California Dreamin'

All respect and praises are due to my girl J. California Cooper. She is that shit. I recently reread a couple of her short stories and let me tell you...if you haven't already, you need to check her out. Of her works that I have read she is something like a feminist writer. Her main characters are usually Black women going through and, then, overcoming something. I'm in the middle of reading Some People, Some Other Place. It's been a slow process though because school has been extremely hectic this summer. So far the book is really good and very original. It is told from the POV of an unborn child. The baby chronicles the lives of her ancestors and her mother. My favorite work of hers (although I haven't read them all) has definitely got to be Some Love, Some Pain, Sometime. Whew LAWD! You talkin' about some good readin'!!! I won't lie. Some of the stories are a little drab and even drag at times. But I guarantee you will see a little of yourself in every single one of them. Further, I'm positive that you will take a lesson away from each story as well. Her stories may seem, and even read, simple...but there is a profound message in all of them. Someone described her work as "strongly, deliberately reminiscent of conversations over backyard fences". Cooper's writing just feels right. Just wanted to write a line or two about her. Maybe some of you have never heard of her. Maybe some of you have never read her. Familiarize yourselves...she is the business.


On another note:

I love this. I randomly saw it on someone's myspace page. I only fell in love after I saw the adinkra symbol tattooed on her arm.

"Adinkra is a cotton cloth produced in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire which has traditional Akan symbols stamped upon it. The adinkra symbols represent popular proverbs and maxims, record historical events, express particular attitudes or behaviour related to depicted figures, or concepts uniquely related to abstract shapes. It is one of several traditional cloths produced in the region – the other well known cloths being kente and adanudo."**

I have two adinkra symbols tattooed on my wrist. That is probably my favorite tattoo. My best friend calls it my crest.

The one below pretty much means "learn from your mistakes". You might recognize it from the Velvet Rope album.

This one pretty much means "no one before God".

The other two symbols on my "crest" tattoo are the Virgo symbol and a Japanese character that means "mother". Back in January, 2006, a few months after I got the tattoo, I was sitting in Statistics class behind an Asian girl. She turned around and looked at my arm. She was shocked when she asked "YOU'RE a MOM?!?!?!" I replied "yeah, how you know?" (complete with my black girl attitude and semi-pursed lips). She pointed to my tattoo. Then I lost the attitude and got excited, lol. "You're Japanese?" She said "Yeah". "And this really means mother?!?!?!" She said "Yeah." That was probably the highlight of the semester, lol. So, yeah, my shit is official!

One more picture for the road:

My bookshelf. I told ya'll....it's not a game!

**http://africanhistory.about.com/library/weekly/aaAdinkra.htm...let me include SOME kinda citation before my ass gets sued or somethin' crazy, lol.

Did Ya'll Really Put This Shit on Wax?

Ok, so I'm really disturbed right now. I'm at work...got the iPod on shuffle and Don't Gotta Go Home by Monica comes on. Cool...I love Mo. NOT! Nothing but bullshit flowed out of those speakers for all of 3 minutes and 56 seconds. Apparently, both Monica and DMX (go figure) think it's fine to cheat on their significant others.

Figure 1:

DMX

Baby, its like, its like I love my wife

We going through things and I aint going home tonight

You got time for a nigga or is he still with you

Wanna meet at the same spot or should I come get you

I’ll be there in 10, be in the front

I been getting what I need so imma give you what you want

One on one cuz you know how to talk to dog

You walk the dog and understand that New York is hard

Monica(DMX)

You aint gotta go home tonight

You can stay right here with me (I aint goin nowhere when you wake up im gonna be right there)

Don’t you worry bout a thing (I aint worried about shit)

You’re here with me (Look its like I love my wife We going through things and I aint going home tonight alright)

Figure 2:

ME WHIPPIN' THAT BITCH'S ASS! And you know what ya'll? I don't give a damn!!!

People always ask, "Well, why would you be mad at the female? Shouldn't you check your man?" My answer? OF COURSE you should check your man...right after you whip some ass. My thing is this: if a female doesn't know about me then fine, but if she KNOWS DAMN WELL that he is my man then I have a big problem with that. I'm not gonna lie. I have messed around with a couple of guys with girlfriends. The first time I was unaware that he was involved...until the girl came and snatched my damn ponytail while I was walking down the street. It was a set up to get wet up from the beginning. Remember this day Somi? LMAO! LMAO! The girlfriend lived two doors down from the guy. Obviously, had I known she was with him I would've never been at his house...but anyway. The second time, I can admit, I was being a stupid bitch. It wasn't right, but damn if it wasn't worth it. I definitely don't regret it...just wouldn't do it again, at least not like that. The last time was an exception to the rule for so many reasons...not the least of which is that I Loooooooooooooooovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeee(d) him (<--with a capital L). I won't go into detail so as not to hurt the innocent, but yeah. That last time was worth it too and I wouldn't take it back even if I could. However, that situation really reinforced that what goes around really does come back around. No joke. I wasn't put in that same situation but I tell you I went through some shit with this guy and I KNOW that's why.

Long story short: I finally learned my lesson. I would never, knowingly, be that other woman again. NEVER. I can't imagine why Monica thought it was a good idea to put her voice to this song. Some of the most ig'nant ass shit I ever heard. "You ain't gotta go home tonight." Triflin' bitch...what about his damn kids? You know...let me just stop. Otherwise, I will go on forever. DMX look what happened to your ass for not goin' home to your damn wife. You've been all in the newspapers, magazines, AND court houses to pay child support for a child you would have never had if you did what was right.

It's never cute to be that chick on the side. Nor is it ever cute for a man to tell you he "loves" his woman, when he's in the bed with you. These men betta eitha get right or get fuckin' left!

I Don't Need No Introduction and Shit...

Hello all...or whoever is reading. I am currently a student, at ODU in Virginia, pursuing a degree in English. At 16 I became the mother of a phenomenal little girl. She is truly the light of my life. (cliche' i know...but seriously) I admit, it gets extremely hard being a mother sometimes. Not because my girl is a terror, but because I'm young. I don't know what it feels like to be twenty-something and just get up and go. I never really got to experience a truly independent, live for yourself, do what the hell you want lifestyle. When I explain to her the reasons she should wait for marriage to have a baby that will be my main point. I'm going to tell her to enjoy her life...on her own terms. Live however fast or slow she wants to, because when you become a mother (a good one) a lot of shit stops. Most of it for the good, but who the hell cares when you're young?


A little about myself. I love to read and as such I will probably "talk" a lot about what I read. I am a book fanatic, but I also read magazines, blogs, and pretty much anything else with words. I feel like reading is a sure way to enhance vocabulary, broaden aspects on a variety of things, educate, and enlighten the mind. Bottom line: Buy me a book and maybe we can be friends.


If I could choose one talent I would definitely choose art. I've always imagined myself in this big ass, Manhattan studio. The studio had a side for my reading and writing (which I am also passionate about but I don't do it nearly enough), and a side for my painting, sketching, scultpting...I would be hard at work when my dream man (who looks something like Idris Elba)

comes into my studio (the man is so on that he got a key ya'll), grabs me from behind, and gives me kisses all over my neck and shoulders. Idris -ahem- Dream Man would look at the piece I'm working on and give me his feedback, which is always positive 'cuz he loves his boo. I'd stand there looking cute in one of his old, button-ups, paint smeared on my cheek. I don't know ya'll, it was just a dream. Or a vision, rather, of how my life would be if only I could paint.

Hate to cut this short, but I just got back from Florida and I'm tired as tired can be.