Unbelievable....

  I am so sickened and disgusted by what has been up in the air the past couple of days, I think my fingers have a mind of their own right now.  I heard about this disgusting display from somewhere a couple of days ago, but thanks to the Twittersphere, this nightmare has been confirmed.  Shawty Lo, a rapper from Atlanta who has 1 maybe 2 hits to my knowledge has signed a contract deal with the Oxygen Network to expose just how classy he is, called 'All My Babies' Mamas'.  This is not the first "reality" show to show people in a negative light, especially not black people and I cannot for the life of me understand why.  Why would anyone want to invite a television crew into their lives to show the world just how pitiful you can be.  I say can be, because I absolutely refuse to believe that these people would act like this if there was not a camera in their face 24/7.  I personally do not watch "reality" shows, but unfortunately I cannot escape the advertisements and weekly wrap up conversations by co-workers or friends, facebook, or what have you.  The commercials that they show on TV for this garbage is sad enough, displays of women screaming at each other for no other reason than to get attention, women being openly loose to garner attention, women so drunk that they can barely walk down the street while clutching at their barely there clothes....

  Please do not misunderstand that I can appreciate that whatever people do in the privacy of their own homes within their own lives is their business and it is not my right to judge anyone regarding their actions, as I am far from perfect myself.  But it is quite a different story when one chooses to display their behaviors on national TV, then it is open play, all bets are off.  How can we get upset with rappers and music videos when women themselves are parading themselves around in this fashion?  How do we begin to teach our daughters  about class, being a real woman, respect, the list goes on and on.  It is especially damning when it is the ultimate low, the minstrel show to end all minstrel shows... a man with little to no success in life whatsoever, creating almost a dozen children with different women, and then there are the actual "baby mamas" who keep indulging these men by continuing to pro create with them?

  What is going on in the black community?  Why is this ok with people?  It is truly disgusting and stomach wrenching to know that this is being publicized.  I am shocked that this is on Oxygen and not BET, MTV, or VH1, considering those are the biggest contributors to the modern minstrel show.  What's funny is that while reading this story at: Newsone, there is a slideshow on the page and in the last box, there is a graphic of a fight starting to escalate on a couch, with the caption: 10 Best Ratchet Reality TV Moments of 2012.  I suppose the site gives some responsible information while never neglecting what will really capture most of our society's attention.  Puppet masters like Oxygen, BET, etc, are the reason why I will be starting a foundation, we cannot afford to lose our young women to the entertainment industry.


  The chains must be broken and we must make a conscience decision that no matter how horribly we are represented by the media, we will overcome them and prove that we are above the labeling of Hollywood.  We cannot allow multi-million dollar companies to look down on our youth and make decisions for them, under the assumption that they are too stupid to understand how they are being manipulated.  It has begun though, as the Newsone site shows, petitions have been formed regarding this isolated grossness (how sad that it has to come to that), but there is still so much work to be done.  As disgusting as this whole one situation is, I refuse to let it damper my spirits or doubt what I know to be true, which is that our youth are not lost, they are more capable than what they are given credit for.  We have to be more diligent as a whole and I can't wait to begin, so do your worst Hollydud...we will win in the end.

My what an unusual name you have...

  So as most everyone knows, Quentin Tarantino has recently put out a movie called Django Unchained.  I want to see the movie, but have not as of yet.  If you have not heard of the movie, here is the synopsis from Rotten Tomatoes: "Set in the South two years before the Civil War, Django Unchained stars Jamie Foxx as Django, a slave whose brutal history with his former owners lands him face-to-face with German-born bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz). Schultz is on the trail of the murderous Brittle brothers, and only Django can lead him to his bounty. Honing vital hunting skills, Django remains focused on one goal: finding and rescuing Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), the wife he lost to the slave trade long ago. Django and Schultz's search ultimately leads them to Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), the proprietor of "Candyland," an infamous plantation. Exploring the compound under false pretenses, Django and Schultz arouse the suspicion of Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson), Candie's trusted house slave. -- (C) Weinstein"   If you've ever seen a Tarantino movie, then you should be well aware that he is not afraid of dropping the "n" bomb freely.  For me, a movie is a movie is a movie, and that's all it is, unless otherwise stated it is based on true events. For this reason, I am very rarely offended by them.  I have learned that others do not take certain things so lightly.

  I have seen a few articles regarding Spike Lee's reaction to this movie, that he hasn't seen.  Spike Lee has made it very clear that he does not appreciate what Quentin Tarantino has done with this movie, or any of his previous movies regarding the "n" bomb.  Spike Lee has also criticized Tyler Perry and his portrayal of black people within his movies.  I have an issue with Spike Lee's objections for a few reasons.  One reason I have an issue with his negativeness is because of just that, the negativity.... for what?  If one was so inclined to be such a voice regarding the black community, then I would think that one would be more supportive in regards to those who are contributing to the black community in different ways.  Quentin Tarantino has given many black actors and actresses roles, which I have heard is not the easiest thing to acquire in Hollywood.  I am also inclined to believe had this movie been made by anyone else, it might not have gathered the attention that it has, therefore creating a more broader audience. 

  Tyler Perry has created jobs for black actors as well as created movies and plays that a lot of black people can identify with in one way or another and what's wrong with that?  I cannot for the life of me understand why Spike Lee would go so far as to try to tear down what someone else is creating instead of trying to build them up.  Why create division in such a small community like that of sucessful black figures in Hollywood?  Don't get me wrong, when it comes to Tyler Perry's network shows, you probably won't catch me rushing home to catch it on TV, neither am I devoted follower of Quentin Tarantino's work, but I can appreciate what they are doing nonetheless.

  With so much going on within the black community, why get all riled up about a movie?!  There are so many more important issues that deserve attention.  Understanding and encouragement go much further than sour feelings and angry words.  With all of that being said, I hope that when I see the movie, my feelings aren't contradicted.....

:O

I have branched out again....say whaaaat!! Big moves people, big moves!  I have many hurdles to overcome, but I intend to overcome each and every one of them in due time....in due time...for now though, if you're not following me in the Twittersphere then how about joining me in the Bookfacingsphere!! I now have a page dedicated to my blog on FB...woo woo!! Are you as excited as I am?  Good!  We can be excited together! Hurry up and come join the conversation!!

Just click on the image below!!! Talk with you soon! ^.^

Tis the SEASON!

  While perusing the interwebs, I found an interesting link to a website that claimed to give to others by simply having its visitors "click".  As a functioning member of society, I am all too familiar with the ridiculous ways people try to scam others, whether it be by creating traffic to their website for ulterior motives or trying to send you a virus by clicking on the links.  It's pretty depressing to even sit and think about the possible reasons for why someone feels the need to get over on other people, but we all know that everybody has their own silly, unnecessary excuses that only make sense to them.  I was so excited that my research actually found websites that were true to form!  Being a philanthropist who will be embarking on a new en-devour myself soon, I could think of no better way to use this information, than to share it with as many people as possible!  The websites also include other fantabulous ways that you can help the causes.  As I share these links with you as well as click the links daily (saved to my favorites ^.^), I ask that you all do the same, such a small gesture that can do so much for other people.  So let's all get to clickin'!

P.S.

Above the click buttons is a toolbar with different causes that you can Click-to-help. ^.^

To Help with Breast Cancer

To Help with Animals

To Help with Hunger

A Most Merryful Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all of you, I pray you all get what you need!  This year has been a rough year for a lot of us, for some people it's been as rough a year as every year before then.  Here is a little poem to remind us that not everyone is looking forward to new cellphones, computers, cars, or other expensive items under the tree.  For some people the only thing they'd like to have is a new job, home, warm clothes, or someone to love them.  Enjoy your day everyone! ^.^

Mama's Christmas Miracle

© Kathy J Parenteau

Mama told me a story a long long time ago not like any that I'd ever heard,
all about a little girl mama used to know, how I remember every word.
Seems like a lifetime ago, though I remember it so well,
it was a Christmas eve I'll never forget as far as I can tell.
We were sitting at the kitchen table, it was only my mother and me,
I was dreaming of Christmas morning and all the presents under the tree.
Dad wasn't doing that well and money was scarce that year,
Mama found a way of telling me without me shedding one tear.
She told me a story of a little girl and a Christmas long ago,
who came from far away, a place where it rarely snowed.
Santa was just a dream to her, but she believed so much inside,
that Christmas was going to be special, so she knelt by her bed and she cried.
"Lord let Santa remember me if not just this one time, I promise I won't ask for much, maybe a dolly I can call all mine." 
She closed her prayer and thanked the Lord for all that she received,
she knew that Santa would really come if only she believed.
She wrote a letter to Santa unfamiliar to most girls and boys,
Though her list was long and full, on it there were no toys.
Only things we take for granted, like new shoes or underpants,
hair bows for her sisters and gloves to warm her brother's hands. 
At the bottom of her list she asked if it not be to much, for a brand new baby doll she could hold and love and touch.
Then Christmas morning came and she looked beneath her tree,
Not a present to be found as far as she could see.
She didn't give up hope as she heard a knocking sound,
When she opened up her door a great big box she found.
She called out to her mother and dad, brothers and sisters too,
She said "my prayers were answered, there's something in here for all of you."
Her daddy got brand new boots, her mother new underpants, her sisters got beautiful hair bows, her brothers warm gloves for their hands. 
Buried deep beneath the box was a brand new baby doll and a note that said Merry Christmas I love you one and all.
I'll never forget that story because much to my surprise, 
I saw the true meaning of Christmas shining in my mother's eyes.
For those of you who are wondering, as if you didn't know,
The little girl in Mama's story was my mother long ago.

Source: Mama's Christmas Miracle, Christmas Poem http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/mamas-christmas-miracle#ixzz2G44fZbqa 
www.FamilyFriendPoems.com 

Maybe it is ME...and NOT you?! (the horror)

  Yesterday as I was driving my daughter and I to her Godfathers' house to pick up, yet more Christmas gifts, (I swear my kids could have their own FB fan pages), I had decided to make a conscience decision to not be such a road-ragey person.  I drove down the street, listening to the Green Bay game, I watched the cars zoom by me as I stayed complacent behind the slower cars, because I would be turning anyway.  Everything seemed to be going fine, until we began our trip home.  Going down a 2 lane street...super slow...feeling as nauseous as possible and I was okay with that, especially since Green Bay was wampin the Tennessee Titans into oblivion.  I was feeling good, for the most part, then came the doofus who actually started to go at a green light....then stopped...for a pedestrian who thought he owned the sidewalk and was going to defy all the huge cars going down the road.
 
  The pedestrian finally looked up, before walking into the street... YET the dinkus in front of me, was not going... Unfortunately my good nature had worn out it's welcome.  I honked at Albert Einstein to go, but he turned out to be one of those people who feels that someone honking at them is a challenge, I mean how dare someone feel the need to alert them that they are being a complete jackass and holding up traffic!  So in return for my wakeup call, Mr. Einstein started to go, then thought better of it, and stopped.....because stopping is the ultimate revenge.  Well, in my newfound state of driving unfrazzedly, I checked my mirrors to ensure that no one was around me to get hit, and promptly went around him, of course cursing him out the entire time.  Once I got in front of Einstein, I of course slowed down as much as I could stand until we got to the turn.

  Now I know that if I had truly evolved into a new patient person, I would have just waited, had the light turn red, sit through the red light, and continue on with my journey.  But I am not discouraged, I know that I can eventually be a much more patient driver if I just continually work at it.  I have to wonder though...wouldn't it just be easier if people weren't so ridiculous and dumb when it comes to driving?  I have from time to time pondered that it could be me, having rage issues....but then again, that would mean it was me....yea right!

We did it!!

Officially at 1000 views!  Thank you all so much!  This is more exciting to me than you'll know!  Awesome!  Here's to 1000 more!!!   ^.^

Classic....

This! This is one of my all-time favorite Eddie Murphy sketches and I just have to share!  A timeless masterpiece:


Incredible Eddie Murphy

What I took away from 2 0 1 2 (part II)

  2012 showed me that official really means official and second, third, or fourth place just doesn't cut it sometimes.  I discovered that in 2012, I am actually a tad bit interested in the olympics; to a certain degree.  2012 revealed a passion and a fire within me to speak up, to fight for what I believe is right.  Throughout the year I have watched in horror as society made idols of faux celebrities, clamored in delight at the latest "breaking news" of what so and so actor/musician/realitard showperson was up to next, praised teen pregnancy and made light of serious situations by doing these things.  The uneasiness I felt in my stomach at the discovery of these things is what fueled the passion within me, the heartbreak and disappointment is what finally made me say, enough is enough.

  I have seen that through the shallowness and inconsideration, that common decency and plain niceness are still around and appreciated.  I had to make a conscience decision to gravitate towards more positive outlets, to make more of an effort to see beauty and displaying beauty myself.  Every year is another reminder that we've made it, when so many other people were not so fortunate.  With each passing day goes another opportunity to make things better in some way. 

  2012 had it's ups and downs as does any year, some things were the worst some have ever seen and some were the greatest.  Either way, the past year contained many lessons to learn or ignore, the question is did we choose which lessons go into the right categories, wisely?

Sounds good to me

What I took away from 2 0 1 2 (part I)

  Here it is...that time of year again.  Christmas decorations everywhere and knowing that a new year is upon us is very much realized.  Even though the years always seem to fly by right before they end, in actuallity the year has been rather long.  There have been ups, big ups, and downs, big downs.  Every day is a new day to realize something new about yourself, the ones you love, things you didn't know, and things that you thought you knew.  Some lessons have been realized, learned and put into play.  Some lessons have been realized and ignored.  Some lessons have been realized and are just taking a little longer to be put into action. 

  This year marks my 15+ years enduring very frequent migraines.  While I've suffered from them for many years, I have not always been in a position to do something about them.  Dealing with these migraines has taught me that the road to recovery is not easy.  The journey will be tough, long, and painful, but the only thing I can do is keep going, keep trying to find a solution and help others along the way.  This past year showed me that America has turned into a very shallow and empty place.   In a society where ass is more appreciated than class, where ignorance and hate outweigh common sense and compassion, the realization is that the American Dream is no longer to educate yourself and become successful through hard work and dedication, but to get rich as fast as possible and hopefully do it by stepping on as many people as you can preferably with an audience.

  Little girls don't want to be the first woman president, they want to be the first woman in front of the camera for the next hottest video/reality show/fight video.  Little boys no longer want to be  educated doctors, they want to be the next rap star/multi-million dollar athlete/thug.  2012 has shown me that it's the "In" thing to try to emulate the woman on the cover of the grocery store magazine, even if it will cause debt, as long as it means keeping up with the Jones'/celebrities/faux celebrities.  2012 has shown me that racism is very much alive, real, and with the help of social media...very in everyone's face.  When an unarmed teenager is killed for no reason other than being in the wrong place in the wrong time, compassion, justice, and accountability take a backseat to racial profiling, assumptions, and a division amongst the people.  I have seen how an election can stir up so many intense emotions and how so many people can have so many different viewpoints regarding the same topics.

  2012 showed me that I am getting older and as a result people around me are getting older, which means more and more people I know will be leaving this earth.  2012 showed me how those far away from me will never be far from my heart.  I lost women I've known my entire life, both personally and mentally.  I lost a Godmother, an auntie, and an idol, and they hurt me to the core.  Losing my family was very hard for me and not something that I could ever get used to.  2012 showed that even during the holidays, the world is still revolving and people are still going to attempt drastic measures to deal with their issues and when that happens innocent people are affected.  2012 showed me that gun laws need to be tightened as well as mental health being addressed.

  2012 showed me that with all the bad, there is still a lot of good.  With all the social media that has the ability to create hostile environments, there are social media outlets that do more good than bad.  Pinterest became a very addicting outlet for me.  I like the idea of strangers sharing and helping one another without ever having to know anything about the person they're helping.  When a bus driver is harrassed for no good reason, a community can come together in her defense.


Part I...hey it was a long year!

Say Whaaa!!!! ^.^

The year is almost over and I am overwhelmed and overjoyed to say that I have almost reached 1000 views!!!!  I am so excited!  Thank all of you so much, faithful everyday readers, every once in awhile readers, and first time/one time only readers!  Being able to reach out to so many different people gives me confidence for future projects that I will be taking on.  Please don't hesitate to share my blog with family, friends, and strangers ;)!  Thank you all so much again for being on this journey with me, this is just the beginning!  ^.^  Here's to the next milestone, 1500!!

 

part II

  I just have so many questions and thoughts in my head about this.  Everything about this is so.... just unbelievable   Here we are 2 days later and my mind is still centered on this.  All I can think about what has happened.  When I leave my house and I see us all going about our days.. I think about those poor families and how long is it going to take for them to have a "normal" day again.  I think about my co-worker who's nieces went to that school and only 1 made it out alive.  I think about the sister who survived and will have to think about this for the rest of her life.  I think about how his niece and my daughter have the exact same birthday and how I will never forget her and will remember her memory every year by lighting a candle on their birthday and saying a prayer.  I keep looking at my children, knowing that I have never taken theirs or anyone's presence in my life for granted, but for some reason feel a little guilty for being able to still have them, when so many throughout the country no longer do.  This tragedy has brought upon a depression like I have never known.  I don't quite think depression is even the word....just....saddened, immensely saddened. It frightens me that I keep having the need to talk to my kids about what to do in emergency situations, such as the bad man who hurt so many people.  It's like a ticking time bomb just existing, as if I'm just waiting for something else to happen.  When will this end? At least I have blogging to get my feelings out, I hope that others are also utilizing other outlets to get their feelings out, no matter what feelings they are.  Everyone needs at least one person they can talk to at anytime for anything, I like to think that I am that person for many, even though I know I am that person for all.  Always reach out and talk it out, even when you think there isn't anybody who cares, you might be surprised at who does.  I can always be reached on my twitter, facebook, and here.  If I can't do anything else, I can always provide an ear to listen.

  December 14, 2012...one of the most tragic days most people will ever have the displeasure to remember. 20 children...dead, at the hands of someone with serious mental issues.  This is a situation that affects everyone, not just the children that attend the school and their families, not just that community, city, or state, but all of us.  Everyone that has a child, a niece or nephew, brother or sister, friends, or simply a heart.  This was an event that could not have been foreseen by anyone at that school, except for those who were close to the assailant.  This unfortunate incident will leave parents and people doing some serious soul searching and putting things into perspective.  Some people think that homeschooling is the answer, personally I don't agree with that.  Shielding our children from the world will not help them, hiding them from the world is not a good reason for homeschooling.  The world will keep spinning and evolving, sheltering them will probably do more harm than good.  Some people are up in arms about gun control.... My stance on that is people will find a way to get what they want, especially if they are sick in the head and determined.  Laws are not brick walls and anyone can get around them if they are that headstrong about it.  That's not my topic of choice, being that I am not up on the latest gun laws, just my opinion.

  We have to start telling our children about things of this caliber at younger and younger ages.  I had to tell my 6 year old daughter about this incident and I could tell by her face that she was reacting to my demeanor more than my words.  She understood what I said, but not the degree of it.  When I asked her if she had any questions, she had a doozy:  Why did the man kill those 20 kids?  I had to dig deep and really think about this in a way that she would understand.  I explained to her that the man was dealing with certain issues and did not know how to express himself in a healthy way.  I explained to her that the best way to deal with our issues and situations is to talk about them and to make sure that it does not affect those around us negatively.  I did the best I could to try to explain the situation as best I could while applying it to real life.  This is not the parental ups and downs that most parents expect to encounter.  The hardest part about this is knowing that this could happen at anytime, to anyone we love.....

UGH!

  I have been attempting to be a better person in every aspect of my life.  This includes attempting not to talk as much $#!t as I normally do about random people (kinda), making sure to lift up others every single day as much as possible, doing more for random people I don't know, things like that, but today I was truly tested.  I don't understand what seems to be women's natural instinct to be catty and on the edge.  Someone I see just about everyday, made it clear, quite a few times today, that because I was dressed a certain way this meant that I was competing with her somehow?!  I am still struggling to understand why if you see someone else, especially someone who is supposed to be your friend, dressed in a way that you feel makes you look bad I'm guessing; you're reaction is to challenge that person.  Why is it a challenge?  Why is this a showdown suddenly?  Why is it that I can give you a compliment just about every time I see you, yet you feel the need to take the opposite route with me?  Why? Why? Why?  This has been going through my brain all day, I wonder if maybe she was just having a bad day, if she wasn't feeling good, or perhaps even going through something crazy in her personal life; leaving her distracted and out of sorts.

  My first reaction was anger and then more anger because her attitude kept up all day.  I even got so upset about it at one point that I had decided to just leave her be and leave whatever relationship we had, in the past.  I have gotten over this irrational thinking and decided that is not the path I want to take, that is a path I reserve for people that I don't know.  Normally when someone above the rank of "acquaintance" does something stupid, annoying, or aggravating, I call them on it.  But the thing about being an upfront person is knowing WHEN to be upfront.  Knowing that she was out of character today, I will leave our come to Jesus meeting for tomorrow when both of our emotions are a bit more stable.  I look forward to having this discussion with her, because I plan on giving her the rundown of her actions today.  Luckily she is a very receptive person and I know that she will take what I am saying as just me talking to her and not me trying to talk down to her.

  We've all had interactions with people like this at one point in our past... isn't it annoying when you know someone is acting out of character and they need a reality slap?  Luckily she has a good friend like me to bring reality right back to her ;)  Tomorrow's a new day!

Beautiful! ♥

I just think this picture exemplifies beauty, I do not know these men personally, but a piece of me wishes I did! :)  2 people being able to finally make their love legal is a heartwarming thing that I just had to share. ^.^ Go Washington!

Too Cool!

 "True story. An anthropologist proposed a game to these African children. He put a basket of fruit by a tree & said whoever got it 1st won it all. They all held hands & ran together. Everybody won! Baffled, he asked how they did that. ‘UBUNTU,' how can 1 of us be happy if all others are sad?’ (‘UBUNTU’ in Xhosa culture means: ‘I am because we are.')"

  Whether this is true or not, this is truly a super cool story!  It's super cool because it just makes sense, it just makes sense because it's so simple.  Even I can admit that I would probably just run to be the fastest, to WIN!  That is our society's theme, most of the population is bred to think to win, win, win.  Be the best, that's how you succeed and get ahead in life.  If we were to all think like these children, then just think of how much could be accomplished.......

Story/photo credit: CODEBLACKENTERTAINMENT

I know you are but what am I....

  Being a self aware person, is not always a good thing.  Even though this means that I crack myself up daily, I do tend to get on my own nerves as well, and that's never a good realization.  Yesterday as I was washing dishes, I was urging my daughter to clean her room.... it was a lot of urging, I kept reminding her to clean her room every few minutes or so, and it got to the point where I actually told her:  I'm not going to tell you again to clean your room, because I sick of hearing my own voice at this point, so just have it clean and I'll be in there soon.  At the time, it wasn't even like funny annoying, I was honestly sick of hearing my own voice over and over, yelling through my house.  There have been many times throughout my life when I realized that something I was doing or actions that I seemed accustomed to taking were not cute or appealing.  I have to say, realizing that you are being a bitch, idiot, moron, jackass, whiny or whatever the case may be is never fun.  Realization has never been the hard part for me, the hardest part for me has always been making the change.  I'm 31 years old and I'm still trying to be "who I want to be when I grow up".

  I have a constant conflict of attempting to be the woman I want to be and who I actually am, it is as if these two parts of me are in a perpetual tog of war, battling it out in the ultimate showdown.  I have an attitude, an attitude that can be pretty brutal and cold hearted at times, but that is a part of me that I love and hate.  I love the fact that I will not be pushed around or let others be pushed around, but at the same time, I wish that it didn't have to be the part that people focused on the most.  Do you ever feel like people only concentrate on the part of your personality that doesn't put you in the best light?  I've always kinda sorta wanted to have the super power to be able to read people's minds, to know what people were really thinking about me, because 99% of the time, we truly do not know.  I've had a recent epiphany where I discovered that people do not see me the way I thought that they did.  People are much more close-minded than I gave them credit for.  I see now that people cannot wrap their brains around someone being motivated, skilled, knowledgeable, intelligent, and hard-working, while at the same time being silly, loud, opinionated, fun, and sarcastic.  It apparently must be one or the other.

  I suppose as an adult, I should have grasped this concept a long time ago, but I guess my "child-like mind" just thought that other people were as open minded as I was when it came to things like that.  I'm not sure how I could be so naive about this one thing, maybe I was just being close minded myself, in a way.

Take Care of Home FIRST

  There is saying, take care of your own home before stepping into someone else's and telling them how to take care of theirs... (or something like that).  I have always enjoyed this particular saying, mainly because it makes sense, a lot of sense.  I think about this saying when I hear about actors and actresses adopting children from foreign countries.  With all the suffering children right here in America, why would anyone go anywhere else to find a child?  Don't get me wrong, I also feel bad about what is going on in other places, because it is very bad, but look what is happening right here, if you want to help, help the people closest to you.  The way I see it is, the more local people you help and influence, then you are able to create a more stable environment to bring others into.  I don't think I could see so many children in need right in front of me and bypass them to help somebody miles away.  But that's just me, what do I know?  This saying applies to many situations though... I just like it cuz it makes sense...to me. 

You call it talking.... I call it being hammered at...

  Have you ever been in a discussion with someone and it begins to get heated?  We all know what happens when one person gets upset during a discussion, even if both people get upset.... It becomes a "listen to me now" shouting match.  The most irritating thing when talking to someone is knowing that they are not actually listening, but only waiting for their turn to talk.  If you're not trying to hear my point, then why are we even having this so-called discussion?  Communication is so important in every single relationship that is formed.  Being a good talker is just as important as being a good listener and vice versa.  Sometimes we get so caught up in trying to get our point across that we never stop and take the time to just listen.  Listening and hearing someone can get you very far, validating someone else's point of view might just help them realize that they also need to listen to yours. 

  It's very frustrating to be having a conversation with someone, have it turn into a debate and then realize (through listening) that you both are talking about 2 different things.  I have seen people go on and on, back and forth, all the while not even realizing they have both drifted off into 2 different directions.  One of my pet peeves is being cut off while I'm talking, and if you know me, then you know this, lol.  If I am in the middle of talking, talking over me is just about the rudeness thing you can do to me, you might as well spit in my face and tell me I'm nothing.  It's so easy to get upset and riled up about the smallest things, and I am definitely guilty of doing this, but we just have to realize that we have to check ourselves before we can decide to check someone else.  Look at yourself and see what am I doing to help this conversation be more productive, maybe I should just stop talking and take a breath and calm down.  When two people are screaming at each other, nothing is being accomplished, just drama being created. 

Just..... wow

  Can somebody please explain to me the lingo that is being used by today's "hot artists"?  Terms like "goodie" and "bruh bruh"...... WTH?  Why hasn't anybody told these people that these words and phrases are just stupid.  "Bruh Bruh" is not a cute term, especially by a grown man.  It sounds like something a toddler would say.  To make it worse, people just latch onto these phrases because they hear them in a song, as if that makes these sayings golden.  Just stop it!  It's amazing that rappers, singers, and actors have been given such control over society.  Why are we allowing these people, some of which are pseudo-celebrities, set the standards of what is acceptable in everyday life?  Hundreds of TV shows, magazines, specials, and internet crap, devoted to what these people are doing.... why?  Why is this so important suddenly? 

  Why is everyone's main objective to have the same purse as the chick on that magazine cover?  Why does that little boy want to wear those shoes just because a Basketball player wears them or has their name on them?  I just find it hard to understand the fascination behind knowing every movement of so and so, just because they're on TV or a movie or on the radio.  The entertainment industry is no longer for entertainment, for a lot of people, it is a lifestyle to be emulated.  Long gone are the days of children aspiring to be doctors, lawyers, and even the president; kids want to be the next big rapper or reality show knockoff.  This is a sad, sad day for everyone.  This should be alarming to everybody with a pulse!  Next year I will be embarking on a way to hopefully stop this trend and I hope you all will join me.... It's time for intelligence and compassion to win over fading trends and fakery.  (yes fakery...I don't know if that is a real word...but it should be!) :)