I am so loving this 2000 Bloggers project. I've not had the time to devote to it as I'd like but I've already met some terrific folks from all parts of the world. Tino Buntic deserves an award for a fabulous idea.
My next question is: Who's gonna design the official 2000 Bloggers t-shirt?
I'm in! I made the 2000 Bloggers list! Happy happy joy joy! Happy happy joy joy! What's 2000 Bloggers? It's a viral social networking project started by Tino Buntic. It is WOMA (word-of-mouth advertising) at its best. After only a week on the internet, it spread like wildfire.Over the rest of the year, I will meet fellow 2000 bloggers and link to their blogs. I’ll keep you posted on how the networking goes. Another tremendous upside is my Technorati rating that rose from 421,000 to 301,000 in a matter of hours.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that I found out about the project through Paula Neal Mooney’s blog. Paula is an awesome blogger; I let you know more about her in a later blog post. I will let you know now that not only is she a fellow 2000 Blogger, she’s also a MyBlogLog contact and Florida A& M University alum. Check out her blog at http://paulamooney.blogspot.com/.
Above are A-List Bloggers... B-List Bloggers... C-List Bloggers... All blogs in between, plus some you've never seen. click here to learn how to include your blog.
HOT SAUCE! I heard someone shout from across the parking lot of Monty’s on South Beach. Oh, snap?! I hadn’t heard that in over twenty years. I tried to ignore the shouting and continued walking with friends. Whoever it was wouldn’t stop shouting. I tried to see who it was with my peripheral vision but no luck.
Hot Sauce was one of my nicknames from college. I was given that nickname by Polar Bear when I pledged Omega Deb my second quarter in college. Polar Bear was cool but he got me in trouble almost every day for about six weeks. Our D.P. (dean of pledges) was his ex-girlfriend. We had to get signatures of the big brothers and big sisters everyday. Since Polar Bear sat next to me in Chemistry, it was easy to get his signature. He would write things like “Polar Bear loves Hot Sauce” and “Polar Bear loves Hot Sauce on his collard greens”. There was absolutely nothing going on between us; he just wanted to make DP mad. It worked. I caught H-E-L-L. I didn’t know what I was doing but I knew I couldn’t quit. He tried to clear it up but it was too late; It was toast.
As time passed I picked up a few more nicknames in college: VW, Peabody, Dirty Red and Sweetness. I preferred Sweetness. You know…Sweet Vanessa…Sweet Ness… Sweetness. Got it? Anyhoo, none of them seemed to stick like Hot Sauce.
Just so you know, my nickname could have just as easily been Carrot Top. Polar Bear named me Hot Sauce because I was light-skinned with red hair. LOL
We never knew the birth names of many folks in college, only nicknames. If you were in the band or a fraternity or sorority or almost any organization, you had a nickname. It seemed like a requirement. Whoever was shouting my nickname tonight knew me from way back when.
I finally turned around to see who was calling me. It was June Bug from West Palm Beach. He was cool. We danced, shared a few drinks and hors d’oeuvres and reminisced. Before my friends and I left, I told him that my name is Vanessa and not to ever call me Hot Sauce in public like that again. He laughed and agreed. The trouble is I still only know him as June Bug.
This joint speaks for itself. Lady Jill is such an awesome singer and a refreshing change from the manufactured, fake pop and soul princesses of today. Jill Scott is all that. I’m adopting this as my theme song for 2007! Listen and enjoy!
I was gradually awaking from a pleasant sleep so I invested little focus on a video news story showing one group of protestors running from another. An gray-haired man threw a megaphone at the group retreating. The background appeared vaguely familiar but I still didn’t give it another thought. I would later learn than the scene was actually played out in a section of Miami called Little Havana.
Apparently, a group of about 80 supporters of anti-Castro militant Luis Posada Carilles gathered near the Bay of Pigs Memorial to protest Posada’s federal trial and possible deportation. A smaller group of anti-Posada protestors gathered across the street. Needless to say, the situation quickly turned violent.
I didn’t want to believe what I saw. The demonstrations and subsequent violence because of opposing viewpoints would be featured on news channels throughout the world. These negative images would validate the incendiary comments by U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo’s characterization of Miami as a third world country.
I don’t venture to imply that I understand the feelings of the Posada supporters. I won’t attempt to condemn their anger and frustration. I do know that whether we agree with the message or not, we must respect the right of freedom of speech. It is a basic tenet of the United States of America. I can picture Rep. Tancredo singing the “I told you so” song for sure.
This spectacle also fueled pro-Cuban and anti-immigration fires. Folks on either side have lined up to voice their opinions. Some comments are very eloquent while others brief and hate-filled. I love Miami. It is one of the most ethnically polarized places I’ve ever lived in but I still love it. If anyone wants to experience a true global feeling, Miami is the place to be. Now you won't get that expereince if you stay in your own little Miami neighborhood. The true Miami expereince requires you to venture to all four corners of the metropolitan area.
It is crucial that Miami’s local law enforcement exercise due diligence to assure that expected legal recourse by the anti-Posada protestors is handled in a peaceful and safe environment. Future protestors must not allow provocation to invoke such violence lest they wish to validate Tom Tancredo’s sentiments.
I enjoy reading Ralph Marston’s motivational messages. Here’s one that had a special meaning for me. Hopefully you will be impacted also. To find out more about him and register to receive his messages go to www.greatday.com.
Peace & Love,
Vanessa
Friday, January 26, 2007
Do it anyway
Achievement most often takes place under conditions that are less than ideal. Just because there is some problem or difficulty or shortcoming in your life at the moment, it does not prevent you from moving forward.
Focus not on what is missing or what is wrong. Focus on doing your very best within the circumstances as they are.
Seek not to find an excuse. Instead, do what you have chosen to do, create what you have chosen to create, live as you have chosen to live, no matter what.
If you wait until conditions are perfect, you'll spend most of your time waiting. You'll be far better off when you go ahead and put that time to effective and productive use.
There may be plenty of reasonable excuses for not moving forward. Go ahead and do it anyway.
Sure, it would be great if some things were a little different, yet the reality is that conditions are as they are. Do it anyway, for that is the way it will get done.
This is a picture of a Barbie Volkswagen Beetle. It is not a toy although it looks just like one. I’d love to have this vehicle --- convertible, pale pink with black interior.
Right now, the closest place the vehicle is sold is Mexico. It’s not likely I’m going there anytime soon so I won’t be tempted. In my mind, I can picture myself tooling around in that cute little vehicle on South Beach. Perhaps another Barbie VW line will be available next year.
This is a public service announcement (PSA) courtesy of Mrs. Bonita North’s English Class of 1974 at Miami Central High School. Just so you know, Mrs. North was an old school style teacher. At about 4’10”, she was shorter than almost everyone in the class was. Her height, or lack thereof, did not matter one bit. Mrs. North was very prim and proper. She did not play and all the students knew it.
There were a few ways to make Mrs. North cringe. One was to be late to her class. Another way was to come to class unprepared. Don’t have paper and pencil? Didn’t do your homework assignment? Tsk…tsk…tsk. And don’t think about playing hooky. You couldn’t just come back to class after being absent; Mrs. North verified the reason for your absence.
Short of committing a felony, one of the worst things a student could do was use a word that does not exist. What do I mean? Well, let us start with “irregardless”. That is not a word. The word is regardless. Look it up; then do not use it anymore. How about the very popular “conversate”? Also not a word. The word is converse. I don’t care how many times you hear it, it is wrong.
In addition, it’s not “I could care less.” It’s “I couldn’t care less.” So stop saying that! Last but not least, my personal pet peeve --- “amount of people.” Hello, it’s “number of people.” When referring to discrete objects that can be counted separately such as people, houses or books, do not use the phrase “amount of.” When referring to objects that cannot be easily separated such as water, sugar or sincerity, amount of is appropriate. So many people misuse this term.
I apologize to Mrs. North in advance and for my usage of slang and colloquialisms; she would never approve. I also thank her for not cutting us any slack. At least, now I know when I’m using bad grammar; some folks don’t have that luxury.
My mom’s first cousin Floristine called last night. It's been at least seven or eight years since we've heard from her. She wanted to know if we’re going to the Super Bowl game. My mom told her not unless it’s in our livingroom because we would be watching it on television.
Cousin Flo will be in town for the game because her son is the defensive coordinator for the Colts. That’s cool. Now, I’m kinda ticked with my mom because I think she should have asked Cousin Floristine for tickets to the game.
Her son is Ron Meeks. I vaguely remember meeting him back in the 80’s when he came down to Miami to coach at the University of Miami. I do remember that he was very quiet. If I speak with Cousin Floristine before the game, you know I’m gonna hit her up for tickets or passes to something. I mean, what are relatives for? If she and my mom get together, I know that will result in hours of conversation too.
Anyhoo, now that I know my cousin coaches for the Colts, I have to root for them. It’s a family thing. Go Colts!
Best-selling romance author, Sidney Sheldon, died yesterday in a California Hospital. He was 89. 
