SINGLE WOMEN EVERYWHERE!!!!!!

It's that time of year again...(upped/revamped from last year)



IT'S SINGLE WORKING WOMAN'S WEEK!!! (July 29th-August 4th)

I helped my single friends and loved ones celebrate this week, last year, and we're back at it again. I will culminate this observance in Orange Beach/Gulf Shores with one of my best friends who happens to be a single working woman. Her birthday is actually on the 4th.

For those of you who are oblivious to this holiday...check it out!

"SWWANs share in the joy as their friends celebrate impending marriages with showers, bachelorette parties, weddings. It's not unusual to spend a boatload of cash on these celebrations for friends going into a 2-income situation. Until now, one-income single working women have had no official occasion to celebrate like those for their getting-married friends.

What happens during Single Working Women's Week?
Single Working Women's Week is a chance to celebrate your courage and creativity. It's also a chance for those who love and respect you to help you celebrate. It's an excuse for them to shower you with cards and attention.

Single Working Women's Week is a week all its own--not connected with any other holiday--so your celebration can be undiluted. It's just for you and your single working women friends and colleagues. it's a great opportunity for the people you love and cherish and serve to show you how much they appreciate all you do."

Single Working Women's Week is a relatively new national observance. Please feel free to visit the SWWAN website here to find out more about the observance and what you can do to celebrate, or help a friend or loved one celebrate.

**Now on to my soap box!
We ALL know women in our lives who work like slaves, carrying 1, 2, or even 3 jobs just to make ends-meet. Some of these same women have children to support--mouths to feed, tuition to pay, etc. Well here's the opportunity to show them how much we appreciate their contributions to our families, businesses, and society as a whole. Single women, working to support themselves and/or children deserve a round of applause, a pat-on the back, a standing ovation and much, much more.

Ladies, do something special for yourself, or treat a friend. You deserve it, trust me, you do! Hip other women to this holiday, get the word out so it becomes more nationally known.

This post is dedicated to my aunts Benita, Helen, and Barbara, and to all my SWWs all around the blogosphere! I love y'all, you are appreciated.

Vocab Lesson 2--New Word of The Day--SEPPUKU

Warning: This post contains graphic material (can't say I didn't warn ya)

My fascination with this word stems back to fall 2006 when I first entered college. I'd met a couple of guys who were into Japanese anime and culture, so much so that they took a Japanese language class that same semester. These guys lived on my floor (yes, co-ed dorms with dudes staying right around the corner. It was convenient for some...), and 2 out of the 4 residents were from my city. Their fellow high school classmate had introduced me to them the night of the Freshman dance.

Anyhoo. SEPPUKU. So one day, I'm just chilling in the guys' room. These dudes love to joke, so as they went around the room picking each other apart with their words, I hear one, named EB, say, "COMMIT SEPPUKU". These niggas already knew the word and what it meant, mind you. But I didn't, so quietly I asked, "What the hell is seppuku?" They chuckled and the small red one with long dreds, B.ran answered in a loud voice, half laughing, "It means, KILL YO SELF!!!!"

Okay, so you have to realize that I am but 20 years old. The stuff that we say sometimes can be taken seriously/literally but is generally said in jest. As I mentioned earlier, these dudes were having a roast-fest. The other 3 girls and myself looked at each other and fell out laughing. Suicide IS NOT funny, but the connotation (don't rappers say "Kill yo self" all the time?) and context was hilarious to us. Seppuku has been a part of my general vocabulary ever since.

*Side note: I do realize that the power of life and death is in the tongue, so when speaking to others, especially people we don't know, we should always strive to watch WHAT we say and HOW we say it.*

So on to the general history and meaning of the word. Excerpts are taken from the good people over at wikipedia.

Seppuku which translates into "stomach cutting" is a ritualistic suicide typically reserved for Japanese samuri, although it has permeated into the general culture and at one point became a means of capital punishment.

Part of the samurai honor code, seppuku has been used voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies, as a form of capital punishment for samurai who have committed serious offenses, and for reasons that shamed them. Seppuku is performed by plunging a sword into the abdomen and moving the sword left to right in a slicing motion.

In time, committing seppuku came to involve a detailed ritual. This was usually performed in front of spectators if it was a planned seppuku, not one performed on a battlefield. A samurai was bathed, dressed in white robes, fed his favorite meal, and when he was finished, his instrument was placed on his plate. Dressed ceremonially, with his sword placed in front of him and sometimes seated on special cloths, the warrior would prepare for death by writing a death poem. With his selected attendant (called a second) standing by, he would open his kimono, take up his knife and plunge it into his abdomen.

Seppuku, often thought to be a traveler's myth by many Westerners, is known to be one of the most, IF NOT THE MOST, painful ways to commit suicide.



You learn something new every day, because where I thought seppuku was just the GENERAL term for suicide in the Japanese lanugage, I learned that it is a special method set aside for special people (samuri), and these men committed this act to restore honor to themselves and the family members they would leave behind. Not to glorify suicide, because I think it's disgusting, but the way I was introduced to the word incited my curiosity about its origins, since I had never bothered to look it up until yesterday. Like my guy friends from school, Japanese culture does intrigue the hell out of me, hence why Memoirs of a Geisha is one of my favorite movies. I just wanted to share this tidbit of knowledge with those of you who care, lol.

FYI: The female equivalent of seppuku is called jigai, pronounced "jih-gye".

For more info, click here or here. Yes, at times my young mind wanders off into the land of morbidity. Oh well, *shrugs*

I need a Break

...what the title says. I'll be back later. I'm just burned out, and I need a hug.

So Long, Sophia!

Estelle Getty, widely known for her role as Sophia Petrillo of the Golden Girls passed away today in her Los Angeles Home. She was 84 years old. The white "Ms. Sophia" has been out of the public eye since 2000, struggling with dementia and other complications for quite some time. I, like most of my friends and family, LOVE the Golden Girls. We always said, "Sophia ain't as old as she's playing. She got too much spunk". Ms. Getty will truly be missed. It was a joy watching her sarcastic witicisms on the TV and laughing at how she treated her pathetic daughter "Dorothy". I will try to find a video later on that catches the true essence of the character she played on Golden Girls, and put it up by the end of the day if I can. Estelle left this earth just 3 days before her 85th birthday. :-(

My condolences go out to all of her loved ones. Rest In Peace, Mini Ma'am (that's what I called her). I know she's up there getting angels told right now, lol.

You Know You're Addicted-FACEBOOK EDITION

Top 25 Qualifiers WITH commentary!!!!

1) You converse with other people more on their 'walls' than in person (haha...it's been done)
2) You go emo when someone takes you off their friends list ( I admit, I used to be like this, and it still bothers me when my friends count goes down, even by 1. I'm like WTF de-friended me?)
3) You ask people to join even though you know they won't use it (BOBBY!!!)
4) You get on facebook before you go to work, which puts you on there before 7am (that's me!)
5) You deactivate your account, then reactivate it, then deactivate, then reactivate it again...don't bother trying to leave (QUIN and Bony)
6) You stalk people that you are secretly in love with, the news feed assists in that. But hey, stalking on "Da Book" is not seen as "sketchy"...so do you...(rolls eyes)
7) You're married on facebook, but not in real life (What kind of shit? Tho I've seen it before, I just don't understand it).
8) You take pics just to put them on Facebook, then you wanna tag everybody and EVERYTHING (including inanimate objects) in the damn picture. (I DO NOT TAG, unless it's me or I want the tagged person to take notice of the picture, otherwise, you tag yourself!).
9) You are a sophomore/junior at your college, yet you have over 1000 friends there. How the hell do you know all of those people? Oh, wait! You DON'T! You friend people to up your count! Then you see these people in public and don't know who they are well enough to speak. I got the right mind to delete your ass!
10) You know about your friend's break-up before they can finish crying about it because of the little broken heart icon that popped up on the news feed.
11) You are routinely introduced to people and have to pretend like you don't know them. Uhhh....this happened a few times, but SERIOUSLY, just speak up for goodness sake!
12) You are pissed facebook is turning into myspace. MYFACE....BOO!!!! I prefer facebook pre-2007. It was a simpler time, when you had to have a valid college email address to join. I was ecstatic about joing in Nov. of 06 when I got my acceptance letter into UAB and was able to create my email/ID...but then, facebook got greedy, and now 10 year olds are friending me, and it's ANNOYING!
13) The only reason you check your email is to see if you need to check facebook. Guilty as charged!
14) You use the word "facebook" as a verb (i.e. I'm going to 'facebook' Brian when I get to the house vs. looking him up on facebook). I'm guilty of using "facebook" as a verb.
15) You are one of few people who use facebook chat (which is LAME!! And you are lame for using it...yeah I'm talking to you...YOU!)
16) Your profile has so many applications on it that it takes several minutes (more like 10) to load. Please get a life if your profile takes more than 2 minutes to load. I understand that you may have video/slideshow/ and bumperstickers. But that entourage shit is just UNECESSARY!!!
17) Your usual bed time has shifted by two or more hours because you are on facebook so much. GUILTY!
18) You use facebook mobile...UHHH why? YOU ARE ADDICTED, HANDS DOWN, IF YOU DO!! No message or update is THAT important!
19) You feel popular when someone tags you in a photo. It shows others that you do in fact have a life and that it's pretty fun!
20) You can't wait to poke, superpoke, or attack as many friends as you have with the werewolves, vampires, ninjas, and all them other bullshit applications! OMG! People...for real? I had some niggas try to get me with that shit. And it's hella annoying! Oooh I get burned up just thinking about it!
21) As soon as you meet someone in real life, you go home to search for them on the Book.
22) You affectionately refer to facebook as "FB", "Da Book [the Book]" or "CrackBook". ME!
23) You think wishing someone "happy birthday" on their wall is suffice. Uhh, I do this all the time. As U-U put it, "It's not official unless it's on facebook". The world has to know you care about this person. If you can't pick up a phone and dial/text, there's always facebook! Plus there's no excuse to forget because facebook reminds you.
24) You are disappointed when you click on a person's picture only to find that you can't access their personal info because you are not their facebook friend or in their network. I have my shit set like that for a reason. Too many random niggas and females friending me...NO!
25) You constantly do things to your profile so that you will show up in your firends' news feed more, and hopefully thier friends will see your name, and those who know you will become friends with you. It's a vicious cycle, I tell you. I'm sorta guilty!!!

If you have a facebook, you can NOT tell me that it doesn't get addictive at times, especially around the holidays! Hello, my name is Candice, and I'm addicted to CrackBook.

HAHA

I Wanna Dance With Somebody!

K, so my homie/soror Reese put me on Fox's So You Think You Can Dance first semester of sophomore year (Fa '07). MTV was showing re-runs of season 3 and ever since then I've been hooked. I was even more stoked about watching this season's show, because I personally know one of the contestants, Stephen "Twitch" Boss. Now, we weren't like homies or anything, but he is a native of my city, and when I was a little girl, he went to my church. I remember him being active in the choir, and attending the annual summer Youth Retreat. He even dated my friend Rose. I REMEMBER. I was way too young to be in his face or on his jock, so I doubt that he remembers me. But anyhoo...after trying out for season 3 and not making it, Twitch decided to come back and give it another try, and damnit if he ain't killin it right now!! I love this man, and he gets my votes every Wednesday night (sorry Joshua). Anyhoo...

I'm not running down a full bio on the 8 that are left and the 2 that got cut last night. Cuz that's not important. What I will say is that there is a STRONG chance that a BLACK GUY will win this season. There is only 1 white dude left, and then of course 3 white girls and 1 black girl. I AM however going to speak on my favorite dancers. I've already put Twitch out there, so here's his pic...



Ain't he handsome!?!

Next there's Will. I love Will, I really do. He is so fine, his body is OH-EMM-GEE, and his dancing skills are beyond fabulous. He trained with Debbie Allen, who was a judge on the show, but after Will made the cut to move on to the REAL DEAL, she had to leave (gotta be fair, ya know). He is definitely probably a better dancer than Twitch, but only because he is contemporarily trained and to me, that means you can dance almost any genre and be better than say, someone whose concentration is hip-hop or jazz. Nonetheless...the judges have deemed him one of THE BEST, and I don't think he's going anywhere anytime soon. Here's Will, y'all.



The last male dancer I will mention is another brother...young brother (19) might I add. His name is Joshua. At first I thought something was terribly wrong with dude, but yet I was strangely attracted to him (probably cuz he reminds me of my boo). His dancing (hip-hop/popping) is unbelievable, and in my honest opinion, he melds better with different genres than Will even. Mary Murphy, a main-stay judge of the show said that it looked like Joshua was, [paraphrasing] "stroking the dance floor like a paint brush" when he did the Rumba Wednesday night with new partner Courtney. Almost every genre he has done outside of his own has been nearly flawless. He is so adaptable, it's scary! I love Joshua. At times he acts a little feminine, but I'm going to push those thoughts aside and attribute that to excitement and his age. Anyhoo...should my beloved Twitch leave the show any time soon, with Joshua remaining, lil man will definitely get my votes.



On to the girls. Okay...so I really wasn't feeling this girl. Still don't. And Lawd, if she ain't been paired up with my baby,Twitch. Their chemistry is lacking to say the least, and it is having adverse effects on the both of them as far as judging is concerned. Anyhoo...comfort reminds me of an UBER annoying version of my friend Deja'. Deja' has this very free-spirited out going personality as does Comfort. Deja' is always willing to put on a show...and well, so if Comfort. This is all fine and dandy, but I don't know...too much is too much sometimes and Comfort puts herself out there. I wish she was a lil more laid back. The heffa can dance tho!! Her style is none other than hip-hop and she is darn good at it. The funny thing about Comfort is that she was actually voted off LAST WEEK along with her NEW partner Thayne, but after Will's partner Jessica suffered rib injuries (and subsequently is out of the running) Nigel Lythgoe (the exec producer and one of the judges) brought Comfort back. Talk about redemption and second chances!!



Anyhoo. I'd rather Comfort be competing than Twitch's old partner Kherington, even though I loved the mesh-up nickname fans everywhere adoredly called them --TWITCHINGTON-- Kherington got voted off last night. She was cool, but I could tell she was either getting tired, or her spirit for dance was dying. Either way, she was dragging down Twitch and her other partner Mark. It was time for her to go. My only thing is, I wish Comfort was not paired with Twitch either, but you can't win em all. Unfortunately they are in the best match-up they could possibly be in. Joshua and Courtney, Will and my girl Katee (Josh's old partner) ARE FIERCE together! *shrugs shoulders* ah, well.

Lastly, if a girl should win it all, I would want for Katee Shean to be the champ. I don't have many words for her other than she is delightful to watch. She is a beautiful dancer, and her personality shines like one of the brightest stars. She was Joshua's original partner (they danced together for 5 wks), and then she was paired with Will, and damnit if they won't be the last two standing. If it came between the two, Katee would get my votes.



The Top 10 will be going on tour this fall, and I hope they come somewhere close to the Ham so I can catch them in action. The Top 8 are:
--Will, Katee, Joshua, Courtney, Mark (didn't discuss), Chelsie (didn't discuss), Twitch, and Comfort.
--Gev and Kherington received the least votes from viewers and were sent home.

Predictions:
Do I think Twitch is going home soon? There's a chance. The best of the best are dancing right now and there can only be one winner. But I think Mark will be going home before my man. Comfort is out by next week. It's inevitable!

Last note....that Lil C cat...(a judge off the show, known for Krumping and being one of the stars of the Documentary RIZE) is FOINE!!! And tho he seems street and hood and BUCK this negro's intelligence shines through and that is such a turn on. You should have heard him giving all those analogies and shit...Formulating coherent sentences...JESUS!! Do NOT underestimate black men that dance hip-hop...that negro could take over the world if he wanted to. And I'd be right by his side, lol...just kidding!



Tune in on Wednesdays to Fox at 7pm to watch 2 hours of terrific dancing from the above mentioned.
Tune in on Thursdays at 8pm to watch the results of who America thinks should stay, and who should go.

Go to fox.com/dance for info on when and where the Top 10 will be touring!!!

Enjoy this routine by Twitchington choreographed by Mia Michaels I think. One of the best routines from the show.

What to expect tomorrow...

HEY! Just wanna let you know what you can expect tomorrow from moi.

--So You Think You Can Dance Commentary --THE TOP 08 (hopefully get a vid too)--

--You Know You...(hmmm...wonder what it will be).

I may hit y'all up with the Lollipop Day schpill on Saturday. Next week (esp. Monday) will be interesting to say the least...

Will Michelle Obama be Wearing Pink and Green Soon?

You may wonder why I ask...well according to The Swamp (yeah, I know...), Mrs. Obama has been extended an invitation to join Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. as an honorary member. This same honor was extended to Sen. Hillary Clinton who initially accepted, then declined the invitation, when she discovered that membership is exclusive and she wants to be able to work with all organizations in their endeavors. Cool Beans, whatever floats your boat. Now hold up, wait a minute. I love Michelle, and I'd love love love to call her soror, BUT, if you continue to read the article, Michelle (or better yet, her spokesperson) is under the impression that she will be allowed to "work with" the other Divine 9 sororities in the same capacity as a member (of each org). Uhh..no, that's not exactly how it works. BGLOs are inheritantly EXCLUSIVE, and once you are inducted, you are what you are. You can not work with other organizations as members of that org as well as another. It just doesn't work like that!

There seems to be a misunderstanding or a mistranslation of the situation, but since it has been reported that she accepted the invitation, she can not and will not be bestowed the same honor by the other NPHC sororities. Now if you read the comments below the article, many have been weighing in on whether or not Michelle should have accepted the invite into AKA. People think she should have remained neutral, at least until after her husband's seat in the white house was (is) secured. They say hasty judgement on her part, because she is further alienating herself from black women, black Greeks, etc.

I honestly don't know how I feel about the situation. She has not/will not be inducted during this week's activities during Boule'. Read this for more insight on that. The comments following this article are also pretty brutal. I don't know folks, but there is a lot of unecessary hate coming from other greeks and GDIs and I think it's kind of ridiculous. People say Michelle doesn't fit the bill, but I beg to differ. She is an intelligent, successfull woman--an attorney and political activist. She is also an outstanding role model for young women. I think she will be a wonderful addition to our list of honoraries. And even if Barack doesn't win the Presidential Election, Michelle can still inact change in her's and surrounding communities and be a wonderful viable asset to the sorority. Her husband's possible post as commander-in-chief may have inspired the decision to extend her an invitation, but at the end of the day, Michelle Obama is a great woman, regardless.

In the same vein, I think before accepting the invitation, she (or her spokesperson) should have done a little research and understood that there is no such thing as "non-exclusive" membership as an honorary member of an EXCLUSIVE sorority. As one person from a message board I frequent put it, "Cultural Competence". Maybe her spokesperson is responsible for this "mix-up" in that if the person is of another ethnicity/cultural background (because I will not ASSume that s/he is white), they may be speaking soley on non-experience and what they MAY think they know about GLOs. The spokesperson may think of AKA as the typical run-of-the-mill philanthropy/charity that anyone can be apart of, as opposed to a business boasting over 200,000 inducted EXCLUSIVE MEMBERS.

One thing is for sure, whether Michelle (or spokesperson) is confused or not, is that she should be able to work with all NPHC sororities, and BGLOs in general. Just as Greeks on college campuses should do more to UNITE for the COMMON CAUSE OF SERVICE (which is what I will be fighting to improve this year since I am Greek and henceforth a member of UAB NPHC), Greeks should allow her to assist in any endeavors she takes an interest in, regardless of her affiliation, ESPECIALLY if she becomes the First Lady. I believe that we are Greek first and foremost, and where affiliations, colors, and letters divide us--they should also unite us, because each letter is apart of a whole Greek alphabet, colors--our orgs DO NOT OWN, and affiliations should not stop us from working together for the betterment of our BLACK COMMUNITY!

In closing, to the naysayers, yeah, maybe she should have waited. But who knows for sure that she would get the chance to accept such an invitation ever again?! There was no AKA chapter at Princeton when she attended, so here's her chance, ya know. But wait...is she just accepting to be nice, does she even want to be an AKA?!!?! Maybe she does, and that's why the invite was extended to her in the first place...maybe this observation is a bit personal and unwarranted. I'm just hella curious tho...but I digress. I will keep my eyes and ears open as to what will further go down with this situation, and keep y'all posted. So yeah, Good day, mates. Tomorrow is FRIDAY!!!!!!

Just Like Music

I hate posting from home because my browser SUCKS but uhh...I promised, so...

Here's the latest from Keri Hilson. The song is titled "Energy" and I am definitely feeling it. I knew nothing of Keri until about 3 weeks ago. She's awesome! And to think she's been in the game since '01!!! Enjoy the vid:



Thoughts?

Happened upon this song last night. It's also by Keri and is titled "Where did He Go". I guess it's about love lost, and she messed it up. Poor Keri!




And lastly, I promised the "Smell Yo Dick" video. Well, Ri.s.ka.y decided to block embedding, so I got the Lion King Version...yes I said it, Lion King Version. To check out the official vid, head on over to Youtube. Enjoy!!!

Soon as I get Hoooooome

"I'll make it up to you, Baby I'll do what I gotta do..." -Faith Evans

Uhhh...I'm posting the Keri Hilson vid on here, along with a song of hers I happened upon last night while dowloading off of lime wire.


I'm also posting the Smell Yo Dick vid. Love that song...it's so stupid, but funny!!! K...see ya in a bit!

TAKE THAT, Mama!!!

WELL...
However sprung I may be over ----------, I still not have lost an ounce of charm. I was in Subway yesterday, and the same lil guy from behind the counter who had caught my eye a couple of weeks ago was in there working by himself. I inwardly smiled.

He has this thug-thing going on, which is only natural seeing as he is on the edge of the southside of town (where I stay). He is cute tho, dark brown, alamond shaped eyes, short, and skinny. He made my sandwich and rung me up, saying no more than he had to. Then outta no where he says, "Do you mind me asking how old you are?" I said, "20" and giggled, "How old are you?" He replied looking down at the register, "19." I let out a loud, "Awwww". And then I asked him why he wanted to know my age. He said that I looked so young, but that I could have been much older, so he just wanted to ask. I smiled, got my sandwich and was headed out the door. He called to me, "Hey, why don't you call me sometime?" I hesititated for 1.1 second, then turned around to see him scribble his number on a receipt and hand it to me with a smile. I took it and bid him good day. His name is Dee. I shall call this little boy (lol) tonight some time, just to say hello and get the basics. But I shall let him know that my mind (and heart) are preoccupied at the moment. No need to get comfortable.

I still got it tho. Told you mama!

*SIGH*

I went to sleep last night around 1:30am knowing I had to wake up at 6 to get ready for work. I had been on the phone with him for a couple of hours, and what was once a nice, light-hearted conversation turned into a serious, down-right...UGH conversation.

We annoy each other to no end sometimes. I know it. But what pissed me off last night is how he plays so much into these double standards and what not. Maybe he's joking most of the time, because he did ask me, "So you mad?" I said "no, not mad, just a little hurt." He said, "So you hurt?" I said, "Well, yeah...cuz you play into these double standards. You can, but I can't. I can't do what you do..." and BLAH BLAH BLAH.

The context behind that dialogue was that he made a statement. I asked him to elaborate and he wouldn't. Got a lil pissy about it, so I dropped it. A couple of minutes later, I make an assertion on an observation I made, his interest is piqued and he wants me to elaborate. I say, "No". Ask me why he goes on MUTE for like 5 minutes, I guess pitching a fit that I wasn't about to give in to him. But he knows my weakness is silence. I can't stand that shit. So after I whined for him to start talking he makes this grunt to let me know he was still on the line. I gave in y'all. I told him what I vowed to NOT tell him.

He admits he was testing me. What the test was, I don't know and probably never will know. I don't care what he says, he has a wall up and he is putting me through many unecessary trials and tribulations just to win his affection. Perhaps I already have his affection...why is he so cold sometimes? I attribute that to his double-personality. But let me get insecure about something...he goes on a damn tirade talking bout, "well, how do expect me to like you when you don't like yourself?!" Hey Hey Hey! I love me some me, in every possible way. If I get insecure sometimes, it's because a flaw has been thrown up in my face. Sometimes I have a weak moment, okay?! But I love me, and am very proud and aware of ME! HE on the other hand admits that he doesn't know himself...so how is he tryna call me out? He confuses my shy nature with insecurity which is not wise at all. He's right, face-to-face will say it all...

FUCKING GEMINI!!!!! I need to stop wearing my heart on my sleeve, but when it comes to him, I can't help it. I want him to know about every feeling that ever enters my heart about him, and I so desperately want him to feel the same way. He says it's not that he doesn't feel the same way, that I just get mad at him because he's not saying what I want to hear when I want to hear it...

This may be true, and I'm working on it... I'm trying. Y'all...I'm so sprung...somebody help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*This post may be gone by the end of the day...I'm just venting...

YOU KNOW YOU GHETTO!!! Top 25 Qualifiers

I KNOW Y'ALL REMEMBER THIS SONG!!!

Just for shits and giggles...

1) You call your mama by her first name.
2) Your mother did your hair in the kitchen.
3) You take bubble baths with dishwashing liquid, shampoo, or liquid detergent.
4) You save bacon grease.
5) You have a drawer in your kitchen just for condiments from fast-food restaurants.
6) There are more guests at your reception than at the wedding.
7) You add "ED" or "T" to the end of words already in past tense (i.e. tooked, light-skinneded, kilt, killeded, ruint, tolt).
8) The batteries in your remote are held in place with tape.
9) Roaches! They only come out when company comes over, as if to show out. And your children view them as pets and have given them names
10) You wear the following: Brute, Hai Karate, Jean Nate, Old Spice, Chloe, English Leather, Charlie, Faberge'.
11) You use Tussy.
12) You refer to the hair at the nape of your neck as your "kitchen".
13) You've ever dropped anything and kissed it up to God before eating it.
14) You mispronounce these words as such:
a) skrimps, strimps, or swimps=shrimp (note: there is no "s" on the end regardless)
b) rutch=roach
c) urnge=orange
d) wallah=water
e) skreet (or any other str word for that matter)=street
f) axe=ask
g) look-dead=looked
h) member=of or pertaining to a recollection (e.g. y'all member that time...?)
i) spiskettis=spaghetti
j) showliz=sure is
k) nem or nim (the South)=contraction for "them" (i.e. I can't wait til Marquita nem get here.)
15) Ketchup is used on anything other than a hot dog, fries, or burgers
16) You pop or crack your gum
17) You eat chitterlings (chitt'lins) period.
18) You eat these ghetto snacks: PORK RINDS, CHITTERLINGS, MOONPIES WITH COKE, PISTACHIOS, SUNFLOWER SEEDS, PUMPKIN SEEDS, LICORICE, SALT 'N VINEGAR CHIPS, NOW 'N LATERS, JUICE-FILLED WAX, PIXIE STIX, TWISTERS, BOM POPS, PUSH-UPS, MARY JANES, LEMON HEADS, BOSTON BAKED BEANS, MR. SOFTEE, REDHOTS, FREEZPOPS, CHICK O STIX, SNOWBALLS, JIFFY POPS, CHEEZ WHIZ, POP-TARTS, CANDY STUCK TO PAPER, BLOWPOPS, CANDY NECKLACES, JAWBREAKERS, SUGAR DADDY, SUGAR MAMA, SUGARBABIES.
19) You drink these ghetto beverages: YOO-HOO, MALT LIQUOR, TAHITIAN TREAT, SUGAR WATER, FANTA ORANGE, RED KOOL- AID, RED DOG, ANYTHING RED, .99 A GALLON ANYTHING, TAB, FRESCA, WATER ICE, STRAWBERRY SODA, PINEAPPLE SODA, CREAM SODA.
20) You and your friends get your picture taken in front of the wicker fan chair at the club.
21) You've ever been beaten with an extension cord.
22) Your children don't know the words to "Punchinella" or "Miss Mary Mack, but they know ALL the lyrics to Lil' Wayne's Lollipop.
23) You thought that you were a gymnast because you could do a high flip on a pissy mattress that somebody threw out.
24) You've ever played "red-light-green-light", "giggalo", or "hide-and-go-get-it".
25) You've ever cheated in a game of "Mother-May-I?"

ETA: I'm ghetto as hell!!! My cousins are ghetto, my whole family is GHETTO!!! The only thing that I have never experienced or witnessed is calling my mama by her first name. That's asking for a slap in the mouth. How ghetto are you?!!

RIF (Research --and reading--) is FUNDAMENTAL!!!

Good Morning all, Happy Friday! Since the news of the AKA Barbie has become public knowledgde, I have noticed something. There seems to be TWO dolls...

I visited this blog last night, and the author was discussing the doll. Of course, since he was referencing my sorority, I took interest in what he had to say and even left a comment on the post. I looked at the doll he had on his blog and realized that the picture posted IS NOT the doll created by Mattel, but by Rochelle McAllister of Sisterhoodboutique.com and Madame Alexander®. Maybe I'm over thinking this thing too much, and maybe it's not that serious to some, but it's important to me, and I think that is what's causing a lot of confusion. The doll the blog author showcased is actaually named Ivy Rose™, and the 2008 version of this doll is scheduled to make her debut August 1, 2008. If you are at all interested in the DIFFERENCES between these dolls, please check the sisterhoodboutique site for more info. The link is here .

The reason for the title of this post is because a friend sent me a link to a story BET posted on their website about the doll, and of course they are showing Ivy Rose...not Barbie...I would think that whomever is over the BET blog would have better sense to research information before posting JUST anything. And it seems other sources have also gotten some of their info wrong. Research is Fundamental!!!! Please and thank you!

P.S. Ivy and Barbie don't even LOOK the same. Ivy doesn't have that trademark "Barbie" look ya know...I dunno. Oh well!

Being 100 NEVER looked so Good.

Tomorrow, thousands of my sorors will gather together in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the feat of reaching 100 years of SISTERHOOD and SERVICE to all mankind. I wish I could be there, but financial and other obligations weigh against me in this hope. However, it is my prayer that all sorors venturing to D.C. for the festivities have fun and are safe!!! Party for me, why don't cha?

Anyhoo... Taken from our National website :
One hundred years ago, Alpha Kappa Alpha was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. From July 11-18, members will return to the nation’s Capitol for the organization's 2008 Centennial Boulé. During this biennial international meeting, the Sorority will celebrate its founding while working to achieve its business goals. It will also focus on mobilizing an informed and educated populace about the significance of the upcoming 2008 elections.

Activities will include:
Economic Service Partnership Unity March
Town Hall Society Forums
Ecumenical Service
Patti LaBelle Live in Concert
….and more!!!

Patti!!!!! Awww man! I know it's gonna be great! Enjoy, Sorors!!!

In other news:

Mattel, the makers of Barbie have honored us with the creation of an Alpha Kappa Alpha Centennial Barbie, the first doll to be modeled after any sorority (first and finest, always). She is adorable, precious and ALL OF THAT, and trust I will be buying one for myself and my fave soror (Auntie Helen) to cherish. The Chicago Sun Times has the story here .




SERIOUSLY, 100 NEVER looked SOOO GOOD!! Here's to another innovative, trend-setting 100 years! Skee-Wee, My Sorors!!

Random Updates on ya girl

While I sit here with a cough and cramps and looking at a few of my old posts, I want to make corrections, or rather changes to some things I previously mentioned in posts last year. There's really just 3 such corrections.

1) I don't have a thing for lite skin anymore (see this post right here) . I'm into chocolate/dark skinned brothers. Guys with hair/dreads are turn ons too... So my " life's devotion to a light-skinned man" is OVER. SOOOOOOORI!

2) The Caramel Zeus from an over-cooked vegetable (see this post) is, well not a caramel zeus, he is not nice or kind. He is rather stuck-up and arrogant. He is decently cute, but not someone I think I could be in a relationship with. He seems to be attracted to airheads and "nut-bucket ass hoes" (Fresh's term). Naw, really, if he is attracted to women, I wouldn't really know. But the girls that seem to be on his shit are hood and/or hoochie. Whatever.

3) I stand corrected. Not even a full year after I made this post, Beyonce' and Jay Z FINALLY got married, and the Creole Queen seems to be taking a much needed break from the lime-light, perhaps to give her lil sister Solange a chance to shine. But don't think she's down for the count, or that she'll be gone for long. With her vocals on Love in the Club Part II, it's clear that she was only warming up. When she does come out of her mini-hiatus, we better be ready for the fury. But for those who could care less about her (as do I), don't worry...she'll be over-exposed within months of her comeback.

SO yeah, I'm done. I need to go take some adv.il. DEUCE!

Just Like Music

This here song is HOT. It's the new Nas single from The Nigger album. I heard it/saw the video over at Aunt Jackie's . I'm feelin this joint, and I can't get it out of my head. What do you think?

From the 4th

I'm not feeling too well at all today, so...yeah I won't be saying much. Anyway, I wanted to share photos from my Independence Day wknd with you all.

And I Quote ": A dedication

Please listen to the song as you read the post, thanks!!

"Nothing worth having is easy to get." -Soror Ideal




I agree. Look at what all Cinderella had to go through to get her prince charming.


This post is dedicated to my friend Mel and other friends out there who feel like they can't win for losing. You give your heart and soul to a guy...everything short of your peace of mind, and the guy either does nothing with your gifts or throws them in the garbage can.

Without saying too much, I want you to know that like my soror said, "Nothing worth having is easy to get". As much as we want to hate the guys who take our hearts to the shredder on a daily, we can't. So we look for the silver lining under the grey cloud and remind ourselves, sometimes naiively that, "It ain't so bad". They are going to make us work for their love, something women rarely had to do in the generations that came before us. But don't give up. Nobody said this love thing would be easy...

Patience is a virtue. And we as young women have indeed been VERY patient, considerate, understanding, and uplifting to these guys who in one minute can see forever in our eyes and the next not see a future with us. I am learning this stuff as I constantly ride the rollercoaster of, no not love, but of self-discovery. I'm on a train, and he is the conductor. I am but a passenger, along for the ride. I can choose to get off whenever I please, but it ain't that simple, is it? Nope, because they read our thoughts, and know what we plan to do before we do it. We have to master the game that is being played, try to protect our hearts, but also let down our guards just enough to let him get through the door. See, I told you it wasn't simple. Well, there's hope.

One of my favorite Bible verses is 1 Corinthians 2:9. It reads thusly: But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

These words get me through EVERY let down I have, whether it be with grades or with guys. I believe in this verse because it gives me hope, it promises to me that God has a plan and wonderful things in store for me. The ones we love the most, may not love us in the same way. It is painful to think that these guys we like/love may not be THE ONE for us. Whoever God has for us, is OUT THERE...and though it's hard to think anyone could be better than our boos...that guy (if it's not them) IS better...much better!

I've endured many let-downs over the years, particularly in the relationship department. But when the last tear falls down my eye, after reading 1 Corin. 2:9 I know that I'm just one step closer to the unbelievable man God will place in my life to be my help mate. Yes I am anxious, but Patience is a virtue. Galatians 6:9 says: And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Mel, our time is coming. I know sometimes we want to believe that the guy we care about SO MUCH is going to be the one, but we have to, even if in the back of our minds, accept the fact that this may not be so. We can only pray that the undeniable bonds we have formed with these young men will blossom and flourish into wonderful, long-lasting relationships.

If he is indeed doing his own thing, my advice would be to remain supportive of him. Continue to be his friend, and if nothing else kill him with kindness. One of two things may happen. 1) He will realize the error of his ways and come running back to your arms or 2) you will be so busy being nice and not caring that the guy of your dreams will appear, as if out of no where.

Call it a fairy-tale or wishful thinking, but then again, what is so wrong with fairy-tales? Some dreams do come true, and some stories do have happy endings. Only time will tell the truth, but something tells me that if we keep believing in ourselves, and that love is alive and out there, we will see our pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.



Remember: "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard". It IS WRITTEN. Claim it for yourself, and believe in it. I am here for you!

ETA: I'd rather have him in friendship than nothing at all.

I tried to tell you.

Just a random thought for today. Remember back in early November when I was trying to tell you about that crush? Remember?

Well, don't say that I didn't tell you/warn you/what have you when things are out in the open and in plain sight. I mean, isn't that what friends are for? And the moment I try to let you in on a significant event/moment of my life, VOLUNTARILY mind you, you shut me out...(denial or jealousy or both?)

Because, CLEARLY you didn't want to SEE it then and chances are you won't want to see it NOW or whenever things come to pass.

So you can try to say I never told you, but the truth of the matter is that I did. You just blew it off. So who's really at fault? At the end of the day, my business is my business. What I choose to keep under wraps is my perogative as it is yours to do the same.

No hard feelings, just reminding you that I mentioned it, and was met with a cold demeanor and a nod...no questions asked. And that was just the beginning. Things are TOO far gone now to even try to explain the complexities of the situation...a situation that will be embarking on the one year mark this fall.

There's nothing to tell, other than I tried to tell you.

Hmmm...

Hey all! Hope you enjoyed your Fourth of July!! Mine was pretty fun. My cousin had a sleepover at which I and two of her friends were in attendance. They are all older than me, so I learned some stuff over the weekend for sure. It is so interesting to meet new people and learn about their life struggles. Even people a couple of years older than you can teach you valuable lessons about life. One girl, T. has been through some STUFF, but through her walk with Christ she has become a better person and likes to reach out and help others succeed and maximize their potential. C. is just all around COOL! Just a fun person. And my cousin J. just keeps it REAL! I truly did enjoy myself. And shouts out to my auntie for the hospitality. Great as always! I will try to get some pictures up from the weekend if I can. Last Thursday we went to the Montgomery Biscuits baseball game (our city team) and watched the fire works display at the end. I took pics of that too.

Uhhh...so how was your holiday?

Hope you all have a great Monday. It's time for me to make my blog rounds. HOLLA!

MIRROR CHEEEEEEEEEECK!!!

Today is a GREAT day, people!! July 3rd is Compliment Your Mirror Day, so in honor of this, I am playing the song that was played at my probate/presentation when we did the mirror check. I KNOW I GOT IT! LADIES, do you???????????







ETA: I took off my music player for the time being. It needs to be revamped and reloaded anyway to make more sense. K!!

YAY FOR ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm FAT, but in other news, I just got a new phone yesterady and I am SOOOOO excited!!! It's been a long time coming (2 years of agony with Cingu.lar/AT.&T) and I needed a change. Most everybody I talk to are T-Mo.bi.le customers, so I decided to switch to them. My phone is so cute and compact...and I know this is gonna sound weird, but YAY, IT'S A CAMERA PHONE!!!

For someone who has had to come up little by little, first with the OLD mot.or.olas (no color screen/digital looking shits) to a ne.xt.el chirp (UGH. but with color), this shit is awesome!! Camera phones were new and getting extremely popular at this point. But the chirp was my first flip phone. Then I "upgraded", if you wanna call it that, to a cin.gul.ar flip phone (some cheap shit, but it was good to me for the most part). Gonna miss it a tad! But shit, while my 13 and 17 year old cousins were enjoying the newest technology with picture (camera) and sliding phones, I was stuck with my run-of-the-mill joint, and had to deal with it.

BUT....

Good things come to those who WAIT!!!!! I've had a cell phone since Dec of 2002 (14, soon to be 15), and I've waited patiently for my come-up. I'm not mad that I had/have to pay for it either. This added responsibility is liberating! I have a good plan, the rate is good, so I'm looking foward to service with T-Mo.bi.le.

God's will I will be working, like FOR REAL working from here on out, even when school starts again, cuz I am responsible for this bill and this account. I got so much on me, but it's a rush, and I know God will never put more on me...you know the rest! He will provide, so I'm faithful in trusting I will find a decent job when school lets back in, so that I can support myself with these bills I'm accruing!!

I feel so grown up!! Let's hope I still have this enthusiasm when that first bill comes in the mail!

OOPS...I forgot...

Today is...yep, you guessed it! I FORGOT DAY!!!! A definition of this quirky holiday was taken from this here site:

I Forgot Day, by definition, today is not a day to remember. So, just what are you forgetting? Can you even remember? Is it important? Hopefully, not.
Some days are days to remember and to cherish all of our lives. Others, like today, are ones to be forgotten. If you are having a bad day, it's just as well that today is I Forgot Day. We do hope that you are not getting married or having a baby today.
Some people view today as an opportunity to express their regrets for forgetting something, and to make amends. They do so by sending cards and flowers, apologizing for their memory lapse. The trouble is, if you forget something important tomorrow, you have to wait a whole year for the next I Forgot Day to arrive.

So there you have it, friends. Things I forgot to do up until today:

--Call my cousin
--Email those pics to my soror
--Email that lady about my AP scores

My list isn't bad at all. What are some things you conveniently (or not so much) forgot to do/say/whatever???

July was supposed to be "ME MONTH"...

And it may still turn out that way, but I feel like I'm being pulled to every corner of the state this month by friends and family, and I just want to know will I EVER get a break?! Anyhoo, not in the mood to really write anything today. I'm famished, and didn't get lunch like a dummy for cashing my check and stuff. Whatever.

Birthday Shout-Outs:



Jerica, my soror is 20 today (1st)

Jessica T turns 20 on the 7th

Auntie Lois turns ___ on the 13th

Jessica S., one of my Hampton Hotties, turns 20 on the 16th

Isaac, my lil bro, will be 8 on the 27th

Happy Birthday, boos! May God bless y'all with MANY MANY MORE!!!

I'm OUT!