SADE IS BAAAAACCCCKKKKKKK!! YES!!!!!!!!

One of my favorite artists of all time is back and I LOVE this song...Below is the lead single off of Sade's forthcoming album, Soldier of Love, dropping February 8, 2010!!

I'm still waiting for love to come and turn it all around too girl!! Beautiful song, brought tears to my eyes when I heard it the first time...she couldn't have said it better.

Check This Out...Black Ice

The Destruction of Black Civilization

I read this book about two years ago...and I think it is a must read for all black people and any who are interested in learning the truth about African history from a non-euro-centric point of view. The book is by Chancellor Williams, a scholar, anthropologist, historian and professor at Howard University. Chancellor explains how there were many great African empires and civilizations that existed long before Christ and even the ancient Egyptians. These ancient empires were where people from all over the world came to learn...Below is a video interview with him from the late seventies, talking about some of the major themes from the book. These topics touch mainly on the little known African history that seems to be left out of the Euro-American HIStory. So my assignment to you is to read this book over the holidays! I'm going to re-read it myself. The only way to learn and grow as a people is to first learn the history and the truth of ones self. Knowledge of oneself will then empower you....SANKOFA! (Go back and claim it!)

Also, I think Nas summarizes it best in the third verse of his song "I Can":

Be, be, 'fore we came to this country

We were kings and queens, never porch monkeys

There was empires in Africa called Kush

Timbuktu, where every race came to get books

To learn from black teachers who taught Greeks and Romans

Asian Arabs and gave them gold when

Gold was converted to money it all changed

Money then became empowerment for Europeans

The Persian military invaded

They heard about the gold, the teachings, and everything sacred

Africa was almost robbed naked

Slavery was money, so they began making slave ships

Egypt was the place that Alexander the Great went

He was so shocked at the mountains with black faces

Shot up they nose to impose what basically

Still goes on today, you see?

If the truth is told, the youth can grow

Then learn to survive until they gain control

Nobody says you have to be gangstas, hoes

Read more learn more, change the globe

Ghetto children, do your thing

Hold your head up, little man, you're a king

Young Princess when you get your wedding ring

Your man is saying "She's my queen"

For those of you who want to listen to the song:

Monday Morning Mocha

I went to see Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog” yesterday with my two cousins and their young children. The movie is historically significant because it features the first black princess of the Disney movies. The movie was really cute and my little cousins really seemed to enjoy it! The basic theme of the movie was to dream BIG and work hard to make your dreams a reality. Although I enjoyed the movie I couldn’t help but think that sometimes Disney movies inspire false hopes in children. I grew up watching Disney movies, my brother and I; we had them all, my favorite of all time was The Little Mermaid (my very first Disney movie) and The Lion King of course. So I was truly excited to see this movie myself because I had grown up on Disney movies and was interested to see the story of the first black Disney princess. After leaving the movie though I began to wonder why we take our children to see these fairy tales. I mean I know we want them to be amazed but at the same time are we giving them false ideas of reality? I think that by watching a lot of the movies I did as a child, it made me believe in ideas that weren’t necessarily true; such as, my prince in shining armor would come rescue me and I would become a princess and live happily ever after. But does happily ever after really exist?

Also, dreaming BIG and working hard in a capitalistic society does not promise everyone a path to success and riches. It’s just not possible in a capitalistic society because in this type of social system there has to be a class order, and that means poor people, individuals in the middle, and those on top. I am just saying, we are taught all these things as children but then as we get older, we realize that obtaining our “dreams” may not be as simple as we have been led to believe and most of us just settle for the status quo. And then we wonder why we are so messed up as adults, because we have been fed a bunch of BS and lies our whole lives. We live a life of freedom as children and then we are thrown into the slavery of the system in having to work to survive and take care of a family. 

Of course there are those who do make their dreams a reality, but this is just not possible for everyone, especially if those dreams include being rich. Another under-lying theme in the movie was the idea that money is power and if you don’t have the green, your dreams are impossible to make a reality. So the movie contradicts itself by saying in the beginning that if you dream big and work hard your dreams will come true, but then it says, wait, but not without MONEY! Everyone cannot be rich in a capitalistic society because then there would be no such thing; money would lose its value if everybody had it. This system is designed for people to fail and the people that make it all the way to the top usually lied, cheated and stole to make it there.

You may be thinking, how I could get all of this out of a Disney movie but most of the time the truths are presented to us in the form of a story or cartoon so that we will be so amazed by the tricks and illusions we look past the truth that is there. If you don’t believe me, go watch the Lion King and listen to the STORY that is being told, look past the illusion that we see in the animation….Now I’m not saying not to take your children to see animated movies but what I am saying is to listen to the real story and message that is being told to your children. Present them with both sides of the spectrum, especially as they get older. You have to give your children some realities, so that it won’t hit them so hard when they are faced with the true realities of the world we live in.

~MONDAY MORNING MOCHA~

About two weeks ago, I was walking on campus and as I was getting ready to cross the street, a lady was turning the corner and nearly ran someone over right in front of me! On top of that there was an old man, following closely behind the guy that she almost hit. Now I know that us VCU kids walk with no fear when we are on campus, daring people to hit us, but this woman was way out of line because the pedestrians had the right away. When I got to the parking garage the old man that was crossing the street got into the elevator with me. He looked at me, shook his head and said, “Where’s the Love?” So simply stated, but those three words carried so much impact on that day.

On black Friday, I was out shopping with my aunt when the same thing almost happened again, except this time it was to me. We were crossing the street to go into a store and after looking both ways I proceeded to cross the street. All of a sudden my aunt starts pulling me across the street in a running fashion and I notice she is hurrying us along because a car was flying through the parking lot and nearly about to hit us. Only because I was with my aunt, did I not curse that young girl out. I did turn around and stare her ass down and she just looked all silly. I couldn’t believe it! I was so hot! She was really about to hit us!

I mean, was she in such a hurry that she was willing to run us over to get to where she was going? Was she trying to hurry us along in her own way? Or was she just racist and purposely trying to run my aunt and I over? But even worse, why did I let that get me so worked up? I mean I was ready to pull her out of the car and beat her down (although I would never do that, I’m a lover not a fighter), but it got me to that point where those images flashed in my mind! 

I just don’t understand why people are so angry at each other! If you don’t like your situation don’t take it out on the next person. Most likely they are in the same situation as you. Or can at least identify with what you’re going through. Love comes with first respecting yourself as an individual. And until we can learn to love ourselves for who we are as individuals we will never be able to respect and love one another. And until we are able to love one another, we will never be able to WORK TOGETHER to change our situation. We’ll all go on continuing to exist as individuals, divided and conquered, and unable to change our situation for the better.

I don’t even have anymore words, the old man in the elevator couldn’t have said it better, “Where’s the Love?”

What Do You Think Wednesday

Is the public school system killing creativity?

Thoughts??

~Monday Morning Mocha~

My boyfriend and I went to see 2012 yesterday. I love “end of the world” type movies because they usually make me think. So I was excited to see how the story would incorporate the ancient Mayan prophecy of 2012. I enjoyed the movie, the story line was pretty good and the special effects were awesome. But the movie left me questioning the ancient prophecy itself. So when I came home I jumped on the computer and did some research on the actual prophecy and what it predicts. What I found out was that the prophecy does not predict complete and total destruction of the human race. What it predicts is the age of transition, or the end of the current World Age Cycle that we are in. We are living today in the cusp of the Mayan end times, the end of a galactic day or time period spanning thousands of years. One galactic day of 25,625 years is divided into five cycles of 5,125 years. You see the Mayans’ time and calendar was based on the stars and the cycles of the universe, not our limited calendar year of an earth cycle.

The Great Cycle of the Mayan Long Count calendar ends on the winter solstice of 2012 A.D. Following Mayan concepts of cyclic time and World Age transitions, this is as much about BEGINNINGS as it is endings. In fact, it was considered by the ancient Mayans to signify the creation of a NEW World Age. We are almost at the end of the fifth and final 5,125 year cycle! In the movie and in the media, like always, they are using fear to convince us into thinking that the world is about to end through complete destruction. And that the human race is under the threat of becoming extinct. But this just isn’t so. What they were predicting was an age of transition between the current world age to the new world age. The Mayans prophesied that from 1999 we would have 13 years to change our conscious attitude to stray from the path of self-destruction and instead move onto a path that opens our consciousness to integrate us with EVERYTHING that exists.

Rather than something to fear, the 2012 prophecy should be viewed as a wake-up call. A call that we should change our destructive ways and become more respectful of life and realize that we are part of a greater WHOLE. The old world mentality, founded in separation, greed, ignorance, and unconscious consumer materialism, has reached dangerous peaks. We are at a point where our planet can be either renewed or ravaged and our attitudes and actions will determine how harsh or mild the changes will be. So the question then becomes, what can we as individuals contribute to the new world age?

This is a crucially important moment for humanity and for earth. Each person is important. If you have incarnated (or reincarnated, as I like to believe) into this era, you have spiritual work to do balancing the planet...The greatest wisdom is in simplicity. Love, respect, tolerance, sharing, gratitude, forgiveness. It's not complex or elaborate. The real knowledge is free. It's encoded in your DNA. All you need is within you. Great teachers have said that from the beginning. Find you heart, and you will find your way. Let go of the fear, that’s why they keep it instilled in us, because FEAR corrodes the MIND.

“When the power of LOVE overcomes the love of POWER the world will know peace.”

~Jimi Hendrix

THOUGHTS, questions, answers??

Feel Good Friday

I wrote this poem several years ago...I hope you enjoy, feel free to comment and/or ask questions...HAPPY FRIDAY!!

THE CONVERSATION

by AliaShardae

SHE knows who I am and knows my capabilities

SHE understands my potential and all that I aspire to be

SHE knows the greatness in me

SHE knows my deepest thoughts and has heard my loudest cry,

And unto her I could never lie

SHE demands that confidence emerge from ME,

SHE challenges me to face my deepest insecurities

SHE allows me to see the evils of this world and also

How things used to be

SHE tells me that in a past lifetime I was a very intelligent, powerful Nubian Queen

SHE shows me how Europeans have destroyed this world

And exploited my people over countless decades

But, SHE also ensures me that SHE makes no Mistakes!

“But why?” I ask, “Why have my people suffered so long? Did we, as a people, do something wrong?”

“NO” SHE answered “but you are living in a world predicted by my prophets’ songs.”

SHE said, “It is time for a REVOLUTION and I choose YOU!”

I replied, “There is no need for further explanation, I know what I have to do.”

“And what is that?”

“I must go tell them the knowledge of YOU!”

“Yes, tell them that I am YOU and YOU are ME”

“I will tell them that the GREATNESS of YOU, GOD, lives within ME!”

What Do You Think Wednesday

Why do we fall for the “Bullshit?”

I often look at my daughter, the author of this Blog, and I’m amazed at the things she does and says. I see in her as a strong and beautiful Black woman and I realize that she understands. And that surprised me until I remembered she is my daughter.

Thank you dear for the opportunity to share my thoughts on your Blog.

Now, to the topic at hand. Why do we fall for the “Bullshit?” The simple answer is we love the bullshit. But what do we mean by “Bullshit?” In my hood it means a lie, a story or something that is not true.

For an example, we know Santa Claus is not real but yet it is the number one retail sales time of the year. It is also the time when the most alcohol and drugs are consumed and when the most people commit suicide. We go into more debt and become more stressed during this time of the year. All because of some “Bullshit.”

There is also no such thing as Thanksgiving. When they sat down to dine that day, the white man was planning to take the whole country while pretending to be friends with the Native Americans. Thanksgiving? No! “Bullshit.”

Plus, there are only tricks and no treats. In fact, the damn treats are tricks themselves. Look at what we eat. Most of what we eat is killing us because we eat a bunch of “Bullshit.” We eat the pigs’ feet, ears, ribs, brains, colon (chitlins), nuts (testicles), and ass. The same goes for the bull/cow and we can include the tongue. Throw in the chicken, duck, horse, snake, rat, alligator, and for some the dog and cat. From the sea we eat the “bottom dwellers.” All of the scavengers: shrimp, clams, crabs, scallops, lobsters, oysters, and catfish. What do they do down there on the bottom? They keep the waters clean. They’re nature’s sewer system. And you wonder why most of us are sick and overweight? It’s the “Bullshit.”

On to Independence Day, another “bullshit” holiday. In 1776 when that fine document was being crafted and signed, my people were on the plantation and were not included in it. Well, that’s not quite true. We were in it but we were in it as three-fourth human beings (or property to the slave owners). More “Bullshit.”

Let’s not forget Easter when we eat eggs laid by rabbits and we celebrate/remember the day Jesus was reportedly killed and the three days later rose from the dead. But these dates change almost every year. Some years they are in the middle of April. Some years they are in the last part of March. Do we really know? I couldn’t peddle this in the hood if I tried. It’s all “Bullshit.”

Finally, I know some will say Christmas is not supposed to be about Santa Claus but about the birth of Christ. They will argue that man has taken this holy day and commercialized it. Some may even say they agree with me that Santa Claus is Bullshit but not Jesus’ birthday. My only response will be how can we tell when a bull shitter is not bull shitting? Our government/society feeds us all these lies, what makes you think you should believe some and not the others. After all, everything that we know we’ve been told by the bull shitter. So how can we tell the “Bullshit” from the truth?

I’ll leave you with this: if the bull shitter was telling us the truth about Jesus Christ he wouldn’t be a bull shitter because if you are really with God then you can not “Bullshit,” because God means the “Truth!”

~Monday Morning Mocha~

I'm baaaack! Sorry guys, had to take a break last week, school was kicking my ass!

So anyway, I was watching a very interesting documentary this weekend called Zietgiest. It was explaining how our Earth’s resources are not as depleted as we may think. We are just led to believe that our resources are limited because the big corporations are trying to control the market. You see, if an oil company has consumers and the public believing that resources are low, mostly likely demand (for that product) would go up. If demand is high, this allows corporations to raise prices because consumers think the supply is limited! What we aren’t being told is that much better resources (other than oil, etc.), exist and have existed for a while. These are resources that are unlimited and save the earth from the pollutants that are released into the atmosphere every day from the burning of fossil fuels. But large corporations won’t market them because they can make more money from creating this idea of SCARCITY (or that our resources are “limited”); Thus, allowing corporations to essentially control the marketplace. If we were able to harness and use the power of light energy from the sun or wind energy it becomes an unlimited resource and thus makes it harder for corporations to control. It has been proven that we are able to harness and beneficially use such unlimited resources such as wind and solar energy.

We’ve put our lives into the hands of these big corporations. They provide us with what to eat, wear, and all of the other “basic necessities” of life. We don’t know what to do without them and they capitalize off of that. The owners of these big corporations care nothing about you and I. They look out for themselves only and they will stop at nothing to maximize their profits. When will we wake up and realize that we are slaves to these corporations. It’s just the modern day version of slavery. We have to work to support our way of life. And our “way of life” exists all because these corporations tell us all the material things that we “need”.

But what can we do? I know I feel helpless at times. I admit that I am just as materialistic as the next person. (We're all self-conscious I'm just the first to admit it. -Kanye West) We’ve been so conditioned and trained since birth to want “things”. But it starts with changing your perceptions and opening your eyes to the realities of the world. Every day is a struggle for me to break my love for my materialistic things (clothes, shoes, purses, nail polish, etc.). So I challenge you to take the journey with me of breaking this cycle. Half the things that we want, we don’t really need. And most of the time you only want that nice purse or the new jordans just to impress the next person. And for what? Why should you care what anyone thinks of you…We all know this, yet we still continue in our shallow, materialistic lives, while so many people in the world are starving….So let’s work on just obtaining the things that we NEED and not the things that we WANT. Hey, it’s a step, right??

Below are clips from the documentary, if you can't watch it at work, please watch it when you get home. This documentary really puts things into perspective......Your Thoughts???

FEEL GOOD FRIDAYS!!

So, we've made it through another week!! HAPPY FRIDAY!!! On the way to work, I heard one of my favorite songs of all time and it literally brought tears to my eyes!! Stevie Wonder's "As" has to be one of the deepest and most beautiful love songs ever! Please read the lyrics, you will discover in them parts of the song you never really heard before...Hope you have a great Friday and a safe Weekend....PEACE!




Stevie Wonder Lyrics: "As"

As around the sun the earth knows she's revolving
And the rosebuds know to bloom in early May
Just as hate knows love's the cure
You can rest your mind assure
That I'll be loving you always
As now can't reveal the mystery of tomorrow
But in passing will grow older every day
Just as all is born is new
Do know what I say is true
That I'll be loving you always

Until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky---ALWAYS
Until the ocean covers every mountain high---ALWAYS
Until the dolphin flies and parrots live at sea---ALWAYS
Until we dream of life and life becomes a dream

Did you know that true love asks for nothing
Her acceptance is the way we pay
Did you know that life has given love a guarantee
To last through forever and another day
Just as time knew to move on since the beginning
And the seasons know exactly when to change
Just as kindness knows no shame
Know through all your joy and pain
That I'll be loving you always
As today I know I'm living but tomorrow
Could make me the past but that I mustn't fear
For I'll know deep in my mind
The love of me I've left behind Cause I'll be loving you always

Until the day is night and night becomes the day---ALWAYS
Until the trees and seas just up and fly away---ALWAYS
Until the day that 8x8x8 is 4---ALWAYS
Until the day that is the day that are no more
Did you know that you're loved by somebody?
Until the day the earth starts turning right to left---ALWAYS
Until the earth just for the sun denies itself
I'll be loving you forever
Until dear Mother Nature says her work is through---ALWAYS
Until the day that you are me and I am you---AL~~~~~~WA~~
~~~~~AA~~~~~~~AA~~~~
Until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky~~~~~AA~~~~
~~~~AA~~~~~~~AA~~~~~~~~~AA~~~~~~~YS~~ALWAYS

We all know sometimes lifes hates and troubles
Can make you wish you were born in another time and space
But you can bet you life times that and twice its double
That God knew exactly where he wanted you to be placed
so make sure when you say you're in it but not of it
You're not helping to make this earth a place sometimes called Hell
Change your words into truths and then change that truth into love
And maybe our children's grandchildren
And their great-great grandchildren will tell
I'll be loving you

Until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky--Loving you
Until the ocean covers every mountain high--Loving you
Until the dolphin flies and parrots live at sea--Loving you
Until we dream of life and life becomes a dream--Be loving you
Until the day is night and night becomes the day--Loving you
Until the trees and seas up, up and fly away--Loving you
Until the day that 8x8x8x8 is 4--Loving you
Until the day that is the day that are no more--Loving you
Until the day the earth starts turning right to left--Be loving you
Until the earth just for the sun denies itself--Loving you
Until dear Mother Nature says her work is through--Loving you
Until the day that you are me and I am you--
Now ain't that loving you
Until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky
Ain't that loving you
Until the ocean covers every mountain high
And I've got to say always
Until the dolphin flies and parrots live at sea~~AL~~~WA~~~AYS
Until we dream of life and life becomes a dream-Um AL~~WA~~AYS
Until the day is night and night becomes the day-AL~~~~WA~~AYS
Until the trees and seas just up and fly away-AL~~WA~~~AA~~~~~
Until the day that 8x8x8 is 4~~~~~AA~~~~~~~AA~~~~~~~AA
Until the day that is the day that are no more-AA~~~~AA~~AA~~~AYS
Until the day the earth starts turning right to left-AL~~~WA~~~A~~~AA
Until the earth just for the sun denies itself-~~AA~~~AA~~~AA~~~AYS
Until dear Mother Nature says her work is through-AL~~~WAYS
Until the day that you are me and I am you
Until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky
Until the ocean covers every mountain high
Until the dolphin flies and parrots live at sea
Until we dream of life and life becomes a dream
Until the day is night and night becomes the day
Until the trees and seas just up and fly away
Until the day that 8x8x8 is 4
Until the day that is the day that are no more
Until the day the earth starts turning right to left
Until the earth just for the sun denies itself
Until dear Mother Nature says her work is through
Until the day that you are me and I am you

*What Do You Think Wednesday*

I got a chance to see "This Is It" over the weekend and I must say that it was AMAZING. It really gives insight into the mind of the late great Michael Jackson. It shows his creative genius at work and his personality jumps out here and there, though I wish it had been more. I have no doubts that this concert would have been amazing! I truly believe that he would have out done himself again! One of the main parts that stands out to me in the film, was when they wanted him to test the mechanical trolley (for lack of a better word) that took him out over the audience. When it took off, Michael let out a "Weeeeeee". It was so cute, my heart melted! He truly was a kid at heart...When I walked out of the theater, I couldn't help but feel depressed. I'm not really sure why I felt this way...maybe because I was left longing for more...or maybe because I knew that there would never be another MJ and his creative genius was not truly appreciated while he was here. Whatever the case, I walked into that theater a person appreciative of MJ's work, and emerged a true FAN. It's undeniable that his music really is timeless and it transcends generations...In the words of MJ, "It's all for love, L.O.V.E., love"...So, if you had a chance to see the MJ documentary, "This Is It", what did you think? Did it bring you closure?

~Monday Morning Mocha~

For your Monday Morning Mocha this week I am going to take a break and let three of my favorite poets/teachers speak to you...hope you enjoy, have a productive Monday...peace!

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY

T.G.I. MuthaF-kin' F.!! LOL! I don't know about you guys but it has been a LONG week for me, so I am very happy it's Friday (and I'm ready to swing, pick up my girls and hit the party scene, tonight, ohh it's alright, mmm!) Sorry, was just feeling it for a second...I am in SERIOUS NEED of the girls day I have planned on Saturday with two of my closest homies (manis, pedis, sushi, wine, and shopping, what more could a girl ask for?!!)......Anyway, below I've posted a very interesting clip explaining how our eyes perceive and interpret the world around us. It's a very interesting and interactive clip. Check it out!...And for your further enjoyment I posted two of my favorite songs by my girl Jill Scott just because it was what I was feeling at the moment. Also because I feel they best represent me at this moment in my life... Hope my post helps you make it through your day, or at least something to enjoy on your lunch break...have a safe weekend!!

What Do You Think Wednesday

So Google is in the testing phases of their newest user interface, the Google Wave. It's pretty hard to explain, so for your convenience I've attached a clip from CNN that is discussing the new app. Take a look...





Does this look like something you will want to use? Or does it look too confusing?? Are they trying to do too much? Or does it look like the best app ever? What do you think???

MAKE THAT CHANGE!!!

If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself then make that change! The only man that really spoke a universal language and brought all races together through his music...RIP MJ!!

~MONDAY MORNING MOCHA~

Are TV and Video Games Raising Our Children??

Long gone are the days when children would be outside, playing in the streets, when you drove through a neighborhood. When I was growing up in the nineties we played outside. Our parents did not let us come in the house, except for a water break. Especially during the summer, we would stay outside all day and wouldn’t return until dark. We played all kinds of games, everything from hide-and-go-seek to games that we made up. It was only on rainy days that we would congregate at one house and watch TV and movies or play video games. But even on those rainy days, we’d play board games or make up games to play in the house. We were creative, we had vivid imaginations and we LOVED to explore!

Now-a-days, it seems as though children just wait to be entertained. They have access to so many stimuli that they have no need to entertain themselves. TV and video games have become the tool that most parents use to entertain (or distract) their children while they are busy doing something or when they just don’t want to be bothered. It’s nothing wrong with a little bit of TV, but it seems as though the only thing children know is TV, video games and what’s on the radio. Children are being robbed of their precious imaginations. And having a limited imagination does not nurture your creative and logical thinking skills as it should. Therefore, they are being robbed of their MINDS and their ability to THINK. And I wonder why this is?? Because the powers that be, don’t want a functioning society that can THINK and are aware of what’s going on in the world. They want a society that stays in their little bubbles of TV, Internet, iPods, video games, cell phones (yes, cell phones!), etc. so they can continue to “pull the wool over their eyes”. I worked at a school for a few years and I was quite disheartened to find out that most children did not know how to spell their name, recite the alphabet, or count to ten when they started school. They did however know the latest songs on the radio and the newest shows on TV. When I would take my group outside for recess, they really didn’t know what to do. They would just stand around and talk. I had to TEACH them how to play!! I couldn’t believe it.

Something is wrong with the parenting in this country. I am not a parent but I do want children some day. And every day I observe parents around me and pick up on things that I will or won’t do with my children. I know parenting is hard work, and that’s why I am not having children until I know that I am ready to truly give up my selfish ways. I think the problem lies in the fact that parents feel like their job stops when they get home because they work so hard during the day. They want to sit back and relax and watch TV themselves. But even though you work so hard all day, you real job starts when you get home. And that job is the most important of them all: raising your children.

Talk to your children, play board games with your children, do puzzles with your children, READ to your children!!!!….I am really scared for the generation of children that are being raised today. These are the children that will be taking care of my generation in the future. And personally, I don’t think they are being prepared at all. Why do you think so many children are A.D.D.? Because they are over-stimulated and over entertained and then you ask them to sit in a classroom for eight hours and pay attention?? First of all, the education system is truly screwed up and needs to be completely revamped (but that’s for another post!), but secondly parents need to start talking to their children; reading to their children; interacting with their children in ways that don’t involve TV. My parents used to read to me and talked to me about things. We would have discussions! I could watch TV, but what I watched was very limited. When I got home from school in the evenings we played outside! Children hardly do that anymore. Playing outside involved some of the best memories I have from childhood.

Now I‘m no expert on parenting or anything like that, but I am worried for our children and it’s not their fault. It’s ours. And I say “ours” because it truly does take a village to raise a child. These are just my observations, things that I think need to be addressed in our communities, especially the black community. We just need to invest a little more time in our children because, I know its cliché, but they are the future. We need to be teaching them how to THINK and make good decisions. We all know that saying: “you can be anything you want to be if you put your mind to it.” Well they CAN’T be anything in this world if they don’t have the MINDS to do so. And those minds have to be developed!! And who has to develop them?? WE DO!

So this concludes your wake-up call in this edition of Monday Morning Mocha! I look forward to a great discussion for “What Do You Think Wednesdays?” and as always, do CREATE a good day…hope you have a great Monday….PEACE!

Feel Good Friday

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!! We made it through yet another week...So this post is gonna be under the category of "Feel Good Friday" and every friday I will post things to make you laugh, or at least make you smile. Because, hey it's friday and we all need a break from reality every now and then :-P ...So here are a few clips I found, you may have already seen them before, but if not enjoy! Have a great day and a great weekend, see you on monday for your Monday Mornin' Mocha...


4 year-old hip Hop Dancer on Ellen...ssooo cute!!


Grocery Store Musical


Finally, this is for my fellow Richmonders: "River City: A richmond rap" (hilarious!!)

Interesting Article on CNN

Ok, so I am a secret science geek at heart...Well I like to understand the way things work and that includes the universe and the world around us. So I stumbled across an article today (on CNN.com) that is about a new telescope that NASA is building that is supposed to see 13 billion light years away. So essentially, this would allow us to see into the past as it would take the light from those stars 13 billion years to reach us. So we would be seeing the stars as they were 13 billion years ago. And scientists are claiming that the “Big Bang” happened 14 billion years ago. So we would be able to see almost the edges of the universe?? My question to scientists would be: Who made you God to say that the edge of the universe is 14 billion light years away. Also, if the light takes that long to reach us, then how are we already here? Did matter speed up and pass light?? I'm confused...science contradicts itself constantly. Maybe we should learn to take a look into our souls and take look around this beautiful earth we are destroying to find the answers. They are all around us, we just have to slow down, listen and observe and stop acting like we are the most superior beings. If we were so superior we wouldn't be destroying our home, we would be living in harmony with it. Most psychologists agree that we only use like 10% of our brains. So imagine what we would know and what we could do if we were able to tap into the other 90% of our brains that we’ve been cut-off from somehow? Maybe that part that we’ve been cut off from is our connection to the knowledge of self and essentially God. That which is of essence in you is that which is of essence in me. We are one and the same… I’m just saying…It’s possible that the Earth is beginning to rid itself of us with the floods, tsunamis, etc…; we have mutated into the cancer that is killing the bigger organism that is the Earth. The Earth has rid itself before, i.e. Ice Age, so I wouldn't be surprised if we are headed in that same direction again, this time it probably won't be ice! But I digress!!...Check out the article below though, it's pretty interesting. It made me think,as you can see I went off on a tangent, lol; maybe it will make you think too...You can’t take everything for a grain of salt…look deeper!


http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/space/08/18/new.generation.telescopes/index.html

Network

Clips from the movie Network, which came out in 1976, if you haven't seen this movie, check it out!! Well atleast check out these clips...

Our Celebrity Obsession

Why are we so obsessed with celebrities? Is it because of the insecurities they make us see within ourselves? Or is it because watching their downfalls and chaotic lifestyles essentially makes us feel better about our own lives? Or maybe it’s because we like to see their insecurities because it makes us feel better about our own. But have you ever thought that it’s our obsession with celebrities that essentially creates the insecurities within ourselves? They SEEM like they have it all, the fame, the money, the beauty, the confidence, and the list goes on. But I have to think that watching these celebrities and constantly admiring them, has to have an effect on us subconsciously and even consciously.

We all sat back and watched Britney crumble under the pressure. Somewhere along the way her mistakes became our entertainment. But the real question is: Does being entertained by these things/people make us shallow individuals? With all the other issues going on in the world today, why do we care about the lives of celebrities? Why do I have to have the E! Entertainment News app on my phone along with the CNN app? Why do we care so much!?

On the flip side most celebrities seek out the fame, they WANT it, and then can’t handle it when it comes. They are attention seekers and they are addicted to seeking that constant approval. I never would want to live in the public eye for the world to critique, criticize and judge everything that I do. But I think that’s why we are so obsessed with celebrity culture because we are all voyeurs in our own way. We love to look at others lives without being an active participant, hence the popularity of reality TV. We love to be judgmental of others, although we don’t like to admit it. Celebrities allow us to be judgmental without feeling bad, because they are people that we don’t really know. But we do know almost everything about them!

Focusing our constant attention on the lives of celebrities gives them a power over us. It gives them an influential power of course. The media knows how influenced we are by celebrities, as they are the ones that are constantly pushing them in our faces…why do you think this is? Well for one they are walking advertisements! And they also keep us distracted from the real issues that are going on in the world (but that’s another blog post). They influence what we wear, where we go, what we eat, etc.

To me celebrities are like the “popular kids” in high school, except they are the “popular kids” of the WORLD. They have everything that you want and wish you could have. Everybody wants to be them or be like them. So we strive our hardest to be similar to them, and we look down on those of us who have broken from the mold and walk to the beat of their own drum…Every day I face the constant battle of trying to break free of the influential hold that celebs have over me. I try to be different, but some days I fall short of that task. Sometimes it’s so much easier to just be like them…So I pose this challenge to you and myself. Let’s DARE TO BE DIFFERENT and break free from the influential hold that celebrities have on us. Let’s open up about our personal insecurities with each other. I think we will find that most people share the same insecurities. Let’s stop passing judgment over people we don’t even know, it’s truly a waste of time when there are more pressing issues at hand!

Thoughts, questions, answers.....????