New Year, New Me, New Perspective

It has been more than a year since I posted anything on this blog and its a shame. But I'm back! With a new design and a new motivation for life, I will be posting again in 2014!

We have a lot to catch up on!!

I love Mindy Kaling btw

RHOA Season Five Premiere

Kim is missing because I think she leaves mid-season and gets replaced

I had to watch RHOA an hour later because I was watching Revenge (which is a great show on ABC, everyone should get on that) but whoa when I saw that season premiere, I had to watch it again because I was so entertained! Let me discuss each "housewife" ( I use quotation marks because some of these women aren't even housewives, just rich women who live in Atlanta who get involved in drama.)

So Kandi is seriously dating Todd, a cameraman who was filming the show in Africa. There is so much gossip on the blogs about their relationship. They say Kandi is a suga mama (which I believe and i think she kinda confirmed it on twitter), they say Todd is still seeing his ex, they say Todd is using her for her money and once he has enough he will dump her. They even got text messages from his ex saying how Kandi disgust him.

But if you didn't read the blogs or hear the rumors, you would be so happy for Kandi.

They even talk about children and marriage. Kandi mentions she wants to have her son and name him Kash (which is Kim's new baby's name hmmmmm). She also makes a quip about thats how THEY bought the new house. In cash. Girl you mean how you bought that new house in cash. Kandi bought a new house which is right around the corner from the mayor and it is huge! It will take a lot of time to redecorate though.

Now I seriously love Phaedra Parks. She is my spirit animal and my inspiration. But she is crazy. She is on her way to getting her mortuary license or whatever but now she wants to have funerals for people and their pets. But I think she has to stop worrying about the dead and worry about the living aka Kenya Moore. Kenya is the new housewife and according to the previews she has her eyes set on Apollo. Even though Kenya got a man!

Yes girl, everyone knows but calm down

I have to get to Kenya later, she's the one everyone is talking about. Calling her "the new Nene".

Speaking of Nene, she is truly living her rich bitch lifestyle. She has men, including her ex, wanting her, on a new show and is besties with Ryan Murphy!

I was truly jealous of her during this scene

I'm so proud of Nene Leakes. She went from a stripper to a tv star. The American Dream really. I don't think Nene will be that exciting this season because she has that scripted tv money to make and can't ruin that by acting the fool like usual.

Kim is up to her usual craziness though. She's pregnant again (she just can't keep her legs closed to marry men hahaha get it?) and is facing eviction drama. It's going to cost her 100,000 dollars to move and she has two weeks to pack her shit and leave. Meanwhile her, Kroy and Sweetie are sitting there looking slow. But at the end of the day Kim is like they have 90 days to evict me! She just loves the drama...and her wigs.

Love the finger motion

Now lets get to Cynthia who might just come out her shell this season. She stood up to her sexy ex Leon about keeping her daughter home schooled (and lost) but she will not lose to Kenya Moore. She didn't say it to Kenya's face but in the heart to heart with the camera, she let us know she is not settling for her mess. Cynthia was highly annoyed with Kenya during the Jet Magazine model search and she gave me my life repeating the line of the episode.

I'm still saying this in my head

Now lets take a deep breath and talk about Kenya Moore. Ninety percent of everyone who watched the premiere is scared of this chick. She's the type of person who has to open her mouth at every single opportunity. Not only is she kinda crazy but she is very loud! She violated on most of the models who walked the catwalk. The girl who accidentally had her crack out was called out immediately and will forever be embarrassed. Kenya said she saw ass crack, coochie crack (camel toe) and too much hair. EMBARRASSING. She called security on someone who works at Cynthia's Model Agency and she has to mention her credentials every ten minutes (Miss USA, model, actress, producer director, CEO, blah blah blah). I can't wait for the drama she will bring this season. She's like a mix of Sheree (who we will miss because she had the BEST arguments) and Nene (who is not afraid to get loud). I don't think I will review every episode but I will tweet about at 10 pm Eastern Time every Sunday. Follow me on twitter: MzAsilij.

Now for some last words from the new HBIC.

Hurricane Sandy: A NYer Rant

Last Monday, Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast and it just ruined homes, businesses, streets, trees and families. Crazy for a Category 2 hurricane huh? I'm not annoyed that Hurricane Sandy hit, I can't control or fully understand Mother Nature. I'm mad that the electric and gas companies were so unprepared for the hurricane, so now most people won't have power until Thanksgiving! I'm mad about how messed up people are but let's get to that later...


First of all can someone explain the power grid system to me? I was lucky compared to others to have my power off for five days (five excruciating depressing days) but people who live two minutes away from me still have no power! And when I didn't have power, I felt like throwing rocks at my neighbors who LIVE BEHIND ME that have power. I was above pissed! This is what NYC looks like.

Downtown NYC is blacked out

Meanwhile parts of NYC are alive and bright like the Hurricane didn't happen. Thank God for shelters and hotels that are open to the victims. It's too cold to be in a house with no heat, especially if you live with little children and/or the elderly.

Let's talk about the gas lines. Have you seen them?

Not only for cars but for generators and other uses

They even bought the National Guard in to make sure a riot doesn't happen. Yes, people are crazy enough to skip lines in New York.

My sister waited in her car on the gas line for seven hours. No, not me, I am not about that life. I would of gladly took the bus or rode my bike to work. These gas lines are still too long. And also people who are raising their prices at gas stations stores during a time of crisis are jerks. You and your profits can burn in hell.

Another thing I want to rant about is schools being closed for a week. I understand it was closed during the hurricane, like duh, but there is still no power in most schools in NY? I will gladly send my kids to school with a flashlight and a blanket. By the time my little sister goes back to school, she won't even remember her teachers name.

But really? Whats her name? Man, you forgot too?

My next rant is for people who live near the beach. This is not for the people who are homeless and are not battling with their insurance companies. This is for the people who bought a house near the beach and never bought flood insurance. Seriously, the first thing I would of bought is insurance then furniture. This is for the people who wanted to stay in their homes and then during the hurricane needed help. I sympathize with you with 0.0001% of my heart.

Now a natural disaster just happened. People are trying to get their lives back in order, volunteering at shelters and cleaning up areas. But there are those assholes who are looting! Breaking into small and big businesses, houses and cars. And of course there is violence and shooting going on. Now not only do some people have to travel through dark areas but have to worry about getting robbed or killed. I hate people all the time sometimes.

Feel free to volunteer and donate to hurricane victims. And pay attention to the politicians in your neighborhood and how they responded to your needs during this time. Election Day is tomorrow...

Season One of HBO Girls

I have been meaning to watch the show since I heard about it but it didn't fit in my schedule. Now that I have some free time, I decided to watch the whole season in two days. I loved every minute of it! From the criticism from actors and other blogs, I was ready to hate, but I instantly fell in love.
There is criticism about white washing NYC and she solved it by adding Donald Glover to the mix. Can't wait to see his sexy self in season two but lets concentrate on season one.

This is not a recap, just issues and jokes that i wanted to talk about, but it is a SPOILER ALERT!!! So if you didn't watch the show, just watch an episode and read my take on each one. 

HERE IT GOES...

Pilot

The show takes place in Greenpoint, which I like to call hipster Brooklyn (opposite of Gangsta Brooklyn) so I was familiar with the scenery. This show is not afraid to talk about topics that women discuss and obsess about. Hannah has body issues, that every girl in America is dealing it. So is easily shows her flaws and makes the audience like her. The show main premise is that Hannah has been cut off financially from her parents and that she has to pay her rent and afford her lifestyle on he own. This made me think of Mitt Romney when he said (I'm paraphrasing) "College students can just borrow money from their parents t start businesses or pay bills" UM NO WE CAN'T. Its not easy being a college graduate in a fucked up economy. TRUST ME


Vagina Panic

This show has realistic sex scenes. Plus characters talk about sex, like everyone else does. Using lame terms and just being goofy about it. Like every time I have sex with a random guy, I have HIV fears (jokes), and I'm very laid back about abortions, but not about sex with my period on (big no-no). One of the characters Shoshanna, is a virgin and she obsesses about it. Its weird as a woman living in the city to be in her 20s and be a virgin. Its just how society is nowadays.

All Adventourous Women

Hannah is dating this guy named Adam and at the beginning of the episode he's just a big wtf. Have you ever messed with a guy and knew he wasn't shit but you were so lonely and he was so interesting that you stuck with him anyway? Did I just describe my dating experience?

Hannah's Diary

Adam sent Hannah a picture of his penis and she sent him one of herself naked. Sexting pictures is a big hell no for me. I don't care if we have been married for forty-five years, we are not sexting pictures. Everything always ends up on the internet.

Hard Being Easy 

Hannah is not a realistic employee. Like if you need a job that bad, wouldn't you try and keep it? But would you work at a job that your boss was touchy-feely and really easygoing? YES.

Something that this episode touched slightly on is that sex means nothing but kissing is more personal (unless it leads to sex). I think that's true. Sad but true. 

Welcome to Bushwick/Crackcident

The girls go to a rave and Marnie sees her ex who moved on with a random chick. It hasn't even been a whole month! I bet he's a needy type of lover. She wanted him to still be in love with her but he moved on to a girl that is actually likable. Love sucks.

Weirdos Need Girlfriends Too

So Adam and Hannah are officially boyfriend and girlfriend. But Adam is so freaking weird. The situation reminded me of so many instances that I had in my life. Like when your friend boyfriend is such a freak of nature and when you mention it, they instantly get mad at you like you're the only one who sees it!

Then when you realize your boyfriend is crazy, its like fuck fuck fuck, my life just got more crazier. But when you realize that his personality and craziness is what makes him special, its love.
 

Awwww

Can I say something about Adam? I hate people who are like "I was fat once, I got rid of it so can you" Oh fuck off

Jessa and Marnie also have a little adventure that involves them expressing girl on girl tendencies. But it didn't feel sexually to me but it was hilarious. This show made every man's fantasy hilarious.

I was laughing. Only me?

Leave Me Alone

Hannah is pissed because a girl from her class published a book and she is still writing random essays and working mindless jobs. If any of my classmates make it before I do, I would be pissed. I hope everyone who graduated in my major in the same year as me, just lose all their talent and change their dreams. Seriously. 

She Did

Hannah is so into herself and her emotions that we as an audience that really realize it as first, but the more its mentioned, the more we are like wow this narcissistic bitch. But some how she is still likeable.

Jessa went missing for a week and we found out that she invited everyone to her surprise wedding to the guy who wanted a threesome with her and Marnie. No one stopped or questioned anything. Like if I was there, I would be saying wtf during the ceremony, after the ceremony, in the bathroom and on the way home. Every one just went with the flow. Crazy

Also, I want the dj who played the music at the wedding! Haha



The season finale left a lot of unanswered questions which is good because it lets the audience think about what can happen. Are Adam and Hannah over? Will there be a Marnie and Charlie again? Wtf was Jessa thinking and will her marriage last? Will Shosh start dating Ray? Season Two I'm waiting for you...

Anyway I love/hate Lena Dunham for creating this show because I like the series but I hate that I'm the one blogging it and not creating it. But I'm proud of her and her four Emmy nominations because its like she doing this for every female filmmaker with a dream!

Next Chapter: Rihanna

Last night, Rihanna was on"Oprah's Next Chapter" and for me, it was not an hour wasted. At the end of the program, I felt like Rihanna was one of us, just a random human being going through life, instead of this huge superstar who wouldn't even shop at the same store as me. So anyway, let me walk you through the main highlights that stuck in my head. I'm not discussing every question and segment because I knew it before the show or it really didn't stick with me.

Rihanna's grandmother Gran Gran Dolly died last month from cancer and Oprah asked what her last moments were like and how she influenced her. It was a very vulnerable moment for Rihanna because her grandmother meant a lot to her and was instrumental in her success. I teared up a little because they were showing footage and pictures of her grandmother and wow she reminded me of my grandma!

I never knew how to describe Rihanna's music. Was she pop or r&b? Even in 2012, its hard for me to label a black women as a pop star. But last night when Oprah said that Esquire magazine called her "Carnal Pop" I knew that was a genre that fit Rihanna perfectly. Songs like "Cockiness" and "Rude Boy" have to be in a special genre of their own.

She oozes passion in every picture she takes candid or professional

Speaking on Rihanna's sexuality, Oprah quoted Esquire magazine again saying how Rihanna "is the essence of fuck". What?!? That's the same thing as saying she equals UNF. Rihanna took this all as flattery but if it was me, I would buy a shirt saying I was the essence of fuck. But Rihanna doesn't like being on the pedestal, doesn't want to be a role model and wants her fans to accept her flaws. She doesn't want people to see her as weak, so she keeps her problems to herself. This statement made me like Rihanna more because she's not trying to feed us a superficial image, she's just being herself. Also, I'm the type of person to hide my feelings from the ones I love.

We all knew Chris Brown was going to pop up.

Even Oprah said that the incident that happened in 2009 will follow them the rest of their lives. They will forever be connected by that moment. But what did Rihanna say about her current status with Chris Brown?

When Oprah called Chris Brown a pop star, I giggled because he's more pop than R&B for me and people disagree with me on that, but Oprah said it, so now it is fact!

First of all let me say I didn't watch this interview for Chris Brown gossip, I watched because I wanted Oprah to address that financial, alcohol, drugs and sex addict rumors. (Spoiler Alert! Oprah didn't ask about none of that and I was kind of disappointed). But Rihanna said that her and Chris are still very very close friends (everyone watching did a collective uh huh), that it is very awkward seeing him in person, that they still talk, she has forgiven him and that she still loves him.

I wasn't surprised when she said she still loves him. It's hard to stop loving someone, especially your first love. You can never be friends with someone you once loved. The mature part of me was right there with Rihanna, about to cry because I still love someone who hurt me. The immature part of me was imagining Chris Brown flying to Barbados and dumping his girlfriend via text!

Also in the interview, she said to stop being so angry and dark, she had to forgive her father for what he did to her mother. Even though he wasn't a great husband, he was still a good father. I like that she gave her father another chance and now they are spending lots of quality time together. 

Next, Rihanna drove Oprah to the neighborhood she grew up in. She said waved hello to the people that passed and even stopped and talked to some people she knew. When they stopped in front of her old house, they just had to go inside. I thought that was crazy because you just can't pop into someone's house with Oprah! They must of warned the residents they were coming beforehand.

The last part of the program was extremely special. Rihanna surprised her mother with a new house! It was specially designed, five bedrooms and has a big pool! Plus their first guest was Oprah! That's crazy! One of my wishes is to buy my mother a house, so I was crying tears of joy at the end.

All in all, it was a great interview on Rihanna, showing her personality and shedding light on some of her issues. She gained more fans and respect because she opened up to us.

Watch the video and tell me what you think!

HBO: Sex to Politics

Am I the only one who noticed that HBO has a lot of political programming lately? I know its an election year but this has been going on for awhile now. And with these political television shows and movies produced by HBO, they seem to cut out another topic.

Sex.

I think what got HBO on the map was its documentary series about sex and scripted shows. I'm talking about Real Sex, G String Divas, Taxicab Confessions, Cathouse, Hookers at Hook Point and the most famous, Sex and the City.

This show taught me more about sex than sex ed did

So what happened? Why the change? I couldn't find any quotes or articles on the change of programming. Don't get me wrong, shows like The Newsroom, Veep and the HBO movie called "Game Change" are quality programming but I just miss the sex. Not for pleasure but for the education and something to talk over brunch with girlfriends.

The Death of Amy Winehouse: I Reminisce

I wanted to write this post for so long but I decided to wait until a year has passed, when all my emotions were in order. I'm still not sure what I want to say but I'm just going to let it flow. There is a lot of articles marking the one year anniversary of her death but nothing from her fans, the people who were there when she hit her highs and lows. I was one of those fans who defended her even when I knew what she was doing was wrong. But why would I defend and mourn someone whom I never met?

It all started in 2007.

I was watching the MTV Movie Awards and I was rolling my eyes throughout the whole thing and wondering why I was I even watching it. I was looking for my remote when someone announced a singer named Amy Winehouse singing "Rehab". I was about to leave my room but then she started singing. I never really heard anything like her voice before. And her style and the way she performed was really unique to me.

MTV Movie Awards 2007

When I went to school everyone was talking about her. There were some people making fun of the song Rehab, but nobody else was mentioned that day. When I got home I must of listened to Rehab over thirty times before my mother asked what the hell was wrong with me.

Since then I got every song by Amy Winehouse that I could get my hands on. Even if she was featured on the song, I got it. I listened to her music but I didn't understand her lyrics fully until....

2009. My first real heartbreak.

I told myself I would never cry over a man. and I was crying over a boy no less. I used to wonder why Amy didn't let go of Blake but now I know you never can truly get over your first love. I stayed in my bed and cried all throughout spring break. I didn't go to classes and ultimately failed them. And the weight I gained, ugh, I don't want to mention it. No one could help me with what I was going through because I was so cocooned in my emotions. 

When I listened to the song "Back to Black", I just wanted to hear Amy's voice for the reminder of my life. I had an IPod now, so I would lay on my bed and just listen to what she was actually saying. Amy wrote her songs so she experienced every emotion she sung. And I felt what she was singing and it made me feel like I wasn't alone and that I could move on from this. Whenever I felt like I wanted to get back in bed and cry I would softly sing "Tears Dry On Their Own". Before I knew it, I didn't have to sing that song to get up every morning. 

It was at that point I became an Amy Winehouse stan. 

During my recovery from depression and suicidal thoughts, I listened to more jazz singers and soul artists. I collected and listened to more Etta James, Aretha Franklin and other artists from that time era. Before Amy, I only listened to Britney Spears or Beyonce kind of music. This is where I became more of a fan of soul music. But just because things were better in my life, doesn't mean things were fine with Amy. 

Drugs, Alcohol and more Drugs.

Every headline I read about her featured her in drunken or drugged out state. People were saying she looked too skinny and sick. She was being judged at every moment and I felt that people didn't care about her problems. They just wanted her to do another album, another performance. Sure her label let her go on vacations to the islands but it was like "Hurry up and get better so you can make us more money". I wanted to just be in her circle and be there for her. But deep down I knew that all good things must come to an end. 

I don't remember how I found out about her death. It had to be online because I'm addicted to my computer. People were texting me asking if I was okay because they knew how much I worshiped her. My family members were afraid to approach me. This time when I blasted her music, no one complained.

I went on Facebook and of course there were the statuses saying "Well she should of went to Rehab" (oh how original) and other dumb jokes. But when I put up my status about how she changed me for the better and how unlike them, she will always be remembered, they had no choice but to like my status.

Say what you want but she changed my life and I wish I could of helped her the way she helped me. She just wanted to be loved....

The Amy Winehouse Foundation has been set up in Amy's memory to support charitable activities in both the UK and abroad that provide help, support or care for young people, especially those who are in need by reason of ill health, disability, financial disadvantage or addiction. http://www.amywinehousefoundation.org