The Prodigal Sun

Lots of Luck to Ms. Luckett

You guys know that I love Beyonce. So I feel a little bit like a traitor liking Letoya Luckett like I do... I have had this single 'Not Anymore' since before the Inauguration. (I remember because I kept playing it around my friend in the horrible relationship hoping she would catch the hint... but she didn't. But... I digress...) Anyway, ever since then, I have been salivating and waiting on more music.

Well, I don't have any new music, but what I do have is the video which I love as much as I do the song. It's a great time period video spanning the sixties, and Letoya really looks beautiful. I don't want to spoil the storyline, but its cute. I hope this makes some moves on the charts. She may never reach Beyonce status, but I still wish her lots of luck. Check it out... (Sidenote: does anyone else see a little Angela Basset in her? Especially in that last performance scene?)

Date an Ugly Girl...

We all know Michael Strahan as a successful former New York Giant football player. But did you also know that he doubles in his down time as a secret agent with insecurity issues? lol

Well, for the past two years, Mr. Strahan has been dating Nicole Murphy (the former Mrs. Eddie Murphy who has always looked like a very pretty post-op transexual to me... and if she didn't spit 5 kids out of her va-jay-jay, I would really think she was born Nicolas... but I digress...) After 2 years, Mike had reason to suspect that Nicole was cheating with Universal Records A&R exec Demetrius Spencer. So he decided to plant a GPS tracking device in her range rover and apparently caught her cheating.

Apparently, Nicole dropped the car off to get repaired and went to lunch with her secret lover, when the garage employees discovered the tracking device, which apparently was the SECOND tracking device Strahan had placed into the car. Strahan knew something was up because the device gives up to the minute tracking information and stormed into the garage and took the device.

Supposedly, Nicole was having an affair with this other dude for a year, and traveling and having a grand old time, but was planning to come clean to Mike. He beat her to the punch.

My question is... if you feel like you have to cheat after one year of the relationship... WHY NOT JUST END IT? I mean, Nicole Murphy is paid. She got hooked up in her settlement with Eddie AND... SHE GOT 5 KIDS GETTING SUPPORT FROM EDDIE MURPHY! She doesn't need Mike Strahan's dough. Why not just say, 'its not working, I am out'? 

And on Mike's end... if you feel that you can't trust your girl so much that you have to put two GPS tracking devices in the car... why are you with her? END THAT SHYT! You are Michael Strahan. You have change in the bank... you can EASILY find another girl or football groupie. And one that doesn't look like she had her adam's apple shaved! HOW BOUT THAT?!?

Incidentally, this is not Michael Strahan's first foray into spying devices... apparently, he had his ex-wife's phone bugged during their divorce proceedings... 

Obviously, Mike has some trust issues... granted, they were well-founded because Nicolas, er umm... I mean Nicole WAS in fact cheating... but he has issues nonetheless. I say he should just date an ugly girl. Then he won't have to worry about any other men trying to steal her... and she will be so appreciative to have a baller that she would be too scared to do anything jeopardize it.... that way 'Q' can go back to working for James Bond creating devices for International security's sake, instead spy devises for Mike Strahan's insecure azz...

Real Talk with Johnta Austin and Usher

There is a big buzz flying around concerning some comments that Usher and Johnta Austin about Christina Milan and the whole Rhianna and Chris Brown incident on a video blog...

In the video, they DOOOOOOG Christina Milan for her new super ultra bleach blonde hair and her styling... they clown her hair, sunglasses, blouse... Just about everything visible in the picture. Not only does Johnta Austin say that she looks like a damn fool... he said he used to want to take her to bed, but now, he wouldn't even take her to a bus stop looking like that... lol 

He goes on to say... "This is what happens when people fall out of the game."... I'on't know 'bout you... but to me... Thats comedy... lol

Then while Usher tallies the unanimous vote for the "That Ain't It" moment of the year... Johnta starts in on Chris Brown and Rhianna, dubbing them the Ike and Tina Turner of our generation, and proceeds to shadow box in the background, while Usher questions Chris Brown's remorse when he is seen jet  skiing days after the incident.

Here is the video, see for yourself:

Usher has since issued an apology:

“The comments made during a recent recording session amongst friends were taken out of context and blown out of proportion. I apologize on behalf of myself and my friends if anyone was offended. The intentions were not to pass judgment and we meant no harm. I respect and wish the best for all parties involved.”

I don't see what the big deal is. None of what they said was libelous or false... or lawsuit worthy. People's feelings could get hurt, but they didn't say anything you wouldn't read in a gossip rag. And really, this was a real genuine conversation, and this is how we talk among friends. I love to see real, unguarded moments like this. Where people are just clowning and being real. This is Real Talk...

If Christina is offended, she should be mad at her stylist, cause she does look kinda whack-a-docious with the blonde mess... and if Chris Brown is offended about them calling him Ike... he shouldn't have practiced his left hook on his girlfriend... You do stupid shyt... you get clowned. Its that simple. This is a barbershop conversation that just got videotaped... its happening all across the country at this very moment. Its a part of life. Real Talk. Deal with it.

By the way... this is the picture they were looking at when they made the statements... and I agree...

THAT... AIN'T... IT.

Two steps forward, One step back

Less than 150 years ago, Black Americans were in chains. Now, its 2009, and my president is Black... I am truly proud and excited to say that. And it doesn't sound real to me when I say it... But I love saying it. It fills me with such pride. I am proud of my people. And by 'my people', I do mean Black people of African American heritage and how far we have come. But I also mean my fellow Americans and how far WE have come. The majority of America is still white. And they have come far enough to freely elect a Black man as president. Its a wonderful thing.

I am excited and worried. Yes, we have a Black man for president, but our country is in the worst of shape its been in since the great depression. And it all falls in Barack's lap to fix. But I have faith in Barack, and he has taken his first step with the stimulus plan that has finally been signed and is going into effect.

The ink isn't even dry on the stimulus package when the New York Post publishes this comic:

No, really. That is a Chimpanzee that has just been shot. And the caption reads, "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill."

Really? No. Really?... Really? They published this on purpose?

Needless to say, Al Sharpton as well as other national activists are right on it. Sharpton called the cartoon "troubling at best given the historic racist attacks of African-Americans as being synonymous with monkeys."

To which Col Allan, editor-in-chief of the Post, replied, "The cartoon is a clear parody of a current news event, to wit the shooting of a violent chimpanzee in Connecticut. It broadly mocks Washington's efforts to revive the economy. Again, Al Sharpton reveals himself as nothing more than a publicity opportunist."

That was the best they could come up with? You mean to tell me that no one on the NY Post staff thought that this might be really offensive to many many people? Come on... and you call Sharpton and opportunist? This is the NY Post trying to stir up some controversy to sell papers... THAT IS OPPORTUNISTIC! And its such a cheap way to go about it. The race card. Its sure to ruffle feathers ESPECIALLY in our kumbaya honeymoon period after the inauguration. It's ignorant, its cheap, corny and obvious...

Just when you think we are making progress in the country... ignorance once again surfaces its UGLY head. Two steps forward... one step back. But... at least that equals one forward step. It's still progress...

Change I believe in...

After 7 years of locks and 2 years of braids... I am debating cutting off my locks. I have been saying that I wanted to cut off my locks for a while now, but kept losing the nerve every time my deadline would approach. My locks have become such a major part of my identity that I was way too afraid to cut them.

When I mentioned to other folks that I was considering cutting them... they begged me not to cut them. They are so pretty... they are so neat... I love your locks... once you cut them, there is no going back. And it made me hesitate... I have a look that works. And if I cut my hair and it looks whack... I can't sew it back on... they are gone.

And the question was why do you want to cut them? And there were so many reasons... but the most important was that my hair was starting to thin in the front. Everyone thought it was 'baby hair'... but... I am a grown azz man, and ain't nothing 'baby' about my hair... lol It was because of my locks. But on the flip side, what if I cut my locks and my hair didn't thicken again, I would go from looking late 20's to early 40's... lol 

Then I thought, what if it gets worse? I DON'T want to be the guy with locks that start at the middle of my head, and walk around looking like a cling-on warrior like Sista Patterson... Thats not a cute look. 

So... it was the night of my birthday party, three days before the actual day (feb 10th), and the arbitrary deadline I set for my lock cutting. I was on the phone with one of my friends and was saying how I had once again changed my mind about cutting my hair. The person on the other line was one of my lock advocates. He loved the locks and normally said I shouldn't cut them when we had this conversation. But on this day... he said... just do it. If you are going to cut them, today will be the day. If not today, then just stop talking about it. He gave me the number to his barber. And we got off the phone. I don't know if he thought it was a good idea or if he was just tired of hearing me moan about it. But it resonated with me... 

So for the next hour or so... I went back and forth in my head... then called his barber and made an appointment. And figured I could just not go if I didn't want to go through with it...

Then I thought... fukk it. Its time for a change. I want to wash my hair without having to retwist for 2 or 3 hours. I want to sleep without my hair getting caught under my body and pulling it. I want to go swimming without hair drama. Its been 9 years since I had short hair, and it was time for a change. I was literally saying this shyt aloud to try to amp myself up to it.

So... I did it! I went to my friends barber, and sat in the chair... and did it. And to my surprise...

I LOVE IT!

I love the short hair. I missed it. I had short hair like this my entire life aside from a high top or a curly blow out fro here or there... And I feel more like myself than I have in a while.

The ironic thing is that people are telling me that I look much younger now... and here I was thinking I was going to turn 35 and start looking 42, and someone even said, not only do I look young, but  I looked like I was college age. And you KNOW that made my day.  So... it was a good change... I am glad I did it.

You all can see it when I change my blog profile pic... just kidding... LOL Here is a link to my new look. Take a Look at the NEW ME!

Something positive for a change

Ok... with all this negativity I have been talking about lately, I need to brighten it up a bit. So I will NOT tell you about my macbook pro drama and my screen going black and me being without my laptop for a week, or that I have to bring it back to get repaired and be without it another 7 to 10 days... nope... I am NOT here to talk about that... (ARRRRRRRGH!)

What I do want to talk about is my girl Jennifer Hudson. As you know, if you have read my blog in the past... I am a big fan of JHud. I have loved her ever since her AI season and I even stopped watching in protest when she was voted off after singing the best non-Whitney version of 'Run to You'... (well... I did tune in to the finale to see Fantasia win... I couldn't help myself... I loved Fantasia too... lol)

We have all heard about Jennifer Hudson's tragedy, losing her Mother, Brother and Nephew in one fell swoop... and our hearts went out to her. I know I really felt for her... So I am really glad to see her back on the scene, and come back in such a major way...

No doubt you have all seen her performance at the Superbowl singing the National Anthem... well if you haven't, here you go...

I have said it before, and I will say it again... JENNIFER HUDSON IS ONE SANGIN' AZZ HEFFA!!!!! WOOOO... THIS GIRL CAN SAAAAA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAANG! I mean dayum... its crazy. I LOVE her voice. And I love her runs... I love her power. I just love to hear her sing.

And immediately after the superbowl, the press was all over the fact that she lip-sync'd. So fukking what? She had to sing it at some point... its still her voice... and its no less amazing. And really, she didn't need to lip sync. She can perform like that live, and has proven that time and time again. JHud is one artist who doesn't need studio magic... that is for sure.

I am just glad to have her back. If she can overcome losing 3 family members at once... and still shine... how can I be upset about a laptop issue... or a houseguest that is a pain in the azz... or a friend who has drama in her life... 

Looking at what she has overcome makes my issues seem so small and insignificant... Just goes to show that no matter what happens, you have to keep on moving... and that you can overcome anything. Kudos to JHud.

Watching a train wreck in slow motion...

Have you ever had to watch one of your close friends date someone you knew was bad for them... but tried to be supportive because they were 'in love' with this person? I have been trying... and trying to be supportive for the past year of one of my female friends relationships... but I just can't do it anymore.

From the moment they met a year ago, they have not gone through a single solitary week without a ridiculous dramatic screaming match argument. For real, they can't go 7 days without yelling and screaming like they are on Jerry Springer... WHAT THE FUKK ARE YOU ARGUING ABOUT IN THE FIRST WEEK? WHY ARE YOU STILL DATING IF YOU FIGHT LIKE THAT THE FIRST WEEK? They argue about everything from serious stuff to chicken... no, really, one fight was literally about chicken.

But for some odd reason, she pursued a relationship with this dude. A couple of months later... she moves out of state to be with this dude. No job, no apartment... goes and lives with this dude she can't get through a week without screaming at. No, really. I didn't get it either. I advised her against it. I said just get a job first... get your own place... date for a minute. What's the rush? But, she did it anyway.

As the months pass, the fights continue... she is kicked out a few times, because after all, it was HIS place, not hers or theirs. One time it was so extreme she called one of our mutual friends to come get her because she was locked out and walking in the pouring rain with no where to go. And despite all this... I tried to be supportive. When she called I would try to be impartial. Its her life, she has to make her own conclusions. So I never pushed for her to leave him or interfered with their relationship at all.

She was told that she could not be friends with any of her exes, two of which are our close friends. She complied, and called and told both that she was in a relationship and can't talk or associate with them anymore... then dude got upset with her and told her that she wasn't supposed to call them... she was supposed to just ignore them and not talk to them at all. So despite her compliance and cutting off good friends, the manner in which she did it was still wrong, so it STILL led to an argument.

I get semi-monthly calls to say 'it's over'... some of them tearful... some are mid argument and I can hear dude in the background screaming at her, and her screaming back at him in my ear... and now I am to the point where, I know that no matter what I say, or how upset she is, that after a few hours and her blood cools, she will go back and try to work it out. So... we kinda have a routine. She calls upset talking about its over, dude comes up screaming... I say, why don't you handle that there and call me later... usually I don't hear anything from her for days and I have to call and check on her. And she is like... oh yeah, I am good, and explains that they worked it out and how their problem is communication, or miscommunication... or how they have come to some new understanding... or how they are going to get counseling... or how they are only going to send each other text messages when they are upset so that the arguments don't escalate into screaming matches... there is always some new fandangled approach. (Does this sound ludicrous to any of you too?)

If you have been married 35 years... ok... I would get it. Do what you need to do to stay together. You have a serious time investment. But... after barely a year, when you were fighting like this from the jump? FIGHTING IS THE RELATIONSHIP! What are you fighting to save?

And when I tell ya'll... this is only the surface shyt... I am not even getting into some other shyt that makes my blood boil. Before ya'll ask, no she has never been beaten... so while this seems so battered wife syndrome... she is not battered. (altho abuse can be mental, and that is definitely the case here...) 

During the past 8 months she has been living with him, she got a new great job. And just this month, they moved into a new apartment with BOTH of them on the lease... The last time I was with them, an argument broke out and she ended up crying herself to sleep in the living room with us, while he slept soundly in the master suite. Well... at least she wasn't outside in the rain.

I don't want my friend to feel like she can't come to me. But at this point... I can't fake supportive anymore. It's like watching a friend get hit by a train in slow motion. You see her on the track, and you see the train coming... but despite your screaming and yelling, she doesn't move. Until she realizes her own value and self worth, the train doesn't exist to her. She will not see the train.

I can only pray that she will come to her senses... and see it before it's too late.

I am worn out...

Ok... so I know I have been gone for a minute. (My last post was October 30th...) And I haven't posted because, well... after such a long pause, I felt like I needed to come back with a bang and talk  about something deep. Like election night... holiday experiences or the inauguration (I went to DC)... but every time I thought to sit down to try to write something deep... time would get away from me, and another day would pass. Now three months later... what brings me back to blogging is not a matter of depth... its FRUSTRATION AT BEING IN THE SAME PREDICAMENT OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AD NAUSEUM!!!!

ARRRRRGGGH! If you read my blog, you know that I have been trying to avoid having one of my friends stay at my apartment for months and months. And if you don't read my blog, you can read about it here(learning to say no), and here(the dreaded phone call). Well... during my blog absence in December, she got booted out of the place she was staying because of drama that wasn't her fault, and was forced to move her stuff out THAT day. Who do you think she called? That's clearly rhetorical because you already KNOW who she called in tears... and you know I don't do well with crying desperate people in need...

So, I caved, and went to help her move her stuff out. She has been in my guest room for the past two months. And I am over it.

First, I started noticing little bug bites on my body. And I was thinking it was mosquitos... turns out, there were flea issues on my couch... I DONT HAVE ANY PETS! Now I can't specifically blame it on her because they could have come from anywhere... but... I ain't have any flea issues before... and the girl she was staying with was a hood rat. What do you think?

Then... I thought the fleas were the only issue... then... I found a BED BUG on my bed, where she spends most of her time watching TV. Again, I can't specifically blame her for that, but... I NEVER HAD BED BUGS BEFORE!!!

I freaked out SOOOOO badly that I threw my mattress and boxspring out on the roof and didn't even want them in my house at like 4am. I have fumigated twice, sprayed heavy duty bug spray all around my house, threw out a bunch of bedding and all my pillows, and washed every single article of clothing I own... then on top of that, sprayed everything else I couldn't throw out. I haven't slept in my room in 2 weeks...

And then... on top of all of that, I just hate having someone in my house... and its all these stupid little things that I would dismiss if she were just visiting... like... watching tv in my room and falling asleep in my bed. If we ain't fukkin, GET THE FUKK OUT MY BED! Or falling asleep with the TV on... if you ain't paying my con ed, you need to turn my shyt off the MINUTE your head knods the first time! Or using my body wash... or eating food I prepared for later... I hate going to get something and it not being there... or not putting the garbage bags in the can properly... you are a grown azz woman... you see how the bag is in there when you took the full bag out... but you can't figure out how to put a new one in? ugh.

I am trying to give her time to get herself situated. She is starting her own business and is literally broke... but for real, we are all grown. If I needed to stay somewhere for more than a week, it would be with my family. I would not impose on my friends like that. 

But she is broke... and has no place to go... and as aggravated as I am having my personal space invaded by yet ANOTHER extended stay by one of my needy friends... my conscience won't let me do what I want which is tell her to find some place else to stay because I am worn out... 

So I will just vent here... because I am frustrated... and aggravated, because... I am a bleeding heart and way too empathetic.

Sometimes I wish I weren't so... nice. I am just hoping I don't snap and flip out and ruin our friendship... which is a very real possibility... Pray for me.

107 years old...

I just received a call from my aunt in Georgia to tell me that my grandfather is ill. His organs are beginning to fail him, and that we should all start making plans to come visit him.

Initially it sounds really sad... but in the course of conversation, my aunt casually starts a sentence with, "well, at 107 years old..." and I had to stop her... What did you just say? 107 years old? Grampa is 107 years old? wow.

I know I should have had some idea of his age, as most people know at least what decade of age their grandparents are... but this is my fathers dad. I didn't really grow up spending too much time with him. Plus... he was well into his 70's and already old when I was born. So he never seemed to age to me because... well... 5 years added to old... is still just... really old... lol

He never seemed to change because he was still very active and competent. He was even FRISKY! He used to flirt with women ALL the time (which always grossed me out.) Did I mention that he had completely lost his site by the time I was 8, and used his blindness as an excuse to be feely touchy with women? Yes... my grandfather is quite a character.

But at 107, you can't really be sad. Living to be 107 is to be celebrated. It's a blessing. My grandfather has lived a full life. Hell, he had my dad when he was in his 50's (clearly my dad was NOT planned... lol) And he now has great great great grandkids. He has lived through Jim Crow, the Civil Rights movement, 2 World Wars, Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Great Depression, the invention of the TV, computer and the internet, the first man on the moon... and soon the nations first Black president!

Its amazing to me... our lack of a relationship seems like such a missed opportunity... There is such a wealth of experience that I could have learned from. Well, at this point, there is not much I can do about it.

Anyway, I am not sad. I am happy that he got to see and experience so much. And I am glad that he is not in pain. AAAAND... I am REALLY happy and glad to have his genes... lol

Time to take a trip.

The Debates and Head of Skate

After watching the debates last night, I was left with a knot in my stomach. I felt like Barack did well, but he could have shut McCain down, and didn't.

McCain said over and over 'What Senator Obama doesn't get'... or 'just doesn't understand' so many times it was ridiculous, and Barack kept taking the high road and not addressing that shyt. It could have been a simple as saying, 'But what Senator McCain doesn't understand is that even if we shut down all 18 billion in discretionary spending, giving a tax break for 300 billion to the wealthiest like the big wigs on wallstreet would leave us with a 282 billion dollar whole bigger than the one we have now AND worse financial issues on wallstreet... Senator McCain just doesnt get that'... I mean, shyt like that could have SHUT HIM DOWWWWWN! And there were a zillion other opportunities for Barack to do the same thing, and put more nails in McCains coffin. He has to break this shyt down for the dumbest of dumb... and stop trying to illustrate his Harvard intellect... we've GOT that. You are smart! Now relate to the Punksatawny Community College drop out. But Barack kept espousing these long drawn out intellectual answers and that will NOT resonate with Dumb Azz Middle America... they will respond to McCain and his emotional responses, REGARDLESS of his lacking intellect.

We have two more debates... and I am hoping that people will advise him to break it down more and make it less verbose. This race should NOT be close, and it is... so Barack needs to change it up.

And he will because he is going to win. I am just putting that out into the universe. Barack Obama WILL be the next president. Barack Obama WILL be the next president. Barack Obama WILL be the next president. Nom-yo-ho-ren-gyeh-kyoh...  Nom-yo-ho-ren-gyeh-kyoh...  Nom-yo-ho-ren-gyeh-kyoooooooh...

Anyway, I saw the funniest video today. Its a Sarah Palin skit called... 'Head of Skate'. But while it is really funny, it is sadly a very real possibility if Barack doesn't start shutting McCain down... ENJOY!

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.