#TakingTheFoodStampChallenge

I am so sorry to my loyal readers for not putting any posts out in awhile.  Things have been crazy! (Got a new truck and trying to think of a cute name for it. Any suggestions?).  But I want to come back with a post with some substance (then the next post will be about the hot messness that is going on in entertainment).  At the beginning of the year I was working with SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program formerly known as Food Stamps) Outreach.  After working with this program for 8 months (and also being a participate in the program for a short while) it became an issue that was close to my heart.  So I became very irked at the possible cuts to be made to SNAP.   Just as a reminder I am not a political science major so when I speak about politics I keep it very simple.  So the short of it is that the super committee (a committee that was put together to figure out how to solve America’s huge debt problem) might consider cutting funding to SNAP to solve the debt problem.  Because that’s how you fix America’s debt, kick the neediest in the stomach (literally). 

news clip of me discussing the issue

Some Congressmen, student leader groups, and other groups around the country are participating in the SNAP Challenge to prove just how vital this program is to those that need it.  Some groups have even started Facebook groups and encouraged others to share their experience on the page.  The challenge is this: Spend $28 a week, which is about $4 a day for food (this is what some SNAP recipients have to do on a regular basis, maybe lower if these cuts happen).  Then share your experience in a blog, Facebook page, Twitter, etc.  I especially want people who think SNAP is wasteful spending to take this challenge and experience what someone who has recently lost job has to endure on a day to day basis. 

If you are willing to take this challenge please let me know.  I will be more than willing to let you use my blog to tell your story. 

#MyLoveHateRelationshipWithBeyonce

For those of you who are reading my blog for the first time or if you do not know me personally, you might not know about my love/hate relationship with Beyonce.  It has taken me awhile to jump on the “Beyonce is the Best Performer of Our Generation” bandwagon.  It was never because I did not believe she could sing or dance but for me it spans back to the early years of Destiny’s Child.

If you were a preteen or teen in 1998 you remember Destiny’s Child first single “No, No, No” (Part 2 to be exact).  It was a catchy tune and it alright on the Billboard charts.  Without any other single I was won by this young R&B girl group.  During this time I was impressed by everything Destiny’s Child did: their outfits (designed by Tina Knowles), their videos, and there was not a song I did not know.  I even had the chance to see the original Destiny’s Child in concert in Memphis, TN in 1999.  By the summer I had Writings on the Wall and knew every song.  Then one day in 2000, I was watching 106 & Park and there were two new members in the “Say My Name” video.  I felt hurt and betrayed (Sounds dramatic but as I said I was a preteen during this time).  A couple of singles later, the group would be down to 3: Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams.  And this would begin my love/hate relationship with Beyonce. 



This infamous video





I blamed Beyonce for breaking up the best girl group since TLC.  I seriously did not like her.  As we all know Beyonce sang lead on every song.  Every now and again Kelly got to sing on a hook and Michelle was stuck in the background (I think she was just happy for the exposure).  It was obvious that Beyonce was getting ready for her solo career and she just used this girl group as a stepping stone.  My friends called me a hater for blaming Beyonce and told me that it was her father, Matthew Knowles that had caused this drama.  But I was convinced that Beyonce knew all along that her father’s main interest was her career and the other girls were casualties in this war we call the music industry (apparently I am just as dramatic as I was in my preteens).  So it was my goal to continue to NOT support her solo projects as revenge  for the former members of Destiny’s Child. 

I have stuck to my goal…kinda.  Even though I bought Beyonce’s first solo CD, Dangerously in Love, I did not buy the second one B-Day (I swear she re-released that CD 16 times).  I do have to admit that my fav Beyonce song is “Upgrade You” which was on B-Day, but I digress.  Every movie she was in, I judged her acting…HARD.  I criticized her immensely for the roles she chose (most of her early acting jobs she portrayed singers.  Way to branch out Beyonce).  As far as I was concerned she had a long way to go before she would be at the Academy Awards accepting an award for Best Anything.  Then I Am Sasha Fierce came out and I had to wave the white flag on my war against everything Beyonce.  I was in love (no homo). 

For a year straight, I played I Am Sasha Fierce on my Iphone and can probably do the dance backwards and forwards to “Single Ladies”.  Yes, I anticipated the video for each song on the CD and even started trying to catch her performances on all talk shows and award shows.  I hate to admit this but I almost cried when she announced her pregnancy at the 2011 VMAS.  I will admit that I have mixed emotions about her latest album, 4.  In an interview on The View, concerning her most recent album she said that she was not concerned about radio hits but wanted to make classics ( I digs that).  As of now I respect the artist that she has become but please believe I will continue to throw shade every now and again. 

#FreakinGlee

I HAVE to write about last week's episode of Glee "Asian F".  It was so good!  It had some of my favorite songs, a part from my favorite movie and we got to see a new side of Mike Chang.

RUN THE WORLD: Who run the world? BRITTANY!! So Brittany has decided to run for student council president and for those who watch the show regularly probably laughed at the idea.  But Brittany performed Run the World (Girls) by Beyonce and showed Kurt, her opponent, that she is truly a contender.  Brittany is the best girl dancer on the show (she use to dance back up for Beyonce).  I love it whenever she has a solo performance.  She seriously makes me want to start taking up dance again.  But not only did Brittany kill, but the rest of the girls that were a part of the performance did a killer job too! It was a very energetic performance





DREAMGIRLS ON GLEE:  If you know me, you know that Dreamgirls is in my top 5 musical movies (right after Footlose, the 80's version).  So when Glee did "It's All Over" I almost fell out my chair.  That song and "And I'm Telling You" is the reason why I became a huge fan of Jennifer Hudson.  And I'm pretty sure that if Jennifer Hudson did not get the role, Amber Riley would have been runner up.  She is Effie White on Glee, under appreciated.  I am proud of her for standing up for herself and not being second best to Rachel Berry (by the way, I'm so over her over the top performances.  Seriously, every time she sings I get on twitter until she's done with her 10 minute Broadway ballad.)  I get so tired of Mercedes having to share the spotlight.  Honestly, it would have been cool to see a black Maria (I would go see it.)  Also, I think Mercedes is pregnant.

MIKE FREAKIN' CHANG: So we finally get to see who Mike Chang really is.  I'm ecstatic  how we are getting to see another side of the characters (For awhile it was the Kurt, Quinn, Rachel, and Finn show).  We all know that Mike is the best dancer on the show and Tina's boyfriend but that was as far as his character went.  We are now seeing that his dream is to be an artist.  But like the typical Asian parents we see on all TV shows, his dad wants him to go to an Ivy League School and be a doctor or a lawyer.  Also typical, Mike chose instead to try out for the school musical, West Side Story, and follow his dream. 

Asian F gets an Ebony A+ (sorry for being so corny).  The storyline was good and fresh.  It's always a good episode when the show explores other characters on the show (I love Sue but I get T-I-RED of seeing her trying to destroy the New Directions every week).  I think the next new episode is November 1st but I'm so ready to see it mostly to find out if my prediction is right about Mercedes being pregnant. 

#WhoIsTroyDavis?

The title of this post is actually a trending topic on Twitter today.  Troy Davis was convicted in 1989 for shooting and killing an Georgia off-duty officer.  The gun was not found but the bullets that were recovered were found to be shot from the same pistol that was shot by Davis in another charge.  There were 10 witnesses that claimed that they saw Davis shoot the officer.  Later on 8 witnesses recanted their testimonies, saying they were coerced by officers to convict Davis.  Davis still claims that he is innocent.  His execution is scheduled for today (Sept 21) at 7pm.

I am not writing this post to make a claim that he is innocent.  When I first started this blog I promised myself I would never write a post on a high controversy issue unless it was a story I had followed or I knew all the facts involved (hence why I did not write a post on the Casey Anthony Trail).  I am not a journalist major but I know the importance of writing with accurate facts.  So I will not go into detail about his case and how the evidence and witness accounts have been shady.  But what I want to write about is how a death penalty law should not exist when a flawed justice system does exist. 

There are a lot of gray areas in Troy Davis' case.  I have read that the actual gun was not found.  I always thought that if the murder weapon was not found the prosecutor did not have a hard case.  But yet in this case a potential innocent man will die tonight without a murder weapon being present.  I stated before that 8 of the 10 witnesses have recanted their stories.  One witness has even named another person to be the killer.  But yet a potential innocent man will die tonight. 

I cannot say this man is innocent nor can I say that he is guilty.  I'm pretty sure the DA cannot say 100% that he believes that Davis did it and because of this doubt he [Troy Davis] should not be receiving the death penalty tonight.  I cannot understand how a man can be put to death with so many gray areas in the case.  Humans are imperfect.  For a second I am going to sound a little preachy.  The Bible says that vengeance belongs to God.  Well if you think about it, it is rightly so that vengeance belongs to Him.  He is perfect, sees all, and knows all.  He does not need DNA evidence or eye witnesses.  When He gets His revenge on the wicked, He will never wrongly convict someone.  Because we [human beings] are imperfect and did not create life, we certainly do not have the authority to take life from someone else, especially when there is doubt behind their crime.

If we ever find out after his execution that Troy Davis was innocent, it will truly hurt my heart.  But for me this case brings me closer to God because He is ultimately my judge, my flawless judge. 

#TheGirlWhoWasntPickedForAKA

Once upon a time, there was this girl who attended an university.  She worked hard in her classes and was friendly to everyone that she met.  She was not the most popular girl but she was not concerned with that.  Giving an earnest effort in her classes and being true to herself meant more to her than popularity. 
During her sophomore year she decided that she wanted to be a part of a sorority.  Even though she did not know anybody personally in a sorority she had heard good things about women who joined them.  That these woman put emphasis on their education, worked hard to make a positive impact on their campus and in their community, and had high standards when it came to the subject manner of womanhood.  This impressed the girl because she also valued her education and wanted to make an impact on others.She find out, though, that it took more than being a good  person to be Greek.
As said before she did not know any Greeks personally.  So she did not know the "not on the sorority's website" rules.  She had to learn these "rules" from other friends.  She made sure to be discreet and not to go around telling people that she wanted to be an AKA.  She made sure that she went to their programs and got involved in other campus activities.   And she did what she thought was most important and that was to keep a good GPA, which was a 3.0.  (By the way, she kept this GPA all 4 years of college and was even on the Dean's List.) But this would still not be enough.
She would be rejected not once, but twice, from this organization.  Each time wondering why she was not good enough for their organization.  (She would realize later that it was their lost, not hers.)  As far as she knew she had follow their "rules".  But in actuality she did not follow all their rules. 
The first rule she broke was not looking the part.  Even though this girl was not popular, the last thing she had was low  self-esteem, nor was she coming to them seeking self-esteem.  It didn't bother her that she was not considered the prettiest girl on campus.  She knew she was beautiful because she was made in God's image and no sorority could tell her different.  Second rule was that she was not popular or known by a lot of people.  When this girl came to college the last thing on her "to do before I graduate from college" list was to be popular.  That had not even been a priority when she was in high school.  She was more interested in learning to be a grown woman.  Lastly the most important "rule" she broke was she did not kiss behind, stroke egos, or make these women feel like royalty. She did not want anything that bad. 
The only thing this girl regrets is that she was interested at all in an organization with such juvenile rules.  By them not picking her she has something more valuable than their membership: she has her dignity.  She has this because she refused to play by the rules and chose to instead play by her own rules.  If she had the time, she would actually write a letter to these "women" and tell them thank you for not picking her.  It seemed to be these "women" still had a great deal to learn about womanhood.  The girl can only hope that that these women learn to see someone not only from their outer appearance but learn to see someone for their character.
By the way, this is a true story. 

#NewBraNewWoman

I know it has been awhile since my last post but thanks to one of my followers I have an interesting idea for a post.  This past weekend my girls and I went bra shopping.  And believe me this trip was long over due.  As embarrasing as it is to admit, the bras I had been wearing I've had for years.  They were worn, stretched to the max, and barely holding anything up.  My bras were a disgrace to bras everywhere.  Victoria's Secret would have wanted me commited for the condition of my bras. 



In my new bra!!!



So as I said this trip was long over due.  My girls (not the girls on my chest) and I ended up at Lane Bryant, the thick girl's heaven.  As an unofficial spoke person of Lane Bryant, if you are a 38 C or above this is the store for you.  The associates were freaking awesome!  They sized my friend and I and both of us were in the wrong size, not uncommon for women who are not sized often.  But yeah, I was waaaaaaaay off concerning my bra size.  Thanks to the associates not only did I get my right size but they also told me what category of bras were right for me.  Unfortunately, Lane Bryant associates do not get commision but if they did, I would have made sure that the women that helped me would have gotten their full commision. 

I did not realize that a bra can really make you feel like a brand new woman.  My posture is better, the girls (the ones on my chest) are no longer sitting on my knees, and I feel so much more sophisticated.  For me this is a start of my new womanhood.  Before it was nothing for me to go to Walmart and throw a bra in the basket along with my debbie snack cakes, toothe paste, Doritos, and Hawiian Punch.  Nothing against Walmart, but it is time that I go to real bra stores for the ta-tas.   As a young professional woman, it is time that I start looking for quality not just in bras, but in all aspects of my life.  It hit me that it is time that I update my style, not to be concerned about the current styles but to more of a classic timeless look.  Stores like Rue 21, Forever 21, Rainbow, and Citi Trendz cannot make up most of the clothes in my closet if I am looking for a timeless style or wanting to be taken serious as a professional woman. 



This bra has also reminded me how fun it is to be a woman.  Later on that day, we decided that it was time to maybe update our other personals: panties.  This turned into an hour laugh session about granny panties, thongs, and other coversations that should probably be had in the privacy of your home and not a public place.  This was another reminder of my new womanhood.  I do not want to sound old but as you grow as woman you worry less about cute panties and more about comfort.  Are this panties going to give me a wedgie? Are my panty lines going to show? Should I get the hi-cut briefs over the string bikinis?

Sometimes I cringe about getting older but other days I truly embrace it (yea I know, I'm only 23).  I love this new womanhood hood and I love what it is going to offer me in the future  (maybe pregnacy, but not looking forward to the change).  If you have chance to go bra shopping (not a Walmart) do it and you will find your new womanhood too. 

#TheHelpAndUnfortunateNegativeFeedback

I know it has been awhile since I have done a post but I could not wait to do a post about The Help starring Emma Stone and Viola Davis.  I had the opportunity to read the book first (written by Kathryn Stockett) and I knew then it was going to be an instant hit.  If you have seen the movie but have not read the book, I do recommend that you read the book.  Even though the movie kept close to the book, the movie does leave out parts from book (which is common when a book is adapted into a movie) that helps you get an even deeper understanding of the characters.  I understand that even if a movie is flawless there are still going be some critics who not going to care for a movie.  But what urks me is when critics pick the smallest, non-significant detail to make a big deal about.  Unfortunately, a lot of the negative feedback for this movie has come from the black community. 

A major criticism that I have heard about the movie (and the book) is that it is a white woman telling the story of black maids.  What made me mad about this criticism was that it was obviously made by someone who had not read the book.  I agree that no one can tell the story better of what it was to be a black maid in Jackson, Mississippi in 1960's better than someone who was a black maid in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960's.  In the book and the movie, Skeeter, a young, recent college graduate white woman, says it plainly: "It's not about me."  The Help made it very clear that this was not going to be a story about making it seem like it was a walk in the park to be a black maid during a time when just expressing your opinion about Jim Crow laws would have got you lynched, another point brought out in the book and movie. I actually respect Kathryn Stockett for telling the ugly truth of her people to bring to light an unfortunate part of our history. 

Some other criticism that I have heard is that the movie left out some facts, like the sexual abuse some maids endured from the men they worked for.  Again, if these critics  had read the book they would have seen that this issue is discussed.  I'm not sure why this was not discussed in the movie but Hilly Holbrook gave us enough bigotry for us to get the picture of what it was to be a maid in Mississippi or anywhere in the South for that matter.  I just love how the critics and historians (mostly black people who did not grow up in this era) are calling the move out for not being accurate.  I had the privilege of going to see this movie with my mother, who grew up in the 1950's and 1960's.  It was very hard for my mother to enjoy the movie because it was an hour and 40 minute flashback for her.  She expressed to me that she felt like she was going to have to walk out because of just how accurate it was.  May I also note that Myrlie Evers, Medgar Ever's wife who is mentioned in the movie, had high remarks for the movie. 

I get that not everyone is going to like the movie.  We are all entitled to our opinion.  But not only do I think this movie is accurate but it was beautifully portrayed by Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer, who I hope both get Oscar nominations.  But before you (rather you are black or white) develop an opinion about The Help,  read the book and see the movie.  I promise you will not be disappointed.