“A man living in Illinois has been dating a woman via Facebook for two years now, and has never once met or seen her in person. Apparently, the man sent his love interest $200,000, and was soon shocked to find that she never even existed.”

I don’t see myself sending $200,000 to my new Facebook boo, especially if I’ve never met the individual face-to-face.

Boo-bear better be doing something strange for some change or shaking it fast for some cash to get me to come up off of those funds. But not everyone shares my sentiment, which is why Mr. Loverman in Illinois got duped.

I’m just amazed his invisible-better-half kept up the charade for two years.  But then, his acts of generosity and frequent money mailings during the course of the imaginary relationship probably made it hard to say good-bye.

Is there a rule written somewhere that a certain amount of hot mess reality shows must spin out of Atlanta? Seriously.  Where’s the Atlanta Quota Board and how many other drama-filled shows must we prepare for? First, we received “The Real Housewives of Atlanta“, and now get yourself ready for – “Tha Life: Atlanta” a reality series about the gay black men and Down Low Brothas living in the ATL.

For starters, I’m already hating the name.  It’s so… well you know.  It just has a certain level of drama written all over each letter.   Being that this is a show about the well-recognized gay scene in Atlanta, I wonder what the heterosexual men of of the ATL have to say about the city’s new found ‘representation’.  I can’t help but wonder if Eddie Long will show up in future episodes.

You can find a promo for the show below.  From the jump, a male voice utters “Atlanta is the Gay Mecca for African American men.“  Seriously? And he says it with pride.  *No pun intended.  Anyway, the video rolls forward with  speeches from the men, each guy getting ultra-glossy for the camera, and bragging about having it, getting it,  being “kept”, and whatever else is deemed the necessary component to make each one the Bad Bruh on the block.

I watched the entire clip and found myself growing bored before the one-minute mark rolled up.  By the time one brotha started his speech on how Range Rovers and Mercedes  Benzes are the Toyota and Hyundai of the ATL, I was done.

I don’t know when “Tha Life:Atlanta” will hit television.  In fact, it could already be showing in some households, either way I’m not holding my breath to tune in.  It doesn’t quench my thirst.  If this is the best Hotlanta can do when it comes to tv, then the city is a real hot mess.

An 80′s jam that is still ‘on and poppin’.

Here goes:

Michael Jackson
Before he was crowned The King of Pop by Elizabeth Taylor,  MJ was the king of my heart.  I remember many nights, falling asleep staring at the cover of MJ’s Thriller album.  I wanted him in a Hubba Bubba sort of way.  Jeri Curl, glitter socks and all – wearing that white suit on the cover, MJ made my heart moonwalk.

Johnny Depp
Depp landed on 21 Jumpstreet and jumped straight into my teeney-bopper crush vision.  All of my school friends thought he was the ‘most awesomest’ guy on the block and I co-signed to that emotion.

Michael Keaton
What can I say? It must have been the Batman suit.  Moving on…

Christopher Reeve
In the spirit of superheroes.  Yes, I crushed on Superman..and loved-me-some Clark Kent.

Tom Cruise
It wasn’t Cruise’s Risky Business, but his role in All The Right Moves that set my heart on fire.  Then came Cocktail and I was hooked.  But as time passed, I grew older and my desire to cruise into Tom’s heart quickly faded.

Merlin Santana
From The Cosby Show, to his roles on Hanging with Mr. Cooper & Moesha, I crushed on Merlin as hard as my heart would allow.  By the time he landed a regular gig on The Steve Harvey Show, I was over my crush phase, but I still thought he was adorably cute nonetheless.

Luke Perry
Luke made Beverly Hills a zip code worth remembering.  I always felt he was too cute for Brenda.   Even now, he’s still holding his own in the looks department. Way to go Luke. (Luke, if you’re reading this – “Call Me.”)

Tevin Campbell
Ashley Banks and I shared a common interest in men.  Little did we know, Tevin shared our interests too.

Scott Baio
Once upon a time, Joanie loved Chachie and for some odd reason I did too.  Actually, I was more into him during the Charles in Charge era.  But still.  I don’t know why.  I admit he was a cutie, but looks aren’t everything.  And nowadays he’s turned into a Hollyhood jerk – so it’s rather disappointing.  Guess I’ll remember the good times…when he was cuter.

George Michael
His Faith album was my introduction to (what I thought) would be my future husband.  At the time I couldn’t see any reason why he and I could not be together.  Hmm… you live and you learn.

Mark Brown aka Brown Mark
I know you’re saying “Mark WHO?”.  But Mark was very famous (in a background sort of way).  He was a member of Prince’s band The Revolution.  Having family roots from Minneapolis, Mark happened to be a family friend.  Long story short, when I was a tiny Applebud – Prince & The Revolution came to Houston for a concert and Mark stopped by the Applebum house to visit.  I was smitten.  He didn’t do anything fancy or play any musical chords, but he left a lasting impression on me and may very well be one of my first crushes – evah.  *Of course, now that I look at his funky fresh hair-don’t I’m really questioning my judgment back then.

So, that wraps up my short list.  Of course, I had other crushes like: Ralph Macchio from the Karate Kid, Devante Swing from Jodeci and James “JT” Taylor the lead singer of Kool and the Gang.   Back then, I probably had a different crush every week.  Oddly though, I never crushed on Prince as a child.  I guess with all of his antics, lyrics and gestures he was a little too ‘grown’ for me.   Intimidating perhaps.  Of course, now I’m a little bit older and bolder so that’s a whole different story.  I’m grading on a different scale and nowadays Prince makes my heart skip a beat.  What can I say?  Time and maturity brings about a change.  So someone…anyone, help a lady out and get Prince on the phone.  Please.

“Ain’t nobody comin’ to see you Otis. You wish you could work it like I do.”

“The Temptations” movie is on my long list of favorite films.  I’ve watched it so many times I have lost count.  I’ve tried watching “The Five Heartbeats” but I don’t find it entertaining. So I stick with the mini-series about Motown’s hit group, which is really what The Five Heartbeats is all about.

When it comes to the biopic tale about Motown’s hit male group, I think it’s the dominating performance by Leon that makes the movie so entertaining.  The music is great, but Leon owns his role as David Ruffin.  After watching Leon, I can’t think of any one else in Hollywood capable of delivering a more convincing performance.  Leon gives us a certain cockiness that makes Ruffin the lovable bad apple of the bunch.  I don’t know exactly how much attitude the real David Ruffin had in comparison to Leon’s performance,  but if he was anything like the onscreen persona from  the movie, I’d have to say he would have likely been my favorite Temptation of them all.

March is here and Spring is fast approaching.  For me, the New Year really doesn’t kick off until March 1st.  Yeah – the world says January 1st but I think I have a slow internal clock.  I spend the entire month of January trying to get into the swing of a New Year while milking my recovery from the holidays.  When February comes in to play, I’m laying low with hopes of coasting past the dreaded Valentine’s Day as quickly as possible.  So by the time March hits – I feel like a rejuvenated person ready to tackle the year (or 10 months) ahead.

It’s weird, but it seems to be my ritual.  Do you have any New Year quirks?  Care to share.

Anyhoo, cheers to a new year and a new month.  Let’s get ready for March Madness.

From the Houston Chronicle – “Texas is preparing to give college students and professors the right to carry guns on campus,adding momentum to a national campaign to open this part of society to firearms.

More than half the members of the Texas House have signed on as co-authors of a measure directing universities to allow concealed handguns. The Senate passed a similar bill in 2009 and is expected to do so again. Republican Gov. Rick Perry, who sometimes packs a pistol when he jogs, has said he’s in favor of the idea.

Texas has become a prime battleground for the issue because of its gun culture and its size, with 38 public universities and more than 500,000 students. It would become the second state, following Utah, to pass such a broad-based law. Colorado gives colleges the option and several have allowed handguns.”

As much as I want for our college campuses, students and faculty to be safe and protected – I cannot bring myself to cosign on this bill.  Not that my signature is needed for it to pass, but seriously I can’t support it.  I’d rather see an increase in campus security or a task force of undercover officers placed on campuses and inside classes in the event of a heated situation.

In the wrong hands guns are a deadly weapon and too often, guns fall into the wrong hands.  While supporters of the bill glance down the tunnel at a vision of perfectly protected campuses.  I’m viewing the wider scope of a frayed bill going terribly wrong.  There are too many possibilities of tragedy, some at the hands of a crazed vigilante and some at the hands of a best friend or trusted official.

In the midst of a struggle or heated argument, an angered mind might resort to violence as a resolution.  Sticks and stones may break your bones but a bullet in the butt can kill you.

In the past, we have watched news reports on situations that turned deadly among enemies as wells as friends. Simple arguments have escalated and turned fatal with middle-aged adults, thirty-something adults and even seasoned adults.  College students are no exception to the rule.  I’d like to believe allowing concealed weapons on campus would exercise a heightened level of security.  But sadly, as I look at the possible scenarios, passing a concealed weapon bill will likely be the opening of a can of worms society isn’t ready to deal with.

College is supposed to be about finding yourself, getting a better grip on this thing called life and transitioning from a child to adulthood.  Somehow the ambiance of College Life will likely get lost in the midst of packing your books, your bags, your Blackberry and your Beretta.

Thoughts?

Dr. Burtin Grebin once said – “To lose a child is to lose a piece of yourself.”

So Jessica Tata, the 22-year-old day care provider now facing child endangerment charges has fled the country and ran back to her homeland Nigeria.

Now that’s a coward.  Pardon my bluntness, but coward is the  nicest word that comes to mind.  Efforts are now underway to see if Tata can be extradited back to the U.S., I hope the efforts prove successful.

The Houston Police Department already confirmed finding surveillance video from a nearby grocery store that shows Tata shopping for groceries around the same time the fire broke out at the residential day care.  So instead of taking her lumps like an adult, she runs like a coward back to her homeland.  She’s a class act.

What makes the story so heart-wrenching is that Tata was a day care provider trusted to care for someone’s child.  Every day parents leave their children with someone with the hope and assurance the child will be safe; not left in a dangerous situation unattended.  A parent doesn’t count on the idea that if God forbid, something bad happens the adult entrusted with their child’s safety and well-being will pull a coward move, lie about the details of the situation then run from the system to avoid facing the courts.

Few words can really capture the emotion of this situation.  Tragic.  Sad.  Unbelievable.  Houston hearts are heavy and while no words or court sentence will bring back the children  – one only hopes the parents will eventually find comfort and strength in the days that lie ahead.