new discovery

Last weekend, a friend and I took advantage of some of L.A.'s weekly farmers markets. My favorite one was on Crenshaw & Stocker behind the monstrous wal-mart / crenshaw mall. I got a taste of some sugarcane ginger ice-water, browsed the work of some local artisans, and grooved out to the sounds of some middle-aged DJ. All in all, this farmers' market made my day. But, I'm not writing this post to praise and promote this colored-folks market, I'm writing it because I tasted something very magical at this lil market. It's called a pluot, a hybrid fruit composed of genes from a plum and an apricot. Being someone who likes plants and horticulture, I really appreciated this mix that somehow never occurred to me in thought. My favorite variety was the Flavor King pluot that tasted kinda like punch.

Someone needs to make pluots the new 'it' fashion accessory so EVERYONE can become acquainted with them. Beautiful, just beautiful.

(my friend Timber enjoying her Flavor King pluots)

We also discovered that sliced Flavor Kings coupled with Saint Andre double creme brie cheese (yea we classy) resting on flaky pita chips was so good that it had the ability to paralyze our mouths for a few seconds. #heaven.

i do(n't)

i be feelin like

aint nothing new

and i know its true

but when i think about it

i feel like im discovering

something new

(but i aint)

just must be one of those

feeling/truths

that is so profound

it makes me feel

that tingle of newness

every time i think about it

aint nothing new

not the kind of caviar i like.

Dominique Deveraux is one of the only fictional characters that I look up to. I know it's a bit ridiculous, but if you have never experienced Dominique in the early 80's soap "Dynasty"I suggest you do so soon. Something about her frailness/lightskinn'dedness/style reminds me of my paternal grandmother that I wish I knew more about (RIP Ida B.).

Here is my FAVORITE cinematic scene in the Universe from the one and only DOMINIQUE:

us real big huh?

first own apartment. am i ready?

moved into new apartment. it's my own sanctuary. you wanna sow seeds of hate? take that elsewhere. im never leaving.

been busy & broke

...but you understand.

kinfolk

The catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Port-au-Prince, Haiti and the surrounding region in January of this year still affects over 1,000,000 people daily! Though most media and news venues have ended all reports on this disaster that has killed over 240,000 people, it should be recognized that survivors still exist and are in dire need of OUR help.

Haitians have always been a strong people, as is evident in its rich history. This history includes names such as Toussaint L’Ourverture and François Mackandal, two Afrikan revolutionaries that helped to allow Haiti be recognized as the first nation of the western hemisphere to free itself from slavery. This fortitude has been genealogically passed down, and is evident in the makeshift camps that now dot Haiti where culture and family ties thrive amongst a backdrop of neglect, poverty, and powerlessness.

One hand from outside of Haiti that has been put out in support, yet barely mentioned in popular news sources, comes from the West Afrikan nation of Senegal. Abdoulaye Wade, the president of Senegal, has offered free land to Haitians who have been affected by the earthquake. Wade said that Haitians were the “sons and daughters of Afrika” and proposed that Haitians “return to their origin”. Wade, as a Pan-Afrikan, believes in a united Afrika, and has said that his government would offer parcels of land to Haitians looking for help in his country. Besides giving over 1 million dollars to Haiti, he has also offered an entire area in the fertile region of his country not yet affected by the expansion of the Sahara to Haitians if they come en masse.

Celebrity telethons, Red Cross, and the UN may have been represented on our tv’s and newspapers as the face of deliverance, but in this continuous time of struggle, Brothas & Sistas also continue to offer aid/help/support to Brothas & Sistas.