Babblings of a Magnolia Diva!

>>>> MOVED! >>>>

2009-01-15T08:16:00.001-05:00

I've moved here...

I Want My REFUND!!!

2008-10-07T16:31:00.001-04:00

I am going to have to come back to this because this is just ........

Just read it....

After Bailout, AIG Executives Head to Resort

Absentee Ballot Deadlines - ANY QUESTIONS?!

2008-09-23T15:55:00.001-04:00

http://www.longdistancevoter.org/absentee_ballot_deadlines

Real Women

2008-08-26T06:50:00.003-04:00

I was raised by a mother who, at all times, was fair, poised, tactful, beautiful, graceful and FIERCE. When I look at other women, 99% of the time, I compare them to my mother and the other real women in my life. You know, those women who are articulate, street smart, hard-working, and the like.

I was watching Michelle Obama's speech at the DNC last night and throughout her speech, it was if my Mom was speaking to an audience. See, we all know that we aren't alone in our daily walk (God is always with us) and that the road we are taking has been laid by someone else (how else would it get there?!). That road may not be the exact same path that someone else took, but the ground has been graded for the road to be paved, if it isn't already. We all stand on so many shoulders and owe the next generation what our prior generation gave to us and better.

Michelle Obama spoke of family, shared values, hard work, determination and the future. These are all the things that I heard (and still hear) from the real women in my life. Not to say that the men in my life haven't expressed the same concerns, but this post is about the women in my life.

My parents didn't come from money. Didn't receive a huge financial inheritance when their parents passed on, but the values that were instilled in them is more than any money could buy. They have passed on those values to us.

My Mom was (is....LOL) always telling me to think before I speak. Hold your shoulders back and walk tall. Do good in school and take in all that you can. Life isn't fair, but work hard and you'll move forward. She always was dressed to the nines and professional at all times. Classy, elegant and poised.....yeah, how a real woman should look and act.

Here is to all of the real women who are in my life and who have been in my life....I want to say THANK YOU for all that you've done, you do and continue to do for me and others.

Friday Rant - 22August2008

2008-08-22T09:11:00.002-04:00

Okay, it's Friday and um, I am starting to see things that just should not be happening in 2008:

1. Freeze curls are PLAYED OUT and should not be worn!
2. Black pencil liner on your lips....Black pencils are for EYES, not lips!
3. Fingerwaves, fingerwaves, fingerwaves on a DAILY basis....RELEASE your addiction to the gel! UNLESS you are going retro with the ENTIRE LOOK, LET IT GO! ESPECIALLY on dudes... YOU know who you are.
4. Socks worn with sandals............if you are going to wear sandals, WHY do you have on socks? Don't believe the hype.

Alive and Kicking

2008-08-19T09:34:00.004-04:00

If you are one of those people that exist in this world and thing racism isn't alive. Think, again. Yes, matters may be perceived to be better, but on the inside, racism is still alive and kicking.

Here it is 2008 and this kind of crap is STILL going on. Only this time, instead of the crosses being physically burned in our front yards, they are being burned at our schools (mentally), at work, and at the most segregated hour of the week, Sunday morning.

Cosmetic Safety Concerns?

2008-08-19T08:26:00.002-04:00

I ran across this VERY informative and insightful website this morning when reading an article on one of my fav beauty websites.

Hitting the Pool

2008-08-16T20:30:00.002-04:00

Um, yeah, I've been considering swimming twice a week as an alternate form of exercise. I guess God was trying to tell me something, because here is a reason for me to go. Talk about an inspiration!

A Few Things I Love About Living in the DMV

2008-08-12T21:13:00.006-04:00

Just sharing a few things I love about living in this area in the summer (comes a cool second to my all time FAVE summer city, CHI-TOWN!).

Browswer Bookmarks In Several Places?

2008-08-12T08:54:00.002-04:00

Ever bookmarked a URL at home and forgot what is was and wanted to pull it up somewhere OTHER than your home computer? If you use Firefox as a browser (as most of us techies recommend you do), there is a solution that ROCKS! It's called Foxmarks. It is an add-on to Firefox that allows you to sync your bookmarks across multiple computers. How cool is that?!

For the web-surfing, net-loving, always-tech-learning, gadget-googling, nerds like myself, this is a FAB feature! Makes life VERY easy for me..... I like when life is easy (who doesn't?!).

Organic Eating

2008-08-12T08:31:00.003-04:00

So, as for the past few years, there has been a huge push towards organic foods. I grew up in mid-size city with a garden in our backyard. I was used to fresh greens, tomatoes, corn, etc.

When I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2003, my doctor and I talked about my diet. I wasn't a BAD eater, but he advised that I try to eat fresher, non-processed foods because the mess that companies put in a lot of the processed foods could affect my colitis. In addition, the antibiotics and steroids used in animals could also be passed to me via eating and affect my colitis.

I am all for supporting small farms, organic markets and the like. Here is an interesting animated graphic, though. It shows how larger companies and businesses are goggling our smaller organic farms.

Take a look at it. Quite interesting....

Computer Worm Warning

2008-08-06T15:27:00.002-04:00

No, I am not talking about the icky things we used to dig up for fishing bait. This is a computer worm.

The FBI has sent out a warning about a new computer worm. Microsoft Windows users, heads up!

This Is Not Hog Heaven ....far from it!

2008-08-05T15:13:00.005-04:00

I am all for fair treatment of employees, ESPECIALLY those who are working in manufacturing environment (hey, been there, done that.........another story for another day).

All I have to say is, SMITHFIELD FOODS is wrong as two left shoes for this crap. I stopped buying their products LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG before now (heck, I used to live in North Carolina, so I know the deal).

Again, I suggest we all take a long, hard look at the products we buy and their background.

Great Sounds Heard Last Night

2008-08-04T11:33:00.010-04:00

Last night, I heard one of the best sounds ever.................. No, I wasn't playing Earth, Wind and Fire or Lalah Hathaway. Instead, I heard NFL FOOTBALL on my TV!!! Who cares if it was the Hall Of Fame game! It was NFL FOOTBALL!!

August through early February is my favorite time of year. Hubby's birthday, my birthday, HBCU homecomings, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's and............FOOTBALL!! AH!!

As a kid who grew up in the deep south (where Football is a second religion), I can remember MANY a Saturday, going to Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium attending Jackson State football games. I remember the large crowds cheering their team on, the bands battling til midnight (that's now affectionately known as 5th Quarter) and the tailgating. I LOVE SOME FOOTBALL!!

Just thought that I'd share this with ya'll because this is MY time of the year! Cooler weather is just around the corner, the leaves will be changing colors, and football will be on EVERY WEEKEND!! WHOO HOO!!!
Oh, sidenote: PLEASE tell me what possessed Steve Smith to punch Ken Lucas and break his nose? I am a HUGE Panthers fan, but this is crazy! I mean, Steve, what did he do? Say something about your Mom? Seriously, dude.........

Is Now The Time To Buy?

2008-08-04T09:49:00.003-04:00

There were/are 1.5 MILLION loans that have to adjust in 2008. All of them aren't perfect-credit/can-get-refinanced people either. We haven't even seen the half of what this economy is about to do.

" The first wave of Americans to default on their home mortgages appears to be cresting, but a second, far larger one is quickly building.

Homeowners with good credit are falling behind on their payments in growing numbers, even as the problems with mortgages made to people with weak, or subprime, credit are showing their first, tentative signs of leveling off after two years of spiraling defaults" [New York Times]

If you are just dying to get into a home, great....go for it. If you are looking to have EQUITY increase in the house you want to buy, RIGHT NOW, now is not the time because values will continue to decrease as these loans adjust and people foreclose.

On top of that, folks are using their credit cards like MAD for what used to be basic purchases and are not paying the balance off every month.

So, to answer your question of whether this is a good time to buy? In my opinion? Um, NO! I've been saying this ALL YEAR!!

Here we go...

Here we go, again...

Reason # 562 For Me To Hate WalMart

2008-08-01T10:14:00.003-04:00

*** Sigh ***

Another reason why I don't support WalMart. No, I don't shop at Sam's Club, either (I am a Target and Costco kinda woman). I haven't purchased JACK from WalMart since 2005, when my tolerance for their crap just ran out.

Great American Restaurants - DC/VA/MD area

2008-08-01T09:05:00.002-04:00

If you haven't been to any of these fabulous restaurants, do yourself a favor and give them a visit! The food is great. The atmosphere is fab and they have locations all over northern VA.

One of my favorites is their Carlyle in Arlington (Shirlington area, to be exact). Great location for an intimate dinner, girls night out or a group night out.

Hubby and I ate there last night at their Coastal Flats location in Tyson's Corner. Yummy!

Just thought that I'd share on what's good in the DMV that I've experienced.

Speechless in the DMV

2008-07-29T13:32:00.004-04:00

So, Extreme Makeover gives you a house, free and clear. You take out a loan against the house, that folks worked HARD with their time, talent and money on the house.

You default on the loan and now the home is up for foreclosure.

How would YOU feel if you volunteered/gave of the above for this home?

Me? I'd be knocking on the door asking for explainations.....

Black In America - Part C

2008-07-25T10:52:00.002-04:00

Okay, I am still reeling from CNN's Black In America series.

So, I was thinking, again, they portrayed that light is right and dark is not a walk in the park. They insinuated that we, as blacks, can/could only succeed if we go to white schools, marry white, live in mostly white neighborhoods and be friends with whites. I am all for diversity, but don't portray some of our lives as one-sided.

I am a product of public schools. My elementary school was mostly black. My junior high school was 100% black (we'll speak on that one in a second) and my high school was mostly black. My siblings and I were raised in a middle-class, working-class black neighborhood most of our lives (except when our parents were in doctoral programs). I attended a black college for undergrad and another for one of my graduate degrees. My parents are black college graduates (undergrad). My brother is a black college graduate. My sister didn't attend an HBCU. WHY didn't CNN portray "success" on any of those fronts? Everything they showed as "successful" was going to majority schools, living in mostly white neighborhoods, and marrying white. To each, his own, but don't portray black life as one-sided. WE ARE SUCCESSFUL in our own rights. My best friend went to 100% black schools from Pre-K through undergrad. She is successful in her own right. Most of my other friends graduated from HBCUs and are successful, in their own right. We all grew up in black neighborhoods. We didn't get our houses shot up. We didn't end up with 3, 4, 5 kids out of wedlock. We didn't sling drugs. Where were our stories, CNN?

Back to my 100% black junior high school. The school I attended was 100% black. We slaughtered EVERYONE in the city (white, black or other) in academics, sports, arts, etc. Other junior high schools HATED competing against us because they knew they were in for a defeat. Where was that story, CNN?

My five years as an undergrad in engineering where the school I attended, at that time, was #2 in conferring blacks with engineering degrees, with the #1 school edging us by 10 people and their school was three times the size of ours. The school were I earned my master's degree in engineering graduated more blacks in engineering that any other school in the county and had the LARGEST career fair out of ANY school (white or black) in the southeast. Where was that story, CNN?

Black in America - single thought

2008-07-24T23:32:00.001-04:00

CNN, if you are going to tell a story........tell the whole dang story, not some lop-sided view of how YOU think you see it. Soledad and I need to talk.....

Black in America - Part B

2008-07-24T22:17:00.004-04:00

Um, I am having SERIOUS problems with tonight's episode on CNN. To me (tell me if I am reading too much into it), it's basically saying that the only blacks who are successful and can make it in this world is to either live in a white neighborhood, be educated at majority schools or marry white. Is that just me? Did I read too much into the first 45 minutes?

Okay, so now, just as I was thinking, they portrayed that light is right and dark is not a walk in the park. We are our own worst enemy with that, but other ethnic groups view us just the same.

I remember the year after I got out of college, I worked at a car plant as an engineer. It was in a small town in the deep south. I had a woman ask me, hesitantly, was I mixed. I knew what she meant, but I thought that I'd play her. I asked her what did she mean by mixed. She asked were both of my parents black. I told her yes and why was she asking. She then says, "Well, your hair....it's not like normal black people's hair." Enter cricket noise here. HUH? WHAT did she mean NORMAL black people's hair. I then asked her what she meant by that. She said, "Well, you know....it's not....." I told her, "Go ahead, say it!". She says, "Kinky or short". I tersely told her that our hair goes from bone straight to coiled beyond combing and our complexion ranges from snow white to blue black. The next statement I said to her was, "If you ancestors weren't creeping around slave quarters with mine, you wouldn't be sitting here asking me questions like you just did. Don't ever ask me anything like that again......normal black people's hair. Girl, please!" Didn't matter if I was or wasn't mixed. If I have ONE black parent, society views me as BLACK. PERIOD......next.....

Now, this is something I've heard my ENTIRE LIFE (are you mixed, is your Dad white, do black people sunburn, being called an oreo, told I was acting white, etc.). Yeah, I've heard it all....from my own and from others.

I also had an employee at a previous job think that I was Mexican (notice I did not say hispanic or latino or etc.). Now, she doesn't know that I know this, but with her blond hair and blue eyes, her lilly white, Boston-raised, shallow upbringing.....poor thing. I guess I can't blame her for her ignorance. NOT! This was in 2006 and SCHOOL IS OUT, dang it. If you want to know what ethnicity I am, ASK! Don't assume! But then, again, what does this have to do with the job at hand?! Yeah.....another post for another day.

I am tired of folks asking me "black" questions as if EVERY black person has the same experiences and can speak for every black person in the world.

Notice to non-black people: PLEASE, don't believe everything you see on the news represents our life as blacks! They give you what you wanna see and hear. You don't want to hear that we grew up in black public schools, went to black colleges and are SUCCESSFUL in our own rights. You don't want to hear that some of us grew up with BOTH of our parents and, if we didn't, we had father and mother figures around us to support us. You don't want to hear that we are tall and can't black a LICK of basketball, but grew up playing tennis and volleyball, instead. You'd rather hear that we are booty shaking and killing, having kids out of wedlock, doing and selling drugs, playing ball on the streets "because it's our only way out", etc. Don't believe the hype, folks. The revolution will not be televised.

So, I am off to bed and off of my soapbox.........for now. Best believe I'll be back on it in the next 48 hours, God willing.

Black in America - Part A

2008-07-24T09:15:00.008-04:00

So, I watched part of this show last night (I TIVO'd it so I can watch it, IN FULL, with hubby so we and our families can talk about this later). The part I saw (the first 30 minutes or so)...they weren't saying anything NEW. I felt like I was watching a re-run of our life's experiences. It could use some work, though. <- more on that in another post.

So, here is my PERSONAL take on being Black in America. I'll start with the education part.

I was born in the midwest, and raised in a two-parent home in the deep south. BOTH of my parents are educators (they both hold doctorate degrees). I have an older sister and an older brother. My siblings and I were never told we had to go to college, but always knew it was something we wanted to do. I was, basically, raised in education. Like I said, my parents taught on the college level and both hold doctorates.

Education has been the foundation of my family for as long as I can remember. I never had blood relatives in the state where I was raised, but had a HOST of extended family that would praise you when you did well, chastise you when you didn't and ALWAYS kept an eye on you. This extended family would give you contacts when you went out of town, KNEW what you liked to do and would keep you in tune with those things and ALWAYS kept an eye on you (notice a pattern here?? It does take a village).

Everything around me was education from the people I was raised around to the house I grew up in. Whenever I would ask my parents what something was, they were QUICK to tell me to, first, spell it then go look it up in the dictionary or the set of 1964 encyclopedias in the study. Notice I said study. We had a room with two small built-in bookcases that were full of books (mainly, textbooks and adult study books). The mailman would CRACK on us saying that we received more mail than the entire street, combined, due to all of the magazines that would come to the house. EVERY morning, my parents would read the newspaper (Mom would sit at the table and get a kick out of the comics, too!). I once questioned a book that my Dad was reading that TOTALLY was against anything we believed in. I asked him WHY he was reading it. He quickly told me, "You must understand how the other side thinks and read what they believe in. Otherwise, you can never defeat them." Can you say LIGHT BULB moment. Whenever we would mispronounce a word, our mother was QUICK to correct us and make us say it slow so that we COULD pronounce it correctly (our Mom was also a speech pathologist). For the longest, I couldn't say AINT because "that word is not in the dictionary" (yeah, I am telling my age now). See what I mean about the HOUSE being educational?

I could NEVER go home alone after school while in elementary school. I was ALWAYS either picked up by my father and taken home or I took the school bus to the campus where they worked and stayed there until one of them got off work. Best believe that I wasn't sitting idle. I was either told to go to the library and read, run errands for them on campus (hey, isn't that child labor and illegal?! LOL) or I sat in one of the empty classrooms and read. I, also, don't remember having an idle summer. EVERY summer of my life was occupied with summer programs of some sort.

By the time I made it junior high school, I became involved in school activities that allowed me to participate in summer camps (yearbook, drill team, choir, etc.). Again, NEVER an idle summer to sit and watch TV all day.

When I entered high school, I had cheerleader practice and camps every summer and a part-time job in the latter years. Again, never an idle summer.

In high school, it came down to college choices and schools began to write, I began to talk to others about their schools, Mom and Dad, big sister and big brother all gave me their opinions of their schools, etc. I knew I loved math and science. I have ALWAYS been VERY analytical. I am NOT a huge fan of writing (not my forte'). Engineering was the first thing that came to mind when choosing a college major due to my mathematical strengths. When I started looking at colleges, I knew I wasn't ready for a BIG CITY nor was a ready for a huge school (10000+). I applied to both HBCUs and majority schools. I actually received a substantial scholarship to SMU. I started leaning toward going there because of the money I received, but my Mom and Dad knew (don't they always know?!) that I should look at all of the schools equally, that I applied to. When it came to decision time, my Mom just FLAT out asked where did I want to go. I told her where, but that they didn't offer any money. My Mom and Dad said if that is where I want to go, they'd find the money and I'd just better not go there and "mess up".

That leads to ANOTHER education-related topic. Priorities. My parents' priorities were to educate their three children. THAT is where their money went. Yes, they could have lived in a bigger house and driven nicer cars, but they socked away money for their childrens' education. Now, in this day and time, how many parents can say that they live in a smaller place or drive a smaller car for the sacrifice of their children? That is debatable.....

My siblings and I are all college graduates with post-baccalaureate education. I am VERY proud of that and have no problem telling the world. I know my situation was different, but didn't know HOW different it was until later in life (early 30s) because all I ever knew was education in our house. It was the norm. My parents never directly stated that we had to do good in school and go to college. It was understood, though.

I remember once I asked my Mom and Dad for money if I made X number of A's. I was told, "I am not going to reward you for doing what you should be doing as a child living in this house". Nuff said. Again, education was understood.

I am now married to an educator. His parents were also educators (oh, that was SO not intentional). We are both public school products and believe in the public school system. Yeah, here we go, again! LOL.

So, education for our house is a given, not an option.

Welcome to the Dark Side

2008-07-18T20:27:00.008-04:00

Hubby and I went to see The Dark Knight this afternoon. We purchased tickets last week because WE KNEW how HOT this movie was going to be. The Batman, the Joker, their friends and foes did NOT disappoint!

This was the most violent of the Batman movies, but the special effects were fab! I can almost see this movie having an NC-17 rating. It is NOT meant for younger kids.

Again, the love story thing in action movies is killing a sista', but the movie was LIKE that. When it ended the audience applauded the movie. Yeah, we were in a movie theater and you would have thought that we just saw a live play they way they were clapping.

Heath Ledger's performance is DEFINITELY Oscar worthy! Wow! This role, again, was another notch in his acting belt. He WAS the joker. R.I.P.

Let me just tell you. If you haven't already purchased your tickets, DO SO NOW!! Fandango stated that MOST of their showings are sold out until Monday.

Marching: An Issue of Commitment and Follow-Through

2008-07-16T08:13:00.011-04:00

The members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., are celebrating their Centennial international convention in Washington, DC, this week (CONGRATS, Ladies).

One of the events during their convention will be a Unity March where they are asking members from the NPHC (made up of the nine Black Greek fraternities and sororities) to march with them and link arms as a unified force and march to the Capitol. The march will send a “powerful message” to the outgoing administration and a declaration to the next U.S. president about important issues of their constituencies. (from http://www.civilrights.org/calendar/alpha-kappa-alpha.html).

Okay, please feel free to blast me now, but HOW is this going to send a message? This isn't a personal attack on anyone or any orgainzation, but it is 2008 and am growing a little tired of the "Al and Jesse" mentality where we march on anything that happens now, with no follow-through. It seems like after the marches take place, that's it. Nothing. All we can say is "we marched X-number strong".

Sometimes, I feel as if, during this day and time, we are marching to be marching. In the 60s, we marched and it meant something and we followed through on issues to make sure they were handled and dealt with. Now, we have the "Jesse and Al" mentality and that we can march on everything and expect an outcome with no work. Yeap, I said it. Marching every time something goes wrong in the community isn't going to solve ONE THING if people, of ALL RACES, don't put forth the effort to make sure that the issues they are marching for are followed through. Follow-through must be done in order for change to happen.

Marches have , historically, been a symbol to show that something isn't right (socially, morally, spiritually, etc.). BUT (I know you don't start a sentence with BUT), the issues that people are marching for must be presented to the marching participants ahead of time (I haven't seen the issues for this particular march listed in paragraph one, but please make me aware of them so that I can be corrected).

I guess I am saying all this to say that if people are going to march, identify what you are marching for and FOLLOW THROUGH on the issues you are marching on with those persons of power/influence who can make a change or make things happen. Get as much participation as you can by making the participants aware of the issues and have a next steps/action plan in place so that all can choose to participate and understand WHY they are marching.

Product Review: Emerilware™ Electric Fryer

2008-07-07T19:14:00.005-04:00

Hubby and I were given an Emerilware Electric Fryer as one of our wedding gifts. In the past, I've found that electric fryers have been VERY messy and cumbersome to clean. On top of that, I broke the last one by accidentally dropping it on the floor. Needless to say, it's grease history. It cracked and broke like an egg dropped on concrete.

This particular fryer? I love this dang fryer!! It has an oil filtration system that allows you to filter the oil (once it cools) and not get all of the crumbs and grit that get left in the grease, remove the stainless steel liner/pot where the original oil was heated and clean that baby with ease! In the past, I've had to pour the cooled oil into a jar, using cheesecloth or some other "straining device". Every time, oil would spill, I'd still get grit in the oil, etc. This is VERY easy to clean and VERY easy to set up/heat. It also comes with a LOUD timer (in case I start yapping on the phone or get distracted with other cooking). On top of all of that, EVERY piece (except for the heating element) claims it's dishwasher safe. I hand-washed ours (just in case).

We tried one of the recipes that came with the fryer (Chili Lime Fried Chicken). I think it came out great! You could really taste the lime and the chicken wasn't DRY. Hubby thinks that any fried chicken not seasoned like Popeyes or with creole seasoning is just "okay" (sigh). Maybe because I am a tequila-lime chicken lovin' fool, I thought that the wings were fab!

Operation Purge - Next Step

2008-07-07T18:57:00.003-04:00

So, I wasn't here when the trash people ran last week, but I am SURE that they were like, "WHAT JUST HAPPENED HERE?!". LOL...

Next set of items, boxes with books and hobby stuff (sewing, knitting and scrapbooking supplies). I COULD set up one of the bedrooms upstairs for this, but since there is a bedroom in the basement, I will use that room for my personal "hobby lobby".

Okay, I have a secret to tell you all. Promise you won't go off? Okay...here it is.....I have a stash ya'lll. NO, NO, NO........get your minds out of the gutters and off of the plants! LOL.... YARN and FABRIC stashes! I NEED to produce the garments and items that I originally purchased the yarn and fabric for. Once I get the room organized (deadline: end of July.....LOOK, I work all week and only have the weekends to do for me!), I'll start on some fall stuff (hey, it will take me that long to finish them).

Here is some GOOD news from Operation Purge. Hubby and I LOVE how our kitchen is set up now! The kitchen is small where we are renting and hey, I have a lot of kitchen stuff that I use (noticed, I said I and not we....we are eventually going to get hubby on the cooking for two bandwagon). We've donated all of the items that we no longer needed to the Salvation Army. YAY! Kitchen is fully functional and getting DAILY usage!

So, once I go through these boxes, I'll have to report to you all what I found, what was kept, what was donated and what was FLAT OUT thrown out!

I Thought I Told Ya' That We Won't Stop?!

2008-07-05T17:24:00.004-04:00

Anyone who KNOWS me KNOWS what I am thinking right now.

That dang Venus. So, she AND her sister, Serena, were in the finals of Wimbledon. First Tiger smacks the US Open with a non-existent knee and now the Williams sisters are in the finals of the Wimbledon......and Venus WON!

What's next? HA HA HA HA (sitting back in my computer chair with my feet kicked up, feeling like sipping on a glass of GOOD cabernet....and you know why!!)....

I thought I told ya' that we won't stop?!

Moving, Unpacking, Purging

2008-06-30T08:30:00.004-04:00

Let me start this post by saying that I am a PACK RAT in rehab! I am slowing getting out of my "keeping everything" ways. This became VERY apparent during our move. Mind you, hubby had his clothes and a few other necessities that all fit in his car. I, on the other hand, had 10 years worth of HOUSE STUFF and 3 moves during that time period. Can you say RELEASE? LOL!! I did a lot of entertaining in my previous home and had a lot of "stuff". Some I need, some I don't need.

Okay, don't shoot me for this, but, I still have my notes from my undergrad and grad school engineering classes (DOH......stop throwing tomatoes!). I know, I know....they are going in the trash when I open the boxes! I am keeping some of my MBA course work because they have a lot of good case-study work that I actually refer to and use, currently. I thought, at one point, I was going to go back to school to work on my doctorate. I still may, but um, these notes are not going to help me! LOL.... So, they've gotta go!

I got rid of A LOT of stuff before I sold my 2nd home in March 2008. I sold a lot of stuff on Craigslist, Ebay, and email solicitations. I did get to the point where I said, "I am tired and I'll worry about this later". I told the movers to just pack it and I'll worry about it later. LATER IS HERE!!! Again, I am back on Craigslist and Ebay, selling away at stuff (Elfa shelving, a snow blower, etc.)!

Here is the kicker, YES, I have clothes that I want to get back into and can't currently fit in. I've come to the realization that once I do get back to size, I'm going to want NEW stuff and this stuff needs to be donated to Goodwill, Salvation Army or someone who can TRULY use this stuff. See, Pack Rat mentality decreasing.... T-minus 10 and counting! :)

We received a lot of nice wedding gifts that are being used, IMMEDIATELY. The only thing that we aren't using immediately are the formal china pieces. Since we don't have a china cabinet and have limited kitchen cabinet storage, I was wondering where we were going to store our china. NOTE: I HATE cardboard boxes to store stuff in! Hubby and I were getting some stuff in The Container Store and ran across these cute dish storage cases. China storage problem solved!

I just know that the trash man is going to look at our unit like, "WHAT THE HECK WENT ON HERE?!" on tomorrow when the trash goes out tomorrow!

Needy Folks Rant

2008-06-30T08:03:00.004-04:00

I know, I know.....it's been a LONG TIME since I posted. There have been a few changes that have taken place in my life since I last posted. I sold my house, got married, moved (still in the DC metro area) and hubby moved up. WHEW!

Okay, back the post. Do you all know of people who NEED to be NEEDED? You know, those people who want to constantly give you advice (as if they know EVERYTHING), want you to call them and talk to them all the time (notice that order), constantly keeping "check" on you (not in a concerned way), gets mad when you have OTHER friends and have a life OUTSIDE of them?

I had a few folks like that in my life, previously. That was at a point in my life when I wasn't very secure and needed outside attention. Now, I am a little older and wiser and have my Mom's intuition where I "read" folks' motives from 2-3 sentences.

People who NEED to be NEEDED are INSECURE, as well as the folks who feed into their "need".

I knew a person who was always telling how I should say this, do this, play games with men, etc. Years later, I finally told her (now that I've matured and saw what was really going on) how I didn't appreciate how she was always telling ME what to do, punking me in front of others and making jokes of my mistakes in front of others (<----we'll get back to that in a sec).

Before then, she told me that she'd noticed a "change" in me. What? Did she mean that I am doing what I want to do and not what she advised or told to do? Is that the change she meant? She told me that I wasn't "the same XXXXXX that I used to be". Did she mean that I wasn't that YES girl that did anything she (and others) told/asked me to do?

Another thing is people who make jokes of another person's short-comings or faults. Bringing up OLD stuff that could be embarrassing to a person, and making a joke out of it in front of others (who were not involved with the original story) is not cute. It also shows a lack of respect for that person, especially, if you knew that person was embarrassed or sensitive about that situation. This has happened to me with people who I thought were my friend. Friends don't make public jokes of you or try to publicly embarrass you. Again, shows a sign of insecurity.

Life changes and as one grows, you view things differently. Now, in my life, material things don't mean crap to me (designer clothes, labels, having a big house, etc.). God has a way of showing us what is truly important in life. Right now, being a great wife, good Christian and respecting others (and vice versa) are what are important to me. I also am VERY careful with placing the label of FRIEND on people. There are TRUE friends and then there are associates and then there are people you know. Those persons I've mentioned in the previous paragraphs are in the "people you know" category. Get my drift? I know them, but I choose not to associate with them.

I see a lot of people who talk down to others, "show off" what they "have", are loud when they speak in public (and not performing on stage), constantly have to "prove" to the world that they are "at a certain level" in life. That stuff is permanently off of my radar and I choose not to associate with those type of people.

The type of people that I choose to surround myself with are loving, funny, God-fearing, caring, people who are there for you, no matter the day our hour. THOSE are who I call FRIENDS.

I just need a few things in life and PEOPLE who need to be needed ain't one of them. I need God. Following Him gives me all of my needs and some of wants.

FAN UP! Geaux, Hornets!

2008-04-30T10:43:00.001-04:00

Ahhhhhhhhhh, Spring in the Deep South

2008-04-15T10:44:00.008-04:00

So, yeah...........you'd think I was talking about flowers, warm weather and (ah choo) pollen. I'll give you the flowers, but the warm weather......

WHY IN THE HECK WAS THERE A FREEZE WARNING for Central Mississippi Monday night?? Dude and dudettes, it's freakin' April 15th! We've had the HEAT on in this house since Saturday (when I arrived)!?! Look, you non-environmentally conscious people, GET IT TOGETHER! You are messing up our planet and contributing to global warming and screwing up the ecosystem!

Back to my lovely magnolia visit, so my Mom and this group of ladies get together every other Tuesday and play bridge. They rotate homes to host and guess who was up today? Yeah, you guessed it.........my Mom. They do a full formal lunch and then hit the cards (LOL). I assisted my mother with setting the table (my job for as long as I can remember) and helping serve the ladies.

Of course, one of her formal china pattens was pulled out for use, goblets were rinsed out and hand-dried, and a beautiful flatware pattern was used. Ahhhhhhhhh, being at home can be so renaissance-like! I LOVE a formal table.

That is one of the things I LOVE about being raised in the south. Most entertaining at home is done using formal china, flatware and REAL crystal. It makes a table look COMPLETE and VERY elegant. I know that EVERY holiday that we are home, the formal stuff is pulled out. Every time my mother entertains her bridge club, it's pulled out. Any time my parents entertain guests, it's pulled out.

Side note: I found this really NEAT web tool that sets your table for you, if you enter what is being served (the web is so cool!).

Just my mini-rant on one of the many things I LOVE about being a southern girl.

I'm Waiting........It better be REAL GOOD, too

2008-03-05T18:39:00.001-05:00

Miss Thing has some splainin' to do on this one.....

SPRING FORWARD this weekend!

2008-03-02T15:25:00.002-05:00

Don't forget to turn your clocks ahead by one hour this Saturday night/Sunday morning at 2 AM.

New Will.i.am Video

2008-02-29T13:41:00.000-05:00

Justification for the Price of Shoes and Handbags?

2008-02-29T09:59:00.005-05:00

Do you "justify" your purchases or do you just purchase what you like or desire? Do you think about your purchases? Do you do research? I am curious, do you all "justify" how much you spend on an item? I mean, do you spend $500 on a purse, $400 on shoes, or do you spend $20 on shoes and $30 on a bag?

Me? Depends. How, you ask? As you may or may not know, I had foot surgery on both of my feet last year. Even before then, I REALLY paid attention to the construction of shoes, how they felt on my feet, what they were made of, brand (reputation, more than anything), and cost.

I am the type of person that will spend more for quality construction and FREQUENT use of something. If I know that it's a pair of shoes that I'll wear at least twice a week, I'm willing to spend a little more on the shoes, if I need to. ESPECIALLY since I've had foot surgery (I am NOT trying to see my doctor ever again.........for anything other than a hello!).

Well, since my surgery, I've been in sneakers and a pair of black Ecco shoes (soft-sided, supportive, etc.). You know, good walking and comfy shoes, especially for those who've had or have foot issues. I have orthotics prescribed by my podiatrist that I have to wear and these shoes were perfect.

Dr. Podiatrist said that I could ease back into harder-sided shoes at my own pace and he couldn't tell me when that was. I have a long scar on each foot that is still healing (it's closed, but you can see some redness from time to time). Knowing that, I've been on the prowl for some mid-heel pumps to ease back in my wardrobe.

I've looked, tried on shoes, surfed the web, etc. The scar is at the 45 degree place on the inside edge of both feet. So, MOST pumps are cutting across the scar and we ain't havin' that. NEGATIVE. So, I've tried on NUMEROUS shoes (I wore between a 10 and 10.5 before the surgery and I am at the same place, now, but mostly 10.5). MOST shoes go from a 10 and JUMP to an 11. So, 10.5 are the HARDEST SIZE in the world to find. MOST 10.5 shoes are designer/$$$ shoes.

Alas, I found the PERFECT shoe/pump for me and they came in 10.5!! They are comfy and have a Nike Air padding at the ball of the shoe (JOY!). This is the most I've ever paid for a shoe, BUT, these shoes feel like HEAVEN and they don't cause me PAIN! They are shoes that I am wearing 2-4 times a week and I can wear them ALL DAY with no issues. That heel isn't a high as it states because there is a 0.5" platform so, the heel is about 2.5 inches, which is what I was looking for. I love the shoes because they are comfortable and stylish.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the bag pictured..............that is a $900 handbag!! Now, as far as handbags...........that's a doozy right there for me. See, I am still trying to break free of "college-mode". What is college mode? You know, when all you carried was your ID holder with your ID, DL, some bills folded up (usually 1's) and your ATM card (debit cards came on the scene in the middle of my college years). Yes, it's been 14 years and I am STILL learning how to carry a purse. I mean, now, I have a job and a purse is almost needed to carry OTHER crap in.

I do have a couple of handbags that I paid "more than I usually spend on handbags". BUT, I carry them 75% of the time and they get WORKED OVER on a daily basis! So, for me, the justification is the use I am getting from it and how it's holding up. The other little bags that sit in my closet (compulsive purchases from the past.......those days are long gone, though), they get carried on occasions (heck, dinner, out with the S.O., etc.).

Senator Barack Obama on 60 Minutes

2008-02-10T22:06:00.000-05:00

Senator Obama's Town Hall Meeting in Alexandria, VA

2008-02-10T21:32:00.000-05:00

POWERFUL speech and VERY good questions asked from the audience. He did an excellent job answering all of them, too.

This is the FIRST TIME in my life that, when I go to the polls, I won't feel like I am voting between the lesser of two evils. I OPENLY and WHOLE-HEARTEDLY support Senator Obama. This is also, the FIRST TIME that I've ever donated money to ANY campaign as well as served as a volunteer (canvassing neighborhoods, phone banks, etc.).

Senator Obama's Town Hall in Alexandria <------- link to view pictures

The Town Hall Meeting took place at the historic T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia. NOTE: THE REAL Coach Boone was in attendance, too! He came up from Florida! WHOO HOO!!!

There were A LOT more pictures, but I just posted a handful....

4700 people in attendance.

In line at 1030 and the line was already down the street. An hour later, the line LOOPED on King Street and then went EAST waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down King Street. WONDERFUL site!

The crowd was VERY diverse, which I knew was going to happen. I'd wish the MEDIA would stop saying crap like, "Oh, he'll win XXXXX because there is a heavy african-american population." Well, MEDIA, explain to me how he CARRIED (in the political sense as well as the DC/MD slang sense) ALL of those mid-western states (Nebraska, Iowa, etc.) as well as others where the black population is slim??? KILL THE NOISE!

Do You Think We Can? I DO!! YES WE CAN!!!

2008-02-06T21:26:00.000-05:00

The Table Always Has Two Sides

2007-12-21T11:08:00.001-05:00

So you think that men are the only ones that are accused of sexually assaulting people? Think again...

Man Up the Money, Honey!

2007-12-09T19:22:00.000-05:00

Just IN CASE you thought you were ready for the little ones (emotionally, mentally, FINANCIALLY, etc.).... here is a great article for your reading...

Incentives for Good Grades

2007-12-06T14:34:00.000-05:00

When I was in junior high, I asked my Mom and Dad could I get money for grades. For example, $5 for every A, $2 for every B, -$2 for C and below. My Mom laughed in my face and I sat there like looking like, "What is so funny". I told her that so-and-so's Mom did it and so-and-so's Dad did it. You know what came next, right?

Her response?

"One. I am not their parents and TWO, I am not giving you money to do what you are supposed to be doing as a child in this house, anyway."

YOU KNOW I walked away, head hung down like, "Dang, did she have to go THERE with me?!". She was right (as always.....).

So now companies are giving away FOOD for good grades..................GREASY, UNHEALTHY food, at that.

Boy, boy, boy.....

Road Test (Driving) Quiz

2007-12-02T21:19:00.000-05:00

On an interstate, the left lane is for:

(A) chilling because I pay taxes and I can stay where I please when I drive
(B) passing only
(C) getting ran the heck over if I don't drive the speed limit
(D) Driving under the speed limit

If you answered (A) or (D), YOU NEED TO CHECK THE DRIVING MANUAL IN YOUR STATE!!!!

Dudes and dudettes, I was driving back to Maryland from Atlanta today and I ran into over 40 folks who were CHILLING IN THE LEFT LANE in SOUTH CAROLINA and NORTH CAROLINA and driving GROSSLY under the speed limit.

State "keep right" laws......it's OBVIOUS that NO ONE reads this and skips over this section on the driving test in North Carolina and South Carolina!!!!

I lived in North Carolina for 6 years and this was a MAJOR pet peeve of mine!!

THIS is TOO FUNNY, though!!!

Just my last vent, GET OVER, FOLKS!!!!

Sad News - Sean Taylor

2007-11-27T06:22:00.000-05:00

On the way into work this morning, I heard on the radio that Washington Redskins Safety Sean Taylor had passed. There were encouraging signs the night before with him, but God called him home this morning. Here is a link to the Washington Post report.

I never met Sean Taylor nor ever saw him in passing. Heck, I'm hardly a Redskins fan. This morning, I think about HOW he died: protecting his one-year old daughter and girlfriend from an intruder. He did what any MAN would do.

He and his girlfriend were reportedly awakened by a noise in the house. When Sean got up from his bed and grabbed a machete (which he kept for protection, we are told) the intruder burst through the bedroom door and two shots were fired. One shot hit the wall and the other tore through Taylor's leg, hitting an artery, causing him to lose a lot of blood.

Now, we all know that Taylor hasn't been the law's or reporter's best friend and some may say, "Well, you live that life...." or whatever. Let me stop you, right there. Truth be told, if God were to judge us and we look back over our lives, NONE OF US deserve to be here and we'd all be gone from this earth. So before you begin to judge another's life and HOW they lived it (which NONE of us know another's TRUTH), look in the mirror. Has your life been crystal clear? Have you NEVER sinned.

A sin is a sin is a sin. There is no such thing as a "little sin" or a "big sin". We've all done it, but God forgives us.

God: "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone"
Me: "That sure is a big pile of rocks back here"

Since I KNOW all the "Super Saints" of the world will be out to judge this man (and anybody else) for their faults, all of those who are have never done any dirt and are pure and clean and without fault can all stay in the room together...last one cut off the light...........

This man died because of another's devilish act. End of story. A father, son, friend, brother, boyfriend and teammate has been taken away from those lives he affected.

I will keep his family and friends in prayer. I ask that you do the same.

We all could use a little self-reflection and prayer. I pray that God gives every life he touched, STRENGTH to make it from here until we are called home.

Thank God for Deliverance From Destructive Habits

2007-11-26T14:05:00.001-05:00

And if you need ANOTHER reason to be thankful for them, read here.

I guess everyone has their "pain" and "weak points". Glad mine isn't/wasn't eating hair.

Acne - Different Causes, Different Solutions

2007-11-26T09:09:00.000-05:00

A while back, some ladies on an area email list discussed adult acne, etc. I suffered from acne from the time I was 12 until I was 25. My acne was from an elevated hormone level (DHEA).

Well, I found my BAD ACNE picture from January 1996. This picture has not been retouched or anything. This was the SIDE of my face and part of the reason why I didn't like to take pictures at that point in my life. This was the WORST that my acne had ever gotten (it was getting worse and worse, every year since I was 12).

Before you think it, YES, I took Accutane. STAY AWAY from that stuff. To this day, I promise you that IT (Accutane) is the reason why I have ulcerative colitis, to this day! I NEVER had stomach issues until I took this medicine in 1991/1992 time frame. There is NO acne in the world, that bad, that I'd advise someone to take that crap. No, I am not a doctor, but I have been through every antibiotic, topcial and oral medication known to man (pre 1997) for acne!

Back to the message at hand, since no of the prior methods of getting rid of my acne worked with other doctors (I was on antibiotics, topical creams that BURNED my face (Retin-A, Differin, etc.), most of my life), my dermatologist knew that it had to be something internal. She did a blood panel and found out that I had an elevated hormone level (DHEA). She put me spironolactone/aldactone and birth control pills.

When DHEA is elevated in WOMEN, it can cause acne around the jawline and neck. When it's TOO high (which wasn't the case with me), women's voices drop, and they develop chest hair and facial hair.

Spironolactone/aldactone LOWERS DHEA levels. Doctors give it people who've had congestive heart failure and high blood pressure, BUT, they also give it to men who've had sex changes and want to be women.

Within 2 weeks, my face stopped breaking out, but the scars were still there. I used alpha hydroxy wash and moisturizer to fade the scars. That took about a year to fade. Mind you, this treatment was given to me in the fall of 1997.....

Now, I use Peter Thomas Roth products to maintain my skin. Yes, I am still on the medications and will have to be until I get married and decide to conceive children.

I found an UP CLOSE picture of my face (from late 2004....)....no makeup.
I writing this to say everyone that suffers from adult acne does not suffer from it for the same reasons. Not everyone's "cure" is the same......(allergies, hormones, etc.). I say go see a dermatologist to find out WHY your face is breaking out and don't just go through a lot of over the counter stuff that could possibly do long term damage to your skin (burns, etc.).

I have yet to find a dermatologist in the MD/DC/VA that gives the same treatment (NO LIE)! I go back to my dermatologist in NC every 6 months. SAD, but true.

Doctors - Where Do Their Hearts Lie

2007-11-26T08:24:00.000-05:00

This is the kind of money-for-medicine crap that scares me with SOME (not all) doctors.

My sister once told me that when she meets people that say they are interested in medicine, she asks them why. If they say because they want to help people, she asks them about becoming a teacher. When they mention the money, she tells them to find another profession because if they are entering medicine for the money, they are in the WRONG profession and that you have got to LIVE, LOVE and BREATHE medicine to be a good physician and not look for the money......those days are OVER unless you go into surgery and then half of your salary goes in malpractice insurance.

I love my sister.

You Can "Lunch" On Costco, If You Want To

2007-11-25T10:26:00.000-05:00

I have a few friends that aren't fans of "big box" stores. I, for one, don't support nor shop at WalMart or Sams. I am becoming a very social conscious consumer. I don't like WalMart's practices. I don't like in where they purchase their items, how they treat their employees, on top of the fact that EVERY TIME I USED to go there looking for something, it was always out of stock. BOOOOOOOOOOO!

WalMart has always "bullied" their vendors into giving them (WalMart, that is) rock bottom prices and stellar services. Hey, I am not mad at their business skills, but at some point, you've got to think about HOW you treat people. Money or not. It is so bad that now companies are saying NO to WalMart, too (read here).

They also keep A GREAT majority of their work force at part-time so they won't have to offer and pay for health benefits.

Enough about them, I LOVE Costco. I don't like it when it's crowded, though. You have to know when to go, but I LOVE their selection of EVERYTHING (food, electronics, etc.). They even have my hard-to-find snacks at a lower cost.

Hold on to your horses and brace yourself for this.....I am a woman and I HATE shopping. Yes, you heard that right. I'd rather go in with a list, get what I have to get and be gone. I drive my girlfriends CRAZY with that because they will "shop til they drop" and I'll be sitting in the front of the store, waiting for them to come out. I just don't like it. I'd rather spend my time doing something else. Now, I will get on the web, click a few times and be done. Shoot, if Costco offered everything in the store on the web and all (not some, but ALL) the grocery stores delivered, heck I'd probably NEVER leave the house to shop!

Now, "big box" stores have, historically, been known to have 90% of their consumers be a part of the "non-elite" shopper. NOT...... I know differently. I see the clientelle at the Costco in Maryland and Virginia. I came across a great article today in the NY Times that speaks to just that.

Little secret....I love their hot dog (um, this would be a REAL Franks hot dog) and a coke for $1.50! Not the healthiest thing in the world, but every once in a while.

So, ya'll can "lunch" on Costco if you like.....this is the perfect time of year to hit them up, especially if you entertain. Happy Costco-ing!

bliss softening socks

2007-11-22T21:41:00.001-05:00

So, some of you know that I had foot surgery back in the summer. Well, the doctor visits and physical therapy are all over now (YIPEE)!!!

BUT

The feet, during this whole, um........healing process.......were left in a "less than flattering" condition. I mean, I am using Vitamin E oil on the scar, but the rest of the foot.......

Well, I found the Bliss softening socks and foot cream.......I am in love. SERIOUSLY!! My feet feel like a baby's butt!! NO KIDDING!!! These things are GREAT! My feet look BETTER than they did before the surgery (well, the surgery helped, too). You can get the socks and cream at beauty product insanity store, Sephora.

Here's to SMOOTH feet....

Smooches!! (via hautemommastuff)

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T10:07:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

What am I doing? HECK, what I do EVERY Thanksgiving morning, since I was a little girl, watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade (okay, I overslept a bit this morning, but I am catching up now.......gotta love TIVO)!

It Really Is THAT SIMPLE

2007-11-21T07:41:00.002-05:00

So, I get this email from a listserv that I am on:

No Angel For Eddie
Last week Mel B and Eddie Murphy's lawyers met in an LA courtroom to work out child support and visitation rights for their daughter, Angel Iris Murphy. Mel was planning to take Angel to the courthouse to meet Eddie for the first time and was disappointed that he chose not to make a personal appearance and downright furious when the case had to be adjourned for 3 months because Eddie refused to submit a support offer. However, he and his lawyers made one thing abundantly clear. There will be no visitation...PERIOD. Eddie does not want to see Angel..ever.

So then there are comments floating all over the web about, "Oh, how could Eddie do this" and "She framed him!" and "What if she lied to him and he told her he never wanted another baby" and "He is just trife"....yadda yadda yadda.....

We can ALL sit back and look at this with whatever eye we want to, but, again, WHO ARE WE TO JUDGE?!

My opinion? Let's be clear a few things:

Now, I have thought from DAY ONE that, if this was Eddie's child, Eddie was a chump for bailing out and not claiming this child. Point #1: If he never wanted another child, he should have never slept with her, PERIOD!! No ifs, ands, buts, huhs, or whatever else!

Point #2: Ms. Tracey Edmonds.........WHY would you want to be with a man that won't even claim his own child........

Point #3: Whether Mel B. "framed" him or not, WE ALL know the possible outcomes when a person sleeps with someone, protected or not. If a person is not ready to handle ALL possible consequences when you sleep with someone (disease, pregnancy, sickness, etc.), GET UP and MOVE ABOUT YOUR DAY........FOR REAL!

Let's be real, people. I am sick and tired of men saying, "She said she was on XXXXX" and/or the woman saying, "I don't know what happened........". As ADULTS, this is part of life. Everything you do has a number of possible outcomes. If you can't handle that ).000001% chance, don't do it...........geez.......

It really is THAT SIMPLE.

I LOVE my alma mater!! TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY!

2007-11-16T12:40:00.000-05:00

Dog gone it! We have done it, yet, AGAIN!

Now, let me give you a little history here, in the five years that was there (back up, now.......engineering was a five year program when I was there..all 144 hours of which NO pre-calculus math courses counted!), our football was off and on (more off). Mind you, we are the hold the title of winning more games than ANY other HBCU(not percentage, number of games......the late Eddie Robinson holds the title of percentatge of wins). This was all before MY CLASS arrived on campus, okay?!

Of course, AFTER we all graduate, Tuskegee decides to start having a WINNING football program, again <>.

This year is no different, we are UNDEFEATED and licking our chops at Alabama State to destroy, yet, another homecoming for them. See, the Turkey Day Classic is the longest running HBCU football classic. No, not the Bayou Classic or any of those other games, but the Turkey Day Classic (which is also ASU's homecoming). It all began in 1924 when Alabama State College and Tuskegee Institute met in the Turkey Day Classic in Montgomery, Alabama. From that, all other "classics" grew (respect your history!).

Oh, if you'd like to view the personal butt-whooping that will handed to the ASU Hornets, see here:
THE ADDRESS FOR THE WEBCAST OF THE TURKEY DAY FOOTBALL CLASSIC - Tuskegee (10-0) vs. Alabama State (5-5): www.wsfa.com. THIS IS CHANNEL 12(TV) OUT OF MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA. The game is slated to kickoff at 1:00 p.m. CT.

Now, to the accolades at hand:

SIAC ANNOUNCES 2007 FOOTBALL ALL CONFERENCE TEAM, ALL ACADEMIC TEAM & SUPERALTIVE AWARDS

....

yadda yadda yadda (go to the link and read it in full)

....

2007 ALL ACADEMIC FOOTBALL TEAM [bow]

QB Eric Palmer Tuskegee JR 3.90 Mechanical Engineering <------ can you say, "You'd betta go, boy?!"
DL Casper Kamau Kentucky State JR 3.86 Political Science
RB Jonathan Cunningham Benedict SO 3.83 Recreation
S Gavin Campbell Kentucky State SR 3.75 English/Political Science
DB Terrance McGhee Albany State SO 3.67 Biology
DB Linden Johnson Albany State JR 3.66 Engineering
WR Debreon Williams Stillman RFR 3.64 Mathematics
RB Wade Edwards Benedict RFR 3.57 Business Administration
QB Nathanial Samas Fort Valley State SO 3.56 Mathematics
WR Jeremy Cody Miles College SO 3.50 Education
DB Mario Fuller Albany State SO 3.50 Accounting

Now, I didn't play a LICK of sports in college and I didn't graduate with a GPA anywhere NEAR that! YOU GO, ERIC PALMER!!!

So, before (or during) your turkey chomping, tune your computers into the website above and watch some good football! Nothing like turkey and football.... Gobble gobble!

It Can't Be.........

2007-11-16T09:37:00.001-05:00

(shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I stole this from Tender Thoughts).

I know PLENTY of people who have MUCH better topics and use MUCH bigger words than I do (Tender Thoughts being one of them!).....

Geek=Nerd=MagnoliaDiva

2007-11-15T18:03:00.000-05:00

ANYONE who knows me KNOWS that I LOVE technology, gadgets, etc.! Hey, I wasn't an electrical engineering major for nothing! I LOVE the challenge of the industry and the constant change (not the same ole boring thing every day)!

I just saw one of the COOLEST shows on TV called It's All Geek To Me! This show is straight up my alley!

I learned some pretty neat cell phone tricks today......looky looky

I am officially hooked and the show is now in the Tivo To-Do List (I love Tivo)!

Pick A Candidate

2007-11-14T14:46:00.000-05:00

race_id=13&tpl=template_embed" width="400" height="300" scrolling="yes" frameborder="0"> Your Web browser software doesn't support frames, but you can visit Select A Candidate™ at www.selectacandidate.org.

Overfishing Affects Tokyo's Tuna Supply

2007-11-14T07:59:00.000-05:00

Okay, I've babbled once before about fish and how we should choose the fish we eat. This story caught my eye this morning........take a peek.

You Are NOT What You Wear

2007-11-02T13:31:00.000-04:00

Okay, I fell into that stupid peer pressure of what you wore to school in junior high, though my parents could NOT afford it. I wanted to dress as nice as the other girls and have the matching shoes to every outfit and go shopping, etc. Um, not when you have two older siblings in school(one was in med school and one was in college).

I opted to attend a more academic high school due, in part, because of the heavy peer pressure I felt at my junior high on what you looked like and what you wore. Most of them attended another high school. On top of that, I was ZONED to the more academic high school.

Okay, I digressed for a second, but this here article is AWFUL! KIDS? Dude, not happening in the my parents' household NOR the household I'll raise....

WSJ.com - Fashion Bullies Attack -- In Middle School

Attention All Mount Vernon High School Fans - Alexandria

2007-08-29T23:23:00.000-04:00

Attention All Mount Vernon Fans!!

Friday night’s T.C. Williams vs. Mount Vernon football game is up for consideration for this week’s Fox 5 Game of the Week, and you can help us get selected.

All you have to do is go to the Fox 5 website at www.myfoxdc.com, click on SPORTS, and then High School Game of the Week and vote.

If Mt. Vernon is selected, Fox 5 will bring a camera crew to the game to the campus to interview coaches and players, and tape highlights of the game and the band and cheerleaders. Voting ends Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. The game that receives the most votes will be announced on Fox 5 News at Midday on Thursday at 11a.m.

So, go ahead and vote. Thanks for your support!

GO MAJORS!!

Marriage vs Divorce

2007-08-19T11:10:00.001-04:00

I am not an advocate of divorce, unless there is consistent infidelity and/or abuse.

BUT, should a person continue to "live a lie" in a marriage that should have never been consummated in the first place?

Does society place too much emphasis on "frontin" (the big houses, nice cars, big rings, designer clothes, etc.) vs making their marriage work/last?

Should a person be able to ask any question they want to and get an answer from their mate without the feeling of persecuted/belittled?

Are people too concerned with what goes on in their beds and not placing emphasis of what's going on in their heads?

Do couples, nowadays, place more emphasis on making their kids happy (i.e., being their child's friend) and not paying enough attention to their mate?

These are LOADED questions.

Wedding Etiquette Post #1

2007-08-17T16:36:00.000-04:00

Um, YA'LL, it is TACKY, T-A-C-K-Y, to put registry information ANYWHERE in your invitation. I don't care if Bed, Bath and Beyond and whoever sent you 500 cards for free to include in your invitation. They are looking to make MONEY and could care less about manners and etiquette.

If your inserts don't pertain to the wedding, reception, accommodations or travel information, LEAVE THEM OUT!

These little cards are only acceptable for SHOWER invitations. You may include registry information on your website or via word of mouth, but including them in your invitations are not cool.....tsk tsk tsk......

I LOVE my new dentist!

2007-08-16T21:39:00.000-04:00

So, I am able to do SOME driving, but very little. I drove myself to the dentist today. See, I've had a few horror stories with dentists since I moved to the area. Long story short, THEY ALL tried to get me for MORE MONEY. Mind you, this is coming from the person with her FIRST, SMALL cavity in her LIFE 4 years ago and who brushes and FLOSSES, EVERY DAY!!! So, what could you POSSIBLY be asking me to pay for?! My teeth are not jacked up!

Well, I went to a new dentist today, Dr. Alex Naini. I'm hooked. I LOVE HER! This was the most THOROUGH dental cleaning and set of x-rays I've ever had. AND, the x-rays were processed to view on the COMPUTER, not waiting on x-ray film to process. There were also pictures taken of my teeth with this toothbrush-looking thing and they were SO CLEAR! WOW! I saw so much detail of my teeth! It was GREAT.

Oh, here is the kicker........I was given a paraffin wax treatment for my hands while the x-rays were being done AND a light neck, head and shoulder massage before my cleaning. Can you say, HEAVEN?! The staff was SO cordial and professional.

So, if you live in the DC/MD/Northern VA area, give Dr. Naini a try.

Two Words - HEY, FOOL!!!

2007-08-10T21:36:00.000-04:00

I KNOW you are mad at yourself, lady! DANG!!!

Making Healthy Choices

2007-08-10T02:13:00.001-04:00

In the past few years, I've made conscious choices in my eating. It all started when I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in January 2003. Part of my initial treatment was being put on prednisone. During the first 6 months of my treatment on this drug, I gained 65 pounds, and that was with proper diet and exercise. I was also told that the weight I gained with the steroids would be harder to lose than normal "overeating" weight gain. During this extreme weight gain, I developed additional health problems such as "moon face" (common physical side effect of prednisone), high blood pressure and was border-line having steroid-induced diabetes. I was put on a liquid diet for 1.5 months because the drugs were making my weight go out of control and my health was deteriorating faster with the side effects of the drug than my actual condition it was treating. The liquid diet did help, some, but my stomach didn't like it and I had to be taken off of it. After almost 2 years on and off prednisone, I was titrated off it. At my heaviest, I was 295 pounds and sicker than I'd ever been. After the liquid diet, I was 285, where my weight stood for a long while.

I began seeing a new gastroenterologist who specialized in African-Americans with IBD. One of the FIRST things he suggested was stay away from processed foods and eat organic meats as much as possible. This was due to the antibiotics and steroids that are fed to the animals could trigger future flare-ups with my condition.

Another suggestion from my doctor was to increase my intake of omega-3 fatty acids due to their anti-inflammatory traits. I truly believe these actions have helped my condition remain in remission since 2005.

Call me Miss Tree Hugger, but I am also anally aware about the fish I eat, now. I visited the Monterey Aquarium in 2004 and was able to learn and read about how various fish are farmed, caught, etc. The aquarium has a WONDERFUL educational program called Seafood Watch. It is a program designed to raise consumer awareness about the importance of buying seafood from sustainable sources. I often go to the site and print out a pocket guide on which fish to eat, avoid, etc. The guide is updated often.

For instance, since that visit to the aquarium, I will only purchase and eat WILD SALMON. The taste, texture and cost (yes, it does cost a little more) are TOTALLY different than farmed salmon. I ask restaurants where their fish is from or caught. I ask grocery stores the same thing (though it's SUPPOSED to be printed on the label).

Today, I am 265 pounds. Yes, that is still very heavy, but at least now, I am able to lose weight. My goal is 145 (I am 5'10" and this was my weight throughout high school and my first 2 years of college). I've never been a small/skinny woman and don't ever plan on being one. This weight is an attainable one. I've been exercising (though foot surgery has put that on HALT for right now, except for floor-based pilates). So, I am just happy that my body is getting back to some normalcy.

I said all that to say that I hope that you all take a moment and visit the Monterey Aquarium's website and read about the Seafood Watch program. You, too, may begin to make healthy choices...You only have one body. Let's take care of it.

Here's to a healthy lifestyle for us all.........CHEERS!

Okay, so I am posting cause I'm TICKED!!!

2007-07-30T16:39:00.000-04:00

Will someone PLEASE help me understand what goes through the mind of these sick people who do these sort of things to innocent children???!!!

I mean, really........children don't ASK to be brought into this world. If you decide that you are going to bring a child in this world (um, don't gimme that accident crap, either), YOU and the other party (i.e., the biological mother and father) are officially RESPONSIBLE for the welfare of that child!! Don't go dumping children in garbage bags, trash cans, shaking them to death, etc., because YOUR irresponsible and selfish butt decides that you no longer want the child. There are programs in place that allow you to give up the child with no questions asked.

I have friends that can't have kids and here these crazy people are killing them. Those folks doing that to those kids need to be tarred and feathered and then set out in the wilderness to survive ALONE. Dang fools.... HUMPH.......

Shaking My Head in .......... Heck, I Don't Know

2007-07-28T19:12:00.000-04:00

Huh?

Are you serious?

Ya'll need JESUS! What in the HECK is this world coming to?

Taking a break.........

2007-07-27T07:09:00.000-04:00

Hey, all -

I recently had foot surgery and will be taking longer than normal breaks on my posts. I have to have surgery on the other foot in 4 weeks. I'll be back, soon! :)

Nissan to recall 140,000 Altimas

2007-07-10T13:21:00.000-04:00

Here is a link to the story.

Lewis "Scooter" Libby and His Commuted Sentence

2007-07-03T07:47:00.000-04:00

I said the minute he was sentenced that Scooter would never serve ONE DAY of his sentence........now where are those folks I was having this discussion with......I wanna know how they want their crow served to them (fried, etc.)........

Once, again, Bush has shown that he is going to do what he dang well pleases as the President.....boy, boy, boy....

This decision was a COMPLETE slap in the face to the justice system, the prosecuting attorneys AND the appellate judges and courts!

Since Bush is in the mood for wiping folks sentences away, I got a few debts I'd like him the pay off (student loans, auto loan, etc.), since it's that easy! GEEZ!

I know, I know....the conviction still stands and he has to pay fines and yadda yadda.....blah blah blah.... the man walks FREE and NEVER has to serve ONE DAY and you can BET that his fine money is NOT coming out of his own pocket! BELIEVE THAT!!!

Scooter has just been initiated to the "Cosa Nostra" of the Republican party and Bush's good ole' boys!

Story links:

All time favorite: Scooter Is Lucky He Isn't Black

One

Two

Three

Sick of the damnation/bad luck/etc., emails? ME, TOO!!!!

2007-07-03T07:44:00.001-04:00

For those of you who are sick to death of getting emails that tell you to forward to at least X number of people in the next 15 minutes so that wonderful things and miracles will happen if you do and there will be consequences if you don't, then you will enjoy this! Cut and paste link below! I LOVE IT!!! LOL....

http://info.org.il/irrelevant/may02-smilepop-soapbox4.swf

Former Olympic champ Jones broke

2007-06-25T08:53:00.001-04:00

Wow, she was on TOP of the world in her prime! She was on the National Championship Women's Basketball team at UNC-CH and became a world-class track star after that.

Read the story here.

Bayer Sold HIV-Risky Meds ?

2007-06-13T10:36:00.000-04:00

What is REALLY going on..... click here.

Missing Woman - Stepha Henry - PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD

2007-06-13T09:18:00.000-04:00

It's AMAZING how much the media would rather talk about that rich, spoiled, whimp, Paris Hilton, than report on a missing 22-year old minority in Miami...

Here is a link to one of the stories on her.

Stepha Henry, a 22-year old honors graduate of John Jay College of Criminal Justice who is working her way to becoming a lawyer mysteriously disappeared after leaving Brooklyn to visit a relative in Miami, Florida.

On May 24, 2007, Stepha Henry headed to Florida to relax and have some fun. After working full time while studying hard for the LSAT (law school entrance exam), she was looking forward to visiting her aunt in Miami and attend a reggae concert.

She was last seen leaving her aunt’s home with an unknown man driving a black sedan, possibly a four-door Acura at about 1:00 a.m. on May 24, 2007, on her way to a Fort Lauderdale dance club called Club Peppers. Police spoke with the man who was last with Stepha, and he alleges they separated at the club.

She has not been seen since and did not make her return flight to Brooklyn on May 29.

She is black, has red hair and brown eyes and is about 5-feet-2 and 110 pounds, police said. Anyone with information is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-8477 or NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS.

Please post this story and picture on your blogs since the media isn't giving this story the attention it should.

Racism on the Runway....gee, what's new..

2007-06-09T18:38:00.000-04:00

Um, I read a wonderful post on I Like Her Style's blog about YSL...Here is the link to her post about it.

Um, you all read the full article and then let me know what you think about his "view" of black models....

What is Considered Passing?

2007-06-08T08:27:00.000-04:00

This whole No Child Left Behind seems to have left a lot more behind than just the money to support the stupid idea......read this.

Washington Out of `Grey's Anatomy'

2007-06-08T08:23:00.000-04:00

Wow........here is the link to the article.

Incompetence and Selfishness are what make the world go 'round

2007-06-01T08:51:00.000-04:00

Let's see.....where should I start with THIS one.....

1. A dangerously infected man managed to get through U.S. Customs and Border Protection even though his passport had been flagged in their computer system. I want to hear another reason other than he LOOKED like he wasn't sick. I really don't want to say this, but had he been a man of another race, his monkey-butt would have been RIGHT HERE in the US and would have never been allowed out!!

2. "I feel awful," he said, speaking through a mask from his hospital room in Denver, Colorado. "I've lived in this state of constant fear and anxiety for a week now, and to think that someone else now is feeling that, I wouldn't want anyone to feel that way." Dude, quit lying! You are SELFISH and you SHOULD feel awful. You have now officially put HUNDREDS of lives in jeopardy because your own selfish-ness. One time, okay MAYBE we'll let you slide, but more than that? Come on, dude......dish that lie to someone who LOOKS like they believe you (yeah, I said it).

3. "I don't expect those people to ever forgive me. I just hope they understand that I truly never meant them any harm." LIE LIE LIE!! You KNEW what you had and KNEW that it was contagious. The mere fact that you were quarantined and were able to walk around freely is a selfish act, within itself....next...

4. The border agent who processed Speaker's entry on May 24 has been placed on administrative duties. FIRE that person! I am so SICK of incompetence that costs the rest of us the "comfort" that we are SUPPOSED to be afforded by paying taxes that go towards paying these folks to do a job!

5. Speaker, whom the newspaper did not identify, said he was aware he was placed on a no-fly list in the United States after his diagnosis with XDR TB, which is why he decided not to fly into a U.S. airport. Again, so the punk KNEW he had TB and tried to skirt the system.....COWARD!

6. Speaker's treatment would likely cost $250,000 to $350,000, depending on whether he needs surgery. I HOPE this comes out of HIS POCKET and his insurance does NOT cover it! Complete NEGLECT should not be covered by insurance that we ALL share the premiums for! YEAH, I said it!

7. A spokesman for Denver's National Jewish Medical and Research Center said Speaker was wearing a mask and was escorted by federal marshals when he arrived, but seemed normal otherwise. "He looked kind of like you guys, more or less," spokesman William Allstetter told reporters. Looked like WHO? Oh, I get it. As long as we LOOK a certain way, we get different treatment in life.....right right.... I remember reading and experiencing something like that before..... whatever...

8. Patient considered at low risk of infecting others, doctor says. It's called C.Y.A.......and you KNOW what that stands for!

I've been tagged.....

2007-05-31T10:56:00.000-04:00

She got me!

Here are the rules:

A)Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves.

B)Those tagged need to write in their blogs the 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game.

C)You need to tag 7 others and list their names on your blog.

D)You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they I have been tagged and to read your blog.

1) I love water and being around it (beaches, rivers, etc.)
2) I was raised in the DEEP SOUTH, but have lived all over.
3) I am engaged and get married May 31, 2008.
4) My creative side has been coming out over the last 5 years (I was previously a 100% LEFT BRAIN thinker). I love to sew, knit, make stuff, etc.
5) I love traveling and seeing and doing new things while in that new place.
6) I love dogs and hate household cats, but LOVE the big cats (panthers, tigers, lions, etc.).
7) At this point in my life, I know who I am and what makes me happy.

Now, I have to tag some folks. I am tagging those who I think will participate. Hey, I'm in a good mood today......

Well, I now tag Gladys, Allison, Angie, KiKi, Erica, Sara and Quarterlife Mocha Girl!

Where to find the lowest priced gas in your area?

2007-05-30T00:41:00.000-04:00

Just enter your zip code in the site below, and it tells you which gas stations have the lowest prices (and the highest) on gasoline in your zip code area. It's updated every evening.

http://autos.msn.com/everyday/gasstations.aspx?zip=&src=Netx

BACK!

2007-05-19T02:17:00.000-04:00

Yeah, I'm back from Cancun (can you say HOT?!) GEEEEEEEZ!! I grew up in Mississippi and dealt with heat and humidity, but DANG, it was HOT in Cancun!!! HOT (did I tell ya'll it was hot)?! HOT!! It was hot in the SHADE!!!!

Um, typically, I don't care much for commercialized type places on vacation (like, I really don't want to see a McDonalds, etc., when I go on my "typical" vacations (Alanna knows what I am talking about). Cancun was very commercialized. It was a cool trip, though.

Had fun. Relaxed, took TOO many pictures, got sunburned on my shoulders and chest (YES, MOM, I used sunscreen and reapplied it, but I am convinced that those parts burn easier). Later, taters.....

Jill ought to be TICKED!

2007-05-09T22:42:00.000-04:00

Jill Scott that is.......

I like Beyonce, as an entertainer, but er um.....B......don't EVA, EVA EVA EVA try to sing another Jill Scott song! Ya heard?!

Here is the link

Can I Take A Plate Home?

2007-05-09T19:26:00.000-04:00

Growing up, it was my "job" to set the table for dinner, every day. I never saw the use in it, when growing up. My Mom would ask me to set the table, PROPERLY (napkins, plates, glasses, flatware, etc.). For holidays, this required MORE work because the GOOD stuff was pulled out (don't act like ya'll didn't have that china that SAT in the cabinet ALL YEAR until a holiday!) and required more flatware and plates. I HAD to set the table properly.

When in doubt, that 1956 2nd edition Betty Crocker Cookbook was pulled out (the one that now has a synthetic GREEN disco tights-type material wrapped around it at our house). Before then, it had a rubber band around it. That very BASIC cookbook had the use and placement of EVERYTHING that goes on ANY table (formal, buffet, etc.) plus some BANGIN' simple recipes for ANYTHING you could think of.

When I go home, it's still (and probably forever will be) my job to set the table. I don't mind, though.

As an adult, I now see what my Mom and others were doing. When I go to a restaurant, I know what EVERY utensil that is placed before is supposed to be used for and when to use what. THANK YOU MOM!

See, in the DEEP SOUTH, manners matter. Entertaining, party manners and courtesy are human nature. You SPEAK when you walk into a room with others, you don't overload your APPETIZER PLATE with food, you ALWAYS RSVP with a proper number, you don't SLURP at the table, etc. These things were embedded in our brains growing up and I used to always say, "I'm at home....who's looking?!". Both of parents would say, "What you do at home, you'll do in public".

This brings me to my top 10 pet peeves I have with table and party manners:

10. I understand that some us didn't go grocery shopping and didn't cook, but, if you are at a public happy hour and heavy hors d'oeuvres are being served with appetizer plates, that does not mean OVERLOAD YOUR PLATE! The plate is LITTLE for a reason and they are hors d'oeuvres, not entrees!!

9. Please RSVP for events when folk ask you too. Don't show up with some EXTRA folks, talking about, "XXXXXX was in town and I brought them, their spouse and their KIDS (<--note PLURAL) with me....hope you don't mind". Actually, 90% of the time, that person does mind and it's rude.

8. Always work from the outside, in, with utensils.

7. The word SALMON is pronounced SA-MON....the L is silent!

6. Please don't REACH over people's plates! It won't kill you to ask someone to pass you something.

5. Eating off other's plates when they didn't offer you JACK! If I don't offer for you to taste, DON'T TOUCH MY FOOD! See, that's how folks get cut.....

4. This is for the servers: Don't put your nasty hands around the mouth of my glass! ARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGHHHH! Grab the glass from the bottom to refill, not around the mouth area!!

3. Splitting the bill with larger parties: either have cash or don't eat or be prepared to pay what everyone else paid, EVEN IF YOUR MONKEY BUTT GOT salad and water!

2. ALWAYS offer to bring something to someone's house, even if it's wine, dessert, etc.

1. If the HOST/HOSTESS does not offer for you to take a plate home, DON'T ASK!! I don't care if your Momma and 'nem couldn't make it! If the host/hostesses doesn't offer, don't ask! That is RUDE!

RANT - updated!

2007-05-08T15:46:00.000-04:00

This is a REAL RANT here, .....I have a right to it...it a BLOG for crying out loud!

I've lived here in the Washington, DC, area for 6 years now. It's been an INTERESTING ride....

I love the area for it's diversity, things to do, proximity to other metropolitan areas, and the area gets all 4 seasons. There is always plenty to do, see, eat, walk to, ride, etc. I love the area for that.

I DISLIKE the area for it's cost of living and....how do I say this, RUDE/MORAL-LESS/MANNER-LESS/PRETENTIOUS people (not all, SOME).

Attitude rant: I've just about HAD IT with people that talk to you any ole kind of way (cursing, talking AT you, LOUD, etc.). I've been told that it's the nature of this area...BULL! Since their MOM, GRANDMOTHER, mate or whoever raised them didn't tell them how to talk to folks, not my problem. I know of folks who urinate in the shower every day, that STILL doesn't make it right! Interruping people while they talk, talking at a person, being LOUD with them, etc., are characteristics of RUDENESS! Um, yeah, RUDENESS!!!

If YOU are having a bad day and I had nothing to do with it, NOT MY FAULT, CUZ! Breathe, count to 10, meditate, but take your stank attitude and words elsewhere. We don't need it!

Pretentious rant: I wish people would stop being concerned with what zip code they live in, what car they drive, what designer someone has on, who they work for, etc. When you die, do you REALLY think that is what matters? When you get to Heaven (um, I suppose that is where you want to go), do you really think that God is going to ask you what you drove, what you wore, etc.? Nope, nadda, negative. YES, it's okay to have nice things, but GEEZ, don't let material things DEFINE who you are. YOU are so much more than that! Clothes, houses, cars don't make a person. If they do, hey, DO YOU, then. I think that this area has some SERIOUS pretentiousness issues that will never go away.

Oh, another thing. What gives someone the RIGHT to JUDGE others on what they have/don't have? I'm at a loss on that one.....write me back if you have the answer! I am so SICK of folks JUDGING what others have and don't have, ESPECIALLY if they feel it's LESS than what they have (smaller house, less expensive car, job PERCEIVED not to be as important as theirs, etc.). Gimme a dang break!

Housing rant: If you have money for a house, can you PLEASE have money to MAINTAIN that joint? Like, we shouldn't have to live in a neighborhood where 90% of the folks keep their yard up while the 10% let them just GO and the geese are their lawn mowers! NOT COOL! Speaking of yards, can you NOT work on your car(s) in the driveway like this is the public car repair shop? Can you PARK IN THE DRIVEWAY and not on the street, EVERY DAY, so some of us won't have to DODGE your car, coming around the corner? CAN YOU PLEASE not park on the opposite side of the street AT THE END OF SOMEONE'S DRIVEWAY? The minute someone pulls out of their driveway and accidentally HITS your joint, you are going to be MAD.

Manners rant: Chivalry is NOT dead. Any call after 10pm is a booty call. My aunt used to tell me , "If a man calls you after midnight, there is only one thing open....your legs!". It's NOT okay for you to come over "only during meal time" because your broke butt wants a meal, but any other time, you are no where to be found. No, you can't "tour my house".....unless a person OFFERS, their house is not a museum. No, you can't know how much someone paid for their house, who they voted for and how much they make! GET A LIFE! That's PERSONAL!

Apathy rant: I am so sick of folks in certain areas complaining about their environment (schools, neighborhood, etc.), but THEY (the parents, kids, tax payer, etc.) aren't a bit more involved than Adam's house cat! Complaining, accepting "status quo", not participating/donating (money isn't the only donation that one can give....time is important, too) are not going to change things! Stop accepting what is given to you, if you don't like it, get off your butt and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!! GEEZ! It isn't rocket science, people!!! You don't like something, find out WHY it's the way it is, look for solutions, garner participation/support for your efforts and see where it gets you. If nothing can be done, currently, don't give up, keep pushing!

I'm done.......for today......

"Priviledge" at its Best

2007-05-03T20:56:00.000-04:00

Auto Engineer Robs Bank, Economy Blamed

I see just justice system IGNORANCE on ALL counts with this story:

1. This fool faked passing out in order to avoid a struggle with police and to have a roof over his head? FRAUD

2. "Mr. Lawson is an atypical defendent..." Do tell what a TYPICAL defendant/bank robber is??? A THIEF is a THIEF is a THIEF!!!

3. Mr. Lawson was a laid-off automotive design engineer who was desperate, without housing, and had $15 to his name. GO GET a part time job SOMEWHERE or apply for unemployment.

4. "The criminal justice system is not a place for Mr. Lawson; he merely was caught up in Michigan's devastating economic climate. I would like to turn a negative situation into a success story." Um, then WHO is the criminal justice system for? I can name a FEW folks here in DC that would wear that suit QUITE WELL along with Mr. Lawson.....

5. A laid-off auto design engineer who held up a LaSalle Bank "merely was caught up in Michigan's devastating economic climate," says Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcya. And now the prosecutor, who's reduced charges against the man, wants your help in finding him a job. ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME??? Is this prosecutor doing this for EVERYBODY that he/she defends (black, white, latino, hispanice, asian, NON-WHITE?). I bet a FULL PAY CHECK that he/she isn't......Gimme a dang break.

This fool DESERVES to be LOCKED UP and treated as a CRIMINAL, as he is!!!

On the FLIP side, he just opened the door for people EVERYWHERE to claim the SAME THING.......IDIOT.........

Lunch Time!

2007-05-01T16:15:00.000-04:00

Sooooooooooooo, basically, you and your administration lunched, AGAIN..........

Warnings On Student Lenders Unheeded:Bush Aides Derailed New Rules in 2001

First, it was the money that was SUPPOSED to go toward reinforcing the levies in New Orleans, but it went to the War in Iraq. Now this.....

Initially, there was a DRAFT sent in 2001 by Education Department employee, John Reeves, a Clinton-era appointee who served as general manager in a unit of the Office of Federal Student Aid. Officials outlined, in a letter, a draft policy to clamp down on the student loan industry following allegations of impropriety.

Get it together!

Break your kid's whining habit

2007-04-27T17:13:00.000-04:00

Great article!

G Street Fabrics - THE DEVIL!!!

2007-04-13T18:53:00.000-04:00

Original post moved to magnoliastitches.blogspot.com

Tuskegee's 2007 Football Schedule

2007-04-13T09:10:00.000-04:00

ANYONE who knows me, knows that I am a SPORTS JUNKIE!!! WHOO HOO! My alma mater's schedule is FINALLY out (we'll talk about that issue, later) and I am not THAT thrilled with the schedule.
I WILL be in Birmingham, Labor Day weekend, God willing and the creek don't rise....that is the same day that Southern and FAMU play and TUSKEGEE plays Miles that evening! GREAT football at the same stadium the same day! WHOO HOO!!!!

Sept. 2 Miles College + (ESPNU TV) Birmingham, AL 6:00
Sept. 15 Benedict College+ Columbia, SC 6:00 ET
Sept. 22 Fort Valley State University + Tuskegee 1:00
Sept. 29 Concordia College-Selma Tuskegee 1:00
Oct. 6 Morehouse College+ (72nd Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic) Columbus, GA 2:00 ET
Oct. 13 Stillman College + Tuskegee 1:00
Oct. 20 Albany State University + Albany, GA 7:00 ET
Oct. 27 Kentucky State University Frankfort, KY 1:30 ET
Nov. 3 Clark Atlanta University (Homecoming) + Tuskegee 1:00
Nov. 22 Alabama State University (84th Turkey Day Football Classic) Montgomery, AL 1:00

Customer Dis-Service

2007-04-13T07:50:00.000-04:00

Seeing that some of my past jobs have been in customer service-focused areas (waitress, department store clerk, Burger King (whatever was cleva that day), retail clerk, etc.), I KNOW both sides of the table. I know what businesses want/need and I know what the customer wants/needs.

Well, I shop regularly at Nordstrom for my shoes (their selection is second to none). I took a trip home last weekend where there is no Nordstrom store, so I resorted to Dillards. My HoneyBear and I ventured out to the mall for some new black shoes to wear with skirts or pants. I didn't take the old-Quacker shoes (as my cousin calls them) home because they have HAD it (they were on their last leg and LOOKED LIKE IT).

While at Dillards, I asked a particular salesman (let's call him salesman A) for my size in a particular shoe. Mind you, he acted like I was bothering him (um, bruh, you are at WORK in a DEPARTMENT STORE in the shoe department...if you aren't feeling well, GO HOME. If you can't afford to go home, STRAIGHTEN UP YOUR ATTITUDE!). He goes to look for my size and comes out empty-handed and says that he didn't have the size.

Now, maybe I am SPOILED by Nordstrom's customer service, but when I asked for the shoe, he didn't ask was I looking for a particular shoe, color, size, is it going with an outfit, etc. He just comes back and says, "Naw, we don't have that shoe in your size." So, I said thank you and continued to look (which he saw me do). He walks on and starts helping other customers and puts on a MUCH better disposition/attitude to help them.

I keep looking around because I WAS looknig for a particular style and color of shoe. Another salesman (let's call him salesman B) comes up and asks me did I need some assistance and was I looking for anything in particular (DING DING DING.....he's got it). I handed him 2 shoes, that I already had picked up, and told him what I was looking for. Salesman A runs a BEELINE back over to where we are and says, "What cha need, what cha need" and salesman B tells him, "I got it", and salesman A, somehow, ends up with getting me my shoes.

Now, had this been me on any OTHER day, salesman A would have gotten an earful and salesman B would have ended up with my shoes. But I was tired and this was one battle I chose not to fight that day. This MAY have come back to BITE me later....keep reading.

I ended up purchasing a pair of shoes and wearing them to church the next day (the service lasted all of an hour, mind you). The shoes ended up hurting my feet and I vowed to take them back. I am at the age where I will NOT be in pain for beauty, any more. I ventured to Dillards the next day to return them and was told "we do not take returns on shoes that have been worn". HUH? If this was Nordstrom, they would have taken the shoes back, no questions asked, and asked can they help me find something more suited to my needs. At Dillards, all I got was, "I need to speak with my manager" and "we do not take returns on shoes that have been worn".

NOTE TO SELF: never make another shoe purchase from Dillards.

That was it. No, "can I help you find something else" or "what was wrong with them" etc. Just NOPE.

Okay, let's look at this scenario from BOTH sides.

SIDE 1: If I were Dillards, I'd take the shoe back as a loss/write-off because the customer is not happy and hasn't done anything detrimental or fraudulent. If I (Dillards) take the shoes back and she finds a suitable shoes, I've just retained a customer who will come back, again, to shop.

Side 2: Dillards does not take the shoes back and does not help customer find another pair (nor did they ask) or make concessions. They have just lost a customer who will NEVER purchase shoes in their store, due to their WHACK policy, ever again.

Please tell me I am wrong, people! I am so sick of customer dis-service that I REFUSE to support establishments who don't offer GOOD customer service, any longer!

Os-cette the Grouch

2007-04-10T13:47:00.000-04:00

This is my mood after getting 2.5 hours of sleep due to a SEVERELY delayed flight and having to get up and STILL get to work on time....

Not today, not today.......... grrrrrrrr..........

Fight for your Flight

2007-04-04T14:20:00.000-04:00

GREAT advice for those that travel often! Summer travel season is coming soon!

Here is the link.

Knitting Project - continued work

2007-04-04T10:52:00.000-04:00

Post moved to http://magnoliapurls.blogspot.com/

Zelnorm recall

2007-04-04T10:47:00.000-04:00

If you or someone you know is currently using Zelnorm, please inform them that the FDA has announced the immediate discontinued marketing of this drug for safety reasons.

For further information please view:

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01597.html

and/or

http://www.zelnorm.com/index.jsp?usertrack.filter_applied=true&NovaId=7852773755750977644

Ex-Grambling coach Robinson dead at 88

2007-04-04T09:24:00.000-04:00

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2825016

A legend has passed on.

Here is a wonderful picture tribute done by the Washington Post.

The Open Toe Shoe Pledge

2007-04-03T16:13:00.000-04:00

The Open Toe Shoe Pledge

Alright Ladies, it's that time of the year again. Just a friendly reminder!! Please raise your big toes and repeat after me: (The Open Toed Shoe Pledge)...

As a member of the Cute Girl Sisterhood, I pledge to follow the Rules when I wear sandals and other open-toe shoes:

I promise to always wear sandals that fit. My toes will not hang over and touch the ground, nor will my heels spill over the backs. And the sides and tops of my feet will not pudge out between the straps.

I will go polish-free or vow to keep the polish fresh, intact and chip-free. I will not cheat and just touch up my big toe.

I will sand down any mounds of skin before they turn hard and yellow. I will shave the hairs off my big toe.

I won't wear pantyhose even if my misinformed girlfriend, coworker, mother, sister tells me the toe seam really will stay under my toes if I tuck it there.

If a strap breaks, I won't duct-tape, pin, glue or tuck it back into place hoping it will stay put. I will get my shoe fixed or toss it.

I will not live in corn denial; rather I will lean on my good friend Dr. Scholl's if my feet need him.

I will resist the urge to buy jelly shoes at Payless for the low, low price of $4.99 even if my feet are small enough to fit into the kids' sizes. This is out of concern for my safety, and the safety of others. No one can walk properly when standing in a pool of sweat and I would hate to take someone down with me as I fall and break my ankle.

I will take my toe ring off toward the end of the day if my toes swell and begin to look like Vienna sausages.

If I have been privy to the magic that is Foot Soup, I will share that knowledge and experience with the non-initiated.

I will be brutally honest with my girlfriend/sister/coworker when she asks me if her feet are too ugly to wear sandals. Someone has to tell her that her toes are as long as my fingers and no sandal makes creepy feet look good.

I will promise if I wear flip flops that I will ensure that they actually flip and flop, making the correct noise while walking and I will swear NOT to slide or drag my feet while wearing them.

I will promise to go my local beauty school at least once per season and have a real pedicure (they are about $10 and worth EVERY penny).

I will promise to throw away any white/off-white sandals that show signs of wear...nothing is tackier than dirty white sandals... Don't keep this to yourself - pass it on to other sisters.

Business Writing Etiquette

2007-04-02T13:12:00.000-04:00

Came across a GREAT website today! It's called Business Writing. Can I tell you I know about 500 folks to forward this site to?

Here is another GREAT related article in today's WSJ.

Take notes, people!

Speaking of etiquette, my sister in "Diva-dom", posted a great article on her blog today about Evite etiquette. Here is the link.

I think that computers have turned us into a LAZY and RUDE society when it comes to etiquette. Manners and etiquette are just out the door.

25 Rules to Grow Rich By

2007-04-01T09:46:00.000-04:00

Here is a direct link to the article per cnnmoney.com article (great rules, by the way):

The use of the word GHETTO

2007-04-01T09:37:00.000-04:00

Okay, I am sick and tired of folks who have never stepped ONE FOOT into a "ghetto" using the word as if it describes something! Well, ya'll boy Newt Gingrich did it on yesterday. Here's the story.

Gingrich stated "The American people believe English should be the official language of the government. ... We should replace bilingual education with immersion in English so people learn the common language of the country and they learn the language of prosperity, not the language of living in a ghetto,".

Bruh, how does bilingual education equate with a language of living in a ghetto? I didn't realize that there was a language of living in a ghetto. NOTE: If there is such a language, would you have someone who knows it get in touch with me? Thanks. English is the official language of the US and I think that EVERYONE who plans on living here should learn how to use it properly to function.

What Gingrich fails to realize is MOST European and Asian countries teach their children 3-4 languages IN ADDITION to that country's native language, at an early age. I WISH that were the case here in America.

Gingrich, Gingrich, Gingrich...watch your choice of words. I get your point, but that little "side bar" of meanless, ignorant info was just another reason why you are on my "IG-NO-RA-MOOSE" list.

I HEART basketball and football!

2007-03-31T19:13:00.006-04:00

I've loved basketball since I was the 7th grade when Mississippi Valley State and Duke played in the NCAA tournament (that was 1983)!. I watched that game with my Mom and Dad (um, yeah......my Mom is a sports junkie, too........don't let the smooth act fool you!). So, today, I am doing okay. This is the first time I've been HOME for more than 8 hours to just sleep in a while. I've been in my jammies all day, doing some cleaning up, etc......

BUT, back to the game.........did I hear Georgetown's pep band playing Young Joc's It's going down? Lemme find out.....

I am pulling for Georgetown to take it all. I have been an Indiana, Georgetown, UNC fan for YEARS (yeah, I said Indiana! BITE ME)! I have the Indiana love, honestly.....it's where I was born (down to the town). I even have an infant-sized white, IU sweatshirt with my name ironed on the back in VELVET letters (tell me that ain't OLD SCHOOL)! I doubt I wore that long as an infant, seeing that I was the size of a three-month old when I was BORN! So, Georgetown and UNC were due to my "initiation" basketball years in the mid 80s. I even lived in North Carolina for 6 years. Graduated from a tobacco row school (not UNC) for one of my graduate degrees. Lived in the HEART of a tobacco row for 6 years. It was lovely!

Where I am originally, from, though, FOOTBALL RULES! Aw, yeah! The SWAC and SEC RUN the deep south in football. There is NOTHING LIKE it. NO other conferences can compare to the tailgating, the DEEP-rooted rivalries, the halftime shows, and the SMACK-talking for months before the season starts (like, it starts NOW).
So, today is a good sports day! GO, HOYAS!!!

Shopped at TJ Maxx and Marshall's lately with a credit card?

2007-03-29T12:12:00.000-04:00

Computer breach hits 45.7M T.J. Maxx customer credit accounts
In a minute, we'll all be using our fingerprints as ID. Then, again, I am sure someone will find a way to copy it! Geez........

Maryland should take note of this

2007-03-29T11:29:00.000-04:00

Oh, can you say, you and your child at the wrong/non-zoned school have officially been put on BLAST in two school districts in Mississippi?! I LOVE IT! Read the article here.

WHY do I love it? I am a taxpaying citizen of Maryland and I have MAJOR issues with non-Maryland non-tax-paying folks using Maryland resources on my dime, be it health care, schools, etc.

Maybe some other school districts in our area should take note and put their violaters on BLAST, too. Hmmmmm.

Thoughts, comments, etc.?

Tuskegee Airmen to receive the Congressional Gold Medal

2007-03-29T11:09:00.000-04:00

Article in today's Washington Post.

This is a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooong overdue award to these men! I've had the honor of meeting a few of them 2 years ago. They are so full of stories and history. Made me even MORE proud!

For more information, click on Tuskegee Airmen

Tuskegee Airmen Facts