Woman Faces 15 Years for Cutting Line at Walmart, KKK Involved

Woman Faces 15 Years for Cutting Line at Walmart, KKK Involved

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It's a New Day!

Ok, so next weekend I'm going to be traveling to Pa. to start graduate school. It has been my goal to pursue my Masters degree for several years. I'm very excited, but also nervous. I desperately want everything to go smoothly. I don't really know what to expect for graduate school. I don't know how hard it's going to be. Are the papers harder to write? Are the professors more demanding? Is it harder to make an A? Will I like Pa as my new home? All of these questions are going through my mind, but I know I should stop overthinking and just do it! I remember feeling that way about a lot of new things in my life. Sometimes I would talk myself out of doing things just to regret it years later. So blogging will be my virtual pep-talk. You can do it, girl! Just keep your head to the skyyyyyyyy Be optimistic!



I needed to listen to this song! What a beautiful and inspiring message.

So when I arrive in Pa (probably Sunday), I'm going to check into a hotel and stay there for a week. I will use the first week of classes to look at apartments in the town. I have to be able to see where I'm staying for the next year. I'm just looking for a simple 1 bedroom or studio apartment. I don't need (and can't afford) anything fancy. I have a general idea of a few spots around the campus. I really don't want to have to sell my furniture off so it's important that I find a spot large enough to place it.

Labor Day weekend I'll return back to NC to get the rest of my stuff. Sounds like a plan? Thanks to everyone who have kept me in their prayers. I'm doing the same for you.

My tribute and reflection on the other "Great MJ"

Michael Joseph Jackson left us all on June 25, 2009. It still feels weird saying how great of an entertainer he WAS. It just doesn't seem right that he's gone. I know everyone has their day, but MJ departed in such a shocking, abrupt way. Truth is, he was the inspiration for the name of my blog (along with Michael Jordan). He was a great and my initials are MJ as well, hence the "anothergreatmj" name for this blog. I didn't know Michael personally, but because we shared some things in common (love for singing, being visual artists, and being shy) and he was a MAJOR part of my childhood, he is synonymous with greatness to me.

I have so many memories of MJ. I remember being probablly four or five and staring at his "Off the Wall" album cover for what seemed like hours at a time. That album always sat in the front of our plastic crate in the living room. There was something about his eyes, simply magnetic. I remember watching Thriller, Beat It, and Billy Jean on BET and MTV. I was so afraid of that Thriller video, and it's still scary even today. The make up and special effects must have been spectacular for that time because I'm still impressed with them today. I was too young to lust over this man at the time (I was only four when Thriller came out), but I still loved him! As I grew older and as Michael's appearance changed more and more I was sooo puzzled! What happened to him? Why is his skin white now? I was way too young to understand what was happening to this guy who could dance so well. Fast forward 20 years later and I still never could figure out why he destroyed that beautiful face he had.

None of that mattered though, all that mattered was that MJ could dance his ASS off and his videos were the bomb! Smooth Criminal, Black or White, and Remember the Time were all videos and songs that I remember loving. Around those times I was in my pre teen years. Michael seemed to have faded into the background by the late 90s and he appeared far less often than before. His nose became the butt of endless jokes and no one could figure out what the hell was going on. His skin was so pale, I thought that he surely looked dead. Honestly, I thought that MJ looked like someothing out of a casket, just ghostly white. He said he had vitiligo, but I had my doubts about that. The extreme narrowing of his nose had me thinking twice about the vitiligo claim. Did he want to be white? Was he ashamed of his black features? That's what I always thought.

Still even after death my theory was that he hated the way he looked and didn't want to look like his father. That's actually what Latoya Jackson said and what I was thinking all along. I think he hated his appearance so much that he didn't want his kids to carry his genes.

These are my personal feelings about Michael Jackson. His life was such a mystery to me and extremely interesting. How must it have been to be a superstar from the age of 11? That's unreal to me and I have no idea how it felt. I don't want to know either and I actually felt very sorry for him. You could tell how sad of a man he was and he noted on several occasions that he was lonely. I always felt bad for him because there's no amount of money in the world that can bring you true happiness if you have internal demons.

But let me speak on the most phenomenal part of Michael Jackson's life; his music. MJ could crank out hits like no other artist of his time. Since his death, like many others I've felt a need to revisit his music. I always had my favorite MJ songs, but revisiting his music exposed me to a lot of his music that I had not heard in a while. Songs like Dirty Diana and Say Say Say I had not heard in years, maybe since I was a teenager! A lot of that music came from my early childhood, so by the time I was old enough to really appreciate music, those songs had aged and weren't played on the radio. Also MTV and BET just stopped showing videos (as much) and thus the end of the music video era. That was the era that made MJ a mega super star.

His music invokes so much emotion out of me. One thing I can say is that he put his all into recording these songs. You could hear the emotion in his voice. His sporadic yelps and "hee hees" are symbols of a true artist, totally guided by the music. He wrote many of his own song as well, which also makes his music genuine. There's nothing phony about it, unlike much of today's popular music.

It is just amazing how much of an ICON he is. I think about the artists of today and I can't think of anyone who will come close to leaving that type of impact. Michael Jackson wasn't just his name, but his name was a BRAND, unintentionally. Jay Z would probably tell you he is a brand, but he can't come close to MJ. Michael Jackson was the personification of originality. No one moved like him, sang like him, or dressed like him. You could make a list of things associated with Michael Jackson and that list would be ultra long. He had a distinct sound and moves..they can certainly be duplicated, but the fact that he was a true innovator is what makes his career so amazing to me.

So here's to an amazing artist who is gone, but eternally alive through his music. Michael Jackson you will be missed, but I know there must be an awesome party going on in heaven right now. Rest in peace my man.

Here are my top five favorite MJ songs. All visitors please leave your favorites too!

1. Human Nature
2. Another Part of Me
3. I Wanna be Where You Are
4. Smooth Criminal
5. Lady in my Life

Top Five MJ Videos

1. Remember the Time
2. Thriller
3. Dirty Diana
4. Say Say Say
5. Smooth Criminal
   

Do you have wide feet?

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How to find stylish shoes for wide feet.

Find stylish shoes for your wide feet.

My resource guide for finding the most stylish wide-width shoes online.

I have extra wide feet. When I say extra wide, I do mean extra! It's very hard for me to find shoes that don't suffocate my chunky feet. I like to try to stay fashionable and usually I can do that until it comes down to the shoes. It can get really frustrating and shoe shopping happens to be one of my most dreaded activities. However, it's not impossible to find nice comfortable wide width shoes.

Most of us with wide feet know the deal when it comes to most selections of shoes for our feet. I have been in countless amount of shoe stores and most of them don't have a wide selection of wide width shoes. They may have a couple here or there, but not nearly a big enough selection for the fashionably conscious woman.

Steve Madden Shoes

For instance, the last time I went shopping for pumps, I tried on a pair of Steve Madden black pumps with a kitten heel. I looked at the shoe and for some reason I was compelled to try it on. Now I can usually just look at a shoe and tell if I can wear it or not. I tried on the shoe and boy was I stunned! It was so comfortable and they fit my fat feet. I couldn't believe it. Thank you Steve Madden! These pumps are really cute and I bought them on sale for $10.

Naturalizer

I love Naturalizer shoes! I really do. Naturalizer has the best selection of shoes in wide widths and their sizes even go up to double wide. Their line of footwear include boots (many with shafts to fit large calves), sandals, and dress shoes. They also carry athletic footwear as well. I can't say enough great things about Naturalizer's line of shoes. My feet love them and have thanked them over and over through the years.

Easy Spirit

Many malls have an Easy Spirit store, so they are probably one of the more popular sellers of wide-width shoes.

Keep in mind that you can't assume a pair of shoes won't fit when they're not labeled "wide". Some brand name of shoes like Steve Madden, Dockers,

There are several mega shoe store sites that carry all of these brands of shoes. You can customize your shoe search by shoe width and shoe size. You can also search by type of shoe or even height of the heel.Oftentimes, these sites promote free shipping with your orders as well.

Some of my favorite mega shoe store sites include Zappos.com and Shoes.comThey have a huge variety of stylish wide width shoes. Many of the shoes that they carry aren't easily found in stores.

http://www.squidoo.com/widewidthshoes

Lady Gaga: What's up with her?

I have been listening to the radio and watching TV a lot lately and Lady Gaga seems to be one of the most popular singers on the scene. The thing is, I thought she would be a one-hit wonder. I think she has well surpassed that one or two hit stardom curve. She now has at least like four or five songs playing on the radio now.

I'm trying to figure her out though. I watch her videos and I get a sense of nostalgia. Is it me or does she seem to be emulating a Madonna-like shock factor? All of her videos include her in scantily clad clothing and surrounded by (obviously) gay black men. She dresses in these weird outfits and a lot of her songs sound like club music. I'm not hatin', I actually think she's a decent singer. She's just crazy weird to me!

I'm kinda diggin this "Lovegame" song she has out now. Check out the video.

Music, Fashion, Beauty, Movies ooohweeee!

I'm trying to get a few ideas for my blog. I've been researching and everywhere I go, the major advice is "blog about what you KNOW". There's a small problem with this-I don't KNOW anything!! lol At least I don't think I know much of anything. I am not a real expert on any one subject. I can list a few things that I am really interested in.

Fashion- Plus size fashion to be specific. I'm a big girl and I buy a lot of clothes online. Torrid, Lane Bryant, Igigi.com, Avenue etc. That's where I buy my clothing because there aren't too many plus sized stores out here.

Beauty- I'm not much of a make-up girl, but I do love facial cleansers and moisturizers. I LOVE lip gloss and perfume/fragrances too!

Hair- Anyone who knows me definitely knows that my hair changes very often. I have worn braids, naturals, relaxers, weaves, kinky twists, in all kinds of colors. I love changing my hair. I also have a deep interest in learning more about natural hair care.

Music- I love music! I especially love that old school. You know the kind I'm talking about! I'm talking about the kind of songs you listen to and it immediately takes you back to your childhood or teenager years. Ha! What can I say? I'm stuck in the 80s and 90s for sure.

Movies- I'm not really a movie buff, but I do love watching a good movie or two. Maybe I'll add some movie reviews to this blog as well. Hmmmm good idea!

Why I gotta live in BIG GIRL HATER-LAND?

As I stated before I live in the Triad area of NC. For those of you who don't know that consists of the cities of Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and High Point. I'm a large woman as you all can see. However, I'm not a bad looking female. I just want to know what the fuck is wrong with guys in NC? Ok ok I can't speak for men in other areas like Charlotte, Raleigh, Eastern NC, but the dudes HERE in my area. Yoooooo they act like big girls got some kind of incurable disease and if they speak to one they might catch it! I'm so perplexed..and this is why: I travel sometimes just to get out of B.G.H.L (big girl hater land) sometimes. I promise..EVERY time I go out of town (or out of state) I get approached and/or complimented by men. When I am home..it's like *crickets* ...absolutely NO LOVE. What's the deal? Is it because the guys outside of NC are more outgoing and not afraid to approach? Do these men from out of state have a more diverse taste in women? What is it? I am very confused!!! All I know is..I can't wait to move because I'm tired of being ignored when I go out. I don't have cooties! lol

Blogging...I'll take a stab at it

Ok so I have had a few blogs on other sites. I don't think I am a good blogger though because I'm a private person. I don't like everyone in my business, knowing what's in my head. I guess I will take another stab at it on this site. So for those of you who don't know me let me give you some basics. I am 29 years old and I live in the triad area of NC. I love chocolate, cheese, and men. I also like to travel..blah blah..this is boring me already. I was laid off from my job in January. I think this was a blessing in disguise. I have been wanting to attend grad school and/or move for years. I was in such a groove with work that I never made time to work on those other goals I had. I have been without a job before, but this is the first time I actually feel relieved. I am ready to embark on a journey towards a new me. There's so much I want to experience in life and I have felt like I was stuck in some kind of cage for my entire life. My life has felt really sheltered. Partially because of me and for the fact that I am just now beginning to live. I need to stop being afraid and take life by the balls and squeeze the shit out of em! I can't live a life full of regrets. With that being said, I am ready for whatever is in store for me.