Sheila Johnson Slams BET

Sheila Johnson is using her riches from launching BET to raise awareness of the capital’s AIDS crisis with a new documentary. The billionaire talks to Lloyd Grove about the pandemic, why she’s “ashamed” of BET now, and how politics disillusioned her.

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A WTF Moment - Sandra Bullock Adopts Baby and Announces Divorce

I’m all for empowerment of women but at what cost must women continue to do things that suit their needs without factoring how the choices they make in life impacts others.

Case in point, Sandra Bullock reveals during her interview with People Magazine that she is filing for divorce from cheating husband Jesse James and have finally adopted a beautiful baby boy name Louis who was born in New Orleans, Louisiana.

When I sent out a tweet stating my disdain this morning I was told by various friend and followers that before all hell broke loose within the marriage she (Sandra) and Jesse had been working on adopting a baby for 4 years. Since I have not followed her personal life or career I can not debate the validity of their argument.

However, here is the problem I have with this entire story. Parenting is not something you’re born into, it’s not something you can wake up one day and decide you want to do nor is it something you should be able to just “purchase” to do. Children are a long life commitment not accessories and I personally feel like some of these Celebes have nothing better to do with their time and money but acquire things to make themselves feel important and/or loved.

As a black woman I find Sandra’s joy of adoption in the midst of a divorce an oxymoron. For years Black women have been on the receiving end of society’s debate about birthing children outside of wedlock and raising children in single family homes and yet here we have an Oscar winning actress about to embark down that same path and everyone (black chicks included) seem to be okay with it.

WTF?! Did I miss the part where yet another black child is going to be raise without a father?! Little Louis may experience all the finer things in life but he’ll be without a father to raise him and teach him how to be a man… He’ll grow to love his mother but yearn for a father to bond and spend time with… what about the child?!

I’m not bitter about Sandra’s adoption at all, although I am very perplexed about the timing of her announcement. Bringing a child into a broken marriage and family is not news and it further shows the shaky state of familiar status within society.

Peace & Blessings,

ChicaWest

Where Have All The Ladies Gone?

Every day I find myself shaking my head at the nonsense I see on the bus.

One of the things that bothers me most is the girls I see on public transportation acting like they have no common sense, decency or tact about themselves.

Too often they are the ones assaulting my ears with ignorance. The majority of the time it's them I hear talking loud on their phones about their baby's daddy or fighting another chick. It's usually them and their girl friends working my nerves.

The sad thing is that this is an everyday occurrence. I rarely meet " a lady" on the bus or light rail and find it really hard not want to shake some manners into these girls I see on the buses and what not every single day.

Now granted that these girls and women may come from a challenged background and might not have been taught what it's meant to be a lady but damn... How long can we keep blaming their home "environment" for their ignorance?

The fact is there is one cardinal rule that women should know and apply when in public: Preservation, Protection and Positive. Always preserve your dignity, protect thy honor and demand respect and always put forth a positive reflection of yourself.

We are the majority and we have to constantly set the example of what it means to be and act like a lady in public. Despite popular belief, guys aren't attracted the "gangsta b!tch" mentality and it isn"t cute to be manISH so stop it already!

Peace & Blessings,

ChicaWest

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Don't be so quick to upgrade in life!

Last week while getting lunch at Panera's Bread a cashier complimented me on my ring. She thought it to be beautiful, classic and eloquent. The woman was particularly fond of the unique personal details to the mounting and band.

I was flattered by her compliments and felt a bit guilty because for the last year and half I have been talking in my husband's ear about upgrading my ring for a bigger and better one. I spent so much time trying to upgrade the beautiful token on my finger that I didn't realize that I was already wearing perfect ring designed specifically for me.

Just like with everything else in life, usually what is best for us or designed specifically for us is something we already have in our lives; yet we seek the next BIG thing or UPGRADES from what we already have because we're duped into believing what we have is not good enough.

This revolution was so mind blowing that I had to share the experience with my husband and you know what he said? "Wow, all it took was someone to compliment you on your ring to save me money?! Women, I don't understand them sometimes." Although he doesn't understand the "women" logic he was happy that we no longer had to look for a replacement ring for when we renewed our vows.

If this entry serves as anything I want you all to take this pearl of wisdom with you: The things you acquire in life from the ones you love does not require upgrades unless the value of it's meaning has been reduced to a meaningless relic. Like my ring, the personal designed embedded with the love and time that went into making it made it special in it's own right and it's something that I will forever cherished now that I've been reminded of how special it is.

Peace & Blessings,

ChicaWest

What Was Remember The Time by Michael Jackson Really About?

Today while at work I was listening to my newly purchased History: Past, Present and Future - Book 1 CD by the late King of Pop Michael Jackson. I popped in the second disc first to hear my joints Scream, They Don't Care About Us, Stranger in Moscow, Earth Song, D.S., Come Together, You Are Not Alone, Tabloid Junkie and Smile.

The first disc alone provided me with a strong hour and a half of music and you know that I was in the office getting my groove on and singing at the top of my voice along with music maestro himself when the music finally came to an end.

Looking up at my rather large THIS IS IT movie poster of Mike, I shook my head and grabbed disc one to play all the classic joints: Billie Jean, The Way You Make Me Feel, Black or White, Rock With You, Bad, I Just Can't Stop Loving You, Man In The Mirror, Thriller, Beat It, The Girl Is Mine, Remember the Time...

I never did get to hear the rest of disc one because as I was so enthusiastically singing along to Remember the Time certain lyrics caught my attention...

Remember The Times
Ooh... In The Park
Remember The Times
After Dark..., Do You, Do You, Do You
Remember The Times
Do You, Do You, Do You, Do You

Now for those of you who never followed Michael's career those words mean nothing to you... well nothing that would hold significant meaning. For those of us who have spent our entire lives enthralled with MJ's music and personal life these very words gave an exclusive and intimate detail inside of his personal and very private life.

Sadly the only thing this discovery did for me was validate what I believed to be true all along. As a fan I have always respected Michael's personal and private life and even though he has passed on I still respect that private side of his life even though embedded in every lyric of every song he gave his fans glimpses of his most intimate moments of life.

I remember getting into a heated debate with a fan who doubted the validity of a book that shares the same title as the song that enlightened me today. The fact that I logged onto www.michaeljackson.com to discover a discussion going on about this very book while listening to the song and hearing the lyrics at the same could have been a unlikely coincidence but somehow I think it was Michael's way of easing lingering doubts in my head once and for all.


In 'Tabloid Junkie' Mikey sings so passionately: 

Just because you read it in a magazine
Or see it on the TV screen
Don't make it factual
Though everybody wants to read all about it
Just because you read it in a magazine
You see it on the TV screen
Don't make it factual, actual

It would seem that the truth was always on the surface and written for us all to see. Now that he is gone I think it is up to us all to find relevance in the meaning of his music and determine the truth of Michael's life as a human being... as a man... not the musician we all loved.

Peace & Blessings,

ChicaWest

Michael Jackson Remember The Time @ Yahoo! Video

Rapper John Forte on The Mo'Nique Show

I have been a fan of John Forte since when Lauryn Hill was still rapping and singing with The Fugees. It broke my heart when I heard that John had been arrested on drug possession charges. However, I am elated to know that the prison system didn't break John's spirit. Listening to him share the details of his arrest and incarceration on The Mo'Nique Show made me adore him even more.

His fall from grace served a purpose; to reconnect with the man he was designed to be. Although I'm sure John is fully aware of the man is he, I'm not quite sure he sees how beautiful his spirit has become. Through self evaluation one can see the bad choices made that sparked a course of negative retribution... John openly shared his faults and re-examine his flaws that ultimately cost him his freedom.

As a fan, there is nothing more humbling than the person you look up to admitting that the aren't perfect... I mean this with all sincerity. And as Mo'Nique stated, John is a good dude... a righteous dude... and intelligent dude who just made some bad choices in life and that should be recognized and reconciled and not held against him. I'm just happy that Mr. Forte is back on the right track with his life and music.

By the grace of God if John happens to read this blog post; I want him to know how proud I am of him owning his past and moving forward into the future with a positive and very uplifting mindset. There aren't enough brothers in this world who could travel the road you have and come out mentally and spiritually stronger.

Stay true to you John!


Peace & Blessings,

ChicaWest

Music Monday - Cornerstone by Adam Stern

As a child of Berkeley Adam Stern knows exactly what it takes to make love and instead WAR. The track 'Cornerstone' featuring Elevaters from his current album The Dreamer Child is definitely an anthem for the socially conscious hip-hop heads and the tree-huggers of the world.


Dipped in an edgy funk and back with the genius lyrical word play by the talented Elevaters, Adam's soul searching tale of finding his strength amidst the distruction of his world as he knows it through family and friends is something we all can relate too.


If you love good music with deep a rooted message, you'll definitely love this track!


Peace & Blessings,


ChicaWest


Cornerstone by Adam Stern featuring Elevaters (download)


RECOMMENDATION: Click the link, listen, download and share it! :)


Adam Stern Bio 

Adam Stern is a Los Angeles-based artist originally from Berkeley, California sharing artistic manifestations of the Soul in the name of oneness, peace, coexistence, love & compassion through music. In 2009, he independently released his debut full-length record, "The Dreamer Child," which is available on iTunes, Amazon and CDBaby. Adam is currently immersed the creation of his follow up effort to "The Dreamer Child" entitled "Planetary Spirits" due in late 2010. 

For more information on this artist visit:

www.adamstern.us

www.myspace.com/adamsternmusic

Adam Stern on Facebook

Adam Stern on Twitter

New Movie Alert - Resident Evil: AfterLife

The Resident Evil franchise returns to the big screen September 10th with it's third film reprising Milla Jovovich's role as Alice. James Cameron teams up with Vincent Pace to bring Paul W.S. Anderson's sci-fi thriller to life with cutting edge 3D technology. Prepare for another rip-roaring, heart pounding and jaw dropping adventure as Alice seeks rid the chaotic world of its brain eating zombies and mega-ugly science projects gone wrong.



Enjoy!

ChicaWest

Twitter Files - Adam Lambert opens up about religion on twitter

To my surprise I logged onto my twitter account to read some very honest words from my beloved Glam Rocker Adam Lambert. According to his tweets, not only does he not celebrate Easter or Passover but he hasn't for years. Proclaiming that he is JEW ish by blood but not by practice, Adam Lambert does believe in a higher power and wished all of his followers a beautiful Easter or Passover anyway. 

I personally found it refreshing to read Adam being open and honest to his fans about why he does or does not celebrate Easter Sunday or Passover. Though I do not believe him being JEW ish by blood diminishes his reasoning, I do wonder if the reason why he doesn't celebrate any Jewish holidays is because he's gay. 


Adam if you read this, please feel free to add clarification to my last sentence. Thanks! :)



Twitter Files - Adam Lambert

@AdamLambert - But just b/c I don't celebrate it: I'd like to wish those who do a beautiful Easter or Passover. Hope your day is grand!!  

@AdamLambert  - I DO believe in a higher power.     

@AdamLambert - I haven't celebrated Passover in over ten years either. I'm Jew ISH by blood not by practice. I'm not religious. More spiritual. Now u know  

@AdamLambert - Thanks for the wishes, but I don't celebrate Easter friends. I'm not Christian. :)

Follow Adam Lambert on twitter: www.twitter.com/adamlambert


HAPPY EASTER & PASSOVER EVERYONE!

Peace & Blessings,

ChicaWest 

Random Video - Window Seat by Erykah Badu

There has been so much fuss about the indecency of Erykah's nudity in the video. While I do not get the concept behind the video other than draw attention to the release of her new album New Amerykah Part Two: The Return of Ankh the message of killing off what one does not understand seems to be the centralized theme for the video. The depiction of evolution in which Badu speaks of at the end of the video is meant to be received as a tolerable message of love but the video falls short and ends up coming across as a PSA for the mentally ill.

The song is wonderful and I believe Miss Badu could have been really creative (like she has been in the past) with this video for the single; however what has been done is forever archived. Now she is being fined by the city of Dallas, Texas and possibly to have her video restricted to late night rotation on popular television stations only or removed from the airwaves all together.

The Saga Continues... Bad Lady! lol

Peace & Blessings,

ChicaWest

Spring Reading List - Sarah's Key

It's been a long time since I've been emotionally drawn into a book. However, Tatiana De Rosnay's book 'Sarah's Key' is not only an emotional story detailing the lost of innocence and life; it's a bittersweet tale of two families intertwine by the inhuman actions of the Jewish roundup that took place in the late 1940's throughout France.


The past and the present collide when the truth is revealed by Sarah's Key and the gruesome life changing discovery of Sarah's 4 year old brother Michel in the apartment that becomes occupied by a Parisian family oblivious to the thousands of Jewish/French citizens being sent to the concentration camp in Auschwitz.


This is an unforgettable book is worth reading and sharing. The beautiful backdrop of the city of Paris softens the emotional core of the story, but the characters are compelling and real. It's a heavy read but a MUST; this is one to discuss with family and friends.


RECOMMENDATION: Buy it, read it and share it!


Visit www.tatianaderosnay.com for more information and other books by this author.


Enjoy!


ChicaWest

Jaime Escalante, teacher who was subject of Stand and Deliver,' dies at 79 - Sacramento Living - Sacramento Food and Wine, Home, Health | Sacramento Bee

Jaime Escalante, teacher who was subject of Stand and Deliver,' dies at 79 - Sacramento Living - Sacramento Food and Wine, Home, Health | Sacramento Bee

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