Black Girls Really Do Rock!

So, a few weeks ago I read about an awards event sponsored by an organization called Black Girls Rock. Immediately, I was intrigued. After doing some basic internet research I found out that the organization is run by a phenomenal celeb DJ named Beverly Bond. I'd heard her name before in hip hop circles and apparently she's known for rocking some pretty swank parties. Well, BB became compelled to start an organization that would provide an alternative role for young black girls in the hip hop mosaic...an alternative to the booty shaking mainstay to which we've become accustomed. So, y'all know I was all for that.

To show my support, I decided to purchase a Black Girls Rock (BGR) t-shirt. The shirt wasn't cheap, but, I figured, if I could spend a grip on an Ed Hardy shirt or a Lacoste polo, this was nothing. Besides, I'm a sucker for any organization that tries to empower black girls while still engaging hip hop.

This is where it started to get sticky. The site that I had to purchase my shirt from was RopeADope (RAD). They are the spot to get most of the black 'message' shirts. They have a good range of stuff to choose from. I ordered my shirt on the 9th. By the 13th, it had not arrived, so I emailed RAD. By the 17th, I had not received a reply, so I emailed them again. This time I also sent an email to BGR to let them know the situation. Now, I'm starting to get pissed. What are they doing with my money if they aren't mailing my shirt?? Finally, yesterday, I looked on my credit card statement to find info on RAD. There I found an 877 number.

I called them to get the status of my order. I was informed that the shirt was on backorder and would not arrive for another 3 weeks. In addition, they said that their email system had been down for 4 days. RAD offered to give me a 20% discount on my next order if I decided to cancel this one. I politely declined and let them know that not only would I never order from them again, but, I would advise my friends to do the same.

I followed up that phone call with an email to RAD and BGR reiterating my desire to cancel the order and my disappointment with the customer service. The email was firm, but polite.

Long story short. BB - the founder of BGR responded to my email with a big apology. Apparently I was not the first to be unhappy with the RAD services. She'd missed my previous emails because she was participating in Fashion Week in Brooklyn. Now the story picks up.

She was soo pissed with the way I was treated she wanted me to call her and recount the details. Ok, did I mention that she's this totally famous celeb DJ? So, I called her, gave her the 411 and as an apology, she agreed to send me the shirt I ordered and a couple of others from her new line. What a nice gesture. I was already going to support her organization but, her hands on treatment and responsiveness have sealed the deal. Black girls really do rock!

Holla

P.S. I'll take a picture in each of my shirts and post them.

I Won't Love You to Death

Did anyone watch that MTV special about Mario's struggle with his mom's heroine addiction?

I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that I have had unsavory thoughts about young Mario. But, to watch him deal with his mom made him even more endearing. If you didn't catch it, it'll be on again on Wednesday, so Tivo or DVR it.

Holla

The Final Chapter

So, last week ended with a flurry of emails back and forth between my sister and I and our newly aquainted family members. It was all so overwhelming for me, so I fell back and let my sister get a head start. I'll jump in eventually, but, I'm still warming up...

I'll keep you guys posted on how it goes from here on out. Thanks for reading.

Holla

Funeral Frenzy

So, this whole thing with my father's death has been a scavenger hunt for information. I found out that he passed from one of my best friends. Her husband is friends with my father's oldest daughter's husband. Does that make sense? Long story short, if my friend hadn't married the man she chose, I would not have found out about my father's death. Then, the details were sketchy.

First he died on Wednesday, then his body had not been released from the hospital until almost a week later. Then, we didn't know where the funeral was going to be. My grandma called around to all of the funeral homes in Baltimore. We got a hit on March's East. Then, a few days later we found out that the arrangements had been moved somewhere else. So, cut to yesterday morning. I woke up and found a text from my best friend saying that the funeral was that day. We still didn't know when and where. I called her back, got her to call the other daughter's husband and finally got the info.

So, me, my mom, my sister and my grandma set out to the funeral home. We were the first one's there. The man in the casket looked alot like me. I've got this thing about funerals and was not comfortable getting closer than 2 feet. Eventually, 'the family' arrived in a limousine. For those of you that know my grandma, you already know how anxious my mom and I were to set Senior Penni loose. She was going up to people asking them if they were 'family' and let them know that my mom was the 'first wife'. LOL Ok, my father only had one wife, my mom. His eldest daughter and her brother were the product of a relationship before he met and married my mom. Most of the attendees had no idea that my sister and I even existed. We have an aunt (who did know about us) and first cousins that never knew about us.

While my sister and I didn't know the extent of our family ties, we knew that there was somebody out there related to us. We nurtured the void for all of our lives.

It was bittersweet to hear so many people stand up and say nice things about this man that I have few fond memories of. My mom said it best when she said, 'Maybe he turned his life around.' I believe in redemption, so, that notion suits me just fine.

As we were sitting there listening to all of these kind words, my sister was writing fast and furious on a piece of paper from her purse. I turned to her and whispered, 'You're not going up there to say something are you?' She replied, 'I don't know, I might.' I was worried, what was she going to say. Was this about to turn into a univision telenovella? You see, my sister has a gift of bluntness, she doesn't hold back, she's not phoney and she doesn't care about being polite or PC. With her thoughts jotted down, she proceeded to the front of the room, prepared to speak. Senior Penni said to her, 'Just don't break down up there.' That to my grandma is akin to humiliating our family. Well, my sister got up there and spoke the singular most profound, heartfelt and poignant words I've ever heard from her lips...

Lost I tried to find you.
Two years or was it all 33 that I searched for you
and all along you were here.
Right here at arms reach.
Now that you
have slipped into heaven, I finally get to know you.
I am blessed you have
been found...
and so have I.

Unconditional love is where you'll find
me.
Meet you when I get there.
This chapter in my life has been
fulfilled.
I am glad that the life you led was a good book
and that each
person in this room got to write a chapter in your book of life.
And most
importantly, that I got to know you today through all of those that shared your
life.
No matter what I love you unconditionally.

I am your daughter.
I am Mini Penni.
I am 33.
To the family, the friends in this room...
I love you,
I need you,
You're my family.

There was not a dry eye in the house. Then everyone started whispering,

That's Penni and Mini Penni, they're his other daughters.

I didn't know he had other daughters.

Look that's them sitting right there.

Unbeknownst to us, we were sitting right next to our first cousins. Upon hearing my sisters words, one of them jumped up to speak. With tears in his eyes, he expressed sorrow about just finding out about us. He said, I'm your cousin. I love y'all.

To be continued...

How Am I Supposed to Feel?

"My father passed away on Wednesday and I don't know how to feel about it."
"Penni, what did you say?"
"My father passed away and I don't know how to feel about it Mom."
So went the conversation on Friday. I found out that my father died two days prior and I was feeling very confused.

Should I mourn? Well, I did feel sad. I remember my father from when I was a kid, like 5 years old. I was afraid of him because he wasn't around much and even then, it took me a while to warm up to new people. Or maybe now it takes me a long time to warm up to new people BECAUSE of his overused in and out pass. I also felt sad because now I'll never get to know him. I'm even conflicted about the desire to get to know him.

If being available, contributing money to our sustenance and being a role model are characteristics of being a father, then he was not. In fact, I lossed him over 20 years ago. I mourned his absence every time I needed a trusted male's advice. I felt the loss when my friends retold stories of their fathers.

I had been cultivating this fantasy for many many years. I always imagined growing up, becoming this big shot corporate exec and being the key note speaker at some charity event. Then, just like Diana Ross did in the movie Mahogony, I would hear this man speak out from standing room only crowd. This Billy Dee Williams version of my father would yell out that he's proud of me and that he's sorry for leaving me and that he's my 'old man'. Then, he'd walk toward me in slow motion, I'd start crying and while my family looked on, we'd embrace and then all the years of being strong would ooze out of me as I collapsed in his arms.

But, that'll never happen now...and I don't know how I'm supposed to feel about it.

Holla

Through the Wire

On Thursday, my mom reminded me that my Grandma's 60 year high school reunion events would start on Sunday and I'd agreed to attend that day's activities with her. First, 60 years? Can you imagine going to your 60 year reunion. I've gotta give props to my Grandma because she still looks incredible.

On with the story...I HATE doing stuff on Sundays. I usually go to my church's early service because I like spending Sunday afternoons vegging out on the couch catching up on tv shows that I missed during the week. I like being able to mentally prepare myself for the coming work week. So, needless to say, when my mom reminded me that I was Grandma's escort, I complained and whined about it, just like a spoiled brat.

The class decided to kick off the week's events with a worship service at one of the members' church in Baltimore. So, we picked up my Grandma and let her direct us to the church, since we didn't have the details. As we proceeded to drive through the city, her directions brought us through several neighborhoods that could easily be site locations for The Wire. We drove around looking for the church, meanwhile, I'm praying that the drug dealers still have that law where they don't shoot people on Sundays. As we get closer, I realize that the church we're going to is the same church that I worked in when I was about 14 or 15. I was a summer camp counselor there. So, in the midst of being concerned about getting hit by a stray bullet, I was a little excited about visiting the site of one of my first jobs.

I've been working since I was 13. Baltimore had (and may still have) this program that gave jobs to needy inner city kids. My first job was cleaning up debris (no - a better word would be trash) along the Chesapeake Bay. Every day I went out there in the hot summer sun in a hard hat and construction boots to pick up the garbage that other people left. While my current position is a long way from that first job, I think back to those times often.

So, here I am sitting in the pew (yes - I take my notepad everywhere), listening to the youth choir sing the song 'Grateful'

"I'm grateful, grateful, grateful grateful"

and I can't help but think about how blessed my life has been. Then, my eyes get a little misted. Even when I was out there doing a job that nobody else wanted to do, I never stopped dreaming about how I wanted my life to turn out. Over the years, I've worked very hard to achieve those dreams. I became the first in my family to go to college (with honors), the first to get a graduate degree and the first to start climbing the corporate ladder. And, I had incredible setbacks. Events that nearly crippled me. But, in the same way that I didn't climb the ladder without HIS help, when life kicked me in the neck with steel toe boots, HE was there to break my fall.

So, when I hear that 'Grateful' song. I can't help but be overcome. HE literally brought me through The Wire and I'm soo grateful! I'm glad I got over myself and attended the service with my Grandma.

Amen

Holla

Prepping for Marriage

A while ago my pastor did a sermon on preparing our kids for marriage. He said that when children express an interest in music, parents help them get prepared for being a musician, by getting them lessons, making them practice and supporting their recitals. The same goes for sports, parents buy the proper equipment, shuttle them to games and become involved in the activity with them. He said that when a young person expresses romantic interest in another person, the parents usually become flustered. Instead of preparing the kid with the tools necessary to have a healthy relationship, the parents often discourage the child from even pursuing a relationship either by using scare or guilt tactics.

He said that our sexuality is normal, kids are going to start catching feelings and it is a parent's responsibility to teach the kid how to process them. He said to tell a child to ignore the feelings or to convince them that they don't exist will do nothing for your credibility later. What if healthy relationship classes were taught in school? Why is it that you can teach sex ed, but, they don't teach you how to compromise with someone you love or how to disagree without being disagreeable? And since it's not taught in school, why aren't parents doing the job?

Many parents have had bad relationship experiences themselves and the simple truth is that they want better for their kids. But, they're missing the point entirely. If we all aborted the mission after encountering a failure or obstacle, how would we accomplish anything? I also think that there is not alot of pressure to stay married these days. I remember reading a study somewhere where they wanted to see if providing more options helps or hinders your ability to choose. It seemed pretty obvious to me. Given 2 choices or 20, you'll make a decision quicker with less options. We've been given the perception that there are a zillion love choices out there for us. The grass is greener, to the max.

In reality, each of us probably encounters a relatively few number of potentially successful life partners in our lifetime. The bottom line is, you have to choose smartly and then, like Tim Gunn (Project Runway) says, 'Make it work.' All too often, at the early signs of trouble, we're ready to run. But, what if you couldn't run? I read an article once that said people often leave a window open or door ajar in their marriage...some kind of escape clause. But, how different would we perceive marriage if we sealed the exits? Most of us only consider two options when we face trouble in our relationship, leave and be happy or stay and be miserable. But the third, most important option - stay and find happiness again, falls by the wayside. That's what we need to teach kids.

Sure, nobody wants their 16 year old to get pregnant, with a baby daddy and drop out of school. But, has anyone noticed that situation happens alot more now that society is a whole lot more 'aware' than when such things were taboo?? My point is, kids are going to be kids. It's our responsibility to be adults.

We have to teach our sons that women are to be respected...even those women/girls that don't realize it. As women, we also have to remember that we're the first example of a woman that our sons see, so we need to check ourselves first. I know it's hard for single moms, but you need to stop making your son your main man. You're crippling him.

Men need to teach their daughters that they are ladies and should carry themselves as such. Sit with her when she watches music videos and talk to her about how you perceive the images. While a young girl might think it's empowering to walk around with the dark meat peeping out from her shorty-short-shorts, she needs to know what you think when you see women on the street that look like that. Having a man say what men think is waay more relevant to some women than hearing a woman say it. She's going to choose a mate that treats her just like you do. So, if you're abusive, she may look for an abusive man as her mate, if you're absent, she may choose a man that never gives all of himself to her. In the same way that a woman can't teach a boy how to be a man, a woman can't teach a girl how a man should love her.

If we want the next generation to have healthy families, it starts with us.

Holla

Not Losing a Friend

The thing about good girlfriends is that we often share the most intimate thoughts and feelings with one another. We allow one another to vent. We give advice to one another. And then we stick around for the fall-out when the advice is ignored. Good girlfriends support each other and help boost each other's self esteem. We are often so close that we think of ourselves as siblings. Some siblings aren't as close as good girlfriends are.

What happens then, when a good girlfriend gets married? I've had two of my 3 good girlfriends get married. I'm not ashamed to say that the first time was rough. I had just had a breakup and all of a sudden, I didn't have her either. You know how people say, 'Dang, you look like you lost your best friend.' Well that's how I felt. It's important to note that I was super happy for my friend. I love her and her hubby.

But, I think sometimes people are afraid to acknowledge the change that happens in the friendship dynamic when such an important life event happens. It took a while (years) for us to reconnect in a way that was similar to how we used to be and during that time I grew up alot. I became alot more compassionate for other people and more sensitive to what they are going through.

In the very beginning, I thought her absence was about me...either I had done something to insult her, I had been a bad friend, or I wasn't good enough anymore. After some time, I realized that she was adjusting too. This person that enjoyed her space just as much as I do, all of a sudden had to share that with somebody else. This neat freak suddenly had wet towels on her bathroom floor. LOL And she was learning how and what it meant to be a 'wife'.

So, I put myself in her shoes and imagined how I'd feel. That opened me up tremendously. Throughout this whole time though, I never stopped calling her, or emailing her, even when she'd go months and months without replying. Truth be told, I probably stalked her. hhhahaha If she didn't live so far from me, I would've probably done drive-bys. I also spent alot of time with my other friends. Even though I missed her, I wasn't sitting at home miserable. I was always doing something fun.

Now that my second friend is married, I don't think I'll be as affected by her newly wedded transformation. I'm prepared.

So, if your friend is getting married, just know that things will probably change between you. But, change isn't always bad. And, if you feel sad sometimes, that doesn't mean that you're 'hating' on your friend. It's normal. Just keep your head up. Besides, I think it gets worse when they have kids.

Holla

Longest Day

This has been the longest day ever! It's 20 to 4pm and I've still got 2 more hours to go.

I hope you all had a fun Labor Day. The second of my 3 good friends got married on Sunday. The wedding was incredible. She looked so beautiful. You know how you can look at a person for years and know that they are pretty or cute but when you see them all done up, they just look outstanding? That was her on that day. At both the rehearsal dinner and the Big Day, she was flawless. Now, this friend is Nigerian and both events were based on traditional Nigerian rituals and customs. I felt like I was in Coming to America. I told my friend that I was so excited and I was. This day had been in the planning stages since January 2006, basically.

The outfits and head-ties were stunning. I also got to eat (ok - taste) alot of standard African dishes including Fu-Fu, Moyin-Moyin (I think), Chin Chin and some other things I can't remember. Oh and I know I butchered the spellings of these foods. So, don't stone me!

At the reception, after my friend changed into a beautiful traditional outfit, her elders performed a few really touching rituals. Oh first, let me say that if you ever go to a Nigerian wedding, make sure you carry a bunch of singles. During almost every dance, guests came up to the dancing bride and groom and 'pasted' money on their bodies. You guys that frequent strip clubs would be familiar with this practice. But for those of you that are unfamiliar, you just take the dollar and stick it on the persons sweaty forehead or tuck it into the sleeve or collar of their outfit. For those of you with Skylark frequent shopper cards, do not try to stick the money in their g-string, brastrap or garter belts. This would not only be frowned upon but might just get you kicked out of the party.

It got to a point where there were soo many dollars, you could barely see the dance floor. I would advise parents to have a talk with your children before experiencing this ritual because it is not cute to have your little one on the floor trying to steal the couple's money. I saw one little girl on the floor with a wad of cash in her hands. I told her to put it back, that it belonged to the couple. She looked at me with big doe eyes and said, 'This is for my momma.' What could I do? Even though I'm old school, her momma might not be and I was not trying to get in a fight over some dollars. And maybe they needed the money more than the couple.

Another interesting ritual was the handing over of the bride to the groom's mom. We all know that back in the day, when a woman got married, she then 'belonged' to the groom's family. Seeing my friend's female elder's perform this ritual and then the subsequent dance with the mother in law was really touching. We all know modern brides that never cleave to the husband's family. How many grooms seriously think about what it really means to take care of another person? In the speech to the mother in law, my friend's oldest sister said something to the effect of, 'You're now responsible for nurturing, loving and supporting our daughter.' Now, I know her family will always be there for her, but, what I took from that ritual is that you really have to choose your partner carefully because THEY have to be your support system from I Do to infinity. That seemed pretty deep to me, especially since I've only ever liked, no loved, one set of ex's parents. I realized that I can't get by with just loving my person, I've gotta love his main people too. No couple is an island.

I felt so honored to have been a part of her special day. I don't take it lightly. If I don't believe in the couple, I have been known to refuse to be a bridesmaid. Just like my other friend's wedding, I know that I'll never forget this experience.

Holla

Is This Justice?

I've found yet another example of how fair our legal system is.

Michael Vick is getting the book thrown at him for hosting dog fights. While they are talking about letting Lindsay Lohan slide for those silly little cocaine possessions. WTF?? See, I told you all, the white female is valued above all else in our country.

Now, I get it. Dog fighting is bad. I have a dog and I would hate for something to happen to her. But, I also think she's a dog. She's not my child, we don't kiss on the lips, and if it came down to my family or her, the dog would have to go.

I also know that cocaine is a terrible drug. I know that girls that have boyfriends that sell crack can end up in jail for most of their lives (How many Kembas haven't gotten pardoned?). So, I just don't understand how when one person does a crime, he gets criminalized and loses his job and the powers that be seek to destroy his potential for future earnings. When another does something illegal she gets a ton of support from her colleagues emploring her to seek help and endorsement deals to get her back on track.

Oh wait, I do understand, when you're white, you're allowed to make mistakes. "No worries, just try not to let it happen again, ok?"

Read all about it in the link below. If this chick gets a measly 4 days in jail for getting caught with cocaine TWICE, I'm going to add her to my list of boycotted celebs. (Not that I was ever a huge fan anyway.)

http://www.tmz.com/2007/08/21/lohan-may-dodge-the-worlds-biggest-bullet/

holla

Fran and Omar Get Married

If you're a fan of HBO's Mini Series The Corner and the critically acclaimed show The Wire, then you might be glad to know that Fran and the man who inspired the Omar character got married. Fran was the troubled heroine addict played by the black woman on CSI Miami and Omar is the ruthless gangster/stick up king from the Wire.

Read all about it...

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/19/fashion/weddings/19VOWS.html?ex=1345262400&en=f633aedc189cef5b&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

I'm glad they seem to have changed their lives around.

Holla

The Beyonce Experience

A young white British girl opened for Robin Thicke who opened for Beyonce. The girl, Katie, has a really soulful voice and great energy. She did about 3 or 4 songs. Robin Thicke has been touring for over a year now and it shows. His performance was soo much better than when he first started out. His voice was strong and clear. He performed most of the hits from his album and the crowd sang along with him for most of them.

Now here's the thing about the Beyonce Experience. Most of us have been exposed to it already. If you've seen her perform on an awards show, if you've watched the videos, you've experienced all that Beyonce has to offer. The great thing about her is that she never holds back. But, maybe that's also the curse. Live, you don't get anything that you haven't already gotten from her. There are no new dances, no unusual outfits, you've seen it all. I wish that wasn't the case.

If you're a fan, like me, this isn't a big deal. I was sitting close enough to the stage to see the little beads of sweat that formed on her face as she pranced on stage. For the frequently asked questions, here goes...Yes, she's as beautiful in person as she is on tv. Yes, her body is sick! I would say she's a very toned 6 or 8 at the most, which is still slim on her taller-than-the-average-woman frame.

We all know the girl can sing. There were no surprises there. One touch that I appreciated was how she segued from Dangerously In Love to Lyzell in e-flat. It was a nice touch and I'm sure she made Jill Scott proud. She toggled between her two solo albums and the Destiny's Child hits. We stood on our feet and sang along with everyone of them.

Beyonce's appeal was also evidenced by her audience, which included fans of every ethnic group. There were the cute black girls in the Freakum Dresses, the big girls, the abercrombie kids, the tatted up white rockers and the 'kids'. In our section, the Freakum Dresses got into a rumble with the big girls. I knew it was going to be a problem when this pretty petite girl in a dress barely long enough to cover her butt, decided to dance in the aisle. She obviously was feeling good and wanted to be seen. Well, the big girls did see her and they got tired of seeing her shaky her little booty in the aisle. Apparently she was told a few times to take her seat and get out of the aisle. One thing led to another and before I knew it, a crowd had formed around two women grabbing hair and slapping each other. It was crazy. The sad thing is that it took a while for security to come and break it up. It was really foul to see one of the big girl's friends run over to the brawl, land a punch on the cute girl and run back to her seat. That's just hate right there. The offending parties were escorted out of the section and we directed our focus back to the stage. I swear, you just can't take some people anywhere.

As for the concert, I had a great time. I feel like seeing her live was something I just had to do. I don't think I'll have to do it again though. Especially if she remains ever present on my tv.

Holla

"HATE ON ME"

The new Jill Scott song Hate on Me is FIRE!!!

This song has made it onto my workout playlist right next to Stronger. If you haven't heard it, check out her myspace. www.myspace.com/whoisjillscott she has other songs from her upcoming album on there.

The beat on this song is just grimy. I have to pump my fist when I hear it.

Updated: Check out the live performance on the VSPOT
http://www.vh1.com/vspot/player.jhtml?vid=167817&launchedFrom=/artists/az/scott_jill/artist.jhtml

Thump Thump Thump

Thump



Thump



Thump



That's the only sound I hear and it's LOVELY. I'm floating on my back in the Atlantic Ocean. The water is calm and warm. I could just float like this for hours.



Thump



Thump



Thump

Water does it for me. Find what does it for you and free your mind.

Holla

Where Are My Bags?

"No...I haven't seen any bags come out yet."

"indistinguishable phone chatter"

"I'm waiting right here on the lower level. I guess they should be coming out soon."

"indistinguishable phone chatter"

Is this lady expecting her bags to come directly off the plane after her? Should I let her know what's up? What the heck..."Excuse me Ms. I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. Baggage Claim is downstairs."

"indistinguishable phone chatter"

"Hold on, honey."

"Huh?" She said while turning to me.

"Baggage claim is down one level." I said to the woman.

She turned to speak into the phone again, "I'll just wait right here for you to come."

"My bags are downstairs?" She asked me with a confused look on her face.

"Yes, ma'am. And your family can not meet you here. They will need a boarding pass to get beyond security. "

"Honey, let me call you back." She ended her call.

With a worried look on her face, "Now where do I go for my bags?"

"Just follow the signs that read 'Baggage Claim'. You must go down one level. Your family can meet you there."

Rushes off. "Oh thank you so much."

"You're welcome."

Poor lady. This senior citizen travelling alone was waiting for her bags at the departure gate. She would've been waiting there all day.

Good deed for today? Check!

Holla

It's Time to Go!

So, I'm standing at my gate waiting for my plane to depart. This flight terminates in Turks & Caicos. I wish I were going there, but I guess Miami and the Keys will have to do. And so begins Part Deux of my Trip to Miami Joural.

This sequel begins with Method Man. Yep, Meth! As I'm watching the passengers de-plane, I see one guy that looks familiar. Then, I realize that he looks just like Method Man. My mind's jukebox instantly pulls out that Meth/Mary collaboration that we all love. As the guy files by me, I realize that he's not Meth...but, he's absolutely talking to Meth! The first guy had to be his brother. Swathed in 80s gold chains, beard well groomed, really tall and surprisingly clean cut, is the man himself. Then, I see, Raekwon - shorter and bucktoothed and definately round, Rza, Gza, then my favorite Pretty Tony comes out behind them.

Tommy Mattola,

lives on the road,

He lost his lady,

two months ago

Maybe he'll find her,

maybe he won't

Oh wonder that love

The Wu was definately in the building! I have no idea why they were in town, but, it was cool seeing them up close like that. They look just like they do on TV, only better groomed. The facial hair was on point and they are tall dudes...except of course for Raekwon. What an auspicious beginning to my vacation.

What Have I Been Up To?

Last week I took part two of my vacation, part one was soo brief I felt like I really needed to go back...especially after the very stressful time leading up to my friends bridal shower. On Friday I went to the Beyonce concert. And on Sunday I chilled. My goal was to avoid having a conversation with anyone for the whole day. I don't know about you, but, I have been on the recieving end of a lot of really heavy ponderings and conversations recently and I was exhausted. I succeeded for the most part and it was glorious! The next few posts will take you through my last week.

Holla

Obama Watch

He's on the cover of VIBE magazine. I might actually buy it this month just to read the article. They say this is the first time VIBE has had a politician on its cover. What do you guys think? Where are the print media outlets that cater to our political needs? I'm sure there has to be some mag out there with this purpose. Unfortunately they don't carry it at my Borders or CVS. Let me know if you know of other print sources for this kind of info. The scans from the mag are in the link below...

http://perezhilton.com/?paged=2

Girbaud Doesn't Like You

In an article in the New York Observer the denim designer Francois Girbaud bemoaned his brands descent into hip hop culture. Check it out...

http://www.nyobserver.com/2007/sacr-bleu-jean-denim-legend-fran-ois-girbaud-n-est-pas-pumped-about-his-company-s-hip-hop-image

I especially love when he says that you can go to Puffy, Russell Simmons and Dame Dash for hip hop wear.

Holla

Hot Ghetto Mess

What do you think of this show? If it's come on already, have you watched it? Have you checked out the website that started it all? www.hotghettomess.com There has been so much rumbling surrounding this show and I don't have to tell you that I was a little turned off by the title. So, before I could form an opinion about it, I had to check out the website. There are no words. Y'all check it out and tell me what you think?

Holla