I'm engaged! Now what?

It's funny because my now fiance and I had been "planning" a wedding for about six months now. Planning like throwing around ideas, subtly window shopping at venues, colors, decorations, and favors. We signed up to theKnot.com several months ago just so again to get some ideas. So then he proposed on March 20. I just recently got my ring back from it getting sized. So noww........what am I going to do? What any other unconventional bride would do? I have researching and researching and researching and any good idea, I will post either with a blog and/or a video. I don't think I will on this blog. I want to keep my writing first and then have a wedding blog. I will post the address once I start it! But Yayyyyy.....I'm engaged!

Positive roles for the Oscars

I didn't watch the Oscars last night but I hoped that Monique would win. I had to ask myself why though. I did see Precious and thought it was okay. Not necessarily great but both Gabby and Monique gave great performances. Did I see Oscars? Again, not necessarily but at the same time, they did really good. So I was hoping for Monique to win. She did win. I am very happy for her. Then on Twitter and FB, I see others comment about the type of roles that African American actors and actresses are winning Oscars for. Halle won for Monster's Ball, Denzel won for Training Day, Jennifer Hudson won for Dream Girls, Forrest Whitaker for The Last King of Scotland , Jamie Foxx for Ray which I thought that last two were well deserved and loved both movies, Cuba Gooding Jr. for Jerry Maguire and now Monique for Precious. A lot of people are saying why are we for the most part winning for a role that is negative. All in all, African Americans aren't not portrayed in beauty that we are. We're crooked cops, abusive mothers, we have big egos, and adulterers. This may represent some of us but not all of us. All of the actors (excluding Jennifer since it was her first role) have made wonderful films that they should have recognized at that level. To take it a step further, people have been nominated or not and didn't get recognized at all. That definitely makes me upset but that might be getting off the subject. Monique won because her acting was believable. She wasn't just the funny girl anymore. She definitely wasn't trying to make us laugh. We hated her and when have we ever hated Monique? She deserved the award for that indeed. When Halle and Denzel won their awards, I was with everyone else when saying "Why win for those roles? They weren't positive at all." I still kind of feel that but at the same time. Although I didn't care for Monster's Ball or Training Day, the same comment has to apply to them as well. Halle is considered one of the most beautiful women in the world. In Monster's Ball, there was not one thing beautiful about her. She was abusive, obnoxious, and again somebody we didn't like. I didn't like the movie but it was a role we're not used to. Same thing with Denzel. I feel the same way about Denzel that I did back then. He has done some wonderful work and to not get an award for them is disgusting to me. But....I say all of that to say this. As black people, we should celebrate them and not criticize. The Academy isn't paying attention. WE need to pay attention and praise our people for their work. If we keep knocking them down and the Academy is knocking them, how are we any better than them? Congrats to Monique! Congrats to Gabby for being nominated! Congrats to Morgan Freeman, Lee Daniels, and even though I do not know his name, congrats to guy who won the award but got Kanye'd! :)

Helping Haiti and People who are Hating!

Like everyone else, I'm watching the destruction and sorrow in Haiti on the television, online, and hearing it on the radio. It is horrible to watch but something that needs to shown on a daily so that people won't forget or decide to move their attention to something that doesn't deserve it. I saw Katie Couric on Charlie Rose last night and she had just got back from Haiti. She talked about meeting a thirteen year old boy named Pierre who had lost both of his parents, had head trauma and a broken leg. She was holding his hand and asking him questions and he answered what he could. But then when the tented area that they were using for a hospital was silent, Pierre let out a deafening yell and he said "Why me? Why us? Why the horror?" So I'm watching the footage of this little boy and hearing him cry and couldn't imagine what I would do if that happened to me. You could see his pain in his eyes. You could hear it in his screams. You can see and feel the pain through the television. I truly commend the people who are going to Haiti to help, people who are donating, and people who are showing that they give a damn. Now....to the people who are saying ridiculous comments such as the Haitians deserve it or that it's not the US so why are we helping or even it's not my problem. I really don't care. You really don't care? How can anyone not truly care for those people? How can anyone say that they deserve that devastation? Why wouldn't anyone want to help out in any way they could? That $5 that you might use for the club, a pack of cigarettes, a Big Mac, etc. could save hundreds of kids and babies in Haiti! I understand that the economy is bad but it can't be that bad if you just got your nails done and planning on bowling later....when you know those freshly done nails are going to break? I'm not judging but for the people who are judging Haitians for whatever reason, take a good look at yourself first.