You Get A Car! You Get A Car!! You Get A Car!!!

Alright, I'm not on Oprah's level - yet, so I'm not quite ready to give away cars. Give me a few months - maybe weeks, and I'll be there :-)

What I do have, however, which in my opinion, is wayyyy better than a car, is a free Legend Couture tee. That's right. I said it's free. Absolutely positively FREE.  No gimmicks. No gobble-gobble. You want it? You've got it. There's just one tiny, little thing you have to do. Very tiny. Minute, really.

On Saturday, December 4th, the premiere of the Nollywood movie, Crazy In Love, will be going down --- right here in Beltsville, Maryland. Buy your ticket and get a free tee. That's it. But the tees are limited. There are five FREE tees available for five verastic buyers. I've seen these tees. They're awesome - inside and out.

Naija Legend Tee

Naija Love ... E No Easy

Sins Of The Father Tee

Here's how and where to purchase the tickets (and the details of the event):

Event: Saturday, December 4th 2010

              The Rendezvous Banquet Hall

              10207 Southard Drive

               Beltsville, MD

To Purchase, contact Ikenna:

E-mail: ikenna@ldcouture.com

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Tomorrow On Moments With Mo: Who Is The New African?

I can tell you who the African - as I know him/her - is. But who is the New African? Better yet, what does it mean to be a New African? There is no doubt that times have changed. More and more, we [Africans] are losing our rights - and I use the word rights as a paradox - to be second class citizens, our rights to be unsuccessful, our rights to be passed by, and our rights to be looked down upon. Gone are the days, it seems, when we could say, "It's because I'm an African man/woman," or "If only I weren't African," or my favorite one, "It's because of the witches and wizards in Africa..."

Our fellow African citizens have reached mega stardom and acquired mega wealth and success ... all while being African - accents, funny names, and all. When a man whose father is Kenyan becomes the President of the most powerful country, it throws us for a loop. When a woman who has endured - in her words - "slave beatings" rises to the top of the media empire becomes a force that cannot even be attempted to be reckoned with, we begin to wonder. And her nose is just as African as ours. When Innocent '2Face' Idibia - baby momma drama and all - appears on an American TV station where he's being interviewed and almost every other word from his mouth is "Nothing dey happen" or "Yes ooo!" one has to stop and wonder. Or what about Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Chinua Achebe? 

Maybe there is indeed a New African.

Mo and Guests discussing the New African

Mo and Guests discussing the New African

This week on Moments With Mo, Mo attempts to answer these questions: Has the stereotypically negative image of Blacks and Africans around the world changed since Obama’s presidency? Has our image improved? Can we pay tribute to strong Blacks in order to counter the negative media images they usually put out about Africans? Does racism still exist? Who is the Black man today? How do we see ourselves and how does the rest of the world see us?


Watch this episode of Moments With Mo tomorrow, Tuesday, November 30th 2010 on Mnet West Africa at 9:30pm.  If you miss it tomorrow, you can watch a repeat episode on Wednesday, December 1st 2010 at 2:00pm, and on Saturday, December 4th 27th 2010 (all on Mnet West Africa).  Happy viewing 

J

  

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Thank God For God

It's Thanksgiving Day in America. As tradition demands, most families - American and otherwise - have spiced and stuffed their turkeys, waiting to bake them as soon as the day breaks. At least, after today, turkeys will stop running around being so nervous - until next year, that is.  But me, I'm not looking forward to the turkey, in spite of the 17-pound one that is currently sitting on the kitchen island. I don't eat turkey. However, this year, I'm especially taking part in the Thanksgiving celebration.

At the beginning of each year, you start off with new resolutions and a renewed sense of hope, hoping that this year will be the year. I did the same thing, too. But from January to October, things just dragged, and most things stayed the same or got worse. According to Folake Taylor in her book, "The Only Way Is Up," (and I'm paraphrasing, I believe), stagnancy in a human being is regression. On that note, I regressed.

Then God looked my way, winked, and said, "Alright child, you've had your hand up for a while. Here's some bread for you." Life got better in many ways, some more quantifiable than others. I don't know what to call it when you wake up each morning suddenly believing (not just thinking) that you will make it, that God is with you, and that things can only get better. It's like you've been injected with faith on steroids. That's how my November has been.

And I was confused about someone, telling myself, in spite of all the spiritual and mental nudges I got, that maybe this person wasn't so bad after all. And then, God said *insert Ebonics*  "Chile! I'ma give you one more sign, and after that, you on your own, gurl!" To which I said (also in Ebonics), "Oh! So that's what you was tryna tell me!" I think God said, "Duh!"

My confidence, creativity, go-getter spirit, and optimism have been turned back on. I never lost my creativity per se, but I lost my go-getter spirit. Some people did not even know that I had it. I was so down last month, not knowing where to go next, or if to even go. As always, I did a terrific job of masking it. But God, the All-Knowing, Omni-Present One, He saw right through me.

For my life, my parents' lives, my friends' lives, my present, my past, and my future, I thank God for God.

Happy Thanksgiving Day.

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Another One Bites The Dust ... Again???

With the rate of divorces going around, especially ones due to some form of infidelity, I need to come up with a more creative title for this post. I mean, what am I going to call the next divorce post? Another One Bites The Dust ... Again The Third Time??? Yeah, I'm just as puzzled as you are.

So cute. And yet so .... divorced.

Caption: And this, honey, is how I kiss my other woman.

Here's the 411: Tony Parker is a 28 year old athlete and Eva Longoria is a 35 year old actress.  They got married in July of 2007.  Prior to that, Eva was married to Tyler Christopher from 2002 to 2004. Eva filed for divorce from Tony on November 17th 2010. Tony, on the other hand, also filed from divorce from Eva on November 19th 2010. Eva filed for her divorce in California - due to irreconcilable differences (of course). And Tony filed for his divorce in Texas. The significance? Texas's divorce is quite short. It may be over in as little as 60 days. Eva is also seeking spousal support from her husband.


Oh, so why are they getting divorced? Eva says she found text messages on Tony's phone, about 100 text messages that were exchanged in the past month between him and Erin Barry. Who the heck is Erin Barry? Well, she is the wife of Brent Barry. And who is Brent Barry, you ask? He is Tony's teammate. Well, hot damn!


But that's not all. Brent and Erin Barry are also in the middle of divorce! Think Tony Parker has anything to do with it? Do I hear someone saying, "Err, duh!" Erin filed for divorce from her husband on October 29th. And here's the humorous part: her husband's lawyer is Richard Orsinger, the same lawyer who is representing Tony Parker. Something tells me that Richard Orsinger might soon be getting divorced from the two teammates.


Uhm, drama much??? At this point, I only have one question: what will Tony and Eva - especially Eva - do with the permanent tattoos they have? Eva has the word NINE tattooed on the back of her neck (Tony's jersey number). And they both have tattoos of their wedding date in Roman Numerals tattooed on their wrists. Oh, and Eva has the letters T.P. (stands for Tony Parker) tattooed somewhere on her body where no one else (apart from her and Tony) can see it.

Eva's NINE tattoo

Oh, how the mighily-tattoed have fallen!

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Tomorrow On Moments With Mo: Laws Of Courtship

My, my, my!

What I would give to know this! If I were not so petrified about being a victim of my own laws, I would suggest that everyone be mandated to pay a substantial fine once they break a courtship law. I'll be smart enough to not subject myself to a law that I may not be able to keep in the long run.

If courtships do in fact have laws, then the majority of us must not be following them because we keep breaking hearts and getting our hearts broken. Not to mention, people keep cutting off their lovers' vital organs. Okay, maybe Lorena Bobbit was an isolated case. But still, you get my point.

Agatha Edo and a couple discussing courtship laws with Mo

Mo and a guest discussing courtship

This week on Moments With Mo, Mo explores the different perspectives of men and women in the matter of relationships. Everything in life is governed by a law, and apparently, even the dynamics between men and women is no exception to the rule. The laws of courtship are laid out, the lines have been drawn, and it’s a battle of the sexes, as Mo takes courtship head on. From courtship rules, to the details that men and women want, to how relevant sex is in a relationship, this episode is a mix of all sorts.

This is definitely a must-watch if you’re single, searching, or waiting to tie the knot! 

Watch this episode of Moments With Mo tomorrow, Tuesday, November 23rd 2010 on Mnet West Africa at 9:30pm.  If you miss it tomorrow, you can watch a repeat episode on Wednesday, November 24th 2010 at 2:00pm, and on Saturday, November 27th 2010 (all on Mnet West Africa).  Happy viewing 

J

  

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*************************************************************************

And here's an update on The Debaters:

Say What?!

It was only a little while ago that I expressed my new love for ABC's nighttime show, Dancing With The Stars. I was even able to accurately predict the winner, although that was kind of an easy one.  A new season started and R & B singer, Brandy and Sarah Palin's offspring, Bristol were two out of the twelve celebrities featured. I'm sorry, let me take that back. Brandy was one of the twelve celebrities. Bristol ... well, other than being a teen mom and daughter to America's lamest female politician, I'm not quite sure what else she does. Oh, yea, she's a spokesperson type-thing for abstinence ... seeing as it worked so well for her. Can you tell I'm pissed?

For some of the contestants, you just knew that their day of elimination was fast approaching.  Seventy-six year old Florence Henderson (former star of The Brandy Bunch) was not a bad dancer. If we were in a competition, she'd probably most likely beat me, but we all knew she won't make it to the end. Michael Bolton, God bless his heart, is a great singer, but he obviously won't be retiring to dancing any time soon. And then there was Bristol. She, in my opinion, was there to make a nonverbal states: See, America! We are a fair and just people. We even have Palin's offspring on our show. Sure, we know she sucks at dancing, but this is to prove that even on Dancing With The Stars, all Americans are equal.

That's what I thought she was there to tell us. How, then, is it that Brandy was voted off yesterday ... and Bristol is still there? Bristol??? As in Bristol Palin? Come the heck on! As far as I'm concerned, there are only three ways that this mayhem could have happened:

1.  The Tea-Party people called in to support the daughter of their leader.

2.  The votes were rigged.

3.  The votes were really rigged.

Brandi and partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy

Bristol Palin and partner, Mark Ballas

I don't know what is going on with Dancing Wtih The Stars, but this is some messed up thing they did because I know that they know that Bristol is not, has never been, isn't now, and will never be a better dancer than Brandy.  These people might just mess up and make Bristol the winner! The chic should have been eliminated three episodes ago! Meanwhile, here's Brandy and her [HOT] dance partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy at an interview with Jimmy Kimmel.

*** All pictures gotten from ABC.COM

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Tomorrow On Moments With Mo: Dealing With It

Divorce.

This is a good topic. There's a reason why divorce rates in Nigeria are not as high as they are in westernized countries like America. Actually, there are several reasons. Of course, I'll be more than happy to share them with you!

1.  Nigerian women generally do not understand that men can be good, that a bad-acting man should be punished and not let to live under the "men will be men" cloak.

2.  Nigerians - both men and women - generally do not understand that there is a difference between being married and being MARRIED. One stands for being legally married, maybe sharing the same last name, living under the same roof, maybe on the same bed, and also hating each other's guts. The other one stands for all of the above, minus the hating part, plus the love, understanding, mutual trust, loyalty, etc. You get?

3.  Nigerians would rather separate for decades and go and marry new people than tell anyone that they are divorced. Divorced? No!! What, because they're now married to other people and now have kids with said other people? No, that doesn't mean they've divorced their former partners. In fact, what former partners do you speak of?

4.  Nigerians have taken the till death do us part of their vows literally. I may be wrong, of course, but I think that part of the vows is referring to natural death - not death by spouse.

There are more reasons, but I feel the spirit of an article coming on. On that note, when a person does decide to divorce, dealing with it can be agonizing, to say the least. In Dealing With It, Mo exposes life after divorce, and she delves into the stigma, the difficulties, and the pain, as she interviews people dealing with the strains of divorce. Segun Arinze shares the experience of his divorce, and starting over again.

Segun Arinze discusses his divorce with Mo

Mo and guests discuss the stigma and difficulties of divorce

Going through the process? Don’t drown in guilt, don’t live in the past. Tune in, and deal with it!

P.S. For those that asked, there is currently no way to subscribe to MNET if you're living in the States or U.K. However, each episode of the Moments With Mo show will soon be available for purchase.

Watch this episode of Moments With Mo tomorrow, Tuesday, November 16th 2010 on Mnet West Africa at 9:30pm.  If you miss it tomorrow, you can watch a repeat episode on Wednesday, November 17th 2010 at 2:00pm, and on Saturday, November 20th 2010 (all on Mnet West Africa).  Happy viewing 

J

  

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And for all you current and future fans of The Debaters, here's an update:

This week, the talkmates aruged for and against the motion, "Western incursion has greatly eroded African culture and traditions."  Izin, Olumide and Rachael were placed on probation by the judges for their inability to satisfy/impress them with their points.

A Week To Remember

Last year, I told you about the annual Shiloh Festival at House of Praise, Baltimore. Prior to that post, I had never attended the Shiloh Festival. Well, since I attended the Shiloh Festival last year, I have not been able to stop looking forward to it again. It was amazing! I witnessed first-hand the healing of a boy who could not hear before. 

Thankfully, the time has come again for the annual Shiloh Festival, and of course, yours truly will be there [Sunday, November 14th to Sunday, November 21st 2010]. This is not a sponsored post. This is an invitation from me. To you. Please come. I am confident that you will enjoy it. Besides, would you really give up an opportunity to hear a bunch of enthusiastic African people shout countless thunderous Alleluias till your ear drums are quarter to blasting and you swear Jesus is certainly coming down in the flesh? Okay, maybe you'd opt to miss that shouting part, but hey, you should still come for Shiloh. You're gonna love it. I guarantee it.

Below is the schedule of events

Day	Date	Time	Minister
Sunday	Nov. 14th 2010	10:30am	Apostle Sunny Aiyemo
Monday	Nov. 15th 2010	7:00pm	Apostle Sunny Aiyemo
Tuesday	Nov. 16th 2010	7:00pm	Apostle Sunny Aiyemo
Wednesday	Nov. 17th 2010	7:00pm	Praise Night
Thursday	Nov. 18th 2010	7:00pm	Pastor Dapo Oyewole
Friday	Nov. 19th 2010	7:00pm	Apostle Anselm Madubuko
Saturday	Nov. 20th 2010	7:00pm	Apostle Anselm Madubuko
Sunday	Nov. 21st 2010	10:30am	Apostle Anselm Madubuko

Venue: 

House of Praise, Baltimore

6101 Moravia Park Drive

Baltimore, MD 21206

Tel: 410.483.6101 OR 410.483.6107

E-mail: admin@houseofpraisebaltimore.org

Web: www.houseofpraisebaltimore.org

P.S. Church will be very full, so please, come on time.

P.P.S. If you'd like to meet, let me know before church starts. I'll be there everyday from Sunday to Monday.

P.P.P.S. If you have any questions about the event, please contact church. If you contact me, I may not be able to assist you satisfactorily.

P.P.P.P.S. Have I told you that you're guaranteed to have a great time?

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Tomorrow On Moments With Mo: Never A Curse

As you know - or maybe you don't - when I get married, I will be giving birth to a set of confusingly identical twin boys. I have not decided what I will call them yet, but they will be cute and cuddly, and many, many girls will have crushes on them. However, I would have already been a pro at being a pro at being a shooter (with pistols and riffles), so they would know not to come too close to my handsome boys. Also, I will have two German Shepherd dogs, and I will not be afraid to release them on one or two girls.  

Those who have given birth to twins have asked me, "Are you sure?" several times, and each time, I have answered with a resounding yes. I want it. I will do what I have to do to get what I want. That's the happy side of it. There have been horror stories of mothers losing one or two of the babies before birth or during delivery. Sometimes, the mothers don't even make it out of the delivery room alive.

Mo shares some moments with the young triplets on the show

Mo discusses multiple births with adult triplets

This week, Mo takes a closer look at the complex issues surrounding multiple births and the unexpected reactions and realities that follow. She explores both sides of the coin as she follows the story of a couple who experienced the joy of a multiple birth, and a father’s heartbreaking tale of the loss of 3 of his sextuplets (6 babies) and wife during child birth.  Be part of this episode, and experience the mixed blessings of child birth.  

Watch this episode of Moments With Mo tomorrow, Tuesday, November 9th 2010 on Mnet West Africa at 9:30pm.  If you miss it tomorrow, you can watch a repeat episode on Wednesday, November 10th 2010 at 2:00pm, and on Saturday, November 13th 2010 (all on Mnet West Africa).  Happy viewing 

J

  

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I'm Off To Iraq

Today, I went to the shooting range with Uju, Tom, and 4MyPeople (who is quite famous in the Verastically Speakin' Talk Radio chat room). Uju and I had never been to the shooting range before. Apparently, one of us had to have experience shooting guns. Since Tom was in his native country during their war some years ago and he did in fact dodge bullets, we, the inexperienced jury came to a unanimous decision that Tom should be our sacrificial lamb. And thus, Tom became the one with the experience. I suggested to him that he tell them he used an AK-47 gun. But he did not think my idea was a good one. 4MyPeople suggested he tell them that he even killed someone with the AK-47. He also rejected that idea. I'm not sure why.

One by one, we went into the range to take our turns with the experienced one - Tom. Oh, the initial set-up was a comedy scene as Tom struggled to put the bullets into the gun (what do they call the place the bullets go into again?) 4MyPeople ran like a girl every time he thought the gun was facing him. And he screamed like a girl, too. Don't tell him I said that.  He managed to get two bullets into his target.

It was finally Uju's turn. She was in there for about five minutes, and then she came running out. The sound of the gun shots were too much for her to handle. Being the brave one that I was - trust me now! - I went in there, armed with determination and more determination. I'll admit, the sound of other gun shots frightened me, but unlike my opponent, Uju (yes, she is now my opponent), I did not run out. As Tom coached me on how to use the gun, I almost freaked out when he said, "Whatever you do, don't drop the gun. There are real bullets in there." Say what?! I thought these were placebo bullets - for lack of a better word.

Uju, on her way into the shooting range. Does she look like someone who's about to shoot?

My first shot jolted me back. I did not know that guns were so heavy. And I did not know that a gun shot came with such an intensity. You don't learn that from movies. And please, forget those smoke-spewing toys they use in Nollywood, the ones that kill the target before they are even fired. Out of the eight rounds of bullets, I managed to get three into my target, and one of them collapsed his lungs. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. Uju went back for Take-2, and this time, she was able to stay the course. She got one bullet into her target. Because her bullet went into her target's neck, she swears it was the shot that ended it all. In her words, "it was the shot that got Saddam Hussein" (except, of course, that Saddam Hussein was not shot. He was hung. But let's leave that alone).

Uju was a little too happy about her alleged Saddam Husein shot

My three shots. You can see the one by the right that collapsed his lungs.

Up close and personal with Uju's pathetic little shot.

I now consider myself a pro shooter - yes, with just one lesson. Therefore, I have contacted my friend in the Marine Corps and told him to tell his recruiter to come and beg me to join them. Since they were unable to complete the job in Iraq (my friend included), I will go in there (with my new shooting skills) and single-handedly take out all the insurgents. I will end this war. I'm off to pack my bags for Iraq. I need to call my mobile company. Perhaps, I'll pay them in advance for the months I'll be at war. I have to take my Blackberry with me. A girl has to stay updated with tweets and facebook statuses, you know. Oh, and blog posts, of course!

It's now official. I am a baaaad ass chic! 

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