfortunately, I can't say that about her career though :( & don't get me started on Diddy's streak of "pimping artists out" (Does the name "Bad Boy Records" ring a bell...anyone???)

Now, I have to give Rihanna some slack because she did go through a traumatic experience. No matter what happened in that car, Chris should not have put his hands on her. I have been rockin' with Rihanna for a long time since "Pon de Replay" & Music of the Sun & she is the ONLY one who can give Bey a run for her money as far as crossover appeal.

That being said, I can see if she cut her hair off & change up her look, but dressing half-naked, getting tattoos and dating every other black musician right now (Drake, Kanye, Pharell, etc.) on top of trying to get back with Chris Brown (aka Ike Turner) is NOT a good look.

Now as far as Ciara goes, I actually like her new haircut, but I still think that she is starving for attention because of her lackluster sales of the latest album, Fantasy Ride. So far, the album has sold only 159,563 copies in the United States, and over 250,000 copies worldwide. I happen to like the album too, but that doesn't change that it is not selling :( I wasn't a fan of hers @ 1st, but she got me with "Oh" (damn Ludacris...lol)

I am the Victim of a Beyonce' OVERDOSE

She is doing entirely TOO much for me ------------>

Does she think that she NEEDS all of this to stay on top of the game? I don't. I have OFFICIALLY overdosed on Beyonce'!!!!! From the "angel tutu" to Sasha Fierce..I want the OLD Bey back because that was enough for me.

I remember when her 1st solo album "Dangerously In Love" came out. I was excited to see what 1/3 of my favorite group would do on her own. I was impressed & quickly found myself doing the "Uh-Oh" dance when "Crazy In Love" came on.

Then she tried to start doing movies, and I wasn't a fan of the "hip-hopera" mess that she was in but I supported her when she joined the cast of one of my favorite movies, Austin Powers in Goldmember. I thought her character Foxy Cleopatra was on ode to the blaxploitation era & it was cool. But after that, I have not liked her in any of the movies that she has been in, and don't EVEN get me started on Dreamgirls :(...she killed the soundtracks though.

The thing that turned me off about Beyonce is this "Sasha Fierce" character/alter-ego that she has. I was just fine with Beyonce'...I don't need Sasha. The fact that she has to make an entire album so make it seem like she had a split personality or something really made me mad. Why waste all that material to make two cd's to go in one case when you could have put all of the songs on one cd & it be the same? The cd only has 11 songs total: 6 on I Am... & 5 on Sasha Fierce. And then she made a deluxe AND a PLATINUM edition of the cd, adding more songs to it. Why not put the new songs on there to begin with?? She is just being GREEDY for releasing two songs AND two videos @ one time.

I understand that the two cd's are different & she wanted to make it like that, but I don't like how Sasha Fierce is like some hood chick inside of her. I just think that she is using "her" as an excuse to talk "s**t", & I don't think she needs that. I want the old Beyonce back...I don't need this singer/dancer/actress/clothing designer person. I just want her to sing & sit down & enjoy MARRIED life because if the rumors I hear are true, then she needs to work on that & not Sasha Fierce :(

P.S.: I am WAAAAAY OVER the whole 3-person dance videos that she KEEPS making..."Single Ladies" was HOT, but "Diva"..."Ego"...AND "Sweet Dreams"...really?????

Tiny & Toya: The "Ghetto" Housewives of Hip-hop???

First of all, I want to say that I am all for people telling their personal stories because I feel that I have one & would love it if people wanted to hear it or see it come to life on TV. But if I was gonna get my own show, I would make sure to portray myself in the best light and @ least make sure I was able to talk good.

That being said, I think that BET is continuing its downward spiral of a negative portrayal of my generation of Black people. I hate to use the word "ghetto" but that is the ONLY word that comes to mind. I have nothing against anyone's particular situation, but sometimes you have to think about whether or not to show every aspect of your life to the world. Its not my show & I can't tell them what or what not to show, but if I were Tiny or Toya, I would have done some things differently, and I have only seen one episode.

Tiny needs to talk better because she has young children who can be easily influenced. She also needs to get from up under T.I. because she obviously has some talent and money b/c Xscape was not just any kind of group. She needs to improve upon that before she has nothing to do but be his "baby mama" (& unfortunately not wife). She disappointed me when she was @ the BET awards and accepted his award, proceeding to speak without thinking of how she sounded.

Now Toya, on the other hand, needs to either get back with Lil' Wayne or get a dating show b/c that's all it looks like she is gonna talk about. And I appreciate her trying to get her mother out of doing drugs, but I wouldn't have a cussin' out screaming match with my mama in the middle of the street.

I was hoping that the show was gonna turn out better than the commercials (which were another story) and I saw a few glimmers of hope, but it seems like its gonna get the "ghetto housewives of hip-hop".

Michael Jackson: Childhood Deprived & Adulthood Misunderstood

When I think about the loss of such a unique and mostly misunderstood treasure as Michael Jackson, I think of a quote from "The Dark Knight" when the Joker is talking to Batman:

"To them, you're just a freak, like me! They need you right now, but when they don't, they'll cast you out, like a leper!"

That sums up the relationship between Michael and the "tabloid" media, which is different from the field that I want to enter into. When he was on top of the world, selling 100's of millions of albums and selling out stadiums, the world was in awe of the musical genius that was Michael Jackson. Even when he was in the Jackson 5, people were in love with this little boy who seemed to have the wisdom of an old man.

The only difference between hit-making Michael and "Wacko-Jacko" is your opinion: however you choose to remember him. You can dwell on his "alleged" shortcoming (which I have always thought were false) or you can help him live on through his music. Above all, he made the best-selling album of ALL TIME in Thriller. It sold more than 100,000 copies in the first week after his death. Even before, it had sold 110 million copies. On top of that, he used his celebrity to raise millions of dollars for charities.

In the weeks after his death, I began to look at old interviews and footage of him during hhis "private" time (which came to be nonexistent, even in his death). It became immediately clear to me that saying he was misunderstood is a dramatic understatement. The fact that he never had a childhood makes it more understandable why he tried to relive it by having Neverland and having a fascination with Peter Pan. I do feel like people took advantage of him and even took advantage of his being here and entertaining us all of those years. We never realized that he had to sacrifice so much in order to entertain us. He was never able to enjoy his private life because of his monumental success. The saddest part of that was that the more he gave to us, he lost himself and was not able to be happy.

I am one of Michael's biggest fans even after his death, & I have to admit that Michael influences my life on a daily basis. It is more than just musically, because I am by far not a musician of any kind. However, it is a deeper influence for me because I can listen to Wanna Be Starting Something or do the Thriller dance and it bring a smile to my face instantly. Or if I was feeling sad or something, I can put on Remember the Time & pretend that he is talking to me.

When I heard of his death, I was truly shocked because I never thought about how I would feel if he was gone. I was sad because that meant that I would ever get to meet him. As a TRUE music fan, my heart hurt because he influenced my life on a daily basis. I know that God has a plan for everything and it was his time but I really could not believe that he was GONE :(

I am glad to have witnessed the GREATEST & his music will be in my heart forever. I keep the ENTIRE Jackson family in my prayers. Say what you want but Michael Jackson is the GREATEST EVER!!!!!

Steve McNair: Victim of a Woman Scorned

In order to keep from speculating, I want to first present facts in the case & make it clear that this post is 100% my personal OPINION.
That being said, I do think that McNair is the victim of a woman scorned...& of his self-inflicted circumstances. First of all, when I heard the news on July 4th from one of my family members, we were all shocked.
I don't know a lot about Steve McNair football-wise, but I did know that he was a pretty decent QB and one of only a few black ones in the league (minus Michael Vick, who I think should be able to play again, but that's for a different post). So when I heard about it, I thought that it may have been the result of a home invasion or something like what happened to Sean Taylor of the Washington Redkins.
As the days progressed, the details of the event began to surface. First was the fact that McNair's body was found in a condo that he was renting with another female body. Now, McNair was married with 4 children, so I thought that it was his wife who was the other victim. However, more details came about that it was identified as Sahel Kazemi, who turned out to be his "girlfriend".
The final details came out that it was indeed a murder-suicide, where Kazemi had used a gun that she purchased to shoot McNair four times (two times in the chest & two times in the head @ close range). She then turned the gun on herself.
First of all, McNair was wrong for having an affair with a 20-year old woman when he was married for 12 years and has four children, two with his wife Mechelle. He should not have put himself in the position to hurt his wife, not to mention this woman who he apperently was not planning on leaving his wife for. She probably thought that she was gonna inherit that "NFL wife" lifestyle and everything.
She was naive to think that he would leave his wife, because he has a pretty good image in the NFL, which has been riddled with its black players' transgessions (from Vick to Plaxico Burress to Donte Stallworth) , and leaving his wife would have been a negative hit to that.
Also, I think that she should have a somewhat satisfied (yeah I said it) with him paying for the condo where she stayed and bailing her out of jail a few days before the murder, among other things.
It is not my business to speculate on why McNair was cheating on his wife or what drove Kazemi to murder him & then take her own life, but I do feel that McNair probably brought it upon himself by telling her one thing and doing another. If he was trying to get her to act how he wanted her to act or leave her, then Kazemi is still at fault but it is a little bit more understandable for me from her perspective. Murder is not right, but emotional distress and a broken heart is not a good combination.

Sarah Palin...My Personal Enigma

Enigma: a person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand; a riddle or paradox

First off...please take a few moments to read an editorial that I wrote for the "award-winning" A&T Register that was published on September 24, 2008. This will give a little background on my feelings about the soon-to-be former Governor of Alaska:

http://www.ncatregister.com/theword/the-grass-is-much-greener-on-the-other-side-sarah-palin-1.1143274

Now that you see how I feel about this hypocritical politician (but is there any other form...SMH), you may know that she has recently stepped down as Governor of Alaska, effective July 26. If I were her, I would have made it effective IMMEDIATELY in order to keep from making any more mistakes that could impede my successor's experience. But I still cannot conceive a rational reason why she would quit.

Obviously, she has some balls to do the job, as she did when she was running for VP. She didn't quit then, and she should not have quit now. How is that supposed to look when you were trying to be Vice-President of the United States and a heartbeat away from the presidency (LITERALLY...because no one really knew how long McCain would last).

Let's just take a look @ the press conference where she made the announcement. (By the way, I am NOT a fan of Fox News, but that is for another post & they had the best YouTube video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1tnUvtjaaY

First of all, I can't even believe she knows that much about the history of the United States. Or was it just a quick briefing before or reading a teleprompter....who's to say??? Secondly, I got so aggravated by those little sayings that she used in the campaign and in the press conference, like "maverick" or "politics as usual" (Just to let you know Sarah, your running mate is the very embodiment of "politics as usual").

If you love Alaska so much, why did you accept the nomination for VP? If you had won, you would have a LOT more to worry about than Alaska. And if you are gonna be the US VP candidate, you have to know that the media (good and bad) wil be up in your face trying to get the dirt. And if you didn't have any dirt (i.e. a pregnant teenage daughter), you would not have anything to worry about.

I am not mad @ her for choosing to take the path that leads to book deals & money. Honestly, if someone came to me with a book deal offer, I would take it. But she should have finished out her term as governor and said that she would not be seeking re-election.

She did make a point that I agree with and will be acting upon in my last year @ A&T, which was "I don't need a title in order to make a difference; to help & serve the people". But what she failed to realize is that quitting an ELECTED office without finishing your term is not helping the people of Alaska either.

FOR THE RECORD: If she runs for President in 2012 & WINS...I am moving to Canada. All I need is a coat because they have the NBA, McDonalds and MTV so I would be GOOD...LOL :)