Thursday, February 28, 2013

FOOD


If you could go anywhere in the world to have something to eat, where would it be & why?



Guess this restaurant?


Sunday, February 24, 2013

Catfish?

Catfish is MTV’s new hit show. Nev (the creator) helps people who have been conversing with someone online finally meet. However, most of the time the people are not who they say. They have either made up their profession or used a picture of someone else and the list goes on and on. Although the show has stolen my heart, there are some deeper issues here that I’d like to bring to the forefront.
Image is everything. The clothes you wear, how your hair is styled, what car you drive and all the way down to who you know, not what you know. Therefore, if I’m online trying to get to know someone and my looks are not up to par, why not go to Google or Facebook and use a picture that is going to get me some attention. We all want it [attention], right? Attention is what everyone is striving for no matter what the cost; negative or positive, attention is what gets people noticed and sadly, that’s become the new American dream.
The question then becomes, Why don’t you love you? If you don’t love you, no one can love you. You must first love yourself. That’s just how it goes. I’m going to contradict myself at the same time and say I do think there is some truth to Ne-Yo’s line “Let me love you, until you learn to love yourself.” I think that if someone actually loved what you didn’t like about yourself, you may see the beauty in that flaw or blemish.
Just something to think about.

@epiphane
@trualityradio
7-9pm est thursday
Www.listen2diamond.com

Black history month

Black History month. It’s not something that I get especially excited for, but I am proud to be black—a black woman to be specific. Being black in America is not easy. Racism is still (will forever be) alive and well. I am thankful for people like MLK and Rosa, Malcom and Sojourner, and so many others who fought for many of the privileges that I get to enjoy.
What hurts is that people like Tyler Perry don’t always depict us (black people) in the best light. Do I think he hit the nail on the head with For Colored girls? Yes, but you can’t forget all of the other movies like Diary of a Mad Black Woman that really makes me question how my people are depicted.
This might not have bothered some folks, but if you watched Saved By The Bell go with for a minute. Lisa Turtle, the only black woman, was always being chased by Screech. Screech was the nerdiest guy in the show who had loved Lisa since kindergarten.
There’s an episode where Zack, the main character, starts to fall for Lisa. However, because Zack is best friends with Screech, he [Zack] decides not to pursue her. What kind of crap is that?! Why can’t she get the hunk?
Alright. That’s just one example. In another episode, she spots this attractive guy in the hallway at school, asks him to the senior dance and he says yes. Well, soon after Kelly (another main character) eavesdrops and finds out that the guy Lisa asked to the dance is only a freshman. I completely understand that the show has to have some kind of plot, twist and turn, but why on Earth could she not shine in the boyfriend light for one minute? Everyone else has relationships during the show, but not her. Coincidence? I don’t think so.
I recently got into the show Scandal and Kerry Washington is undoubtedly in a class by herself. Although she knows how to handle any situation that comes her way, she’s the president’s mistress. See what I mean?
Outside of tv shows and movies, there’s also the sports realm. Serena Williams was recently made fun of for her body. She’s built like an Amazon and knows how to win, so I don’t see the problem? Her story is one to be admired: to come from nothing and become MORE than just someone who plays tennis. She’s won in and outside the country and multiple times FOR the country. I don’t know about you, but I think that deserves our respect. Our comments and opinions are null and void.
My point is that black women are not highlighted in entertainment, whether it’s sports, movies, tv shows, etc.; we’re actually overlooked. People know we exist, but there’s not enough people appreciating what it is we do and who we are. I would not trade being a black woman for the world!! I’m different and that’s what makes my black beautiful

@epiphane
@trualityradio
7-9pm est Thursdays
Www.listen2diamomd.com



Time Just Seems to Fly By Anymore

Time Just Seems to Fly By Anymore…

“The day we met,
Frozen I held my breath
Right from the start
I knew that I’d found a home for my heart…
…beats fast
Colors and promises
How to be brave?
How can I love when I’m afraid to fall
But watching you stand alone?
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow..”

Time has seemed to fly by so fast the past few years. It seems like I was just starting college last year, when in reality it was 3.5 yrs ago. I’m a Senior in college. A SENIOR!! I still can’t get over it. I’ve grown so much as a person, I look back at myself when I started and I’m definitely not the same person, which is a good thing. I’ve had so many people come into my life and never seen them again. People who have had a impact on my life; good and bad. Some that I’m thankful are no longer in my life, but also some who I wish had never left. There’s this one person in particular that I met 3 years ago today, well yesterday, that I shared some of my best college memories with. Someone who helped me grow as a better person, whether he was with me or not. It’s not like he’s out of my life completely, we still talk a lot but I haven’t seen him in almost a year which breaks my heart. I know when we were having problems and breaking up, I told him if we did break up I couldn’t still be friends with him, that I didn’t want to be. Because I wanted to be with him still, and if we weren’t, I didn’t want to see him because if I did old memories would come back and I would want to and beat myself up for messing things up. Which is what I’m doing anyway. But, I feel like he took what I said seriously and wants to keep his distance and not be friends, even though he says he misses me and that we’re still friends but I don’t know. I take back what I said that night, that I didn’t want to be friends if we broke up, cuz now I’m regretting everything and missing him more and more and more memories are coming back at night and haunting me. Like I still seriously wake up at night, heart racing, sweating, anxiety attack from a nightmare of us. Whether it be something that happened, like that night, coming back to haunt me or one of everything being ok, us still together and waking up realizing it was just a dream and that it’s never going to happen. I know I fucked things up, BAD. I’ve let go and stopped regretting things but memories keep coming back and fucking that up and bringing things back. I see people out and they still refer to me as “HIS GIRL” and when I try to start a relationship with someone, I back off before I can get hurt again; I’m afraid of the same thing happening again, I don’t want to feel the same things twice, It will literally kill me. But I just have to remember to “Live every day like it’s your last” and “Things happen for a reason” and just keep trucking on. Dive into my work and surround myself with my work. I really do believe that art therapy can help ‘heal’ someone and make them more at peace with their lives, that’s what I try to do. And talking to someone or blogging like this definitely helps too. :-)

“Where there is desire
There is gonna be a flame
Where there is a flame
Someone’s bound to get burned
But just because it burns
Doesn’t mean you’re gonna die
You’ve gotta get up and try..”

@chelscarbaugh
@trualityradio
7-9pm est Thursdays
Www.listen2diamond.com

Why I'm all alone

Why I’m all alone…

I actually had a great conversation with someone at the bar last night about hooking up with random guys. He shares the same feelings I do (yes, he’s gay.. Get over it) but we were talking about how stupid one night stands are. And they truly are. You just put your whole self out there for someone you barely know for one night of your life. It’s stupid when you think of it, so why do we do it? Because we want instant gratification now, we don’t wanna wait for a relationship to start and to get to know the other person well. If someone’s DTF & you’re both drunk, you’ll do it. And when I look back at all of the times I’ve done this, I’m ashamed of myself. I know everyone does it, so it’s ok. But it’s not, for your moral sake. After a while it kinda breaks you down and put this guard up where you won’t let anyone at all in. So like my guy friend and I were talking about last night; we want an actual relationship before we have sex with anyone, which makes so much sense because then you can do it all day, any day. Haha. But seriously, you don’t have to wait for marriage, just wait for the right guy

@chelscarbaugh
@trualityradio
7-9pm est thursdays
Www.listen2diamond.com

From the mind of an outcast

From the mind of the outcast

I was placed in a world not meant for me. The rules and regulations that govern this system seem contradictory and redundant and with every turn of the cheek i feel cold hand of hell thrashing against the other. Adaptation to this environment means complete surrender to gods that rule it. Suicide tantalizes with a sweet smell of morning dew drops on fresh leaves and the succulent juices of freedom the tree of life yea even in the midst of such unfathomable freshness and the reward of peace, the fear of reincarnation into a likewise situation haunts me. Taunting me like an itch in the unreachable crevices of my back dodging every attempt to scratch it out and have peace. To be free or not to be free is the true question. Whether to succumb to a system of tyranny and hatred governed by those with the influence on minds to make them blind to the truth or to fight a tribe of nephlim with slings and arrows of self righteousness and suffer the wrath of false idols i'be been conditioned to believe in for they need my belief to exist? It is a dichotomy. In which answer will I find peace? It is lost? Have I no chance at all to regain it? Am I to lose my true self and become a needle in the hay stack?! What a fate..... And what trickery. Ive been fooled with to be lost in such confusion.

Chuck Dueces
@trualityradio
7-9pm est Thursday on www.listen2diamond.com


Saturday, February 9, 2013

Hotep is Single

I seem to attract the sexually plagued. those who were struck harshly by its backhand at such a young age. Secrets they never told, until the moment they hold me. relief thinking i can give them peace or my piece. I am healer, I see the pain sex causes and the affect that its slap has had on the most gorgeous beings. Grown ups. Men and women who are on their knees begging for mercy or a earthly grave rather that instead becoming a slave to their own avatars. Touching and toying. They are not taught that this body should be the least of their worries. It is both merely and most importantly their vehicle for ascension, and if they treat it right, and keep it pure, they will reap the benefits. If they choose to feed the temptations of their senses too young, too soon before their brain can reason their actions they should wait. The brake pedal jerk of physical and mental unreadiness is right on the "yes" end of permission to penetrate. Oh you ain't ready for the background stories your partner got. All the details of their treacherous journey to u. No, you don't want to REALLY know why that freaky shit turns them on. So you give them the sexy BET version of a song, of yourself where you're dressing like a cheap fast hussy or a booty begging bachelor. Where sex is currency and divorces are funny. Mute the television. and confess to one another the pain. in detail knowing that when it's out there. You gotta rider who ain't never scared. Or dared to act brand new cuz they got some bull shit too. Both hurting and flirting so u never really find out why I'm so damn sexy to you. Why are we so attracted to the pain in another. scars so hard that we tun under the covers. Some men have been attractive, physically active and smart got kids and business move or could create works of art and they were TALENTED but very unbalance-ed.


Tuesday, February 5, 2013

#1 We Arrive to Chicago 6:30am CST



"Ay, Hotehhhhhhhhp are you up?"

"Yeah...mmmmhhh....I'm up."

"Look we're here."

Eyes squinted. Opening. Groggy. So I’m looking at huge buildings under a dark blue sky. Lights blurring past me as I’m leaned back in the cramped back seat of the car. Cramped because of Lorenzo’s luggage and Chuck Deuces’ borrowed guitar from Josh back home in Pittsburgh. Texting my Daddy. Texting Proppa Ezrakation like "We made it." I roll my ankles only to be reminded...Dang~!I travelled to Chicago, drove 2-3 hours, then stopped for food, then rode in the back for 4 more hours, with thigh-high, platform, silver-buckled all black stilettos. *snap* AND WORK! I’m not sure what about a "7 hour car ride" made me wear these, but I was like…too tired to change I suppose. Shoot I wasn’t complaining.  We made it just like we said we would.

My fro was tuft under my green Argosy University hoodie and we all buried our faces in our phones. CD was only hittin the GPS on red lights. I’ll admit I could have had his back a little more on where the hell we were going. I don’t know what Lorenzo was doing in the passenger seat but it didn’t have anything to do with finding a hotel. Aight maybe it did, but we struggled nonetheless. Yes. We were looking for a hotel at now, 6:45am. Yup that’s the Tru Crew for you! The thing is, we actually planned to do this. We said, “We’ll find one when we get there.” And of course, we did…eventually. The Congress Plaza Hotel was called, confirmed, and affordable. Now…Where to park?

What are you crazy? You cannot park in Chicago for anything less than a clean chop from your elbow joint
or a slice from the at least the knee down. They wanted blood to park in Downtown Chicago.

The sign says, “$12.00 for the first 15 minutes.”

Chuck Deuce says, “Fuck it. We’re in Chicago!”  

Like..yo…I feel you bro…and everything…but like… look…see in Pittsburgh we pay $15 for the whole day and fa real, fa real? I’ve never paid $15 for a whole day of parking in Downtown Pittsburgh. Like…I’ve seen the lots and aythang but uh. I ain’t never really park there, you know?...Man we had to brace ourselves for the highway robbery that is Chicago’s prices in comparison to Pittsburgh. I tried to stop Red Kapps but he was on a mission in my whip. He paid it like he was ballin and me Lorenzo knew it’d be our turn next.

We pulled into the John Hancock Bulding and stepped into the elevator. Attempting to remember our lot # in this enclosed heated garage….I know right? We came out into an office building foyer and Deidre was sent from the gods to welcome us to Chicago. She whipped out that tour book so quick we wasn’t even ready to take notes. She’s doing morning calisthenics in her physical demonstration of how we were going to walk out of here to get the hotel we “found” to stay in.

“Oh y’all far on the other side of town. You might as well take the bus. Now you’re going to need an all day bus pass. That’s at the Walgreens, right down the block...well maybe two blocks...but you'll see it. Then go to the Loyola University to get your stub stamped for 10 hours." WORD! Stretch that $12! Okay?! Then catch the bus straight down. Like STRAIGHT down the opposite direction to get to your hotel. Then you’re good.” We thanked her and told her why we came.

"I'm a mime, and I'm auditioning for America's Got Talent...Ten years...yes ma'am. Oh, I'm ready. He's going to sing."

Red Kapps, "Yeah, the guitar's in the car."

"Awe okay well look atchyall!

“Ms. Deidra, your short cut is sharp!” I had to mention.

“Oooh girl please.”

She pats the nape of her neck with her head down looking over her glasses. She’s about 48 and rockin the
Regina King look. I knew that my boots were a little disconcerting so I wanted to make sure she knew these dudes wasn’t my pimps. We chatted and I gave her the professional sister tone. You know the one we use.
I grabbed someone's, anyone's elbow as we slid our way across the comical slush party Chicago weather threw us for our arrival. Oh yeah, we made it.

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Can We Get Some Appreciation?

Black History month. It’s not something that I get especially excited for, but I am proud to be black—a black woman to be specific. Being black in America is not easy. Racism is still (will forever be) alive and well. I am thankful for people like MLK and Rosa, Malcom and Sojourner, and so many others who fought for many of the privileges that I get to enjoy.
What hurts is that people like Tyler Perry don’t always depict us (black people) in the best light. Do I think he hit the nail on the head with For Colored girls? Yes, but you can’t forget all of the other movies like Diary of a Mad Black Woman that really makes me question how my people are depicted.
This might not have bothered some folks, but if you watched Saved By The Bell go with for a minute. Lisa Turtle, the only black woman, was always being chased by Screech. Screech was the nerdiest guy in the show who had loved Lisa since kindergarten.
There’s an episode where Zack, the main character, starts to fall for Lisa. However, because Zack is best friends with Screech, he [Zack] decides not to pursue her. What kind of crap is that?! Why can’t she get the hunk?
Alright. That’s just one example. In another episode, she spots this attractive guy in the hallway at school, asks him to the senior dance and he says yes. Well, soon after Kelly (another main character) eavesdrops and finds out that the guy Lisa asked to the dance is only a freshman. I completely understand that the show has to have some kind of plot, twist and turn, but why on Earth could she not shine in the boyfriend light for one minute? Everyone else has relationships during the show, but not her. Coincidence? I don’t think so.
I recently got into the show Scandal and Kerry Washington is undoubtedly in a class by herself. Although she knows how to handle any situation that comes her way, she’s the president’s mistress. See what I mean?
Outside of tv shows and movies, there’s also the sports realm. Serena Williams was recently made fun of for her body. She’s built like an Amazon and knows how to win, so I don’t see the problem? Her story is one to be admired: to come from nothing and become MORE than just someone who plays tennis. She’s won in and outside the country and multiple times FOR the country. I don’t know about you, but I think that deserves our respect. Our comments and opinions are null and void.
My point is that black women are not highlighted in entertainment, whether it’s sports, movies, tv shows, etc.; we’re actually overlooked. People know we exist, but there’s not enough people appreciating what it is we do and who we are. I would not trade being a black woman for the world!! I’m different and that’s what makes my black beautiful

@epiphane
@trualityradio
Www.trualityradio.com
Listen to the show live 7-9pm
On www.listen2diamond.com