I saw this last night on CNN; a teacher and student in Atlanta got into a fight on the last day of school. The teacher, Carolyn Jones, has reported that she heard the student saying that she was going to pull off the teacher’s wig. The teacher took off her own wig, and told the student that she was going to protect herself if the student tried some mess. I guess it was on and popping from there. The police report and the statement from the teacher are conflicting; the report says that the teacher hit the student first; the teacher says that is not so. Whatever the case is, this is a total HOT ASS MESS!!!

video credit: originally uploaded to YouTube on May 30, 2008 by theloverman3344

From Wikipedia:

Philadelphia (or Philly) soul, sometimes called the Philadelphia Sound or Sweet Philly, is a style of Soul music characterized by Funk influences and lush instrumental arrangements, often featuring sweeping strings and piercing horns.

Ladies and Gentlemen…sit back and close your eyes for a minute; you about to experience a piece of heaven…

video credit: originally uploaded to YouTube on March 1, 2008 by xdunson

Make some room for the ladies…

video credit: originally uploaded to YouTube on December 27, 2006 by miraculi

And last but certainly not least…damn I love this song! Makes me wanna…nevermind…

video credit: originally uploaded to Youtube on May 16, 2008 by BigMtown

Hello people!

The theme for this week is:

Philly Soul!!

This one should get your feet moving, and your booties shaking…

See ya Friday!

From Amnesty International:

Of the four million people affected by the conflict in Darfur, 1.8 million are children under 18.

Of the 2.3 million people who have been displaced, one million are children. Since April 2006, the conflict has created 120,000 newly displaced children.

Children in Darfur are being recruited, either by force or willingly, to be soldiers. They have no access to education and their lives are threatened daily by the violence and living conditions.

What about the children?

video credit: originally uploaded to YouTube on November 15, 2006 by capenobvious

Please visit the Roots of Humanity virtual headquarters for more information. And you can download the latest Roots of Humanity ebook here.

With our voices, we can make a change. Ask yourself the question: Are the lives of the people in Darfur worth the profits of those benefitting from sponsoring the Olympics? Use your voice and write to these sponsors to ask them yourself:

Atos Origin
BOCOG
Coca-Cola
DB Schenker
General Electric
Johnson & Johnson
Kodak
Lenovo
Manulife
McDonald’s
Mizuna
Omega
Panasonic
Samsung
Visa

Visit the Dream for Darfur Web site, where you can construct your letter.

Blessings…

SjP, this is for you (tee hee hee)…

Flav is going to stay with his baby’s momma…he even went so far as to propose to her on the show…

WOooo-ooooo-oooowwww!!!!

He has a new album out tomorrow. All of the controversy, all of the hubbub, all of the drama that circles around Usher is quite amazing. It is, on one hand, great to see him grow into a man from the precocious little boy that he entered the scene as. Remembering Usher from his first (self-titled) CD, he was well beyond his years and presented an image of a boy that was growing up way too fast. The songs were mature and made you wonder who this 13-year-old child was that was singing this song. But one thing was very apparent: this young man had talent.

On the other hand, growing up in the shadow of Puffy has its drawbacks. Being exposed to life where there are no limitations, at this particularly young age, may explain Usher’s rapid maturity before our eyes. But there was always his mother, who sacrificed for him and managed his career from the beginning. She seemingly was the stabilizing force in his life and kept him grounded.

The release of Usher’s second CD, “My Way,” became a 6x platinum bestseller. And with it, Usher’s popularity rose exponentially. His success opened up new avenues for him and he began to show up on TV shows and in movies, flexing his other talents. He released a Live CD, and then came “8701.”

Every artist, if they are lucky enough, is granted one album that stands out in their discography that becomes their signature. Every song on the album reflects something new and refreshing at the time; every song strikes a chord with the listeners, and every song leaves the listener with something to think about and feel. That album for Usher was his “Confessions” album…it was one of monumental sales and extremely awesome production. It shattered anyone’s thoughts that Usher was not the King of R & B and solidified his place at the top of the game. With Confessions, he had me at “Yeah!”…

I have always had a fondness for Usher; I still rock that first CD and find myself in amazement at his voice and the melodies that came out of him at such a young age. Despite all the drama in his life—whether his marriage is good or bad, what happened to him and his mother, etc., etc., etc.—there can be no denying his talent. Watching him grow up has made me feel almost like a proud relative…and no matter how his personal life is, I commend him for wanting to be there for his child. I, of course, have my opinions on his marriage, but you know what? It’s not for me to judge him and because I don’t know the full story, or know his heart, or for that matter, know him or his wife, I will simply hold my opinions to myself and wish him well…I will instead focus on the music and look forward to many more years of him sharing his talent with us. Isn’t that what’s it about, really?

It’s all love…

I spent the day with my family. Being around them always makes me feel comfortable and loved, and makes me appreciate what I’ve been given. Even when something happens to divert my attention from the good vibes, I still always leave with a smile on my face. My family loves me, and I love them.

Encouragement is such a beautiful thing. When I quit my job, I only told one person, but you know the news spread through the wire like a major headline story. I’m sure that my family was left to ponder what I was thinking, but no one ever approached me about it. That is not how my family operates. They have asked me questions about how my job search is going, and how I feel about the situation, and if there is anything they can do to help, but they have never asked why. I am prepared to explain why; but I’m not offering the explanation unless I’m asked. Being an independent person, I don’t feel the need to explain myself unless provoked to. But deeper than that is the fact that I think they know why. My family knows who I am, and what I stand for. And they know that for me to quit my job, and risk not being able to take care of my son would have to mean that my integrity or what I stand for was being questioned. And they would be right.

My aunt told me today something that I will remember in the coming days as I continue to search and try to determine what my next move shall be. She told me that God has something major planned for me. Now, when she said this, I just looked at her like I was seeing a ghost. Not because I didn’t believe her; but because when you hear the words come from someone and you don’t expect them, it surprises you, catches you off guard. She told me that if I continue to keep God first and continue to pray, that whatever He has planned for me will develop and hit me at a time when I least expect it. When least expected, God delivers. I fervently believe that, and my aunt told me that because I believe that, everything will be alright. I needed to hear these words today; not because I don’t believe them myself, but because sometimes you need someone outside of yourself to say it out loud. Hearing it from someone else’s mouth makes it more real, makes it tangible, makes it seem more attainable…

My family loves me, and I love them back…

Peace and blessings…

Recently, when I am feeling like the world is on my shoulders, when I am beginning to lose focus, this song begins to play in my head. I know it is God gently reminding me that He is near, and that I shouldn’t give up because He is working things out for me. In spite of myself, I have lived a life full of blessings and love…my whole life is a testimony to God. I give all praises to Him, and thank Him everyday for loving me, and being with me, and carrying me through…I never would have made it without Him.

video credit: originally uploaded to YouTube on December 28, 2007 by EndTimeDancerJLJ

Every once in a while, I see a movie that focuses my attention away from all of the problems that we deal with here in America. That is not to say that we don’t have much to complain about, but when I watch movies like Ghosts of Cité Soleil, I am humbled by the fact that there are people who live in far worse conditions than I can even imagine.

Haiti is an ignored country; it is a country of despair, and violence, and poverty beyond imagination. This film provides a glimpse, just the tiniest glimpse of what that life is like for those who live there. The Ghosts of Cité Soleil highlights the time period of 2004, when President Aristide was trying to maintain power and enlisted the help of the Chimeres to assist him with doing so. At the crux of this are 2Pac and Bily, brothers and gang leaders who’s love and hate for one another is astonishing and understandable, when you see the deplorable environment they live in. 2Pac and Bily are as different as night and day; 2Pac is the gangster, the thug, the “ride or die” brother who fights because he knows nothing else. Bily seems to want out; wants to find a better way to live life.

This is truly a Cain and Abel story. Brothers who’s love and hate shine equally. Being pulled in different directions and being used by the government, the brothers end up at odds at each other and ultimately, threatening each others lives. They both have children, both know that life in Cité Soleil is not promised, but both want to rule. Both want to be number one.

As a side story is the poverty and dangerous conditions that the people of Cité Soleil live in. The images in this movie are haunting: the birth of the baby on the street, the dozens of dead bodies being used as shields, the vision of bloodied and broken people left to die…we can only look at these images and shake our head in shame and despair; the people there have developed a level of “it is what it is,” so much so that nothing surprises them.

This movie is moving and will stay with you after you watch it. If you are looking for something that you can feel, then this documentary is for you. It is not a feel good movie, but it will make you think. This was one of the best documentaries that I’ve seen in a while, and I recommend it purely because it is real…there is no fiction here.

video credit: originally uploaded to YouTube on May 19, 2007 by spwoodring

Rating: 8.5

Up Next: The Great Debaters