Amel Larrieux - Wild as the Wind

Amel Larrieux - Try Your Wings

Ali Shaheed Muhammad - Lord Can I Have This Mercy

Lord Have Mercy - Ice Cream

A Seat At The Table, Finally

Miss Teen USA  2019.

Miss USA 2019.

Miss America 2019.

Miss Universe 2019.

Miss World 2019.

For the time EVER, The winners of all the International Beauty Pageants, at the same time, are black women.
This is important because it never ever happened before and I doubt it will ever happen again. Little black girls need to see this. They need to be reminded that they are beautiful, and smart and intelligent, and that they not only deserve a seat at the table but capable enough to be at the head of the table as well.

Prince- - Rearrange

Quote

The moment you accept what troubles you’ve been given, the door will open.


 Rumi

Toni Braxton

7.27.17

the last comment I received for this blog was 7/27/2017. 

I'm going to assume that no one is reading it. 

I may be wrong; 

I say that because 5 years ago I felt that no one was reading it,

and I stopped posting,

and about 3 months later, 

I was at a party,

and 

a friend said he hasn't seen a blog post from me in about 3 months.

I didn't even know he was reading it. 

I would have known he was reading it had he commented on any of the postings.

I feel like I need to stop blogging again; 

but i'll continue because he and others may be paying attention to it. 

*********

something my mom said a few years ago just popped in my head;

she spoke of wanting her loved ones to give her roses before she dies.

once she's dead she has no way of knowing she was loved if roses were given to her after death.

so when I visit her, I make sure to go to a florist to get a dozen roses 

before I get to her house. 

It's important to let people know they are loved and appreciated.

one should never have to wonder.

one should never have to stop what they're passionate about doing 

with the thought that no one would notice

if

they 

stopped. 

Roy Ayers - Searchin

Words and action are 2 different things

Just thinking,

people are always telling me that I should open a storefront to sell my baked goods, as they seem to like what I make, and they like my facebook and instagram posts of my cakes and other desserts (check out A Cake Supreme ) but if I had a dollar for every one of them who actually purchased anything from my business,


I'd have 99 cents.

A friend from Wisconsin saw facebook posts of all the desserts I made for thanksgiving (a mango coconut cake with honey buttercream frosting, an apple pie with cinnamon roll crust, and champagne ice cream) and she assumed that I was probably busy with all of my cake orders for thanksgiving. I told her, 'no, I only had one order. My friend Anton orders a cake from me every thanksgiving, Christmas, birthday, or other social event. All the rest you saw posted on facebook that day was what I had made for a dinner to which I was invited.'    On another post, another friend from Salem Oregon assumed the same thing, that I was probably busy with thanksgiving orders. I replied, saying what I had said previously, and his response was, ' maybe they're too far away?'   I said 'most are local.'
He said 'well that sucks. Kinda like window shopping. That doesn't help the store owner.'

I didn't respond.

True

                   No one ever notices when you're being provoked, just when you retaliate.

Meanwhile, at the office...

there are two kinds of people; there are those who will straighten your crown for you if it's crooked, and there are those who will talk about how your crown was crooked. 

The marvelous

In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.

-Aristotle

J.S. Ondara - “Days of Insanity“ (Official Video)

Clifford Brown & Max Roach - Jordu

I'll leave this right here

Sometimes being silent is better than telling others how you feel. Knowing that you are being heard but not understood could be more painful than expressing your feelings.

ta-ku & matt mcwaters - flight 99 (feat. masego)

Don't be cruel

Your own soul is nourished when you are kind; it is destroyed when you are cruel. -King Solomon

My top 10 (17) Musicians of all time

P R I N C E 

Max Roach

Charlie Parker

Charles Mingus

Wayne Shorter

               John Coltrane

Miles Davis

         Igor Stravinsky

McCoy Tyner

                                           Stevie Wonder
Elvin Jones

      Andre Cymone

R O Y   A Y E R S

   
D'Angelo

Raphael Saddiq
                                                                      James Poyser

J. Dilla

Max Roach - Effi

Olivier St Louis — Dog in Man

Note to self

Today

I'm in a good mood today. I'm a day closer to finding my soulmate. Who knows, it might be today. I need for her to see the smile on my face. I need to be and appear happy, receptive to communication. When she sees I'm happy, I'll be approachable; she might want to know why. I know that, personally, I'm more drawn to people with positive auras rather than negative auras. I've decided to be receptive to everyone I meet. Who knows-she could be the sister (or ex) or coworker of a guy I may meet today, or seated next to me at a club or restaurant, or the daughter of an older lady seated next to me on the train. You never really know through what vessel she might appear. I hope that I feel the same way tomorrow.

I'll set this right here.

You deserve what you deserve.

it may be an unpleasant ( or pleasant) surprise to you, 

but it will make sense to those who really know you. 


                             - me

Moonchild - "Run Away" (Eric Lau & Kaidi Tatham Remix)

Boris Kodjoe Crashes Wife Nicole Ari Parker's Interview With Sweet Birthday Surprise

Ayah Might not be

This.

what u deserve

Some people don't know what they deserve, but the people they have wronged-

they know.

And when/if bad things happen,

its a mystery.

to them,

but not to anybody else.

Prince.... Love or $

TBT -Twennynine Fea. Lenny White & One Way

Shining Star- The Roots, Erykah Badu, and D'angelo

Social House Talks "Boyfriend" w/ Ariana Grande, Everything Changed & Sweetener Tour

#socialhouse #ArianaGrande #boyfriend

Friday! I'm DIGGIN' U, like an ol' soul record

One of the flaws

On sharing

                                      I belong to myself, 
                                      but you can borrow me sometimes. 

Esco x 'Ye "Cops Shot the Kid" (Green Lantern remix)

Slick Rick - "Can't Dance To A Track That Ain't Got No Soul/Midas Touch" (Official Music Video)

Sabrina Claudio - Belong To You (Official Video)

Soul Train 86' Performance - Alexander O'Neal and Cherrelle - Saturday Love!

Good morning

Beyonce & D'Angelo - Untitled Rocket (A JAYBeatz Mashup)

OKAY?

Currently listening to: I like that, by Janelle Monae

Dad from viral babbling baby video explains where idea came from

Just in Time

Yesterday evening, I was driving to the gym. I was a really nice, sunny day, and there was a lot of traffic on Murray Blvd. As I stopped at a red light, out of no where, appeared a single butterfly. It was yellow. It touched the outside of my driver side front window. It only stayed for a few seconds, but long enough to think that its presence meant something as it was so random.

So when I got home, I had to google it, and this is what I found:

To some Native American tribes, the yellow butterfly brings guidance and is a sign of hope.
A flying yellow butterfly also symbolizes a sunny and bright summer is ahead.
A yellow butterfly represents joy and creativity. It reminds us to have fun. A yellow butterfly flying around you brings happiness and prosperity. Seeing one also means that something fun and exciting is on its way.

I'm looking forward to something (namely someone) fun and exciting on its way!

2 Chainz - Rule The World ft. Ariana Grande

Thanks

   
Thanks for the punishment.






The tower that symbolized the sin of human arrogance rose in Babylon, the cursed city known in the Bible as “harlot and mother of all harlots.”


Heavens wrath did not delay: God condemned Babylonians to speak in many tongues so no one would ever understand them, and the tower was left half-finished for all time.

According to the ancient Hebrews, the flowering of human languages was divine punishment.

Perhaps, but in His desire to rebuke, God saved us from the boredom of a single tongue.
-Eduardo Galeano

Mechanická hlava na Národní třídě - Franz Kafka

Gigantická mechanická hlava France Kafky od Davida Černého umístěna na národní třídě za obchodním centrem Quadrio. Mechanická hlava měří 11 metrů a investor údajně zaplatil 30 mil. korun.
Mechanical gigantic head of Franz Kafka located near National street in Prague. Shopping centre Quadrio.

I can not wait to go to see this in person, along with seeing the Kafka Museum, in Prague. One day...!

Franz Kafka is one of my favorite novelists.

"Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance."                                              --Kurt Vonnegut

Working hard to be the best at what you do is only half the battle. The harder part is keeping it up, and  maintaining it --alexgeorge

Are you doing any maintaining?

Michael Jackson / Bryan Loren - All Songs

Tamia - Leave It Smokin'

I am me.

I shall stay the way I am because I do not give a damn.
--Dorothy Parker

currently listening to: That Magic, by India Arie

The Weekend!

RE

-energize.
-live.
-connect.
-act.
-gain.
-design.
-alize.
-ad.
-juvenate.
-trace.
-build.
-model.
-fine.
-ceive.
-invent.
-ality.
-markable.
-new.
-flect.
-assess.
-ach.
-affirm.
-ligion.
-align.
-capture.
-mix.
-load.
-assert.
-make.
-fresh.
-lax.

this is a repost

Paula Abdul's Performance - Billboard Music Awards 2019 (Performance)

‘Slave Bible’ Removed Passages To Instill Obedience And Uphold Slavery |...

Learning from the Dead

His arms were
where he left them.
Not in defense of self,
but
Doing what he loved
while dying.



Doing.
The right hand gripping a big stainless steel spoon
Stirring a pot of collard greens
The air filled with the aroma of smoked ham hocks spaghetti sauce turkey and dressing sweet potato pies hot and fresh out the oven
His daughter, granddaughter, and me, his grandson,
Our mouths having been watered
Since before we even made the 65 mile trek to his Chicago home .
I’ve learned from the dead.
From him now.
In the presence of suits form-fitting black dresses matching wide-brimmed black hats white handkerchiefs and tears
I remember a homeless woman with two little children in tow
Making herself known
Speaking kindly of him
In his coffin
She (and her kids)
having been fed
anytime they were hungry.
By him;
I learned more about him dead
-

Wanting to be like him-

Alive.


-- by alexgeorge

A Union

Life was alone, no name, no memory. It had hands, but no one to

touch. It had a tongue, but no one to talk to. Life was one, and one was

none.

Then desire drew his bow. The arrow of desire split life down the

middle, and life was two.

When they caught sight of each other, they laughed. When they touched each other,

they laughed again.

- Eduardo Galeano

All the Way Home (1957) | When A Black Family Moves Next Door

Evelyn Champagne King - Let's Get Crazy

21 BRIDGES Official Trailer (2019) Chadwick Boseman, Sienna Miller Movie HD

loving u is like a revolution

(within me

                          ) a change

i can feel

but i can’t see

a movement

a revival of sorts;

slowly bringing back to life something I thought was dead

or unused for so long that it had closed up

loving you is like a revolution

a spinning around in my head

a new heart

to replace the old one that had hardened

from prolonged exposure to the cold, lies, bullshit, and the lack of appreciation.

and suddenly I’m loving what I used to hate

and hating what I used to love

I don’t care that I’m wearing clothes I don’t like, obviously,

or spending hours with you at the mall

or going to your church

because I’m with you and loving you.

what am I doing,

and who is this person that made this new change?

this is not like me;

what is happening?

I know what it is….

I’m being loved and cherished and appreciated and respected in return!

(fin-

ally)

--alexgeorge

On Doing You

If there are people in your life that continually disappoint you, break promises, stomp on your dreams, are too judgmental, have different values, and don't have a shoulder to cry on during difficult times...that is not a friend.
To have a friend, be a friend. Sometimes in life as you grow, your friends will either grow or go.
Surround yourself with people who reflect your values, goals, interests and lifestyle.
When I think of any of my successes, I am thankful to God from whom all blessings flow, and to my family and friends that enrich my life.
Over the years my address book has changed because I changed for the better.
At first you think that you are going to be alone, but after a while new people show up in your life that make your life so much sweeter and easier to endure.
Remember the expression, "Birds of a feather flock together."
If you're an eagle, don't hang around chickens:
Chickens Can't Fly!

~ author unknown ~

Björk - Innocence

Björk - Vertebrae By Vertebrae

Universe Be Like

Yo I heard you like growth
so I put some challenges on top of your
challenges so you can grow from your
challenges while you grow from your
growth

the conversation

my conversation with God every night consists of asking for forgiveness if I've said/thought/did anything that wasn't pleasing unto Him.

each morning is a blessing, and since tomorrow isn't promised to us, i cannot go to sleep without thanking Him for letting me see and survive another day.


Good night people!

Björk - I See Who You Are

Tao Te Ching Thirty-Six

If you want to shrink something,

you must first allow it to expand.

If you want to get rid of something,

you must first allow it to flourish.

If you want to take something,

you must first allow it to be given.

This is called the subtle perception

of the way things are.

The Tao Te Ching was written by Lao-Tzu translation by S. Mitchell

True dat

If there's something you want to do you will find a way. If there's something you don't want to do, you'll find an excuse.

--Jim Rohn

on love being a verb

some people say they love you but don't show it. 

some people don't say they love you but their actions show it.

 i would rather hear the words and see the action behind it, 

but between the two,

 i would rather see the action.  
so,
don't say you love me. 
just do it. 

Mawning

Today, I place my full trust in God, knowing that I am completely supported, loved & cared for in every way. I am deeply grateful, and so it is!...

Don't Underestimate the Power of a Pawn

After the game, the king and the pawn go into the same box.
--Italian Proverb

What does that mean? In the literal sense, it means that when you’re done playing chess, all the pieces go back in the same box, no matter how lofty or lowly their position was in the game, no matter which side they were on.In life, when we are done with the ‘game,’ we all go into the same box. In the age of this quote, that meant a catacomb or in the ground. Everyone, from a King to a serf (or slave) would end up dead when the game was over. In short, the game is rigged, and no one gets out alive. Kind of sad, but true none the less.

Whether you believe in life with a hereafter, life revolving on a wheel, or death with nothing to follow, all we really have (for the moment, at least) is what we have. All we are is what we make of ourselves.
For this post, let’s consider the chasing of fame and riches, as that is the usual differentiation between a pawn and a king, or a commoner and a King. If all you are doing is going into a box, and you can’t take it with you, is it really worth devoting your life to the accumulation of earthly honors and vast fortunes?
Take a moment and list the things you want listed on your tombstone. Do you want to be the richest person in your neighborhood, country, or the world? Do you want a Nobel Prize or some other great recognition? Do you have an amount of money or personal net worth as a target before you die? Grab some paper and write these things down.
Now, for each item you wrote down, add your motivation. Are you accumulating your wealth like Scrooge, or like Bill Gates?  One hoarded it for the sake of self, the other amassed a fortune and is now giving it away. Please don’t put value judgements (good/evil, right/wrong) on them yet. Some people have large families and are a shining star, and want to provide for their family for generations. Just write down what and why.
Done with that? Good. Take a look at your reasons. Now circle the reasons you believe to be for the good of your family, friends, or everyone else on the planet. This is to separate the ego (those things you are doing to be more a king than a pawn) from the things that help others more than they help you.
For the longest time, I did things for me, because I had no one else I really cared about. Then, as I matured, I reconnected with my family, and eventually had one of my own. Now, while I still do things for my family and my friends, I am looking at doing more for an ever larger group of people.I don’t consider the simple accumulation of money or titles to be evil or wrong of itself. Even if the goal was simply self-aggrandizement, when the person is dead, the value will be distributed to the heirs, and from there, who knows. It still may serve to help others, so I try not to judge those who seem to be doing nothing beyond helping themselves. Good can still come from that.
I would now challenge you to take a look at each of the non circled reasons you have on your list and consider if you are willing to change those reasons. If so, please consider finding reasons that will benefit others, even if it’s only after your death. At least I hope it’s something to which you will give some consideration.
Just remember, when you’re dead, you’re dead. Have you ever seen a hearse with a trailer behind it? Perhaps back in Ancient Egypt, but not so much any more, right? Do what you can to help yourself, your family, your friends, and everyone else in this life. That’s all anyone can ask of another.

--Rodrigo Miercoles

Ride With It (EP 12) - Amin Payne

Never have I ever

• went bungee jumping
• gotten in a hot air balloon
• been a member of the mile high club
• gone zip lining
• been in an ambulance
• been in a hearse
• been swimming
• fired a gun
• been arrested
• dined and dashed.

How about you?

Solange - My Skin My Logo

Janet Jackson 1985 The Love Boat RARE (Janet scenes-storyline only)

Nina Simone (Official Music Video) - Zebra Katz x Leila

I'm here

I don't chase people anymore. I learned that I'm here, and I'm important. I'm not going to run after people to prove that I matter. 

And that is all. 

D A I J

When I was at University I had a roommate from Saudi Arabia. His middle name was Daij. He said it was his mother's maiden name, and that all of his siblings had the same middle name.

I loved it; instantly I decided that my son's name would be Daij.

Today, I still hope to have a Daij

Medicine for the Nightmare

     

Warning...Don't read the download here at night!

I'll just leave this right here and walk away.

Bregma

A dream.

A whisper in my ear;

"I'm going to place people in your life that aren't meant to be there ( that are a complete waste of your time) and I'm going to see how long it will take for you to realize this, and distance yourself from them."


As I had awakened, recalling this dream, I quickly documented it, and went back to bed.


I already know these people. It's easy to distance myself from these people. All I have to do is not text or message them to never hear from them again; the communication is one-sided anyway. I have friends that knew I was going through a hard time, and they have not checked in on me, not even once. If that isn't a hint, then I don't know what is. 

Samiyam

Elisa Fiorillo Ooh This I Need

Luther Vandross & Janet Jackson/ The Best Things In Life Are Free

LOL

Don't forget that you got it

Note to self

#Fact

Some people are only compatible with an expired version of you.

 -Corey Jordan

#fact

Loyle Carner - Florence [Ft. Kwes] (Official Video)

Hall & Oates

This is one of those times

Sometimes s**t happens that you couldn't see coming, knocks you into a different life. This is one of those times.

Gabriel Macht,  Suits

When I first heard Gabriel's character Harvey Specter, say those 2 lines in this week's episode of Suits, I thought about my own life, and the s**t that happened that I didn't see coming, that knocked me into a different life. It's a new life that I'm trying to fashion, while trying to maintain.

Have you ever had one of those times?

Freddie Joachim - Childhood Memories

The Fees

Peter Brown - Dance With Me 1978

Busta Rhymes

Jidenna...Boomerang

Andy Stott- Fear Of Heights