Here’s a clip of Chris Rock discussing the documentary on the Sundance Channel.

I definitely agree with Chris when he says that he’s against relaxing young children’s hair.  I think the complex about good and bad hair starts young.  As someone who has worked with young children, I’ve heard plenty of “You ugly cuz your hair nappy” comments among young girls.  When will “good hair” mean that your hair is well maintained and healthy?

Spike Lee’s School Daze (Good and Bad Hair)

School Daze is the truth.  It will certainly make a great Broadway producation just like The Color Purple was.

What does “good” and “bad” hair meant to you?  Are you looking forward to Chris Rock’s new movie?

Live the dream and be great

Change my lifestyle for the better

Hope. Change. Action. Progess. (Yes I jacked this from President Obama too.)

Get up, get out, and do something great

Be motivated

Be active (including exercise)

Be productive

Be optimistic and positive

Live healthy

Inspire

Have a healthy and strong body, mind, and spirit

Be prosperous and give back

Be happy

Be financially successful

Pray for my family, friends, and enemies

Find my passion and do whatever my passion is

Do voice-overs (for Disney, Pixar, Nickelodean, cartoons, commercials, informercials, etc.)  (Can you say GET MONEY?)

Travel and vacation around the world

So it is written, so it shall be done.

Plus, the merchandise after the election has skyrockted out of control.  Less than a month after being sworn into the Presidency, I am already tired of the merchandising overkill of President Barack Obama. 

I am as proud as any other Black person that history was made with his election win, but enough already.  I can understand calendars, stickers, buttons, and t-shirts, but do we really need President Obama’s face on a pair of shoes? Really, people?

I hope that we can all give him a fair chance to prove his leadership abilities.  I have been inspired by this historical time in America.  I plan to keep him and his family in my prayers.  Though history was made, the struggle is not completely over for people of color, but we are definitely getting there one dream at a time.

In the words of rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z from “My President is Black (Remix)”

“Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther could walk
Martin Luther walked so Barack Obama could run
Barack Obama ran so all the children could fly”

Do you think that  there is a President Barack Obama merchandising overkill?  Or is it not enough considering the history that was made?

I was able to watch a bit of the inauguration coverage while at work and the celebration there was grand. We celebrated with Obama cakes, cookies, cupcakes, banners, boards, posters, and trivia games.

Did you watch any of the inaugural celebrations?  Did you watch him give his oath?  Tell me about it.

For more information on President Obama click here.

Aaliyah Dana Haughton (January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001), better known as Aaliyah (which means the highest, exalted one), was an American singer, dancer, and actress.  She would have turned 30 years old this month.   I wanted to post something in honor of Aaliyah’s musical legacy.  I have been an Aaliyah fan since the start of her music career.  When every one else was caught up on Brandy and Monica (though I am a fan of theirs as well), I always thought that Aaliyah would emerge as the next big thing.  I was impressed that she was so young and talented.  She made me feel that if she could live her dream, then so could I.

My all time favorite song of hers is “At Your Best (You Are Love),” a cover of The Isley Brothers‘ 1976 song, from her debut album “Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number.”  I am still amazed that at the age of 15 she was able to capture the emotion of the song’s lyrics and that her voice sounds so crystal clear.  A close second is “Rock The Boat” and “I Care For You” from the “Aaliyah” album and the posthumous album“I Care For You.” 

I remember listening to a radio interview with Aaliyah and hearing her discuss upcoming plans for a tour.  Later that day I made plans with my friends to buy tickets.  However, that day never came.  Aaliyah died in a plane crash at the age of 22 on August 25, 2001.  I still can recall the absolute shock and disbelief I felt when I heard that she had died in a plane crash.  “Aaliyah,” the album, had been on constant repeat in my car’s cd player since its release date.  I was taking a shower when I heard about her death on the radio.  I cried for a second and after my shower I listened to her cd again.

Aaliyah’s official Myspace music page has received 18,262,062 plays and 10,437,315 views as of December 4, 2008.  As of 2008 Aaliyah holds the record for best selling R&B album by a female in 2000s decade with 12 million physical copies of her album “Aaliyah” sold plus 1 million downloads for a total of 13 million copies in sales.

In 2009, a biopic of Aaliyah will be released this year. Keshia Chanté will be playing Aaliyah in the highly, anticipated untitled biopic. Bill Condon (Chicago, the movie) will be directing the film & the biopic will be produced by Warner Brothers. The movie will go deep into Aaliyah’s life and career.

For more information on Aaliyah, click here.

Aaliyah, At Your Best (You Are Love)

I love her voice in this song.  Classic.

Aaliyah, I Care For You

I love that she sings, “Hey, sexy baby…”  I sing that line when I answer my phone to certain people who I know are Aaliyah fans. They just get it.

Aaliyah, Rock the Boat

Grown and sexy!

Aaliyah, I Miss You

Another favorite.

 Do you have a favorite Aaliyah song or video?  Have you ever seen her perform live?

As I was watching the much anticipated Oprah’s Best Life epsiode in which she discussed her 40 pound weight gain, I felt as if she was telling a part of my life’s story as well.  As someone who has be overweight half of my life, I felt a sense of freedom and relief from the shame and disappointment that I have carried around with me for years. 

As an O, The Oprah Magazine subscriber,  I noticed that there weren’t any full body cover shots of her and never did I speculate that she was afraid for people to see a bigger image of her body at this stage in her life.  Nor did I ever think I’d here her say that she was ashamed to be seen in public. I could certainly identify with her  because as they say, a pictures is worth a thousand words and my pictures would tell the story of how my weight fluctuated from a size 14 to a size 18/20 and at my heaviest a size 22; which happened to be short-lived because I simply could not afford to buy a new wardrobe.

For many years New Year’s resolution used to be to lose weight and after many unsuccessful years I had pretty much given up on making resolutions at all.  As an infomercial junkie, I’ve ordered enough work out DVDs and equipment to have a home gym.  But what’s the use of having it if you don’t use it, right?  When ordering the latest workout product I really believed that it would be the one that would turn my life around.  But after a few workouts I’d soon be so over it.  My treadmill was converted into an expensive clothes hanger, my DVDs collected dust on the shelf,  my fitness ball became a chair for company to sit on when visiting and a toy for my nephew, niece, and young cousins to play kick ball with. 

 After all these years, I have learned that you can’t focused on one superficial event at a time.  Losing weight, and most importantly, keeping it off is part of a total lifestyle change.  I have had many weight loss goals in my life and many of them revolved around a major event such as the prom, my high school graduation, my college graduation, or attending a wedding, and after losing a bit of weight for these events, I’d be back to my old ways again. 

 As my ten year high school reunion approaches, I realized that I’ve been crying this same sad song for over a decade and I asked myself will I ever change.  My attempts at losing weight are just plain sad and laughable because I know in my heart that I never truly have given my all.  My goals have been shallow and half-ass, err, quarter-assed since I’m being honest here.  My reasons for losing weight has been to find nice clothes and shoes but it recently hit me that I need to lose weight because I need a strong and healthy body.  I’m putting my health on the top of my priority list and I hope that you’ll join me and do the same.

I was touched and inspired after watching this episode.  Were you touched after viewing the episode?  Were you inspired to make lifestyle changes of your own?  Tell me about it.

The Best Life Series

Monday, 1/5/09 – Falling Off the Wagon - Watch Oprah as she confesses how she fell off the wagon and what she’s learned along the way.  Fitness expert Bob Greene offers advice on how to get back on track.

Tuesday, 1/6/09 - Dr. Oz and The Ultimate Checklist - Dr. Oz’s wellness plan for your life.

Wednesday, 1/7/09 -  Finding Your Spiritual Path - Finding deeper meaning in your everyday life.

Thursday, 1/8/09 – Your Money Plan 2009 – Suze Orman discusses how to get your money plan togerther this year. She’ll also discuss her new book, Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan and allow for FREE download on Oprah.com.

Friday, 1/9/09 – Relationships, Intimacy and Sex - How to have healthy relationships.

Check out the January 2009 issue of “O, The Oprah Magazine” to read more about Bob Greene’s simple plan, Making Weight Loss Stick, Suze Orman’s Ten Ways to Protect Your Money Now, and the one thing every happy couple does.

Teyana Taylor dancing to Single Ladies

Beyonce, as usual, is working it and in heels might I add.  I think the dance and the performance was on point.  

Beyonce - Single Ladies perfomance on SNL

Subscription

Say what you want about “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” but “O, The Oprah Magazine” is a great publication.  I have been subscribing for about five years now.  I look forward to receiving my monthly issue and reading information about money and finance from Financial Guru Suze Orman, getting advice from Dr. Phil, reading Oprah’s ‘What I know for Sure,’  ‘AHa! Moments’, as well as articles about love, relationships, beauty, style, fashion, and culture.  The magazine is currently running a holiday special.  You can subscribe and receive 12 issues for $18 or receive 24 issues for $24.  Click here for more information.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution online has posted a series of articles about how to improve just about every area in your life.  If you are interested in improving your health, finances, choosing a gym, and taking full control of your life then check out the articles below.

• 24 Problems Solved

• 50 Ways To Fix Your Life

• 24 Tips to Fix Your Finances

• How To Pick A Gym

• 30 Ways To Improve Your Meals -and Health