Opinionated Black Woman

Hmm…remakes? OK…

video credit: origianlly uploaded to YouTube on March 19, 2008 by meltimis9

And this one…

video credit: originally uploaded to YouTube on December 13, 2007 by nwjswing

Can’t forget this one…

video credit: originally uploaded to YouTube on November 4, 2007 by westcoastmusic1985

After reading this article, and after following Tasha Smith’s career, she has earned a spot on my Icon list simply because she symbolizes to me what it means to move out of your own way.

Her life has not been easy, yet once she decided to let go and let God, there were miracles born unto her that can only be explained if you believe in faith and hard work. I can’t say anymore than the article can, but I will say this: when He speaks, listen; or you just may miss out on the biggest miracle of your life…

Peace and blessings…

Do you remember the days of family get-togethers, with all your cousins and aunts and uncles gathered together to eat and then enjoy a nice game of spades? Well, I know a way that you can recapture that joy of playing cards with your kinfolk…online!

Visit Spadester, an online gaming community where you can enjoy a nice game of spades for fun, or for money. It is easy to download the software to your computer and once you do, you are ready to go! You will need to set up a User name and password  and then you are ready to play.

You can choose to play spades for free in the Play Money lobby, or you can deposit money in your account and play for real money against other players. All new players are awarded a $4 free bonus, as well as a 100% welcome bonus, just for signing up so they can try and enjoy the software. Once you are registered, surprise bonuses can be e-mailed to you that you can log-in and take advantage of.

If you are new to the game of spades, Spadester gives you a complete player’s guide along with instructions on their three different versions of the game (individual, Cutthroat, and Partnership). There is also a dictionary, so just in case you are not aware of what the terminology means, look it up! There is also a forum where you can connect with other players within the community and chat, all while playing. You can also participate in tournaments and free rolls, all at your choosing.

Spadester allows you to connect with your friends and family members from across the states to play this fun and engaging game. The Spadester community is set up to help you along the way, offering tools, tips, and tricks.

Go over and check it out! You are sure to have some fun!

The heavens have opened and the LORD is sending me a gift, y’all…Ms. Jill Scott is gracing us here in KC with her talents on August 7th and I am buying my presale ticket tomorrow morning at 10am when they go on sale so I can be front row center (or as close as I can be)! I am so excited that I almost cannot stand it!

Im’ma get to see somma this, y’all…

video credit: originally uploaded to YouTube on March 25, 2008 by MichaelMelendy

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Fabulous…absolutely fabulous!

It’s all love…

It’s time for another installment of WTH?!? and I tell you, folks have been just plain old acting fools these days! I will spare you the video of the bi-polar chick showing her ass on the MARTA train in Atlanta (I know you all have seen that one), but I do want to kick it off with this chick:

All Dressed Up And Nowhere To Go

video credit: originally uploaded to YouTube on May 12, 2008 by Aquaflyer

I don’t even know where to start…yeah, I do: What in the hell is wrong with the kids of today that this girl even felt comfortable walking out of her house in this piece of material? Like I said at Ms. Regina’s spot, if my son’s date even thinks of showing up for prom in something like this, HE ain’t going (at least not with her)! Ain’t gon’ be no pictures, she betta not get her ass in the limo (because it is probably about a 75% chance that me and/or his dad done chipped in some money on that bitch and I ain’t paying for no half-dressed heffa to ride in something I done helped pay for), and she damn sure ain’t getting the corsage! I’m being a little facetious, but in all seriousness, where is the self-respect? When she was getting this dress made, I’m sure she knew what the rules were and she decided to do her own thing anyway. So her showing up at the prom that she knew was inappropriate and therefore getting arrested, hey, you reap what you sew sow…

Hills On SNL

This was funny, but kinda real in a scary ass way. I don’t watch SNL anymore, but I caught the video online and I started out laughing, but then…I got to thinking, this shit is hitting too close to home to be funny anymore…

Economic Stimulus Checks

This is some bullshit…my mother’s SSN is one of the first ones to have been issued a check and she still hasn’t gotten hers yet…they keep sending her letter saying that it’s coming, but no check…she’s a little on the crazy (not insane crazy; just silly crazy) side so she keeps walking around the house shouting, “Economic Stimulus!” every 5 minutes…it’s driving my brother crazy! I was just on the phone with him and she’s in the background yelling…it is truly tickling me! Anyway, I’m not due to get mine until December (just kidding) so I’ll just see it when it gets here, I guess…

That’s enough, no? I’ll see y’all on the flip side…

It’s all love…

This movie was recommended to me a while ago by Invisible Woman…I finally sat down to watch it and whoa! I know absolutely nothing about art, except that I can appreciate a beautiful piece when I see it (maybe that’s all I need to know), but this movie totally put me in the center of the art world of the 80’s, when Jean-Michel Basquiat broke into the scene.

Can I just say that Jeffrey Wright is tremendous? I cannot use enough adjectives to describe this man…the way that he is able to fold himself into a role and entirely become the character is breathtaking. I was so into this character that at the end I had to remind myself that I wasn’t looking at Basquiat for real…the emotions and nuances of a life can be hard to undertake, but Jeffrey Wright was born to act. Brilliant…

The movie tells the story of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s rise in the art world and his foray into drugs, which eventually lead to his demise. The storyline follows him from living in a box in a park to hosting his own shows and his friendship with Andy Warhol, played weirdly, but well, by David Bowie. It is Basquiat’s drug use that costs him his love, played by Claire Forlani, and his friend, played by the delicious Benicio del Toro. There are lots of quality stars in this movie, and they all contribute to a film that is rich and detailed and visually stimulating…the art and sights of SoHo are magnificently displayed.

This movie was just good…very good. I would recommend adding it to your list of films to watch, if you have not seen it already.

Update: Seems as though I didn’t get the recommendation from Invisible Woman…she always comes to mind when I think of movies, so I automatically thought it was her…I don’t know where I got Basquiat from, but whoever recommended it to me, thanks! tee hee hee…

Rating: 8.5

Next up: Ghosts of Cité Soleil

It’s all love…
 

video credit: originally uploaded to YouTube on December 5, 2007 by johnniewalker23

Music would not be music without Stevie Wonder. Imagine your life without, “My Cherie Amour” or “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours“…I bet you can’t. Stevie transcends…he is what artists aspire to be. Completely married and committed to the music, it runs through his veins and cannot be stopped.

video credit: originally uploaded to YouTube on September 29, 2007 by faithk123

Tomorrow is Stevie’s 58th birthday, and what better way to celebrate than by listening to some of his best records? That would be a difficult choice, because it seems like whatever Stevie touches is gold (or platinum). But everyone has their favorites and this is one of mine:

video credit: originally uploaded to YouTube on November 25, 2007 by johnniewalker23

Sometimes there is nothing like putting on a Stevie Wonder song and letting him sing your troubles away. It is the pure talent, the God-given gift that shines through and enlightens us all to what is just unbelievably good music. There are not many artists who have a catalogue of hits like Stevie; and not many artists who will come after him that will amass such. But the one thing that we can all learn from Stevie is his love…in everything that he has done, it has been done out of the love in his heart and life and it shows in his music.

Happy Birthday, Stevie…and thank you for the love wrapped in the music you have graced us with for over 40 years…

It’s all love…

I have always wanted to send my son to Morehouse…the tradition, the reputation, the overall history of the school are just the foundation of many reasons why I dream of it for my child. After reading this story on MSNBC.com, it is even more appealing to me.

I know that HBCUs have white students that attend; it is unavoidable. But Joshua Packwood was recruited, hard…and he’s from my hometown! Graduated from Grandview High School in Kansas City, Joshua was, according to the article, sought after for his credentials and grades, not the color of his skin. And when it was discovered that he was not Black, that did not deter nor halt the efforts to recruit this exceptional student to one of the most esteemed HBCUs in the land.

Joshua is set to be Morehouse’s valedictorian, having worked his way to a 4.0 GPA and a degree in economics. I read this story and a little smile ran across my face. This young man passed up an opportunity to attend an Ivy League school to go down south to Morehouse…not because he was trying to act Black, not because he wanted to try to fit in, but because it would give him an opportunity to broaden his view of life. I like that in you, Joshua…

It’s all love…  

I thought of an old friend today…male, and not really a friend, but a “friend.” I have one of those minds that allows things to run rampant, and I envisioned that I ran into him and his wife (which he didn’t have during our thing and I don’t know if he has now…just my imagination). We were never more than “friends,” but just the thought of running into him with someone else almost had me break out into hives.

Maybe it’s the not knowing if the sexual vibe would still be there…minute as it was, it was there. Maybe it’s seeing someone after all this time that I know can deliver would ignite some flames that I am trying to keep tamped down. Shit, maybe I feel like I would jump dude’s bones, or that he could probably talk me into giving it a go. But the thing is, when we were doing our thing, he wasn’t into it, and really neither was I. Our last conversation was me telling him that he was wasting my time, that I knew he wasn’t here because he wanted to be, but because he felt like he could be, and that he could kick rocks. 

There are times when I want to say bump all my logic and go and call up some random person who would be down for whatever so I could get me a piece of the pie just for a brief moment. So I can have a brief respite from all of this shit built up in my system. I almost feel sorry for the next dude to come along. He’s going to have to put in some work. But it won’t be for nothing, that’s for damn sure…

It’s all love…