Such an intimate, hilarious experience. Thank you Traci for sharing your win with me!! I had not expected to be smiling at all this weekend, yet, I smiled, danced, laughed and sang along for 3 hours.

We were just two, of hundreds, who came out to show their love and support for the multi-talented Mr. Foxx. He definitely didn't disappoint, giving us a night of comedy, theatrics and sexy vocals. He kept the attention of every lady in the building, and by the end of the night, the fellas were smiling from ear to ear in contemplation of that good lovin' they were sure to get when they got their ladies home.

As I grooved and swayed and thought about Jamie in ways that I probably shouldn't have, I started to appreciate him in ways that I hadn't before. I mean, I've been a fan of his for years, but for some reason, on this particular night, I felt him on a whole new level. Perhaps its because he is on a whole new level now with his acting and music. The man just has pure talent, and I'm glad that he is able to express it across the board. Not many are hitting big in film and in music, and at the same time. Jamie is doing double duty on the road these days as he is on the Blame It tour and on late night promoting his new movie Law Abiding Citizen, which I am hoping to see.

If he comes to a city near you, and you are a true fan of his work, I'd encourage you to check him out in concert. Now if I could only get to see Maxwell in concert!!

Like many, I too, have gotten sucked into the drama that is The Real Housewives of Atlanta. This is the only reality show on my guilty pleasures list. As much as the ladies leave me scratching my head most of the time, they also humor me, so I've been hooked since the first season. I was disappointed to learn that DeShawn Snow wouldn't be returning for the second season. Her mellow lifestyle was a breath of fresh air as far as reality tv goes. If only all viewers felt the same way.

Enter: Ms. Kandi Burruss, the newest addition to the bunch. Because of her short tolerance for hot mess, she is the woman that I most admire on the show. I'm just a fan. What's not to love about her? She's an accomplished singer, songwriter, and overall business woman. Not to mention, she has been a single mother for most of her daughter's life. She puts it down in a real way, taking care of business for herself and her family. She's quite the execumama if you ask me.

During this season, she has been trying to "fly above all the haters", while doing what she does best. But where there is perseverance, there will also lie challenges. Kandi has been dealing with her mother's contempt of her fiance, the transitioning into the Housewives pack, the loss of her fiance's nephew, and now she is in the mists of dealing with an even greater challenge. The unexpected and untimely death of her fiance, A.J.

My thoughts and prayers go out to her and her daughter, because this is also a great loss for her, as she will have to face not having a father for a second time. I was shocked and speechless as I first learned of this tragedy on Facebook and read the report. It made me revisit my own fears of introducing someone into my daughter's life, then losing them tragically. As I mentioned in another post, my Kipenzi has a dangerous occupation, which has dangerous consequences for himself and those who love him. As with all who work in law enforcement, he puts his life on the line everytime he reports to work. I used to find myself thinking about this constantly. The worry of him being harmed does not consume my thoughts like it used to, but its still a very clear and present realization.

I do hope that Kandi has a strong network of support at this time, and that this loss does not scar her daughter in a way that can't be repaired.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Michael Jackson Tribute performance put on by the MTV Video Music Awards tonight. The dancers were on point, as I am guessing they had no other choice but to be on point under the watchful eyes of Janet and Laurieann Gibson. While the majority of viewers are still fixated on trying to figure out why Kanye West would dare be so... Kanye, I am thinking of no other moment than when Janet left her heart on that stage. It was bittersweet seeing her dance with her brother. It was such a Natalie, Nat King Cole, Unforgettable moment for me. You could see it in her movements, in her facial expressions, that she is carrying a lot of pain and anger. I think that what Madonna said in her speech is the very thing that Janet displayed in her performance.

Throughout this entire ordeal, I have felt the most for Janet. She was Michael's baby sister, and they were very close. Whenever Michael's world was turned upside down, or at its peak, Janet was right there by his side. I guess I am thinking back to the happiness and love that was expressed at the 1993 Grammy Awards.





Such appreciation and genuine affection.



I am hoping that Janet will get the closure that she needs, although, I know first hand that closure is something like a myth. It never really happens, we just tell ourselves that it has happened to make us feel better. Nonetheless, her performance tonight makes me think that she may be on her way into the healing process. Perhaps she will do another interview with Oprah in the coming months/years or pour her soul into an album that will mirror the feelings that helped produce the Velvet Rope album. Who knows...

Tune in to the Oprah show on Wednesday 9/16 to watch the interview that she did with Michael in 1993. It was just as big back then, as her interview with Whitney Houston will become over the next couple of days.

We are still in celebration/remembrance/tribute mode over here.

We gathered ourselves,

Popped some bottles,

Set the channel,

and,

Just felt Michael.

This is one of my favorites from Michael Jackson, along with Scream, Jam, Remember the Time, and the list goes on and on... right over in my bTunes... and that doesn't even cover the scope of what I love about the King of Pop. I remember watching the movie Moonwalker (which people are now trying to cash in on over at Amazon!) over and over throughout my 5th grade year because my teacher was very big on music and performance arts back then. We sat in front of the tv in awe and I remember even borrowing the movie from my teacher because I loved it that much.

I can also remember ordering Michael Jackson magazines and taking out all of the posters and covering my walls with them. And this comes from someone who was born in 1984! That's the beauty of Michael's talent and influence, it transcends time. His music has remained relevant and with each new generation his legacy strengthens.

We love you Michael for sharing your gift of entertainment with us. You will be greatly missed.

As ambitious as I was about starting this year out on the good foot I have still managed to find myself here battling the taupes. Aside from my many other pressing problems, my PC is going down hill fast. Its slower, having to load and blow that loud ass fan more frequently, making me have to rethink and remember my thoughts as I wait... grrrr. I'm close to putting it out of its misery, just a couple more weeks for financial aid to roll around and it will be all good in the hood. I was prepared to sit here and rant and rave about it, until I fired up my bTunes. Keyshia made everything all better. I jumped up and my inner Tina took over. Shaking my shimmy, and everything else that shimmies, up and down the hallway. You shoulda seen me. I WAS Ms. Bar B Fierce! All I was missing was this dress.


In black of course. Truth is, I really do wanna be made over. I want the taupes to leave me alone, I wanna laugh in the face of the pass and say, "I made it." I want the healing process to begin already. Healing takes an amount of skill. It has to be organized and it doesn't happen over night. Its not just a simple process of forgive and forget, some real work has to be put in to get to a point in life where you really are able to move on. To live and let live. I'm ready to do the work and dancing is a great prelude.

If you happen to have your volume cranked up, then you'll notice my bTunes update. I thought it would be nice to mix it up a little by adding some up-tempo tunes in with the comforting neo-soul. Speaking of "neo", I have to devote some time to a man that I am starting to really like. That man is R&B singer and song writer Ne-Yo. You may be familiar with his work, as he is well known for writing Mario's Let Me Love You, Beyonce's Irreplaceable, Rihanna's Take a Bow, and other hits for artists such as Mary J. Blige and Faith Evans. Yes, he is extremely talented, extremely hot and most of all, he has mastered the art of being a gentleman.

When Ne-Yo hit the scene with his debut album, In My Own Words, back in 2006, I latched on to his hits So Sick, When You're Mad and Sexy Love, just like every one else, but I wasn't an instant fan. I didn't run out to buy his album or take the time to learn who he really was, beyond being a good singer and a good writer. Not even with his second album did I develop the school girl crush that I have now. It wasn't until I started really paying attention to his tv and magazine interviews that I got a sense of Ne-Yo the person. His humor, personality and value that he has for women is what attracts me. It is definitely evident that his mama raised him right, or maybe he is just a quick learner from experience. Either way, I dig him a whole lot and after getting an earful of his latest single Miss Independent, I couldn't wait to jump on the Ne-yo fan band wagon. If you'd like a visual of the song that you have probably been listening to check out this video for Miss Independent.



Another man that I have a lot of respect for and who shares that gentleman quality is rapper and actor LL Cool J. What can I say, this man is a hip hop legend, an accomplished actor and a real family man. He still has that spark and its all due to the way that he chooses to live his life. He places God and family first and he never misses an opportunity to exclaim his appreciation for his wife and love for his children.

Yes, ladies should love cool James for more than just his sexy body. We should love his positivity and his ability to lead by example.

Are there any perfect gentlemen that you admire? Doesn't have to be an entertainer. In fact, it would be good to know that we still have some ordinary gentlemen walking among us.