"Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves" - Annie Lennox and Aretha Franklin

Good morning peeps!! Bless you on this, the second day of KWANZAA. Today's principle is KUJICHAGULIA = SELF-DETERMINATION! Don't let anyone else define who you are or what you should believe. Just determine to be the best you you can be!

"Unity" - Queen Latifah

Good afternoon peeps!! Hope your KWANZAA began with you being well and satiated from your Christmas feasts! As we near the end of 2009, I reflect back to the beginning of The New Millineum, as we anticipated the dreaded Y2K! Boy what an anxious time that was! Threats of not being able to access our automated funds; computers crashing en mass, microwaves and VCR's being time confused (remember VCR's?) and so on. Prince's 1999 was wailing on radios across the nation... We thought the world might end then and there! Now, we are a decade into The New Millineum (actually, it's nine years in because we don't count 2000 as the first year of the new, but the last year of the old); remember, according to a game on Facebook, I was Einstein in a pass life! Sorry peeps, my mind is out of control like that at times!

Since this is the first day of KWANZAA and the first of the Seven Principles is UMOJA = UNITY, I hope to live up to that principle better than ever next year. I don't exactly know how or what I am going to change, in order to honor the principle, but God willing, I am going to try! I hope you will reflect; take stock, and reorder yourselves to have a better 2010 than you might have had last year! We have a new leader in The House; the economy seems to slowly but surely be improving; unemployment is not improving that much yet but perhaps better times are ahead...be optimistic! Let's accentuate what brings us together rather than what keeps us apart; let's pray for the men and women who are away from home and in daily peril, due to military engagements. Love to all whose eyes are reading this...UMOJA!

"The Christmas Song"

Good morning peeps!! As i sit here in my leopard print Snuggie, I want to wish all of my friends; both near and far, A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS, A BOUNTIFUL KWANZAA AND A SAFE, HEALTHY NEW YEAR!

Beverly

EAST COAST * WEST COAST DIVAS: "To Be Real" - Cheryl Lynn

EAST COAST * WEST COAST DIVAS: "To Be Real" - Cheryl Lynn

"To Be Real" - Cheryl Lynn

Good Morning Peeps!! Folks, so called "Reality Television" has run amok! Yeah, I know...the cynical among you are probably saying: "who gives a flying fig...I don't watch Reality TV!" Well I confess to watching some of this escapist drivel, so I can smugly think, "these people need help and I don't...nah-na-nah-nah-na!" But seriously, some of you might think thank that MTV ushered in the genre with the premiere of "The Real World" over eleven or more years ago, right? Not so...One advantage to being an O.G. like myself, is that I have a wealth of trivial memories stored in my cranial area! I contend that the reality genre started many years ago, with a TV show called, "This Is Your Life" hosted by Ralph Edwards. The premise of the show was that the producers would have some well known person on stage receiving accolades about their careers or accomplishments, as the host showed highlights of said person's life. The subject would then be further embarrassed by someone from their past revealing something personal, like their first grade teacher or some girlfriend or boyfriend from their ordinary days. As a young viewer, I was always amazed that so-called celebrities had real lives like me!

However, I've digressed from my premise...reality gone amok! I think it started in the early 1970's, when a filmmaker thought it would be a good idea to produce a documentary about an upper middle class family from Santa Barbara California; purpose being...? Perhaps, to show the world that "Leave It To Beaver, Father Knows Best, Ozzie and Harriet" type families are the American Ideal? Well, a family called the Louds were chosen for this project and agreed to having cameras chronical their lives, to be broadcast on television. The family consisted of the parents and five children; one of whom was a gay male. The show aired over a period of weeks, and cameras were allowed to film their every move. Unbeknownst to the producers, was that the marriage wasn't quite ideal afterall! Turns out the father was having an affair and the wife was filing for a divorce! During the filming of the show, the wife actually threw the husband out! The other drama that was unfolding was the "coming out of the closet" of the son! Although the family knew, the world at that time, was not as accepting of that "lifestyle" then, as it supposedly is now. This family literally "imploded" right before the public's eyes via national television.

By the end of the series, the so called "All American Family" was making headlines on all the news magazines and newspapers, for personifying everything that is wrong with American families! How ironic considering the original premise! Fast forward to today...Reality shows running amok! Fighting, fornicating (yeah, I said it), women jockying for position for some rock star, r and b star, rap star, bachelor, millionaire, etc. etc., and being willing to show their asses for all the world to see! Black women; White women, Asian women...acting a fool! The Omarosa's; The New Yorks, The Snooks...all looking for their fifteen minutes! The Bad Girls, who drink and fight, fight and drink...all for what? Why to parlay it into some momentary affair with fame of course! Men punching women out a la "guido" style, on The Jersey Shore no less! Women spitting on each other to get at...Flava Flave??? It goes on and on and on. I fear that the next reality craze might involve someone taking someone else's life before live cameras. Oh, that already happened? What was it called again...?

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU!

Well how are you? I hope this post finds you in great spirits. I've been absent but my SFAMF Beverly has held this spot down like a true East Coast Diva. And certainly brought back memories for many of us with her musical knowledge. I consistently find myself running to the music collection to find some diddy she posted about that I'd completely forgotten! :-)

I have way too much going on but love every minute of it. At the beginning of this year I labeled my year 'The Reinvention of Steph' and set about doing just that. LOL that's my comment...LOL.

Aside from my Art I've tried to touch hearts with my weekly Articles seen in Divaprenuer Magazine and my weekly Newsletter Diviacity. I've met many wonderful people through Beverly and her support and inspiration has been a major blessing! And the story of how we met in itself is amazing!

I wish you all the best in the upcoming year. And I certainly believe that 2009 has opened up a lot of opportunity for opportunity, growth and improvement, even if it seems slow coming. We never thought there would be an Obama in office...yet there he stands...a symbol of hope and a reminder that with faith, perseverance, determination and a little something something upstairs...we can do it.

Visit me anytime at www.diviacity.blogspot.com or www.diviacity.com

May your everyday be better than the one before it.
Happy Holidays

Steph Jordan
Diviacity!

"Computer Love" - Zapp and Roger

Good morning peeps! Question: Have you ever met and fallen in love with someone over the internet? There are a plethora of "social networking" sites around these days that didn't exist as recent as five or less years ago, and people seem to be forgoing the traditional ways of meeting potential friends, lovers and in some cases spouses; opting instead for the internet. I can count myself in this category, because after years of resisting, I acquiesced a little over a year ago and joined one. I now visit two regularly; one semi-regularly and one that I recently joined just the other day. my original intent was not to meet a soul mate or date; I just wanted to correspond with people who shared some of my interests, which include a love of doo-wop music, sci-fi movies, cruising and trivia. The first site that I joined was dedicated to movies and related trivia about movies. Next, a male friend sent a "friend" request from another site, which I initially ignored. Several months later I received another invite from this friend and I decided to see what it was all about. After joining and posting a profile picture, I started receiving "friend requests" on a regular basis. I would accept the ones that shared my interests and so on. I have to say that I have made quite a few "friends" that I most likely would have never known had I not joined. I am enjoying these "friendships" and don't regret joining.

The third site was joined after I kept receiving emails from the site itself. This was a specialty site, geared towards the "mature" individual. In my profile I state that I am looking for pen pals and friends; not serious relationships. I have received over 130 views, 18 bookmarks, 128 flirts and numerous messages! What troubles me about this site, is that the requests I've received so far, are mostly for serious relationships. Some stories I've heard involve details that sound suspiciously similar: recently widowed; raising my child alone...etc etc etc. Haven't you read my profile? NOT LOOKING FOR A SERIOUS RELATIONSHIP! (Not on this site anyway).

The site that has become my "favorite" site, is the one you are probably on also. This site has allowed me to reconnect with people I grew up with, relatives, celebrities, former schoolmates, co-workers, etc. I visit this site to play trivia games, send and receive messages, look at photos from friends and families and more! I joined this one after invites from co-workers and family members! This is truly a networking rather than dating site. I'm having a good time here, in spite of occasional glitches. Also, many of my friends from another site are also on this one.

The good news about all this is that I have met people whose friendships I now welcome, including the lady I started this blog with. I have met some really nice guys too. Have I met that special, special someone? That is for me to know and for you to find out! He could be reading this, you know! Please share your "Computer Love" or "like" or "friendship" stories, if you will.