Old School Fridays - Motown

Motown artist, the Late Great, Rick James, makes his final performance on the BET Awards in 2004 with Teena Marie, just days before he passed away. Let him and Teena hit you with some "Fire and Desire" and don't forget he's Rick James B.....! You better act like you know!

I am posting early because I will be indisposed tomorrow. Thanks to Mrs. Grapevine for sharing this week's theme early. This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Ms. Grapevine. The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre

2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999

3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version

4. Post a video of your favorite Old School song to take us back down memory lane

5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out

6. Have fun & don't forget to leave comments for other participants

If you want to join in on the fun, click here.

GO GREEN ! – Thursday Thirteen #28 – 13 Ways to Go Green

Here are thirteen tips we can all consider in order to live a greener life without becoming fanatic. Not that fanatic is a bad thing in this case. I wish I could grow my own veggies and walk to work, but I don’t have a green thumb and logistically walking or riding my bike is impossible (1 live at least 26 miles from work). I actually do several things on this list, not only because they save the ecosystem, but they also save me money.

1. Kill Your Junk Mail
The average adult American receives 41 pounds of junk mail - catalogs, credit-card come-ons and other assorted crap - every year. It wastes your time, millions of trees, billions of gallons of water, and tons of greenhouse-gas emissions. Sign up for online non-profit 41pounds.org's junk mail killer service, it costs $41 for five years' coverage, and they'll break the bad news to retailers and financial institutions for you. They'll also donate to the charity of your choice.

2. Keep electronics out of the trash
Keep your cell phones, computers, and other electronics as long as possible. Donate or recycle them responsibly when the time comes. E-waste contains mercury and other toxins and is a growing environmental problem.

3. Think about what you throw away
Often things that we throw away could be easily recycled which would help reduce otherwise wasted energy, water and natural resources. Start by checking with your trash removal service or your town/county to see if they offer recycling removal.

4. Less gas = more money (and better health!)
Walk or bike to work. This saves on gas and parking costs while improving your cardiovascular health and reducing your risk of obesity.

5. Shorten your showers
Showers account for two-thirds of all water heating costs. Shave a few minutes off your shower time and you will reduce the amount of energy and keep bills lower.


6. Skip the bottled water
Use a water filter to purify tap water instead of buying bottled water. Not only is bottled water expensive, but it generates large amounts of container waste.


7. Buy reusable shopping bags
Most supermarket chains offer reusable bags at the checkout counter now for a couple of bucks, and companies like Sage Green and Chico Bag offer them in several styles. Don't forget to take them with you to the supermarket!


8. Eat Smart, Eat Green
If you eat meat, add one meatless meal a week. Meat costs a lot at the store-and it's even more expensive when you consider the related environmental and health costs.

9. Save energy to save money
Set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer to save on heating and cooling costs.

10. Wait to wash
Reduce your use of water and electricity by waiting to run your dishwasher and washing machine until you have a full load.


11. Find Cheap Gas
Comparison shop. Be a proactive consumer. Don't just pay the high prices at the closest station. Shop around to find the most competitive price in town. For a little help, visit http://gasprices.mapquest.com to compare prices in your area. You can find the best deal by zip code and street name, as well as check out prices by grade of gasoline.

12. Buy a Fuel-Efficient Vehicle Consider buying a fuel-efficient vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or an alternative-fuel vehicle. It could save you a lot at the gas pump and not to mention help the environment. FuelEconomy.gov offers tips on buying a new fuel-efficient car or truck.

13. Slow It Down
Gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph, costing an additional 10 cents per gallon. Aggressive driving can lower gas mileage by as much as 33% on the highway and 5% on city streets, resulting in 7 cents to 49 cents per gallon. Don't get too emotional driving, its supposed to be a time to relax and reflect. Next time you get in your car stay calm, cool, and collected put your car on cruise control.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Old School Fridays - Make Up Song

Myspace Icons
Last week Old School Fridays highlighted breakup songs and this week it is the flip side or make up songs. I had a hard time thinking of an appropriate song, wanting to go with The Emotions "The Best Part Of A Love Affair, Is Making Up After Breaking Up" which was unavailable on video. I did come up with this jam by The Ojays. You can never go wrong with these guys.This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Ms. Grapevine. The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre

2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999

3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version

4. Post a video of your favorite Old School song to take us back down memory lane

5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out

6. Have fun & don't forget to leave comments for other participants

If you want to join in on the fun, click here.

Thursday Thirteen # 27 - Thirteen Actors Who Died Before The Premiere Of Their Final Film

I went to see the latest Batman movie "The Dark Knight" and Heath Ledger’s performance was superb. His death puts him in a class occupied by an elite few, artists who died before the release of their last film. Their deaths caused most of these artists’ to remain forever young and some of them still make us wonder what might have been if they had lived. Here are thirteen stars that died before their final film was released. Can you think of actors that missed their premieres because of their untimely passing?

1. Aaliyah – Died in a 2001 plane crash before the release of vampire film “Queen of the Damned”

2.James Dean – “Rebel Without a Cause” was released one month after Dean was killed in a 1955 automobile accident.

3.Clark Gable – died at the age of 59 before the release of the 1960 film “The Misfits”

4.River Phoenix - died of a drug-induced heart attack four months before the film “Silent Tongue” was slated for release.

5.Jean Harlow – She was just 26 years old when she died of kidney failure just a month before the release of her 1937 film “Saratoga”

6.Marilyn Monroe – died of an alleged drug overdose (I have never quite believe this theory as an adult) while still filming “Something’s Got To Give”, which was later redone as “Move Over Darling”

7.Bruce Lee – Died at the age 32 from a cerebral edema, one month before the release of “Enter the Dragon”.

8.Brandon Lee – Son of Bruce Lee also died on the filming of “The Crow” in an on set mishap

9.Natalie Wood- drowned in 1981 just before the completion of the science fiction thriller “Brainstorm”

10.John Candy – Died during the filming of the motion picture “Wagons East”

11.. Tupac Shakur – The 25 year old rapper was killed in a 1996 Las Vegas drive by shooting after filming two films “Gridlock’d” and “Gang Related”, both of which were released the following year.

12.Phil Hartman – SNL star was shoot and killed by his wife in a 1998 murder-suicide, just two months before the release of “Small Soldiers”

13.Chris Farley – Died of a drug overdose in 1997 just a month before the release of “Beverly Hills Ninja”

Former Bad Boy Displays Bad Behavior?

I always knew that Rick Mahorn was the baddest of the bad boys and a force to be reckoned with during his Detroit Piston days. He was so respected that basketball fans were happy to see him come back as an first as a game announcer for the Pistons and later as an assistant coach for WNBA expansion team the Shock. The Shock met the Sparks yesterday and in the last five seconds of the game Mahorn appeared to come out on the court and push star player Lisa Leslie down onto the court during an altercation involving many of the players from both teams.

I don't know what Rick was thinking but it is the consensus among those on the sideline, including Spark coach, Michael Cooper that he was trying to break up the brawl between the players on the court. Lisa Leslie stated that if this was the case he should have went to his players and restrained them. He ended up getting ejected from the game when the dust settled.

This is not the first time Mahorn has been involved in a team related altercation since he left the game as a player. He was also involved in the 2004 Piston-Indiana brawl when he served as a Detroit Piston announcer. At that time is was said to be playing peacemaker by trying to prevent Ron Artest from entering the stands and attacking fans. Do you think Mahorn should be punished for his behavior or was he just trying to help? Read the story here and watch the clip from the game and decide. I am also including a clip of the Mahorn's response to the incident.

Golden Girl Estelle Getty Passes On At 84

I opened my Yahoo page to find that Estelle Getty had died at her Hollywood Blvd. home this morning at 5:30 AM. She is best known as Sophia Petrillo on the long running television show "Golden Girls". She was arguably the most funny of the four women and avid viewers of the show have the most difficult time deciding which is their favorite among the stars of the show. Getty portrayed the mother of Golden Girl Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur) and so it was always thought she was much older than the other three women, which in actuality she was a year younger than Arthur.

Born in New York City on July 25, 1923 and is considered a late bloomer. She was 47 years of age when she performed in her first off-Broadway play. Her most important stage role was playing Harvey Fierstein's mother in the Broadway play "Torch Song Trilogy".

Ms. Getty stopped making public appearances in 2000 after revealing that she had Parkinson's Disease, osteoporosis and Alzheimer's Disease. It was later found that she had been misdiagnosed and that she in fact suffered from Lewy Body Dementia, which has some of the symptomatology as Alzheimer's Disease.

In 2003 Lifetime Television hosted a Golden Girls Reunion Show in which Ms. Getty was unable to attend due to failing health. She received 7 Emmy and 3 Golden Globe nominations for her role on "The Golden Girls", winning each award once. Paying tribute to the star, her longtime care-giver Paul Chapdelaine says, "Sadly, today July 22, 2008 at 5:35 a.m. Pacific Time, we said our last good-byes to our little friend Estelle, who passed away and made her journey to the great beyond. Although it was a trip that she never wanted to take, she went gracefully, in the comfort of her own home, surrounded by her family and her very loving care-givers". Here is the link with the story and enjoy the below clip from the show. RIP Ms. Getty.

Poll Results

Two polls were conducted simultaneously last week. The first poll asked if R. Kelly's music should be boycotted. 80% said yes and 20% thought there was no need for a boycott. The second poll queried the accuracy of Spike Lee's statements regarding Jesse Jackson's recent attacks on Barack Obama. 71% felt that Spike Lee's comments were on point, while 29% had no opinion. Of course I agree with Spike's and feel that Jesse should be cool. As for R. Kelly, this would be the time I would share a video, but it ain't gonna happen.

Ebert and Roeper Call It Quits - Two Thumbs Down

Roger Ebert is cutting ties with the movie review show that he and Gene Siskel made famous. The producers of Ebert and Roeper have confirmed that they are taking the show in another direction. Ebert's announcement comes one day after Roeper said he was leaving the nationally syndicated show due to an inability to come to an agreement with Disney contractually. Over the last two years illness has left Ebert voiceless and unable to fulfill the obligations of appearing on the show; however Roeper forged ahead with a variety of co-host. Roeper stated that the show was never the same without Ebert.

Ebert and the widow of Gene Siskel retain the trademark to the praise "Two Thumbs Up". Although I did not always agree with their critiques of the movies I enjoyed the banter, especially when the hosts did not agree. The canceling of the show marks an end of an era. The balcony is closed for good.

Latham and Long Get Animated

Following in the footsteps of Regina King, Sanaa Latham and Nia Long, arguably two of the most attractive actresses in films will lend their voices to characters on “The Cleveland Show”. If you watch “The Family Guy” you will recognize Cleveland as one of Peter’s buddies. The show is merely a spinoff; which I do not recall happening in recent years, in the cartoon world. There might have been a spinoff or two involving “Archie” in the 70’s. I am sure Malcolm of Pop Culture Dish can shed some light on this topic. Sanaa Latham will portray Cleveland’s wife, Donna and Nia Long will voice Cleveland’s stepdaughter, Roberta. Anyhow, I like cartoons that cater to adults, so I will definitely give it a try. You can read more about the show here.

Notable Quotable - Venus Williams

"It's every Williams for themself." -- Venus Williams, before defeating her sister Serena in the Wimbledon women's final.

Twenty-Five Things That Are Disappearing

The availability of the Internet has made many things on this list obsolete. I cannot remember the last time I read the paper, looked something up in the paper Yellow Pages, or watched a full newscast. I rely on the Internet for all my news. Here is a list of items, activities, etc. that are vanishing. To read the article in its entirety click here.

25. Pit Toilets (Out Houses)

24. Yellow Pages

23. Classified Ads

22. Movie Rental Stores

21. Dial-up Internet Access

20. Phone Landlines

19. Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs

18. VCRs

17. Ash Trees

16. Ham Radio

15. The Swimming Hole

14. Answering Machines

13. Cameras That Use Film

12. Incandescent Bulbs

11. Stand-Alone Bowling Alleys

10. The Milkman

9. Hand-Written Letters

8. Wild Horses

7. Personal Checks

6. Drive-in Theaters

5. Mumps & Measles

4. Honey Bees

3. News Magazines and TV News

2. Analog TV

1. The Family Farm

Old School Friday - Break Up Songs

I saw this meme over at Pop Culture Dish and thought it would be fun to play along. I invite everyone to play as well. This meme was developed by Marvalus One and Ms. Grapevine. The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre

2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999

3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version

4. Post a video of your favorite Old School song to take us back down memory lane

5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out

6. Have fun & don't forget to leave comments for other participants

If you want to join in on the fun, click here.

My contribution this week is an old school classic break up song by the Stylistics entitled "Break Up To Make Up" from the "Round Two" album. It doesn't get much better than this!

Musical Memoirs - Top 5 On Friday - Week 183

This week Musical Memoirs ask what are your top 5 Vacation Albums (albums you have to have when you travel or make you think you're on vacation) . It was very difficult to choose just five, but here goes. These are in no particular order.

Teena Marie - Greatest Hits



Rufus (Featuring Chaka Khan) - Stompin' At The Savoy



Marvin Gaye - I Want You



Anita Baker - Compositions



Jeffrey Osbornes - Greatest Hits



I know there will be those you don't know who Teena Marie is so I am including a video courtesy of BET taped in 2006. She is doing her classic soul song "Deja Vu".

Music Memoirs, Tuesday Tunes - Week 41

This week Musical Memoirs changed the format a bit by asking these questions:

What's the most you've ever paid for a CD? What CD was it? The most I can remember paying for a single CD was 17.99 in 1986. "Love Zone" (the name of the CD) had numerous hits, including "When the Going Get's Tough, the Tough Get Going", There'll Be Sad Songs to (Make You Cry)" and of course the title song.

Do you own any CDs that aren't domestic? Yes, maybe a few.

How do you feel about European discs and Japanese discs getting bonus tracks and special packaging when the US does not? I don't like it, but they (Europeans and Japanese) do pay handsomely for those bonuses. You ever get a load of the price of imports?

Are there any bands/artists you go out of your way to purchase any release for? Yep, Definitely. Sade, Tina Marie, and Chaka Khan come to mind.

Notable Quotable - Spike Lee

"In life, sometimes you have your moment. You have your window that lies upon you and then it leaves. This is not Jesse's time right now. This is Barack Obama's time, and I think he's having a problem with that."

-- Filmmaker Spike Lee commenting on civil rights activist Jesse Jackson's incendiary comments on presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Please respond to the Poll on the left.

Barbie Joins The Oldest Black Sorority

The women of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority really know how to get dolled up -- and focus on business. For their biennial convention, the sorority, which consists of roughly 35,000 members, inducted one of their newest members: Barbie.

Mattel Inc. has created limited-edition Alpha Kappa Alpha Centennial Barbie, the first Barbie based on any sorority. The doll honors the Chicago-headquartered sorority, the first established by black women. Mattel Inc. created the limited-edition AKA Centennial Barbie, the first Barbie based on any sorority.

The doll, outfitted in a pink and green evening gown, matching jeweled shoes and gold jewelry, honors the Chicago-headquartered sorority, the first established by black women. The sorority has inducted about 200,000 members -- including actress Phylicia Rashad, educator Marva Collins and author Toni Morrison -- since it’s founding at Howard University in 1908.

The AKA Barbie has some company. Another business, the Sisterhood Boutique, last year modeled a collectible doll on the sorority. That creation, the $125 Ivy Rose made its way into official gift bags for celebrity presenters at the Grammy Awards in February.

The Mattel doll will sell for $50 through the Barbie Collector catalog, the Barbie Collector.com Web site and retailers. The sorority gets a percentage of the sales.Mattel isn't the only company eager to work with AKA. Among the sorority's other recent corporate deals:

· Converse has designed shoes for Alpha Kappa Alpha and five other black Greek-letter organizations and will sponsor a march at the AKA convention.

· Chase last year gave AKA more than $100,000 to support an African-American home ownership initiative.

· DNA tracing firm African Ancestry Inc. has partnered with the group.

R Kelly Boycott

Spellman history professor, William Jelani Cobb has thrown down the gauntlet, challenging Black men to become protectors of their prospective communities (read story here). He is circulating a petition entitled “Statement of Black Men Against The Exploitation of Black Women. Do you agree it is about time that Black men speak out against exploitation of women and children or should we just leave R. Kelly alone? I for one think that it's about time that someone stood up! Please take the poll on the left.

Jessie Jackson Calls for Obama's Balls!

After the infamous “Hymie Town” comments it seems that Reverend Jessie Jackson would learn to choose his words more wisely. His latest foopah came in the form of what is being referred to as a "careless whisper" berating presidential candidate Barack Obama, who Jackson accused of “talking down” to Black people. “I want to cut his nuts off” was the statement Jackson was overheard saying while waiting to be interviewed by the FOX Network.

He issued an apology, but it was too little, far too late. Why do these media figures think they can get away with saying the most outlandish things and then think that a simple "I'm sorry" will suffice in erasing the offense. Even Jackson's son, Jessie Jackson Jr., who is also a National Chair for Obama's campaign, admonished his father's derogatory declaration in this statement:

"Rev. Jackson is my dad and I'll always love him. He should know how hard that I've worked for the last year and a half as a national co-chair of Barack Obama's presidential campaign. So, I thoroughly reject and repudiate his ugly rhetoric. He should keep hope alive and any personal attacks and insults to himself".

Or as "The Machine" Levine would say, "If you can't think on your feet you oughta keep your mouth shut". My sentiments exactly!