Tom Cruise's BoyToy or INTRUDER?

Was Tom Cruise .... TRICKED or TREATED?  This story smells like ......

Glowing with his newfound arrest fame, the Australian dude who was tased in front of Tom Cruise's mansion surfaced in Hollywood today ... striking a great, big famewhoring pose for the cameras!
Jason Sullivan -- an interior decorator/reality TV star/ pretty person -- was arrested for drunkenly trespassing on to Tom's Bev Hills property Sunday night, probably after his services were no longer needed.  Cruise realizes that he doesn't need anymore attention drawn to his personal life.
Jason has been telling friends ... the whole thing was a boozy mix-up ... because he's been living at the house next door ... and simply got confused .... oh yeah confused aiight, he was trying to 'move on up' to the HIGHLIFE, and Cruise was his immediate meal ticket. 

Faces ...

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder ...

Maxwell, looking good and holding his own..

Red~

Laz Alonzo  ....

                                                                                             

RIP Did You Know ... Gone Too Soon!

Actor Adolph Caesar (December 5, 1933 – March 6, 1986), whose gruff portrayal of a hate-filled Army sergeant in "A Soldier's Story" earned him an Oscar nomination, died  after suffering an apparent heart attack on a film set in downtown Los Angeles. He was 52.  A spokesman at County-USC Medical Center said Caesar was in "full cardiac arrest," when he was brought to the hospital's emergency room by paramedics shortly after 1:30 p.m. He was pronounced dead a few minutes later, said Adelaida de la Cerda, the hospital's public information officer.  The New York actor was stricken on the set of "Tough Guys," a Walt Disney comedy-adventure, on which he had been working for two days.  The film's stars, Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas, released this statement Thursday evening:  "Of course, you're never prepared for such an unexpected event. We both admired Adolph as an actor, and in the short time we worked together, we both liked him as a man--filled with humor as well as talent."  Caesar appeared in Steven Spielberg's film of the Alice Walker novel, "The Color Purple." He played the father of the bullying husband of Celie, the main character, whose life in the rural South is traced from the early 1900s until the 1940s.  Another film in which Caesar has a leading role, a comedy titled "Club Paradise," which also stars Robin Williams and Peter O'Toole, is was released by Warner Bros.

A longtime member of the New York-based Negro Ensemble Company, Caesar had worked in theater for years without winning widespread public recognition, before the film adaptation of Charles Fuller's "A Soldier's Play," in Mark Starkman's (his agent) words, "gave the world a chance to know about him."
"It wasn't a lucky shot at all," Starkman said. "It was a very well-prepared career. The film performance was the culmination of about 300 stage performances."  "A Soldier's Story," released in 1984, is set in Louisiana during the waning days of World War II, when the U.S. Army was still segregated. Caesar, whose voice and manner have been described as both resonant and rough, portrays Sgt. Vernon C. Waters, a black whose pathological desire to become a supersoldier makes him hate the frailties of the black men under his command. In a series of flashbacks, the film recounts the events that led to Waters' murder.

Caesar won a Los Angeles Film Critics Award for his work in the film, as well as the Oscar nomination. For his earlier performance in the play, he was rewarded with the Drama Desk Award, handed out by New York theater critics, and the Obie Award, given for excellence in the off-Broadway theater.
"A painful experience of my own led me to Waters," Caesar said in an interview published in The Times. "I'd studied Shakespeare to death. I knew more about Shakespeare than Shakespeare knew about himself.  After I did one season at a Shakespearean repertory company, a director said to me, 'You have a marvelous voice. You know the king's English well. You speak iambic pentameter. My suggestion is that you go to New York and get a good colored role.'

Caesar was graduated from George Washington High School in New York City in 1952. He served as a hospital corpsman in the U.S. Navy for five years, before breaking into the theater. In addition to his theatrical and film roles, he provided the voice-overs in a number of television commercials and has produced shows for himself, including a poetry program titled "The Square Root of Soul."

At the time of his death Caesar left behind to mourn his loss, his wife, Diane; two daughters, Tiffani, 15(now 41), and Alexandria, 5(now 31), and a 17-month-old son(now 28).

** I created this weekly tribute dedicated to the stars who for one reason or another did not receive the send off through the media that they deserved. Please join me every Tuesday as I continue to celebrate 'LIFE'. People will live on as long as we remember them. Thank you Adolph Ceasar for your contribution to this world and through your artistry, you will live on forever. kk **

Always Be My Baby ...

Dearest Whitney,
I love you more and more everyday, you helped to shape my life, and you have always been my comfort food, whatever the situation in my life, you were there.  You're the constant happy source, and then February 11 happened, and I had to find my smile again, but somehow you helped or you are helping me to cope.  It's been a very tough year for me, personally and professionally, but I'm happy to report that I'm making it through.
This past week Lifetime premiered the reality show on your family called "The Houston"s as I said before I wont be watching that train wreck.  The were also on "The View" where Barbara Walters practically ate Pat Houston alive, when I saw the piece on Youtube, I was loving it, because as much as Walters irks me, she was right on point with Pat's reasoning for doing the show,it's MUCH to soon for Krissi to address her loss of her Mommie, Pat wants to be a star and that sh*t isn't ever going to happen.  One last thing your mother was trying to block Krissi for getting her inheritance, in the timeframe that you stated, but as of yesterday Cissy dropped out of the suit.  Rest easy my sweet beautiful princess, until next week I'll be seeing you. RIP

Affirmation ...

To God Be The Glory, Lord I thank you for letting me live to see another day and a chance to be a better man today than I was yesterday.  Please protect me from hurt harm, fear and danger, I ask that you guide and direct my path, also allow me with favor mercy and grace.  Last week was a very hard week for me in court, but I endured the storm and was victorious in spite of the opposition. I know that I'm a child of God here to do great things, being a vessel of your word, to all that I encounter and to be an Angel to all those who are in need.  God I love you more and more every day, trying to be the person that you know that I can be.  I've come to realize that my relationship with you has to be one that is personal, in that understanding I do know that 'if God be for you', 'who can be against you'.  Please heal me from any addictions and afflictions in my life.  For all those walking with the understanding that we can do all things through Christ.  I send love and light to the world.  Giving thanks, for your hand in my life. Thank you Grandmother Oleava for being my Angel this week when I needed you most.  Amen ~

RIP Natina Reed Of R&B Group Blaque ...

Rest in Peace Natina Reed of R&B Group Blaque.   According to early unconfirmed reports, Natina was killed in the early Saturday, after being struck by a driver while crossing the street in Atlanta, GA. Ironic since the spirited young artist was introduced to the world by TLC rapper Left Eye, before her own tragic death in a car accident. She would have turned 33 on Sunday, October 28. She’s survived by her 10-year-old son Tren, from her relationship with rapper Kurupt. Our condolences to them, as well as all of her friends and family including fellow Blaque members Shomari and Brandy.

Pandemonium/TGIF

Happy Friday everyone ... Let's Talk about It!!

In our effort to temporarily pacify our unstable emotions, we place the wrong people at the helm of our hearts, people who are unfit to be there ultimately resulting in chaos and pandemonium. Uproar is an unsettled event, perhaps a certain discomfort, maybe even an unevenness. Learn to pay attention to self, your gifts, do not doubt them, your time is now, lets not second guess, it will only slow you down, and who has time for that.  With the tools that the creator has given you, added to the tools that you've acquired for yourself, let your blueprint begin. When Ordinary gets complacent, get up and start moving, prepare and align because, the newness of day is yours.

If you are in a strange or uncomfortable place, listen quietly and absorb, it could be a place of transformation. Seeing is reality and can be much better than assumption, and sometimes what you're seeing will shock you so much, that you really can't believe it, but you must because your focus in that precise moment, will forever change you. In disappointment and let down, if you can do it without bitterness, you have mastered the lesson. What you deem as security might just be a mirage. To Thy Own self, your walk is Godly, he put you here for a purpose.  In life we transform, and transformation, is fine tuning and rebuilding, to make anew, this time wiser, stronger, purposeful, engaging and invigorating.

What Are You Doing With Your Life?

Command Performance

I've had a draining, trying week, when I look and listen to Whitney's triumphant performance of "I Didn't Know My Own Strength(its my testimony), I can attest to what inner strength is about, it's about  endurance, believe and your ability to weather any storm, because when you believe in God your battles are not battled alone.  This life performance was on the Oprah Winfrey on when Houston was on her promotional tour to promote her "I Look To You" cd she looked beautiful and the sound that came out of her mouth was pure radiance.  She was the real deal, in a class all of her own.  Enjoy~

Faces ...

Beauty is in the Eye of the beholder ....

Brandy on the cover of her new Two Eleven CD ... looking GOOD!!

Andre' Merrick .... his entire body is full of composition, so ladies and some of you men enjoy ............

Alex James Simpson - Stepmother

A. James Simpson's wicked stepmother Cecelia SCHEMER Bartie and his step great uncle Weldon.

I AM the Soul Heir of Grandmothers Estate ...

Today was a very draining day to say the least, I was LITERALLY in court for over ten hours, fighting for my name fighting for my reason for existence, and the opposing team were trying their damnest to assassinate my name and my character. I'm the only child of Preston Callins Jr, who committed suicide when he was 22 years old, I was 2 years old. My grandmother's husband stated that my Father was a wanderer and mentally ill. My father was an only child too. My grandmother Oleava Knotts Callins Knighton passed away April 5th-2011. Her scheming niece Cecelia Marie Mitchell-Bartie and her corrupt embezzling husband Anthony Bartie, who created a Will on behave of my Grandmother Oleava Knighton and her husband Weldon Knighton, Bartie had three of his friends/associates pretend to witness my grandmother signing the Will, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's/Dementia in 2002, the Will in question was signed July 31-2008. Also the notary was a close friend of Anthony Bartie. They worked together at Calcasieu Marine Bank before he was terminated for embezzlement. My grandmother's husband said that I was an impostor and that Oleava Knighton (my grandmother) never acknowledged me as her son's child (preposterous), even though I have letters, pictures, video footage of various times over a 40 plus year relationship with my 'Grandparents'. Weldon Knighton boldly lied under oath today, he said that my grandmother didn't have any grandchildren, and that he saw me on rare occasion,  stating that I've never been to any of their homes. Cecelia Bartie basically lied on the witness stand too, she said that she saw me twice in her life, and that she was certain that my grandmother didn't want me to inherit anything from her Estate, and that she doesn't know where I came from. After hours of deliberation and cross examination, the Judge ruled in my favor that I AM SOLE HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF OLEAVA KNIGHTON.

The moral of this story is about Elderly,mental, verbal and financial abuse is on the rise so I wanted to shine light on what money can do to families, and how it can change people when a loved one passes on, people will say and do anything for a buck, even your family members, people that you always felt would be on your side through thick and thin. My Grandmother would be devastated to have witnessed the things that I endured today. She would be disappointed with her husband and myself that we couldn't settle our differences out of court, but more so disappointed with him, for not protecting 'her' baby(me). So a relationship with a man who I knew to be my Grandfather is dissolved behind money, where is the integrity and character? I guess you live and learn, but in the learning of painful truths it still doesn't stop your heart from breaking, today I no longer will acknowledge Weldon Knighton as anything other than the man who was married to my Grandmother for 64 years, who changed my father and my diapers, at the end of the day, in his mind it was just 'shit'. To hell with his opinions. I can move forward now for my Father, Mother and Grandmother, this chapter is now closed. #WINNING!

The picture of the person below is for you to be very cautious of, she's a schemer, a liar, gold digging opportunist AND unemployed, who will lie at any cost ... Cecelia Marie Mitchell-Bartie

RIP Did You Know ... Gone Too Soon!

Gary DeVore (1941–1997) was a Hollywood Screenwriter. After confirming that he was driving home to his wife, DeVore disappeared in June 1997. A year later his car, with his body inside, was discovered submerged in a California Aqueduct. The noted screenwriter suddenly disappeared, which generated considerable media coverage. DeVore remained been missing for a year until his "body" was discovered in the California Aqueduct. He disappeared on June 28th 1997 and his remains were recovered on July 28th 1998. Except for a Court TV special, there has been very little written or broadcast about Gary DeVore since his body was recovered. Until the body was found there was public speculation that he'd been murdered, abducted or even staged his disappearance. There were accusations that the CIA or other government agencies were very nervous about the content of DeVore's latest script.
His script set to go to film was very critical of US foreign policy. I think it was about the 1989 US invasion of Panama and the overthrow of its dictator, Manuel Noriega and Devore's script depicts a country ravaged by the US military where the US Army intelli­gence organizes the theft of Noriega's drug money. It was also his direct­orial debut. CIA officer Chase Brandon, Tommy Lee Jone's first cousin, who helped Devore with the project, was found on Devore's computer after his death. The computer was erased clean. Supposedly Brandon was the public face representing the CIA in Hollywood. According to Gary's publicist Michael Sands, Brandon is "the real Jack Bauer".

A $100,000 reward, offered by DeVore's wife, attracted a horde of tips and theories. These involved everyone from psychics to a Tibetan monk. "Gary is alive-held against his will-men in suits, government action. Quonset hut near regular bldg. Not on Edwards but where they would isolate special things. ie.-Rockets or missiles and high level secrets...So. America is somehow involved. Injections blur the mind..." Gary DeVore,  was a colorful character but apparently he had his share of internal demons including a hot temper, drugs, alcohol, and womanizing. He was married four times including to Nat King Cole's widow Maria Cole. He has been described as a "man's man" who liked guns, sports and horses.  According to his widow, Wendy Oates-DeVore, he had been in a writing slump but was reborn with the rewrite of the 1947 RKO The Big Steal film. This was the script he was working on at Marsha Mason's home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He left Santa Fe on June 27th 1997 for the 16 hour drive to his residence in Santa Barbara. He never made it home.

DeVore's film credits included:
Passenger 57 1992
Traxx 1987
Running Scared 1986
Raw Deal 1986
Solo 1983
Heart of Steel 1983
Back Roads 1981
Dogs of War 1981

** I created this weekly tribute dedicated to the stars who for one reason or another did not receive the send off through the media that they deserved. Please join me every Tuesday as I continue to celebrate 'LIFE'. People will live on as long as we remember them. Thank you Gary DeVore for your contribution to this world and through your artistry, you will live on forever. kk **

Always Be My Baby ...

Dearest Whitney,
It's been a slow week, but productive.  I saw the Lifetime Special featuring your family, I was impressed because the special actually showed some footage on you, that I had never seen, so that portion really warmed my heart, and I must admit seeing your family, I actually found myself rooting for them, I'm pretty certain that I wont be watching the reality series, but what I saw of them, felt geniune eventhough it was clearly their moment to paint the picture of the story that they wanted to tell, which was clearly about them.  Nick Gordon seemed geniune and not a buster, he was believeable.  You greatest hits will be out in a few weeks, and it seems that promotions for all things Whitney is about to kick into high gear.  Arista/RCA has updated your website, things that they rarely did while you were here, but enough of my opinions.  Let's deal with facts ... I love you and miss your dearly.  Ill always carry a piece of you with me in my heart forever.  Until next week, my sweet beautiful princess rest easy.  RIP

Affirmation

I'm am grateful to God to live to see another day, and to be in the land of the living.  To live in gratitude everyday, is the simplest way to honor the father.  Today I give thanks for all the blessings in my life, and the the lessons in my life, for all have brought me to this point, and all have made me a better person.  Having faith is when you believe that everything has a plan and purpose, and it's all a part of the master plan.  How we treat one another reveals our character.  As I embark on my day to day journey, I begin it with giving thanks, and asking God to protect me from hurt, harm, fear and danger, I ask that he guide and direct my path, and to allow me favor, mercy and grace.  Once I have that shield around me, I know that I can conquer anything that the day brings.   Being a vessel of God's word is part of the way I honor him.  I ask that I may be an Angel to all those who are in need of me.  Please heal me of any addictions and afflictions in my life.  Show my purpose and constantly lead me in that righteous path, so I may get to my destination, as you see fit.  Love and Light to all those who believe.  I'm eternally thankful to you God. Amen

Propensity/TGIF

Happy Friday everyone ... Let's Talk about It!

I started on this writing journey some time ago in my life, and it's taught me some valuable lessons that I've learned along the way. Detox is painful but very necessary to purge and cleanse dead weight for renewal. As you keep pushing deeper for knowledge within a word like OPTION teaches you that some battles are not worthy of your strength or attention, learn this quickly! Repetition is in the understanding that when days are bad, to realize that it's temporal, when the days are good, find a way from within to make them great.

TRUTH is the righteous way to honor yourself and it's relational activity relating it to your life. Don't be the person who guessed the end of the story because you're too lazy to read the book, apply dynamic to your landmark, you owe that to yourself.  Everyone around will find you to be the beneficial missing link. Stop being afraid to allow someone to see into your soul, that's where the goodness truly lies, just like observing mud on sidewalks from a rainy day,  turn that mud into a sculpture masterpiece with the carvings from your wisdom.

What Are You Doing With Your Life?

Command Performance

Erykah Badu is one of the new breed, that is now a veteran, thankfully she studied her craft from the greats.  Some would say that soul music is a dying breed, but I tend to disagree, soul is makes way for all the rest of the music formats.  I love Badu's performance her of "Bag Lady" because her vocals are on point, and she always brings the drama with her style and delivery.  Live performance is to enlighten and entertain, she does both.  Enjoy~

Faces ...

Beauty is the eye of the beholder ....

Thandie Newton  beauty, brains and acclaimed ....

Morena Baccarrin ... from Juilliard to the screen ...

Carly Pope ....Canadian born, famed in Americana Film &Television ...

Romney for President or to play Pinocchio....

Something on Mitt Romney is growing, to bad it's not his popularity with the American public.  Romney tried to bully his way into a Presidential Debate win tonight, but it backfired.

RIP Did You Know ... Gone Too Soon!

Syreeta Wright, 3rd August 1946, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 6th July 2004, Los Angeles, California.
(I loved this lady sooo much, her voice was that of an angel, she never got the chance to pair with the right people, with the exception of Stevie Wonder, most of the heavyweights that she didn't work with just didn't understand her great gift, and of course the powers that be over at Motown, wasn't willing to nuture her great gift into greatness.  "So It Begins", "Blame It On The Sun", "If You Really Love Me", "You Belong To Me" and "Let Me Be The One" are my favorites from this great lady who passed waaaay to soon)
Syreeta Wright originally joined the Motown stable as a receptionist, however was later to become a performer after being discovered by Brian Holland. Syreeta recorded under the name of Rita Wright, however, her birth name was Syreeta.  She began recording background vocals during the Sixties, releasing a single of her own in 1967.  That song was produced by Ashford and Simpson and was called 'I Can't Give Back The Love I Feel For You', a tune originally being intended for Diana Ross.  The following year, and following the suggestion by Stevie Wonder, she became a songwriter.  One of the early successes between the two was the song 'It's A Shame' for the, then, Motown Spinners. By 1970, the collaboration with Stevie saw the release of the song 'Signed, Sealed Delivered, I'm Yours', a song she co-wrote with Wonder, Lee Garrett and Lula Hardaway.

That same year, she collaborated with Stevie on his album 'Where I'm Coming From', co-writing the songs 'Do Yourself A Favor', 'Something Out Of The Blue', 'If You Really Love Me' (a song on which she sang) and 'Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer'.  Stevie and Syreeta married on the 14th September 1970, and although they were divorced just 18 months later, they continued to work together for several years. and it was alledged that Wonder was abusive in their relationship, the two remained very close and Wonder always allowed her to do her recording at his studios for free, clearly a lasting love.
In 1972, Syreeta released her debut album, simply entitled 'Syreeta' for the MoWest imprint.
The album was produced by Stevie and contained her version of the Stevie song 'I Love Every Little Thing About You', along with her interpretation of the Smokey Robinson tune 'What Love Has Joined Together', and the socially aware 'Black Maybe'. In 1974, the couple collaborated again on the album 'Stevie Wonder Presents Syreeta'  This set brought her chart success with the singles 'Your Kiss Is Sweet' and 'Spinning and Spinning'.

On background vocal chores, the line-up included Deniece Williams and the late Minnie Riperton.
Their last collaboration came with the song 'Harmour Love', which became another crossover hit and was later included on her 1977 album 'One To One', a set that contained the excellent Leon Ware and C. Robertson Jr song 'Tiki Tiki Donga'.  Syreeta recorded one album with G.C. Cameron, entitled 'Rich Love, Poor Love', in 1977, before collaborating with Billy Preston, an association that saw the pair producing the film 'Fast Break'. The couples major success came with the U.S. and U.K. Top 10 hit, 'With You I'm Born Again', in 1979.  In 1980, Syreeta recorded the song 'And So It Begins', a tune that has become a 'rare groove' over the years.  Syreeta and Billy completed a further album project in 1981 and a single release entitled 'Go For It'.  In 1981, Syreeta released the album 'Set My Love In Motion', an album produced by Ollie E Brown.  By 1983, she had a further release with the album 'The Spell', this time under the production wing of Jermaine Jackson, an album including the song 'Forever Is Not Enough'.

She then became a guest vocalist with the late Willie Hutch on the song 'The Glow', a tune featured in the movie 'The Last Dragon'.  After this release, family affairs took over and she stopped recording for a while.  She returned to the studio n the late 80's, recording several tracks for lan Levine's Motor City label, including a solo rendition of 'With You I'm Born Again' and new duets with Billy Preston.
Syreeta was off the scene for most of the 1990's, although she contributed the lyrics and sang the song 'Someday' for Nelson Rangells 'In Every Moment' project in 1992 for the GRP imprint.
Syreeta wrote, or recorded with Sheree Brown, George Howard, Gary Bartz, Patrice Rushen, Wayne Henderson, Jeffrey Osborne, The Stairsteps, George Duke, Quincy Jones and Donald Byrd, amongst others, at various times.
Sadly in 2004, and after a 2 year struggle with congestive heart failure (which was a complication from chemo or radiology treatments she was receiving for breast cancer), Syreeta passed away.
She was 58. RIP

** I created this weekly tribute dedicated to the stars who for one reason or another did not receive the send off through the media that they deserved. Please join me every Tuesday as I continue to celebrate 'LIFE'. People will live on as long as we remember them. Thank you Syreeta for your contribution to this world and through your artistry, you will live on forever. kk **

Always Be My Baby ...

Dearest Whitney,
It's another week without you, time is steadily passing by.  I watched several segments on youtube with Kim Burrell speaking of your friendship, through all the interviews she was consistent and steadfast in her love for you and through every interview the grief pain in losing you was apparent. 
Okay let's talk about last week, Bobbi Kristina announced that she is now engaged to Nick Gordon YES your 'play son' I know that if you were here, you would have a LOT to say about that situation, actually I know that if you were here, this would not have happened.  The Grammy salute tribute to you was filmed last week, your friends Cece Winans and Halle Berry were there, along with Yolanda Adams, Jennifer Hudson, Britney Spears, Usher oh and a video segment of Celine Dion singing "Greatest Love Of All" which I find to be a waste of time, why the eff wasn't she there?  It's like the Grammy tribute tried to reduce you to just being a R&B artist(judging from the lineup), which would be okay if that's what you were, but you're a EFFIN global superstar, and for a large part of your career, most didn't think you were black/soul enough, isn't that ironic.  Still the idea of the tribute was nice, and the nicest touch of the evening was the producer's having the good taste to let you handle the duties of singing "I Will Always Love You" which is how it should ALWAYS be done. Well that's a wrap of the week in my life without you.  Until next week, rest easy sweet beautiful princess.  You are loved and deeply missed. RIP

Affirmation ...

Because of God I can do all things.  I'm grateful to be amongst the land of the living, and to live to see another day.  The blessings in my life are abundant, and I don't take any of them for granted.  To God be The Glory, because if God be for you, then who can be against .  I'm a vessel of God's word, and I gladly share the knowledge and wisdom to anyone whom I meet, and who are open to believe and want a better life.  No one gets there alone.  Father please heal me of any addictions and afflictions in my life.  The world that we live in can be a crazy place, I plain to always be an active participate in the journey of enlightenment.  I am no without fault, it's my goal to be a better person today than I was yesterday.  For all the blessings, and loving people in my life I ask for love and light, and encouragement to any lost sheep, and I'm always hopeful that they will find their way home.  As I go forward God I ask that you continue to protect me from hurt, harm fear and danger, and that you will continue to guide and direct my path.  Amen

Lofty/TGIF

Happy Friday everyone ... Let's Talk about It!!

We search for that higher place in our lives trying to get the most out of this journey as possible, in discovery you will realize that sometimes the best moments are in the small nuances. Nothing is forever, basking in the now is a wonderful way to luxuriate. Procrastination tends to be our best friend, the ability to put off things until tomorrow.  The assumption that we'll see tomorrow is very presumptuous, yet the entitlement isn't such a strange phenomena. Most make promises to themselves that they will never keep, why is it okay to let yourself down, and have issues when others do the same. You can elevate your life by thoroughly seeking out the goodness that you deserve.

Elevation is about a consciousness visualization that can manifest whatever reality you deem worthful of life's higher plane. The approach to life, it about mind over matter. Happiness is a feeling that you can fixate your mind on, because you create the proper forum that honors our creator, and self, by being authentic. The clock ticks, just like the pulse of a heartbeat, both are capsules in time your duty is to take advantage of what's allotted to you. Lofty is elation for gratitude of moments like this, standing tall, and present in appreciation.

What Are You Doing With Your Life?

Command Performance

Adele took the world by storm a few years ago, and it shocked the world, because she went against everything that Pop radio stood for.  She's a thick singer, and kind of folk with a voice that had much to say and sing about.  "Daydreamer" is a great song, as it tends to speak of a yearning love that seems unattainable.  Still the hope for all the good things that life promised could be yours.  I love the tenderness of this performance because her delivery is conveyed from the heart with a lot of schmaltz.

Faces ...

beauty is in the eye of the beholder .... Tika Sumpter catches my eye

and yeah I'll admit it, she's my new crush

Dirty Bastard Jerry Sandusky .... SENTENCED!

Convicted child rapist Jerry Sandusky has just been sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison ... which means he'll most likely die behind bars. The 68-year-old former Penn State assistant football coach was facing up to 400 years behind bars ... after he was convicted on 45 counts of sexual assault involving 10 to 15 boys.

Sandusky will serve NO LESS than 30 years, because under Pennsylvania law, he can't be released on parole before the minimum term is up. He will get credit for 112 days served.
Sporting a fresh pair of shackles, Sandusky wore a red prison jumpsuit to court and appeared thinner than usual. He was also wearing a bulletproof vest.
Jerry's wife Dottie was in attendance when the judge issued the sentence. Six of Sandusky's victims were also present.
Jerry also addressed the court -- and once again proclaimed his innocence.
The mother of one of the victims read a statement in court ... and said her son contemplated suicide after Sandusky's attack.
Sandusky smiled on his way into court.
Sandusky swears he's innocent -- the REAL victim in a vast conspiracy -- and vows to appeal the sentence.

RIP Did You Know ... Gone Too Soon!

Merlin Santana was born in New York to parents from the Dominican Republic. His career in show business began with a push from his mother, who recognized her son’s talent and wanted to keep him off the tough streets of New York. Her instinct was right, and Santana has been working steadily ever since. He began his career at the age of 3 as an advertising model for a fast food chain. His first screen appearance was as an extra in the Woody Allen film "The Purple Rose of Cairo". He later landed the recurring role of Stanley, the faithful admirer of young Rudy Huxtable, on the hit comedy series "The Cosby Show". Santana was then cast as a sharp-tongued 15-year-old in the comedy series "Getting By", starring Cindy Williams and Telma Hopkins. His other television credits include the dramatic PBS special "Harambee" and guest appearances on series such as "NYPD Blue", "Law & Order", "Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper", "Moesha", "Sister, Sister" and "Major Dad". He additionally appeared on the popular daytime dramas "All My Children" and "As the World Turns". In the critically acclaimed family drama series "Under One Roof", Santana starred opposite James Earl Jones, who played the surrogate father of Santana’s character. . He has recorded three rap albums that have not been released. . Appeared in the 1999 Alaye calendar. . Nominated for two NAACP Image Awards as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (2001 & 2002) for his work on The Steve Harvey Show. . Nominated for two ALMA Awards as Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series (1998 & 1999) for his work on The Steve Harvey Show.

He chose to keep his last name of Santana to represent his AfoLatino heritage. In one episode of The Steve Harvey show marked the first time when Afro-Latinos communicated in Spanish on a commercial network. The episode was about Romeo being taken out of school by his father.
On November 9, 2002 at 2:30 AM. Merlin was sitting in a park car and a person appraoched the car and shot him (6 times according to one source). He was DOA before help could come to his aid. The public did not find out until Monday morning. A woman was arrested early on Monday for possible connections to the murder. She was later charged and the police are currently looking for two men. He was buried 11-18-2002 and leaves behind a 7 year old daughter. AllHIPHOP.com features a story that may have lead to his death. It is believed the young girl set him up to be robbed, but the end result was Merlin's death.

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March 16, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Joe Scott, Director of Communications
Sandi Gibbons, Public Information Officer
Jane Robison, News Secretary
(213) 974-3525
LOS ANGELES – A teenage girl was convicted of murder and attempted murder today in the fatal shooting a year and a half ago of actor Merlin Santana, the District Attorney’s office announced today.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Larry P. Fidler, who conducted the court trial of 17-year-old Monique King, returned the verdicts after an in-depth recitation of his reasoning in reaching the decisions that he did in the case.
King’s trial started out before a jury more than two weeks ago, but early in the trial, a decision was made to have the judge hear the evidence and the jury was excused. As part of that decision, Fidler said, it was agreed that the defendant be sentenced as a juvenile. She was 15 at the time of the murder and originally charged as a juvenile. The juvenile court determined she was unfit to be tried there and the case was transferred to adult court.
Fidler convicted King of one count of second-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. He also found true the allegation that a principal was armed during commission of the crime. He acquitted the defendant of two counts added after the trial began – accessory after the fact and conspiracy to shoot into an occupied building.
King’s sentencing was scheduled for April 20. Deputy District Attorney Greg Dohi, who successfully prosecuted all three defendants, said King could be sentenced to the California Youth Authority, where she could be held until she is 25.
Fidler noted that evidence at King’s trial showed the young woman went to co-defendants Damien Andre Gates, 21, and Brandon Douglas Bynes, 25, and lied to them, saying Santana attempted to rape her. Testimony indicated that the defendant’s story "threw Mr. Gates into a fury for whatever reason," the judge said. Gates armed himself with a handgun and rifle, and with Bynes and King, went to find Santana and the victim’s friend.
The judge determined that King aided and abetted the crimes, noting that she knew there was going to be a shooting and she got behind the wheel and drove the other defendants to safety after Santana was killed.
"…Even a 15-year-old knows that if you take a gun and shoot at somebody…somebody is going to get hit, somebody is going to die," Fidler said.
Gates was convicted of first-degree murder and attempted murder by a jury. Fidler sentenced him last month to three consecutive life sentences, plus 70 years. Bynes pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and assault with a deadly weapon. He testified against his co-defendants and March 11, was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Kathleen Kennedy-Powell to an agreed-upon 23-year term.

** I created this weekly tribute dedicated to the stars who for one reason or another did not receive the send off through the media that they deserved. Please join me every Tuesday as I continue to celebrate 'LIFE'. People will live on as long as we remember them. Thank you Merlin Santana for your contribution to this world and through your artistry, you will live on forever. kk **

Always Be My Baby ...

Dearest Whitney,
When I think of you I smile, and I can still remember your radiance, and the smile that beamed from your tiny little frame.  That magnificent voice coming from that tiny frame, clearly speaks of God's light.  I watched "Behind The Music" last night and Nicole Scherzinger (lead singer of Pussycat Dolls) said all of her singing life she wantedd to be Whitney Houston, it feels so good to know so many singers hold you as the bar to attain, unfortunately seldom ever got close. 
Though you gave us 28 years of your brilliance, I still wanted more, but I do understand the fact that you were tired, and having everyone pull you in every which way but loose, I get why your goodbye was ultimate. 
Your mother and Pat (Killer) Houston this past week filed a court injunction trying to prevent Bobbi Kristina from getting your millions too soon, they fear that she has negative influences around her, who are taking advantages of her, and I can think immediately of two names  that come to mind, but I wont go there.  Recently the Lifetime channel has been showing the promo's for "The Houston's" life without .....  I can't watch, it feels so unfair and it seems like another way for your family to pimp you, and there's no justice in that.  I miss you, and that will never change ... so until next week.  Rest easy my sweet talented princess. RIP

Affirmation ...

Thank you Heavenly Father for allowing me the opportunity to greet a new day of your design, and the chance for me to be a better person than I was yesterday.  To God be the glory, if God be for you who can be against. Please allow me to see all my dreams into fruition as you see fit for my life. I could not do anything without you, I want to be a vessel of your word and please allow me to be an Angel to all that are in need.  Heal me from any addictions and afflictions in my life.  I wish Love and Light to all that believe in your word and guidance.  For all the blessings in my life I give thanks today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen

Thank You - Lauryn Hill

The music industry is a blood sucking billion dollar machine that churns out blockbusters music every year.  Most singers who are artists come into the industry with rose colored glasses on, most times the initial contract is such a ripoff, but you're so happy to be doing what you love doing, so caught up on the 'show' of it all, that you forget the 'business' part which is the ONLY true part to focus on.  It's important to know what you're signing, to know where you money is going, and above all to know what your truth is.  The image that is put out to the masses, is a high powered machine telling a story that will sell, but in the end make sure it's not your soul that you lose.
 
Lauryn Hill is an artist often misunderstood, she came into this industry with hopes for success, fame and fortune,  and she got just that, but in the end did the industry give her the treatment that she really deserved. The public and mass media can be such a fickle lot, to deal with .  We want to ride the successes of celebrity life, but when that image turns out not to be what 'we' want it to be, the aftermath can be a vicious place to be.  To live under constant scrutiny can't be an easy place to be, so it's like you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.  At the end of the day, the singer/artist really just came to sing, perform and entertain.  Their personal life should be their own. no one wants to live under a microscope, and if the shoe were on the other foot, I think we could all recognize that it gets to be a little much.

I thank Lauryn Hill, for giving of herself, her debut CD "The Misseducation of Lauryn Hill" is a classic masterpiece that NO one can take from her.  To this day I have never taken it from my music rotation, some fifteen years later, it's still just as relevant as the day it was released and will go down as a CD that helped changed the music game.  Unfortunately the media started to pay more attention to Hill's personal life than the music.  It's a very sick industry and I personally would like to see it get well soon.  The pimps, drug dealers, hit men and corruption are the music executives who never cared about nothing but the money, so what if someone dies (Elvis, Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin,Ray Charles Michael Jackson, Phyllis Hyman, Eazy E,Amy Winehouse. Etta James, Jimi Hendrix, and Whitney Houston, just to name a few), hey lets release a greatest hits package, making MORE money.  I say support the artists while they are here, enjoy the art of storytelling, and one of the best poets ever is Ms. Lauryn Hill ... and I can never thank her enough for delivering such fine product into the market place whether it's her as a Fugee, an actress, a Poet, a Producer, whatever the hat that she's wearing, she's in complete control, and maybe her guilty pleasure is just wanting to be accepted for being beautifully human with vulnerabilities that makes the canvas just a little flawed but so much more interesting than perfection, as it shows that beauty is really in the imperfection.

Influence/TGIF

Happy Friday everyone ... Let's Talk about It!

We live out marathons day after day in our lives and most of the challenges are always representative of struggle trying to get to the thrive. Obstacles and consequences will have you hanging in the balance, the ability to co-exist through the realization of life. Lessons are never ending, long after classes are over and degrees are obtained, life is the master class and triumph is the reward of getting to the finish line. Fright helps you get to the wisdom because it channels that organic meeting of opportunity, adjustment and solution for your deliverance.

Adoration and influence is the idol, the role model that puts in the work for a successful life, one who stands for integrity, strength and stability, whose attributes constantly represents progressive movement. Like a Ferris wheel your life goes round and round, some highs, some lows, the dips and the occasion breeze can be a wonderful perk, unlike the ride at the amusement park, the key factor is to not end where you started. Make sure that you influence those around you, be engaging, well intended, sincere and deliberate. Remember people watch people, so a life design is about the miles that we have traveled, and worn tread tells of the impressions we've left along the way.

What Are Your Doing With Your Life?

Thinking of You - Robin Roberts ...

Sending prayers up for GMA's Robin Roberts who is recovering from a bone marrow transplant.  She tweeted a couple days ago "Now We Wait and Pray". 
Robin America is rooting for you, you're always fighting the good fight .....

Command Performance

Thinking of my Mom/Pops and my childhood upbringing, I would love to see my parents dance, and I loved hearing my mother sing, and btw she had a voice of an angel, very Aretha Franklin like, and resembled her a little too, that was in the days when Ree Ree was on her game about keeping that weight in check, anyways moving on.  I choose this performance by Al Green because he was the man and he ruled everything in the R&B world at that time, such funky no excuses soul, and in my mother's eyes could do no wrong.  I loved the way he wrapped his vocals around these two songs and how he had his captive audience mesmerized.  He delivery was effortlessly, timeless and a staple of what true raw talent and confidence can produce.  Enjoy "We've Only Just Begin" and "Lets Stay Together" from this dynamic 70's superstar!

Faces ...

Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder ........

Ladies this your hump day so enjoy ...

Ive heard your requests, and yes I pay attention ...

Happy Now .... good now get back to work:)

                                                           

RIP Did You Know ... Gone Too Soon!

Actor and Author Spalding Gray (June 5 1941 - January 11 2004), the silver-haired monologuist who laid bare his soul in a soft, New England-flecked accent, the humor he aimed at himself sprang from deep within.  “People want to have me to dinner,” he told various Media outlets. “I’m not Mr. Quick. I’m not a great social satirist. I need time to absorb life. I spend a lot of time mulling, cogitating.”
That cogitation took a more painful direction in recent years as Gray battled depression and physical pain. His body was found in the East River, two months after he apparently committed suicide. He was 62. Witnesses had told police they saw Gray on the Staten Island ferry the night he vanished, and his wife, Kathleen Russo, has said she feared he jumped off the boat. Dental records were used to identify the body.

Gray’s greatest success was his Obie-winning monologue “Swimming to Cambodia,” which recounted in part his movie role in “The Killing Fields.” The monologue, developed over two years of performance, became a film directed by Jonathan Demme.  The monologue was widely hailed, with Washington Post reviewer David Richards observing, “Talking about himself — with candor, humor, imagination and the unfailingly bizarre image — he ends up talking about all of us.” Gray appeared in the David Byrne film “True Stories” as well as other movies that included “Beaches,” “Kate & Leopold” and “The Paper” — 38 film appearances in all.  But Gray’s life in recent years was marred by tragedy and depression.
A horrific head-on car crash during a 2001 vacation in Ireland to mark his 60th birthday left him disheartened and in poor health, and he tried jumping from a bridge near his Long Island home in October 2002.  Gray, whose mother committed suicide when she was 52, spoke openly about considering the same fate. In the 1997 interview, he even provided an epitaph for his tombstone: “An American Original: Troubled, Inner-Directed and Cannot Type.”

Gray was born on June 5, 1941, one of three sons growing up in Barrington, R.I. His mother suffered a pair of nervous breakdowns, committing suicide in 1967 after the second one.
In the monologue “It’s a Slippery Slope,” Gray told his audience he had to overcome a deep depression associated with his turning 52 — his mother’s age when she took her own life.  Gray began pursuing an acting career at Emerson College in Boston. His first efforts at one-man storytelling began with a select audience: his co-workers when he was a dishwasher. The compulsively self-obsessed Gray would regale the other employees with a blow-by-blow account of his day’s events.
He worked in underground theater in Manhattan, eventually co-founding the Wooster Group in 1979. There, he wrote an autobiographical trilogy of plays about life in Rhode Island.

In more than a dozen monologues starting in 1979, Gray told audiences about his childhood, “Sex and Death to the Age 14”; his adventures as a young man, “Booze, Cars and College Girls”; and his struggles as an actor, “A Personal History of the American Theater.” Many were published in book form and several were made into films.  In 1989, he starred as the stage manager in the Broadway revival of “Our Town,” a production that won a Tony Award.   “Spalding had an affinity with that material and its enormous sadness and wistfulness about lost opportunities and the mysteries of the universe,” said Gregory Mosher, who directed the “Our Town” revival. “That probably was Spalding’s main subject, wasn’t it? Writing and thinking about the mysteries of life and death.”
Russo reported him missing Jan. 11, a day after he vanished from the couple’s apartment. He had just seen the movie “Big Fish” with Russo and one of their children.

In addition to Russo, Gray is survived by two sons, then ages 11 and 6, a stepdaughter and two brothers. Russo said a memorial service would be held in a few months.

** I created this weekly tribute dedicated to the stars who for one reason or another did not receive the send off through the media that they deserved. Please join me every Tuesday as I continue to celebrate 'LIFE'. People will live on as long as we remember them. Thank you Spalding Gray for your contribution to this world and through your artistry, you will live on forever. kk **

Always Be My Baby ...

Dearest Whitney,
What a week it has been. First everything regarding your absence had been relatively quiet on the music front from Arista/RCA ... but things this past week has started to get VERY interested.  You have always made your money and your record label never had any complaints because just like your family for your label, you have always been their cash cow.  Your buddy R.Kelly turned "I Look To You" into a duet with you, and he used your vocals from another take, which were pure perfection, it's going to be on your new 'Arista' records package entitled "I Will Always Love You" Whitney Houston's Greatest Hit's package with some of your blockbuster songs plus a new song called "Never Give Up", that CD comes out November 13th.  The Grammy Awards has scheduled a Memorial to you, featuring Celine Dion, Usher and Jennifer Hudson plus many more guests, which will air November 16th.  The HSN channel will air a special on you November 5th. Then of course we have the Rickey Minor  produced Divas LIVE tribute to your airing in December with ALL the big guns Beyonce', Pink, Mariah, Adele, Monica, Celine,Patti, Kelly Clarkson, Brandy, Gaga and Christina Aguilera, so I'm excited and more than anything sad, because none of this will have you sitting in first row getting the accolades that you so richly deserve, but I am happy that the world hasn't forgotten you, and however these companies choose to make money off of your legacy, the bottom line is that they fully know damn well, what you came here to do on this earth, and your did a fantastic damn job .... and GOD said Well Done!!!  Until next week my princess, have a restful sleep, I know that you're in good company. RIP