The Tide is High...

...but I'm holdin on! I'm gonna be your Number One!

Hi friends!


fierce fierce fierce

I love her. She's definitely on my list.

I'm not a hundred percent sure where my love for her or the band originates... but I'm pretty sure it stems from my early childhood, when little first grader Promas and big sis used to create elaborate fake music videos and dance choreography for various melodies on the Parallel Lines album.

Now arguably, my personal connection to this album makes me feel as though it is Blondie's best... and it's the most successful, thus the most mainstream, but I truly love each and every track on it. From the upbeat and effervescent "Pretty Baby" and "Picture This" (Both of which are included in my lovetunes playlist!), to the haunting tones of "Fade Away and Radiate," all the songs do well to showcase the versatile appeal of Debbie's sultry voice and the supporting dudes that make the music pop! Not to mention the unique lyrical content, that make the songs intriguing to listen to, and easy to love! :)

My espesh fave is when the guys (Chris Stein, Clem Burke, Jimmy Destri, Frank Infante) join in on some of the background vocals like circa 2:14 during the quintessential and enduring "Heart of Glass," a song I can never ever ever tire of. Check their kicks!

heart of glass - blondie

Got me through some timez. Even though it's sortof a departure from the band's New Wave beginnings into a distinctly disco-ish vibe... I'm all about genre blending and experimentation when it comes to music! Ridin high on love's true bluish light...

Quickly back to Debbie before I bid ya'll adieu... She was born in 1945, worked in a Dunkin Donuts and was a Playboy Bunny before joining a girl group where she met her future epic love and Blondie guitarist, Chris Stein. I love that dude too. They started Blondie and named it after the cat-calls foxylady Debbie would get walkin down the street. Don't hate her because she's beautiful. It's painful to be that hot. yikes!

Note that I have avoided all discussion of "Rapture," Debbie's attempt at paying homage to a genre of music she admired and loved, but probs shouldn't have really delved into. Save the rap, I love that song, even though that's whyy it's so famous. *toe to toe dancing very close barely breathing almost comatose* Poo to those who credit Blondie as being the reason for rap's mainstream success. Let's not diminish the power, strength and pure talent of the brown bodies and voices that actually made that happen. Holla!

Shouts to my neww roomie(!), who fulfilled my fantasy of wearing Blondie paraphenalia, by letting me borrow a ferocious black miniskirt with the silhouetted likeness of Dirty (Deborah) Harry in pink, blue, and purple. Sigh...

Just a Reminder:

As of late, this blog has become EXTREMELY 90s heavy! I just want to state for the record that it was not my intention to create a nineties blog, but rather, one invoking general nostalgia for various things that I love!

Having said that (and also since my imeem isn't being my friend and allowing me to embed music properly onto my blog! wompz (x3)), here's some quick lovin' from my boys, the O'Jays, a recording of "I Love Music."



Something for you to nibble on: The bongo drums in the intro of the song were played by everybody's favorite fake dad... Bill Cosby! holler!

Also, this song appears on the CARLITO'S WAY soundtrack. Mayb not my favorite movie, but it would be a lie to say that after I watched it last winter that I didn't go ahead and download all the songs that I heard on it... yikes!

Wanderin' Down This Road That We Call Life...

So last week, in an effort to cheer up a friend perishing in the boredom of her return to academia... i sent a text that articulated a question that has been long pondered in my mind:

Eric Matthews or Shawn Hunter?

And I'm talking about in all the ways. Who makes your heart aflutter? Who can you tolerate more? Who would you do!?

For all of you who weren't Boy Meets World-heads in your past... i feel you. My interest was spotty at best, over the years. There was a definite shift in the character development and plotlines after the first few seasons. But the biggest heartbreak for me was the disappearance of the quirky opening credits and transitional music used throughout the episodes. Also Minkus (Later found on One Tree Hill)!

Anywayyy, back to Eric or Shawn. Will Friedle was a cutie, no doubt. Especially during the first season, when he had the shorter hairdo and was just the sensible, if mainstream older bro. And with each progressive season... he became increasingly insane and stupid... it was so overwhelming and borderline unbearable. whoa! mayb my language about this is getting too strong, but i feel very passionately against where they took that character. he just got so cray cray. and i'm not really into crazy. and that high pitched voice that he used to do. yikes. bad news bears! Remember when he used to date Jennifer LOVE?! The only thing that tickles my heart when thinking about Eric Matthews... is that Will Friedle provided the voice for Terry McGinnis is Batman Beyond... and you know my love for the Caped Crusader.

In later years, Matthew Lawrence was brought in to fulfill that sortof teen heartthrob sitch... fresh from his stint on Super Human Samurai Syber-Squad! (not a typo. whatchu know about that!?) He was for the most part fly... and not as short as he looks on tv, FYI. And for extra chuckles, hit up that Google and find a pic of his younger bro/co-star on Brotherly love (also with big bro JOEY "whoa!"), Andy Lawrence. Props to Lindeloo and Jbillzo for identifying his much older doppelganger for the future...

Oh no! Tangent! Back to the inquiry at hand! Shawn Hunter was my choice! Hands down! Hands down! He was about SO much more! He was deep and angsty, seeping with his soulfulness and family dramz, trying to fit in with the Matthews family and all of their Leave it to Beaver dramz. Remember when the hotshot mullethead, Mr. Turner, came through and tried to "turn" Shawn's life around?? haha. EPIC HUMOR FAIL! Also, the key to my heart... Shawn's love for women of color. Holla! I'll always remember the episode where he dumped angela to keep up with his "2wks only rule," only to find a purse whose contents (including a book of poetry. swoonz) would indicate the owner was his soulmate... Obvz Angela. Rider Strong aged decently too - though poss grew into a jacked up Jeremy Sisto. Rollin with da homiez...

Thoughts?

Said friend opted for a third candidate:

Whoaz! I'd rather Mr. Feeny!

PS. Let me not go without stating that: Topanga was always fly. I love me some curvy women on TV during their teenage years, that was probs mad difficult and crazy awkward. Get it Girl!!!

Backsies

Hey-ooooo!!!

Long time, no blog! Sorry friend(s)! You know I love ya! First things first...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I had a wonderful time ringing in the New Year with so many of my special ones... so so so much love for you! We had a blast, with our suburban getaway ever made complete with the most appropriate of party themes suggested by my bestilicious Lindeloo... Party like its 1999 (in 2009)!

It gave us the perfect opportunity to put my extensive collection of nineties hits to use... as well as dig up some long sequestered but somewhat iconic musical failures... Will2K? Anyone? That song is pure hilarity, with its interpolation of The Clash's Rock the Casbah and horribly dated lyrical content... Also, embarrassingly enough, I played snippets of Eiffel 65's "Blue" (da ba dee da ba da) and LFO's "Girl on TV." After that, we partied into the night and watched the ball drop with nothing but the greatest anticipation and hope for new starts and new inspirations in the new year!



Anyway, my apologies for departing from the blogosphere for so long. I needed a break and something REALLY REALLY good to bring me back. Birthdays came and went (holla at mah girl Melanie! and the other half of 920 - Feez! and of course, sweetness himself, Branny!) and no blogs happened... yikes.

Well. Today is an important day. So important, I returned. And hopefully an eternity will not pass again before my next post. Today is January 14, 2009.

It is Jason Bateman's 40th birthday!! How epic!

Jason Bateman is totes on my list. I love his little mischieveous smile, the crow's feet around his eyes, that in the 80s he was a willing and appropriate replacement for Michael J. Fox in the Teen Wolf sequel, "Teen Wolf 2"! Child star turned legit adult actor. Excellence!

He played the eldest brother, David, on the show The Hogan Family. It starred my Mary Tyler Moore love, Valerie Harper, as the super mom matriarch of the Hogans with an airplane pilot husband who was usually gone... and 3 sons... mad shenanigans entailed! Then mad years passed and no Jason to be found. womps (x3)



And then... Arrested Development happened! hilarity. Also, I heard that a major motion picture is in the works to happen. How exciting! Michael Bluth could get it. That's all I gotta say about that. He makes frequent cameos in movies featuring the "Frat Pack" ... like Dodgeball, The Break-Up,

Anyway, HB, JB!!! I have an eternity of love and affection for you, and your dry (sometimes mad awk) brand of humor.

Friday is the Last Day, and Then it's

W.E.E.K.E.N.D it's WEEKEND!!!

W.E.E.K.E.N.D - ARLING & CAMMERON

Happy Friday, my loves! Today is no ordinary Friday. Today is the last day of my life in the corporate world. It lasted 3 months longer than I wanted it to, anyway! I'm feeling really good about this decis, and am hoping that some of the efforts I've released into this world will have their trade-off. And if not, I'm biding my time until the New Year where I have resolved (and I take my resolutions VERY seriously!) to have a job/existence that I am happy with!

NO MORE SETTLING!!! None of us, at any point in our lives, especially in this moment, during the pinnacle of our youth, be held back by things/people that are not worth wasting time and energy on. And let's be for serious for a second, Promas Jefferson's energy is precious. If you can't cut it, then it's not for you!

My apologies to my particular corporate workplace, even though a handful of you over there are sweet and helpful (slash one of you is Middle Sis! Love you!), it doesn't change the fact that on a basic level, in terms of the precise work that you do, I just can't get down! I refuse to be a cog in the system that oppresses brown people! Sorrz. You can keep your $2,000 handbags and search for customers during these economic hardtimes. As for me, I'm taking my months here as perspective-building and moving on, finally earning the discount but proud to have never used it! Holla!

Please join me in my celebrations by groovin' to the beats of MJ "Off the Wall" (- my anthem in these last few weeks of work! So happy!



So tonight
Gotta leave that 9 to 5
Upon the shelf
And just enjoy yourself
Let the madness in the music
Get to you
Life ain't so bad at all
If you're livin off the wall

Throw your hands in the Aiyuh...

...If youza true playa.

Yes. Lyrics from the timeless classic "Big Poppa" by the late great Notorious B.I.G.

This was Biggie's first top 10 hit on U.S. Billboards Charts, released as a single in 1995... it transcended into mainstream media and into the bedrooms of white suburban youth across the country blah blah. Look it up on wikipedia if you're curious. Biggie was already a household name for many by that point.

Most importantly, it boasts a sample from the bedtime anthem "Between the Sheets" by the OG crooners of clandestine lovin, the Isley Bros., as well as the undeniably superlative lyrics:

Pull the truck up, front, and roll up the next blunt

So we can steam on the way to the telly go fill my belly

A t-bone steak, cheese eggs and Welch's grape

Conversate for a few, cause in a few,

we gon' do What we came to do, ain't that right boo

Truuuuuue.

Anywho, a Biggie biopic, Notorious, is set to premiere at some point in 2009! It stars Brooklyn native and relative unknown, Jamal Woolard in the title role, Derek Luke (aka Antwone Fisher) as Puff Daddy and Anthony Mackie as the late and wonderfully sexy and talented if (at times)misogynistic Tupac Shakur.

They've been filming the movie in my neighborhood, using the facade of my building for some of the shots! (Holla 230!) I was approached about being an extra one morning when I was on my way to work a few months ago, and since then, I was under the impression that filming had ceased.

Imagine my surprise when, last Thursday, I was leaving my apt at around 4 or 5 pm, trying to manuever the two extremely heavy doors in the foyer of my building whilst talking to my sister on my cell phone, I see a somewhat gargantuan young man entering the building as I exit. We shared eye contact and he didn't really bother to help me out with the doors or anything, and I had the thought "Hmm... that dude seems famil." But didn't think much of it.

Until I came outside. And there was a freaking camera in my face and i hear the director scream out "CUT!!! SHE WALKED INTO THE FRAME!!! CUT!!!!"

I gave them my winsome apology face and kept it moving. Maybe I make it to the blooper reel!

Check out the trailer, loves! (Also, download "Brooklyn, (We Go Hard)" by Jay Z feat. Wesleyan's own, Santogold, which appears on the soundtrack!)

Happy Monday!!!

I'm so happy this Monday afternoon! Even though its brick citayyy outside, the sun is shining heavenly beams in my soul right now! I'm cheesin'!



Enjoy this video, I found on Dlisted today... Its pop culture gold. Steve Urkel, Winnie Cooper and Jennifer Aniston in one fantastic rap classic! ALSO DJ TANNER! Holler! Ahh too much love. I want to go to Camp Cucamonga!!!

Today's Special is.... Moms!

Hey friends!
So I'm finally back, after a full 2 week hiatus. I just needed a break from the blog... I was getting really irritated at how the media I was posting became defunct after a few days. I didn't feel like I had enough energy to re-find all of the brilliant photos of Fred Durst or Tina Turner, youtube clips of the Backstreet Boys triumphant if short return to TRL... Urghs. It's too annoying.

Anywho, what brings me back 2 da blog is my dear friend, Lady Aisha Domingue, mother-to-be. This is not her sole identity (dancer, youth organizer, activist, comedian etc etc), but I am super excited that one little bundle of joy will have the pleasure of being raised, loved and humanized by this amazing woman!!! I'm so bummed because I missed Aisha's baby shower yesterday, though my day was spent with my own remarkable mother, helping her pack and get her shiz together for a trip to the motherland. I miss you, Ma!!

Aisha and I worked together last summer and we truly are kindred spirits when it comes to pop culture, hence the full blog post dedicated to her, and all my love!!! I approached her with one of my ultimate pop culture challenges, and she delivered!!

I distinctly remembered being addicted to this one Nickelodeon show when I was really young like... a year old... I couldn't remember the name of the characters or even the title... all I had in my arsenal of memory was that it took place in a department store... there was a mouse puppet that was prominently featured, and a mannequin of a young man with curly voluminous hair and a newsie-eque cap that came alive at night, but became immobile if he ever lost his hat... So elaborate, so many details, but none that were relevant.

Aisha was the only person EVER in my life who knew what I was talking about! Trust that your girl has been asking around for years... anywho, she had a few hunches and following her leads, conducting a smatter of Google searches we found

TODAY'S SPECIAL!!!

A children's tv show set in Canada that was aired in from 1982-1987... the main premise was each night when the display designer would arrive in the children's department, she would utter the magical words: Hocus Pocus Allimagocus! And Jeff, the aforementioned mannequin would come alive and hysterical chaos would ensue. Watch the intro!

YAY! Success! Because of AD, I have acheived peace of mind and soul with regards to this moment in my life! It's actually kind of a huge deal.

Beyond that, both of us share a love of Steve Perry and Arnel Pineda (Journey's current lead singer, plucked from coverband prominence into the real deal... a dream come TRUE!) and a stiff critique of Alicia Keys' reliance on corny cliches and high school level emotions to produce hit singles... but that is neither here nor there.

Anyway you want it That's the way you need it Anyway you want it She said That's the way you need it!!




Congrats, Aisha!

Just another Saturday in Fort Greene...
would've loved to spend it with Jamal Jenkins aka Sheldon Turnipseed.... wonder where homie is these days! enjoy:



do YOU recognize Jamal's father???

Behold...

the power of the MAGIC EYE!!!

Do you see what I see?

Epic!

CONGRATULATIONS, AMERICA!!!! WE WIN!

Please take Freddie's declaration that "We are the Champions OF THE WORLD" with a grain of salt. You know what he means! :)