Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Ever wonder...


if President Obama is really our first Black president??? This morning before I left to battle DC's morning traffic, I was home watching The President's on the History channel and that question popped up in my head and sparked my curiosity. I'm sure we'll never really know the answer. I mean almost everything we view, read, hear as Americans is censored (yes...gotta love those 1st amendment rights...pun intended)!!

Just think about it. The 3rd President of the United States' Thomas Jefferson's affair with beautiful slave Sally Hemming, supposedly resulted in at least one son, named after the president that "passed" as, well, white. He left his mom and siblings to embark upon a life of privilege...the life that his fair skin, fine hair and light eyes afforded him. How do we know this isn't the case for any of our former presidents???

I mean sure Obama has the swagger, tone, skin of an African American man and due to our modern, more sophisticated methods of record keeping, etc...we KNOW he's biracial. However, NOTHING in America is absolutely "pure". The way I see it every race represented in this country has dipped in the other's butter at some point in time....& Barack Obama is only our first visibly black president! He's certainly not the first. I think it's impossible that he is...

What do you think???!??

Friday, June 25, 2010


“In a world filled with hate, we must still dare to hope.
In a world filled with anger, we must still dare to comfort. In a world filled with despair, we must still dare to dream. And in a world filled with distrust, we must still dare to believe.”
~Michael Jackson~

I don't know about my blog family but I will be celebrating the life and work of the greatest entertainer/musician ever today as we remember his sudden death one year ago.

M.J was one of the greatest inspirations!! My heart always was sad for him because he never truly looked happy and I wonder did he ever, fully become acquainted with real love and inner peace. Something tells me that he didn't here but all is well now. With that my heart and face smile for him as I dance and have it up today to all of his hits!!! Best believe I will hit up some bar/club tonight and party it up to the KING!!!!!!

Remember him all, if even just for his work!!! The above quote is one of many said by M.J but let that also inspire you to be better today; open minded, hopeful, loving, inspiring, ignited, and trustworthy and simply put...GOOD!!!

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!!!!!!!!!!!


Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Bond 45...


If you've been to the National Harbor within the past month then you are aware of the new Italian Steakhouse that opened there May 1st by the name of Bond 45. I didn't try it until this past Friday night...dinner with my mom!!

I was impressed, I mean IMPRESSED with the level of customer service we received from the moment we walked in the door at this place. Considering the fact that the place just opened May 1st, i'm sure this is to lure first time customers into regular diners, but I was pleased and would hope that Bond 45 will keep this up in their new Maryland location. There is another Bond 45 location in New York. I'm kind of interested to see how the two locations compare with one another. Maybe i'll checkout the New York location when I visit later this month.

Anywho, I had a good time at Bond 45 with my mom...the setting is perfect; dim lighting, walk through kitchen, right off the water, and my waiter was a huge help when it came to my deciding on what to eat for dinner. My mom, an avid steak lover, settled on the 14oz. New York Strip. I, on the other hand, got what they called their "Crab steak." It's actually just two jumbo lump crabcakes shaped in the form of a steak...not too left field, just shaped differently!!

My waiter suggested I get the crab steak with a side of grilled shrimp and scampi sauce. He poured the shrimp and sauce over my food and for a seafood/shellfish lover this was PERFECTION!!!! The meal was a great way to top off a great Friday.

All the sides at Bond 45 are served family style. Mom and I chose the Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli Rabe. The Mashed Potatoes were a hit but the Broccoli not so much with me. It had a charred taste that I didn't care for.

All in all we had a great time, and I did order the Tiramisu (my weakness anywhere) for dessert!!!

I will pay Bond 45 a visit again and order the Lobster stuffed with shrimp and crab, roasted red potatoes....

Unlike the last restaurant I reviewed, Co Co Sala, Bond 45 is an Italian restaurant so if you decide to pay them a visit bring your appetite and a loaded wallet the fair isn't cheap!! However, I found it to be well worth the $$$....Bond 45 @ National Harbor!!!


The URL to Bond 45's website is: http://www.thefiremangroup.com/nationalharbor.htm
They're website says they're hiring too!!!!



Monday, June 7, 2010

Black Coffee no sugar....or cream??? REALLY??


Sunshine from www.thatsfine2009.blogspot.com (CHECK HER OUT) is doing this at least one post a day for the month of June and I said I'd try it too, but clearly I defaulted this weekend. I was so wrapped up this weekend that I didn't have time to blog...sorry??

It's Monday morning and with every Monday morning comes a new beginning...but today I want to talk about interracial marriages.
  • What is your take on them?

  • Would you consider marrying outside of your race?

  • Have you dated outside of your race??

  • What do you think your family would feel about you deciding to marry outside of your race??
I got into the office this morning and as usual decided to check CNN's website in an effort to stay up on what's going on and found an article that sparked my interest about interraccial marriages. The article highlighted the fact that interracial marriages are at an all time high in the United States. I mean, this really isn't a huge surprise given this nation's history on race relations, but to me it was a pleasant surprise. The statistics state that interracial marriages comprise approximately 15% of marriages (not staggering but illustrates improvement)

Personally, I don't discriminate. Attractive, charming, romantic, and intelligent is becoming no matter what the color of the outside is, but there are some in my social circle that feel otherwise...that even in 2010, everyone should romantically/sexually mix with their "own kind"
It's 2010, the President is biracial, interracial dating is not as taboo as it once was, we live in an integrated society SO WHAT'S THE PROBLEM??? In my opinion, with the odds being you're gonna get divorced anyway (hopefully not, but let's be real), why not explore ALL the available options & maximize on real, everlasting love as much as possible???

Isn't it time that as a nation we start ONLY viewing and appreciating the bond, love, and happiness between two people as opposed to their seemingly cultural differences and racial background?? When you think about all those components, is it, race, really important?

I'm asking because I have friends who become way too involved and angered that a famous Black man is dating a nonblack woman (now being called the Kardashian Effect) and vice versa with the guys....

Chad "OchoCinco" Johnson caught heat last week because, reportedly, he eliminated all the Black women from his VH1 dating show (supposedly) is that wrong if that is his preferance? If the person or women he liked the most happened to not be Black? Should men/women put aside their REAL feelings for the sake of "keeping it all black/white" or whatever???

Is it wrong to prefer a mate that is not of your same racial makeup???

There was once a time that interracial dating/marriages were illegal and the choice was nonexistenet to date outside of one's race or not. Sometimes I think that some of my friends and family members would still prefer for our society to still be like that as a result of their comments...I think interracial couples are the most beautiful!! The intergration of different cultures to me is beautiful and the children that are raised as products of that interracial, rule breaking love are more beautiful....

However, I know not everyone shares my views and that's fine...Bloggers what's your take??







Friday, June 4, 2010

When it's over...


between you and an ex, do you mind if your ex still keep in touch with your family/friends??? Do you expect your ex to breakup with your entire personal environment (your hangouts, family, friends) when you breakup with them?? What boundaries or aspects of your life, do you mind your ex lover to not cross or show face in after your flame has died out???

My two co-workers and I often chat about specific situations in which you or someone you're close with interacts with your old flame and whether it's boundary crossing or not, and our opinions are very varied so I wanted to get my readers opinions on this....

Is it cool??? or when it's over is everything that came with you, over for them too????

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Lacquer happy...


Have any of my readers ever been to Sassy Nails in Takoma Park, DC??? I'm just checking because I did a post on that place awhile back because I was gonna throw my birthday party there. I'd decided on another option and thus never went, supposed to have tried their minks or a martini pedicure....

If you've been let me know....I'm seriously considering going today!!
image courtesy of: www.mysassynailspa.com

U movin' with ya uncle & aunt to Bel-Air...

This post may only be for me but as I get older I think about things more. I look for the meanings or implications that may not be so up front and in your face. The other day while watching the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, I realized just how much of an effect pop culture has on our evolution as human beings.

We all know the story of Will Smith the "hood" boy that was battling the pressures and sometimes difficulties of urban life in West Philadelphia, whose mom sent him to live in Bel-Air, California (affluent community) to live with his Princeton University educated, Juris Doctor holding Uncle Phil and artsy, Professor Auntie Vivian....

Now, that i'm older I can appreciate the contribution that The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air has made to the African American community by just using imagery & positive images.

Quincy Jones' show starring Will Smith depicted the life of well known entertainment manager Benny Medina (manages Tyra Banks along with others)...in an era of gangsta rap, word to ya motha, hip hop beefs and a lack of political influence by African Americans and young people in the United States.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air illustrated that we can be just as affluent, educated as the next person or race for that matter.

As we already know, that lack of political influence would one day come to a head and change November 2008 with the election of our present President Barack H. Obama & thank GOD it did!!

Think about the MANY shots of the house that Will lived in with his family in Bel-Air...that house was, in the early to mid 90s, a big thing to those in the Black community that didn't frequently see people that look like them in a house so "massive" although it is a regular occurence now. It also, from the outside shots, sort of favored the White House to me, our beloved Executive Mansion.

To me, while looking at the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air the other day with my older, more aware mind, the images of that house meant something more than that is the house Will lived in with Uncle Phil, Aunt Viv, and cousins Hillary, Carlton and Ashley...it reminded me that WE (young people and the Black Community) HAVE ARRIVED!!

Through images, Quincy Jones produced a work that told us we can earn an Ivy League education, hold professional degrees and jobs, have successful marriages, well rounded children, AND occupy the most famous address in our nation, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue!!!

That epiphany re-inspired me to be all that I originally set out to be, chase my full potential, and seek to convey a message to Black America's youth, that WE HAVE ARRIVED and that ANYTHING we want already IS OURS for the EARNING!!!!

Each one of us are the cream of our crop, so realize and sit back and enjoy the reaping of your harvest.....YOU HAVE ARRIVED! FOLLOW YOUR HEART TO PEACE, HAPPINESS, PURPOSE AND ACCOMPLISHMENT!!!!






Wednesday, June 2, 2010

"May the best of your todays
be the worst of your tomorrows"
*Shaun JayZ Carter*


Strive to make your today better than your yesterday even if that means choosing to be in a better mood today than you were yesterday. Whatever we focus on in our lives WILL flourish!! So, don't give energy to controversy, negativity and ill-intentions.

Smile,
do something different,
be thankful for what IS,
realize it can always be worst,

and be thankful to be alive BECAUSE someone,
somewhere did not wake up this morning with what you have or what you have to offer the world if they awakened at all!!!!!!!
You ARE for a very SPECIFIC reason,
trod on the road to realizing it happily!!!!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

A Chocolate Lover's DREAM....


Last week the sexxy sequal Sex and the City 2 premiered and like women everywhere, I took the opportunity to participate in an unforgetable girls' night out with my ladies!!! We started the evening indulging in chocolate at a local chocolatier/restaurant, viewed the movie, and topped it off with dinner at the nearby Legal Seafood. The movie and dinner were both GREAT btw, but that is the least of this post!!!

Before the movie my girlfriends and I met to have pre-movie lunch, drinks and dessert at the local Chocolate restuarant and lounge CoCo Sala (located @ 9th & Fstreet NW, D.C)....this place is HOTT & a must try if you are in the DMV (D.C, Maryland, Virginia) anytime soon!!! It prides itself on its chocolate (which is made in house), trendy atmosphere, and Signature Cocktails...

It was the bestii'' and mine second time visiting this restaurant. The first time we went was on a Saturday evening and the ambiance was slightly more invigorating with the lowered lights, handsome bartenders, monitors displaying romantic and chocolate images, HOTNESS!!!

Between my first and second times trying CoCo Sala, I had the opportunity to try a few of their menu staples including the; CoCojito (Mojito served with Chocolate infused vodka, mint leaves and topped with flakes of dark chocolate), the Gingerly (among the sweetest of their drinks, topped with a frozen, chocolate covered banana) and their signature Rose' Champagne "Sex", which, in actuality is Rose' with a swirl of chocolate served at the bottom of the flute...Sex is also served with a number of their signature desserts like the White & Milk Chocolate covered strawberries we had that was served with a pipette filled with the champagne. The purpose? You inject the champagne before biting into the fruit for an explosion of chocolate/strawberry/champagne bliss!!!

BTW, I can't wait to have their Chocolate Cupcake Chaser; If having this signature dessert, one chooses the liquor they'd like to inject into the cake before eating....**details ASAP when I try this**

GOOD STUFF!!!!!

If dampening your pallette isn't the only thing up your sleeve then, as far as the food goes, I would suggest the crabcake which, of course, is served with a delicious line of chocolate on the side and a side salad, and the Shrimp Mac & Cheese (BOMB.COM BTW)!!!!! Also, per my first time at CoCo Sala I picked up that their Churos are quite delish as well! It seemed like everyone was ordering the pastry which is served with a side of Dulce de leche (lol, spell check).

Overall, I liked the place...I had great service, my taste buds are thankful for the experience and I will be going back to this place SOON!!!

WARNING!!! If you're looking to get FULL during your visit to CoCo Sala then think again or be prepared to shell out more money than planned as the portions at the place are tiny.

RESTAURANT URL::: http://www.cocosala.com/