B~Wood Chronicles . . .

Sometimes We Wish We Could Turn Back The Hands of Time!

2012-02-13T17:11:00.005-05:00

Side Bar ~ This is so sad. . . I really wish they would have met, and became wonderful friends. I think they had so much in common, however, I don't think Whitney really realized it. Whitney was just so hurt by that Wendy Williams interview from back in the day when Wendy was off the chain doing what she had to do to maintain being #1 on the radio! If giving the opportunity we live and learn, and hopefully become stronger and wiser!

Whitney you always were my fairy God-mother in my head as well.

Another Rapper In His Birthday Suit

2012-02-13T15:03:00.001-05:00

Jamal "Pimpin" Willingham from Dem Franchize Boyz got caught with his pants down.

Nike Celebrates Black History Month

2012-02-13T14:43:00.000-05:00

Nike Sportswear and Nike Basketball are releasing limited-edition footwear and apparel that celebrates the achievements and pioneering spirit of three teams. The 96' USA Basketball Women's team, 02' Brazil Men's Soccer team and 08' Kenyan Long-Distance Running team. All three leave a legacy of greatness and continue to inspire and uplift their communities.

The 2012 Black History Month collection includes the Nike Zoom KD, IV, Nike Kobe VII System and LeBron 9 from Nike Basketball, as well as the Nike Air Force 1, Nike Air Max 1, Nike Blazer and 2012 Nike Huarache Free from Nike Sportwear. In addition to the shoes, select apparel styles include the Nike Destroyer Jacket, T-shirt and snapback hat. Nike release these item on Nikestore.com this past Saturday, Feb 11

The Black List

2012-02-13T14:20:00.000-05:00

Serena Williams

Chris Rock

Puffy

Hill Harper

Whoopi Goldberg

Colin Powell

Vernon Jordan

Steve Stoute

Maya Rudolph

Suzanne De Passe

Ashanti Performs "The Woman You Love" & Tributes Whitney Houston With "I Have Nothing" on GMA

2012-02-13T11:55:00.002-05:00

Side Bar ~ G'rl . . . please in the name of JESUSSSSSSS don't ever do that again!

Giants Mario Manningham & Victor Cruz On The Grammys

2012-02-13T11:10:00.001-05:00

Giants wide receivers Mario Manningham & Victor Cruz along side NCIS Pauly Perette presented Grammy for Best Rock Performance to the Foo Fighters.

Side Bar ~ OMFG.......Mario and Victor your suppose to stand their and look cute, reading is not your strong suite!!!

Chris Brown's Friend Made Appearance @ Grammys

2012-02-13T09:44:00.000-05:00

Kelly Clarkson Performs on the Grammys

2012-02-13T08:56:00.002-05:00

21221222957 by YardieGoals

Kelly Clarkson is the best, she can sing pop, country, r&b, perhaps even opera.....I so luv her....just hate her hair stylist.

Bruno Mars Performs on the Grammys

2012-02-13T08:33:00.001-05:00

2122122555 by YardieGoals
Ques......is he like 3ft tall??

Rihanna and Coldplay Performs on the Grammys

2012-02-13T08:27:00.003-05:00

21221225635 by YardieGoals

Side Bar ~ Okay, clearly Rihanna was quite pitchy last night, but I must admit she did better than I thought she would do. Her 1st song, I thought clearly is a studio song and she wouldn't perhaps be able to perform it live, however, I won't be too harsh on her.

Adele Performs "Rolling In The Deep" on the Grammys

2012-02-13T08:15:00.001-05:00

JUST AMAZING

Chris Brown Performs at 2012 Grammys

2012-02-13T08:02:00.002-05:00

RING THE MUTHA F*CKIN' Lip Sync Alarm!!!

21221222533 by YardieGoals

Side Bar ~ Like, really . . .What was the point of the mic attached to his damn head if he wasn't going to sing a damn WORD! I'm just sayin' . . . It's 2012 we so don't need the fake out appearance.

Like we barely, nowdays give a pass to Janet Jackson, Brittney Spears, & Usher when they pull that ~ish!

Taylor Swift Performs "Mean" on the Grammys

2012-02-13T07:55:00.002-05:00

212212213725 by YardieGoals

Side Bar ~ Like Taylor.....Where did you find that set? . . . Was is at the Hee-Haw Designer Fashion Convention???? Ch'ile Boo!

Nicki Minaj Performs "Roman Holiday" at Grammys

2012-02-13T07:48:00.002-05:00

21221223435 by YardieGoals

Side Bar ~ Nicki Minaj performance last night on the Grammys left me feeling spiritually violated & I need someone to pray over me real quick. . . . Like, yesterday quick! (I'm repenting right now LAWD . . . G'rl what in the world?)

Like was that song appropriate with the recent turns of events . . . The dramatic outfit, the Pope. Like, it was just too much for me!

Jennifer Hudson Breaks Down On The Grammys

2012-02-12T23:41:00.002-05:00

Jennifer Hudson sang her heart out and paid tribute to all the falling musical artist on the Grammys last night. The 30 year old singer performed a rendition of the classic song "I Will Always Love You" Check out the video below.

Side Bar ~ I STAYED UP UNTIL 10:30 P.M. TO WATCH JENNIFER PERFORM. 3 MINUTES LATER I SAID TO MYSELF "JENNIFER NEEDS TO BRING HER WEIGHTWATCHERS ASS BACK OUT AND DO THE BIG FINISH ......WTF".

LIKE I KNOW IT WAS EMOTIONAL . . . BUT, I SO NEEDED MORE, BECAUSE GRAMMYS DID NOTHING FOR ME LAST NIGHT!

I DON'T KNOW . . . MAYBE I'M JUST BEING MEAN AND BITTER. I JUST HATE THAT WERE LIVING THROUGH THIS TRAGIC LOSS RIGHT NOW IN OUR LIVES.

Whitney With Her Music Industry Friends

2012-02-12T09:04:00.001-05:00

Kelly Price, Whitney Houston & Faith Evans

Whitney Houston & Erykah Badu

Whitney Houston & Lisa Marie Presley

Elizabeth Taylor, Liza Minnelli, Michael Jackson & Whitney Houston

10 Mar 1988: The late legends, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, share a moment after Michael receives an honorary doctor of Humane Letters degree from the United Negro College in New York City.

Mariah Carey & Whitney Houston

Elton John & Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston & Queen Latifah

Usher & Whiteny Houston

Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, & Whitney Houston

Wyclef Jean & Whitney Houston

Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds & Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston & Mary J. Blige

Cousin Dionne Warwick, Whitney Houston, & Natalie Cole

Whitney Houston & Kelly Price

The Woman Who Set The Bar ~ My Heart Hurts!

2012-02-12T08:30:00.001-05:00

Whitney Houston performing on 8/30/86 in Chicago, IL.

Whitney Houston, Cissy Houston and Dionne Warwick in 1987.

Whitney Houston and Cissy Houston appear during a taping of an MTV show in 1989 in New York City.

Whitney Houston at the 16th American Music Awards in 1989.

Clive Davis and Whitney Houston in 1990.

Whitney Houston sings the National Anthem during the pregame show at Super Bowl XXV while tens of thousands of football fans wave tiny American flags in an incredible outburst of patriotism during the Persian Gulf War on 01/27/1991.

Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston at the 1993 Billboard Music Awards in Universal City, California.

Whitney Houston at the 36th Annual GRAMMY Awards in 1994.

Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston present an award at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, California.

Singer Whitney Houston is embraced by her husband Bobby Brown at a party celebrating the sale of the 5 millionth copy of her latest record in New York City April 13, 1999

12/4/99 New York, NY. Whitney Houston at 'Whitney Houston's All-Star Holiday Gala.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (R) welcomes singer Whitney Houston (L) and her husband/singer, Bobby Brown (C), at the prime minister's residence May 27, 2003 in Jerusalem, Israel. Houston is on a private tour of Israel

Whitney Houston on stage at the VH1 Divas Duets: A Concert to Benefit the VH1 Save the Music Foundation Show in 2003.

Singer Whitney Houston is seen performing on stage during the 2004 World Music Awards at the Thomas and Mack Center on September 15, 2004 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

OCTOBER 28: Producer Clive Davis (L) and singer Whitney Houston arrive at the 17th Annual Mercedes-Benz Carousel of Hope Ball at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on October 28, 2006 in Beverly Hills, California.

Singer Whitney Houston speaks onstage during the 51st Annual Grammy Awards held at the Staples Center on February 8, 2009 in Los Angeles, California.

Whitney Houston and Bobbi Kristina Brown at the 2009 American Music Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on November 22, 2009 in Los Angeles, California.

Producer Clive Davis (L) and singer Whitney Houston speak onstage at the 2011 Pre-GRAMMY Gala and Salute To Industry Icons Honoring David Geffen at Beverly Hilton on February 12, 2011 in Beverly Hills, California.

Whitney Houston arrives to the The love of R&B Grammy Party at Tru Hollywood on February 9, 2012 in Hollywood, California.

Side Bar ~ I just don't understand why she left us so soon . . . I couldn't help but shed a tear, it's devastating.

This is when she was at her best!!!!

R.I.P. Whitney Houston (Aug. 9, 1963 - Feb.11, 2012)

2012-02-11T20:32:00.005-05:00

Courtesy of Associated Press

LOS ANGELES – Whitney Houston, who reigned as pop music's queen until her majestic voice and regal image were ravaged by drug use, erratic behavior and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown, has died. She was 48.

Publicist Kristen Foster said Saturday that the singer had died, but the cause and the location of her death were unknown.

At her peak, Houston the golden girl of the music industry. From the middle 1980s to the late 1990s, she was one of the world's best-selling artists. She wowed audiences with effortless, powerful, and peerless vocals that were rooted in the black church but made palatable to the masses with a pop sheen.

Her success carried her beyond music to movies, where she starred in hits like "The Bodyguard" and "Waiting to Exhale."

She had the he perfect voice, and the perfect image: a gorgeous singer who had sex appeal but was never overtly sexual, who maintained perfect poise.

She influenced a generation of younger singers, from Christina Aguilera to Mariah Carey, who when she first came out sounded so much like Houston that many thought it was Houston.

But by the end of her career, Houston became a stunning cautionary tale of the toll of drug use. Her album sales plummeted and the hits stopped coming; her once serene image was shattered by a wild demeanor and bizarre public appearances. She confessed to abusing cocaine, marijuana and pills, and her once pristine voice became raspy and hoarse, unable to hit the high notes as she had during her prime.

"The biggest devil is me. I'm either my best friend or my worst enemy," Houston told ABC's Diane Sawyer in an infamous 2002 interview with then-husband Brown by her side.

It was a tragic fall for a superstar who was one of the top-selling artists in pop music history, with more than 55 million records sold in the United States alone.

She seemed to be born into greatness. She was the daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston, the cousin of 1960s pop diva Dionne Warwick and the goddaughter of Aretha Franklin.

Houston first started singing in the church as a child. In her teens, she sang backup for Chaka Khan, Jermaine Jackson and others, in addition to modeling. It was around that time when music mogul Clive Davis first heard Houston perform.

"The time that I first saw her singing in her mother's act in a club ... it was such a stunning impact," Davis told "Good Morning America."

"To hear this young girl breathe such fire into this song. I mean, it really sent the proverbial tingles up my spine," he added.

Before long, the rest of the country would feel it, too. Houston made her album debut in 1985 with "Whitney Houston," which sold millions and spawned hit after hit. "Saving All My Love for You" brought her her first Grammy, for best female pop vocal. "How Will I Know," "You Give Good Love" and "The Greatest Love of All" also became hit singles.

Another multiplatinum album, "Whitney," came out in 1987 and included hits like "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody."

The New York Times wrote that Houston "possesses one of her generation's most powerful gospel-trained voices, but she eschews many of the churchier mannerisms of her forerunners. She uses ornamental gospel phrasing only sparingly, and instead of projecting an earthy, tearful vulnerability, communicates cool self-assurance and strength, building pop ballads to majestic, sustained peaks of intensity."

Her decision not to follow the more soulful inflections of singers like Franklin drew criticism by some who saw her as playing down her black roots to go pop and reach white audiences. The criticism would become a constant refrain through much of her career. She was even booed during the "Soul Train Awards" in 1989.

"Sometimes it gets down to that, you know?" she told Katie Couric in 1996. "You're not black enough for them. I don't know. You're not R&B enough. You're very pop. The white audience has taken you away from them."

Some saw her 1992 marriage to former New Edition member and soul crooner Bobby Brown as an attempt to refute those critics. It seemed to be an odd union; she was seen as pop's pure princess while he had a bad-boy image, and already had children of his own. (The couple had a daughter, Bobbi Kristina, in 1993.) Over the years, he would be arrested several times, on charges ranging from DUI to failure to pay child support.

But Houston said their true personalities were not as far apart as people may have believed.

"When you love, you love. I mean, do you stop loving somebody because you have different images? You know, Bobby and I basically come from the same place," she told Rolling Stone in 1993. "You see somebody, and you deal with their image, that's their image. It's part of them, it's not the whole picture. I am not always in a sequined gown. I am nobody's angel. I can get down and dirty. I can get raunchy."

It would take several years, however, for the public to see that side of Houston. Her moving 1991 rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" at the Super Bowl, amid the first Gulf War, set a new standard and once again reaffirmed her as America's sweetheart.

In 1992, she became a star in the acting world with "The Bodyguard." Despite mixed reviews, the story of a singer (Houston) guarded by a former Secret Service agent (Kevin Costner) was an international success.

It also gave her perhaps her most memorable hit: a searing, stunning rendition of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You," which sat atop the charts for weeks. It was Grammy's record of the year and best female pop vocal, and the "Bodyguard" soundtrack was named album of the year.

She returned to the big screen in 1995-96 with "Waiting to Exhale" and "The Preacher's Wife." Both spawned soundtrack albums, and another hit studio album, "My Love Is Your Love," in 1998, brought her a Grammy for best female R&B vocal for the cut "It's Not Right But It's Okay."

But during these career and personal highs, Houston was using drugs. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2010, she said by the time "The Preacher's Wife" was released, "(doing drugs) was an everyday thing. ... I would do my work, but after I did my work, for a whole year or two, it was every day. ... I wasn't happy by that point in time. I was losing myself."

In the interview, Houston blamed her rocky marriage to Brown, which included a charge of domestic abuse against Brown in 1993. They divorced in 2007.

Houston would go to rehab twice before she would declare herself drug-free to Winfrey in 2010. But in the interim, there were missed concert dates, a stop at an airport due to drugs, and public meltdowns.

She was so startlingly thin during a 2001 Michael Jackson tribute concert that rumors spread she had died the next day. Her crude behavior and jittery appearance on Brown's reality show,

"Being Bobby Brown," was an example of her sad decline. Her Sawyer interview, where she declared "crack is whack," was often parodied. She dropped out of the spotlight for a few years.

Houston staged what seemed to be a successful comeback with the 2009 album "I Look To You." The album debuted on the top of the charts, and would eventually go platinum.

Things soon fell apart. A concert to promote the album on "Good Morning America" went awry as Houston's voice sounded ragged and off-key. She blamed an interview with Winfrey for straining her voice.

A world tour launched overseas, however, only confirmed suspicions that Houston had lost her treasured gift, as she failed to hit notes and left many fans unimpressed; some walked out.

Canceled concert dates raised speculation that she may have been abusing drugs, but she denied those claims and said she was in great shape, blaming illness for cancellations.

Side Bar ~ I just died inside ... I will forever you miss you Ms. Elizabeth Elizabeth Houston!

Nothin' Like The Healing Power of Music!

2012-02-11T14:06:00.001-05:00

Side Bar ~ Jamie Grace Harper . . . At twenty years young, your touching people lives and I wish you much success!

Their Chemistry Is Undeniable!

2012-02-11T08:22:00.000-05:00

Side Bar ~ Just a lil' snippet of Brandy & Monica as they rehearse "Boy Is Mine" for Clive Davis annual Pre-Grammy Gala.

Awwwww... Blue Ivy Carter is so precious!!!!

2012-02-11T08:12:00.001-05:00

Side Bar ~ The Carter Family does everything there way and I love it. Jay-Z introduced Blue Ivy Carter via Jay-Z's tumbler account . . . So beautiful (http://helloblueivycarter.tumblr.com/)!

2012 amfAR New York Gala

2012-02-10T07:44:00.000-05:00

SuperModels ~ Cindy Crawford & Heidi Klum

Designer Roberto Cavalli & Songstress Jennifer Hudson

Actress ~ Julianne Moore

Songstress ~ Gloria Estefan & Actress Sarah Jessica Parker

Actress ~ Lindsay Lohan

Actress ~ "Gossip Girl" Leighton Meester

Actress ~ Vanessa Hudgens

Actor aka "My Husband" ~ "Twilight Hottie" Kellan Lutz

Model ~ Molly Simms

Songstress ~ Janelle Monae

Model/Actress ~ Elizabeth Hurley & fiance Shane Warne

Socialite/Heiress ~ Nicky Hilton

Model/Top Chef Hostess ~ Padma Lakshmi

The stars came out Wednesday, February 8, 2012 to support AIDS research at this year 2012 amfAR Gala. The gala was held at Cipriani Wall Street, New York.

For those not familiar: amfAR stands for the American Foundation for AIDS Research.

“The Foundation for AIDS Research, is one of the world’s leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy. Since 1985, amfAR has invested more than $340 million in its programs and has awarded grants to more than 2,000 research teams worldwide.”

For more info please visit www.amfar.org.

Remember This Name David Leathers Jr.

2012-02-09T19:35:00.001-05:00

P.S. He should be in the top 10 after all this is done.

OMFG.....What Happen To My Cutie Steve Francis

2012-02-09T19:29:00.003-05:00

I CAN'T REMEMBER CUTIE OR SEXY IN FRONT OF STEVE FRANCIS NAME ANYMORE (Wait 2 second delay reaction, that's Stephon Marbury)......DAMN WHAT HAPPEN TO HIM?

They lookin' like they had a ruff life!

REMEMBER WHEN HE WAS ON MTV CRIBS

STEVE FRANCIS @ 2000 SLAM DUNK CONTEST

Are You Ready For Season 4 of Basketball Wives

2012-02-09T18:13:00.000-05:00

Get More: Basketball Wives (Season 4), Evelyn, More Video

New Video - Jay -Z & Kanye West "Niggas In Paris"

2012-02-09T18:10:00.000-05:00

Talk About Delay Reaction . . .

2012-02-09T16:41:00.000-05:00

Side Bar ~ OMFG . . . You could tell she was getting dizzy, here legs began to buckle. BUT, damn J-Lo, Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler like ya'll had a delay reaction like none other.

Like shouldn't ya'll been the first to jump around that table and tend to her needs. . . That's some ~ish, right there!

New Music ~ Flo Rida (Feat. Sia) "Wild Ones"

2012-02-09T16:30:00.000-05:00

Essence Knows How To Bring Out The Beautiful Ladies!

2012-02-09T14:18:00.001-05:00

Kelly Rowland & Sexy A** Man

(I know he's a model I've seen his pictures everywhere)

Kelly & Michelle Williams

Oooh So Lovely

Kelly & Music Exec. Sylvia Rhone

Rapper ~ Ms. E.V.E.

Lookin' like a bombshell . . . WERQ IT Ma'

LeToya Luckett

Actress ~ Sharon Leal

Actress ~ Denyce Lawton

Oh how I miss ~ Singer Tamia

Tamia & Singer Kenny Lattimore

Model ~ Eva Marcille

Me likey the back view!

Ledisi

DJ K.I.S.S.

Actress ~ Holly Robinson-Peete

Actress ~ Joyful Drake

Ne-Yo & his new artist

Rapper ~ Mc Lyte still holdin' it down!

Singer ~ Melody Thornton

Essence Editor In Chief ~ Ms. Constance White

Actress ~ Regina King

Actress ~ Jenna Fredrique

Model ~ Tocarra

Actress ~ Nadine Ellis

Courtesy of Ybf.com

Essence truly does remind us of how ~ My Black is Beautiful!

Our lovely women pulled out all the stops as they walked the black carpet at the 3rd Annual Essence Black Women in Music event.

The honoraries for the evening was the lovely Kelly Rowland (who by the way, has been having an awesome year), and music industry extraordinaire, Ms. Sylvia Rhone.

Before I recognize Ms. Kelly Rowland let me respect the queen and take a moment to give you guys some insight of the one and only Ms. Sylvia Rhone.

Sylvia Rhone is an American music industry icon in my opinion. “She served as President of Universal Motown Record until 2011.”

“She has overseen a roster of artists in the Universal Motown lineup including Lil Wayne, and the Cash Money artists, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Kid Cudi, Nelly, Melanie Fiona, Akon, Erykah Badu, and Stevie Wonder.”

"Prior to her Universal Motown role, Ms. Rhone served as chairman and CEO of the Elektra Entertainment Group (EEG). Her appointment in 1994 as chairman and CEO of EEG established her as the only African American and the first woman in the history of the recording industry to attain such a title.”

So since where in the spirit of Black History Month, lets celebrate a women who is redefining history . . . Congratulations Ms. Sylvia Rhone as Essence “celebrates the accomplishments of the most influential movers and shakers in the music industry.”

Kelendria Trene “Kelly” Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, television personality, trendsetter and one of the most beautiful women in the world.

We all know her as one of the founding members of the super-duper successful girl group Destiny’s Child; however, in recent times it’s all about KELLY ROWLAND!

After the success of Rowland’s single “Motivation” featuring Lil Wayne this lil momma has been everywhere. I love the fact that she is not just an American star, Kelly is known all over the world and in 2011, “joined the judging panel on the eighth series of the British reality television competition The X Factor.”

At thirty years of age, Ms. Kelly Rowland is confident, beautiful, intelligent, memorizing, and a 100% sexy ass woman . . . Not to mention, a mover and shaker in the music industry.

So fam’ lets stand up and give a round of applause to Ms. Kelly Rowland!

Without A Pre-Nup . . . Damn, You Faired Pretty Good Ms. Perry!

2012-02-09T07:07:00.002-05:00

Courtesy of Us Weekley.com

"There's no going back at this point."

"Katy Perry, 27, and Russell Brand, 36, have reached a settlement in their divorce, Us Weekly can confirm. British movie star Brand filed for divorce on December 30 citing irreconcilable differences."

"In court documents filed Tuesday and obtained by Radar Online, Perry and Brand have entered into a comprehensive written settlement of all issues, including, without limitation, with respect to the property to be confirmed or assigned to each party."

"Brand will not be receiving spousal support from Perry, despite not having a pre-nuptial agreement. The "Firework" singer is worth an estimated $70 million, while Brand is worth just $20 million."

"The former couple owned four properties in California, New York and London, totaling $15 million. The exes also have three cats: Her Kitty Purry, his Morrissey and, Perry once told Us, together we got Krusty!"

"Perry signed the court documents with a happy face next to her name -- a sure sign that she's ready to put her 14-month marriage behind her."

Side Bar ~ I so luv Katy Perry . . . I'm so not mad at her for sigining the documents with a happy face next to her name. . . HILARIOUS!

Mr. Martin Really???? . . . You So Out Of Pocket!

2012-02-08T15:52:00.001-05:00

Courtesy of Yahoo.com & Dylan Stableford ~ The Cutline

Political commentator Roland Martin has been suspended indefinitely by CNN over a series of tweets he published during the Super Bowl.

"Roland Martin's tweets were regrettable and offensive," CNN said in a statement. "Language that demeans is inconsistent with the values and culture of our organization, and is not tolerated. We have been giving careful consideration to this matter, and Roland will not be appearing on our air for the time being."

Those comments, published on his personal Twitter feed, concerned a two Super Bowl ads, including an H&M spot showcasing a new David Beckham underwear line.

Martin wrote:

If a dude at your Super Bowl party is hyped about David Beckham's H&M underwear ad, smack the ish out of him! #superbowl

Earlier in the game, Martin chastised a player for wearing pink:

Who the hell was that New England Patriot they just showed in a head to toe pink suit? Oh, he needs a visit from #teamwhipdatass

Several gay and lesbian rights groups were outraged. GLAAD said CNN ought to fire Martin: "Advocates of gay bashing have no place at CNN." Even Glenn Beck found Martin's comments insulting.

Martin first tried to defend his tweets as lighthearted ribbing of Beckham's sport. "I made several cracks about soccer as I do all the time," Martin wrote on Twitter. "I was not referring to sexuality directly or indirectly regarding the David Beckham ad, and I'm sorry folks took it otherwise. It was meant to be a deliberately over the top and sarcastic crack about soccer; I do not advocate violence of any kind against anyone gay, or not. As anyone who follows me on Twitter knows, anytime soccer comes up during football season it's another chance for me to take a playful shot at soccer, nothing more."

The CNN contributor later formally apologized, issuing a statement:

Based on several tweets I made on my Twitter feed on Super Bowl Sunday yesterday, I have been accused by members of the LGBT community of being supportive of violence against gays and lesbians and bullying. That is furthest from the truth, and I sincerely regret any offense my words have caused.

"What Martin tweeted—advocating beatings for men who'd enjoyed the David Beckham underwear ad shown during the Super Bowl plus the same for a New England Patriot clad in a pink suit—was the equivalent of cheerleading for violence against gays," Washington Post columnist Erik Wemple, the first to report Martin's suspension, wrote Wednesday.

Martin did not return a request for comment.

No word on how long he will remain off CNN's airwaves.

Side Bar ~ I always liked Mr. Roland Martin and perhaps some may say were being too sensitive but being a CNN commentor, you out of all people should know that yours tweets were inappropriate?

"If a dude at your Super Bowl party is hyped about David Beckham's H&M underwear ad, smack the ish out of him! #superbowl" . . . LIKE REALLY Mr. Martin!

I understand Freedom of speech, however, I would like to believe after looking back on that tweet, you would have to said to yourself, yep . . Perhaps I was being insensitive to the LGBT community, without them calling you up on it. I mean come on now hindsight is 20/20. Your followed by so many people that linger on your every word, yet, you really was on one that day!

Mr. Martin . . . From Gay Man to Straight Man . . . You know David Beckham Supberbowl XLVI Undewear Ad was hot. Let's face it David Beckham oozes sex appeal (#pointblank), you don't have to be gay to give him his props!

Ol' Skool Jam-E-Jam Wednesdayz

2012-02-08T11:07:00.000-05:00

I Still Got Love For The Original Destiny's Child

Side Bar ~ OMG... They said, pagers aka beepers, MCI phone company, AOL email, damn that sound so ancient!

I so didn't recall Kobe in the video. He still lookin' good!

From Projects To Carnegie Hall . . . It's A Beautiful Thang!

2012-02-08T10:57:00.000-05:00

Jay-Z ~ Take A Bow Soulja!

Truly A New York State of Mind ~ Jay-Z & Mrs. Alicia Keys

Jay Z & Lizza Minnelli

Beyonce & The Real Queen ~ Momma Tina Knowles

Nas & Alicia Keys

New York Knicks point guard Baron Davis at after party

Jay-Z 40/40 Club

Courtesy of Yahoo.com

Many people believed rap music was just a fad back in the day, however, wow look at where Hip-Hop has taking us today.

Did I hear someone say Carnegie Hall!

Where talkin' about the prestigious Manhattan, New York Carnegie Hall. That's amazing!

"Jay-Z performed at a benefit concert for the United Way of New York City and the Shawn Carter Foundation".

This fam' is when you are on your grown man status as a Hip-Hop Artist and have takin' the game to another level.

Like you can't be a gansta rapper forever people . . . I'm just sayin' . . . Take Note!

Side Bar ~ Jay-Z I salute you!

Bwood's #1 Reason To Watch Football

2012-02-07T20:22:00.000-05:00

ENOUGH SAID

BIG PUN Nov. 10, 1971 - Feb 07, 2000

2012-02-07T20:17:00.000-05:00

It's been 12 years of the passing of Christopher Lee Rios (better known to you guys as BIG PUN)

Kelly Clarkson Sings National Anthem

2012-02-07T18:16:00.001-05:00

Kelly was very soulful and impressive when she sang the National Anthem.

P.S. No one can touch Whitney Houston with the National Anthem, but Kelly did the damn thing

Super Bowl XLVI Champions

2012-02-06T19:43:00.000-05:00

CONGRATS NY GIANTS!!!!

Manningham makes the catch!

New Music - Brandy & Monica "It All Belongs To Me"

2012-02-06T19:10:00.000-05:00

Take a listen to the new music from Bandy & Monica..........

P.S. Maybe it will get better when I listen to it a couple more times (I hope so anyway because I like both of them)

Young Joc Is The Latest Victim

2012-02-06T19:03:00.000-05:00

Young Joc has nothing playing on the radio right now but is still being productive with his time. He is taking nude pics of himself and showing YOU how much he is carrying.

Dang, Did Ya'll Hear About This?

2012-02-06T08:07:00.000-05:00

You couldn't possibly have visted Midtown Atlanta, and not at least one time dropped in or driven by Outwrite Bookstore. Well if you haven't, it's too late now.

Courtesy of ajc.com

"The final chapter has ended at Outwrite Bookstore & Coffeehouse. It’s not a happy ending."

“We regret to inform you that effective January 26, 2012, Outwrite Bookstore and Coffeehouse is closed for business,” owner Philip Rafshoon said in an email. “For over 18 years, we have been privileged to serve Atlanta residents and welcome visitors from across America and around the world. We sincerely thank you for your patronage.”

"The Midtown landmark sounded the alarm some time ago, alerting patrons to its financial woes and asking for help. While many people responded, even volunteering at the store to help keep its doors open, the efforts were unable to surmount Outwrite’s predicament."

“Unfortunately, we have run out of time and money to make that transformation, Rafshoon wrote."

"The store has hosted numerous author signings and other events through the years. Appearances by authors including RuPaul, Star Jones and CNN’s Don Lemon drew crowds, but special events weren’t able to sustain the business."

“As an independent bookstore and coffeehouse focused on the LGBT community, Outwrite has served as a symbol of strength and diversity in this city; and we have helped create a vibrant, pedestrian environment in Midtown,” Rafshoon wrote. “Our community has made an incredible amount of progress in the past 18 years and we are proud to have been part of that progress. All of us at Outwrite believe in the strength of our community and you will continue to see us working to strengthen and enrich it. While it is a challenging economy and the bookselling industry is rapidly evolving, there is still a need for neighborhoods with a strong LGBT presence and independent bookstores serving communities throughout the world.”

He ends on a grateful note:

“Thanks to all of you who made Outwrite the special place it has been over the past 18 years. Thank you to all who came in on a regular basis, showing your commitment to supporting independent, local businesses. And thank you to all of the authors, poets, artists, musicians, volunteers, and activists, who have entertained, educated and energized us: your contributions have highlighted the strength, beauty, vitality, and creativity of our lives and changed the face of Atlanta. Thank you for making our community a better place.”

Side Bar ~ I guess with internet, iPADS, iPhone, Blackberry's, Kindle, Tablets, etc. we just don't go to bookstores any more!

B'wood's Personal Library!

2012-02-04T18:47:00.002-05:00

Fam' today is Saturday, February 4, 2012 and I, B'wood have been in bed all day.

Today, I was determined to finish a book my friend recommended titled "The Upside Of The Down Low ~ A pastor's wife's memoir" by Yolanda King Stephen.

Now here in Atlanta, GA the weather outside has been cloudy, feels like 60 degrees, with winds from SE at 5 mph. So today is definitely a perfect day to cuddle up with a good book.

Now this true story happen in 2010 in Columbus, GA, however, somehow I didn't hear about it. However, I'm here to spread the word, because Ms. Yolanda King Stephen story needs to be heard.

This beautiful Queen captivated my attention from page 1 to page 154, and I finished feeling depleted and in awe of how things sometimes are not what they appear.

Now I know alot of churchgoers may not agree with her story, or perhaps this book may rub some people the wrong way, however, she has a voice and it needs to be heard.

With all the drama going on with New Birth Missionary Baptist church here in Atlanta, Georgia with Bishop Eddie Long, I truly think Ms. Yolanda King Stephen may want to recommend her book to Bishop's wife Mrs. Vanessa Long. I have a feeling (and this is just my opinion) that they stories may have some similarities.

Mechell Clark ~ Resilient Living stated Yolanda King Stephen is "candid, brave, heartbreaking, and yet somehow manages to remain inspiring", and I couldn't have said it better myself.

So if your an avid reader such as myself please support Yolanda King Stephen and visit www.upsidebook.com and get your copy of "The Upside Of the Down Low ~ A pastor's wife's memoir".

Side Bar ~ For some reason I would love to meet Ms. Yolanda King Stephen. I know perhaps she may not agree with my lifestyle choice, yet, I think this sassy Georgia Native would love me all the same.

Yolanda King Stephen

R.I.P. Pastor H. Randy Stephen, II

New Video - Drake "Practice"

2012-02-03T18:25:00.000-05:00

DAMN......Nicki meet Kyra Chaos your competition

Practice from OctobersVeryOwn on Vimeo.

New Video - Day 26 "Made Love Lately"

2012-02-03T18:20:00.001-05:00

Some of the members of the group Day26 is losing the weight while others perhaps are gaining.

P.S. I am feeling this song.

New Video - Madonna feat Nicki Minaj & M.I.A. " Give Me All Your Luv"

2012-02-03T17:48:00.001-05:00

Doing this song and video with Madonna is going to expose Nicki Minaj to different type of audience.

Rih-Rih New Blonde Look

2012-02-03T17:38:00.001-05:00

Know Our History

2012-02-03T17:12:00.001-05:00

August 22, 1867
The first Black college founded in Tennessee was Fisk University. Although work on the school was started in in Oct 1865, it did not become incorporated under Tennessee law until this day.

May 17, 1954
U.S. Supreme Court in landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional. The unanimous decision was read by Chief Justice Earl B Warren.

February 3, 1956
Autherine, J Lucy becomes the first black student to attend the University of Alabama. She was expelled three days later "for her own safety" in response to threats from a mob. 1992 Autherine Lucy Foster graduated from the University with a master's degree in education. The same day, her daughter, Grazia Foster, graduated with a bachelor's degree in corporate finance.

Super Bowl XLVI (NY Giants vs New England Patriots)

2012-02-03T07:20:00.002-05:00

I have trouble deciding whether to root for the New England Patriots or New York Giants (NJ) during the Super Bowl, just root for the team that has the hottest players Devin Thomas of the Giants has my vote and my attention. This man seems almost unreal, from his abs, to his glorified tats to the fact he is ONE PHYNE MAN. GUESS WHAT???? He's single.......People you have a chance. I need to buy a ticket to Indy.

Alright Now . . . Did You See He Has A Gillette Commercial!

2012-02-03T06:03:00.001-05:00

Andre 3000 joins Adrien Brody, & Gael Garcia Bernal and suit up for a new Gillette ad.

Something is Different About J-Lo

2012-02-02T21:51:00.001-05:00

DAMN-IT......J-Lo you didn't have to touch your lips ERRR'THING was perfect on you, now you done F*CK-UP

P.S. Don't touch anything else.

MJB Talks to Wendy Williams

2012-02-02T21:28:00.000-05:00

R.I.P. David Peaston

2012-02-02T21:18:00.006-05:00

Courtesy of STLtoday.com

"David Peaston, 54 an R&B and gospel singer who scored national fame after winning on "Showtime at the Apollo" during the late '80's, died Wednesday (Feb. 1, 2012) from complication of diabetes at his home in St. Louis."

"Mr. Peaston's niece Neuka Mitchell, daughter of "Rescue Me" singer Fontella Bass, confirmed his death Thursday and said he was surrounded by his family, including his wife and sons, when he died."

"Mr. Peaston lived with diabetes since the '90s, and his right leg was amputated at the knee in March 2004; his left leg also was later amputated."

"When he was preparing to be honored at the 2004 event "A Celebration of Love in St. Louis," he struggled with whether he had let his disease prevent him from ever performing on stage again."

"I didn't want to be back in the public," he told the Post-Dispatch that year. I wasn't embarrassed or ashamed, but I felt I let myself down and, therefore, I let everyone else down. It was my fault for being sick, and I didn't want anybody to see me like that."

"Mr. Peaston carried on. By 2004, he lost 200 pounds, and he sang with the St. Louis group the Distinguished Gents for the past five years. The group, which also features St. Louis gospel singer Leslie Johnson, performed its mix of classical, jazz and gospel songs annually at the Ethical Society of St. Louis."

"He also toured Europe until his older sister, Fontella Bass, fell ill. Bass has survived breast cancer and multiple strokes and also has had a leg amputed."

"Mr. Peaston, a former schoolteacher whose mother was Martha Bass of the Clara Ward singers, tried his hand on TV's "Showtime at the Apollo," where he wowed audiences with his sky-high falsetto and his rendition of "God Bless the Child."

"His multiple wins on the show led to his signing a major recording deal in the late '80s with Geffen Records."

"Mr. Peaston was a Soul Train Award winner, toured with Gladys Knight and saw the release of two major label albums, 1989's Introducing … David Peaston and 1991's "Mixed Emotions," and had hits including "Can I," "Two Wrongs (Don't Make a Right)" and "We're All in This Together."

"Mr. Peaston was also a veteran of traveling gospel plays such as "Momma Don't."

"He was definitely the greatest unsung artist I know, a fabulous vocalist who was unmatched," Mitchell said. "He had the kind of talent you don't see today."

"Singer Cheryl Pepsii Riley, who toured with Mr. Peaston in "Momma Don't" and other shows, said in a statement to black music website eurweb.com that she loved this man with the hearty laugh, great sense of humor, that incredible voice, and he was the most amazing friend."

"Funeral services for Mr. Peaston are pending."

"In addition to his sister, among the survivors are his wife, Marilyn; two sons, Daniel Peaston and Darrius Peaston of St. Louis; and a granddaughter, Darriya Peaston of St. Louis."

"He was preceded in death by his parents, Martha Bass and James Peaston.

Side Bar ~ After hearing about his death it scared me to death . . . Being a young man battling with Type 2 diabetes, I know firsthand that diabetes is no joke . . . Diabates especially Type 2 is more common in the African-American, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders community.

Fam' we have to education ourselves.

For more info please visit the American Diabetes Association http://www.diabetes.org/.

Straight to DVD

2012-02-02T20:58:00.001-05:00

"Dysfunctional Friends" looks like it has the makings of a Tyler Perry movie, as some of er'body has been added to the cast - including "Single Ladies" veteran Stacey Dash and NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens. Art doesn't totally imitate life, though. Owens plays a football star in the film who's recently been traded to a team in Ontario, banking $4 million. Off screen, he's a player without a team, attempting to get his child support payments lowered.

Other stars in the ensemble cast include Tatyana Ali, Jason Weaver, Wesley Jonathan, Stacy Kiebler, Hosea Chanchez (hung like a horse) Essence Atkins, Persia White, Meagan Good, Reagan Gomez, and more.

I get the made-for TV movie feel from this one, myself, but what do you think? Could "Dysfunctional Friends" be worth a trip to the theater?

All Hail The King

2012-02-02T20:37:00.000-05:00

The lawsuit is not even a year old and NOW we are making him a king. People are you serious???

New Video ~ OMG Girlz "Gucci This (Gucci That)"

2012-02-02T16:28:00.001-05:00

Side Bar ~ I know... I know fam' it's so for the lil' youngin's . . . but I kinda like the song!

New Video ~ Ace Hood "Be Great"

2012-02-02T16:24:00.001-05:00

New Video ~ Young Jeezy Feat. Fabolous & Jadakiss "OJ"

2012-02-01T16:50:00.000-05:00

Side Bar: OJ ~ Dayummm..... REALLY?????

I mean . . . I know you have to be a real Hip-Hop fan to appreciate this, but a song about OJ. Who gave the green light to this one?

I guess every topic is free game to talk about, and I do like Young Jeezy music, but I think we could have left OJ alone.

Young Jeezy you know that's a touchy subject . . . Nowadays, even in 2012 I'm still confused and don't know what to believe about the OJ Simpson Trial. Man, I just had a flashback of that dayuum White Bronco.

New Video ~ Busta Rhymes "Why Stop Now"

2012-02-01T16:25:00.000-05:00

New Video ~ Ja Rule "Real Life Fantasy"

2012-02-01T16:18:00.000-05:00

New Video ~ Bobby V "Hammertime"

2012-02-01T16:13:00.000-05:00

New Video ~ Brianna "Marilyn Monroe"

2012-02-01T16:08:00.002-05:00

New Video ~ Bow Wow Feat. Lil Wayne "Sweat"

2012-02-01T16:01:00.000-05:00

Ol' Skool Jam-E-Jam Wednesdayz!

2012-02-01T15:57:00.001-05:00

Side Bar: HOLD UP... HOLD UP.... Did I catch a glimpse of Actor/Model Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje aka Simon Adebisi from the HBO Show "OZ" still lookin' phyne.

I so miss "OZ" Adebisi was good and crazy!

African American History Month

2012-02-01T12:35:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of New York Tribune.com

A newly discovered letter from a freed former slave to his onetime master is creating a buzz. Letters of Note explains that in August of 1865, a Colonel P.H. Anderson of Big Spring, Tennessee wrote to his former slave Jourdan Anderson, requesting that Jourdan return to work on his farm.

In the time since escaping from slavery, Anderson had become emancipated, moved to Ohio where he found paid work and was now supporting his family. The letter turned up in the August 22 edition of the New York Daily Tribune. Some excerpts:

Sir: I got your letter, and was glad to find that you had not forgotten Jourdon, and that you wanted me to come back and live with you again, promising to do better for me than anybody else can. I have often felt uneasy about you. I thought the Yankees would have hung you long before this, for harboring Rebs they found at your house. I suppose they never heard about your going to Colonel Martin's to kill the Union soldier that was left by his company in their stable. Although you shot at me twice before I left you, I did not want to hear of your being hurt, and am glad you are still living. It would do me good to go back to the dear old home again, and see Miss Mary and Miss Martha and Allen, Esther, Green, and Lee. Give my love to them all, and tell them I hope we will meet in the better world, if not in this. I would have gone back to see you all when I was working in the Nashville Hospital, but one of the neighbors told me that Henry intended to shoot me if he ever got a chance.

On the "good chance" offered by the former slave owner:

I want to know particularly what the good chance is you propose to give me. I am doing tolerably well here. I get twenty-five dollars a month, with victuals and clothing; have a comfortable home for Mandy,—the folks call her Mrs. Anderson,—and the children—Milly, Jane, and Grundy—go to school and are learning well. The teacher says Grundy has a head for a preacher. They go to Sunday school, and Mandy and me attend church regularly. We are kindly treated. Sometimes we overhear others saying, "Them colored people were slaves" down in Tennessee. The children feel hurt when they hear such remarks; but I tell them it was no disgrace in Tennessee to belong to Colonel Anderson. Many darkeys would have been proud, as I used to be, to call you master. Now if you will write and say what wages you will give me, I will be better able to decide whether it would be to my advantage to move back again.

And then Jourdan explains that anything his former master could offer, he's already earned on his own. Other than some back wages:

As to my freedom, which you say I can have, there is nothing to be gained on that score, as I got my free papers in 1864 from the Provost-Marshal-General of the Department of Nashville. Mandy says she would be afraid to go back without some proof that you were disposed to treat us justly and kindly; and we have concluded to test your sincerity by asking you to send us our wages for the time we served you. This will make us forget and forgive old scores, and rely on your justice and friendship in the future. I served you faithfully for thirty-two years, and Mandy twenty years. At twenty-five dollars a month for me, and two dollars a week for Mandy, our earnings would amount to eleven thousand six hundred and eighty dollars. Add to this the interest for the time our wages have been kept back, and deduct what you paid for our clothing, and three doctor's visits to me, and pulling a tooth for Mandy, and the balance will show what we are in justice entitled to. Please send the money by Adams's Express, in care of V. Winters, Esq., Dayton, Ohio. If you fail to pay us for faithful labors in the past, we can have little faith in your promises in the future. We trust the good Maker has opened your eyes to the wrongs which you and your fathers have done to me and my fathers, in making us toil for you for generations without recompense. Here I draw my wages every Saturday night; but in Tennessee there was never any pay-day for the negroes any more than for the horses and cows. Surely there will be a day of reckoning for those who defraud the laborer of his hire.

And after a few more jabs about how his children are now happy and receiving an education, Jourdan concludes his letter with:

Say howdy to George Carter, and thank him for taking the pistol from you when you were shooting at me.

Side Bar ~ Lord, I am so grateful I wasn't born back then . . . I just hate how people were so cruel back then.

February is African American History Month . . . You never to old to learn about our history.

For more info please visit www.africanamericanhistorymonth.gov/

Fam' . . . And to think we went from that to this . . . ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!!

R.I.P. ~ Don Cornelius (Sept. 27, 1936 - Feb. 01, 2012)

2012-02-01T11:03:00.001-05:00

Courtesy of Los Angeles Times. com

"Soul Train creator Donald "Don" Cortez Cornelius was found dead at his Sherman Oaks on home Wednesday morning."

"Law enforcement sources said police arrived at Cornelius' home around 4 a.m. He apparently died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the case was ongoing."

"The sources said there was no sign of foul play, but the Los Angeles Police Department was investigating."

"In a 2010 interview with The Times, he said he was excited about a movie project he was developing about Soul Train."

"We've been in discussions with several people about getting a movie off the ground. It wouldn't be the 'Soul Train' dance show, it would be more of a biographical look at the project, he said. It's going to be about some of the things that really happened on the show."

"According to a Times article, Cornelius’ “Soul Train” became the longest-running first-run nationally syndicated show in television history, bringing African American music and style to the world for 35 years."

"Cornelius stopped hosting the show in 1993, and “Soul Train” ceased production in 2006."

Side Bar ~ As a child growing up watchin' Soul Train is saddens me to hear about the death of the Legendary Don Cornelius.

His style, swagger and infamous golden baritone voice will be missed.

~ Cornelius is best known for the catchphrase that he used to close the show: "... and you can bet your last money, it's all gonna be a stone gas, honey! I'm Don Cornelius, and as always in parting, we wish you love, peace and soul!"

R.I.P. Mr. Cornelius . . . PEACE & SOUL!

NOH8 Campaign ~ Be Heard!!!

2012-01-31T16:06:00.004-05:00

Reven Symone ~ Actress

Steph Jones ~ Musician

Kadeem Hardison ~ Actor

Dwight Eubanks ~ Reality Personality/Real Housewives of Atlanta

La La Vasquez ~ Reality Personality/ T.V. Host

Trina ~ Rapper

LeAnn Rhimes ~ Singer

Chippendales Dancers

Mya ~ Singer/Actress

Kyle Richards & Family ~ Reality Personality/ Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Mark Indelicato ~ Actor/ Ugly Betty

Courtney Love Cobain ~ Singer

Valerie Bertinelli ~ Actress/ Hot In Cleveland

Miley Cyrus ~ Actress/Singer

Just some of the many faces that show support to NOH8 Campaign.

"The NOH8 Campaign is a charitable organization whose mission is to promote marriage, gender and human equality through education, advocacy, social media, and visual protest."

Side Bar ~ For more info please visit www.noh8campaign.com

2012 ~ Honda Battle of The Bands

2012-01-31T07:29:00.004-05:00

Side Bar ~ Now fam' I must say I have never been but I hear "they cut a rug"!!

Of course I'm a little bias since I'm an Alumus of Howard University . . . But, I'm sure H.U. would have represented.

GO BISON!!!!

Etta James ~ Homecoming Celebration

2012-01-31T07:21:00.000-05:00

R.I.P. Etta James ~ (January 25, 1938 - January 20, 2012)

Christina Aguilera

Stevie Wonder

Rev. Al Sharpton

Courtesy of AccessAtlanta.com

"Etta James Homecoming Celebration was held Saturday, January 28, 2012, at Greater Bethany Community Church City of Refuge in Gardena, California."

You will be missed!

18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

2012-01-30T13:07:00.001-05:00

Cast of "The Help"

Viola Davis, Emma Stone, & Octavia Spencer

Viola Davis & Cicely Tyson

Actress Octavia Spencer hugs her man for the evening.

Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Supporting Role

Congratulations Viola Davis

Oustanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Leading Role

The 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG) at The Shrine Auditorium, January 29, 2012 in Los Angeles, California recognized my g'rls.

I look at them beaming from ear to ear and I can only imagine that it has to feel like a little piece of heaven after receiving "Outstanding Performance in a Cast in a Motion Picture award for the movie "The Help".

Side Bar ~ Please bring home the Oscar!!!!

Also, Congratulations to the other winners!

I Love You Regina King!!!

Christina Aguilera Pays Respect To Etta James

2012-01-28T20:02:00.002-05:00

Christina was one of the few celebs that was chosen to remember Etta in a song at her funeral.

Sidebar - Beyonce you're not the only one that can sing a Etta James song.

Bwood's Word Of The Day

2012-01-28T19:52:00.002-05:00

I really like the BFV (Braxtons Family Values), but the one Braxton I really LOVE is that dayumm Trina. She has me over here crying with her made up words so the word for the day is Courgarization. If anyone can pull off Cougarization it would be TB, hell she looks better than some of these 20yr olds that are out now.

Cougarization means when an older woman likes, dates a much younger man.

You want Cougarization in a sentence well watch @ 5:46 and Trina will put it in a sentence for you.

I'm Having A Blockbuster Moment!

2012-01-28T17:37:00.003-05:00

Side Bar ~ Nothing like a good movie . . . It puts a smile on my face.

Pariah . . . A Person Without Status!

2012-01-28T17:24:00.001-05:00

Side Bar ~ Movie is so powerful . . . We all want to be recognized, accepted and appreciated!

For more info please visit focusfeatures.com/pariah

D'Angelo Is Back!!

2012-01-27T17:25:00.001-05:00

D'Angelo is on tour for the 1st time in 12 years in Stockholm, Sweden.

Georgia's Own ~ Financially Blessed Beyond Measure!!!

2012-01-27T08:38:00.000-05:00

Shocked: Atlanta accountant Marcia Adams won the $75 million lottery prize after urging her boyfriend to buy a ticket.

Courtesy of Daily Reporter.com

"A woman from Atlanta has been left shell-shocked after winning $72 million in a national lottery prize - but says she plans to keep working."

"Marcia Adams, 33, from College Park, said she urged her boyfriend, Kenneth, to buy the winning Quik Pik ticket when he went to the Chevron Food Mart in College Park for a candy bar.

She 'lost her mind' when she heard she had matched all of the winning numbers in the January 24 Mega Millions draw in Georgia."

'We found out this morning while he was taking me to work,' she said.

'I almost lost my mind'.

Lucky: Marcia Adams' boyfriend of seven years picked up the winning ticket when he went to a Chevron Food Mart to get candy

The couple was talking about the ticket when Kenneth checked the results of the drawing on his cell phone.

'We've been laughing since then,' Adams said.

'We feel like we're dreaming, like this isn't real.'

Adams has been an accountant for 12 years and said she has no plans to stop working. She and Kenneth have been dating for seven years.

When asked how the couple plans to spend the prize, Adams said: 'We're going to plan for our wedding and buy a house. We just want to be happy.'

Marcia chose the cash option and went home with $52 million.

'We feel like we're dreaming, like this isn't real.'

Side Bar ~ Congratulations Ms. Adams ... I'm truly, happy for you.

Now boyfriend Kenneth you better treat Ms. Marcia Adams right, you hear whattasay!!!

After seven years you know dang well you should have been married that girl.

Don't have her upgrade and move on to a new man ... I'm just sayin'!

DISRESPECTFUL

2012-01-27T07:15:00.001-05:00

This chick need to know you don't point your finger at the President of the United States.

Meet Blue Ivy's Older Brother

2012-01-26T18:41:00.000-05:00

Blue Ivy, meet your older brother Blaque "Sheep" Carter.

Can't Wait For This To Happen

2012-01-26T17:59:00.002-05:00

Babyface was on the radio and confirmed that he will be working with my girl Toni Braxton on her upcoming CD.......NOW that I will run out to the store and buy.

Back in day when they were together.

Happy Birthday . . . My Fair Lady!!!!

2012-01-26T08:18:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday Ellen Lee DeGeneres!!!

54 years young, and beautiful as ever.

(Plus, You Got Those Moves Like Jagger . . . Got Those Moves Like Jagger!)

This Is Why I Luv Ellen!!

2012-01-25T20:52:00.000-05:00

Dayummm does he ever age? 38 years young and is pure perfection!!!!

Chrissy is OK With Jim Cheatin'

2012-01-25T18:12:00.001-05:00

I like Chrissy plus I think she is soooo pretty but she lost me when she told Emily B "a man is going to do what a man is going to do" and that as long as she never hears about it, that's the best she can hope for.

Get More: Love And Hip Hop

Sidebar: I think Jim is PHYNE AS HELL........I luv the facial hair

They Back SWV With A New Song "Cosign"

2012-01-25T17:56:00.001-05:00

New Video - Kelly Rowland "Keep It Between Us"

2012-01-25T17:25:00.000-05:00

Kelly Rowland - "Keep It Between Us" from Kelly Rowland on Vimeo.

Meet Khloe Kardashian's Real Dad

2012-01-25T17:22:00.000-05:00

From Hollywoodite
Is Kris Jenner's former hairdresser Alex Roldan Khloe Kardashian's real dad?

The rest of the Internet has belatedly been reporting (make that copy & pasting) last week’s speculation that Kris Jenner’s hairdresser of 30-plus-years, Alex Roldan, may be Khloe Kardashian’s real father.

The allegations of paternity started spreading in fan forums and comment sections with readers/ fans noting how much Kardashian looked like the ‘guy at 3:17 in Kris Jenner’s 1985 I Love My Friends video.’ So, people looked at the two in side-by-side comparisons and noted, yes, they did/do look rather similar (side note: there’s further fan speculation about Roldan’s sexuality, but that’s for another day).

Another coincidence, as pointed out first by commenters on this site, Kardashian’s middle name is Alexandra.

Just to update, for those who wanted a more recent comparison than the 27-year-old music video, here are video and screen captures of Roldan from March 2010. You may also be able to glean his relative height/ weight/ buildetc. from the video.

OH SH*T THEY DO LOOK A LIKE.

BROKE . . . I Guess He Didn't See This Coming!

2012-01-25T06:32:00.001-05:00

Courtesy of GQ Magazine.com

"Owens has always been an island of sorts. His brash personality and self-absorption routinely alienated his teammates during an NFL career that teetered between terrific and toxic, leaving him to fend for himself."

"Now, at 38 and out of football, he's lonelier than ever, and running out of money. In a GQ profile, Owens comes across as wounded, broke and desperate. When people text him to ask where he is, he replies back: I'm in hell."

"But is it his own fault? That's the perennial debate on T.O., who had a heartbreaking childhood but continually pointed fingers at everyone but himself once he became an adult."

"In the GQ story by Nancy Hass, Owens blames the media for not giving him a chance to rehab his injury, blames agent Drew Rosenhaus for not protecting him from a bad business arrangement, and -- perhaps most surprisingly -- blames a former team captain for his issues with former Philadelphia teammate Donovan McNabb."

"Owens earned around $80 million during his NFL career, but has found himself in deep financial trouble, despite never spending lavishly. In the February edition of GQ, Owens admits to trusting the wrong people, who in turn cost him a lot of his fortune." (YOU THINK!!!)

"It's not a matter of having lived too large -- he was never the type to stockpile Ferraris or build himself a compound; the flashiest car he ever drove was a Mercedes, and while he indeed racked up a few homes that cost as much as $4 million, the only crib he classifies as even mildly sick by pro-ball standards was the one he bought in Atlanta to live in during the Philly off-season."

"The problem, he says, is that he's by nature too trusting, loyal to a fault, despite everyone's carping that he's selfish. It's the sad old stereotypical song of the up-from-nothing black athlete: He let other people take care of things."

"Owens said financial advisers recommended by Rosenhaus lost much of his money in highly leveraged ventures, then houses and apartments he thought he could rent out in a worst case scenario became dead weight in a housing market collapse (none of the properties is particularly excessive, but total a yearly mortgage of about $750,000), and $2 million was lost in an Alabama entertainment complex investment. That venture turned out to be illegal, and also claimed former Redskins running back Clinton Portis as a victim."

"I hate myself for letting this happen, Owens told GQ. I believed that they had my back when they said, 'You take care of the football, and we'll do the rest.' And in the end, they just basically stole from me."

"Owens has also found himself friendless, thanks to a growing sense of distrust thanks to his many unfortunate dealings."

"He never had many friends -- teammates never called him to party, he says, wrongly assuming that he was "too big" to socialize -- and now, I don't have no friends. I don't want no friends. That's how I feel."

"And on top of that, he's battling in court with four women to whom he pays a total of $44,600 a month in child support for his four children, ages 5 to 12."

"If there's anything I'm sorry about, it's getting involved with all that. He never actually dated any of the women, he says. One was a one-night stand, the others "repeat offenders. Owens, who has never been married, concedes he is "not a very good judge of character." Still, he never suspected they were the types to do what they done in the past year."

"When money became tighter, Owens had to reduce the amount he paid to each of the women, and three of them sued him. A warrant was issued for his arrest when he didn't show up for a court date with the mother of his oldest child, Tariq. Beyond that, the relationship he's maintained with the mothers and his children is tenuous, at best."

"Now he is in court with all four women, whom he lumps together like one big bloodsucking blob. None of them are being fair, he says: "They know I'm not working; they know the deal." Although he never established regular visitation with any of the children through the courts, he says he sees the eldest three as much as he can when their mothers allow it. So bitter is his relationship with the mother of the youngest child, a son, that he has never met the boy."

"As for McNabb, Owens stands by his decision not to mend fences with the former Eagles quarterback, whom Owens characterized as "tired" following the Eagles' 24-21 loss to New England in Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005."

"When given an apology written by the team's media relations staff, Owens claims to have handed Eagles' captain Jeremiah Trotter the mea culpa moments before he was to deliver it to reporters."

Owens tells GQ Trotter read through the statement and arrived at the portion regarding McNabb, who threw for 357 yards, but was picked off three times. Owens claims Trotter ripped off the bottom portion of the page and told Owens he didn't owe McNabb a thing.

"This is the team leader we're talking about," Owens tells GQ. "He told me not to do it."

"Trotter calls Owens' account inaccurate, telling the magazine he was the one insisting Owens apologize."

"Once again, T.O. stands alone."

"Owens' career is defined as much by its theatrics than for its statistical body of work. His playing days ended last spring after his one-year, $2 million contract was not renewed by the Cincinnati, where Owens and Chad Ochocinco collectively proved to be more style than substance."

"Owens has clearly moved on."

"Some decisions, he admits, may have been handled differently now. But at this point of his life, he's not willing to look back."

"To say I regret anything would be a slap to my grandmother's face, Owens says, referring to the woman who raised him."

"He concedes his only mistake in calling McNabb out was one of timing, admitting I might not have said or done things at exactly the right moment."

"To this day, Owens remains confident bordering on cocksure, convinced -- even with a medically repaired ACL -- that he is capable of the jaw-dropping playmaking ability of his youth. It's not his talent that keeps teams from calling, he insists, but instead a reputation cast onto him by the reporters he often held hostage."

"I think people change, but the media, they never allowed me to change," Owens says. "They never allowed me to be a better person."

"Described in the GQ piece as a "caged cat" living in a spacious 1,800-square foot Los Angeles apartment, Owens remains on an island. He claims to be broke despite making at least $80 million during his playing days."

"He says he's never been diagnosed as clinically depressed but he's been real down."

"I don't have no friends -- I don't want no friends," Owens says. "That's how I feel."

Side Bar ~ $80 million and nothing really to show for it, man you got to watch your finances.

WHAT THE YUCK!!!

Ol' Skool Jam-E-Jam Wednesdayz!

2012-01-25T04:08:00.000-05:00

PUMP UR BREAKS SHAWTY . . . U ALL IN MY POCKETS!

2012-01-24T06:24:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of UsWeekly.com

“Things were getting a little too fast on the freeway of love for Aretha Franklin and fiance William “SLICK WILLIE” (ooops, my bad) Wickerson.”

“Three weeks after announcing their engagement, the Queen of Soul, 69, announced Monday that she and her would-be third husband have called off their wedding.”

"Will and I have decided we were moving a little too fast, and there were a number of things that had not been thought through thoroughly," Franklin told Us Weekley in a statement. There will be no wedding at this time."

“The "Respect" singer told the press about their engagement on Jan. 2, with elaborate plans to tie the knot this summer in Miami Beach, a reception aboard a private yacht, and a potential dress by Donna Karen, Valentino or Vera Wang.”

"We will not comment on it any further because of the very personal and sensitive nature of it. We appreciate all of the many well wishes from friends, Franklin and Wickerson added in their Monday statement.”

Side Bar ~ Ummm, hmmm, Mr. Wickerson was trying to weasel his way into her WILL… I know what happened. B’wood did his own investigation.

You ain’t slick buddy. The Queen has been around the block a few times, (hell she probably can run a marathon around yo ass) she’s hip to your game playa . . . playa!

Ques? ~ Do you really have to get married a third time? Just go with the flow Ms. Franklin.

This Is Why I am A Fan Of Her

2012-01-23T19:44:00.002-05:00

Whenever You're Around- By Jill Scott

Sidebar- She was congested.....

Marvin's Room - Female Version

Crazy

What's My Name - Rih -Rih

I think I like JoJo's version better

You know I'm no good - Amy Winehouse

Love Is In The Air ~ Tuskegee Love Story!

2012-01-23T13:57:00.006-05:00

Courtesy of CNN.com

"Tuskegee, Alabama (CNN) -- Herbert Carter and Mildred Hemmons had no time for dating in the early months of 1942."

"He was training to become a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, the nation's first military program for African-American pilots."

"She was the bold, daring woman who caught his eye. At 18, she'd become the first black woman in Alabama to earn a pilot's license. She had hopes of becoming a military pilot, too."

"Flying was intoxicating. It provided Herbert and Mildred a sense of freedom -- to be themselves, to dream big. The in-your-face racism of the segregated South was gone, if only for a while. In the air, the sky was literally the limit."

"It takes pioneers to force change. Herbert and Mildred would play their part in the years ahead. But in those early days, they didn't see themselves as trailblazers. They were young and in love."

"More than anything, flight provided a rare opportunity to see each other. He'd call her up on Fridays: Are you gonna be flying this weekend?"

"Of course, she'd say."

"They'd pick a time to meet. Their rendezvous point: 3,000 feet above a bridge at Lake Martin, 25 miles away. He'd be flying a repaired AT6 trainer. She'd be in a much slower Piper J-3 Cub."

"When I'd get to Lake Martin, I'd see this bright yellow Cub putt-putting along, he said. I'd be real proud: She was on time and on target."

"He'd pull down and fly in formation with her. They couldn't communicate by radio; her Cub didn't have one. All they could do was smile, wave and blow kisses."

"Seeing each other in flight created a bond. When they flew together, it was as if they were holding hands in midair. At the end of their aerial encounter, he'd peel away, only to circle back. He'd sneak up behind her, pull in front and leave her in a trail of airwash. Her tiny craft shook mightily. She'd come to expect it every weekend."

"It didn't faze me, she'd say. I was the better pilot. ... I just didn't fly the fastest aircraft."

"The two would become known as the first couple of the Tuskegee Airmen. Herbert would go on to earn the rank of lieutenant colonel in a 27-year Air Force career. He remains one of the few men in U.S. history to be a fighter pilot and a squadron maintenance chief, a designation he notes with pride. Rarely is a pilot also charged with making sure the squadron's planes are airworthy.

Mildred is counted among the history-making Tuskegee Airmen, too. Yet her dream of flying for her country was snubbed. A black woman, she was told, couldn't earn her wings.

"She was one of those unfortunate victims of prejudice, bigotry and discrimination," says Carter, now 94. "She wanted to go as high and as fast as she could.

"If she had been able to get into the Air Corps, she'd have been amazing."
"Instead, she would tell people: I did the next best thing. I married a fighter pilot."

"The two wed in 1942, a month after he earned his wings as a second lieutenant. He would go off to war in April 1943; she'd remain in Tuskegee, where she worked at the airfield."

"He would write letters nearly every day. But the war didn't fully sink in for her until she went to the Tuskegee movie theater one day. There, in a newsreel on the screen, she saw her husband and his unit tending to their aircraft. She wept."

An antidote to racism

"On the screen, the Tuskegee Airmen gather around each other on an airstrip in a foreign land and shout their motto: The last plane, the last bullet, the last man, the last minute, we fight!"

"The movie theater erupts with raucous applause. This time, Lt. Col. Herbert E. Carter watches with special pride. It's as if he's transported with his fellow airmen seven decades back in time."

"On a recent Sunday, Carter and other surviving Tuskegee Airmen, along with a host of dignitaries and VIPs, packed a campus theater at Tuskegee University, the historically black college founded in 1881 by Booker T. Washington."

"They were on hand for a special screening of "Red Tails," George Lucas' newly released action-adventure film that chronicles America's first all-black aerial combat unit."

"Tuskegee was buzzing. People on campus noted it took Lucas 20 years to persuade Hollywood to make the movie. Time and again, the legendary "Star Wars" creator was told America wasn't ready for such a film -- that blacks don't go to theaters in large enough numbers to support a $93 million production."

"The message around Tuskegee: Tell everyone you know to watch the film because the black community wants movies about heroes, not gangsters."

"Carter and other Tuskegee Airmen had gone to Lucas' Skywalker Ranch in California multiple times to meet with filmmakers and give them insight into the historic World War II effort. Each airman was paired with an actor to provide first-hand accounts as members of the 332nd Fighter Group. The nickname "Red Tails" was coined after the group painted the tails of their aircraft red."

"The movie focuses on the airmen's combat, beginning in North Africa and then moving into the European theater. Like Lucas' "Star Wars" creations, the combat scenes are spectacular."

"The Red Tails hold a special significance in American history, both racially and militarily. U.S. bombers were getting shot down at increasingly alarming rates. Fighter pilots protecting the bombers would peel off to engage enemy aircraft, leaving the bombers vulnerable to attack. And with each lost bomber, a crew of 10 or 11 Americans was killed."

"The Tuskegee Airmen were asked to adopt a different strategy: Never stray from the bombers. Only a handful of the thousands of bombers they protected during the war were lost."

"Their stellar reputation became legend: If you flew a bomber, you wanted the Red Tails. Still, the Tuskegee Airmen recall seeing looks of consternation from the bomber cockpits when the white pilots realized their escorts were African-American."

"The military brass in Washington hadn't expected the Tuskegee Airmen to succeed; the program had only been started as an experiment. A 1925 study by the Army War College concluded that blacks lacked intelligence, ambition and courage to serve in prominent positions within the U.S. military. "All officers, without exception, agree that the Negro lacks initiative, displays little or no leadership, and cannot accept responsibility," the report stated."

"The men and women of Tuskegee would prove otherwise."

"Herbert Carter was among the original 33 Tuskegee pilots, though the term "Tuskegee Airmen" also referred to the thousands of navigators, instructors, nurses, parachute packers and others -- both military and civilian -- who kept the unit humming."

"Carter flew 77 combat missions during the war. He was also responsible for making sure all aircraft were suitable for flight. (In the movie, he's the maintenance chief seen riding a motorcycle from plane to plane.)"

"His creed: The best antidote to racism is excellence in one's performance."

"Mildred Hemmons was the first civilian hired for the Tuskegee air project. Her first job: bulldoze trees to make way for the airfield."

"Herbert nicknamed her "Mike" for her tomboy looks. While other women in Tuskegee wore skirts and dresses, she dressed the part of an aviator: leather jacket, jodhpurs and leather boots up to her knees."

"She called him "Geno," a play on his middle name, Eugene, her way of preparing him for war in case he was stationed in Italy."

"As the movie ends and the credits roll, the names of the Tuskegee Airmen who helped the filmmakers were listed. To the legendary lieutenant colonel, one name stands out above all others."

... Mildred Hemmons Carter ...

"He wished she'd been by his side for the movie premiere. For 69 years, they'd playfully argued as to who was the lead pilot."

"I'm not ashamed to admit it," he says now. "I made a good wingman."

An aviation career shot down

"Mildred was well on her way to a successful aviation career. She learned to fly under C. Alfred "Chief" Anderson, the chief instructor at Tuskegee and the man considered the father of black aviation."

"Sometimes, Anderson would say, "Mildred, I feel like eating some Gulf shrimp for lunch," and they'd get in a plane and fly to Mobile along the Alabama coast."

"With Anderson's help, Mildred became the first female pilot to join the state's Civil Air Patrol Squadron in 1942. But she was never called to go on patrol; racism, she learned, had gotten in the way."

"Determined to fly for her country, she applied to become a WASP, a member of the groundbreaking Women Airforce Service Pilots who ferried planes from factories to airfields. (Women of any race were barred from flying combat at that time.)"

By then, Mildred had her business degree and well over 100 hours of flying. She was named "Miss Tuskegee Army Flying School" by the airfield newsletter, and Anderson ranked her among his best pilots.

"But the rejection came swiftly. The U.S. government does not have plans at this time to include colored female pilots in the WASP."

"Shaken, she called Herbert."

"Mil, what is it?" he said.

"It's race again," she said.

"He rushed to her side. She ripped up the letter. He hugged her."

"Keep the faith, Sweet. We'll get there."

"Her rejection made him more determined to succeed."

"I thought, 'Well, damn it, I'll show them that we can do it.' "

"They held each other's hands."

"During painful moments, that's how they communicated. So much physically can be translated by holding hands between people who are close without having to verbalize, he says."

"He called it her hand of understanding, her hand of 'I care.' "

"When things would get rough on me," he says, "I had to remember that Mildred wouldn't let this get to her."

"She'd reach out her hand and say, Geno, it's going to be OK."

"That's all I needed. And I'd go out there and fly the hell outta that plane the next time."

"Their hands locked in celebration on August 21, 1942, when they wed at the airfield's chapel. On her finger, she proudly wore her engagement ring and wedding band. He'd purchased them for $175 with nearly every dollar in his pocket."

"Best investment I've ever made," he says.

"At war, he painted her nickname, Mike, on his plane."

A visit from the first lady

"The two first spotted each other in 1939. He was a senior football player in high school at Tuskegee's then-boarding school. She was a college freshman and a majorette in the band."

"Their paths crossed during practices."

"Who's that? Mildred asked a friend when she saw the handsome 5-foot-7 quarterback."

"He was instantly attracted to her. She wasn't like the timid, shy girls around campus. There was something about her confidence, like she knew she was going places."

"I could just see her energy."

"He worked at a local grocery store run by his brother. He'd see her shopping and wave. He couldn't muster much courage beyond that. Socially and academically, he felt below her."

"But by the next year, he was enrolled in Tuskegee's civilian pilot training program. He didn't enter to become a war hero. He was just trying to "get the draft board off my back." His plan: Get his pilot's license, serve his time in the military, then become a veterinarian for farmers in Texas, flying from farm to farm."

"But I got into that first plane and something bit me."

"He kept hearing there was a young woman in the program, too."

"One day, I'm coming out of class, and who is there but Mildred!"

"He grew more intrigued. For their first date, he took her to a campus dance. A brass band played mostly melodies. It was, he says, magical."

"He was from Amory, a small railroad town in northeastern Mississippi. His mother was Native American and came from a long line of midwives. His father was African-American and helped bring electricity to town, serving as the superintendent for utilities, a prominent position for a black man of that era."

"At 16, his parents put him on a train bound for Tuskegee. Education ended in ninth grade in Amory, and his parents wanted the best for their children. (All 11 would graduate from Tuskegee.)"

"Before then, he'd never stepped foot outside Mississippi and had only gone beyond Amory a couple of times. He wept as he told his mother good-bye."

"You're going to get your diploma," she assured him.

"He arrived in Tuskegee to a "black oasis" where African-Americans had their own theater, drugstore, grocery, haberdashery -- everything."

"Mildred was born in Benson, Alabama, the daughter of a successful businessman and postmistress. The offspring of an affair between a white man and black woman, Mildred's mother was sent to Tuskegee at an early age to get a good education. Mildred's father started as a foreman of a local sawmill, but soon grew professionally. He managed a business school at a junior college for African-Americans in North Carolina, and eventually helped administer the prestigious VA hospital in Tuskegee."

"Mildred was equally industrious. She entered college at 15 and earned her business degree before she was 20."

"During that time, she kept seeing all these young men by the dozens apply to become pilots and thought to herself, I can do that."

"On February 1, 1941, she entered history, becoming the first black woman in the state to earn her pilot's license. A month later, flying solo, she came in for a landing at Tuskegee. As she set down the plane, she saw a commotion and a throng of photographers."

"She was told somebody wanted to meet her."

"How's flying? asked first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who had come to the airfield to publicly support the project."

"A photographer captured the young female aviator standing next to the first lady, who towered over the 5-foot-5 pilot."

"The first lady's visit garnered headlines across the country. Mrs. Roosevelt hopped in a plane with Chief Anderson, and the two flew together for 30 minutes. The first lady's message was unequivocal: Blacks were more than capable of flying."

"Well, you can fly all right, she told Anderson."

Recognition 70 years later

"The Tuskegee Airmen fought for "double victory," to win the war overseas and to secure equal rights back home."

"Racism may have cut down Mildred Carter's dream of flying in the military, but it never stopped her ambitions. She piloted planes until 1985, when a broken hip knocked her out of commission. She was 64 by then."

"She and her husband traveled the world speaking for equality, attending Tuskegee Airmen shows whenever and wherever they could. They'd both tell their experiences with the historic group. After he retired from the Air Force, they returned to Tuskegee. He served as dean of admissions for the university and could be spotted around town driving his cherry red 1955 Thunderbird. They raised three children."

"Though Mildred never flew for the military, she went on to mentor female African-American fighter pilots. She'd tell audiences to never stop dreaming, to leave the world better than before."

"I'd be an astronaut today," she'd say.

"Last February, 70 years after she earned her pilot's license, she received a letter from the government. Again she read it with astonishment, but this time she didn't rip it up. She'd been declared a member of the WASPs and given a medal with the inscription: The First Women in History to Fly America."

"Look, Geno," she said. "They sent this to me. Why?"

"Because you're a Tuskegee Airman."

She paused. "Awww, seriously?"

"They've finally come to realize you made contributions, too. Better late than never."

"As the months went by, both looked forward to the debut of "Red Tails." She couldn't travel with her husband when he went to Skywalker Ranch, but she talked extensively with filmmakers for a recently released documentary called Double Victory."

"Mildred's health took a turn for the worse in late 2011, and their humble home turned into a hospice."

"On the morning of October 21, she had just been bathed. "Where's Geno?" she asked her nurse."

"Mildred asked that her husband come to the room. Like she'd done so many times before, she held out her hand. He felt her soft touch."

"They didn't need to say anything."

"At the age of 90, Mildred Hemmons Carter passed away, her wingman at her side."

"She never lost that beautiful smile and personality," he says.

In the ensuing months, Carter has kept himself active. The movie's release has ensured that. Talking about his wife helps, too. Their home is like an aviation museum, with heaps of awards and recognitions from presidents and lawmakers over the years.

His wife made him promise one last thing: that he'd live until 100.

"I'm gonna be waiting on you," she told him. "You've got six more years."

He smiles. "I don't intend to let her down."

Success Is Written All Over Them!!!

2012-01-23T09:13:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of Yahoo.com

"After founding the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in 2007 with $40 million, Oprah was brought to tears on Saturday as she celebrated the school's first-ever graduating class, which includes 72 of the 75 girls who started out with the class. Despite some controversies, including the arrest of a teacher at the school for suspected sexual abuse and criticism that the focus of the Oprah's goodwill only touched a tiny percentage of the population, the billionaire was clearly thrilled with the outcome. The pride that I feel today is overpowering, she said at the ceremony."

Side Bar ~ Momma O, just tell those naysayers that a "Setback Is A Setup for a Comeback"!!!

Damn Marriage Sucks . . . Not Seal & Heidi

2012-01-21T10:55:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of TMZ.com

"Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Heidi will file divorce papers in L.A. County Superior Court as early as next week. We're told Heidi will cite "irreconcilable differences" as the cause for the divorce."

"The couple married May 10, 2005. They have 3 biological kids. Seal adopted Heidi's eldest girl from a prior relationship."

"The couple is famous for renewing their vows every year on their anniversary ... in a lavish ceremony."

"As for splitting up the goodies, there's a lot on the line. According to Forbes, in the last year alone, Klum raked in $20 million. It's unclear how much Seal made."

Side Bar ~ Dayuumm-it this was one of my favorite power couples. They have been married for over 6 years. I'm telling yeah Oprah & Stedman way of never getting married might just be the way to go.

New Video - Nicki Minaj "Stupid Hoe"

2012-01-21T09:51:00.001-05:00

I believe Nicki is talking to Lil' Kim in this video. #SHUT-U-DOWN QUEEN B!

R.I.P. Etta James (January 25, 1938 - January 20, 2012)

2012-01-20T11:56:00.013-05:00

Jamesetta Hawkins aka Miss. Peaches aka Etta James passed away today at the age of 73.

With only five days to her 74th birthday, Mrs. James lost her battle with leukemia and other diseases.

Mrs. James signature style spanned across so many genres of music including blues, rhythem and blues, rock and roll, soul, gospel, and jazz.

She is considered one of the "Greatest Singers of All Time and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, the Blues Hall of Fame in 2001, and the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 and 2008."

Her music has touched so many lives and will forever be in our hearts.

R.I.P. Mrs. Etta James . . . Truly, you were one of a kind!

~ "Beyonce Pays Tribute To The Eternally Great Etta James"

January 20th 2012

"This is a huge loss. Etta James was one of the greatest vocalists of our time. I am so fortunate to have met such a queen. Her musical contributions will last a lifetime. Playing Etta James taught me so much about myself, and singing her music inspired me to be a stronger artist. When she effortlessly opened her mouth, you could hear her pain and triumph. Her deeply emotional way of delivering a song told her story with no filter. She was fearless, and had guts. She will be missed."

~ Beyonce

Get Ur Party On . . . 40/40 Club Reopens!

2012-01-20T06:46:00.000-05:00

Russell Simmons & Jay-Z

Spike Lee

Adrienne Bailon & Ashanti

Fabolous & Swizz Beatz

Selita Ebanks

Roots Drummer ~ QuestLove

Well Jay-Z had a little soiree on Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at the grand-reopening of his 40/40 Club in New York.

"The club was temporarily closed for renovations last year. Jay-Z also has a location in Atlantic City".

So DJ turn the music up, and let's get the bottles poppin'!

Drake ft JoJo & Chris Brown - "Marvin's Room"

2012-01-19T19:17:00.001-05:00

I'm soooo feeling this remix

American Idol

2012-01-19T18:58:00.000-05:00

Just in Case You Miss It

New Video - Estelle "Thank You"

2012-01-19T18:24:00.000-05:00

B-Rocka Is Showing You She Can Sing

2012-01-19T18:23:00.000-05:00

Who knew B-Rocka can SANG like that???????

New Music - " Tell Me That You Love It"

2012-01-19T18:04:00.000-05:00

Ashanti Performs @ BB Kings

2012-01-19T18:01:00.000-05:00

Ashanti performs some of her old stuff including her new song "The Woman You Love"

Who Says Less Isn't More?

2012-01-19T07:06:00.001-05:00

Jersey Shore's ~ Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi showed us just how pretty she really is, when she twitted a picture of herself lookin' Au Nat-u-rale!

At 24-years young, Snooki really is a lil' hottie (LIKE LITERALLY . . . I mean dang she's only 4-foot-9)!

See ladies and some fellah's sometimes you don't need the Pancake 31, foundation, powder, concealer, blush, bronzer, mascara, eyeshadow, eye-liner, fake eyelashes, lace fronts, hair extensions, weaves or wigs.

Some days it's okay to be "FOOLPROOF" by just being YOURSELF!!!!