Ludacris Loves the Kids

Visual and Written Inspiration 08/31/2009

images by j

“All great men are gifted with intuition. They know without reasoning or analysis, what they need to know.”
Alexis Carrel

Playing in the Shop this week: F.I.L.A. - Outkast Edition

F.I.L.A. - Outkast edition

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings Live on Canal Plus (France)

Color Me Surprised....

So yesterday was one for the record books.

First I went to speak to Child Genius's school to explain in detail the highs and lows of being a small business owner. She was a bit timid that her classmates were going to disrespect me and not pay attention. Well to borrow a phrase from my young adult years "Homie don't play that". So the kids were attentive they asked some good questions and I believe they were a little impressed that Child Genius's mom owns her own business and makes her own product. They also didn't have a clue how much work Child Genius has put in as well helping make product, setting up at shows as well as helping maintain the books. So they were very impressed how knowledgeable she was on this subject. Anytime I go to her school it depresses me because being a Black Woman who grew up in the inner-city and raising two Black kids alone in the inner-city I understand and have explained in minute detail the statistics of the odds against my children. However the children I encounter who are absolutely lost and noone is guiding them is frightening. They have delusions of "When I graduate I'm going to be grown and I can do what I want" or the worse of the worse when I ask a child "What do you want to do with the rest of your life?" and their answer "I don't know". There is nothing wrong with not having it all figured out but when your best option is to go get a job at Kroger bagging groceries then this is a problem. We have an epidemic in our community that noone wants to address properly these kids are IN NO WAY PREPARED. I have personally borne witness to these same children since Child Genius was in Grade School who I could tell then were in trouble because their parents NEVER SHOW UP TO ANYTHING! or when they do show up they smell like WEED or they are on the phone with POOKIE so they don't know what the hell is going on with their kid. I know this is a rant but I just want to know when did it become acceptable to stop being a MOTHER or FATHER? When did I become the exception because when I was growing up my mother was the exception she was the one who NEVER SHOWED UP FOR ANYTHING! or when she did it was to flirt with the principal or one of the teachers. I am so thankful that I learned so many lessons from Child Genius to not repeat with Boy Wonder. Sometimes though I do feel like Child Genius deserves so much more than what I have been able to give thus far.

***UPDATE TO THE FIRST PART OF THIS POST: THIS IS A COMMENT ONE OF THE KIDS FROM THE SCHOOL YESTERDAY LEFT ON MY WEBSITE:
Hey I was there.
It was very refreshing to see a creativity and motivated business owner.You gave out great information and was very passionated about your business. I am a future business owner and it was great too hear your story. Thanks for coming out, its was greatly appreciated.
***END OF UPDATE***


On to the second thing so my ex-husband shows up to visit with Child Genius yesterday so random right. Well he stays long enough to eat dinner with us, drop the bomb that he has been diagnosed with Diabetes and so we could have a good long talk. But the doosie was when he asked me "So can I invest in your company?" Now what do you say to that? I mean I NEED an investor but do I want him to invest. That is such a loaded question because I don't dislike him even though there were some horrible things that happened to me by his hand. More than anything I understand that we were just two lonely teenagers stationed on an island far away from home and made something much bigger than what it really was. So I didn't answer him because I don't want NEED MORE to force my hand I mean this is MY COMPANY. To be totally honest I like it that way too that it is MY COMPANY and I have built it slowly but surely my way so I believe that is the way I will keep it.

I posted Bonnie Raitt because she is bad and this is one of my favorite songs ever. Also the pics are from around Atlanta. I will post a bonus this weekend so stay tuned.

Enjoy,

j

Visual and Written Inspiration 08/28/2009

images by j


Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.
- George Bernard Shaw

Bonnie Raitt - Angel from Montgomery (live)

One of my absolute favorites ever.

Let's do Lunch: Manola Robison edition...

So a few days ago I met with Manola Robison of Robison Management Consulting to interview her and catch up on life. Manola has been a tough mentor of mine for over 3 years now. She has pushed me and has always been very direct even if I didn't want to hear it. I am working on editing her interview so I can post it here but until then I also wanted to mention she introduced me to SIX FEET UNDER. Six Feet Under is a seafood restaurant here in Atlanta that is absolutely fantastic I used to eat there at least once a week with the kids however since I have had to change my diet I usually only go once a month now. When we met I ate the Seafood Stew however I did not take any pictures of it. They recently renovated and moved three doors down from their original location but I think I like this location better because it has so much more space. Above are a few pics of the outside. Stay tuned for Manola's interview and just to let you know I will be featuring some more interviews as well as home tours here since Ofifteen is undergoing some renovation work of their own.

j

Visual and Written Inspiration 08/27/2009

Atlanta Skyline

Watertower near Cabbagetown

Sunlight
images by j

"The truth is I love being alive. And I love feeling free. So if I can't have those things then I feel like a caged animal and I'd rather not be in a cage. I'd rather be dead. And it's real simple. And I think it's not that uncommon."

Angelina Jolie

VAN HUNT LIVE AT BB KINGS NYC- IF I TAKE YOU HOME...

Saw him at Murphy's in Atlanta and he is wonderful! I could have sworn I was the only woman in the room. Whew!

But she doesn't work as hard as you Mommy...

So yesterday Child Genius comes home from School and couldn't wait to express me how much she loves me. She went on to tell me how they had a speaker at school who was supposed to represent a small business owner, the person who spoke yesterday was a party lite representative. Well well well Child Genius decides to grill this lady about how their candles are made, are they all natural, etc. etc. etc.. However the final nail was when Child Genius asked "How do you market your business?" and the reply "Well my corporate office sends out brochures, sets up my website, etc.?" Needless to say Child Genius was outdone she came home saying "She said she did shows but what she really does are parties because I have done shows" I found it too funny but also wonderful because she has witnessed all of my hard work how I develop the ideas for products, create the products, design packaging, logo,stationary,website etc., how I market etc., etc.,etc.. She and Boy Wonder are witnessing what it really takes from inception to reality. I smiled sooo hard realizing this is not in vain that it is sinking in that this is for them.

I posted the Words video because I had a conversation to that effect last night. The pics are from immediate circle in Atlanta and the quote from Nikki Giovanni need I say more.


Enjoy,

j

Visual and Written Inspiration 08/26/2009

Park in West End

Bldg in Ralph David Abernathy

One of my Familiars
images by j

“I really don't think life is about the I-could-have-beens. Life is only about the I-tried-to-do. I don't mind the failure but I can't imagine that I'd forgive myself if I didn't try.”
Nikki Giovanni

Anthony David Feat. India Arie - Words [Music Video]

Re*Paper and Creatives Unite!

Soooo one of the first shows I did in 2009 was Mommy and Me where I met the lovely Sara of Re*Paper who handcrafts journals but more importantly Boy Wonder took notice that she handcrafted journals and spent the better part of 3 months repeating this phrase "Have you contacted the lady about making me a sports journal yet?" When Child Genius went to Borders to look at their journals he was not having it, at all. I then send over the email to Sara which led her to inform me she had never done a sports journal but would love to create one for me on one condition. She wanted to barter because she wanted to try my candles! Well YEAH!!!! So the end result is we met up yesterday over at the Edgewood Caribou Coffee to exchange the goods because each of our products are handcrafted we had to coordinate when the other would be complete. So above are pictures from the trade and let me just say that Sara of Re*Paper is the sweetest she just let Boy Wonder give his feedback, ask numerous questions and she seemed to enjoy it. He has already started writing in it and plans to take it to school to show his friends his handcrafted journal.


***Aside*** Both Boy Wonder and Child Genius are HIGHLY inquisitive, Child Genius however will only quiz me whereas Boy Wonder if he ever met you will ask you a minimum of 100 questions***

I tried to post two videos of Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings but the second one didn't come through for some reason. Sharon Jones is letting these little girls know that FUNK LIVES! Her band was the backing band for Amy Winehouse and I have a sneaky suspicion that maybe Sharon helped a little on vocals.

Enjoy,

j

Visual and Written Inspiration 08/25/2009

End of the Road

Moreland Ave

Caged but still growing
images by j


Change is growth. For me it has been a very spiritual and musical rebirth.
Lenny Kravitz

Playing in the Shop: Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - "Let Them Knock" - Live

Everybody at my party is V.I.P....

So I have had a wonderful weekend. I had some orders come in on thursday via the website which is great so I started working on those, we culminated Child Genius's birthday with a very special dinner at Straits Restaurant in Downtown Atlanta and I took a ton of photos. I mean I took so many photos I may have to buy an external hard drive just for photographs since they are so large now. Below I posted photos from places we went around Atlanta which I will be doing from now on culminating in a shot from one of my favorite places, my side porch. I posted the playlist for the week so I will posting videos from the artists on the playlist everyday starting tomorrow. Also the song "Angel from Montgomery" is in my top 5 songs ever.


The one word to describe my weekend would be Engaged. What is the one word that would describe your weekend?

j

p.s.: I don't normally do this but here are a few pics from our dinner at Straits.

Child Genius and Boy Wonder before we left the house

My dinner plated(coconut rice dish with shrimp)

Boy Wonder and Child Genius contemplating the stimulating dinner conversation

Boy Wonder outside of Straits

Child Genius outside of Straits

Yoda outside of Straits

Visual and Written Inspiration 08/24/2009

Part of my side porch

Buckhead
Little Five Points

images by j

"You don't have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great."
~ Les Brown

Playing in the Shop this week:

Playing 08/24/2009

New camera ooh ooh, New camera ooh ooh....

So as you can see below I did it, yesterday I purchased this lovely a Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W230 it was on sale at Office Depot and it is 12.1 Megapixels. Woohoo!!! It even takes video, has 15 mb memory without the memory card and and can take black and white pics. I think all of Atlanta needs to watch out this weekend. Okay but are you ready for the best part, it's hot pink. I love purple but almost as much I love hot pink, fuschia, magenta don't know what that's about but I absolutely love this color family. Anywho I was going to load video of Myself, Child Genius and Boy Wonder but I looked a little coocoo for cocoa puffs and I am not ready for the world to see it all just yet. So please enjoy the pics, the lovely video is for a song that Child Genius plays every morning so now I love it and have a good, great and wonderful weekend.

j

Updated to show a picture from my dining room table:

Visual and Written Inspiration 08/21/2009

MLK near A.U. Center


Lee Street Atlanta Georgia


Church near Atlanta University Center


images by j

Denis Waitley:
Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.

Playing in the Shop: The Open Happiness Music Video

Child Genius turned me onto this. I didn't know it was a song for Coca Cola commercial anywho I still love it.

Needs vs. Wants...

So I have a Lust list where I put the items that I WANNNNNNNNNT but what happens every month is the NEEDS of Child Genius and Boy Wonder always trump that list but this week dangnammit I am going to scratch something off of my want list. You see I covet a new camera, I have been using my Kodak Easyshare CX7300 for about 7 years now yes you read correctly 7 YEARS. What I really really really want is a Canon Rebel XS 10.1 MP but what I more than likely will end up purchasing is this Canon Powershot SX200-IS 12.1 MP camera which is not much of a downgrade but I want what I really want man. My little Kodak has been good to me however it is sadly only 3 megapixels which how much detail can I go into with 3 mp. I want the shot I want to be able to see the detail of the bird's face on the fence. But Child Genius needs to send off college applications ($$) Boy Wonder needs equipment for Baseball ($$) so maybe this week I can scratch one of my wants off of my list.

I know I recycled Queen Sheba's words but I feel they are very appropriate today.

j

Visual and Written Inspiration 08/20/2009

Above Ground at Underground


Underground Street of Dreams


The House Hank Built


Georgia Avenue


75 South



images by j

We are the ones we've been waiting for
June Jordan 1980 (A poem for African Women)



*In the spirit of June Jordan's poem for African Women, I write:



Timber, Part II


We are the women:

We are our mother's mistake

our father's denial

Gone global now

We are the Surah and the Psalms

The communication link between the Bible and the Qur'an

We are the secret message in the slave spirituals

The treasure hunt to our conjugal visits

Oh, I can feel it

Riding the backs of raindrops

Licking my brow full of sweat and malfunction

We are the kickback

From the shotgun butt on your shoulder

We are Nat Turner's last sane thought

before the voices woke him up from that black out

With blood on his machete and hands

Pieces of flesh stuck between his toes

We wear the bruises as medals of honor

This time, we red dot our target

We are circa 1934

Thurgood Marshall's test scores

We are the ..:NAMESPACE PREFIX = ST1 />Tallahatchie river

Filling Emmet Till's wounds

With fish scales and coral

Gently carrying his body to Graceland

We are the riots we'll never remember

We are the women

We are the ones we've been waiting for

The chip off the ole' granite

The perfect edges of marble

The slivers of stainless steel

Leaving history behind in every finger print

We are elderly lovers

On the 2nd plane during 9-1-1

They kiss

And clasp their fingers without making a sound

We are their last breath before the shards of glass

Rip through their larynx

We are the lower class

Drowning on the bottom of the Titanic

Amistad

17th Century Hell on Earth

We are the women

Regurgitating meals we saved in the back of our throats

To give our malnourished children, 2nds

On the floor boards

We are the 14th star on the confederate flag

We are the hairs of still born slaves

used to stitch the black seems around the white stripes

we are India before the till of the Huns (Guptas 350-550 AD Huns invade)

we are the campfire

Mawkasins

Rain dance

Hyrogliphic

Shadow puppet dancing in embers

Cave wall story telling

Abenaki

Apache

Apalachee

Black Carib

Bora

Dene

Dene Suline

Fox

French Cree

Koso

Kikimi

Ottowa

Twana

Yanesha

Yuchee

Anlo-Ewe

Fulani

Ga

Igbo

Bakongo

Wolof

Yuruba people

We are the women!

we are break dancing as a tribal tradition

No more passing the American gold buck

Or Doe

Or Elk that only visit us at dusk

We are the intelligence in Lil Wayne's wit

The public lynching of this fiasco with Michael Vick

We are the Jews hiding beneath the stairs

The slaves hiding beneath the stars

We are the millions on death row earning degree

We are the Jena 6

We are only as strong as our latest execution

We are the 5%

The 12%

the 4400

we are the Heroes

we are the women

the village solders

the Mary Magdalene

we are the blue thing on X-Men

that changes to whatever she wants to

we are the "keep yo' head up

when we've been demoted to wifey and shawty

every 12 minutes on 8 different stations

we are the chicken frying

whole meal making Sunday – Thursday

we ask our man before we accuse them

bounce a newborn on our hips

boil a bottle

balance a check book

check our emails

Myspace

Blackberries

Make breakfast for 6 out of flower and red Kool-Aid

Check homework

Correct homework

Find the forged report card

Counsel about safe sex to the teenager

After finding condoms in what they thought was their hiding place

When nothing in a women's house is a "hiding" place

Little do they know, we were 16 once

Get dressed

Get them dressed

Fix the pony tails

Explain to your middle child

That a free lunch card doesn't mean you're poor

It means you are saving up to be rich

we are the women!

This is not vote or die

This is run in the voting houses

Graphitti the walls

Ransack the ballets

And Xerox

Barack Obama

…or Hilary

420 times

per person

and flip the bird to the Kinko's attendant

waiting behind the counter to collect on paper

owed to us

we are the women!

And you?

You are the men, Period.

The outcome is our responsibility

The results are a reflection of our undefined answers

And lack of questions

Read between the coke lines

Next to rusty razor blades

Spilling into beer bottle condensation on your grandmother's coffee table

Stretched on glass and mirror squares

Sliced precisely

Like white peeks of a wave

Right before it breaks over sand castles

A rewarding future is the best present

Find. Search. Dream. Execute.

It seems we used to have a future

So, kiss your children a slave spiritual

Tell them they are the hidden message between

Alto and Tony Saprano

We are defined by what we pass on

Find me the pressure marks left on your wrists

They must have been tied

During the hurricane

How many splinters penetrate your life line?

lodged in your palms like the thieves next to Christ

left there from drift boards

Holding up water logged bodies in the Bayou

We are the Duracell in the North Star

Reach damn it!

Thrust your arms out of socket!

Hold out your limbs

like the great trees whizzing through

Your rearview

A million arms trying to grasp a piece of heaven

Have a presence!

Like when the autumn turns the leaves to flame

shooting from their branches to their fingertips

Ghandi's message is not a mantra but a warning:

be the change you want to see in the world

'cause no one else is coming

they have lost our addresses

we don't live close enough to the sponsors to be on MapQuest

McGuiver your way with a paperclip, an old shoe and a battery!

God will give you the gift

But you'll never know what it is…

Unless, you open it!



©Copyrights Bethsheba A. Rem/Sept 2007



Queen Sheba Wrote This, I just read it and I live it!!!!

Charlie Rose - William Gates Sr. and Bill Gates Jr.

I find Bill Gates to be very intriguing. I also admire him for being a great humanitarian.

Visual and Written Inspiration 08/19/2009

Summerhill


Bird in Grant Park


Carver High School


Mechanicsville

images by J

"I am perfect in all my imperfections. I was given all the tools necessary for success when I arrived on this state of consciousness it is my responsibility to use them even if it is hard."
j