Almost, But Not Quite Gone (2007) A Year For the Books!

NOT SO FAST! Before we say goodbye to

A review of 2007 is in order!

Remember??

Iphone & David Beckham (yes!)* Lisa Nowak (astronaut in diaper-NOT)*"The Departed" won best film (excellent!)* Viacom sued Google/Youtube for $1b (yep)* Couldn't sell your house to save a life!* Do I need to mention ARM(adjustable rate mortgage)?* Record number of foreclosures* Virginia Tech rampage* 18yr old in Finland goes on school rampage* Love or hate him Barry Bonds hits 756th homerun* Michael Vick-smh* US Atty Gen. Al Gonzales resigns* Millionaire Steve Fossett missing after plane took of in Nevada (missed that news)*Outrageous GAS prices! Mattel+China+toys=RECALLS* China+anything shipped to U.S.A=HOTMESS* Luciano Pavarotti passes* that dang O.J.*Merrill Lynch kicked CEO Stan O'Neal to the curb (he looks A.A!)* Jena 6*Hideous stock performances* Lynching* TWB (tased while black!)* Britney Spears-(too much to recount)* Jamie Lynn Spears (teen pregnancy BUT STILL RICH!)*Lynn Spears' book (get counseling honey)* where's daddy Spears?* Gawd awful celebrity plastic surgery* celebrities getting pregnant and popping out chirren like pez candy* celebrities picking up DUI's & tethers like Swag (GET A CHAUFFEUR DUMB,DUMB!)* Amy Winehouse needing rehab-yes yes yes* LoLo Lohan finishing rehab* Chris "Strokes" Stokes molestation allegation* Raz B & Ricky Romance-Stokes accusers*Al Sharpton, Bad Boy Michael Baisden & BLACK BLOGS pushing Jena 6 to forefront* Eddie Murphy IS ANGEL IRIS' FATHER!* Mel B has last laugh (I think)*Benazir Bhutto's killed* Detroit considered most dangerous city (get a life, statistician!)*Tiger at zoo goes on the wild*Al Gore help Al Jr with his drug problem b4 helping w/global warming-at least Jr was driving a hybrid!* kids saved parents' lives dialing 911, taking bullets, identifying suspects*Fluff daddy still a hot mess* Brandy's not responsible*"leaked" celebrity sex tapes (yawn)* young black man w/beard wearing women's clothing*Men sealed in Utah's mine collapse*Minnesota bridge collapse*Cali & Greece (not grease) fires*Federline better parent (say what?!)*Husbands killing pregnant wives*Natalee Holloway*Drew Peterson police/wives killer*Anna Nicole*Dannielynn turns 1*child,Madeline McCann disappears*MISSING BLACK WOMEN GET NO LOVE FROM MAINSTREAM MEDIA*Sen. Larry Craig is not gay, but gay*Illegal Aliens*KICK ROCKS Harry Potter Books & Sopranos sucky finale*Chris 'Leave Britney Alone' Crocker*Tay 'Chocolate Rain'Zonday*Phil Spector-hung jury, many hairstyles*Mitchell's list of MLB steroid users*Mary J Blige 'Growing Pains' CD*Keisha Cole 'Just Like U' CD*Justin Timberlake-Beyonce 'Until The End of Time'* Poor Kelly Rowland*Clash of the Choirs* UGLY BETTY STILL RULES!*Queen Latifah 'Trav'lin Light' CD*Janet J STILL LOOKS GOOD!*Rihanna blows up with haircut, umbrella, foot cast & cane*YouTube*GodTube*Mozilla Firefox Browser ROCKS!*IE Browser-NOT!*Thank goodness 4 Tyler Perry!*Eurweb.com & BlackAmericaWeb.com, cool*ConcreteLoop, The YBF, Crunktastical, Bossip, Babes-Blings&Booze*Bria becomes a BLOGGER!*EVERY BLOG ON MY BLOGROLL OF FAME-SHEER HOTTNESS!*Yes-Fuel My Blog, Mybloglog,blogcatalog,technorati*Windows Vista-NOT!*new 'it girl' Kathy Heigl*who cares Eva & Tony??*poor Tara Reid*Isaiah Washington*Isaiah Thomas*Urshmeka*Halle got her baby!*Solo & 'Yonce darker hair (loves it)*Chaka Khan's 'Funk This' CD*Yolanda King (MLK's daughter) passes*Oprah's school scandal*Barak*Thompson/Huckabee ^5*Jordin Sparks*Jesse Jackson still talking*Ike Turner's playing guitar...somewhere*Don Imus & Doug 'Dog' Chapman(i 4giv them)*Rutgers Women Basketball team-U GO GIRLS!*Bill Reilly's stupidity*Get some sleep, Beyonce-you're making ME tired!*Katrina's flood victims STILL neglected*Kim Kardashian & assets* JLO and worse kept secret (pregnancy)*Miley Cyrus (i'll never understand that)*Brangelina*Knut the Bear*Sanjaya*Megan Williams*FALSE: PASTORS , PROFITS(prophets), TEACHERS, PROSPERITY GOSPEL, INCLUSION, ONENESS*'pastors' Randy/Paula White's imminent divorce* Sen. Grassley holding ministers accountable ^5*'bishop' Long, Dollar , White and all others who snubbed Grassley's request-smh*
Which brings us to
-the hottest
-the funkiest
-the stankiest
-the tackiest
-the pettiest
-the most carpet pulled back revealing story
(not including the nasty pedophile, sexually abusive pastors-yechh)
-the most ridiculously, embarrassing (but provided lots of material for bloggers) and foolish acting in THE PUBLIC'S EYE/MADE TO LOOK LIKE ABSOLUTE NINCOMPOOPS in the media-the biggest news to come out of GA in 2007
(2nd- GA's drought, 3rd- Dollar & Long's refusal to comply w/Grassley) yes-it was a NEWSWORTHY YEAR FOR GA!
...but there can only be ONE, #1 story that captivated America.
This story captivated America and her churches...

From beatdown to put down, from $5k pens to begging for $200k for a threshing room, from getting stomped on in August to stomping the yards at every opportunity to make her story known and declaring herself the "Face of Abuse"-the Weeks are the church's black "Alec Baldwin & Kim Bassinger."

They've been sued every which way but loose-
by church members, creditors, tax liens, bad credit, evictions, divorcing but not according to the courts, to a recent judgment being handed down in amount of $200k against Juanie B for not paying TV crew according to internet's Mo'Kelly.
No one wants 2007 to kick rocks like the Weeks'...while Juanie has covered Essence and given them her side, Weaks covered the video medium and radio.

They're reminiscent of the energizer bunny named Beyonce: You get tired of seeing her all over the place, but u can't help but be fascinated by her.
Let's hope bootylicious 'Yonce is in the news more in 2008, than the Weeks!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, FAMILY!

Sources:
Reuters Black Voices CNN Google Images

Mary J has Grown Up!

Mary Does What Few of Us Wants To Do:
Humbles Herself

Like most of us, I was hooked on Mary's "Just Fine,"
I forgot about her CD release until my daughter Nesa said,
"mama, you gotta get Mary's new CD!"
Well, if my 19y/o is pushing Mary, it must be tight, right?
Well, I got the cd and didn't know what to think...
trk 1 "work that"-diddy tells women to be happy with yourself-don't worry about what people say about you-work that!
trk 2 "Grown Woman ft. Ludacris"-I like this song simply cuz Mary gets her rap on! Go Mary!
trk 4 "Feel Like A Woman"-Mary keeps it real. Man, I want u to make me feel like a woman-I want to be DEPENDENT for a change. (loves it)

After the duet w/Ludacris, Mary songs delves into relationships, the struggles but wanting to work it out. Stick and Stay, and her willingness to do whatever's necessary to make it WORK!

Now, Mary is still Mary and she still keeps it real, so trk 9 "Roses" is her saying, "look ok relationships isn't always going to be about you...i'm goin to be Mrs. Right TODAY...you've been Mr. Right all the other days, but today's my day.
Relationships ain't all "Roses...ain't all candy,"
people need to understand that...marriage is NOT the wedding.
The end of this song is just funny...people giving her advice saying "u need to figure it out" and Mary's retort is: " no U FIGURE IT OT..U SUCK IT UP!"
That's Mary!

Trks 10-15 are just...wow-if you listen to the lyrics, Mary gives you a real glimpse inside of marriage. It's hard, it's tough, but the love is beautiful nontheless.
The pièce de résistance beyond a shadow of a doubt is:

trk 16 is "Come to Me (Peace)" [last trk on the cd] Not only is the music beautifully emotional, but Mary is soft, she's honest, she's absolutely touching in this song.
This song is for those times you've looked over mistakes in the marriage-which is now in shambles, realized your part in the mess, and said you know what? 'this relationship is still salvageable and I'm willing to make peace between us. I'm not going to give this relationship away, and if I have to beg, plead or cry-so be it.'
The urgency in the music is felt as the song draws to an end.

Mary, has definitely grown up-only the mature would understand and appreciate this CD.

I give this CD:

Image courtesy of TENNESSEAN.COM
5 star rating courtesy of Google Images

Don't Pop the Cork Yet **UPDATE** Yeah-Like We Didn't Know the Ending To This Story!

*The "black teenager's" name is MARTIN L. ANDERSON!*

Feds to Review Boot Camp Death Verdict
Source: aol new (emphasis by Ivent)

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (Oct. 13) - Seven former juvenile boot camp guards and a nurse had barely processed an all-white jury's decision to acquit them in a black teenager's death before federal authorities announced they would review the case. Since jurors on Friday acquitted them of manslaughter charges, federal prosecutors likely would have to try another tactic, such as seeking an indictment alleging obstruction of justice, legal experts said.


Henry McFadden was acquitted of manslaughter charges Friday by a Florida jury. But he and his seven co-defendants could face new federal charges in the death of a teen at a Florida boot camp in 2006.

"It's too early to say that the final chapter has been written with respect to the criminal justice system in this case," said Kendall Coffey, a former U.S. attorney in Miami. Florida civil rights leaders called for federal charges hours after a jury took 90 minutes to exonerate the eight in state court in the death of Martin Lee Anderson, 14.By Friday evening, officials from the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Tallahassee announced they were reviewing the state's prosecution.

Anderson died Jan. 6, 2006, a day after being hit and kicked by the guards as the nurse watched (and did absolutely nothing!) after he collapsed while running laps. The 30-minute confrontation was videotaped.

The altercation drew protests in the state capital and marked the end of Florida's system of juvenile boot camps. Defense attorneys argued that the camp workers were using accepted tactics and that the boy died because of a pre-existing medical condition. Coffey said state prosecutors might have laid a foundation for their federal counterparts to seek an obstruction charge by grilling the eight about inconsistencies and omissions in their written accounts of the last conscious moments of Anderson's life when they testified last week. But lawyer Bob Sombathy, who represented ex-guard Patrick Garrett, said he doubted a federal prosecution would be successful. Sombathy said the state trial showed the medical findings are on the side of the defendants."With a 90-minute verdict after a three-week trial (in the state case), it would be the same result," he said.

Ashley Benedik, defense attorney for nurse Kristin Schmidt, said the federal government might not bring charges."To a certain extent there was more at stake for the state, there was more of a public outcry," she said. At a vigil in the impoverished neighborhood where Anderson grew up, community leaders appealed for calm in the wake of the verdict, which they said was affected by Circuit Judge Michael Overstreet's decision to hold the trial in Panama City, where the boot camp was located."This is not the end of it. We can take it to a higher court and I hope it will be taken to a higher court," said Panama City Commissioner Jonathan Wilson. Laurie Levenson, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said she was not surprised the guards were acquitted by a "hometown jury." Nor would it surprise her if the federal government stepped in, she said."This is the very type of case you would expect the Justice Department to take a very close look at, just like the Rodney King case," Levenson said. King was pulled over for speeding in Los Angeles' eastern San Fernando Valley, where police officers who said he acted menacingly and refused to follow their orders were videotaped kicking him, pummeling him with their nightsticks and shooting him with stun-gun darts. After a jury acquitted the officers in 1992, riots broke out across Los Angeles and lasted four days, leaving 55 people dead and more than 2,000 injured. Federal prosecutors in the King case presented new evidence during their trial of the officers, including testimony that the officers had lied and had laughed about the incident, Levenson said. In the federal trial, two officers were convicted of violating King's civil rights.

*****

I'm at the point where, I just don't want to get my hopes up.

It sounds wonderful that the Feds are stepping in, but this is a situation of "hope for the best, expect the worse."

The african-community has been jilted by the justice system over, and over, and over again.

That is why I REFUSE to say the pledge of allegiance.

My kids are not to say it either, it's a lie.

We're not "one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all,"

Instead it should say "one community-who is in the correct socioeconomic class-will receive liberty and justice for themselves and their offspring"

It's the truth anyhow.

You better recognize.