Owner: The Beautiful Struggle URL:http://dabeautifulstruggle.com Join Date: Mon, 21 Aug 2006 21:24:44 -0500 Rating:1 Site Description: Life is beautiful. Life is a struggle. Life is a beautiful struggle. And this is my beautiful struggle... NSearchOfMe Site statistics:Click here
Marketing Side Hustles 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I know I have been missing in action for a minute but I have been in a little funk about my hair but I am good now... So Nani I'm ready for the jokes. Plus, school is out and I havent really left the house hence nothing to really talk about.Anyway, a while back I wanted to do a post about the whole myspace craze but never quite got around to it. Unfortunatley Nani has gotten me into it so I have been over there but I am back now.But on to what I really wanted to talk about. People please. I am all for side hustles... I have a few myself. And I am all for marketing your side hustles. After all the key to sucess is putting yourself out there, you know recruiting and the like. However the drive-thru at McDonalds is not the place to do it. Case in point.. today I went to McDonald's to get the fruit & walnut salad (which is my new craving). It was me and my mama, she was driving. So she is like "Your total is blah, blah, blah." Then she looks around and drops her voice ... you know how th Read more:Marketing
Cleaning House 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Ok(gave up on trying to stop so get used to it),Today I was searching through my phone to find the cousin's number to call and wish him a Happy Birthday and I realized I have numbers galore. Some of the names I don't even recognize. I suppose the are some guys I met at a club or something... who knows. Anyway, aside from all the numbers I don't recognize there are a several that I do recognize. There are numbers that show up in my call log far too often- whether it be them calling me or me calling them. There are also numbers I promised myself I would never use again... yet for some reason I am still holding on to them.I know that by holding on to certain numbers I am holding on to ideas, ideas of what could have been. And I know its not healthy. The memories that resurface when I see these names in phone... even when I'm searching for something ... are holding me back. They are keeping me in a place I don't want to be. It stops me from turning the idea they represent into reality Read more:Cleaning
, House
Game Day 1970-01-01 00:59:59 So today is the game between the Saints and the Falcons. They have hyped this game up so much. The Superdome is back and everything. The city seems so much livelier than it has been in recent months. The tailgating started early today. i left school around 2:45 today and there were cars lined under the bridge, Saints shirts everywhere and the faint smell of BBQ and beer in the air. I guess I can scratch this off the list of things I miss about New Orleans...I just hope they win to seal the deal... Go Saints!!!
More To Life 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I've got it all, but I feel so deprivedI go up, I come down and I'm emptier insideTell me what is this thing that I feel I'm missingAnd why can't I let it goThere's gotta be more to life ...Than chasing down every temporary high to satisfy meCause the more that I'm... Trippin out thinking there must be more to lifeWell it's life but I'm sure... There's gotta be moreThan wanting moreThan waiting on something other than this Why am I feelin' like there's something I missed...Always...Always- (There's Gotta Be) More To Life by Stacie OrricoFor some reason this song seems to summarize one of the reasons I decided to start this blog. I started thinking that maybe if I "track" my life and can review it and make changes accordingly. Things are always clearer in hindsight, but my life seems to be the exception. It is unlikely that I will encounter the same dilemma twice so the hindsight for clarity theory definitely has its pitfalls. But if I treat at my past experiences as a story
The Crazy Flavors of Love 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Flavor of Love came on tonight. It is actually still on. But something so hilarious just happened. Flava was giving out the nicknames and on of the girls is this chick I went to high school with, we graduated together. Flava named her Chocolate. So me and Nani are watching and we she steps up and we burst out laughing... *~Top F'ed/Funny Moments~*1. Nibblz... "For the record I have no gag reflex" ... TMI!!!2. The fight 30 second into the show... "Fo attacked me you ghetto trash"... "Thats right 54th and Crenshaw".3. Girl in fight kneels down and prays "Lord forgive me for whippin this bitch as today. For me thinking about whipping this bitch ass again. And please get rid of the evil demons in this house...". Girl who got ass whipped asks "Is that really necessary." Girl who whipped ass replies "I know you betta stop interrupting my prayer 'fo the Lord directs me to whip your ass"4. Flav calls chick Tyson... chick thinks it is because she is a knockout... Flava says it because of that Read more:Crazy
, Flavors
The Righteous Ones... Vol. 2 1970-01-01 00:59:59 {For Background Info See: The Righteous One... Vol. 1}It was seventh grade... the bottom of the barrel once again. No longer kids, we are kinda big time now. A new school, a chance to start over. So first day of school they shuffle us into these classrooms, "home room" based on your last name. Everybody and they mama cousin is in this room from 7-12 grade... and I don't know anybody... They are laughing and joking and introducing everybody to everybody else... so I'm feeling like the odd man out... Until my cousin Poopie (only family calls him that- Thank the Lord) busts in the door all Johnny come lately... So finally I'm part of the mix. We get our schedules and Poopie points me in the "right direction" and throws me the deuce.So the right direction isn't really the right direction ... but I see another cousin and she walks me to class and introduces me to a couple of people and I'm good... The first couple of classes went by fast and come 3rd period I think I'm on a roll... 3
Two Things... Plus One More 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I just came from a philosphy test and I swear I have never seen so many people cheat on a test in my life... and they were bold with it too.I just signed up for a Credit Score watch and my score REALLY sucks...no, like 4 real. Please pray for me. Seriously. Ya'll have a good day... I done sat at this computer longer than i wanted to and now it is too late for me to go and get something to eat and I know my stomach is going to be growling in this man class... I will be too embarrassedAlright.. Holla at ya'll later.I also picked up my cap and gown today... graduation in just around the corner Read more:Plus One
And the struggle continues... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 There has been yet another mass murder in the city. This time a mother will bury 3 of her sons. Two 16 year olds and a 21 year old. And from the reports none of them were the intended target. The intended target was a 39 year old family friend who was also killed. I don't even have the strength to come up with anything to say at this point, so I think it is best that I end this post with that said.
Happy Birthday Nani 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I like my beat down low and my top let backCan see me ridin 24's with a chopper in the backYa like ya Kenwood hot and ya top let backIf ya rims sit high and ya windows pitch black Top Back -- T.I.HappyBirthday
Friend... That big ass 24...Hope you have a good one!P.S. I thought about putting up a big ol' pic of the 24 show but then I was like... that would be doing way to much... so I opted for that instead. Read more:Happy Birthday
Inspi(RED) 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Love the idea... but somewhat dissappointed that some people just have to get something out of the helping others.
My First Love 1970-01-01 00:59:59 You know that theory that women seek out men that are like their fathers or the one that says if there was no male figure in a woman's life she seeks that out in her mate... I don't know the exact words but you understand what I am saying. Well today for some reason I was trying to figure out what I am looking for.My dad has always been around so I'm not looking for someone to fill a void. And I am certainly not looking for someone just like him. But despite those things I always end up involved with older men. And when I say always I mean since the beginning. I was twelve and my "boyfriend", if you can really have a boyfriend at 12, was 15. At 14 he was 18, lasting on and off for about 3 1/2 years. At 16 he was 20 and that lasted on and off for about 6 years. And when I hit 21 I dismissed my age limit altogether. It didn't seem weird to me until now though. And I am not sure I weird is the word I want to use. But as I get older and place ages to those younger than me I see begin t Read more:First
, First Love
The First Day of School...Again 1970-01-01 00:59:59 It wasn't too bad. The professor for my first class was bouncing off the walls so I know she is going to tap dance on my nerves. And my Spanish teacher is definately going to provide some comic relief... so at this point I am looking forward to being in his class just not nessarily for this subject. Just an update.Oh ... I knew that the lil pooka dots were making a come back but I have never seen so many in my live!!! I am definately not looking forward to being on the side of campus with the .... (come a little closer)... Freshmen...and science majors (insert horrific scream here). Read more:First
, School
, Again
Emotional Text Messaging 1970-01-01 00:59:59 "It's a constant struggle... Your mind and heart incarcerates you so much worse than any jail because the bad is always right beside the good. You can't help but see both simultaneously, which hurts a million times worse." --T.M.R.I am sure all of you have heard of drunk dialing. Some of you may even have done it at some point. Well, drunk dialing has a first cousin named emotional texting. This is when you basically do the same thing only in a text. You guys are smart, I am sure you guessed that. Ya'll know I'm not an emotional person at all See: The Gift And The Curseso this really came as a shock to me but now it is just funny.Well,last night I couldn't get to sleep, as usual, so I started to think about where I was this time last year. A friend asked me why I never talk about talk about guys or dating or whatever. That answer is simple, there aren't any to talk about especially since most of them are scattered here and there. But this time last year there was. I was feeling Read more:Emotional
, Messaging
Broke Phi Broke 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Tonight there is a concert at The Howling Wolf with Lyfe, Robin Thicke, Cheri Dennis, Urban Mystic. I can't tell you how much I wish I was going... especially since I don't have shit else to do. I am so mad. It's time like these that sacrifices have to be made... I can go to the concert or I can put gas in the car... decisions, decisions...You know what they say... No dough, No go.
Dirty Bitches... Pt.2 1970-01-01 00:59:59 While I was doing my daily reading of "news", I came across this article "Homeless Man Finds $21,000 in Bonds"I might as well just post the article since it is short...Homeless Man Finds $21,000 in BondsAPDETROIT (July 22) - A homeless man searching for returnable bottles in a trash bin found 31 U.S. savings bonds worth nearly $21,000 in a bag of clothes.Charles Moore, 59, took the bonds to a 24-hour walk-in homeless shelter, where a staffer tracked down the family of the man whose name was on the bonds."They belong to him," Moore told The Detroit News. "I did the right thing."Ernest Lehto's family had given away many of his clothes shortly after his death in 2004.How the bonds ended up in the trash bin is a mystery, but Lehto's family left Moore a $100 reward."What a good Samaritan," said Neil Lehto, who picked up the bonds Friday that had belonged to his late father.I just couldnt believe they only gave the man $100 dollars. Then on top of that he is homeless. And you give him 0.47 Read more:Bitches
Marriage Ain't For Er' body 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I have been thinking about what my next step in life will be. In the process I temporarily revisited my "life timeline"... one I gave up on a while back, the same one that is now shot to hell. Anyway I starting thinking about how some where a long that timeline I placed my marriage and five kids... all boys. And frankly, its not looking so appealing. Aside from my fear of committment... which I also set aside a time to "get over", I 'm not sure that is something I wanna do now. My mood changes with the wind and I am pretty sure that one morning not too far into the nuptuals I will wake up and want to be somewhere else... or simply not with him. I dread the thought of waking up and not being able to just leave. I don't ever want to be so attached to someone that I can't just walk away. I know that seems kinda selfish but I kinda respect the institution of marriage and I think that is why I feel this way. I think marriage should be a life sentence...kinda like "don't do the crime (i.
What Time Of Day Are You? 1970-01-01 00:59:59 You Are MidnightYou are more than a little eccentric, and you're apt to keep very unusual habits.Whether you're a nightowl, living in a commune, or taking a vow of silence - you like to experiment with your lifestyle.Expressing your individuality is important to you, and you often lie awake in bed thinking about the world and your place in it.You enjoy staying home, but that doesn't mean you're a hermit. You also appreciate quality time with family and close friends.What Time Of Day Are You?
Children of Men 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Saturday I went to the movies with the fam. My dad wanted to see Miami Vice as opposed to the many "teen flicks" that came out this weekend. There were a lot of good previews. One movie in particular that I want to see is Children
of Men. It looks like it is going to be a really good movie. I like the concept and everything. It stars Clive Owen and Julianne Moore.Check Out The Trailer for yourself here @ Children of Men.
I Gave In 1970-01-01 00:59:59 After more than six months without a relaxer, I got one yesterday. Now my hair is "long and pretty", but I really do regret it. I wish I would have had the courage, the will power, and the patience to see everything through. I have to admit I shed a few tears behind closed doors because I realized it wasnt about the hair. It is more about me wanting to change things in my life but not seeing it through for one reason or another.P.S. To the friends I know will have a smart comment or two... I just want ya'll to know I am not ready for the jokes yet. We have been here before so I am sure you understand... Thanks
They're Baaack!!! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I am so excited and I just can't hide it. The Wire's third season starts tomorrow. The cast appeared on 106 & Park yesterday. This season focuses on the youngsters. But I am so glad to see two of my favorites characters (Bodie and Omar)will be returning given the new focus. I have to admit though, Marlo's character is kinda growing even though they still have this air of mysteriousness around him. Well, just wanted to share. If you aren't a fan of The Wire this might be a good time to jump on the bandwagon.... while there's still room.Peace Up... Algiers down!
So, Maybe They Weren't So Innocent Afterall... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 In this post I will reference 3 articles.{For Background Info See: Untitled- Father's Day}Police Say Killings Were RetaliationAnd this bullshit here... New Orleans Safer Without Thug KidsNote: If you are going to read any of the previously mentioned let it be the last one so that you fully understand what I am going to say.So maybe they weren't so innocent afterall but does that make it right they were killed, period, much less in that manner. People really don't take the time out to think things through. You come out with these radical statements that can be interpreted as condoning this killing someone. Now I admit that it would be easy to sit here and say that no one deserves to die that way... and it all that statement's truth, if they did participate or play a role in the crimes they were accused of then yes they deserve some type of punishment but to be murdered is one a whole other level. This is only fueling the vigilante mindset that caused these deaths in the first place. Read more:Maybe
, Innocent
Destined To Be Alone? 1970-01-01 00:59:59 A few weeks ago my friend Rae told me that me and another one of her friends, (I'll call T-Rocka, were "destined to be alone"... WTH?... Thanks friend, I feel so much better...So, of course, the logical question would be... What do you mean by that?Well, according to Rae that is something she finds interesting. She says it is because of the way we handle guys... From her perspective we "pimp guys and that's gangsta"... Whatever that means. Now clearly I wouldn't exactly classify my interaction with the opposite sex as pimpin (although I somewhat alluded to it {See: A Lil About Me Via Jay-Z}) To be honest, it has kinda bothered me ever since she said it...and she has said it more than once. It has been on my mind lately. Not because it offended me but mostly because I am starting to think its true. So in an effort to prove us both wrong I searched the far corners of my brain and the depths of my heart and came up with not one memory that could even arguably serve as a proof that I co
Just A Shadow In The Street Light 1970-01-01 00:59:59 In my never ending effort to expose my friends to music I like that they might also like I feel like it is finally time to share this group. I held on to them for myself for awhile but what they hell...I think I am the only person that still watches Showtime at the Apollo faithfully. That is were I first heard Lyfe I tried to expose a certain person that shall remain nameless then but she resisted only to love the music when it became "mainstream". A few months ago I mentioned Corrine Bailey Rae on this very blog... And now... someone else is finally starting to come around. I think I just just go into A & R.Anyway... The group I am endorsing, for lack of a better word is Deep. They have won several times on Apollo... Seven I think. On stage they were a threesome, but in some of my research they are a duo. I don't know what's up with that. The main singer, Elijah, voice is throwback like no other out today. I haven't heard a sound like his in years. In some ways he reminds me of Ted Read more:Shadow
, Street
No Perfect Ending 1970-01-01 00:59:59 {For Background Info See: Dead-No Other Words}"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next." -- Gilda RadnerI didn't blog yesterday. But that is not because I didnt want to or didnt get a chance. I actually sat at my computer for quite some time just trying to find words to describe everything that is going on in my head... but like I said there really are none. But in searching for some words to give me comfort or reassurance that everything will be alright I found the above. Maybe I don't need comfort, at least not in the sense I searched for. Things happen to which we have no controll over. I'd like to believe that this is all apart of God's plan and will work out for the greater good. But I simply fail to see what good could ever come f Read more:Perfect
, Ending
Mixtape Monday... Vol. 10 1970-01-01 00:59:59 1. Free- Jaguar Wright2. Tell Me- Diddy featuring Christina Aguilera (Hey, I can't help it I like the hook).3. Lovin' U- Javier4. Outta My Head- Teedra Moses5. Heaven Only Knows- John LegendSorry guys, I know I haven't posted any hip-hop or "other" music in awhile.. but I have a 546 song long playlist that I have been dying to listen through totally and it hasnt taken me a few days but I grooving over here... seems like I created it by what I felt like listening to at certain times and it has been pretty genre oriented so far... Still taking requests and suggestions though! ~* Happy Listening*~ Read more:Mixtape
, Monday
New Civil Rights Movement? 1970-01-01 00:59:59 "And his stuff is being presented like grown folks should take it seriously. Please. I guess I'll go Bill Cosby on you, but it's about time we as black people quit letting Flavor Flav and the rest of these clowns bojangle for dollars. There's going to be a new civil-rights movement among black people and the people bojangling for dollars are going to be put in check...Black people are tired of letting idiots define who we are. It's dangerous. I grew up loving hip hop music. But the [bleep] is way out of hand now. Flavor Flav went from fighting the power with Chuck D to a minstrel show on VH1. You have all of these young rap idiots putting out negative images about black men and black women, and it's on us to stop it and say enough is a enough. It's not on white people. And it's not on old black people like Cosby and Oprah. We have to police our own. W.E.B. Dubois talked about the talented 10 percent leading the black masses. We're letting the Ignorant 5 lead us straight Read more:Rights
, Civil
To The Root Of It All 1970-01-01 00:59:59 "A woman's heart should be so close to God that a man should have to seek Him in order to find her."* I got proposed to today. No, I didn't say propositioned... I said proposed.Is was funny coming off the heels of one of my last posts, Marriage Ain't for Er'body. While I am definitely not getting into who it came from I am quite concerned about where my feelings about marriage as far as it applies to me comes from.While my answer was of course no, when asked why my feelings about marriage were what they are I got this gas-like hangover hurlish feeling. Have you ever seen that episode of Sex & The City were Carrie jokingly tries on a wedding gown and begins to hyperventilate and breaks out into the awful rash and hives... Well, it was kinda like that.Then I get home and find the latest addition of Allure magazine (I still don't know how it got ordered but its been coming awhile now... at least the essays are usually pretty good... that's about the only thing in the magazine that a
Mixtape Monday... Vol. 11 1970-01-01 00:59:59 So me and Rae hit up the wedding of one of her coworkers Saturday so that's where this MixtapeMonday
will come from.... Please keep in mind that this is a New Orleans style wedding.1. Summer Rain- Carl Thomas2. Right Kinda Lover- Patti LaBelle3. Grown and Sexy- Babyface4. Red Hot Pepper Boy- Partners-N-Crime5. Whateva John Legend song that is on the bounce beat (Nani, I know you know... leave the name in the comments for me please)Honorable Mention- Before I let Go- Maze featuring Frankie Beverly
Come And Get Ya Soul Food 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Yesterday attended this poetry event at Tulane with Zee. It was really nice. The crowd was small but not too small. I thought the crowd was too big for everyone to introduce themselves but apparently it wasn't. The emcee Kalamu Ya Salaam asked everyone to introduce themselves. I was a bit shocked but it cool.The poets performing included(taken from the program):Amiri Baraka- Hopefully that's all the info needed on...Revolutionany beat poetWanda Coleman- L.A. blues woman and comedianKen McClane- W.E.B. Dubois professor of English at Cornell UniversityDon Paul- Common Ground Poet in ResidenceTim Congdon- Common Ground Poet in Residenceand the NOLA Based National Slam Champions... personally the New Orleans poets were my favorite part of the program.Sunni Patterson- Click here to hear performance. Although that was not one of the pieces she perfomed.Asali DevanHollywoodNote:It is Monday November 5th I searched all week to find clips of any perfomance from Asali Devan and Hollywood with
Homecoming: HBCU Style 1970-01-01 00:59:59 So Saturday I went to Southern's Homecoming
with the fam. We left here about 4am to drive to Baton Rouge, a little over an hour away to get a good tailgating spot. We set up shop and about 10 minutes later another car pulls along side of us with a kitchen stove.I know I said I was gonna start carrying my digital camera with me so that I can post some of the weirdness I see on the daily. Well my battery died mid pic so the piture is a blurry but please check it out. Dude brought concert size speakers too. My dad made the comment "Say man you brought the whole kitchen huh?Dude was like " Yea, I ain't come here to play"Gotta love it though... Read more:Style
Recommend Site To A Friend
