I don't need to be rich

Just rich enuf to not have to ask anyone for anything. 

Listening to a friend who has spent most of the year trying to get adequate care for a broken foot only to be ushered out of the hospital as soon as doctors find out she has no insurance made me so disgusted that I thought, I need to be so rich that I don't even need insurance! I want to be able to fund my own hospital stay, emergency care, whatever.

This theory extends far beyond healthcare though. I heard horror stories from a toy giveaway at a church (of all places!) where people said they were locked in a room and had to wait hours for a couple toys, after having to attend a mandatory church service and being talked to very disrespectfully. You never hear of such injustices being done to people who aren't at the mercy of others...a good reason to be rich - as if you needed another one.

Gettin Over

Dear Mr. Time Warner,

I do NOT appreciate how you snuck an extra $5 to my "low introductory new customer special" price for wireless Internet service. Sure, it's only five dollars. But that certainly makes your ads promising high-speed Internet for less than $30 a month ineffectual, doesn't it?

And what's to keep you from tacking on five more dollars next month? Hmmmph.

Signed,

Please Stop

I Hate Breakfast

But  I miss Chik-fil-A. There's something about a chkn biscuit (which McD's woefully attempted) that just feels so right in the morning next to some tater tots and sweet tea.

I really should just open a franchise and bring delicious breakfast chickens to the East Coast. Yea, they make other stuff too, but lunch isn't the problem here.

Quick morning-food options are limited, though I'm a firm believer that "breakfast" consists of anything I decide to eat in the morning, which is never going to be eggs, waffles or sausage. I'm over omnipresent Tim Hortons, greasy McD's and bland Dunkin Donuts. 

How lovely it would be to leave my apartment with 30 minutes to spare and be able to grab a chkn biscuit on the way downtown?! *Sigh*

Where's the instruction manual?

Man, I'm starting to feel (even more) bad for all you McDonald's employees. Mickey D's is just doing way too much these days. You gotta make McRibs, cookies, angus snack wraps, frappucinos AND oatmeal now? Gee whiz!
And when did oatmeal become the new thing for fast food? I've seen it dressed up and snooty-fied at Starbucks with all kindsa berried and whatnots...but it's trickled down to McDonald's now? That means it's big!

The Sound of Christmas

Who decided "These are a Few of my Favorite Things" was a Christmas song? I don't recall it being a holiday in "The Sound of Music" when Julie Andrews sang it.

I can see how people could interpret it to fit the holiday spirit, but it's a stretch. There's no mention of Santa, Jesus, Christmas trees, presents, etc. But OK, it's still a great and timeless song.

I'm NOT Surprised

Well, I kinda am or else I wouldn't take the time to write about it, but apparently Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johanssen are divorcing.

The marriage was pretty low key - They married in 2008, but I only JUST heard about it with her being on the cover of In Style mag a couple months ago, and him on this TV special for People's Sexiest Men of the Year a couple of weeks ago talking about her - but they've been separated six months?!

After seeing "The Proposal" I finally jumped on the Ryan Reynolds-is-HOTT bandwagon, so I'm not too crushed by this news. Howev, after learning that he was engaged to Alanis Morisette before, idk where his taste lies, cuz that's a weird one right there.

Pride

I am NOT a racist.
Not a black nationalist.

i can see how you might think I am.

i just believe black people are


Beautiful
   Powerful
Royal
And undervalued - by ourselves and everyone else

Men, Tyler Perry does NOT hate you

I'd venture to say that of all the movies Tyler Perry has, more of them feature bitchy and raggedy women than negative portrayals of black men.
With For Colored Girls, you all keep saying TP "keeps making black men look bad." Y'all do that yourselves. But I digress.
I truly believe he does the opposite. He tries hard to show us that there are good black men out there, and he actually portrays the WOMEN doing them wrong. In many of the movies, the man is going way above and beyond to convince a broken woman to let go of her past and give him a chance. These men are long-suffering, patient and very eloquent in expressing their feelings.

Are there exceptions? Sure. Blair Underwood's character in "Family Reunion" was a wife beater and ol boy in "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" did cheat and drag Kimberly Elise out the house.  

But:

• Shemar Moore's character in "Diary" was a good man who let Kimberly Elise slap him, talk to him like trash, go take care of her ex AND come back, and his i love u speech was A-mazing!
• Boris Kodjoe's character in "Family Reunion" was a hard-working, blue collar single parent who loved his kids and was patient with the chick who's name i dont know
• In "Why Did I Get Married" parts 1 and 2, Tyler Perry's wife ignored him, tied her tubes without talking to him, didnt want to give the man any kids or nookie, and then damn-near cheated with her coworker. And yet, he begged her to come back
• "Daddy's Little Girls" was ALL about a hard-working man fighting for custody of his kids versus his sleazy, ignorant ex-wife
• In "The Family that Preys" - come on, where do we start? Sanaa Lathan DOGGED her husband, cheated on him, called him sorry, controlled all the money, left him, etc
• Was Taraji's character in "I Can Do Bad" not a bitter, hateful, self-loathing, adulteress slut?
• And Janet pretty much killed Gavin.

The list goes on and on.
So in conclusion, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, Tyler Perry does not hate men. He uses them as secondary characters that revolve around, sometimes antagonize and often save the female leads and/or lead them to self awareness.

The defense rests.

Coonin for Company

My bf is making music with his coworker right now. Meanwhile, my (obvious) wig just came in the mail and I'm anxious to slap it on.

Coworker dates a white girl...which is why I'm thinking twice about walking back out into the living room with a completely different texture and length of hair. He's probly thinking, "I'm glad I don't have to deal with that...."

*Kanye shrug*

It's About Time...

Decided I was beautiful today.

I don't know if it's cuz I looked in the mirror and saw my grandmother's eyes; or if it's cuz my hair is back the color God made it;  or what. But I was pleased with me today.
Struggling with self-image is universal to all women, I suppose, but I'd venture to say two or three times as bad for black women.

So here's to hoping this feeling will make it to tomorrow....

This is Why we Pirate

I'm done buying CDs.

In a noble effort of support,  I do actually still go out and purchase the CDs of artists I care enough about. (That is a select group, I will admit.)

But after continuing to be disappointed, I've decided I'll just stick with the radio. Why should I give you my money when what I get in return isn't deserving of my investment?

"Album sales are down, the industry is on life support!" That's the cry we've heard from those bemoaning the current state of the music industry. Perhaps if between the labels and the artists, you all truly put together a compilation of the best material, people would be more inclined to buy it.

Hearing creative, imaginative singles, features and mixtape work is what whets our appetite for an artist's full-length work. But Miguel, Robin Thicke, Trey, (etc) when I get these bland, lifeless albums it's a letdown and a turnoff. What gets lost between the music that makes us fall in love and the music that makes it to the CD?

Case in point, after like 2 years of listening to individual songs, I've been dying to buy Miguel's CD - whenever he got around to making one. Finally got it Wednesday. Where's the intriguing themes, the unexpected sounds, the compelling rhythms that made me want to move on "Dig," "Ooh Ah" and "Overlaod"? Where was the passion I heard in "Supernatural"? The undeniable groove of that funky loop in the first single, "All I Want is You"? Unfortunately, the only songs I like on this dreary album are the ones I've already heard.

And then the music bloggers and writers mislead us, heralding an album as an artist's best work,(i.e. Kanye) when it's really mediocre. Yall need to stop kissin up and lying to the ppl! I actually can't tell you the last good CD I bought - good in terms of having to skip very few tracks and being able to listen to it again and again. Maybe Wale's "Attention Deficit." Maybe Drake "Thank Me Later," which even had to grow on me.

I want to be grabbed, wowed and captivated til the end. When did music stop having high expectations for itself? I don't care if you're tired from touring, tweeting and trying to be everywhere at once. Stop stretching yourself so thin that you deliver a half-cooked product.  And if the label won't let you? YOU'RE the artist, YOU'RE the commodity. Don't let them take away your voice! Assert yourself and give the fans what you know you're capable of and what we tell you we want. This thang should be a lil more democratic than it is. Cuz right now I feel like I'm being force fed major bull sh*t. I mean, seriously, half the songs on these albums nowadays, I'm like, did YOU even like that when you recorded it? Doesn't sound like it. You couldn't have been nodding your head like that sounded good, cuz u know it doesn't!

*Sigh* Monica let me down this year, Rick Ross underwhelmed me, Mike Posner was just a little better than OK, previewed "Pink Friday," and as much as I thought I wanted it, listening in advance was a good idea that saved me a few coins. Jazmine Sullivan, your second single is a yawn, and Miss Chrisette, what IS this woeful, messy single you've dropped an album off of?


This is coming from a place of love. I like you guys. I want you to be good. I want to be an active supporter. But I'm feeling more like a scorned ex. "Yall almost walked off wid alla my stuff"!

Take it Back!

You'll be so surprised to learn what you can do if you just determine that you will try and get it right. Often it takes an external disappointment or anger to spur you to action.
For example, I went to the salon Saturday. I call myself going to a professional for help, since I (thought) I didn't know what to do with my hair. The stylist says, "The only thing you can do when your hair is this length is put weave in it."
I shoulda left right then. So she's like, "We'll figure something out. I can curl the front, but I just don't know what to do with the back of your hair." So at this point, it's like, I appreciate your honesty, but wth you mean?  Clearly, I'd come to the wrong place.
So she came up with some whack, crunchy, spritzed-up situation. And yesterday I was so disgusted with it that I decided to fix it myself.
If you know me, you know my hair has been blonde, orange, yellow and bronze this year! So not only did I dye it back to black, but I curled it to perfection - hooked up the pin-curl look I've been trying to get the stylists to do, but they never seemed to get it. I can't tell you the last time I was so proud of myself. (I'm lying - Yes I can, last week when I made collard greens for the first time. After burning the first batch I came back with a vengeance and got it right!)
See, all you gotta do is put your mind to it!

Cliffhanger

In all my years of going to church, yesterday was a first:

The pastor was giving this passionate sermon about the children of Israel wandering in the wilderness, and he was getting to the parts where they started "murmuring and complaining" and saying they should just go back to Egypt.

 So he's like, "WHY would anyone want to turn back to bondage after tasting sweet freedom? I get so tired of people getting saved and I feed them and change their diaper spiritually and put it in so much work to help them grow and then they just turn back to where they came from. WHY oh WHY would anyone want to go back into sin?" etc etc

And he's jumping up and down and really just putting his all into it, and I'm like why why why? tell me?


And this man says, "I'll tell you why next week."

WHAAT?!!!! Pastor, what is this soap opera sermon u just preached?
If I hadn't enjoyed everything before then I would have been mad, especially since I know I have to work next week and won't be able to get the answer. It felt like watching a rerun of Fresh Prince where they played part 1 but didn't play part 2 right after it.

Deva's Christmas list

In case you're wondering, here's what I'd like:

Coffee maker (Keurig would be nice, but I'm not picky)

Red pumps

2 packs of Bohyme french refined hair 1B

queen sized blanket

silver necklace

new windshield wiper blades

a warm jacket (in btw a heavy sweater and thick winter coat)

The Princess and the Frog DVD

an iPod

rain boots

a bubble umbrella

CDs by Miguel, Ladyhawke, Lily Allen, Adele, Phoenix, The Bird and the Bee and Regina Spektor



Just in case you had an especially prosperous year....

Mo-Mama!

Ay, her hair looks like Robin Thicke's but it is tooo cute!

Glasses

Hey all you girls who wear glasses:

Do you try to wear makeup at the same time? I really don't think people can see it when we wear eyeshadow and whatnot under our glasses.

Maybe I should address that question to the ppl who look at us all day.

For Colored Girls

For the record, it wasn't as bad as it could have been - we've seen far worse from Tyler Perry.

But that's not my point. My sis just saw it and sent me thee craziest text message:

"The only good parts were the kids dying and the rape."

No, m'am, it must be Opposite Day. Those were actually the WORST parts. In addition to the Macy Gray cameo with Macy playing herself.

And then, becuz many atime we text faster than we think, she wrote:

"Oh yea I like when she slapped the dead racist."

(P.S. I think the young sister Nyla looks like Angela Simmons and Janet looked like Minnie Mouse)

Men

I just had to share this. My bf and I had a fight recently where he decided he needed to talk about my weave. Here's a direct quote:

"You just look like a better person without it."

- Really? a better person??

Then later he looks at this (horrid) pic of Lauryn Hill with a (pretty) curly natural 'fro and says:

"See how clean you could look?"

smh. I had no words.

Is it Just Me?

Does anyone else think the Time Warner Cable logo looks a little like The Eye of Horus?

DevaDonna.blogspot.com

Rules without Relationship

"Rules without relationship always leads to rebellion. The only thing that tethers us is Love."

Coincidentally, I heard this on the radio right after I left a story about a church closing. I spoke with a young man who works with a group called Dirty Vagabond Ministries, and he said he focuses on teen outreach by visiting teens where they are, developing a relationship and" earning the right" to minister to them. For example, he goes to sporting events and to bus stops to bring the kids snacks before school and try to build rapport.
It's better than just bringing them in the church and preaching at them, he said, and that's not what Jesus did. He didn't have Bible studies and seminars, He went to people where they were.

Those words really resonated with me - his idea of building a relationship and letting ministry develop naturally. I think he's right. Ultimately, people just want to feel loved.

I've been really reflecting upon what draws people to a church and what keeps people in a church. We're in a trendy, superficial society that needs bells and whistles to catch people's attention. Ur church needs to have a Web site, and a text message sermon and a live Web stream and needs to be televised. You need to have lyrics posted on projectors and announcements via video and a ministry for every single population - the ski club ministry and the pet ministry and the married with kids ministry and the married without kids ministry, etc etc etc.

What if you have a smaller church that can't compete? (Because let's face it, times are tough, we got bills to pay so we need butts in seats, and it is a competition.) OK, to be more accurate, what if you have a smaller church that is simply fighting to sustain itself? I've been to big churches. It turned me off one day when I had to sit in the "overflow room" and watch church on TV.  I could've done that at home - without having to pay an offering.

I guess you just have to wait for people to mature to a point where they realize that flashing lights are less important than finding a place where you feel the Love of God.

And all you need for that is...well, somewhere that teaches the full gospel of Christ. Doesn't matter the size of the sanctuary or the amenities they offer.

"The only thing that tethers us is Love."

The FAMUAN

Jesus has been telling me to do this.

I just wanted to say to everyone on the staff of The Famuan, roughly between the years of 2004-2008, that it was a stressful (yet rewarding) place, and we all handle that stress differently. So I apologize if I was rude or b*tchy or snappy or whatever.
I didn't mean it.
I love you all.

Sorry.

Better late than never. Never late is better. (Just because those two statements should always accompany each other now.)

I Miss You

Last weekend was ....different. Saturday night a friend invited me to a get-together at her apartment. Many of the young ladies there attended the same church, and I honestly can't think of much else that we talked about that night beyond the Lord.
I'm not used to young people talking about Him when we hang out. Some may call it weird, others could label it "refreshing."

The next day for work I was sent to cover a church's 100th anniversary. Now, celebrations like anniversaries (and pastor's birthday, and First Lady's birthday, etc) can make one feel like an outsider because it's really like a family reflecting on its history and what they enjoy about each other. At the same time, because it is such a joyous occasion, you feel a lot of love.

I say this to say that by the time my weekend ended, I concluded one thing: I miss Him. We all have to have that moment when we realize how much closer to God we can really stand to be. You may go to church every week - doesn't matter. Oddly enough, finding how much I miss His presence gave me a sense of peace - glad that I remember what His presence feels like, and glad that He'd like me to come back!

Fantasia For Real

I half-watched the first season of Fantasia's show, and I'll be honest, I'm only watching this one for two reasons: Fantasia's hairdos and her crazy-a** brother, Teeny.

That man is a damn fool. One minute he's crying like a baby, talking about, "You ain't been the same towards me since you won 'The Idol!' " The next he's in somebody's house talkin bout, "Ooh yea, I can do something real sexy in here," while the homeowner looks on in horror and charging $5 for folk to go to his "Bossquerade" so he can pay his rent.

Really, he's embarrassing.I'm sure the cameramen and producers be in there having a field day with his crazy footage.
When I see stuff like him auditioning girls for a butt-naked car wash, I think, thank God that man is not related to me!
But I have to keep watching to see what he's going to do and say next.

It's DJ Kane, Stupid!

Check out my friend, DJ Kane, mixin and scratchin on Ustream. (so yall can see he aint one of those mix CD DJs) The boy is bad y'all! Been rockin to him since....04(?) Dang.

I found it funny that a sign at the Applebee's to go lot said 10 min max, but the waitress said there 'd be a 15 min wait.