Time

Another summer vacation for the kids has come to an end. It seems like it’s flyin’ by faster and faster. Time seems to fly whether you are having fun or not… Each moment, each minute is so very precious. Our time here is not known from one moment to the next. There are not too many things that are constant in this world… Time tickin’ by slowly but surely is, however, one of them.

If You Were In a Bar Fight...

I was listening to the radio the other morning on my way into work and they asked the question: If you were in a bar fight, which 3 stars would you want helping you? The answers were really funny too!! One guy said he would bring in George Bush because since he did such a great job F'ing up the country then he would easily win in a bar fight! Funny, right?! (Well to some of us that is...) Anywho, my three choices are below. I'm going with all ladies on this one!! Hey, we can put it down!! Who would you like on your team and why?

Angelina Jolie - Lara Croft

Uma Thurman - Kill Bill

Linda Hamilton - Sarah Connor - Terminator

WHY??

Why are the views of other people more important to us than how we see ourselves??

Why doesn’t glue stick to the inside of the bottle?

Why do some people love other people in their lives MORE than they love themselves?

Why does your doctor make you change out of your clothes, then tells you to put on a robe just to move the robe out of the way to see your naked body anyway?

Why are the nice people the hurt ones while the ones who treat others like garbage are the most carefree folks you’ll ever meet?

Why do we press the “Start” button to cut off the computer?

Why are families so hard to keep together but people have friendships from childhood that last “until death do they part”?

Why is there a light in the refrigerator and NOT the freezer?

Why is it easier to find fault in others than seeing fault in yourself?

Brandy - "2nd Thought" Lyrics

I've said it before, sometimes music has a way of saying things better than we ever could and this song is no exception. I'm probably one of the few fans Brandy Norwood has left, but that's fine, her music always hits home for me... She's always right on time regardless of when she arrives!!

Ain't it funny how

Ain't it funny how things always come right back around

How the tables turn

With a little time the ones was up will soon be down

Got me thinking bout

What is was that made me think that you were all so great

Had me sitting round

Tryna figure out what you thought was so wrong with me

You treated me like I wasn't open

Thought you were something

You made it seem like Rocka wasn't that thing

Now you calling again and I was thinking

You almost had me for a minute but I

On 2nd Thought I'm alright

Don't hate me cause I changed my mind

I thought that I wasn't working

Now look who's hurting for a chance to be with me

On 2nd Thought don't drop by

I think it'd be a waste of time

Remember you wasn't digging it

Now you so into it on 2nd Thought I'll say goodbye

(Bye, bye, bye, goodbye, bye, bye, bye)

If back then was now

Probably would have said thank you lord for sending him to me

But I found out

That it was better to be hurt back then cause now it strengthens me

So now when you bounce

It was because I put you out not you just leaving me

And you’re back around

Is it because I won't start giving that you’re struggling

You treated me like

You treated me like I wasn't nothing

Thought you were something

You made it seem like Rocka wasn't that thing

Now you calling again and I was thinking

You almost had me fooled for a minute but on 2nd Thought

On 2nd Thought I'm alright

Don't hate me cause I changed my mind

I thought that I wasn't working

Now look who's hurting for a chance to be with me

On 2nd Thought don't drop by

I think it'd be a waste of time

Remember you wasn't digging it

Now you so into it on 2nd Thought I'll say goodbye

(Bye, bye, bye, goodbye, bye, bye, bye)

I could never

Let you back into my life

I would never turn back the hands of time

Some things are meant to just fade away

There's no way you

Could ever change everything you done

Wouldn't matter to me cause I moved on

Now I would see something better

In mind, You don't…

On 2nd Thought I'm alright

Don't hate me cause I changed my mind

I thought that I wasn't working

Now look who's hurting for a chance to be with me

On 2nd Thought don't drop by

I think it'd be a waste of time

Remember you wasn't digging it

Now you so into it on 2nd Thought I'll say goodbye

It didn't have to be this way but

You could have had me anyway but

You chose to do it don't know what led you to it

Now you hurting without me (yeah, yeah)

Should have did me right before now I don't need you no more

Marble and Mayan - 2 yr old Cats - Need Home...

"Life is Not a Race"

My friend sent me this and I thought it was AMAZING!! Thanks Naomi!!

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word 'refrigeration' mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched 'Jeopardy' on television?

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, 'How about going to lunch in a half hour?' She would gas up and stammer, 'I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, It looks like rain.' And my personal favorite: 'It's Monday.' She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.

Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!

We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet... We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of 'I'm going to,' 'I plan on,' and 'Someday, when things are settled down a bit.'

When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Roller blades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord..

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

Now..go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to . . . . . . not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butter fly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask ' How are you?' Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, 'We'll do it tomorrow .' And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say 'Hi?

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift....Thrown away ..... Life is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.

Vick Signed to Eagles

For all of you who didn't think Michael Vick would be signed to a new team in the NFL... Here's what he says to you:

Get 'em Vick!! LOL!! Sorry McNabb, but after 11 years, it's time...

Tragedy or Murder??

Child found dead in vehicle in Freescale parking lot Police do not suspect foul play and are calling the boy's death a 'tragedy.' By Andrea Lorenz

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Austin police were investigating the death of a child found in a parked vehicle Wednesday at Freescale Semiconductor on West Parmer Lane.

Someone saw the child in the vehicle, which was parked in Freescale's north parking lot, and called 911 at 4:22 p.m., officer Dennis Farris said.

Police said the child was an Asian boy under 5 years old. Farris did not give the child's exact age. He said homicide detectives are investigating, but no charges have been filed and they don't suspect foul play. An autopsy has been ordered, he said.

"It's just a tragedy at this point," Farris said.

Farris said one of the child's parents left the child in the vehicle, and police are questioning both parents.

Police did not know how long the child was left in the vehicle, "but it was an extended period of time," Farris said.

The temperature in Austin on Wednesday reached 102 degrees.

Farris said there is a child care center at the complex, but he didn't know whether the child attended the center or whether either parent was a Freescale employee.

Don't suspect foul play? Is that what I read above? How could this not be foul play? I've seen people on talk shows who said that it was an accident that they left their child in a child on "accident". How does that happen? One lady in particular claimed that her schedule was routine - she did things the same way EVERY DAY. Her husband usually took the children to school but this day she had to take her youngest to daycare.. For some reason, after leaving the house, she followed her normal course without even thinking/remembering that her kid was in the back seat. She got out the car, locked it and went in to work.. After returning to her car after her shift was over, she then "noticed" her child - dead in the back seat.. WTF? Since this day was out of the ordinary, wouldn't you think that special attention would have been paid to the less than routine day? I don't know how folks minds works these days...

If nothing else counts as "foul play" shouldn't the fact that neither of the parents of this 5 year old boy in the story above work for the company where the child was found? Although it says that there was a daycare IN the company, it probabbly doesn't make it any cheaper to have your children there. (On a side note, I believe more companys should have daycare options available for their employees. Anywho...)

The story also said that it was a steamy 102 outside yesterday!! It fails to mention how hot the inside of the car was when the boy was found. It wouldn't surprise me if it was above 120 in there. That in itself, to me, is foul play...

I know, I know... Someone reading this is either going to say or is thinking "I leave my kids in the car all the time to just run into a store." That situation is not what we are talking about here, although since the point is raised might as well discuss it.. lol... I disagree with that too. There are sooo many different things that could happen in JUST AN INSTANT. So many variables: air condition on or off, car running or not, automatic locks or not, age of children, located in a "good" part of town or not, type of car, etc... It just shouldn't be done. It will be better for you, the environment and your children to NOT leave the car running at all, let alone leaving your children unattended in a car for any period of time.

Teenager’s Dad Kills Her, Foster Dad, Shoots Foster Mom, Kills Himself

Christopher Milburn, 34, killed the 15-year-old, her foster father (Todd Randolph) and wounded her foster mother (Susan Randolph) before taking his own life Sunday. Milburn worked as a counselor at the McDowell Center for Children, which helps at-risk and troubled children. The father was friends with the foster father and had worked for him in the past. Susan has been released from a Memphis hospital on Monday. The Randolph’s have two children who were at their grandparents’ house during the time of the shootings.

The question becomes, if the child had indeed been abused by the father and even if she hadn’t, why place the child in a foster home just a few doors down from where she lived? The fact that the killer was a counselor for at-risk children and then to do this to his own child is just pitiful… What is this world coming to?

Boiling Mad!!

Queens Woman Pours Boiling Water on Cheating Husband's Crotch BY Kerry Burke, Alison Gendar and Bill Hutchinson DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Tuesday, July 28th 2009, 10:28 AM

In a twisted act of revenge, Oyinda Ojofeitimi, 67, a registered nurse, carried out the crotch-scalding attack to ensure her spouse stopped cheating, cops said.

"She was hurt and angry that after all this time married, he was stepping out on her," a police source said. "She wanted to shut down that possibility forever because he had treated her with such contempt."

The painful wakeup call left Emmanuel Ojofeitimi, also a nurse, screaming in the bedroom of the couple's home on Milburn St. in Springfield Gardens.

"I could hear it through the ceiling," said a mother of two, who rents an upstairs apartment in the feuding couple's house. "It was a physical altercation. It was the woman screaming and him in the background."

"They took him out on a stretcher," said another neighbor, Felix Smith.

The woman immediately regretted the assault and called 911, cops said. She was treating him with cold compresses when paramedics arrived. Her husband, 67, suffered second- and third-degree burns from his knees to his abdomen, police said. He was being treated at the burn unit at Nassau University Medical Center.

Oyinda Ojofeitimi told cops she recently had learned her husband of 20 years had been unfaithful.

Fed up and furious, she awoke at 6 a.m. and boiled a pot of water on her stove, cops said. As her husband slept, she poured the pot on his privates, cops said.

Arrested on assault charges, the betrayed wife, an immigrant of Grenada, was awaiting arraignment Monday night.

Okay... I've been cheated on just like the next person, but never in my right mind have I EVER thought of creating this type of injury to someone! Should she be put away for her crime?! Of course! Do I feel like she was justified for what she has done? No! If the husband is indeed guilty of cheating on his wife, then he is definetly wrong for what he has done, but for her to do this is just CRAZY!! What happened to leaving someone before hurting them whether it be emotionally or physically? People are just NUTS!!

Horrible Precedent?

Mother may be charged with a felony due to her 14 year old weighing 555 pounds. Is childhood obesity a felony? Is this child abuse or child neglect? Please watch the video and THEN decide...

Obama's Conversation with Sgt. Crowley

Obama discusses his conversation with Sgt. Crowley...

Obama's Opinion of Dr. Gates Arrest

I don't know--not having been there and not seeing all the facts--what role Race played in that; but I think it's fair to say: 1) Any of us would be pretty angry. 2) That the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home. 3) What I think we know, separate and apart from this incident, is that there is a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement, disproportionately. That's just a fact. ... And that is a sign, an example, of how Race remains a factor in this society.

That doesn't lessen the incredible progress that has been made--I'm standing here as testimony to the progress that has been made.

And, yet, the fact of the matter is that this still haunts us. ... The fact that Blacks and Hispanics are picked up more frequently, and often time for no cause, casts suspicion even when there is good cause. And that's why I think the more that we're working with local law enforcement to improve policing techniques, so that we're eliminating potential bias, the safer everybody's going to be.

My thoughts are all over the place on this one... I've been reading up on the Gates story since last week when it first occurred. Of course I only know what I've read and what I've seen on the news, because, like most of us, we weren't there to witness this for ourselves. HOWEVER, from what I know, this story is not surprising. It's not surprising because things like this happen everyday, but when things happen to well known people ONLY THEN does it get reported on the news and becomes a big deal.

I know someone reading this will say, "Here you go again, Tiki... Talking about racism." Yeah, you're right, here I am again.. And guess what? I will continue to talk about it until the day it ceases from occuring.. When will that be?? Oh yeah, never... And I did refrain from writing about the black children a couple of weeks ago who were told that they couldn't swim with the white kids in a pool in Philly because they would, as John Duesler - the President of the Valley Swim Club said in a statement "There was concern that the kids would change the complexion... and the atmosphere of the club." There I go on one of my tangents again..

Let me begin with the "Neighbor". Did she not recognize Mr. Gates? Who breaks into a home with luggage? He was returning home from a trip... If she noticed that someone was "breaking in" to the house, shouldn't she have also noticed the luggage? Nosey ass.. Many people that I've heard discussing this have had all kinds of things to say about her like: maybe she didn't want black folks in her neighborhood, she works at Harvard with Mr. Gates - maybe something happened at work that she didn't like and wanted to get revenge... People and their speculations... Unfortunately, her name was published too so maybe she will begin to mind her own business from now on.

The cops... They claim that they arrested Mr. Gates for being "unruly". Now you tell me.. Do you know someone that would be arrested for doing nothing wrong that WOULDN'T be unruly? I know peeps who are unruly for no reason at all. lol!! Why wouldn't/shouldn't he be unruly? He showed the cops two forms of ID both showing his address, proving that he lived there and they STILL arrested him?? Yes, unruly is less than what I would've been... Did they just arrest him for "talking back" to them? This is supposed to be a place of "freedom of speech" or does that not count when dealing with the po po?

The last thing I read about this was that Mr. Gates was not pressing charges.. WTF? I'm sorry, but being arrested for something that I did not do is grounds for litigation. I'll take my punishment like the next man, but when it comes down to me being innocent, that's a different story. Shouldn't he press charges so that this doesn't happen again? So he can make an example out of himself and others in his situation? Oh yeah, you're right... This WILL happen again regardless..

Is Chris Brown's Apology Enough?

I guess since I did a two line post about Rihanna when this madness broke out between her and Chris Brown that I should post something from his side. Below you will find the apology-heard-around-the-world from Chris Brown. The good thing is that he didn't make excuses for his behavior, but do you think his apology will be enough to get his career back on track? There have been many excuses said in the media about him: he's young, we don't know the story, he's grown up with this in his household... None of those work for me. The one that actually "hurt" the most is the excuse that he's grown up with this happening in his house.. IF he saw his mother being hurt over and over again by his step-father, why on EARTH would he want to cause that type of pain to someone that he "supposedly" loves? I'll never understand... Anyway, for those that care, the line by line reading of his apology is below...

Should Micheal Vick Be Allowed to Play in the NFL??

You all that know me KNOW that I love me some Micheal Vick!! Yes, I do! Besides him be fine as all get out, he was a terrific quarterback! He had hustle beyond hustle! He made plays that only he could make! He was fast and reliable! I also know that the Atlanta Falcons did pretty well this passed year without him. I'm not blind to that... There are other teams who could use him, but will they give him a chance to play? Will the NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, look passed his issues and give him another chance? He's paid his dues to society.. He has done his time.. Will society look passed his offenses and allow him back into the game and their hearts?

“You want to make sure from a skills standpoint that you’re where you were or better than where you were,” said Baltimore Ravens quarterbacks coach Hue Jackson. “That’s the first thing. The second thing is the speed of the game. Just getting back used to the speed of the defensive backs, the speed of the defensive line, the rush – all the things that come flying at you play in and play out. And then it’s just the preparation. Because for three years, or two years, or whatever it’s been, you haven’t had to prepare. You haven’t had to be disciplined and sit in a video room. Those are the three things that are paramount.”

With his time away from the field, do you think he would have been able to keep up his skills? 23 months is a long time to not have the practice time that others have had to build their strength, to learn the plays, to practice, to build love for the team. Will America forget what he's done and remember the player he was?

REVERSE

Whether the weather is cold or hot

Whether you are young or not

Some people will promise you the world

When they don’t even have a pot

In this world all you have is YOU

And the Lord above it’s true

To depend on yourself alone

And the Lord is what you must do

Friends and Family will help

Quiet as it’s kept

Lean on them when you can

But play the hand that YOU were dealt

Things will get better before they get worse

Tighten up the belt, lock down that purse

Sacrifices will be made, things will be hard

You are not alone… Your problems- REVERSE…

Too Fat for Surgeon General Position??

From Salon.com:

By all accounts Surgeon General nominee Dr. Regina Benjamin is an extraordinary woman. She is an African-American family doctor who has spent most of her professional life serving the people of Bayou La Batre, a poor rural Alabama coastal community. She makes house calls, pays for patients’ medicines, works for free when there is no money. She’s had heaps of honors poured on her head , including a MacArthur genius award. She rebuilt her clinic twice, once following Hurricane Katrina and then a year later when it was destroyed by a fire.

She is an active Catholic and, if her office nurse is to be believed, she is one of the more than 90 percent of Catholics who have no problem with birth control. (I have rarely met a devout Catholic working with poor people who is not an advocate of safe and effective contraception — from nuns in Chile to priests in the Philippines. They get that having children you cannot afford degrades the soul perhaps even more than the body.) This, then, is a near-perfect public face for a president embarking on a controversial last-ditch effort to fix our health care system and serve the poor.

The only problem seems to be that some people think the face is too fat.

From her photos, it appears that Dr. Benjamin will need a generous size 18 military uniform. The anti-fat brigade has been arguing in various online comments sections about her BMI and whether or not the term obese applies. These chattering masses wonder if a country plagued by obesity should have an above average-weight woman speaking to public health.

I'm not sure I have an opinion on this story... Let's see what the blogospere has to say...

Demetrius Butler (Meechie), Why did this day come??

Thinking back on this day three years ago when I heard the tragic news… doesn’t seem like it’s been this long. Things were rough then in my house and didn’t have any means of communication but a pay by the minute cell phone. The morning of July 14th I awoke like every day preparing to go to work when I noticed the phone blinking – the power was low and minutes were basically gone. The meanings behind the basically empty minutes were 7 missed calls and 3 messages. I had just enough power and minutes to get the messages. The messages were - one from my oldest brother, my mom and my dad. I went down to the pool at our apartment complex because I knew there was a phone there (not anymore) and I had change to make the call to my Mom. She was very upset when she came to the phone and I was shocked at this since it was just 6:00 in the morning. She said that she didn’t know how to tell me but she’ll just say it – my cousin (Meechie) had been killed in a car accident.

Now mind you, this wasn’t a “normal” accident where there were two cars or more cars involved. Just one… His… That’s it… Most of my family (uncles, aunts, cousins) live in this relatively small town in Mississippi where every road is a back road. Hardly any street lights, houses spread apart, bumpy unkept roads - some even gravel still… But my cousin grew up there; he knew those roads like the back of his hands. Funny thing is when visiting my brothers and I know those roads too although we didn’t really grow up there. My dad was in the military so we grew up everywhere and nowhere at the same time…

Well, about two weeks prior to this, I took the girls to my Mom’s house in Mississippi to spend the remainder of the summer with her. They were just stuck in the house all day every day and it was quite boring for them. Mom and I decided it would be good for them to visit her and just as good for her so that she isn’t alone either. So lucky for this happening, it allowed me to see my cousin one last time.

Although Meechie and I were not in the same town or the same state, it didn’t stop us from being close. We’ve always been close. My Mom (Gloria) was the big sister of the family and his Mom (Linda) was the next sister in line. Our Mothers are extremely close… Growing up I would make sure during each phone call to make sure I tell him and his brother how much I loved them. When we would go to visit, I would stay at their house and spend my time with them. When we became grown, my mom, his mom, my other aunt (Angie) and me would all be on the phone 4 way – laughing and singing. I would tell his mom, “Make sure you tell my cousins I love them.”

I won’t tell you how the rest of the phone call went. To tell you the truth, I can’t remember how it went. I remember after her saying that Meechie was killed, I remember collapsing on the ground with the phone kind of hanging there – I was crying hysterically… I just never thought... Not him, not then… I made it home some kind of way and when I got there, Ryan came running from the bedroom to me. He was asking what was wrong, what happened... I was still crying and managed to get it out to him what happened. I fell in his arms and we both cried and cried... It was horrible… I made it to work and I remember crying most of the day. I spoke to my boss and took off the remainder of the week. Ryan and I got off of work that day at 4 and made the trip to Mississippi, driving over night with “Monsters” in one hand and the steering wheel in the other…

Now, remember, I said that my girls were in Mississippi when this happened. He died not to far from my Mom’s house – apparently on the way home from his friend’s house. I believe his friend saw the car burning on the side of the road and called Linda. Angie, Linda, and his brother Chris (named after my brother) all went to the scene… and so the phone calls to the family came after that… When we arrived that next morning, we went to the crash site. Still in shock, nothing seemed real… What I don’t remember is when Chris and Don (my brothers) and their families made it – everything is a blur… (I remember certain things after this point, but the order is what I’m unsure of. It was such an emotional time for all of us.) While we were at the sight, we were trying to re-live what could’ve happened to him. Things just didn’t make sense. There were no tire marks, nothing indicating that he hit the brakes at all. The tree that he hit was burnt from the bottom to the top… The grass around was all burnt. It was weird, he hit the only tree there was that could’ve done any damage… The other trees and bushes around the area were too small to do anything… Right across from his tree was a dirt/gravel road. It looked like he was driving down the road, someone/something came from out of the gravel road and he swerved to miss it and hit the tree… Of course these are all assumptions… Looking down that street, looking at the gravel road, looking at the tree, it all seemed so surreal. We were looking for clues to what happened. Looking around in the burnt grass for anything that reminded us of him… Ryan found a piece of clothing and the emblem from the car he was driving – it was Linda’s car. I had written a poem for him and Linda placed it in the center of a reef and attached it to the tree. I made sure to put it in plastic so it would last for a long time against the elements…

Family from all over attended his funeral… It was a horribly sad day. Meechie used to say that funerals were nothing but sad family reunions… He was right. Linda picked a beautiful black and gold casket – one that was perfect for him. His flowers, the words from his friends everything was beautiful.

I think of him a lot. Things he would say, things we would do, songs he loved, singers he admired… Everything about him would cross my mind whether I was trying to think of him or not. He’s always with me, he’s always here… I remembered the dreadful day yesterday when he passed and called Linda to send her my love. I remember this morning, the day I found out of his passing. He will never be forgotten, not now… Not ever… I love you…

Favorite MJ Song - Human Nature, What's Yours??

Human Nature - Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson Memorial

Here are some performances from today's MJ Memorial in case you missed it. It will be airing again tonight. Michael's daughter made a speech also where she said, "Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine." Very well said Paris! R.I.P. MJ!!