Happy Birthday, Abuelo!

January 31st, 2009

Abuelo would've been 76 years old today.

*Courtesy of YouTube

There he is, in the 70's singing Catalina La O.

Tonight at Hostos (in the Bronx), Mami is singing to celebrate his birthday. Yay!

Time flies and the world keeps moving.

Miss him, too.


=)

-franso

Diddy on Kim in Notorious

You might've seen this already but-

*Courtesy of YouTube

*crickets*
*blank stare*

DON'T BELIEVE WHAT WE SAW?!!? MOTHERFUCKER YOU EXECUTIVE PRODUCED THE MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!

*gains composure*

Whatever, Diddy.

-franso

Train Wreck

Anyone know what it means to dream of train tracks? Or a train wreck?

Last week I dreamt I was driving across train tracks, trying to figure out when my cousins and I should go. A train came and we had to wait, but it was very stressful.

A few seconds ago, I dreamt I got on the bus to meet up with friends (Shai and Alvarez to be exact!) and the conductor told us to get off and if there was no action on platform 6, that he'd take us to platform 7. I stayed on, the weather was horrible by the way, and as we were getting to track 7, my next train was behind us going ridiculously fast- well, the train itself said 74 MPH on the front. He kept honking and honking and our train was going 75 MPH, trying to get away. Our train jumped, landed on the platform, got hit by the other one, kept flipping over, burst to flames and landed on the ground. The whole time, I could hear myself praying- at point point it was movie-like in that I couldn't hear anything, just me begging God to save my life because I was too young. As the train blew up and landed on the ground, I was watching it from above- the way you normally see dreams, and then it was a movie because I remember feeling bad for "the girl and her mom waiting for her back home," all stressed out wondering how I would feel if it was me.

Crazy, no?

www.dreammmoods.com said:
To see or dream that you are in a train wreck, suggests chaos. The path to goals are not going according to the way you planned it out. Or you may be lacking self-confidence and having doubt in your ability to reach your goals.

www.experiencefestival.com said:
This dream symbol can be very complicated and its meaning is specific to the dreamer (as all dream symbols are). If you normally take the train to work and it is a part of your daily experience, closer attention should be paid to the other details of the dream. Going on a train ride may be symbolic of your life's journey. If you are the engineer, you may be reassuring yourself in the dream state that you are in control of a specific situation or life in general. The train could also be symbolic of your need to move on and to do things in an orderly and sequential manner. Freud said that the train is usually a phallic symbol and that a train going through a tunnel represents intercourse. Freud also said that there are other possibilities to this symbol. For example if you missed the train in your dream, you may be fearful of missing important opportunities. Jung thought that the train ride represented the way a person moves and behaves just like everyone else and that you the dreamer may be striving for wholeness.

Anyone else know anything? Random, I know.

The craziest part is that I didn't wake up scared, it wasn't a nightmare.

Hm, ok! About to be late to work!

Gotta get on the right... track and shit.

=)

-franso

Need A Laugh?

*Courtesy of Vibe.com

Derek Luke as Puffy in Notorious.

You're very welcome.

=)

-franso

VIBE Member

So! Due to having a 3 hour break in between Drawing and Painting...I just recently became a member over at Vibe.com. Apparently I have way too much time on my hands, time I should be spending on homework, because I'm getting really into the site, haha.

Join me, yes?

ANYWAYS! I was checking out the Music section and I came across a new(?) Justin Timberlake song, "Magic."

*blank stare*
*yawn*

C'mon Justin. Really? Sure, if I heard it ten more times the catchy melody, simplistic lyrics, and up tempo beat would force me to sing along... but are we making no progress??? Ok, I'm gonna stay positive and believe that this must have been cut from the FutureSex/LoveSounds album.

It's all about progress ya'll... At least to me. Artists like T.Pain are cool, but has he grown? Will he matter in 5 years? Everything sounds the same. Beyonce comes to mind too!! Yeah, I said it. The quality of her music is getting worse and worse with each album... ARE WE GROWING? (B, PLEASE LET'S GO BACK TO "ME, MYSELF & I" "BE WITH YOU"... PLEASE!)

So yeah, I thought that was interesting.

Feedback on this track, please.

On a brighter note, check out Ludacris' "Do the Right Thing" with Common and Spike Lee!
First of all, incorporating Spike Lee and his genius movie "Do the Right Thing"? A good look, especially when done right. Common? Icing on the cake! This song reminds me of spring or summer or something... happy I found it.

WAKE UP!!!!!!!!

=)

-franso

I Wrote This?

It's when I least want to,

After I told myself that I'd try not,

That I'd control myself

Because it wasn't a good look,

When the sun goes down,

The lights cut out,

And the TV ruins the silence,

Swearing I don't care,

Because I can't be replaced...

That I think of the different ways in which you make me smile.

Goshhhh...

Apparently I wrote it 3/16/08

I can dig it.

=)

-franso

Farewell, Danity Kane

In unfortunate news today from MTV.com, Dawn Richards from Danity Kane has pretty much stated the inevitable- Danity Kane is no longer.

Now, if you watch MTV a lot (such as myself) you've been seeing these HELLA DRAMATIC commercials for Making the Band wondering to yourself, "What are these girls gonna do?!"

I do the exact same thing... and it's SO obvious that Diddy just doesn't give a fuck.

If you wanna get dramatic, Diddy hasn't given a fuck since he had to- when he was on the grind and music was his only source of income, before he himself became a brand!

But back to Danity Kane... None of this mess would've happened had he cared for the girlies and kept them busy!!!!!!!!!!! It's almost as if they were constantly sitting around waiting to see if they were gonna get a next single- leaving them with a little too much freedom. I don't know, I'm just saying.

If you're a DK fan, you know that both albums had tons of potential, several possible Top 10 hits- Why only 2 singles per album? And then so dragged out. I'm no Diddy, but I know that if you got something good then you should milk it! Don't have Making the Band on overload and then... leave us hanging when it comes to TV performances and videos!

(Aubrey... you didn't make the situation any better. I see you over there. Taking fresh pictures like it's going out of style.)

I wish Dawn and Aundrea all the best because I do believe that they're very talented... I just don't know if anyone cares.
This isn't me trying to be mean... I'm serious, it's hard out there. To stay relevant, you know?

*sigh* Sad to say that there isn't more from where that came from. It was a fun, what? 4 years?

And to celebrate what is no longer....

My Top 5 Danity Kane Song List:

5) Striptease "I got a proposition if you want it, dare you to let me run some game on ya..."
4) Right Now "So I can't love you! Like I want to! We just can't do it! I's taking everything in me!"
3) Press Pause "Nowhere to rewind! Wish we had more time!"
2) Ooh Aah "Meant when I said it, you're gonna get it, loved when we did it, wrapped up in it..."
1) Sucka For Love "If you addicted to kissin and huggin, touchin and rubbin, you're a sucka for love..."

Well Geezy! Hang in there!

=)

-franso

Throwback of the Week

We all know I'm not a fan of Jennifer Lopez... She's just not my friend.

But let's make one thing clear.... I bops to more than 5 of her songs.

I'm talking like, I owned "On the 6", know lyrics, and have blasted a song or two of hers to get me either hyped up or through cleaning.

Ramona and I, shoutouts to fuchsiaMAG, had way too much time to kill yesterday afternoon (all my fault...) and we found ourselves on YouTube. Shamelessly reminiscing about and watching Jennifer Lopez videos.

From her head wrap in the "Loose Control" video, to LL's ridiculous adlibs in "All I Have", to her over-the-top swagger in "Get Right"... It was wasted time well spent (lol).

Whether you love her (Ramona) or hate her (Me!)... You can't deny how catchy her songs and entertaining her (mostly corny) videos are.

I leave you with the one song/video of hers that I have no problem professing my love for...

FEEL SO GOOD


*Courtesy of YouTube

Talk about taking me back to living in the South Bronx... So what if I was like 10.

=)

-franso

PS- peeped her giant hairclips right?

FINALLY: Mos Def Recap

January 9th, 2009
Highline Ballroom
Doors Opened- 7:30
Show Scheduled to Start- 9
Show Actual Starting Time- 11

INSANITY!

As much as I enjoyed myself that night, I still can't believe that he made us wait 2 hours. 2 entire hours, standing/sitting on the ground, waiting for this man, wondering what the issue was! A part of me wants to believe that something happened because I never thought he'd do that... but we'll never know! No apology either! Just one of those "Thank you for your time, you could've been anywhere in the world tonight" type of things... ugh!

ANYWAYS!

He came out all jolly, with his beautiful smile and had a great time. When Mos has a good time, his audience can't help but to have a great time. He was also playing Warriors on the screen behind him, which I found pretty cool. (Not the first time he does something like that.) I'm guilty of paying more attention to the movie than anyone else because, well, I'd already seen Mos twice before and I was very mad at him for making me wait!

He performed a lot of new songs which were HOT, of course, and old ones... Including, Sex, Love, & Money, Ms. Fat Booty, Definition, UNDENIABLE, UMI SAYS... And my favorite of the night? (As usual) U R THE ONE.

And oh my goodness, what a surprise when he did LOVE. COMPLETELY caught me off guard.

As much as I enjoyed myself...We waited 2 hours for an hour and a half set. I'm not gonna get over it! Lol

Here are the pics, homies:






And of course...


*sigh* I enjoyed myself but I won't be seeing Mos for a while- I like to miss people I love.

=)

-franso

WEST SIDE STORY

I was recently told something AMAZING.

I heard about it last year, and I didn't believe it so much... BUT IT'S TRUE.

WEST SIDE STORY IS COMING TO BROADWAY!

NEXT MONTH!

THE 23RD TO BE EXACT!

Basically, this is my favorite movie. (It used to be Grease back back back in the day... but then THIS came along and my little life was changed forever...)

I'm super excited about this whole situation and what makes me the happiest is that Anita, Bernardo, and Maria will be played by Latinos! So, whoop whoop to THAT. (I'm not sure about other renditions of it, but we all know Natalie Wood played Maria in the movie. Loved her, but wouldn't it have been less of a hassle to hire a Latina that could sing as opposed to a white woman who had to learn the accent AND someone to sing for her?)

Somebody out there has to be as gassed as me... Either way, check out the official Broadway website.


"Puerto Rico, my heart's devotion... LET IT SINK BACK IN THE OCEAN!"

=)

-franso

PS- yeah, I downloaded the West Side Story background- AND?!

Little Jackie- The World Should Revolve Around Me

*Courtesy of YouTube

I was late on this Brooklyn native... Are you?

Feel good music with extremely relatable lyrics.

=)

-franso

WHERE IN THE WORLD?

So... where the hell have I been?

Christmas, New Years, and 3 Kings Day came and went without some posts from me.

Movies, albums, books have come out and I've been... where?

Well, truthfully.. nothing has really inspired me.

Sure I've been working and just recently returned to school... but THE INSPIRATION IS LACKING!!!!

The last thing to genuinely inspire me was Q-Tip's Renaissance album... I have yet to get over that.

(Have you seen the manwomanboogie video? It's cute, and dammit Q is looking healthy...!)

Let's discuss how I'm not over this song, album, message, vision... Have you listened to the lyrics? My friend Briana and I can sit for hours and overanalyze... Shoutouts to HER.

Hm, what else is going on with me? Oh, knitting. Yeah, I've fully embraced my "CHIC GRANDMA" image, completing a cranberry scarf and currently working on a light green hat. Oh yes, I'm the grandmother at the bus stop knitting... Except I have the big red headphones on bumpin' to some vintage Biggie...

WHICH BRINGS ME TO!!! (Nice segway, no?)



Who's seen it? Who's waiting for the crowds to die down to catch it? Who don't give a damn? (Go home.)

Well, a part of me feels like a review is irrelevant... but it's still a big deal to me!
Where do I begin!? I enjoyed it... but unlike many other people, I didn't feel like blasting Biggie after. I wasn't overly proud of hip hop... I WAS SO SAD!!!!! I felt like the entire movie was sad... even when he was succeeding. If it wasn't one thing, it was the other. First his father never came back, then he started selling, then he wen to jail, then he started to do good with diddy... but he was neglecting his daughter, then his mother got cancer, then the way he treated fait and kim, then pac, then his accident... THEN HE DIED!!!!!!!! And that's not to mention how overwhelming the fame was for him =/

Homeboy who played Biggie though? What a perfect casting =) I really liked him.
And the girl who played Faith? She was probabl my favorite...

All this drama with Naturi playing Lil Kim? Um... seemed about accurate to me! Oh, and let's not even get into Lil Kim wanting CHRISTINA MILIAN to play her. Sweetie, you were dark-skinned back then... so that wouldn't have worked. *Annoyed sigh*

Anthony Mackie as Pac... One of my main concerns. Listen, I LOVE that actor and I was excited to see him as Pac (who I also love to death).. But it didn't click for me- Well, the only time it did was when he FIRST showed up to see Biggie perform. When he had on the orange silk shirt at the club? Not so much. I just felt like it was Anthony Mackie imitating Tupac, not Tupac.

Angela Basset, stunning of course. Yeah the accent was flaky, but dammit I love her!

Wait... DEREK LUKE AS DIDDY?!!?! First I thought it wasn't a good idea. I kept laughing at Derek Luke dancing around and saying all those ridiculous one liners to boost his and Biggie's esteem... but then I realized the real Diddy makes me do the SAME EXACT THING. What a joke lol

All and all, great movie. Cried at the end, of course. Voletta Wallace's poetry gets me. every. single. time.

Check it out if you haven' already...



Recap of Mos Def at Highline as soon as my friend stops being stingy with the damn pictures.

To my 3 fans... I'M BACK!

=)

-franso