This is how I choose to remember the man that has left me w/so many memories and wonderful music. "Off the Wall" is my favorite MJ album. "Thriller" being my 2nd fav. I can remember having the "Off the Wall" LP when I was a kid. Loved it then. Still do.
His death on top of Farah Fawcett's (I can remember watching her as one of Charlie's Angel w/my mother) and Ed McMahon really messed me up. So unexpected. So not prepared for it. I pray for his family (their families). I pray for his children and theirs.
May they rest in peace... ChocolateOrchid
Post Title → GOODBYE
I hope that all is well in your world. I am choosing to have a joyful outlook. Today is my Friday. (Yay me!) Also, my day of fasting. (Yay me, again!)
I know on last week I mentioned me skipping a few days of blogging here and there to work on me. Well, in more detail, I have to put my plan together. As the familiar quote by Alan Lakein goes, "Failing to plan is planning to fail". This really hit me while I was reading Earthmother's post on planning on her wonderful blog, In The Raw. You know how you can be aware of something.. even believe you know it already but it doesn't quite register with you until that right moment. Well, that post was my "right moment". While reading, it was then that I realized that I had to pull it together and actually plan to reach my personal goals for health (& hair). With that being said, I'll be off for Spring Break the next few days. Amidst mother-daughter time & Spring cleaning, I'll also focus on planning.
I'm already armed with a book by Natalia Rose, "Raw Food Life Force Energy", which includes a 21-day plan. It has been said that it takes 21 days to change, to break old habits, learn new ones and set new patterns. I'm willing to put this to the test. I'm already on week 2 of "no soda's". Yay me! I was an infamous diet soda drinker but so far I haven't even craved one. (Keep fingers crossed.) I thank Mista Jaycee over at A Choice of Weapons for his inspiration. Again, many congrats to you, my brotha!
Well Lovelies.... that 'tis all. I hope that the rest of this week will go well for you. If it is already a struggle or challenge. Don't give up! Hang in there! Be encouraged!
Stay in the fight! Keep your head up! And as always, "do you". It may be rough out there but hold onto your hope... your faith...your light.
I hope that you've had a wonderful week! I have. And I'm writing this post just for you. Yes you!
I cannot tell you how much this song moves me! It was love at first note! And I'm totally lovin' Musiq's falsetto on this. Every time I hear it I immediately get the warm fuzzies. Seriously! It just does it for me!
Well...on this first Friday of March, I am dedicating this song to you. It's a simple reminder for all of you lovelies. Black, White, Asian, Latino, biracial, tall, short, slim, volumptious...whichever category(ies) you fall in. Yes, you with the freckles and front tooth gap, too!! You're fabulous!!
Do you know how gorgeous you are?.. If you haven't realized it yet, then go to the mirror right now. Take a good look at yourself & if you don't see it say it! Yes, say it as you look in the mirror. "Hi Beautiful!" "I love your (fill-in-the-blank)!" "You sure are gorgeous!" And if you don't feel it, say it everyday until you do!!
Because you are.... So Beautiful
Have a wonderful weekend! And as always, "Do you", and something for you.
Much Love, ChocolateOrchid
P.S. I am so hyped about "Watchmen". (Yes, I am a bit of a sci-fi geek.) Smooches...
Post Title → HAPPY FRIDAY, BEAUTIFULS!!
The above picture is what we got in the "A" on yesterday. Pretty much all day long. It was absolutely beautiful coming down, however the air/ground temps were a bit too warm for it to really stick until the sun began to go down. So I was a bit disappointed by that. I want more snow. More like 5 to 8 inches that will stick around for a couple of days. Not a half-day or barely a day.
Our weather has been so weird lately. On Friday and Saturday, our temps were just in the 60's. I swear I was out and about on Saturday in 3 qtr length top w/a tank top under it and some slacks. Then God just flipped the script on Sunday to a totally different flow.
I must apologize for my sporadic posting. I'm having vacuum cleaner issues and I have a cat. Combine these tWo factors and you get a recipe for a high level of "allergens" in the home. And yes, it is affecting me. Itching skin and all. I just popped a benadryl last night. (Yes, I'm getting desperate if I'm taking medicine like that). However, I did purchase a vacuum cleaner that is supposed to be really good when it comes to sucking up pet hair. No, it was not that Dyson D17, D14, or whichever number it is for their pet vacuum. That $500 investment is on my future list. Can't do that right now. The only thing is that I had to order it because they didn't carry it in the store. So you know when it gets here, I'll probably vacuum the whole place twice.
Well, that's what been going on in my world. Oh, I did go to a nice Mediteranean restaurant named Zaya. (I'm still doing birthday dinners.) It's a nice spot with a cool vibe and good food. If you're in the "A" or ever visit, you may want to check them out. Oh, I've also been enjoying Jamie Foxx's new CD "Intuition". I purchased based on Urbancurlz mention of it. (Btw, great blogger.) I must say that it is a good CD. It got me through Friday's traffic hour.
Martin Luther King, Jr., (January 15, 1929-April 4, 1968) was born Michael Luther King, Jr., but later had his name changed to Martin. Martin Luther attended segregated public schools in Georgia, graduating from high school at the age of fifteen; he received the B. A. degree in 1948 from Morehouse College, a distinguished Negro institution of Atlanta from which both his father and grandfather had graduated. After three years of theological study at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania where he was elected president of a predominantly white senior class, he was awarded the B.D. in 1951. With a fellowship won at Crozer, he enrolled in graduate studies at Boston University, completing his residence for the doctorate in 1953 and receiving the degree in 1955. In Boston he met and married Coretta Scott, a young woman of uncommon intellectual and artistic attainments. Two sons and two daughters were born into the family.
In 1954, Martin Luther King accepted the pastorale of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. Always a strong worker for civil rights for members of his race, King was, by this time, a member of the executive committee of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the leading organization of its kind in the nation. He was ready, then, early in December, 1955, to accept the leadership of the first great Negro nonviolent demonstration of contemporary times in the United States, the bus boycott described by Gunnar Jahn in his presentation speech in honor of the laureate. The boycott lasted 382 days. On December 21, 1956, after the Supreme Court of the United States had declared unconstitutional the laws requiring segregation on buses, Negroes and whites rode the buses as equals. During these days of boycott, King was arrested, his home was bombed, he was subjected to personal abuse, but at the same time he emerged as a Negro leader of the first rank.
In 1957 he was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization formed to provide new leadership for the now burgeoning civil rights movement. The ideals for this organization he took from Christianity; its operational techniques from Gandhi. In the eleven-year period between 1957 and 1968, King traveled over six million miles and spoke over twenty-five hundred times, appearing wherever there was injustice, protest, and action; and meanwhile he wrote five books as well as numerous articles. In these years, he led a massive protest in Birmingham, Alabama, that caught the attention of the entire world, providing what he called a coalition of conscience. and inspiring his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail", a manifesto of the Negro revolution; he planned the drives in Alabama for the registration of Negroes as voters; he directed the peaceful march on Washington, D.C., of 250,000 people to whom he delivered his address, "l Have a Dream", he conferred with President John F. Kennedy and campaigned for President Lyndon B. Johnson; he was arrested upwards of twenty times and assaulted at least four times; he was awarded five honorary degrees; was named Man of the Year by Time magazine in 1963; and became not only the symbolic leader of American blacks but also a world figure.
At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. When notified of his selection, he announced that he would turn over the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the civil rights movement.
On the evening of April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was to lead a protest march in sympathy with striking garbage workers of that city, he was assassinated.
I was watching VH-1 Soul and saw this old video. Do you all remember this and all the groups and artists in it?.....
I just wanted to drop a quick post in. This time of year can be crazy stressful between the workload, holiday season, gifting pressure and so forth, let alone the overall state of the economy. So I wanted to remind you to take some time out for yourself. Carve a couple of hours or more, and have yourself a spa day in your own bathroom, give yourself a mani or pedi, buy that CD you've been wanting,lock yourself in & crank it up and dance. Do something to refresh your body, mind and spirit. After all, you're worth it! Of course you are... You're the caregiver, the counselor, the on-call nurse, mommy, the loving wife or lady-friend, the chef, the hard worker, etc. etc. With a long list of titles, all of this can be overwhelming and taxing. So take a deep breath and cater to yourself so that you can continue being that person you are...simply beautiful.
I am so frustrated w/the music industry right now! I just heard a damn remix of Beyonce's "If I Were A Boy" with R."damn" Kelly screwin' it all up!! I was already pissy about them adding Bey to Justin Timb's song "Until the End of Time". I am so sick of this!
Why must every song be remixed? Can't you just allow a song to be enjoyed as it was originally made??!!
C'mon people!...
Speak on it....
**UPDATE. ATLANTA DID SHUT THIS ATROCITY DOWN!! THE RADIO STATION CAN PLAY THIS NO MORE. THANK GOD!**
Post Title → OVER RE-MIXES!!
One of my fave "Do You" Chick's is the one and only Erykah Badu. Aside from diggin' her music & it's vibe, I appreciate her for flaunting her natural hair in the face of a society that's not to keen on anything that ain't "straight" or mainstream acceptable. She helped (dare I say, sparked) the natural hair movement. On top of which she is truly talented musically, vocally and in acting. I'll never forget her performance in "The Cider House Rules". It's a must see! According to the site, www.erykah-badu.com, she is set to play a leading role opposite Mos Def in the indie film, "Bobby Zero". Congrats, Ms. Badu!! Do your thang!!
I just had to leave you with a video of one of my fave songs/performances by her. It's from her VH-1 Soul Stage concert. The song is "The Other Side of the Game".
Okay.... I may need some serious help. I am lovin' this song "Paper Planes" by M.I.A.. At first, I hated it! I didn't and still do not understand it or it's meaning but nonetheless I like it. I don't know what that says about me. Maybe I have some deeply rooted issues I'm unaware of. I dunno?... It has a different vibe to it. Maybe that's why I like it. Help me to understand this one.
If you have any ideas what it's appeal may be, why you may like or dislike it or why I might be diggin' the song please give me a clue..
Well, we've made it through another week and as promised I'm posting on the much anticipated Maxwell Concert. *take a moment to exhale*...He's so swexy. And he's definitely still got it!
First of all, I didn't realize that his concert was sold out! After checking his website tour listing, I noticed that most of them are. I'm so happy for him! He was so humble during the show. Making sure he thanked all of us for selling his show out without him having a new album or a hit song. I was thinking, "Is he trippin' or what? You're Maxwell! Nothing's changed! Of course we're selling your show out!"
Anyhoo, the backdrop was simple. He needs nothing elaborate. Simply showing up and singing is enough. And believe me, the ladies let him know just that. It was amazing to witness hundreds of grown women screaming like young school girls (namely myself). And he did not disappoint. He did all of his classics that we love like, "Get to Know Ya", "Fortunate", "Lifetime", "This Woman's Work", and of course "Til The Cops Come Knockin'" ..*shudders*..Ooh Wee, did he do that one! ..I'm still not over that performance. And I ain't even gonna lie, I left that concert "satisfied" if you know what I mean. ..Whew!...
I would go into more detail but I don't want to spoil anything for those who are going to his concert. If you're undecided, let me tell you it is more than worth it! Me and my friends are still floating (2 days later) from his performance. The pic. on the right is our pre-concert photo. (I'm on the far left in all black) My head was so turned out after the concert that I didn't think to take another photo. I couldn't think! Myself and my friends were so euphoric and utterly useless. It was a done dada.
Well Beautifuls! You all have a wonderful weekend. Definitely check out his concert if he's coming to your town. If not, take you a moment to break out some Maxwell music, light a candle, and grab a glass of wine. I promise you, you will get a similar effect.
Peace and Blessings!!
**the above Maxwell photo is courtesy of Atlanta AJC.com/photo:Robb D. Cohen/Robbsphotos.com** Post Title → Maxwell -- Lawd Jesus!!!!!
I can't even think to talk about anything else but the Maxwell Concert I attended last night. However, I want to upload the pics when I do so. And of course, I hadn't done that yet. On top of which, I am still a bit euphoric from the evening so I don't think I'd make much sense.
Anyhoo, be back tomorrow to let you know (and hopefully show you) how everything went.
Good Morning Beautifuls! I hope that all is well in your world. I was listening to the radio this morning and one of my fav. songs of the moment came on, "Bust the Windows Out Your Car" by Jazmine Sullivan which seems to be causing a bit of a stir, maybe even a little controversy. Now let me first tell you that I'm not one to advocate vandalism. And I'm definitely not condoning any type retaliation due to a broken heart. However, to me this is an awesome song! It's artistic. It's theatrical... It's real. I love this artist's voice and her delivery of the song is powerful and full of emotion. ..sidenote: I'll be seeing her, along w/Maxwell in concert in Nov. Can't wait! Will post on that!
Anyhoo, yesterday I was speaking w/some other ladies about this song and one of them comically (yet honestly) replied, "I can appreciate this song.". cracked me up. But I understand.
