Dear Readers…. what an awesome week! Loved all the feedback on every post.
This week marked my thirtieth post. Whoa. It’s been a blast. Here’s to the next 30!
Let’s review. What have we learned this week?
I started out the week by admitting that I’m not yet color-blind. I rooted for Steeler’s coach Mike Tomlin mostly because he’s a young Black man. Since I wasn’t invested in the game in any other way, I chose my team based on the ethnicity of the coach. Most of my dear readers shrugged their shoulders and said, hey, that’s the way it should be. I’m still not sure. But for the time being, go Steelers!
Then I had to deal with a few quick issues: The Roots line-up, Erykah’s new baby (and baby-daddy) and the 50 Cent vs. Rick Ross controversy. One of my dear readers checked in from Miami to let me know that Rick Ross is still slick talking on radio shows out there. It seems that now, Rick Ross is saying that his babymamma was little more than his maid. Lovely. He’s calling his son’s mother his maid. Real nice.
My highest rated post this week was my Flashback Wednesday post on Mariah Carey. It was fun to revisit my favorite interview and there’s actually so much more I couldn’t fit in. (I’ve been told my posts are all too damned long as it is). But I totally forgot to mention that the interview actually took place over two days. She had to kick me out the first night because Jay-Z came over and they had to have a meeting. Then she told me to come back the next night, which she totally didn’t have to do… I always thought that was cool of her.
Every once in a while, I end up in Mariah’s neighborhood and I look up and wonder if she’s upstairs in that little round room, drinking Champagne out of a straw like she did that night.
This week I also admitted that I’ve always wished I could belt out a tune. And many of my dear readers were able to relate. My Commenter Of The Week came from this post. My dear reader TLAwrites had this to say about what she wished she could do…
Secretly, I’ve always wished I knew some type of karate, tai kwon do, jujitsu, something. Black belt of course. The scenario would be I’d get into a confrontation with an unknowing fool who didn’t know the skill I possessed. Of course a crowd would gather, watching me getting taunted mercilessly. My pleas to be left alone would be ignored. My inner David Banner would take over. I’d be transforming while removing my glasses. They didn’t know who they were effin with! Then I would proceed with the swiftest, non-deadly ass whoopin’ and keep it moving. I’d walk away smiling at all the non-believers.
TLAwrites had me cracking up with that scenario. Especially the part about her pleas being ignored. Ha! Congrats TLA. The prize this week? A copy of Anthony David’s new CD! (Okay, look, one of my good friends works at UniversalRepublic. And she sent me five copies. So yeah, until I run out, that’s the prize of the week. Every week. You gotta problem with that? Deal with it! Now TLAwrites, get at me at aliyasking@gmail.com with your snail mail address so I can send off your prize…)
And finally, at the end of the week, I had to address the Beyonce/Etta James controversy. And essentially, I’ve learned that no one in the history of music has ever sung an original tune. At Last has been remade dozens of times. And though Etta’s got dibs on the definitive version, I think we all agree that she needs to sit down and chill out.
And so do I. It’s been a long week. See you all on Monday!
Aliya S. King 
February 7, 2009 at 10:45 pm
i thought the “i wish i could sing” post was hilarious. i posted my comment before i fully read it. I was literally cracking up. I tried to feel bad but it was to funny. I encourage you to do that song with suave. just call it your heat check :)
February 7, 2009 at 11:10 pm
@hanif: oooh, yes! The perfect way to execute my heat check! If I don’t chicken out. I don’t want anyone, you know, literally cracking up at me. ahem.
February 7, 2009 at 11:36 pm
tie between i wish i could sing and mariah…i cant believe i sat down and read both your post and interview…i had no time on my hands and im not a mariah fan…bravo to the writer for drawing me in
February 8, 2009 at 9:19 am
I really like the “rooted for Tomlin cause he’s Black” post, just didn’t have time to comment that day. I don’t disagree with that approach (all other things pretty much being equal, of course.) When I read that entry, I felt like we grew up in the same home or something. (Do you have a grandmother named MaDear too? LOL) I love Eyes on the Prize, and the Emmitt Till installment–I can still picture his casket and his mourning mother… To this day, I call my parents (and vice versa) when there’s some sort of Black history special or other Black representation on t.v. I don’t think rooting for the Black guy is wrong (unless his name is R. Kelly). It just proves that a Black face on t.v., at least when depicted in a positive way, is newsworthy. And it shouldn’t be. Okay, stepping down from soapbox now.
February 8, 2009 at 4:18 pm
thanks again for that mariah interview post, that was really dope.
February 8, 2009 at 9:52 pm
@jay1: no. thank YOU.
February 8, 2009 at 10:08 pm
@katura: Ha! I do have a Ma Dear in my life. She is the mother of my half-brother and we all call her M’dear. And my parents and I still call each other too when Black themed stuff come on! Do you remember when Jet magazine used to have a listing at the end letting you know when Black people would be on television? I think our root for the Black guy syndrome stems from way back then, when Black people on television was actually a rarity.
February 9, 2009 at 10:34 am
i could pick a fave because every post caught my attention for different reasons…
Your Mariah write up was so inspiring, Secretly wanting to sing touched my heart because i too wish i was a mini chante moore, and etta/beyonce was kinda funny…lol
i enjoyed them all and look forward to your posting!