The Brothers Down In The Trenches...

Lieutenant General Russel L. Honore

After the damage was done, Lt. Gen. Honore was called in to clean up the mess and to gain some kind of order. The Mayor dubbed him as "John Wayne," because as soon as he got out of a helicopter he got down to business immediately cursing/barking out orders to his subordinates. He's a trip in the news conferences as well. *lol* He's a mess, but I love his style. Here's a summarization of what happened earlier today. This is not word for word, since I was busy blogging and doing house chores at the time.

News Conference:

Nasal Sounding Reporter: General Honore, what are you doing to maintain order in the city? Are the streets safe?

Lt. Gen. Honore: Go on the streets of New Orleans. Have you been to New Orleans?

Reporter: Yes.

Lt. Gen. Honore: Did anybody accost you?

Reporter: No.

Lt. Gen. Honore: Well, all right then. There's your answer.

Reporter: **gets quiet**

***Zee Snickering***

Although he is the King of comeback statements, smart remarks, and colorful language, he should also be known for his compassion for the people when he ordered the soldiers to hold their weapons down, since they were on a humanitarian mission. And he had a couple of soldiers to help a sister trying to carry twins down the street. Hopefully, he'll be instrumental in getting things back on track.




Mayor C. Ray Nagin

I don't care what other people say. Mayor Nagin helped call serious attention to his city's suffering and needs when he placed a S.O.S. to the federal government for help. More specifically he said, ""Now get off your asses and fix this. Let's do something and let's fix the biggest %#^%*$ crisis in the history of this country." Had he sat back and said nothing, things would probably be worse off than they already are now. I give the man credit!

International Reaction To The Relief Response

The World Observes A Superpower...

With each passing day, I continue to pray for the victims and survivors of Hurricane Katrina. And I'm looking into additional ways to provide help. I haven't been able to stop watching the national network and cable news tv. But what is the world saying? The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) captured the following statements from around the world: ==> World Observations

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Hmm....Kanye West and New Orleans' Mayor Ray Nagin expressed similar yet stronger sentiments. All in all, I think people around the world and at home are demanding that the hurricane survivors be treated more humanely.

Four Days After Hurricane Katrina: When Will Help Arrive?

And The Suffering Continues....

Perhaps, have we put so much energy, time, money, and other resources into other situations around the world (i.e. Continuous allotments of $87 Billion are sent to Iraq) that we don't have anything to provide to our own Hurricane vicitms and survivors? Where is the help? Private organizations have been rallying together, but where is the federal help? Simply stated, THIS IS A SHAME AND A DISGRACE!!!

Hurricane Katrina: Days After The Disaster...

Victims Await Relief....

When I first watched the national news Monday evening, news correspondents were saying that New Orleans, LA had been hit hard, but missed the bullet, while Biloxi, MS caught the full brunt of the storm. Perhaps, communications weren't good at the time, because by the next morning the news had turned into another direction of stating that conditions had worsened. Areas previously thought okay became flooded as levees broke in New Orleans.

But what really broke my heart was a news report that I saw first thing on Tuesday morning. An older African American man relayed his story to CNN of how his home was ripped in half. He told how he tried to hold on tight to his wife's hand. But she told him that she wasn't going to make it, and for him to take care of their kids and grandkids. Then she was gone. The water took her away. During the interview, the man was holding the hands of two small boys. And he kept saying that he didn't know where he was going or what he was going to do. At that moment, I just wanted to reach out and hug him and his grandkids, brush their tears away, and bring back the man's wife and the kid's grandmother, but I couldn't.

In another story on CNN, a military soldier or national guardsman and a woman worked on the top of a roof to help an elderly man suffering from heart problems and diabetes to get prepared to be hoisted to an awaiting helicopter overhead. Then the camera panned over to other people waiting for help on their roofs.

It hurts right now to even revisit those memory as I type, because there are so many people out there suffering in the same position now. Although I was running late that morning for work, I picked up the phone and called the American Red Cross. I had to wait a while before a Red Cross operator could get to me, which seemed to indicate that many others were donating as well. However, in some way, my donation doesn't feel like it's enough. In addition to praying, I wonder what else we can do to help.

It is now about 72 hours after the hurricane struck, and things are in total chaos. Hurricane victims have lost loved one. They lost all of their possessions and homes. And many don't have a job to report to anymore, because businesses and other places of employment were badly damaged as well. Victims haven't had power in days. They haven't had a shower and don't have clean clothes. Babies don't have clean diapers. Folks are still standing on roofs waiting for evacuations. Many victims wonder what the next day will bring them. And overall, things look pretty grim. Nevertheless, I'm going to keep the victims in my prayers, because God is good.

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If We Come Together, We Can Make A Big Difference...




Hurricane Katrina Relief Organizations:

American Red Cross

Habitat for Humanity

Network for Good

Salvation Army

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Song of the Day:

"Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" by Marvin Gaye

Hurricane Katrina: Possibly The Big One!

Millions Take Cover As Katrina Prepares To Roar Through...

Throughout the day on Sunday, I was glued to the tv watching the news regarding Hurricane Katrina's impending strike upon the Gulf States in the U.S. predicted to take place early Monday morning. Most of the news coverage has been devoted to New Orleans, Louisiana and its surrounding areas. And meteorological, environmental, and financial analysts are already calling Hurricane Katrina (a Category 5 hurricane) the biggest storm of our lifetime and an imminent disaster. From the looks of things the area's residents are taking this hurricane seriously. Evacuating cars sat in bumper to bumper traffic trying to get out of the area, while others stood in long lines hoping to take refuge in the Louisiana Superdome as a last resort evacuation spot where the power is expected to go out. Area airlines have closed down. Local hotels are booked. Hospitals have moved their emergency rooms to upper floors. This is it.

During the day and night on Sunday, elected officials and weather forecasters announced to the public that Hurricane Katrina is the real thing, and that evacuations are quite necessary. Environmental scientists and other experts have been trying to determine what chances the New Orleans area has, given the fact that it is an already sinking area that has water pumped out of it on good, non-hurricane days. Not only is the excess water from the hurricane a concern, but the winds are also since they may spawn tornadoes. The hurricane may be on a path to strike New Orleans, but the whole nation will feel its blow. An oil analyst has predicted that already high gas prices will further skyrocket to new record highs for the whole nation, because a third of the U.S.'s refineries are located off the coast of Louisiana. But one of the most heartbreaking things that I've heard is that officials are expecting loss of life. We all hope that the hurricane will veer off into another direction or will deteriorate. Nevertheless, let's pray that all those affected by the storm in the various States will come through this safely.
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UPDATE:



The Louisiana Superdome

News reports have stated that the power is out in the Louisiana Superdome, and that the dome is operating under limited functions with backup generators. This means that nearly 9,000 or more people who are taking shelter at the Superdome as a means of last resort are sitting in the dark with no air condition and lights. It's unclear how long the hurricane will last and how long people will have to stay in the dome under very harsh conditions. Yesterday, many of the people I saw waiting in long lines to enter the dome were old, ill, or had small kids.

At one time I had a beef with the American Red Cross, because you're never really sure where your donations go as the Red Cross uses its own discretion. But during the last hurricane a few years ago in North Carolina where my family lives, the residents lost power for 2 to 3 weeks. And during that time, the Red Cross really showed its commitment. They served meals 3 times a day, and provided all kinds of support to people who lost homes. Therefore at a time like this, charity, support, and prayers can go a long way to help others in need.
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Here are a few news and information web sites related to the hurricane:

News Web Sites:

CNN,MSNBC,CBS

State Emergency Preparedness Agencies:

Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida

Additional Organizations:

American Red Cross and The Salvation Army

Fun and Relaxing Summer Reading

Summer Reading Book Pick: "The Hamptons"
By Linda Dominique Grosvenor

We're coming down to the last days of summer filled with vacations, cookouts, and lots of outdoor fun. But before my summer is done, I plan to do some reading since I received my copy of the "The Hamptons" just the other day. Sometimes there's nothing more relaxing than turning on a little jazz music, stretching out on a comfy couch, and reading a juicy book while sipping a little lemonade or ice tea. I didn't take any vacations to any exotic islands or any other domestic vacation spot this year. So the book will have to take me there.

Have there been times after you've finished reading a book when you wished that you could talk to the author directly? I've had informal book reviews and discussions with friends via the phone. We flipped through pages of books back and forth, while explaining our own perspectives. And sometimes one of us would point out something significant that the other missed. But more than anything we wished that we could get into the author's mind to ask various questions. Well, Linda Dominique Grosvenor, the author of "The Hamptons", plans to hold an online discussion of her book with readers on September 15, 2005. We'll get a chance to ask her about "The Hamptons'" characters, the plot, and possibly ask her whether she's interested in writing sequels to some of her books. For further details, please see Princess Dominique's blog.

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Hurricane Katrina



Hurricane Surprise Or Not?

The level of intensity of this storm sort of surprised me. It turned into a Category 2 hurricane. I'm not sure whether I didn't give enough attention to it in the news or whether the news folks didn't publicize it enough. All I know is that earlier this week weather forecasters said there was a tropical storm near Florida's coast that may turn into a weak Category 1 hurricane by Friday. So far the hurricane has killed 7 people, and more than a million are without power. And just think, we have about two more months to go before the end of hurricane season. On the morning news, a woman from South Florida said that many people didn't think the hurricane was going to do much damage, so many people weren't prepared. Let's pray that our Floridian bloggers are safe from harm's way.

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Song of the Day:

The Principles of Love by Incognito

Remembering Aaliyah: Gone, But Not Forgotten...

January 16, 1979 - August 25, 2001

"I am not going to die, I'm going home like a shooting star."
- Sojourner Truth

Song of the Day:

At Your Best (You Are Love) by Aaliyah

All Points Bulletin (APB) For Qualified HairDressers...

Please Study The Above Picture Very Carefully...

It was a little more than 2 years ago when a certain mishap happened to me at the beauty shop. My hairdo (hairdon't) looked like one of those in the above picture after visiting the salon. I kid you not. It was late spring and almost summertime when I started to look for another hairdresser. I had become very dissatisfied with my last hairdresser (cosmetologist), because after going to her for about five years she could never plaster a hairstyle on my head that I liked. I think she didn't really care for me as a customer either, because I'm not the kind of client to go the beauty shop every week. I prefer to wash and condition my hair at home every week so I can check the condition of it. I only go to the hairdresser once every 8 - 10 weeks for professional services. Besides, I would never think about cutting my own hair. And if I decide to color my hair in the future, I would only have a licensed hairdresser to perform that service.

Mistake #1: Picking the wrong salon - Well, in central Maryland it's hard to find a good hairdresser period. So, many times we ladies have to go closer to Washington, DC or Baltimore, MD to find someone who halfway knows what she or he or is doing. But no, I was determined to find one close to my home. I looked on the internet, in hair magazines, and the yellow pages for a list of stylists. I found a salon at JcPenney in one of Mizani's ads placed in Essence magazine. I stopped by the salon to make an appointment. Everything was set. *sigh*

Mistake #2: Not meeting the stylist first - I got up on a Saturday morning and drove to Columbia Mall for my hair appointment. When I saw the stylist, I should have just said that I had the wrong salon and walked away. But my sense of not wanting to hurt folks' feelings led me to stay and try to make the best of a possibly bad situation. I had a feeling that I was going to regret this experience. The stylist was a real twinkie. This was the first time I saw him. But when I made the appointment a few days before, the employees at the salon talked so highly of him, saying that he was a master/senior cosmetologist and all. Yeah right. *rolling eyes*

Mistake #3: Trusting a new hairdresser and letting that person have free reign - Upfront, I showed the stylist hairstyles that I was interested in. I had torn out these pictures from old magazines of mine. I picked hairstyles that could be achieved according to my hair length and grade. He AGREED with one of the styles. So, I THOUGHT that was what I was going to get. When he started to do my hair, I noticed that he was too heavy-handed. This was the first time I had ever let a man style my hair, but really he could have cut back and cut down on the roughhousing. Good Grief! My head, neck, and back were beginning to ache. He said that he needed to trim my ends. *shrug*

Mistake #4: Going to sleep as a new hairdresser zaps your hair away - Perhaps, since I never get enough sleep at night (4 hours or so) and my iron deficient levels, I fall asleep very easily. This was the case the day the hairdresser committed a crime on my head. He didn't cut off a whole hunk of hair at one time. It appears that he used a pair of scissors with a comb feature built into it. It seemed like he was cutting off a little bit. Oh my goodness. I'm getting a flashback of the panic I felt when I woke up and realized that he cut off about 6 to 8 inches of my hair. I could barely form the sentences to describe to him what he had done. Before the hair crime, my hair was a few inches down my shoulders. With that amount of hair, many hairstyles can be achieved (a pony tail or a french roll or another upsweep do or an allover curly do or a do worn straight). For years, I kept my hair washed and well conditioned. Now this fruitcake cut it off just that fast. All I can remember him telling me was some crap about him trying to achieve some Grand Ole Opry (Oprah Winfrey) hairdo on me. What happened to the picture, we had both agreed to? He was bugging. He acted hurt when I was less than thrilled and was downright disgusted. I flipped... *rolling neck*

Mistake #5: Not Handling Business - **Side Note: Zee doesn't encourage violent acts or profane speech. Peace must be achieved as much as possible. ** But in this particular situation, that know-it-all twitching hairdresser earned the right to have his hindparts horsewhipped. He was crying out for it. I ain't lying.....But no, Miss Zee, "So Too Nice", kept cool. I just wanted to go home. When I got home, I looked in the mirror and really recognized how much he cut off, which was a whole lot. Plus, my head, neck, and back were still aching from his strong ox-like hands. I took a nap only to wake up and realize that in fact my hair was messed up. Ah snap... *hands on hips*


My New Hairdresser: A Complete Godsend...



Dealing With The Hair Fiasco

After stressing over a torn up hairdo over the weekend, I came to the conclusion that I could not grace my office that way Monday. That morning I looked in the yellow pages and the net for another stylist to correct my hairdo. Many ladies know that many hairdressers are off work on Mondays. But this wasn't going to stop me. I called and called shops until I found one. I called a shop in Bowie. It looked to be a respectable shop. Plus, some of the stylists had received awards for their work. And some had their work featured in hair magazines. I still wasn't totally sure this was going to work out. But at this point, almost anything else would be better off for me.

Armed with my cordless phone, I proceeded to tell the main hairstylist/owner what happened to me over the weekend. Apparently, my sense of desperation won the hairdresser over. She said that she could take me within the hour, but not afterwards. Not a problem. I was in the car to make the 20 minute trip. Immediately when I arrived, the hairstylists and shampoo girls put me at ease. They talked about the possible styles that they could give me, but I only entrusted the owner to style my hair. I told her everything I hated about the new style. Not only was too much hair cut, but the previous oxen-handed stylist gave me an ultra straight hairdo that robbed my hair of it's natural volume, which I happen to love about my puffy hair. At the new shop, my hair was washed, conditioned, and set on rollers. The new hairdresser, licensed as a senior cosmetologist, worked her magic and came up with a style that looked really nice and something that I could maintain myself. I received so many compliments from my co-workers the next day.

OOoo Ooo Ooo....I Got A New Attitude

Under the new hairdresser's care, most of my hair grew back in about 8 months. This meant wearing styles that used wet sets and staying away from direct heat/thermal styles 99% of the time. The use of Biotin, a food supplement, also had a hand in growing that hair back. I'm totally satisfied with my new shop and am very thankful to find it. My new shop is a relaxing place with several hairdressers, shampoo girls, and a manicurist. The hairdressers really do try to sastisfy the customer and will take walk-ins when possible. Also, I love the the atmosphere. It's clean (which is a requirement) and the people there keep interesting conversation going. It's not wild stuff; it's just interesting. Whether we are going to attend church the next day, go to a special social event, such as a wedding, or just get regular weekly maintenance, I have to admit that we look good when we leave the shop. That shop was a Godsend.

This whole fiasco involving my hairdo isn't solely about the haircut itself. It had more to do with someone else taking my "decisions" away from me. Some overbearing stylists have a vision of how they want their clients to look. But if I'm paying for a service, I should get what I asked for. A co-worker of mine, whose mother is a hairdresser, confided in me that "some" stylists cut their clients hair too short on purpose, because they know their clients wouldn't know what to do with a short do. And then the client would be forced to come to the salon more often and become dependent on the stylist. That's not me. I actually enjoy washing and styling my hair. I don't care for the overprocessing and the strong chemicals that many salons use. But nevertheless, I learned a lesson from this incident. I should speak up and voice my concerns and stop letting folks who don't have my best interests in mind dictate to me. Sister Zee better learn to handle her business SHO NUFF!!!

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Song I'm Listening To Now:

"Mezmerized" on the "First Lady" CD by Faith Evans

Discovery's Return To Flight: Successful Landing!!!

Earth: Home Sweet Home...

After spending 14 days in space involving a canceled landing yesterday due to weather concerns in Florida, the Space Shuttle Discovery safely landed at Edwards' Air Force Base in California at 5:11 a.m. PST today. Mission Completed!!!

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Song of the Day:

"Benny and the Jets" by Elton John

** Side Note: I never ever knew all the words to this song, beyond the "B..B..B...Benny and the Jets" line, but I always loved the music, especially the piano and keyboard parts. Doesn't Elton seem a little crazy if anyone remembers him wearing a duck suit while performing in concert?

The "5" Things Tag List: TAG!!!

Myrah tagged me. Be sure to visit her blog. Now, I have to think of folks to tag. Hmmm.
(Caution: This may be a little tough for me, since I'm a bit of a hermit and an anti-social person, so I've been told by a couple of friends. Say it ain't so! *hee hee* But I'll still give it try anyway.)


Zee's 5 Thangs List (Doesn't This Have A Chain Letter Feel To It?)

1 Ten Years ago - I had 3 years behind me in one of Uncle Leroy's (UL) health agencies. (Side Note: I picked up the UL term from Margaret's blog.) I was a project officer for a research study and thought I was on my way in this job.

2 Five Years Ago - I thought that I wanted to become a business school professor. My old apartment was full of grad school applications and GMAT study materials. I wrote essays that led to my invitation to attend the PhD Project's annual conference. When it came time for me to decide whether to leave my full-time job (money and benefits) and to jump into grad school, I made a last minute decision to not attend business school at that particular moment, because some things didn't feel right. I discovered that I loved reading and doing research, but the "corporate" cut-throat culture didn't sit right with me. Sometimes the mechanics of business and dealmaking aren't too pretty or ethical when you are in the thick of it. (Side Note: I still have a small Enron flashlight key chain from a job fair years ago.) I'll leave that at that. But I still want to teach on the college level in something like Education or Counseling. Stay tuned!

3 One Year Ago - I was in the process of househunting.

4 Yesterday - I decided to take a 2-day vacaction from work, although I'm use to working year round with very few days off.

5 Today - I'm taking a mini vacation from work to clean up my new place and to take it easy for a change.

6 Tomorrow - I'll return to work and try to catch up on my projects.

7 Five Snacks I Enjoy - Cupcakes, granola bars, ice cream, sunflower seeds, and cheese puffs. (honorable mention: carrots)

8 Five Bands I know All The Words (err... most words) To Their Music - Earth, Wind, and Fire; Incognito; Destiny's Child; Mint Condition; and Kindred the Family Soul.

9 Five Things I Would Do With $100,000,000.00 - First, I would have to tithe to a church or split up the 10% tithe and donate it to several churches according to their missions (education, helping the poor/homeless, daycare, domestic violence, health care, etc.). Then I'd pay off the bills for my family and myself. I would go back to grad school for the love of learning and enrichment purposes. I'd send my niece to any college of her choice when she gets old enough. And I'd purchase homes for my family and myself.

10 Five Locations I Would Like To Run Away To - St. Lucia, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Egypt, and Trinidad.

11 Five Bad Habits - Not taking vacations, not realizing when I'm tired, not getting enough sleep, watching tv until the wee hours of the morning, not understanding/listening to my intuition enough (which may be the voice of God).

12 Five Things I Like Doing - I love to read, surf the net, listen to music, cook, and watch tv.

13 Five TV Shows I like - The Golden Girls, Living Single, House Hunters on Home and Garden TV, The Twilight Zone (at 1 and 1:30 a.m.), and Airline! on the A&E channel.

14 Five Famous People I Would Like To Meet - Tavis Smiley, Michael Eric Dyson, Edwidge Danticat, Chuck D, and Dr. Mae Jemison. (I wish Malcolm X was alive, because I would love, love, love to hear his thoughts on various issues of today.)

15 Five Biggest Joys At This Moment - 1. Being a child of God. 2. Having family and friends who love and care about me. 3. Although my job gets on my last nerve, I'm thankful to be employed. 4. Having an endless stream of ideas. 5. Hope for the future and good things to come.

16 Five Favorite Toys - My computer, my bookcase cd changer, car stereo, old walkman, and cellphone.

17 Five People Plus Two Who Have Been Tagged - Sepia Gem, Melette, KeKe, Marchandite (Mr.D finish creating your blog, pretty please), Margaret, and SP.
(Note To The Tagged: Please accept my sincere apology. I didn't know whom else to tag. Besides, I think you will enjoy preparing the list just as much as the people who are going to read it.)

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Song of the Day:

"1 Thing" on the "Touch" CD by Amerie

Thoughts and Observations - Updates

Procrastination (Volunteer Project): Revisited

In one of my earlier entries, I mentioned that I had decided to volunteer my time and energy towards a non-profit educational organization run by my friend and her husband. And in the entry, I also mentioned that my back was up against the wall to meet a deadline that "I" promised to deliver. I was supposed to develop a marketing plan devoted to community involvement. More specifically, this organization brings students together with educators and career professionals to help the youth prepare for their futures. Every fall the organization hosts a 2-day conference that awards kids with high grade point averages, provides academic/professional workshops, and provides a career fair. Well as an update, I did complete the paper a week later. After feeling absolutely guilty about not keeping my word and avoiding phone calls from the organization (via caller ID), one evening I made myself work from the time I got home from work until 1:30 a.m. to complete the paper. I was satisfied with my work, but it took something out of me, since my alarm comes on at 5:00 a.m.

Fastforward about a month, I'm still behind in my work due to the organization. I owe a ton of work. I have to write letters to organizations and make phone calls. And I am feeling a bit overwhelmed. I have determined that my volunteer work is a priority, but I need to scale back a little though. Instead of accepting a position as one of the marketing directors, I need to just be a volunteer who works on ad hoc projects. Many evenings when I come after a full day's work, I am completely exhausted and tapped out of energy and ideas. So there have been times, when I have gotten home to wash clothes and make dinner only to fall asleep in front of my computer. I'll just have to manage my time better, because I just can't turn away from my volunteer responsibilities. When I see our youth in deep need of leadership, direction, and compassion, I feel like I am personally responsible in some shape, way, or form. Of course, I can't save the world, but I need to be right in there offering my help. Also, by the way, check out Nikki's blog entry about her community project that she's working on for the youth in her community. On this note, I strongly encourage us all to help out when we can. This isn't unsolicited or unwarranted advice. It's just encouragement. *wink*


Space Shuttle Discovery: Update



Return To Flight

After the Space Shuttle Discovery was successfully launched on July 26, 2005, NASA officials have become concerned about a chunck of foam from the external fuel tank (the big orange one) that broke away at launch. Yesterday, the shuttle did a backflip/somersault move so that the tiles of the underbelly of the ship could be observed. Footage of the launch indicates that the foam did not strike the shuttle, but NASA officials have grounded all future shuttle missions until they are able to determine the source of the foam problem. It is unclear whether the shuttles will be grounded for a short or long period of time.

As you may remember, NASA officials believe that a piece of foam from the external fuel tank struck the Space Shuttle Columbia at launch. The Columbia astronauts were able to carry out their mission in space, but encountered a disastrous end during landing, resulting in the loss of the crew and the ship. At the moment, Discovery astronauts are carrying out their mission of delivering supplies to the International Space Station. The Discovery mission is scheduled to last 13 days, and the shuttle is scheduled to return to Earth on August 8 , 2005. NASA TV is still available for those who wish to follow NASA's updates and mission control news at the following link ==> NASA TV

Shocking News: Mother Leaves 4 Year Old Boy On The Side Of Major Highway

On July 26, 2005, a Newport News, VA woman forced her son to get out of her car along I-495, which is known by Washington, DC metro residents as "The Capital Beltway", because she became upset with her son. As a result of the the mother pulling away and driving off, the child was injured and suffered cuts and bruises. The insanity doesn't stop there, because the mother proceeded on her way and was later involved in an unrelated car accident just north of the Richmond, VA area (this is about 2 hours away from DC). Eventually, the authorities put the stories together and detemined that she was the same person who left a young child on the side of the busy Beltway. Another motorist saw the incident, called for help, and stayed with the little boy throughout the incident. Presently, the mother is being held in jail on charges of felony hit and run and child neglect.

After hearing about this story, I still wonder what this world is coming to. I want to know what in the world the mother was thinking of when she placed her baby, the one she carried for nine months, out on a busy highway. Didn't she know that zooming cars and hefty 18 wheeler trucks could have hurt or killed her baby? Did she even care? It seems like she threw her son away in the same ginger manner as a smoker would dispose of a cigarette out the car door window or the way nasty folks throw away trash on a street. The thought of all this is deeply saddening and heartbreaking. How could a child be treated like nothing? A 4 year old's world is his parents. And if his parents won't love, protect, nuture, and nourish him, then who will??? I have heard that the child has been placed in an emergency foster home. But more importantly, I hope that he will be given intensive care and attention to help him deal with this incident and love to show that someone cares about him.


Unsolicited and Unwarranted Advice: Revisited



I hate to end today's entry with a sad note, because that previous story really tugs at the heartstrings. So, I'll share some more about the unsolicited and unwarranted advice at my job. Believe me, I'm not trying to torture you with my many stories. I just thought that I would unleash them a little bit at a time. *smile*

Picking up from yesteday, as I drove home I realized why I wrote that blog story. It's because I permanently severed a friendship with co-worker "S" nearly 10 years ago. I don't do this too often. But I will cut off a person if the friendship is toxic. When I talked of unsolicited and unwarranted advice, I was not talking about constructive criticism from family and friends who "actually" love us. I speak of the busybodies who make it a full-time job to hurt the feelings of others.

An incident came to mind. I had known co-worker "S" for about a year. She worked in the next office division, and we basically chatted about her kids, husband, and religious matters. So, I thought everything was cool until I really got to know her. She made remarks about folks behind their backs as well as in their faces. However, I stayed out of that. But one day co-worker "S" and I saw co-worker "R" walking down the hall after lunch. We all knew that "R" had just gotten married to a retired supervisor's son. She looked happy about her new marriage and the relationship with her in-laws. In fact, R was preparing to go on a vacation trip with her husband and his people. R is a nice, intelligent person, who has a lot going for her. So, you know that the cattiness of others (such as from S) emerged. As we approached R, S appeared to pepper R with compliments until she got down to the issue of R's new hairstyle. She said R's braids look really nice, but her hairdresser shouldn't have wrapped all those braids into a ball on the top of her head. She then proceeded to say that the heavy ball of braids was weighing R's neck down. Next S proceeded to ADVISE R on the hairdresser she should visit, what kind of hair to use, and how to style her hair. And then S looked at me as if she wanted me to participate or laugh. I simply walked away.

I could understand S if she was advising R to get out of a burning barn or to get out of the path of an oncoming car or to provide her with tips to get a promotion. But no, S usually advised folks on things to hurt their feels. We women can sometimes be sensitive or sometimes downright insecure about our new hairdos if we are unsure of them. So, you should have seen the hurt and embarrassed look on R's face. I wanted no part in that high school bullying mess now taking place on the job between grown-ups. At this point, I realized that people do judge you according to the company you keep. And I would be judged no differently. That's why my friendship with S ended abruptly. S's attitude and actions made me feel bad, which caused me to go out of my way to be nice to the people she hurt and to put some distance between me and those situations. Of course, S with her overbearing attitude tried to get an answer out of me, but I provided none as to why she was graduated to the "ignore" list. There are just some people you can't work along with. And she is one of them. I've probably been graduated to the list of folks she talks badly about (remember me not marrying her brother-in-law), but at least I'm living life on my terms now and trying to treat folks right.

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Song of the Day:

"Planet Rock" by Afrika Bamabaataa Soul Sonic Force (1982)
**To hear a sample, click on the Windows Media, RealOne Player, or Music Sampler file formats in the middle of the page.

Unsolicited and Unwarranted Advice

Blah...Blah...Blah...And what not...
And Blah...Blah...Blah...


Preface: Please note that I believe that "advice" can be a wonderful tool to help us make important decisions, depending upon the person who doles out the advice, the motivation behind the advice-giving, and the manner in which it is given. I surely have been the beneficiary of great advice, and don't mind saying so, since I believe that it was a labor of love. Whether I asked for advice or not, some loving and well meaning folks have really come through for me. And I thank them for that.

Some suggest that advice is "always for the best." In fact, a couple of older cousins of mine engaged in a coversation battle of "One-Upmanship" a few years ago after we attended my uncle's funeral. Just as a little background information, my older brother and I were also riding in the car enroute to the Veterans' cemetery. One of my cousins was raised in the North and the other in the South. And each is a "self-professed expert" on various issues both big and small. The battle conversation involved burial arrangements. If the occassion had been a family reunion, they would have been debating about grilling techniques or etiquette. They actually get along quite well, but they just can't resist the calling of the One-Upmanship. Here's their conversation:

Antoinette (driving): When we get to the cemetery we're going to have to wait for them to set up Uncle T's casket.

Juanita: Well actually, we have to wait for the workers to set up the vault so that they can place the casket in it so many feet.

Antoinette: Well, after forty something years living in New York, I think that I should know the process in the North. I don't know what yall folks do in the South. But in New York, we do things this way. *holds heads up...thinking she got the last word*

Juanita: Well, you don't have to catch an attitude. I just wanted to properly educate you on the process. I worked with Aunt P who was an undertaker. And she said that the vault is used. I have specific education in this regard. *holds head up higher...rolling her neck thinking she got the last word*

Antoinette: There you go again with that attitude mess. But what you don't know is that I'm above that. I've evolved. I just want YOU to know about things so that you won't be walking around spouting incorrect information.

Juanita: Now, now... I wouldn't feel right within myself if I didn't help you to see a brighter day, clearer skies, and bluer waters. Afterall, I'm only concerned about your self-development and welfare.

Antoinette: I know that you want to win this conversation and show off in front of folks, but I really care about you as a person and I would be remiss in not calling you out on your wrongness. I'm telling you for your own special benefit.

Blah...Blah...Blah...This back and forth action went on for a while. But they were back on good terms within an hour. All this was done in fun and jest. So all was good in the neighborhood. Family can sometimes get away with that, but then there are others... Shall we proceed?

When The Foul Winds Of Unsolicited And Unwarranted Advice Blow Your Way, Tell The Miss or Mr. Know-It-Alls ==> To Shut Their Beaks!!!


Doesn't "so-called advice" usually start out like the following:

I don't mean to get in your business, but...

I'm not trying to tell you what to do with your life, but...

I'm only telling you this to help you out.

I started not to say anything, but...

Many times you can be minding your own business at your home, office, car, store, or somewhere else, when "Miss or Mr. Knowy Butts" will walk up or call you to offer their "so-called sage words of wisdom." Many of these folks are not family members or close friends. Usually they are "associates" at the most. They feel like their wisdom is red hot. So quite natually they can't wait to get this off their chests. They are the so-called experts on apparel, food preparation, home buying, car purchases, hair color, hair styles, home decor, home repair, dating, marriage, separation, divorce, child rearing, sex (normal and abnormal *frown*), rocket science, Multivariate Data Analysis, Atmospheric/Oceanic Meteorology, Euclidean Geometry, Atomic/Plasma Physics, Mysteries Behind the Double Helix, Jet Propulsion Systems, Thermal Engineering, and so on and so forth. All this posturing may serve as a mask for their jealousy of others.

The only problem with these experts is that they focus so much energy and time on educating and enlightening us that their own lives, families, and homes are all out of whack. At the very least, they should make sure their stuff is together before they try to put us in check or on blast. Over the years, I've encountered most of this most annoying bevhavior at my job. I bet some of these employees just can't wait to race their cars into the parking lot first thing in the morning, so that they can run up the stairs to inform us all on the finer points of life. In their eyes, there can never be enough advice to give. But at the same time, they "refuse" to receive advice. It's just a one-way street for them.

As a former quiet person, I use to endure these quasi educational sessions. I would smile and nod as if appearing to be interested. All the while, I would be wondering when this person would stop and mind her own business. Such an incident happened, when a co-worker of mine decided that I should meet her brother-in-law. The only thing is that she didn't tell me. Instead she gave him my home phone number without asking for my permission. But she informed me the next day, that her brother-in-law, who was 15 years older than I was at the time, was going to me calling that night. She was ADVISING me to meet her brother-in-law with intentions to marry him, although she and her family thought he was a little weird. She actually told me that if I married him and had a baby with him, possibly this would solve his weirdo problems. Now ain't that blip? I decided not to act a fool when the phone rang, because I felt sorry for the guy. He had gotten roped up into a situation without his knowledge as well. Mrs. Know-It-All didn't know that her brother-in-law and I were incompatible. He dutifully called me for a while, and I engaged in polite conversations. He was interested in the stripe that he was going to paint on the side of his car. And I wanted to talk about a political round table discussion I had seen earlier in the day on tv. Frankly, he wasn't interested in my interests, and I didn't know a thing about cars. So, this thrown together situation quietly fizzled out (after I politely and humanely told that guy what our fate was). After things ended, she said, "See the Lord sent you a good man and you didn't want him." If she knew anything about me, she would know that I prefer guys who are intelligent types classified by popular culture as nerds and geeks. I would have a ball at an engineers' conference. For sure!

That was ten years ago. Today, there is no way that I would let anything like that get that far. I place Knowy-Butts and Know-It-Alls on ignore or on limited communication status when they start to get wild. I wonder what took me so long to develop my technique.

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Song of the Day:

"Back Stabbers" by The O'Jays

Return To Flight: STS-114 Space Shuttle Discovery

Countdown To Launch: All Eyes On NASA

Yesterday, NASA officials released a statement saying that their engineers continue to be perplexed by one of the fuel gauge sensor's malfunction that occurred almost two weeks ago, causing NASA to scrub that launch attempt. But if this particular malfunction presents itself again, NASA said that they will bend the safety requirements to launch anyway provided that no other serious technical or weather concerns arrise. Thus, the Space Shuttle Discovery is set to launch today, July 26, 2005, from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, FL at 10:39 a.m. EST. If you wish to watch the launch, NASA TV is available via Yahoo in the following link==>NASA TV

The wagon (shuttle) is gased up, preliminary launch tests have been passed, the astronauts say that they are ready to go, and the countdown clock is fastly approaching launch. We wish them well, Godspeed, and God bless.



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Song of the Day:

"Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)" from Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite CD

Cooking With Love

Gimme Some Of That Old Time Homecooking...

When I was a little girl, my grandmother always liked for family members to sit around the table in the kitchen as she prepared meals as long as we didn't get in the way. She was my mother's mother and the only real grandparent that I ever knew, because the others were either dead before I was born or died shortly thereafter. So, for the most part she had all of her grandkids to herself for most holidays and other special days. At the time, my family was living 5 hours away in Virgina, but my parents made sure to make several trips to North Carolina so that we kids could see our loving grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins, and other kin folks.

When we visited, Grandma "H" always did her very best to make us happy. And cooking for us brought her joy. At least, that's what she said. She always told me that when I grew up that I should always cook with love (for my family) to make the food come out right. From her cooking, we could tell that she loved us a whole lot. To this day, I've never ever tasted another pound cake similar to or better than hers. Her cakes and pies were moist, delicious, and made from scratch. She even made her own jellies and jams; and she canned her own vegetables and fruits grown in her own backyard. I tell you that she worked magic in her kitchen. Her home was the epitome of true southern hospitality. Gosh, I miss that woman. It's been 10 years since she went home to be with my grandfather and the Lord. Grandma this entry is dedicated to you.

When I was younger (in my 20's), I tried to be everything that I promised my grandmother that I would be. I've delivered for the most part on my promises, but life and the times changed on me. When I was a little kid, I also use to watch my mom, dad, aunts, and uncles cook. And I can definitely profess that both sides of my family have some slamming cooks and chefs. A late uncle of mine use to work as a cook in the Navy back in World War II. So it was no surprise that he'd put a hurting on the meats and shishkababs for our cookouts. Late Aunt Glo was just a good all around cook who dreamed of owning a restaurant. She was very serious about every dish turning out perfectly. I can still remember seeing her sitting in front of the kitchen sink with her glasses perched on the end of her nose as she skillfully cleaned and cut collard greens with a surgeon's touch. And I'll never forget her seafood, especially the crabs cooked in some kind of beer juice or sauce. But she fell into bad health and died before she could realize her dream. My Aunt J still cooks today. She's a good all around cook too, but now that she's older she'll only cook on special occassions. My mom cracks me up. She says that she didn't learn how to cook until she got married and had us kids. Her generation is probably the last of the all around cooks. Her specialty is banana pudding and sweet potato pie and cornbread dressing and candied yams and potato salad and a whole lot of everything else. And she even taught my dad how to cook.

Can I Cook?

Can I cook? Do you really want to know? Really?

....* Drumroll Please *....

Yes, indeed! I know how to cook, because I was required to learn. I first have to admit that when this new requirement (as part of my house chores) came about for me in high school, I use to cook with hate, which doesn't make food taste right. However, I only achieved at baking cakes and pies. Remember, my grandmother had instructed me to cook with love. I only cooked with hate, because at the time (in high school), I was trying to talk to friends or some boy on the phone. And I was only concerned with the next football game, what I was going to wear, which friends were going, and how I was going to get a ride to and from there. I wasn't studying no cooking back then....

However, when I got grown and moved out on my own, I began to tinker in the kitchen, because I was missing home and homecooking. Try eating a month's worth of microwave meals. *blah* I only did this while I lived at my brother's and sister's-in-law home temporarily until my apartment was ready. Afterwards, a cook was born. I set out to purchase a full set of pots, pans, utensils, and a full line of the necessary spices and extracts. And a little later, I bought my beloved KitchenAid mixer and any other kitchen appliance. I began to test dishes and meals made from scratch. But for the most part, I keep my cooking skills a secret. Why, you ask?

Why? Okay, I'll tell you why. I keep my cooking under wraps, because folks will eat you out of house and home if they find out you can cook. A few years ago when I was taking a grad marketing class, a brotha classmate and I use to study together. He was a cool guy. So one evening he came to my place so that we could put the finishing touches on a group project. He came over as my sweet potato pie was baking in the oven. Immediately when he hit the door, he said that he smelled a pie. Periodically and repeatedly, he would ask me if the pie was finished baking and could he have a slice. And I told him that I was testing a recipe with a few touches of my own. I promised to give him a slice to take home when it was finished. But in an attempt to make this story shorter, I'll just say when he left, why did he cut a sliver of a slice of pie and give it to me, and then walk to his car with 99% of the pie. Now I know that I didn't boil those sweet potatoes, destring the mixture, and spice it up for baking only for him to take just about all of it away. But he did. He took the pie away anyway. From then on out, he must have thought that I was a restaurant, because he started "trying to place orders for meals and dishes", which I skillfully ignored. I ain't cooking no wild turkeys and carrying on after a hard day's work in the office and a rough commute home. Good grief! I'd only actually do this if I had kids and a husband, but I don't. Shuxxxxx. The straw that broke the camel's back was when he called me on Easter and tried his best to convince me to cook an Easter dinner for him. I was tired and worn out that day and was planning to drive over to a restaurant for my meal. But no, he went on and on, about how ashamed I should be (as a woman rasied in the south) for not cooking for him. I yawned. *yawn* And then I told him that maybe I would cook another day.

Maybe I'll start cooking more regularly again. I really don't mind cooking and cooking with love, but it better be for the right one. *wink*

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Song of the Day:

"Love Overboard" by Gladys Knight and The Pips

Count Down To Launch: Space Shuttle Discovery

Space Shuttle Discovery Resumes Shuttle Launches
10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1... Lift Off!!!


Provided that no technical or weather delays present themselves today, the Space Shuttle Discovery is set to launch at 3:51 p.m. EST. As we know, 2 1/2 years ago the NASA program sustained a terrible blow when the Space Shuttle Columbia exploded on approach to landing resulting in the loss of the Columbia astronauts. It has been reported that a piece of foam broke off the ship and damaged some tiles at liftoff. The control room was aware of it, but didn't know that incident had implications for Columbia's landing. And before that in 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded during launch. Lots of media attention was focused on this particular mission, because the first teacher was set to provide lessons from the shuttle to school kids on Earth. And to them I say a heartfelt, RIP, to those space explorers.

From the looks of things, NASA seems very determined to launch no matter what. And I guess they have to have that mindset since the window of opportunity for launch is very narrow. NASA said that it has implemented most of the safety recommendations. And the astronauts have stated that they are ready and eager to get the space shuttle launches back on track after the shuttle program's haitus. These people have to be strongminded and full of courage to be the first ones to go back on the heel's of the last disaster. At this point, I don't think they can call in sick for work? Nevertheless, I wish them well and pray that their mission goes safely.


My Aviation Experience



In a nut shell, I describe my feelings towards the field of aviation as mixed. On the one hand, I'm highly interested in techology and the new advancements made in the sciences. I like visiting the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. I suppose my interest began when I was a kid. My older brother watched all things space related. We watched "Star Trek", "Star Wars", and other space shows. And we never missed a rocket or shuttle launch in the early years. I still can remember watching tv with my older brother and younger sister, when the first shuttle launched in 1981. That was so amazing. And later, I was truly proud when the late Dr. Ronald McNair, the late Lt. Col. Michael Anderson, and Dr. Mae Jemison inspired many black kids to become scientists, pilots, and astronauts. I'm also equally proud of the black astronauts currently in NASA's shuttle program. It definitely takes a high level of intelligence, guts, and perseverance to pursue careers such as these.

On the other hand, you couldn't coax me onto a spaceship even if you unleashed a heard of rodeo bulls on me. I'm just content with watching this space stuff from afar. You can barely get me on a plane. I flew for the first time when I was 2 months old. And I've flown several times since then. But last year's experience makes my family and friends chuckle. April of last year, I was scheduled to attend my cousin's wedding. I was scheduled to fly out 2 days before the wedding. The flight there would only be an hour. No big deal, right? Umm...Read on...

I arrived early at the airport to give me enough time to check my luggage and to make it through the security. Okay, things were going well. I casually strolled to the gate where I was scheduled to embark upon the the aircraft. Cool. I could see that the plane was there and waiting. Cool. But then, the airline representative got on the horn to announce that we would be boarding later than scheduled, because the toilet needed to be repaired. Cool. I was thinking how much of a shame it was for a previous passenger to have the runs while airborne so much so to break the toilet down. Eww... Okay, cool, I didn't expect the repairs to take long. But then, Ms. Airline Representative America got back on the horn to say that the flight would be delayed further, because people from another flight needed to make the connection to ours. Okay, cool, already. Hurry UP. Finally, an hour and half later, we passengers were allowed to board. Things seemed normal, until Mr. Captain Pilot announced to us that we would be flying into a line of thunderstorms, and that the flight attendants would be seated the whole time. ***Triple Eek*** I really started to get skurred to the 10th power, and it was quite evident as I wearily sunk down in my seat. Cap'n then announced that the tower had given us permission to push back and to prepare to take off. I closed my eyes and took a huge gulp of air to calm myself. But I knew what I just heard, so why did the plane back up and then pull forward? Then Cap'n Pilot announced that the radio wasn't working properly.

HOLD UP....WAIT A MINUTE!!!.... OH SNAP!!!...HYSTERICS IS A COMING!!!

Ms. Zee gathered up her purse and carry-on bag and got up out of her seat. There was no way in the world that I'd let them take me way, way, way up in the sky into a line of thunderstorms with a malfunctioning radio. So, I walked up to the front of the plane where the pilot, airplane engineer, and flight attendants were huddled together. I lightly tapped on a flight attendant's shoulder and informed her that Ms. Zee (which would be me...*smile*) had become very ill with morning sickeness (lie) so that I could get off that baby rat den, do you hear me? This older lady flight attendant said, "Baby, what's wrong? Don't worry; you'll be okay. The toilet has been fixed." I did and didn't hear her, because I was determined to get off. She informed me that it was too late to have my checked suitcase removed from the plane, and all I could managed to say was, "cool." I would have someone pick it up at RDU. Eventually, she had another airline worker to escort me off the plane. You should have seen my sick act. I held my stomach and walked in zigzagged lines into the airport. I felt about 1000% better immediately. *Whew*

Friends and family still kid me about that incident. But I did manage to fly out two days later, which was the day of the wedding. While I was working with an airline customer service agent to recoup my money from the previous disembarked flight, he joked with me about me being scared...**Stray thought: It would be just like me to meet/date/marry an airline pilot. It really doesn't make a difference one way or the other, because I would never fly with him. I don't care whether he said that the Baywatch babes, Hooters' girls, Rap video vixens, Soul Train dancers, Playboy bunnies, and Hustler hooches were going to be onboard his flight, because I still wouldn't get on**... My flight to RDU was smooth, and I was happy to notice that Shirley Ceasar, the gospel singer, was on board. As far as I was concerned, we needed all the help we could get. The wedding was lovely. But the flight home was on a windy day, and had me grimacing the whole way. I made it home, but that incident a few days back makes a sister think about a few things sho nuff, okay? I just hope that I can get over these fears enough to fly to a beautiful Caribbean island.

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Song of the Day:

"Love Light In Flight" by Stevie Wonder

The Cake Chronicles: See What Had Happened Was...

Having My Cake And Eating It Too....

Recently, this incident happened to me. All jokes aside, this is the honest to goodness truth. For real. This entry is inspired by my mom's birthday, which is today. See what had happened was:

Very recently, a certain bakery has been calling my name. It doesn't call on the phone. It doesn't email or text message me either. Let me explain. When I'm on my way to work, I have to take a street that leads out of my neighborhood. And that street leads to a 4-way stoplight. When I'm waiting at the light, I usually put my house keys away in my purse, adjust the air condition or heat, adjust my collar, check my seatbelt, check the radio stations, or pop in my own music. But in the process of all of that, a small cupcake voice calls my name. The voice comes from directly across the street from the stoplight. But I dismiss that little voice, because at 7:30 a.m. or 8:00 a.m. it's too early to be consuming sugary sweets. I've already eaten my breakfast and at that point I'm not hungry at all. So, when the light turns green, I gun my car through the intersection onto the highway.

After a tiring day at work, I'm all beat down. I'm dragging my wagon. It is close to 6:00 p.m., and I haven't eaten since lunch at noon. I'm not my usual cheery self. So I head for home, which involves a traffic-filled, 40-minute commute. Then, I exit the highway to go home. During this particular time, either I could make a right turn to the street that leads to my home or I could make a left turn to the shopping center where the bakery is located. My justified thinking told me to turn left so that I could drop by the grocery store to pick up a few things. Yeah right. As I waited at the stoplight, the cupcake voice called my name again. "A Z I Z A....Zee, girl you hear me....To the bakery, ASAP!!!..." I kid you not.....*long pause*...*blink*

"My car took cruise control to a whole new level. It made a left turn by itself and perfectly parked in the parking lot near the bakery. My hands weren't even touching the steering wheel. And like a person under hypnosis, I walked into the bakery and purchased two cupcakes. This incident happens to me every Friday evening. For real, I insist!!!"

The True Story

Okay, okay. That previous story bent the truth a little bit. Yeah, you heard me, a little. Cut me some slack. Pretty please? Anyway, I have to admit that I love cake and always have. I can do without breakfast, lunch, and dinner if a slice of cake is the substitute. I don't need a whole cake, because too much of a good thing isn't good. Plus, that's too expensive. All I need is a cupcake or two to fulfill my obsession. Birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, etc. only feed my obsession for cake, since these celebrations usually include cake.

I think my cake obsession began as a child. I equate cake with happy times. I can remember one memory very vividly. I was about to turn 6 years old. My family always celebrated my birthday, and I had attended other kids' birthday parties, but they were usually quiet celebrations. But when I turned 6, my parents really outdid themselves. My mother, the socialite, invited the kids of all of her friends, which was a lot of folks. As a painfully shy kid, I thought the attention would nearly kill me. But I managed to rise to the occasion with my parents' help. When the invited arrived, my mother pulled me along to the front door to show me how to warmly greet guests, graciously accept gifts, and direct the kids to the backyard to play on the swingset or to participate in the party games (pin the tail on the donkey, musical chairs, etc.), while the other mothers chatted with my mother inside. Neighborhood kids watched the party from afar in their yards. Although my parents had seen their share of racism and discrimination thrown their way in their lives, they proceeded to invite every kid on our street (black, white, hispanic and asian) as long as their parents gave them permission. Our home was open to everyone. We kids had a blast.

This day had been sort of a surprise to me. I was surprised to find my mom setting up the party in the dining room, which was one of the rooms (the other was the living room) my brother and I were never supposed to be found playing in unless we wanted to feel mom and dad's wrath via a switch.) Plus, I don't know how my parents dealt with all of us kids running and screaming all over the place. **Side Note: Please don't take this the wrong way, but little kids can drive you crazy. **

When cake time came, I, donned in my glittery, pink, partygirl hat, had to walk to my appointed spot at the head of table. I was too shy to speak to strangers. So, how in the world was I going to manage singing how old I was in a few minutes? But what caught my attention was the beautifully decorated cake with my name on it. "Happy Birthday Aziza!!!" My cake with 6 glowing candles was decorated with white frosting and pink and green borders (my sorority colors...*wink*). And the cake had a miniature carousel and clowns on it. My shyness melted away for that day. Not only was the cake beautiful, but it was also wonderfully delicious. It was love at first sight, endless love, and nirvana wrapped up into one. I was happy enough with my cake until my dad brought in my first bike. It was the color of a sparkling blue ocean. I could have fainted from extreme excitement. Life couldn't get much better.

My adult birthdays are much different these days. My family and friends live many miles away. And I usually have to work on my birthday. So, I usually pick up a couple of cupcakes from the local bakery to celebrate alone as I open the cards and gifts from my family and friends. Things may not always be this way. If I'm blessed with kids, I'm going to promise that I throw them a birthday party too that they will never ever forget.

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Song of the Day:

Endless Love by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross

Breaking News: London Rocked By Blasts

According to various news reports, a day after being selected as the 2012 location for the Olympics, London was struck with explosions on its subway system (known as the Tube) and a bus. At this point, two have been reported killed and 95 injured. Reports state that Europe is under a state of alert. And the European financial markets have taken a hit as well. I sincerely hope that the family and friends of ours living over there are safe. For more information, please see the following: ==> CNN

Hurricane Season 2005

Alert! Warning! Watch!

** After reading Nikki's blog entry yesterday and watching the latest weather reports, this entry came to mind.**

As one of the blogworld's unoffical news correspondents and part-time weatherladies, I feel obligated to report what I've heard, read, seen, and perceived on the news wires as part of my own public service announcement program. In real life, I send emails or make phone calls to family and friends warning them of dangerous weather so that they can properly prepare. Now I'm offering this courtesy to my fellow bloggers. Currenty, tropical storms Cindy and Dennis are putting the people who live in the areas of the Gulf of Mexico and the Eastern Atlantic on notice as to what kind of hurricane season we are going to have this year. Although hurricane season lasts between June and late October, to me, it seems a little early for the tropical storms to come our way. The height of these terrifying events usually takes place in late August, September, and part of October. Storms Cindy and Dennis may roll on without too much concern. However, as the ocean waters begin to warm up, the right conditions for hurricanes may present themselves in the future. With that said, for those of you who live in the hurricane prone areas as well as some inland areas may want to check the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Hurricane Center webpage or CNN's Special Hurricane webpage for information. Be safe.


**Stray Thought: Why are most of the weatherladies on the Weather Channel pregnant?**


My Hurricane Experience: Hurricane Gloria (1985)



Back in the fall of 1985, I was a high school student. I didn't quite think and believe that the world revolved around me, but I must admit and confess that I was a little self-absorbed. Just a little. Since I've lived 99% of my life on the East Coast and very close to the Atlantic Ocean (yet not on the beach), I've grown accumstomed to the hurricanes that haunt the area every fall. And 1985, would be no different. Some kind of way or another, previous hurricane systems would break apart and weaken or veer into another direction. In 1985, I kept up with the news in the days leading up to Hurricane Gloria's arrival, but no one really felt the need to fly into hysterics. The residents of my small hometown in northeastern North Carolina simply boarded up the windows; stockpiled food and supplies; and watched the weather reports for updates. No biggie. Right?

As Hurricane Gloria marched forward to my town, people ran the gamut of emotions. Some were highly concerned, yet cautious, while others were somewhat excited at the chance to be held up in a tight space with that special somebody. Innocently, I knew nothing of the kind, because I was the good kid. *hee hee* Oops, I'm about to lose my place in my story. Okay. I'm back on track. ===> Most meteorologists can narrow down the areas that will be most affected within a couple days of a hurricane strike. Back in the day, I can remember my family tuning into WAVY-TV 10 transmitting out of the Hampton Roads area in Virginia for news. I'll never forget the serious and excited look on the weatherman's face as he reported that Hurricane Gloria was headed my town's way. At that very moment my parents told my sister and me to pack a few things and to be prepared to move quickly when emergency personnel gave the word. I did as I was instructed, but you would have thought I was getting ready for the Ebony Fashion Fair fashion show. Okay, my clothes weren't from Paris. I just made sure that I packed a week's worth of clothes, accessories, shoes, and toiletries. I like fresh, clean clothes everyday. In the wake of all this storm talk, I was planning to be fierce (ahem...decent) in the dressing department, since the closest Red Cross shelter was at the local university. My clothes had to be in compliance when in view of those college boys. *wink* I was quite satisfied with the collection of clothes that I had purchased on my modest school clothes budget provided to me by Mom and Pop. So there wasn't no way in Hades that I'd let my 1985 fall clothes collection be torn off and away in a hurricane. Heck no... Shux...

In my self-absorbed world, my hurricane preparations made perfect sense to me. So, I couldn't really understand the looks on my parents' face when they saw me drag out the oversized Samsonite suitcase. Here we are on the brink of a major disaster, and here I was only concerned about being a fashionista on a budget. *lol* Looking back I think my Dad was somewhat annoyed, but calmly managed to explain to me that preparation and supplies meant gathering up things such as water jugs, flashlights, blankets, batteries, the radio, snacks, medicine, and other essentials. As big as my suitcase was, none of that stuff was to be found in there. I've changed so much since then.

As the orange-yellow sky of day gave way to the blue-black-purple sky of night, the winds began to swirl and make eerie whistling sounds as they tickled the tall pine trees to forewarn us that trouble was on its way. The birds sensed the hurricane very early on and flew away a few days before, leaving the human inhabitants to deal with Hurricane and Bully Gloria. With all of their fancy, sophisticated, and scientific contraptions (doppler, satellite data, stormwatch equipment, etc.), the weathermen had a hard time anticipating Gloria's next move. Gloria slowed, veered left, veered right, stopped, rested, yawned, napped, slept, and slumbered. And so did my family. After being glued to the television for several hours, we all fell into a very deep sleep. I guess we thought Gloria would veer on off into sea as other hurricanes had in the past...But NO, something or someone must have inconsiderately awakened Gloria at 2:00 a.m. Gloria was quite angry which gave way to pissed-offness. Gloria's cyclonic winds became outstretched fingers that grasped into an angry fist. And, boy did she sock it to us. Gloria came roaring in like a runaway freight train whipping my small town with no regrets or remorse. My family didn't have time to get to the Red Cross shelter. It was too late. The latest radio announcement stated that emergency personnel were ordering all town citizens to stay put, because there would be no rescues at this point. So, we hunkered down in the narrow hallway of our home praying that we'd live to see another day. Times like this let's us mortals know that God is in charge and that He's the only one who can deliver us to safety. It was a terrifying experience. The walls and floors of our home creaked, while our roof was forced to stand up to Gloria. The constant screaming of the wind and the sound of trees and objects flying down the street went on for hours. Then the eye of the storm passed by placing us in some kind of Twilight Zone messing with our minds and making us think all was okay and dandy until that swirling action started up again in a different direction. Again, we huddled together resigning ourselves to just leave everything in God's hands.

Eventually, the good fight was fought and won by the next morning revealing God's mercy on us. Gloria's wrath had left its scar on the town. Large branches from storm-weary trees were strewn about and rested on the roofs of homes and cars. Tall, downed trees snapped power and telephone lines, which disabled the town temporarily. Given all of the damage, we were very thankful that our town didn't sustain any loss of life or serious injury. We were just glad to see a brand new day! ;-)

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Song of The Day:

Everybody Rejoice (A Brand New Day) written by Luther Vandross for the movie, "The Wiz"

Lyrics

Everybody look around'
Cause there's a reason to rejoice you see
Everybody come out
And let's commence to singing joyfully
Everybody look up
And feel the hope that we've been waiting for

Everybody's glad
Because our silent fear and dread is gone
Freedom, you see, has got our hearts singing so joyfully
Just look about
You owe it to yourself to check it out
Can't you feel a brand new day?
Can't you feel a brand new day?
Can't you feel a brand new day?
Can't you feel a brand new day?

Luther Vandross: 1951-2005

Remembering Luther...
The Consummate Professional
The Superstar Among Stars

When I came home from work today, I received a phone call from my sister notifying me that Luther Vandross had passed away. What came to mind was the first time I heard Luther's voice on the radio. Although I was a kid back in the early 1980's, I knew that I was experiencing greatness. I remember hearing Luther singing "A House Is Not A Home." I can remember hanging on every note Luther sang from beginning to end. I had no understanding of the content of the song, but I felt the emotion through Luther's interpretation of the song. He never over or under sang a song. He knew how to sing just right. Remember slow dancing to one of Luther's beautiful songs with your date at a high school dance or later at a club or social event when we became grown? Can you imagine how many babies were conceived, because of his music?

And the following sampling of the many loved songs are the proof:

Any Love
A House Is Not A Home
Creepin' (Creep...Creep...Creep)
Endless Love (With Mariah Carey)
Here And Now
If This World Were Mine (With Cheryl Lynn)
It's Over Now
Make Me A Believer
Never Too Much
Power Of Love
Superstar/Until You Come Back To Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)
Take You Out

***Be sure to grace EJFlavors' blog, which has a wonderful radio blog tribute to Luther.

Back in April of 2003 Luther suffered a terrible stroke in his Manhattan home. Many of us thought that we lost him that very day, which would mean that he would no longer grace us with future CDs or concerts. An aching feeling gave us the notion that we would never see his familiar smile again. And a day or so after his stroke some of us just thought there would be a matter of time before he passed away. However, he managed to hold on and stayed in a coma for several weeks. And then Luther's mother appeared on the Tom Joyner Morning Show to thank listeners for their many prayers and to notify his fans that Luther emerged from a coma. Since then Luther had been in rehabilitation to restore his motor skills. Today, July 1, 2005, at 1:47 p.m. EST Luther Ronzoni Vandross died at John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, NJ at the age of 54.

We will miss Luther so much, because there'll never be another singer like him. Luther's vocal stylings are first class, silky smooth, priceless, and timeless. His music will live on forever. Luther, we will always love you!

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Dedication Song:

Never Too Much

Did Stella Really Get Her Groove Back?

Did Stella really get her groove back? Or was her groove snatched away? Let me jog your memory. In the book, a 40 something year old, African American woman becomes smitten by a charming 20 something year old, Jamaican man. In real life, news reports claim that the real life Stella, Terry McMillan, is now singing the blues, because she and Jonathan Plummer, her husband, are in the throws of a nasty divorce. Why are they divorcing? Her husband of six years revealed to her that he is gay, therefore, most likely the marriage is over. It would have been so nice to see them float happily ever after off into the sunset, however, things have moved altogether in a different direction. Nevertheless, we wish both of them well and send them our prayers. For more details, please read the following article. ==> Stella's Groove

Moving On To Other News...

SHAME ON MEXICO!!!===> Mexican Government Officials Are In Hot Water Again Over Government Issued Black Face Stamps



About a month or two ago, Mexico's president, Vicente Fox, was sitting in hot water for comments he made. He said someting to the effect that Mexicans come to the United States and accept jobs that not even black people would take. A few black leaders took exception to Fox's comments, and took him to task to make him explain what he meant. Fox talked out of both sides of his mouth, but never provided an apology. If Mr. Fox was a little more knowledgeable about historical matters, he would know that African Americans have held all kinds of jobs during slavery and afterwards in the Western Hemisphere. We've contributed right much economically, culturally, spiritually, etc. to society as a whole only to be dismissed in such an ignorant manner by our neighbors across the border.

But now Mexico's newest insult/violation involves the Mexican government's issuance of a series of stamps featuring Memin Pinguin. Memin Pinguin is Mexico's version of a black face character, who is stereotyped as mischievous, shiftless, ignorant, and lazy. This character sort of reminds me of some of the Tom and Jerry cartoons, which overexaggerated the features and mannerisms of the Mammy in the background. Mexican officials claim that Memin Pinguin isn't offensive. But in a weak attempt to put us on blast, they claim that the U.S. offended Mexicans with the Speedy Gonzalez cartoon character. Well, if memory serves me correctly, black folks didn't create Speedy and the Taco Bell dog. With all of Mexico's problems, how in the world did the Mexican government have enough time to bash black folks? *tisk* *tisk* *tisk*

I would think twice before booking a trip to Cancun until the Mexican government can learn to treat folks of the African diaspora fairly. Instead, I favor a trip to Jamaica, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago. And despite all the negative and hurtful talk from across the border and within, brothers and sisters let's keep our heads up, keep love in our hearts, and keep our minds directed to higher things, because AIN'T NO STOPPIN' US NOW. ;-)

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Song of the Day:

"Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" by McFadden and Whitehead