"Ahhhh yes Johnny....Take a good look...Because no matter how cleverly you sneak up on your image in the mirror, it is still staring back at you dead-on..."
-Louis Cypher - Angel Heart

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Nowinehouse

Winehouse sings in Spain, glass of wine in hand

ARGANDA DEL REY, Spain (AP) -- Soul diva Amy Winehouse sipped from a glass of red wine and looked a bit unsteady on her feet as she appeared in front of a large audience at the Rock in Rio music festival southeast of Madrid on Friday.

Then, as tens of thousands cheered, she threw off a pair of high stiletto heels in favor of white moccasins, donned a white electric guitar and settled into an intense rendition of some of her best known songs, including "Rehab."

Winehouse delivered a strong vocal performance accompanied by her octet plus two male backing vocalists.

There was no hint of the controversy that saw the Grammy-winning singer scuffle with a fan at the Glastonbury festival in Britain and show up an hour late looking the worse for wear last May in Portugal.

The singer won five Grammy Awards, including best record, best song and best new artist, in early February, but her musical success has been overshadowed by her tumultuous private life and public struggles with drugs and alcohol.

Last month, her father said she developed emphysema from smoking cigarettes and crack cocaine, although her spokeswoman has said Winehouse only has pre-emphysema symptoms.

Once finished at Rock in Rio, she did not stay for an encore and left the outdoor concert venue by helicopter.

Winehouse's manager, Michael Jobson, told national broadcaster RTVE that the singer had looked forward to singing in Madrid after appearances in Portugal and Hyde Park, London.

Ok so here's my problem with Amy Winehouse and everyone glamourizing this woman deadset on killing herself.  Besides the fact that she was filmed smoking crack and making racist rants (here in America an incredible number of multi cultural people love this woman's music....their dollars helped make her rich) she decides to be racial.  Personally to me she looks, acts and sounds like "trailer trash" and I am really baffled as to why she is even famous.  I tried listening to her once, because I wanted to see what the hype was about her, and couldn't understand a damn thing this woman was saying.

So being a crackhead isn't enough...racist rants about the very people that lined your pocketbooks isn't enough, now we have to continue to perpetuate the alcohol and drug problem by jumping onstage with a drink in hand!

Here is what has been driving me crazy about musicians (especially those that continually live in the limelight).  One little slip-up and the entire world knows, yet also knowing that the younger audiences are already fascinated with "living on the edge" i.e., drugs, drinking, partying, stealing, criminal activities, our wonderful musicians continue to be persuasive to their younger fans (you know they automatically become role models whether they want to or not) and fails to realize that their every action is being emulated by the youth.

It is bad enough to have people like Lindsay Lohan continue to be a public alcoholic menace.  Bad enough that Winehouse continues to stay in the news for her alcoholism and drugs.  Bad enough that Spears is STILL in the news.  Why are we enabling this type of behavior in the first place?  Why do we as consumers continue to line these idiot's pockets with our purchases and support?  Shouldn't we show our children that there is more to life than being a public menace?

Continuous ads run daily about the outcomes of drinking and driving, yet Lohan is literally caught daily smashed out of her mind.  "Just Say No" to drugs is plastered along billboards, yet we still idolized Winehouse as though she is some goddess.  I will tell you what she is, she is hellbent on HER self destruction, another Spears wanting public attention.  Well guess what?  She will never get my dollar!  She doesn't even get airplay in my house, I do not own one Amy Winehouse production and I NEVER will.  Here is one BLACK person's dollar she will NOT bank on.

I am concerned about the morality of our people, everything in America seems to be one contradiction after another. 

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Feed Your Mind...Nourish Your Soul

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I totally have a newfound respect for Iceberg Slim.  Although I had his books from when I was a teen, I could not appreciate what it was he was truly trying to teach the young brothers and sisters of the day. 

I decided to reread them over the weekend (yes so far I have read a couple) and I am absolutely astounded.

One that really stands out in my mind is "Mama Black Widow: A Tragic, Bitter Family Portrait."  A powerful novella about a black family moving from the South to the "promised land" of the North.  I won't give away too much of the storyline, but I will say this:  I felt for Otis and truly wanted him to see a better light than what was shone.  (By the way I discovered they are making a movie for Mama Black Widow so I would definitely be interested to see how it turns out)

You feel for the characters that Iceberg brings to light.

Second book, " The Naked Soul of Iceberg Slim," is a collection of thoughts from Iceberg.  He really laid it down about the "pimp" game and how society may have glamorized "pimpdom" it really wasn't something that was to be idolized.

Iceberg Slim was an incredible writer of his time...

Next book, "Pimp" and I can't wait!

(Disclaimer:  For those of you who do not know about Robert Beck, better known by his ghetto name, Iceberg Slim, he was a pimp, dope addict, brutalizer of women - and other Blacks.  He cured himself of the ghetto, and started writing about his people and his life.  These books were honest, sensitive portraits of ghetto life and people.)

If you're interested in reading more about Iceberg Slim or even his books, follow the carousel ;-)

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The next few days will be spent researching whether or not I can truly make money online. I have tried online surveys, only to have my inbox bombarded with SPAM from hell, not to mention, whenever I open something that says, "Hey take this survey and get $35!" The problem is, it isn't a survey but rather an offer. There are difference between surveys and offers. Surveys ask you endless amounts of questions about a certian topic. Offers mean you sign up for what they present to you. "Get a Free Ipod...sign up now!" Only to have your email entered into a national or rather international email base where SPAM rules. Yesterday my SPAM box had 3,897 messages, all letting me know I can get free cosmetics, I won a $500 gift card to Macys, I can get a FREE Laptop....Yeah right....Offers flood my inbox and I literally cringe when I open it.

Whew! I do realize there are legitimate places that pay well to type documents and read email. What I don't like to read is an "offer" that states I can makes thousands of dollars and get out of debt...but first I should send $500 to get started. Listen up....if I am broke beforehand, I don't hardly think I am going to GIVE someone $500 of my hard earned dollars to have a list sent to me of places willing to pay top dollar for a job!

Pyramid schemes, are they beneficial? I have stumbled across sites that offer pyramid schemes, but it is confusing and contrived. Too many loopholes and hoops to jump through just to make a dollar. I'm sure if I sold an air conditioner to a company, signed one of my friends, and they sold and air conditioner to someone and they signed someone, it would be beneficial. However, in this day and age, people can't afford groceries and gas...let alone an air conditioner!

I signed up for Google Adsense, and Amazon Associates. I now have an aStore through Amazon (kinda cool) so once I get the word out about that, I would love to see what it generates. Since America is experiencing a deficit with the economy, I know it is asking too much to buy a cd, but the added perk with this is....you don't have to waste your gas driving to the store! The widget for my aStore is embedded at the bottom of my page! Happy Shopping!

My next venture is blogging for cash. Here is where I might experience a potential problem, because I generally don't have that much to say, yet I am signed up with about 10 blog sites, that pay. Now I have to think of ideas to blog about...this is going to be hard! I am sure however, that with patience and perseverance, I can eventually make some money with a blog...and maybe even get back into my initial passion which was writing.

I will look into Social Networking as well because I generally receive about 30 emails a day from FaceBook concerning it. My question is can I really make money adding friends to my friend's list? Will this increase my bank account, or just my friend's list? (The messages always read, "Social Networking Makes Money For You...") So does this mean my newfound friends give me jobs or money? (this is worth looking into!)

My investigation will consist of companies dead set on flooding my inbox with offers and options. I will add to this post once it is completed.

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Feed Your Mind...Nourish Your Soul - What's The Buzz?

http://astore.amazon.com/ia06-20

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Akasha

I just read an interesting article from men turned off by the fact that their girlfriends and wives are too clingy and possessive. They explained that while they were at work the women had ample "me time" but when they were at home the women became a second appendage, often disabling them from the quality time they so needed themselves.

I know exactly how they feel when it comes to quality time to one's self. There is nothing like being with someone 24/7 and literally feeling like your essence is being zapped away from you because someone is so insecure with the fact that maybe you need to be alone for a moment just to recharge. I have been in innumerous arguments trying to explain that just because I need some time alone didn't mean I was ready to throw the relationship away.

I have friends (female) that literally suck the life essence from their men because they need to know the guy's every movement, every detail, every thought. When the guy wants to hang out with his friends or family it becomes a major production, oftentimes where the guy has to lie just to get a few moments away. I sympathize because I know what that is like, you feign work for the weekend to have a moment of peace and tranquility.

A couple of my friends don't quite understand that relationships are built on compromise, trust and understanding. Going to the gym doesn't necessarily mean he is checking out the women at the gym, but perhaps he is actually going to the gym to work out. Working out is a great form of stress release, not add stressors prior.

I know a few of the men that I have dealt with find that I am quite the opposite of what they normally deal with. I actually respect another person's time and space, and I don't feel like each waking moment I should possess. We have things to do, people to see, and money to make. I would actually get harassed because I didn't call all day everyday just for the sake of calling.

When a person can't get a simple moment of silence just to recharge, animosity can build towards the other person. Think about it, if you have children, you look forward to bedtime just so that you can have a break, watch TV or read that book you've been trying to read for ages. This doesn't mean you don't like your kids, but everyone knows that raising a child takes a great deal of time, energy, effort and most of all love. The same as a relationship. You must be able to nourish your relationship, cultivate it and step back and take a breather.

This article explained that his girlfriend, now pregnant demands that he spends all of his time with her. Even when he gets home from work, a definite time to recharge, she is literally glued to him. He described how he sometimes just walks out of the door for an hour or two with telling her, simply because he knows she will balk about it. She feels as though time away from her would mean a new life that doesn't include her, and she simply cannot deal with it.

Hmmmmmm, what's an hour away from the house? That seems to be enough time to drive around the corner a few times, or park your car somewhere and ponder your day before your mighty succubus steals your life force. What that sounds like to me is insecurity, which leads to possessiveness and crazed thoughts and feelings. You shouldn't worry about an hour away, worry when the person stops coming home period.
So they want to spend time with family and friends, is that really so hard to accept? Their family and friends were definitely there before you were, they are just another extension of your loved one, that shouldn't wreck havoc on your home.

Here are a few examples of someone who smothers their loved one:

1. While they are on the phone you lurk in the shadows listening in and adding your commentary while they speak.

2. You're first before you see their shadow.

3. You know you don't like football, yet you're smack dab in the middle of the gang.

4. They use the bathroom facilities with you (sometimes those private moments really should be PRIVATE)

5. Sitting at the breakfast table reading the paper, your face is covering up the headlines.

(I'm poking fun at this, but some of these experiences are real.)

I absolutely cringe whenever I hear, "I was nothing without this person in my life, now I am someone and I HAVE to spend every moment with them."  Here is an eye-opener for you: You were someone before you met them, you are still someone with them!

So how about using your children to keep a stronghold on your loved one? I just had a conversation earlier today with a friend where he explained to me that his friend's wife wouldn't let him pursue his musical career because of her insecurities, and literally told him he would never be able to see his son if he did. That is absolutely CRAZY! Love is not BINDING and should not be used to control someone....ever...

Communication is the key to an effective relationship, however, discussing instances of smothering can be uncomfortable. There are tactful ways of explaining "me time." One could usually say that it is essential that I have at least an hour of downtime so that I can be my best with you. Assurance can help lessen the stress. For myself, since I am prone to awful mood swings, if I don't get my time, well let's just say that it isn't "pretty," and I even had to find tactful ways of saying, "I need to recharge my battery...."

Sometimes people don't quite understand that smothering can run a person right out of the door. I know for myself, I tend to gravitate towards "standalone" players, because they have their own lives, their own sense of self and do not waste their energy reflecting on the amount of time we're not spending with each other.  Too much time with each other can be a lethal combination, like lighters and paper. Think about it, if you are around someone all of the time, literally 24/7 you begin to notice their idiosyncrasies and begin to pick them apart. After awhile you no longer desire to be in the company of the person and do think about the "greener pastures."

Respect for each other, especially time, space, family and friends can go a long way to achieving a greater appreciation for each other...

The choice is yours...

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Show us your gorgeous eyes.
Submitted by [Susan].

Cyneye

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(I wrote this for my friends in MySpace, thought I'd share it here too...)

A few weeks ago I received a few disturbing messages from a "fan" who wanted to share their opinions with me about how an entertainer is really supposed to act towards their fans.  The emails struck me as odd because the person that sent them to me became friends with me under the premise that maybe I could get them closer to their target since I worked with them.  The emails started off with, "...I just had the opportunity to meet another musician who really cares about their fans, and are rather disappointed in (said musician) for not responding to their fans when they email them or reach out to them..."

Ok cool, however, since I am not the (said musician) I was baffled as to why I was privy to "said" conversation in the first place.  This person also went on to add a disclaimer that stated, "...(said musician) and myself were not all that because we don't care about our fans..." 

People let me explain something to you....when I'm working with (said musicians or entertainers) I AM really just working with them.  I have nothing to do with how they interact with their fans or people in the community.  I'm writing this because I noticed throughout the past few months, I have been held accountable for the actions of another simply because I know them...(yes I know the addage, "guilty by association") but I'm really not the one on stage entertaining folks...I am the person behind the scenes minding my own "bidness" trying to make an honest dollar.

I will however shed a little light for those of you and the "groupie love" you possess.  Musicians, those truly dedicated to their craft are VERY BUSY people.  Throughout the day they normally don't have time to grab a sensible lunch or a cup of coffee, let alone email you back because you just have to have a message from them.  By the way most messages you may receive are generally from the Webmaster and not the artist themselves, so while you think you're having a nice one-on-one conversation...think again...

Since most of the musician's time is taken up in the studio (i.e. rehearsing, practicing, writing, collaborating, video and photo shoots, etc....) there is not  much time to focus on what someone is posting to their comments here in MySpace.  However, when time is permitted some make take the time to peruse comments and mail...some may be catching a flight to their shows or some may be getting ready to go on tour...

In either respect, to have a disjointed view of how musicians should conduct themselves with their fans is a little off-centered.  Not to mention crazy.  These people are seriously working hard for their money like everyone else...they work hard to give you the music YOU want...they work hard to keep you entertained...they are not Postmasters....they do not need you standing at their doorsteps bearing gifts proclaiming your deep and undying love for them...

These are real people with "real" jobs, who probably have a 9-5 in addition to entertaining you....your expectations about how they should recognize your super fandom is ridiculous....be happy for them....support the music....don't expect them to bed you down and create a child from the union...and don't expect them to speak to you every damn day...it's just not happening....

So before you think to write me another email about (said musician's) conduct, think about whether or not you're keeping it real as a fan or maintaining a disjointed viewpoint...then ask yourself this question:

Do you really think Lenny Kravitz has time to chill out with you on MySpace?  Is it fair to get mad because he didn't respond to your mail? (if you answered "no" to any of these, you can be rehabilitated)

Keep it real folks....just keep it real...

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Yes...I'm daydreaming of a world that no longer has a reference to the color of one's own skin because people are accepted as they are.  I am dreaming of a day when everyone can break through the color barriers and allow themselves to love one another unconditionally.  Yes....I know a bit of a fairy tale, but in these trying times the issue of race seems to be the next most discussed topic, besides Brittany Spears.

Unless one can see life through the eyes as a person of color, it is hard to define what is most disturbing with today's times.  I would have to venture to say that it is fear that keeps people from trying to discover one another.  That fear seems to be the driving force to further keep a nation of people chained and bound.  This fear that won't allow love, but anger....hatred for another because of the color of their skin, or the religion they choose to practice.

I'm quite sure the talks about race seem to be endless, everyone competing for a shot to state their views and opinions.  One race doesn't understand another, another race seeking supremacy.  However, those who suffer the most are the seeds from unions.  Multiracial, bi-cultural.  Our children are left wondering why we hate each other so much...The things that are discussed at the dinner table, spills out unto our seeds, and they act out in schools, and amongst their peers....Then we sit back and wonder how our children learned such behaviors.  We sit in embarrassment when we're called from the school principals and teachers and other parents, as they explain to us that our children are a bad influence on other children.

Children often emulate what they see and hear.  Favorite icons on television, musicians, and yes....believe it or not we are the molds for our children's clay.  Daughters mirror the mothers, sons mirror their fathers.  We are the educators of our children yet our textbooks are outdated.  The vicious cycle continues to spin, we are the perpetrators of the crimes.  It is easy to say, "I am not responsible for little Johnny blowing up that Mosque,"  however, think about the last time you spewed venom about the Muslim community and your hatred for Muslims.  Children are not born to hate...we create the hate.  The hate that hate made.

All of our fears spill forth into the world.  We fear the man that shaved his head, but is he really a skin-head?  We fear the man because his clothes are sagging, but is he really a gang-banger?  Our perceptions of others has paralyzed our minds.  How we interact with others on the streets is like a sitcom.  We run from the man who says "hello," we refuse to help that elderly lady across the street because we're too consumed with our own selves to even care.  We turn a blind eye when someone asks for help.  "Oh, no....not me I'm not getting involved!"  We utter foul words under our breath when we approach someone different.  Yes different than our own skin. 

Racism is defined as, "the prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other races..."  My question? How can one race of people be more intrinsically superior to members of other races?"  How can a man sit in awe at the color of blood pouring from the wounds that have been inflicted upon another.  Yes, the blood that pours red is the same color that flows through all of our veins.  That same hue stains the very fibers that America was built on.

America was built on lies and racism.  Racism built America.  The blood, sweat and lives of others.  Strange fruit adorned the trees, blood nourished the seeds in our fields.  It is also our lies, our prejudice, our superiority that is destroying the nation. Our hatred is detroying our world.  Gaia is crying out to be purged of our ways.  Our world is changing dramatically, and instead of trying to make it a better place for all, we continue to wear our chains.  We continue to be bound by the hatred that controls our minds.  We will never be free because our fear will forever hold us captive.

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