African American Music Appreciation Month. . .

continues with

James Brown

His name is James Joseph Brown, but you may also know him as:
Soul Brother Number One
The Godfather of Soul
The Hardest Working Man in Show Business
Mr. Dynamite OR
The Original Disco man


Brown was born into a life of poverty during the Great Depression and at the age of 16, he was sentenced to serve time in a reform school for petty theft. After his release, he used some of his energy as a boxer and a semi-professional baseball player until the 1950s when he decided to shift his focus to making music fulltime.  Although he spent years touring and recording with his group The Flames and then by himself, Brown didn't score a top 10 hit until the mid-1960s when he released two of his signature tunes "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" and "I Got You (I Feel Good)", both from 1965. In the following year,  Brown's "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" won the Grammy for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording. 


In 1968, after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., Brown released Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud following pressure from fans to take a stance on the civil rights movement. The song became an anthem of the civil rights movement but according to Brown it caused him to lose some of his crossover fans. 


Brown holds the record as the artist who charted the most singles on the Billboard Hot 100 without ever hitting number one on that chart. His live shows were electrifying. They were replete with his unique dance moves, shiny stage outfits and high energy all while singing. His mashed potato was a force to be reckoned with! Brown said his goal was to "give people more than what they came for — make them tired, 'cause that's what they came for." 


I know this is the first time I'm doing this, but Brown's biography is so extensive I could not do it justice with just one post. Since I think he deserves more than that, you should check out the rest of his biography here. 


His passion for putting on extravagant shows and putting out great music was obvious. Its hard to watch one of his live shows without giving in to the desire to tap your feet or get up and dance! 


All that said, its time for a music break! Get upAH get on up! 


Papa's Got a Brand New Bag



This is a Man's World



Please, Please Please



The Cape Routine became a trademark of Brown's shows and his fans loved to watch it. The man with the Cape kills me softly! I love it though!


I Got the Feeling



Get UpAH (I Feel Like A Being) Sex Machine. Yes! The (ah) on the end of UP is necessary!



The Big Payback



Say it Loud, I'm Black and I'm PROUD



In his career, which spans decades, Brown earned his title as The hardest working man in show bidness!  Many successful artists including Michael Jackson and Miles Davis cited James Brown as their biggest influence. In 1986, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. During his career, Brown boasted 114 total entries on Billboard’s R&B singles charts and 94 that made the Hot 100 singles chart.  In December 2003, only months after his 70th birthday, James Brown was the recipient of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors.


He passed away on December 25, 2006. May he RIParadise! His legacy still lives on through his music. 


BONUS: After Brown passed, the Grammys honored him by carving out part of their show to feature a tribute to the legend.

African American Music Appreciation Month. . .

continues with

One hit wonders

Since we're winding down to the final days of African American Music Appreciation month I figured it would be nice to celebrate those not so successful musical artists who still managed to give us something to hum to while our eardrums vibrated to the sound of their voice. A one hit wonder is a person or group known primarily for their success on one single. Why are they so-called? Because they have ONE HIT and then you WONDER where they went. *zing* The songs have catchy beats even more catchy lyrics and become wildly popular as a result. Unfortunately, the artists were unable to match their success with follow up projects. 


Look on the bright side, whenever someone talks about the top "one hit wonders" these artists are likely to end up on said list. Don't feel sorry for them though because I'm sure they get some pleasure from even getting their ONE hit. Some people never even have that.  


1. Tag Team Whoop there it is



The catchy chorus was fun at first then it became annoying. Was it just me? Ooh ok. The group saw a short-lived resurgence in popularity last year as there were rumors President Obama appeared in the video. Check the dude at the 1:00 mark. WHOOP there it is! 


2. Adina Howard Freak Like Me



Oh how I looooovveeeee Adina Howard for this song! Not that I thought she was singing about me or anything. *whistles and walks away*  


3. Shanice I love your smile



This jazztastic and catchy song climbed to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1991. *singing* do do do do do do do do. I love your smile! 


4. Digable Planets Rebirth of Slick (Cool like that)



Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat) earned Digable Planets a Grammy for best rap performance by a duo or group and commercial success that tapered off with the release of their follow up project. 


5. Quad City DJs C'mon Ride it (The Train)



You're likely to hear this song at a skating rink on a Saturday night. 


6. Soul for Real Candy Rain

Technically, they had a follow up project that was mildy popular but when you think Soul for Real you don't think Every Little Thing I Do because you're too busy humming the tune of Candy Rain. 


7. Afroman Because I got High

This song was the theme song of the film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Let me tell you kids something about drugs m'kay? Drugs are bad M'kay? 


8. Jesse Powell You

The song peaked at #2 on the R&B charts and #10 on the Pop charts. 


Whats your favorite song by a one hit wonder? 

Financial Baby Steps: STEP 1 Change Your Mindset & Change your Life!

The inspiration for this post was taken from Thomas Stanley's book, The Millionaire Mind. 

The financial baby steps series on Talented Generation is a way for young professionals to get their finances in order, one step at a time. We all want to get to a land of financial freedom but it is a long and, often frustrating, process. As a newly minted graduate, I want to get my finances in order, get out of debt (don't be pretentious and act like you don't have any) and achieve financial freedom. These are things I have promised myself I will achieve. My biggest hurdle is to adjust from living on lump sums of financial aid and grants to biweekly pay checks. 


I know you may be wondering why in hayle I think I'm equipped to give you all financial advice and that is a valid concern. How about you take a look at what I have to say and if you think its along the same lines as Steve Harvey's relationship advice then don't follow my advice. I don't claim to be any kind of expert. I've been walking for 24 years and I still trip up every now and them. I don't promise to be a financial expert but I did promise to share my knowledge in an effort to help you all make improvements. 


Still reading? Good! Lets get down to business. 



The first step towards financial freedom is to make the commitment to change. This means you have to change your mindset! Not only do you have to make the commitment to change but you also have to change the way you look at spending.  Think about the price of things in terms of the Initial Cost vs. The Total Life Cycle Cost. Initial cost is the total cost of purchasing something. Its the cost you pay at the register.  Total Life Cycle Cost is the amount the product will cost you over its lifetime. This includes maintenance, upkeep, etc. Think about it this way: I needed new black pumps for work and I had a choice between $100 shoes and $250 shoes (why are my shoes so expensive?!). I chose to purchase the pair for $100. $100 is the initial cost. After 50 wears (I wore them everyday for a little under 2 months), the soles and taps had worn out. Prior to getting the soles fixed, the shoes cost $2 per wear. Still, I made the smart decision to get the soles fixed for $30 instead of buying another pair. A few months later, I purchased pumps for $250. I have had them for 3 years and gotten at least 450 wears out of them and they are still going strong. At this point, wearing them has cost me roughly 62 cents per wear. 


Here's another example: You need to furnish your apartment and when deciding between expensive solid wood furniture and Ikea,  you mosey over to Ikea. You stock up on $100 shelves, $300 couches and $150 tables. Good deal right? WRONG! In 16 months the shelves are falling apart, the couch is worn and the tables are less than presentable. Now you have to replace the pieces and you end up investing in the better quality items you should have gotten the first time. While you saved money on the front end, you actually spent more on the back end. That example is a bit extreme but I think you get my drift. In terms of everyday costs, consider this:  Lets say you $90 on groceries for the week and $15 for lunch everyday. Your groceries can last a week and a half or even longer if you buy staple foods but that $15/day lunch adds up to $75 for 5 days and it only amounts to ONE meal per day. 


Stop thinking about things in terms of the initial cost and  start seeing the long term benefit or lack there of. 


Stay focused! WE can do this! 

Morning Inspiration

Good morning folks!!! 

HI! I'm a beautiful sunrise, what's your name? 

Today's Quote: A thousand words will not leave so deep an impression as one deed. -Henrik Ibsen 

True Story: At one of my old jobs,  my boss decided to quit out of the blue. At the time, I was the most knowledgeable about the inner workings of our office so the pressure to keep everything in order fell on my shoulders until the company found a new supervisor. On the supervisor's first day on the job, she walked right past me and my coworkers and into the back office without so much as an introduction. We were stumped as we thought she must have been lost but her boldness in going to the back office gave it away. She literally came within a foot of me and did not utter so much as a "good morning I'm your new supervisor." She sat in her office for 3 hours without so much as a peek and left without saying 2 words to any of us. I hope I'm not the only one who finds that weird. I swore she was on something but I digress.


What the heck does this have to do with the price of tea in Scotland? Nothing. Keep reading, I have a point. Yellow #2. 


3 days later was her official first day of work. She came back chipper as all hell and introduced herself to everyone. Truth is, by that point I had already formed my impression of her and it stuck with me. She was bright and cheery but I thought it was fake and Raine doesn't like fake. Why did I think this? Because if you are a genuinely happy person, you wouldn't walk past a dozen people at 10am in an office setting without at least saying good morning. Further, you wouldn't sit in the back of said office and then exit just as awkwardly as you entered. Maybe some of my non-southern readers would disagree but I can tell you those things don't typically happen in the south. We speak. We hug. If you make eye contact with someone, you smile to acknowledge them or you speak. If you walk into an office filled with people who are clearly in your path you should speak to them. I am not saying you have to ask how their dog is doing or even give two eggrolls about how their live is going but a simple "good morning" is respectable. Keep in mind, if your good morning doesn't seem genuine you might be labelled a grouch but you win some and you lose some. 


Moving on...


While I accessed my reaction to her, I began to truly appreciate the value of making good first impressions. I also had to reflect on myself and try to see her initial actions in the most favorable light possible. I finally understood the importance of first impression and I also understood how difficult it can be for people to forget them. Of course people told me about first impressions but I'm a hands on learner. I worked in that office for 5 months after that and for those 5 months I struggled with changing my impression of her to no avail. I could not get over her and I thought her "cheery supervisor" act was a ploy. Then again, I think everyone is a suspect. *ding ding*


This is the part where I start repeating cliché arse quotes: Always make your first impression your best impression. Put your best foot forward in everything you do. NEVER settle for anything less than the best. 


Point is, don't be mean to people you know you have to work with. Matter of fact, just don't be mean. If you are having a terrible day, you are not the only one who has ever had one. Acknowledge your funky feeling and do your best to get thru your day. Avoid any co-workers who have the potential to set you off and get your tasks completed. Its really that simple. Don't make it complicated. Its EASY! 


Spread Love! 


Today's Song Choice: Beyonce-Halo

MUSIC News: Beyonce Sits Down With CNN's Piers Morgan

2116272152 by yardie4lifever2

She and Piers discussed the predictable topics: future babies, career, what she did during her time off, growing up Beyonce, her hubby Jay-Z and her historic Glastonbury performance.

Go Bey!

Its BEY Day!

Its BEY day! WHY aren't you celebrating yet? Just kidding. Today is the official release date of Beyonce's 4th studio album aptly titled "4." Although her album leaked, Bey has been full speed with her promo efforts and she is determined to it a commercial and critical success.

Some critics have said "she has sealed her separation from Destiny's Child" while others have not been so light hearted. Amid reports that her team is worried about the potential flop of the album, Bey went into overdrive and released the video you see below for an exclusive version of the album only available at Target. She has released promo shots, special messages to her fans and has performed in Nice, France and at the Glastonbury Festival.

Bey's Target Commercial.


Official Track List:

1. 1+1
2. I Care
3. I Miss You
4. Best Thing I Never Had
5. Party (feat. Andre 3000 & Kanye West)
6. Rather Die Young
7. Start Over
8. Love on Top
9. Countdown
10. End of Time
11. I Was Here
12. Run The World (Girls)

You can purchase the album on iTunes or at Target. Giggity!

In case you missed it, a documentary about her time off was also created to give fans a look into what she did during that time.


BTW, Q Parker from the group 112 gave us a treat with his version of 1+1. Take a listen below.
. Which one do you like more?

MUSIC NEWS: Beyonce sets records at Glastonbury, GUSHES about finally feeling like a ROCKSTAR

Bey Week continues! 

Fresh off of breaking BBC2's record by drawing in 2.5 million viewers to their channel and headlining the Glastonbury festival, Beyonce is still floating from the high of her successful performance. She gushed,

"I want you all to know right now you're witnessing my dream. I always wanted to be a rock star and tonight we are all rock stars."

Her sentiments are inspiring as Beyonce is the first African American female to headline the Glastonbury Festival. For those who don't know (I had to Google search this ish myself bc all I remember is Hov performed in previous years), The Glastonbury festival began the day after Jimi Hendrix died, in 1970 and has featured headliners like U2, Stevie Wonder, Sinead O'Connor, Moby and hundreds of others. Over the years, it has grown into a weekend of diverse music, arts and overall fun for festival goers. The scale of entertainment is unmatched by anything else. There are roughly 50 stages and dozens of performances from all genres of music with the attendance numbers reaching the hundreds of thousands. For the past few years, the shows have been selling out  within the first few weeks of going on sale. 


Check out Bey's post performance interview below: 



She even brought Glastonbury to the BET Awards on Sunday as she performed "Best Thing I never Had" and "End of Time" in her sparkly gold glittered ensemble. BTW for those who missed her performance, you can watch some of it below. 





..and of course she performed some of her older hits including one of my favorites Halo.
"Halo"



Gotta love Bey! 

The Newark Black Film Festival Celebrates its 37th Anniversary!

June 29 – August 3, 2011
Wednesdays, 7 pm (Adult)
(Youth 1 pm starting July 6)

The Newark Black Film Festival (NBFF), is celebrating its 37th Anniversary as one of the nation's defining voices on behalf of independent film, opens in Newark with adult screenings beginning on Wednesday, June 29, with a six-week run ending on August 3.

Youth Cinema will be held on Mondays at the Newark Public Library and at the Newark Museum on Wednesday beginning July 6.
The festival is a showcase for films that focus on the experiences and concerns of contemporary African Americans, as well as an outlet for films about the African American experience from earlier eras.  The six-week festival is free to the public and provides emerging filmmakers, writers, directors and producers with a high profile outlet for their work.
The festival features the Paul Robeson Awards in 2012, a biennial competition established in 1985.  The Robeson Awards honor the spirit of Paul Robeson—renowned activist, scholar, performer and athlete.  Winning films will be shown at Newark Screens on Springfield Ave., Newark, NJ.

I hear you complaining about seeing another Madea movie. I see your tweets about predictable black films that have star studded casts just to fill seats. See, Jumping the Broom. My people spend so much time complaining about the quality of Tyler Perry's movies & plays and how they depict African Americans so get out and support other film makers! I respect Tyler Perry for what he does in terms of making movies and keeping black actors & actresses employed but I think he is merely a drop in a bucket. Its time we started to support each other more often. If you want to see more brown faces on the silver screen there is only one way to make it happen: SUPPORT them! 


Find out more info HERE. 

Why do GOOD girls like BAD boys?

Caveat: By "bad boys” I mean the men women know we should stay away from but we dont. They are the men our mother’s warned us about. They are the men who play the dating game by their own rules and if you fail to follow them you will be sleeping with a broken heart. They are the men we know we are not meant to marry, but we fall for them anyway. 


In case you're wondering, I believe every woman has desired at least one bad boy. I also think many of us will fall or have fallen for a bad guy at least once during our dating lifespan. Bad Boys a certain *thing* about him that makes us ignore our intuition and forget all the things our mothers warned us about. We throw out our common sense, sense of self worth, and sense of direction for the chance to take a trip on the bad boy ride. 

It is a perplexing sight we have all seen before: 
The smart and pretty girl who dates the drug dealer. 
The virgin who dates the manwh*re. 
The conservative uptown girl who dates the liberal downtown guy.  
We wonder why the good girl isn't with someone who is more like HER? Why isn't she with a guy who completes her cookie cutter picture of success? Someone who works a regular job, brings her roses once a week and wears a conservative hairstyle?


As a recovering “bad boy addict,” I can personally attest to the joy and pain of riding the bad boy ride and I'm here to shine some light where darkness once existed. There was a period in my dating life where I did not think a man had sex appeal unless he had rough edges. In my mind, DMX was the best thing smokin. Now before you judge me, this was the DMX that did a song with Sisqo; the pre-jail and multiple drug busts DMX if you will. Still judging me? Thats fine. Moving on. During the aforementioned "bad boy" era, if a man did not resemble Damion Marley, he did not get a second look from me. Bad boys have the uncanny ability to wrap you up in their drama and convince you to stand by them through stints in federal prison, drug busts, club fights, babymamas and high speed chases on I-95 O_o. 


Why would a woman subject herself to this? Bow to your sansei, then check out 5 reasons why good girls like bad boys:

1. She wants to taste the forbidden fruit. Women have been blamed for the problems of the world ever since Eve supposedly convinced Adam to take a bite of the forbidden fruit. Bad boys are the modern day version of forbidden fruit.  Even if you did not want it before, as soon as someone tells you it is forbidden the desire for it kicks in. The more the ‘rents tell you to stay away from something, the more your desire to have it increases. Fruit tastes so much sweeter when it forbidden. Beware of fruit who will ride around with illegal substances in the car because both of you will end up arrested. You will learn what its like to rot behind bars. 

2. She wants to piss off her parents. Whats more satisfying for a rebellious spirit than to see the look in her father's eyes when his blood boils? Its not out of spite. Its not to be mean. There is just *something* that makes us draw satisfaction from knowing we are getting under our parents’ skin. Even if the relationship is not that great, we cannot resist the urge to make it seem perfect just for the sake of getting the parental unit worked up.

3. She is going through a "phase." The last guy we dated was a "good" guy and he still ended up breaking our hearts. What do we do? We date the guy who looks the complete opposite of our last beau. In order to rid herself of all feelings for said ex, she turns to the man who is least like him.

4. She is tired of being a "good girl." Good girls are dry and predictable. I imagine its annoying to constantly hear "I knew you would say that" or "I knew thats what you would do." She is always the designated driver. She is always dressed conservatively. Does this sound exciting to you? Of all the titles you could assume in your circle who volunteer to be "the predictable one?" This girl dates bad boys to help her escape the mundane nature of her life. Her bad boy helps her forget her “good girl” title and gives her the chance to walk on the edge. He opens her mind to new things. This is also true for bad boys who date good girls. 

5. She fears a real commitment. We know what the good guys look like. They are safe. They are secure. They are predictable. They will never disrespect you. A woman who fears a comittment will run from these things. The more she dates a man that is the exact opposite of this, the longer she can run from making a commitment. We deny this but actions speak louder than words. Be careful because we may ride this lie until the wheels fall off.  Trying to build something we know wont work is often a sign we are running from something. Bad boys are often emotionally unavailable so commitments (or monogamy) are out of the question. Its hard enough to get him to answer the phone everyday. We invest our time and emotions into empty relationships because we fear what might happen if we met Mr. Right. We offset this by making the bad boys our Mr. Right Now. 

The question I raise today is one that has befuddled blog readers, Youtube watchers, electric sliders and strip club visitors since the debut of the first Law & Order. Perhaps you would like to offer your own answers? Why do you think "good" girls like "bad boys"? Further, why do you think “bad boys” like “good girls?” Who’s Taking Who? Do opposites really attract? The floor is yours...

MOVIE CLIP MONDAY: "Obsessed"

Obsessed is a thrilling tale of what happens when two different perceptions go horribly wrong. Beyonce left behind her on stage persona Sasha Fierce once again for a spot on the big screen in the role of Sharon, the wife of a successful financial advisor Derek Charles (played by Idris Elba). Everything seems perfect until a beautiful temp Lisa (played by Ali Larter) misinterprets an encounter at the office holiday party and things spiral out of control. Lisa becomes so fixated on Derek that she starts to believe they are in love. When she realizes Derek refuses to reciprocate her love, things get ugly!

Get Obsessed with Beyonce fever!

The Trailor


Get outta my house!


The Fight Scene

Bey says "Imma wipe the floor with your skinny ass" LOL

Gotta give a shout out to Idris Elba for being a great husband and resisting that HOMEWRECKER! For that, he has earned a spot on my list of special people.

African American Music Appreciation Month. . .

continues with...

Destiny's Child

Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girls' Tyme. The original line-up comprised Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland, LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett. After performing underground, DC finally gave Beyonce the opportunity to make a successful break into the music industry.  Initially, they struggled through failed record deal with Elektra Records, and several name changes but the quartet changed their name to Destiny's Child after signing to Columbia Records with Matthew Knowles as their manager. 


Destiny's Child was launched into mainstream recognition following the release of their best-selling second album, The Writing's on the Wall, which contained the number-one singles "Bills, Bills, Bills" and "Say My Name."  They soon started serving as the opening act for other artists like Dru Hill, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and SWV. The entire Knowles clan was on board as Tina Knowles designed the costumes for their performances and Solange Knowles served as an intermittent background singer and dancer. 


You may recall the internal turmoil and public drama surrounding the change-up of the groups line up. The final line up featured Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. The ladies handled the situation well and emerged with Survivor as they proclaimed,


Now that you are out of my life, 
I'm so much better,
You thought that I'd be weak without ya,
But I'm stronger,
You thought that I'd be broke without ya,
But I'm richer,
You thought that I'd be sad without ya,
I laugh harder,
You thought I wouldn't grow without ya,
Now I'm wiser,
You thought that I'd be helpless without ya,
But I'm smarter,
You thought that I'd be stressed without ya,
But I'm chillin'
You thought I wouldn't sell without ya,
Sold nine million.


After breaking records as a successful trio, in 2000 Destiny's Child decided to go on a brief hiatus to allow the ladies to pursue solo careers. Michelle released a gospel album, Heart to Yours which reached number 1 on the Billboard Gospel Charts. Kelly collaborated with hip hop hottie Nelly on "Dilemma," which became a worldwide hit and earned her a Grammy. Beyonce, hereinafter referred to as Bey, went on to pursue an acting career working alongside acting greats like Mike Myers in Austin Powers Gold Member, and Cuba Gooding Jr. in The Fighting Temptations. She also collaborated on her then-boyfriend Jay-Z's smash single 03 Bonnie and Clyde.


In 2004, DC reunited to work on their final studio album Destiny Fulfilled. They announced they would embark on a final world tour together before calling it quits permanently.  The trio sold over 60 million records internationally and became one of the best-selling recording artists in America. The talented women have also earned the respect of the music industry  including Billboard who ranked them as one of the greatest musical trios of all time and the World  Music Awards, which recognized them as the World's Best-selling female group of all time.On March 28, 2006, Destiny's Child was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  Also in 2006, former member LeToya Luckett released her debut solo album, LeToya, in July 2006, peaking at number-one on the Billboard 200. 


Now its time to have a music break! 


"Bug a Boo"

"Jumpin Jumpin"

"Bootylicious"



"Say My Name"



"Cater 2 U"

This song NEVER gets old! 


"Independent Woman" 



"Soldier"



BTW in case you missed it, Kelly Rowland KILLED it last night at the BET awards looking like a Black version of Where in the World is Carmen San Diego!

Morning Inspiration

Good Morning beautiful people! Just in case you missed it on Twitter, today is the first day of Bey Week! In celebration of her official album release date this upcoming Tuesday, I decided to allow my STAN status for Bey to shine thru. I would apologize to all of my readers who happen to have resisted the sting of the Bey swarm, but I don't like to say things I don't mean. You mad? Lets hug it out and move on.  “There's plenty of days when I'm like 'Oh God, why?' But that's just life. It's every job, not just mine. Every moment is not perfect. But it's definitely more good times than bad. You can't even compare. And when I'm on stage it feels incredible.”  -Beyonce Knowles Mondays are usually the day when people wake up questioning their commitment to their job. Is it just me? So all of you embrace waking up at 7am to board a crowded train? Oooh ok. Thats what I thought. Some Mondays are easier than others. While we're being honest, some Fridays are easier than others. I sometimes wonder about what life would be like if I just called in one day & quit but thats only because I like to hit the snooze button 6xs in the morning. I generally enjoy what I do but there is something about having a weekend break that makes Monday *that* much less appealing. If you are blessed to earn a living doing what you love without dealing with annoying co-workers, count your blessings. If you are blessed to NEVER want to call out of work just to sleep in, count your blessings. If NEITHER of the aforementioned sentences apply to you, we are kindred spirits. *e-hugs and cheek kisses* Regardless of which side of the fence you live on, I encourage all of you to recognize that nothing is perfect and your job is no exception. Although I may joke about not being a morning person, or loving everyone I work with I also recognize that it could be worse. I could be much worse off than I am now and so could you. *knocks on wood* I know the economy is not in the best shape right now but life is too short to dread getting out of bed. If you don't have the freedom to leave your job, make it your mission to find something positive and change your outlook.  When you have the opportunity to do something you are passionate about, you will experience and incredible feeling.  Today's Song Choice: Beyoncé-Diva Spread Love!