This always makes me smile...

I remember when this first aired. I had to be Rudy's age. This is a classic, i'mma make my kids watch this.

Refreshing music (pt II)

Ok so here's the song of the month. Last month I posted something on Karina Pasian, this time it's Jazmine Sullivan, this song almost brought tears to my eyes. It wasn't really the song, more her voice. It's soulful and fresh, people compare her to Lauryn Hill but she has a sound all her own and the song is good, the video is nice, be on the lookout. Can't wait till the CD comes out. Check out the video, I promise you won't be disappointed!


Now, this is a throwback, she was on Apollo at the age of 11. Her voice was rich then, where'd she get all that soul, I got the chills about 5 times while she was singing "Accept what God Allows"

I know 'yall remember Showbiz

Before Chuck E Cheese...We'll they're back at it. This is so damn funny!

This week, better, much better...

So i'm in a better mood. I think I should probably delete the last post, one might mistakenly slip some Zoloft in my tea if I continue on that way. So it's been an interesting week, from Ol' Jesse poisoning the proverbal well of our first beakon of light in years, Obama to The Williams sisters (Venus nem')not getting much press after their victories at Wimbledon to the rumors that E badu is pregnant with Jay Electronica's baby (yes yes ya'll that would make three rapper babydaddies) I could go on and on...I've been visiting my fave blogs recently and have been thoroughly entertained this week. My favorite is www.crunktastical.net Fresh is the best hands down. Then I make my rounds to Bossip, and then I go to another excellent blog, www.pioneerwoman.com, and of course CNN.com which isnt' a blog at all but that's how I get my daily dose of news, I'd never on purpose watch Fox news. I read that they often make a mockery of Obama's blackness and appealing to the fears and stereotypes of many people pertaining to race and religion. First there was the Obama/Osama slip-up then there was the "Michelle, Obama's baby mama" and then calling fist bump something related to being a terrorist tactic. smh @ them. They sould be so 'shamed.
Anywho, I reckon I should go (reckon is a new/old word i've been using lately) and do some work, but have a wonderful weekend. I'm sure i'll be blogging again soon. I'm back at it yall!!!

The Fourth

I woke up this morning in a contemplative mood. A tad bitter.
Lately I have been moody, riding my usual wave of emotions. So, yesterday was the Fourth of July, the day irritated me a bit. I was reluctant to get dressed and go over my mom's to help her barbeque. I just wasn't feeling the whole thing. Let me explain, a lot of holidays become so consumer driven that the meaning is lost and then all it becomes about is spending money to commemorate the day. I bet Jehovah's Witnesses have money to save since they don't spend money on holidays. For the Fourth of July, there's the food for the cookout, there's the buying of the fireworks, the red white and blue clothing or your "outfit for the fourth", hair and nails for the ladies, the festive decor and whatever else your traditions are related to Independence Day. Not only that, I have been hearing m80's explode for a week now, and for some reason, many kids tend to save a stash of fireworks for the week following the fourth. Last night there was a deep fog that engulfed the city, that combined with a zillion people about there lighting their pirotechnics and the big shows the city plans every year, my night felt surreal and extra smokey. Since people like to get drunk on the Fourth, there were checkpoints everywhere, and although I am legit, I had to try to find an alternate route because I have an unpaid surveillance speeding ticket that remains unpaid. I needed gas desperately, but all the gas stations were occupied by people stuntin' in their fourth of july outfits and D-boys with their over the top big wheels (profile cars), panhandlers, and women parading around in stillettos and short skirts. All I want is gas, and for whatever reason every gas station I pass on the West Side resembles a club parking lot. I cannot. So then, out of options, I pull up at "Club Shell" and wait at the pump for this $4.09 gas that seems to be going out of style...I finally arive home a few minutes later exhausted and perhaps a bit lonley. Maybe this holiday is a drab for me because last year the night of the Fourth was when my ex and I broke up. Maybe i'm taking it a bit far, but it didn't use to be this way. Maybe i'm hormonal, i'll stop while i'm ahead.

...and in with the new

'Nuff said...

Is this really the highest ranking official?

Well, he's on his way out!!! I know it sounds cheesy but "Yes we can"!!!!

Kiddie Prom?

I know it's been awhile and my blog has morphed into something kinda like a pop-culture blog, buy I just haven't had the time to post the kind of material that I once did. But I will soon, until then, I just wanted to post yet another example of for lack of a nicer term, "tom foolery". Who even makes weave, heels, and prom dresses in this size??? Here's a bit of advice, don't be sending your barely potty trained kids to prom it makes us look bad.

Everyone Nose

I have to admit, I am a Pharrell stan, better yet let me be honest, I heart N.E.R.D.
What's funny is that I have a huge music collection and i've never bought a Pharrell album nor a NERD album. I think Pharrell and chad Hugo Kill it everytime they lay a beat. There's something futuristic about it, and the horns, synthesizers, and heavy drum beats create what I like to call "eargasms". I even like their artists, everyone from The Cool Kids to Teyana Taylor. It makes me wanna be a part of this newer generation of kids who wear brightly colored clothes and skateboard. Pharrell's a producer that can rap, that is to be applauded because I heard a rap by Puffy that was far less than stellar, it made me sad in fact. So the reason i'm posting all this is because I just recently heard "Everyone Nose", not to mention the kickass remix, and I can't help but to jig to it. I even had to reason with mysely as to if I could really jig to a song about women using Cocaine in the bathroom at the club (everyone knows). I don't care, it's funky anyway. Btw just in case you wanna know, Chad Hugo could get it. In short, i've gotta buy this new album. I may even go back and get the throwbacks.

Frontin

When you front, this is what you look like. -Absurd

Breath of fresh air...

So i've been wanting to find some good music, and i've been checking the blogs and random playlists for something that makes me move. This song by Karina Pasian moved me but in a different way, I have hope for the next generation, however corny that sounds, but it was really refreshing to hear a youg woman sing a song like this and make it sound good too...It's called "Sixteen at War"

Not from the Ace! These are amazing....

CAKES!!! How did they make icing and fondant do that? on the last cake there even appears to be outdoor neon tubing on the cake...These cakes are by Zhanna, believe it or not there's even more amazing cakes...

Bad Luck BBQ

So I told myself I would blog about my latest adventure, good ol' fashioned barbeque. So I decided that since the weather has been wonderful lately, then I should do something outdoors, something american, something not too labor intensive, something new. Now, i'm starting to learn to cook but grilling is a new arena for me. I excitedly hurried to the nearest Family Dollar to buy my wares. I bought the traditional tools, charcoal, lighter fluid, a spray bottle, and aluminum foil. I had everything planned out, i'd boil the chicken first in a special brine, and then i'd grill some pre-tenderized steak, then make some mac n' cheese and those new "grillin beans". Before I stray too far, the I must tell you that my grill isn't some huge to do, it is a very modest, small, and janky grill I bought from Wal-mart for a frugal $19 and the time it was a pretty big deal. It had been on my cousin's back porch for must about all fall and winter, so I expected a bit of wear and tear but this thing once shiny red was now a dull, faded pink and the charcoal that was still in the pit was stuck. Now I don't mind domestic work but I'm not a get down and dirty kinda gal, so I look for the closest set of gloves. The gloves were actually the yellow dishwashing gloves, a little ghetto I know. I dumped the ash but only half fell, so I had to dig the remains out the bottom with my glove protected hands. I'm trying my hardest to make this a short story but that's not how this is working out so please bear with me. One thing I forgot was a grill brush, and I wasn't cleaning this grill in my house. So I decided to take the lazy way out and line the top rack with aluminum foil, um wrong answer and i'll tell you why in a few. Next I light the coals, it is very likely that I over-did the lighter fluid thing. It is likely that I did something wrong with the fire, I could tell that something wouldn't be done in the middle (thank goodness I boled the chicken first)So finally, I placed the meat on the grill and closed the lid. I waited a few minutes and realized that I didn't poke holes in the foil so then I did. Well did I mention that I went shopping at Family Dollar, and while they do have name brands, I opted for the generic .69 kind, it was of the cheap persuasion so what was supposed to be small poke holes, turned into savagely huge tear marks. So if you're keeping up, the coals aren't hot, the holes are too big in the foil and my meat isn't really cooking so I decided to re-light the fire. Now the trick was to do it without any fatalities. Hmmm, this would prove harder than it sounds. I'll spare you the details but needless to say I made it. After a few sprays, by brand new spray bottle died. Frustrated, I took the meat off the grill, and made a back up dinner, skyline chili spaghetti. So in short, I won't be grilling again any time soon it sucks, maybe I just suck. It's over, i'm done, I'm officially a bake boil or fry kind of girl. Please, don't laugh at the pics. btw, the meat turned out really flavorful but my grandma said her chicken wasn't done and that eating blood of an animal works against her body so she couldn't partake. Hmm, my piece seemed fine but that sorry excuse for a steak was pretty bad, it was pretenderized but managed to be tough, ford tough. Uh, if you barbeque, can I come over? I ain't got it!

Urban

I've got a lot of favorite artists. Thomas Green, Kadir Nelson, Paul Goodnight, but now adding to that collection of non abstract contemprary artists is David M. Lenz, this is from his "Urban" series. It takes an extrodinary talent to be able to paint such works of art. At first glance, this looks like a photograph, well at second and third glance too...Check him out, www.davidmlenz.com

The End is Near

For the fellas...

How about a these cufflinks...At first glance, boring...then you notice these aren't just any cufflinks, they're actually USB's, now that's combining fashion with function.

In the future...

I hope we're not concerned with who has the flyest Gas Mask. Designer Diddo Velema produced some high fashion gas masks. It's almost laughable, kinda like when I saw designer SARS masks in China, bafoonery I say...I'm gon' get me a designer water tank in the last days...One day you might walk into the hospital and see the nurses walking around in Prada scrubs with Karl Lagerfield goggles and Jimmy Choo croc's. Perhaps i'm taking it a bit far but I never thought i'd see the day when I saw a car with a Gucci logo'd interior, one with a Louis Vuitton logo on the door and all this crazy stuff that people do to help themselves look like idiots. What did Kweli say? "...Like slaves on a ship talkin' bout' who got the flyest chains". On my way to work I stumbled across the Russ Parr show and they were talking about African Americans, and the question of the day was "Are you afraid to look poor?" The went on to read the statistics on consumer spending of African Americans and it says that we spend far more on Cars, Clothes, Electronics and Jewelry than education, investments, books, and savings. It's sad but true. I hate to make this a black issue, but I have to pull from my only point of reference. People were on air denying it, while others chose to keep it real, but most people I know buy Coach purses even if it's fake, the same with sunglasses, if it says D&G people will buy it because it's all about perception. we want to look like we have something. I work in a welfare office where the recipients often look better than me. And Even though I think it's sad, I can admit that I have a spending problem, last year I pulled off the lot in a new SUV, but can barely afford to keep it on half a tank, I mean the thing only gets 17 MPG and it takes close to $100 to fill it up with the most recent spike in gas prices. I say all this to say, we've got to do better.

Small Space BIG Style

this is amazing, now in addition to being a foodie, i'm a teckie, and whatever you call someone who's into art and design, an artie maybe? I wish I had loftier goals, but hey...this is a sofa that transforms into bunk beds...When I get a degree, and move, and buy a new place, it's gonna be modern. I think this is so cool.
You can check out the article at www.notcot.org

Come on Solange...

I couldn't resist...
Are you feeling this look?

This is for you Jahzie...

So according to my best friend Lauryn Hill is the undisputed queen of all queens, so it's fun to bring funny thing to her attention like this... It's a re-make of Ex factor, with Syleena Johnson and RayJ which almost sounds as good as the original, that is...until RayJ starts rapping...Eat your heart out L-Boogie, what do you think?
Follow the link to Soulbounce, I don't know how to upload the player onto this page, as you can from the last post i'm not too great at this...
Copy this url into your browser:
http://www.soulbounce.com/soul/2008/04/syleena-johnson-does-lauryn-hill-again.php

Just in case you have any problems getting there it's on www.soulbounce.com