Ms. Regina has yet again graced me with an award. The award is called “Arte y Pico” and has made its way around the blogosphere. There are conditions attached to this one:

1. You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also for contributing to the blogging community, no matter what language.
2. Each awardee has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.
3. Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.
4. Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of “Arte y Pico” blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award: http://arteypico.blogspot.com/.

Regina has followed this blog, through all of its ups and downs and changes, from almost the beginning. She is my blog sister, and I love her for all that she continues to give to me. She is an inspiration to me, and I thank her for always thinking of me…so to show my appreciation, I pass this award to 5 of my fellow bloggers:

1. Black Kool - A truly inspiring collection of pictures and articles dedicated to uplifting…truly a gift!
2. Wonderland Or Not - The musings of a highly intelligent woman, I have loved this site since I first laid my eyes on it…and it has been a while!
3. Skoolboi’s Playground - I’ve never met a man so open with his feelings, and it has been so refreshing to watch him on his recent journey of finding love…he has made me believe…
4. From The Battlefield - The passion and sisterhood found on this site are just inspiring to me…
5. Urban Observation - The writing on this blog is just splendid…

Please drop by and give these ladies and gentlemen a shout out!

I’m up and restless…so here I go with my review of things that have either pissed me off, troubled me, or just made me giggle.

10 - The Pregnancy Pact

I remember being 16; in the prime of my teenage years, totally into boys, totally into talking on the phone, and excited about kissing my boyfriend at the movies. Maybe allowing him to feel my boobs, because you know, I had raging teenage hormones too. I liked how that felt, that rush of pleasure from that boy that I liked doing these new things to me…but never did I ever think of forming a pact with my friends to get pregnant and raise babies together. 1) Because my mother would have killed me; 2) my mother would have kicked me out the house; and 3) my mother would have kicked my ass! The story of the so-called pregnancy pact at Gloucester High School in Massachusetts, resulting in 17 pregnancies over the past year in girls aged 16 years old or younger troubles me because they feel its alright. And I read a quote where one of the girls said that she thought her parents would be okay with it. What happened to wanting more for yourself? Oh, I’m just sick…what will the future hold?

9 - What Would Dave Say?

Oh how I would love to hear Dave take on this political season…

video credit: originally uploaded to YouTube on May 13, 2008 by samoonahk

8 - Michelle On The View

Mrs. Obama was on The View this week; instead of reading positive things about how awesome she looked (the dress and the hair were FABULOUS!), instead I read about how the dress was too summery and casual, how she is trying too hard, and how pretty much every single word she spoke held some other meaning than what she said. Damn, I am tired of this crap! I know that this is only the beginning of what they will attempt to do to her; and I am so glad that she is grounded in faith. As you know, there are numerous Web sites trying to destroy and taint her image…hers and Senator Obama’s. I for one believe in pushing against the negative with the positive. So I will not pay any homage, give any more ride to those blogs…no more publishing links to them over here…fuck them! Let them get their publicity from somewhere else.

7 - I Could Stare At Him All Day

6 - The BET Awards

I don’t think I’ve missed one BET Awards since its inception. I think this will probably be the first. There is absolutely nothing about BET that I want to celebrate.

5 - I Can Get Down With The South, Shawty

Now these Outkast boys represent the truth to me…the music is on a whole ‘nother level…add them to the UGK joint and it is an instant classic!

4 - The Olympics

Too bad I will only get to read about the Games (I won’t be watching - BOYCOTT!) but the USA Basketball team has been announced: LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer, Tayshaun Prince, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and Michael Redd. Sounds like a fairly good team…we’ll see (or read) how it ends up.

I think I’m bout to give up Cherry Coke Zero (the horror!) too…Coca-Cola is tripping. I have to do some more research, but the bullshit these sponsors are pulling with the Olympics is bothering me to the point of wanting to take some action; I guess that’s good right?

3 - Black Women and R. Kelly

There was an article on in Newsweek that addressed why Black women love R. Kelly and were willing to forgive and forget his crimes. I’ll write more on this later, but what really struck me was one of the comments. Someone wrote in that “Black people are their own worst enemies.” Of course, my first reaction was a little anger. How dare they say something…wait a minute; is there some truth to this statement? When we take two steps forward, are we ourselves the one who snatch us three steps back? Whoa…that’s something to sleep on…more on this later…

2 - Here Comes The Sun

According to the magnificent SoulBounce, D’Angelo is set to release an album next year…yeah, that’s all fine and good, but um, can I get some Maxwell, please?

1 - The Young And The Restless

Yes, I’m really finna talk about the soap opera…I hate the writing on this show since they got rid of the old writers…they done broke up Victor and Nikki after they were settling in and happy again, and now Victor is with some young, hot chick and she’s pregnant? But wait, Victor had not one, but two vasectomies…how is this possible? I’m guessing they are thinking we are supposed to forget this…And today, David decides that he wants a divorce from Nikki and leaves! WTF?!? I’m…ugh! And why should Gloria have all of this bad luck? I know she is crazy and all, but cut her a break for real! At least give her the diamonds back…Can Neil get and keep a woman, please? And can I see Lily whip Chloe’s ass for pushing up on her man? Lauren and Michael are the only couple I have left to hold on to…if they start messing with them, I’m going to write a letter…