Couldn't Help Myself

I told myself yesterday that I would not post any photos from my garden but I have to sell myself out because things were looking good in the backyard.

So forgive me for my bloom time excitement.

Thinking of You Boo

Saturday while out & about, my boo called & said she spotted some pretty Oriental lilies on $5 clearance at Wal-Mart (of all places). She said there were some red & some pink ones but that was all she knew. I said sure get me whatever & that would be cool.

Later, I got home & saw these awesome Dwarf Oriental lilies & I was so geeked.

Today after I got home from a BO campaign mtg, I changed into my garden gear & hit the yard to get busy.

After everything was planted, I thanked my boo again for such great floral picks. And you know I had to pull out the camera………

Finding Beauty Where There is Little

Chicory is such an easy plant to hate because a) it is considered a weed here b) the body & foliage of the plant is hideous but the wonderful blue bloom that it produces more than makes up for its shortcomings.

And no, this was not taken in my backyard!

Bygbaby Cooks: Traditional Caipirinha

Caipirinha is pronounced (kye-puh-reen-ah"

The Caipirinha is the national cocktail of Brazil and one of my favorite summertime drinks.They are simple to make and very delicious but not for the faint of heart. The drink is made with Cachaça, which is made from is made from fresh sugarcane juice that's fermented and distilled and is usually 80 proof or higher.

After 2 of these and I usually out for the count. Today I had 3 and I’m still standing surprisingly.

Ingredients:

• Cachaça (pronounced ka-shaa-suh)
• Sugar
• Lime
• Ice

Procedure:

• Quarter one half of your lime and place in a cocktail tumbler along with 2-3 spoonfuls of sugar
• Muddle the lime and sugar until the lime is juiced
• Fill the glass with ice and pour in the cachaça until the glass is full
• Shake your powerful concoction (with a shaker top over your tumbler of course)
• Once your drink is well shaken and not stirred serve and enjoy

Any of the substitutions for the cachaça will make your drink a bootlegged hot mess!

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Cachaça History:

Cachaça was invented by the first Portuguese settlers of Brazil, in the region around the town of São Vicente, sometime between 1532 and 1548. Workers at local sugar mills first discovered that the sugarcane juice (garapa), cooked and left standing, would "sour" (ferment) and turn into a mild alcoholic beverage. The product, disparagingly named cagaça, was consumed by slaves (plantation owners began serving the liquid to their slaves after noticing that the drive would increase vigor.), as a cheap substitute for the Indians' cauim. Soon someone had the idea of distilling it, and thus cachaça was born.

Cachaça distilleries multiplied through colonial Brazil during the 16th and 17th centuries. Portugal eventually took notice and, in order to protect the market for Portuguese-made grappa, tried several times to outlaw the manufacture and consumption of the new spirit. In 1756, after a century of failure to suppress it, the Crown gave up and levied a tax on cachaça. This tax brought substantial revenue to the Treasury, and contributed to the reconstruction following the 1755 Lisbon earthquake and tsunami.

Currently there are more than 4,000 different brands of cachaça available in Brazil. Early in its history it was consumed mainly by Africans, peasants, and members of the lower class. As is often the case, elitists considered it a low drink, unfit for exclusivist bars and tables. However, the finer points of the product gained wider and wider appreciation, and it is now a very popular drink, considered by some to be in the same class as whiskey and wine. In the country's largest cities there are many bars specialized in cachaça, called cachaçarias, offering hundreds of different brands, some of them very expensive. The most prized brands are produced in Minas Gerais and São Paulo. The Brazilian government and producer associations have recently acted to promote the export of cachaça. (Soure: Wikipedia)

Bygbaby Cooks: 1.2.3... Pesto

My friend & co-worker surprised me today with a nice big bag of sweet basil picked from her herb garden.  When I saw it, I got excited & shouted PESTO (in my head)!

As soon as I got home, I pull out my pine nuts, olive oil & garlic. Before you know it, I was in business with one of my favorite flexible condiments.

We of course use it on pasta but we also use it in chicken salad, rice, stir fries, crackers with mozzarella & scrambled eggs....

Mmmmm, Mmmmm, Mmmmm, Mmmmm

I usually do not measure when I cook but to be a little more accurate, I pulled out some measuring cups.

Ingredients:
- 2-3 cups of Basil
- ¼ Cup pine nuts
- 4 Garlic cloves
- Olive oil
- 1/3 Cup Parmesan cheese

Procedure:
- Drop your bunch of basil into a food processor with pine nuts, garlic cloves & cheese then pulse for 5 secs
- Pour in about ½ cup of olive oil & pulse again for 10 seconds

After my pesto was done, I cooked up some bow-tie pasta/farfalle & tossed in a little pesto. The pasta was served with some blackened Alaskan salmon and red kool-aid.

Me But Nothing Really

I am too tired for self portraits these day. Actually, Iam just always tired. Anyway, as I mentioned before taking self portraits is a drag. So my new strategy to get photos of myself is to teach the ladies how to use my camera & teach them photography without teaching them.

I got my boo to take this image the other day & coached her on how to focus manually with my new Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 AI-S lens. It took her a few tries to get it but when she got it, she really got it. I really should change the watermark to read Photography [by] Suite Suzy, but I'm too tired.

BTW, notice anything new which is not on me but around me which reflects me but not really but somewhat?

Raspberry Lime Gin Spritzer

After not doing a food post for well over a month, I seem to be back with a vengeance with my Bygbaby Cooks post. I hope my domestic side is not boring you to death because I’m having fun working on recipes, tweaking old one & getting bigger in the process.

I do enjoy mixing cocktails & experimenting with fruits juices & liquors. I test a lot of my recipes out on friends when we have parties & I have only had one drink bomb over the years.

Many friends come over & before they sit down, they ask me to fix drinks. My first reaction is oh yeah, let’s do this, my 2nd reaction is bitch do I look like Isaac!

Anyway today I was craving delicious thirst refreshment after a long busy holiday weekend making Quench, selling Quench & running the streets. My raspberry lime spritzer was just what I needed to get my mind right & ready to face the real world tomorrow.

Ingredients:
- Fresh or frozen raspberries
- Seltzer or club soda
- Simple Syrup
- 1 Lime
- Gin (I prefer Rangpur Tanqueray)

Simple Sugar Procedure:
- Combine 1 cup of sugar with ½ a cup of water & a cup of raspberries in a small pot and bring to boil.
- Take a swig of your gin
- Reduce heat and let simmer 10 to 15 minutes.
- Allow to cool.

The finished product consistency should be the consistency of honey & deliciously sweet.

>>>>OK, now the fun part!<<<<
- Fill your highball glass with ice
- Pour one finger worth of gin or two if you want or need to be fucked up
- Spoon over 2-4 tablespoons your freshly made raspberry simple syrup
- Squeeze in some fresh lime juice then fill the remainder of the glass with seltzer of club soda
- Stir & serve

I garnished with lime and a few whole raspberries because I like pretty drinks. And yes, really men do like pretty & fruity drinks!

BTW, I’m using my left over raspberry simple syrup to drizzle over some French vanilla ice cream. Mmmmmmmm!

Avid Gardener

I used to wear gardening gloves all the time when working in my gardens.  I used to hate having dirt embedded in my finger prints & stuck under my nails. 

Over the past few summers, I stopped wear gloves because I wanted to be closer to the earth, I wanted to understand it, feel it anoint it with my green thumb.  The only time not wearing gloves has a draw back is when I get splinters from mulch.  Ouch, I hate splinters!

I have seen similar images to this one on some of my favorite stock sites & just love the concept.

Today, I decided to take the theme into my own hands.  Well at least Sade's hands. I am finding that my kids come in handy (no pun intended) when it comes to setting up certain shots that I want to create as well as assisting me when necessary.

Food WIll Make a Nigga Crazy

While downtown Ann Arbor yesterday, I decided to stop into Cake Nouveau to have a look around. As soon as I opened the door, I was taken over by the aroma of delicious baked goodies.

I walked up to the counter after noticing the fabulous looking cupcakes & just about lost my mind. 5 minutes & 25 dollars later, I was out the door of my own cupcakes (4 blueberries 'n cream, 4 chocolate black raspberry, & 4 vanilla beany).

The baked goods euphoric state that I was in ended when I got in my car and realized that I just paid 25 bucks for 12 cupcakes!!!

I hate to say it, but they are so worth it. After making Quench all day, eating a chocolate black raspberry cupcake was the perfect way to unwind.

See a few more shots on Flickr:
Chocolate Black Raspberry I
Chocolate Black Raspberry II
Sweet Dreams

Next week, I vow to tighten spending on food. No cherries or bourgeois snacks.

Bygbaby Cooks: Roasted Red Pepper Potato Salad

It’s the 4th of July (wow, I’m excited, no, not really) & it’s time for potato salad!!!  I know we all love our moms or grandmom’s mustard potato salad with eggs (Mmmmmmmmm) but what about something new for a change.

Suite Suzy & I have had this recipe in our pocket for the last nine years & actually served it at our wedding reception.  It was a hit with out bourgeois friends then & we have enjoyed it ever since. 

This recipe is easy to make although it may not look like it.  You just have to be ready to multitask.

Ingredients:
- Yukon gold potatoes
- 2 Roasted red peppers (I roast my own)
- 6 Cloves of roasted garlic (I roast my own)
- 5 Green onions
- Fresh dill
- Sour cream (I use light)
- Mayonnaise (I use light)
- Olive oil
- Sangria (to drink while you prepare)

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:
- Wash & split your peppers down the middle then massage them with olive oil
- Place the oil peppers on an aluminum covered cookie sheet with the inner side facing down. To kill 2 birds with 1 stone, place the six peeled garlic cloves under the peppers so they can roast as well
- Place the cookie sheet into your oven on the broil setting for 20-25 minutes
- Once the peppers are charred on top, remove them from the oven because they are done
- Let the peppers cool, and then peel off the charred skin.  The skin should come off easily
- Have a sip of sangria

>>>OK, now the fun part!<<<

- Place the roasted garlic & peppers in your food processor, along with the green onions & a few spoonfuls of olive oil then pulse for 10 seconds or so.  Voila, your sauce is done.

Back to the salad:
- Cube about 6-10 small to medium potatoes & place them in a steamer for about 15 minutes. You want them soft but not mushy
- Once the potatoes are done, run them under cold water to speed up the cooling process.
- Have a sip of sangria
- Place your cooled potatoes in a large mixing bowl with one ½ cup of mayo, one ½ sour cream, one ¼ cup of your delicious roasted red pepper sauce  & finally 10 minced dill sprigs.  Stir the mixture thoroughly adding salt & pepper to taste.
- Chill then serve.

For this most recent meal occasion, I served the salad with my pan-fried garlic chicken strips with Suit Suzy’s zest BBQ sauce & ginger green beans. Damn it was good & yes, I enjoyed it with sangria!!!

BTW, I have a recipe for a blue cheese potato salad that is slamming.  I might share it but I don’t know if your ready...

Big Mama & Her Green Beans

Whenever I prepare fresh green beans, I always think about my grandmother Mary Howard aKa Big Mama.

When I was about 11 I started calling her Big Mama & she always laughed when I did.  I don’t know where I got it from back then but it seemed appropriate because her love was big, her food was big, her hugs were big & her smile was big.

After I purchased these beans today, I had every intention to pick them on the porch like Big Mama used to but I did not because the rain kept me inside but that did not deter my “rememory” of Big Mama & the way she picked her beans with a big smile while humming deeply sweet nothings that only she knew.

On another note, if Big Mama  were alive today, I would not be eating her green beans.  Back then, I like the boiled to death beans steeped in salt pork with the potato chunks bobbing up & down in the boiling water.  Today, I must have them sautéed, steamed or poached & lightly seasoned.

Bygbaby Cooks: Steamed Purple Artichoke

This is a follow-up to my "Fruits & Veggies"post.

Sorry I don’t measure, I just do what it do.  If you try it, just use some common damn sense.

Ingredients:
- 2 Artichokes (I used purple)
- 1 Lemon
- Sea salt (I prefer coarse)

Procedure:
- Cut top quarter of artichoke off, cut stem off & cut the tips of each petal
- Boil 3 inches of salted (to taste) water & add slices of the lemon
- Place the artichokes into boiling salted water for 45 minutes with the top pointing up the cover.  Be sure to monitor your water. (This is basically a steam cooking.)
- Once artichokes are done, place them on a paper towel upside down to allow for draining & cooling.

At this point you can quarter & enjoy them with a little fresh lemon juice, black pepper.  I chose to enjoy them with some fresh citrus basil dressing & Gorgonzola cheese.

Dressing Ingredients:
- EVOO (I know you know what this is!!!)
- Balsamic vinegar
- Basil
- 1 Nice sized lime
- Sea salt
- Black pepper (use fresh, don’t be tacky)
- Honey (or sugar)

- Red pepper flakes

Procedure:
- Juice lime into your food processor (or blender)
- Pour in about a half-cup of EVOO
- Pour in a few big drops of balsamic vinegar
- Add in a few shakes of red pepper flakes
- Add at least 6 basil leaves
- Add a dollop or two of hone
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Pulse food processor (or blender) for about 20 seconds or until ingredients are blended well

Once the dressing is done, spoon over the artichoke generously soaking the heart.  Add a little Gorgonzola as a side & enjoy.

I have not done a Bygbaby Cooks in a while & I had fun reviving the series. I hope you try this one. It's nice & fresh, whcih makes it perfect for summertime!

The Abstract Macro Photographer

Over the past 3 years, when I photographed flowers in my garden, I always took full on shots, to capture the entire bloom & I was happy with that. 

This spring, my mindset on what is beautiful about flowers has changed as my macro photography skill morphed into something that I did not imagine.  My hand has become very steady, I have learned to work with the wind, when conditions are not in my favor & I now use rain to my advantage.

Lately, I have been finding the beauty in what makes flowers beautiful & have been loving my discoveries inside, and around blooms.

I don’t post many floral shots here but I have flooded my Flickr page with them & I have been enjoying the responses to my abstract macro floral shots,

Here are a few from today that I took after I walked my mother through my gardens.  She managed to get me to give her a few things but some thing I just could not part with, such as my “flame” calla lilies.

Fruits & Veggies

I ate bing cherries all last week & was been in foodie heaven. Yesterday on a trip to Wholefoods, I spotted my favorite cherry of all, the ranier cherry. I love them so but they cost soooo much. I walked out paying a small 9.30 for 1.5 lbs.

I love the burst of sensual delight in my mouth when I bite into a juicy ripe & sweet cherry. Wait, that sounds too suggestive, I really mean the fruit!

I also spotted these lovely purple artichokes @ Wholepaycheck. The looked so beutiful, I just saw photo written all over them. Now that the photo is out of the way, it's time to chow down on them!!!

Last Bits

I’ve finally finished going through all of my NYC photos.  I took almost 600 photos, of which 200 were trash, 100 were close duplicates & the rest made for hard decisions on what to post because I cannot post them all, well I could but why.

During the trip, my one & only goal was to photo the Brooklyn Bridge & the photoshoot that I was scheduled for, everything else was just gravy.

My trip had a few too many dramatic moments but over all an unforgettable trip with a few lessons learned.

Suite Suzy & I did some good eatin’ & I did some good cocktailing!!!!!!!  There is something about NYC that makes me lose my mind when it comes to delicious cocktails & I realized this yesterday on the plane home! x pomegranate rum punches, x caipirinhas, x mojitos, x bombay & tonic & a bottle of Strawberry Hill (just kidding!!!).  I guess you can say I was a bit of a lush.  Now it is back to reality, statistics, children running around & of course the presidential election which is enough to make me pour a drink right now.

Speaking of politics, I tuned in to “Meet The Press” this morning & saw that Brian Williams is hosting.  My first question was why him, my second was why doesn’t he do something about those tan lines around his eyes.  I find BW to be very anal & monotoned, basically boring.  At the end of the show, he announced that Tom Brokaw would be taking over until after the election.  Can you say boring!!!!!!!!!!!!  I hate to jock a dead man, but they will not find anyone to fill Tim Russert’s shoes.

On a similar note, when I was showering this am, I wondered if BET thought about trying to do a news program to cover the election.  I mean, you have a Negro running, for the White House & BET has no news programming.  I guess the question really is, why am I asking such a stupid question.

Speaking of Negroes & politics. I think I got dissed on the Sugar & Spice blog.  Sugar turned her blog into a Hillary Clinton love spot/Barack Obama make the nigga go away spot.

For a while there were some hot debates going on there between supports of both candidates but then it seemed like Billary haters were not commenting any more???  Then I noticed that my comments were no longer being posted. 

Last week, I left 2 comments to a few really over the top posts about Barack Obama & days later they are still MIA.  I really don’t care but I do but I really don’t. No really!

Why blog & have commenting an option if you are moderating out opposing view points?

Her POV is her POV, point blank but I think she lost her mind, based on some of the topics & pretty saddening language.

I am not trying to start a blog jump off because I think Sugar is cool (before she was brainwashed) but I had to get that off my mind.

Anyway, if you are interested in seeing more images, check them out here.

My NYC Independence

For the past six years, I depended on Suite Suzy to navigate us while on our NYC anniversary trip.   She knows NYC like the back of her hand so I just followed blindly.  This most recent trip was going to be different than the rest because it was part business & part vacation.  The business part was hers (conference), which meant that I had an entire day to myself.

Since she was wrapped up until 5pm Weds-Fri, I had to make my own event agenda & plan my own transit. 

Wednesday, I planned to walk the Brooklyn Bridge & was led to the 6 train.  Wow, me in NYC riding the subway by myself, scary!!!  So I made it to the BB with no incident, had a light nasty lunch before my walk & then got my nerve up to walk across.

I was really surprised by the foot traffic on the bridge, it seemed like everybody & their mama was walking across either way.  Once I got to the mid point of the bridge, I stopped for a breather & enjoyed the breeze that was cooling the sweat beads on my face.  I also looked around & saw the Statue of Liberty, & the Manhattan skyline off in the distance.  Then I looked a little closer to me & saw two young couples having their picture taken after their city hall wedding (the modest white dresses & leggy bodega bouquet was the marriage indication).

After the BB, I walked around Brooklyn Heights a bit & did some people watching.  The area looks like it is in the process of gentrification, which I later confirmed.

Instead of taking the BB back & hoping on the subway, I decided to hike down the Manhattan Bridge (I was really out of my mind).  Let me tell you, it was one long walk back & the MB was much less exciting to walk across than the BB. 

Anyway, once back on Manhattan, I walked quickly through China Town so that I could sit for a bit & cool my heels while wetting my whistle at Sal Anthony’s in Little Italy.  By the time I got to Sal’s I was so exhausted that I just about collapsed in my chair before demanding a bottle Pellegrino & lime.  Let me tell you, this was the best bottle of Pellegrino ever!!!

Later in the week, I also braved the subway system a bit more with trips to the UN, Junior’s, SoHo, & Times Square.  I was a bit nervous because I feared getting lost but everything worked out. 

By the end of the week, I was really confident with my navigation skills, which impressed Suite Suzy & I clocked about 12 miles in foot traffic.

Stopping to Smell the Roses

My roses managed to bloom this year before the disgusting Japanese beetles hatched. On any given year, I may see a few roses but never get to enjoy them for long. It seems like as soon as a rose bud appears, it is attached by those damn bugs & no matter what I do, they always win the garden fight.

Anyway, I guess there are worse things going on in the world outside of my garden.

On a photographic note, my little unofficial but official photography is starting to pick up. I had a gig last week covering a private fashion party for Word Play T’s & got a call today to bid on the Ultimate White Party (Detroit). This job is kinda big & will require me to hire 3 photographers to assist. The assignment is to shoot the party entrants (approx. 4k) paparazzi style as they walk down the white carpet.

After hearing he idea, I called up a few friends, penciled them in to make this happen & forwarded my bid for the job. I hope this one comes through because, it will be additional exposure, a much needed credit card payment, & a good opportunity to see how Ghetto Fabulous party in all white.

One of the coolest things about the call, was that she found me through my Barack Obama photojournal via a mutual friend. The photojournals may be working.

Lastly, tomorrow, I am placing my weekly call to Wire Images to see what it takes to become one of their photographers. This will be call number 4 & I am not stopping until I get a damn call back!!!
I’m trying to stay on the grind but I am not sure where this will all lead. Sometimes I wish a I had a crystal ball.

Oh wait, I ain't done:::

- NYC Friends, I will be in Manhattan next week starting Tuesday, would love to meet for Negro Fixin's!!! (I am so looking forward to seeing "Cat On a Hot Tin Roof" and a picnic in Central Park)
- Toronto Friends, I will be in town for the Caribana July 31 - Aug 3 (already looking forward eating @ Golden Thai & the Hot House Sunday brunch)
- Chicago Friends, I will be in town for a quick Labor Day weekend trip
- DC Friends, a quick trip in the works, stay tuned.

Damn, it looks like I am going on a fucking tour.

Little Observations About Me

My closets friends & family consider me to be very nitpicky, anal & a tad bit petty.  I may be this way because I'm a Virgo or at least that's what I’m told.  Personally, I do not read much into horoscopes & zodiac sgns but I do find the mystique interesting.

Anyway, I am finding that my nit pickyness & interest in small detail to be a big asset when it comes to macro photography (taking close-up pictures of small things).  Sometimes, it takes me several minutes to manually focus on my subject , which is sometimes difficult especially when the wind is blowing but when you get that sweet spot & perfect shot, it makes the time & effort so worth it.

Like they say, little things mean a lot.

Barack Obama For President

As you may have guessed from my teaser post yesterday, I photographed Barack Obama, at a town hall meeting held in Troy, MI. It was very last minute & I spent the entire weekend waiting for the moment when I would have our next president as a photographic subject.

Like many, I have seen Barack speak on TV, defending himself, talking about what he envisions for America & going on the offensive against his GOP rivals. Whenever I watch, I get excited, inspired & yet nervous at the same time.

Well, after being there in person with about 2000+ (I think this number is not official) other supporters I got more than I bargained for. There was so much energy in the crowd that it could have lit up 2 city blocks, and this was before Barack appeared.

One of the major highlights before Barack took the stage was that he got two super delegate endorsements from Brenda Lawrence (Southfield, MI’s first Black and first female mayor) & Lu Battaglieri (Executive Director of the Michigan Education Association).

After all of the local notables said their piece, Barack was introduced by a local woman who seemed almost too excited to talk. She told the story of how her job left MI, & how her & her husband whose also unemployed cannot afford gas to live their daily lives. Her story was touching & all too familiar these days. Just before she exploded with excitement, she turned the mic over to Barack & the crowd went wild. At the same time, I was fighting with another local photographer after she PUSHED me to take a photo. I was so ready to jump off but, well, you know.

As Barack spoke the crowd burst into encouraging chants of we love you, Obama 08, etc. I think I even shouted once. Another photographer next to me called out & said, you are too happy & I take it that this is your first political assignment. I told him that he was more than 100% right & we both laughed.

Anyway, Barack, spoke on many of the points that he has covered over the past few months: gas, energy, education, jobs etc. He also dissed JM big time, which was awesome & he also showed Billary some love.

After his familiar speech, he turned to the audience for questions, which were unscreened & in a boy/girl fashion. The questions ranged from wanting answers on gas prices, his plan on mental health coverage, corporate greed/profits & a few others to which he broke down without skirting the issues. The best questioned asked from the audience IMO was from a gentleman who admitted to spending 13 years in prison because he stole a pair of Nikes & a set of bed sheets (a possible crack move!!!). The gentleman stated that since his release, he started a company that employs 1300 people & noted that he does hire ex-offenders. His question to Barack was what does he plan to do about decreasing prison/jail recidivism rates.

This question really resonated with me because of the paper that I wrote last semester on mandatory drug sentencing & the release of thousands of former crack dealers. His answer was on point & covered prevention programs to curb conditions that turn people to crime, offer programs that would help introduce ex-offenders back into society so that they could be successful & productive. Then he also flipped the script & stated that parents need to be more accountable for their children, “parents need to parent”, “fathers need to be step up to the plate”. Those last to statements made the crowd swell with praise. I heard several amens & hallelujahs from the older Black women that were standing near me.

After the Q&A session, Barack thanked the crowd for coming out & for the support. He then toured the crowed & was surrounded by the supported who wanted to hug him, shake his hand & get photos with their cell phones. It all seemed surreal to see the love that he was getting!

Quick flashback::::: When I showed up at the school, I meet many journalists from all over & they were open & warm. Many asked who I was with & when I told them that I was a blogger, I got some great reactions. They were like wow, who do you blog for & what do you write about. A few even asked what a blog was.

I also mentioned that I was a member of the AfroSpear & excitedly told them that a few the AfroSpear bloggers were recently credentialed to blog from the National Democratic Convention this August.

Two of the most notable people that I spoke with were Rochelle Riley of the Detroit Free Press (I swear I met her last year at a party) & Peggy Agar, the local reported who was the center of “Sweetie Gate”.

I actually talked with Peggy about the incident & she told me that it was not a big deal to her & she blew it off. Her main gripe was that Barack did not get back with her as he said he would. She went on to say that she was shocked to see how bloggers were dogging her out as if she created the drama & the way it was being handled in the media in general.

I asked if any of the cable news networks requested interviews after the jump off & she laughed & said many of them did. Her network requested that she not appear on any programs because they knew that it would spin out of control & she would just be a pawn in the game. Peggy also stated that she was just focused on doing her job, getting a paycheck so that she could feed her family & make sure that they had health coverage. Her husband has been laid off for an extended period of time & she has much bigger fish to fry. You go Peggy, & apologize for dogging you out boo!

Flashforward::::: The event was awesome, my journalistic experience was definitely interesting & I want more!!! Lastly, I encourage you to go see the political candidate that you are backing in person. Watching on TV is cool, but being there in the crowd is so much more. Kinda like watching a good movie, then you read the book & are just blown away by all of the detail that you missed.

To see images of the town hall meeting, check out my photojournal here.
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Updates:

- My sister found out that she is having a boy & his name will be Asar. She asked that I give him a middle name, so I am choosing something of greatness to complement his powerful first name.

- Barack Obama is now the official Democratic nominee. He gave a scorching hot speech that anyone can be proud of. I teared up a bit & only wished that I was in that stadium tonight.

- Hillary Clinton showed her ass during her sappy assed speech that should have been a concession speech. Homegirl did not announce any future plans & did not concede. I think she maybe stuck in a state of denial so tight that only R. Kelly & Kwame Kilpatrick can understand. Hillary, give it up boo, the popular vote does not get you nominated, delegates do. Ask Al Gore if you don’t believe me.

- John McCain is now older than he was earlier today making him still one old as mutha who needs to retire to FL vs. trying to run the country. Why does he always look freshly embalmed????

- On CNN tonight Anderson Cooper tried to get all up into Donna Brasile's business & she shut him down by saying that he is not her boo. Anderson retorted, “I wanna be your boo”. That exchange cracked me the fuck up.

Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama!

Guess what I covered today???? More details & photos coming later tonight. I'm off to this damn statistics class.

Live Today

Fortune cookies are fun but I feel the need to determine my own fortune through the spirit of Kujichagulia.

Kujichagulia [KOO-GEE-CHA-GOO-LEE-YAH] (Self-Determination) - To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves instead of being defined, named, created for and spoken for by others.

Thursday when I went to pick up my girls from daycare, Ms Joan (who happens to be a displaced Katrina victim, very religious, stern with my kids, she also has smooth brown skin & a comforting voice that makes me think she can make some good sweet tea.) said, "I heard you are graduating Saturday."  I was like I am but it is not a big deal, it's just an Associates.  She said, "who cares, you are graduating & when one of makes it happen, it is a big deal, congratulations".  Her comments made me think back a little & I smiled because it was so like something my grandmother would say.

So today was my WCC graduation & I am officially an “Associate”.   The graduation was actually fun, even the boring speeches held my attention.  My loved ones made it out & screamed for me when my name was called, which was encouraging.  I am proud that I made this happen even though it took forever, I still did it.

Today really marked a new beginning for me & I’m looking forward to the next leg of my educational stretch.  In about 2 weeks, I will be jumping off into a business statistics class & I’m looking forward to it.  Now that I have officially conquered a full-fledged math courses, nothing else intimidates me.

I know I treat my blog as a personal journal most times, so I appreciate the fact that many of you tune in & are down for your blogging boo!!!

Thx for your support,
Tafari

When a Client Calls

A couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by Drake Phifer of Urban Organic who needed some updated photos of himself.

Days later, we were confirmed & the shoot was on.  We set up at a few somewhat on the street spots midtown Detroit & I found myself in challenging light conditions, cold windy weather but all with a client who was flexible & easy to work with.

It was fun doing this type of job for portraits & something that I miss from my Detroit Fashion Pages days.

After Drake got the photos, he contacted me & really stroked my ego with praise for the work I submitted. Later I ran into him & his wife & she echoed his sentiments, which made me feel proud of my little skills.

Hopefully when the image(s) appear in African American Family Magazine (the main purpose for the photos), I can get a few client hits.

On a on the grind note, last week, I contacted Wire Images to find out what it takes to be one of the photographers.  I left a message got no call back so far, so guess who I will be hitting up tomorrow!!!

Kissing Cousins

Boo Boo & Bay Bay don't get to play together often but when they do, all hell breaks loose. They had so much fun at my moms the other day, that I did not mind all of the screaming they did (why do kids like to scream???). They look so cute together.

I hope that when they grow up that they have a close relationship like Cousin Dee & I.  Everyone needs a bestest friend that is their cousin.

To All The Baby Mommas

Occaisional Rain

"There was rain today
And crystal blue was hidden by a cloudy gray
A sudden shower come to chase the sun away
Occasional rain

Damn the weatherman
He seems to work against me any way he can
And he’s been dealing tear-drops since the world began
And occasional pain

And blue you, don’t believe I’m talking to you
The light is shining through you- still you will not see
Blue you- think I’m trying to undo you
When I only want to seek the Truth

And speak true
I can’t tell you when
But someday soon we’ll see the sun re-born again
And there’ll be light without as well as light within
And occasional rain"

Terry Callier 1972

Whenever I listen to Terry Callier's older music, I feel like I'm transported back in time for some reason. His newer music inspires me to want more of myself, my people & my love. If you are not up on him & like old soul/folksy type music, check him out. If you are a house fan, he has some pretty cool remixes out there. iTunes Boo!

Gotcha!

Suite Suzy does not like having her picture taken & whenever I try she grimaces but last night at dinner she gave in & I loved the results. She is part of the reason my girls are so beautiful but it is mostly me:)

DoYouLikeBaduLikeIDoBoo

Erykah Badu performed last night in Detroit with the Roots & the show was KICK ASS. I got so many awesome shots & I am so feeling myself right now. I may post one more, but I think this is a pretty good tease for now.

Don't you just love press passes???

Follow the White Rabbit

Caption Me

Oooh, oooh oooh, me first: I couldn't take it no mo' so I had to cut that nigga!

Inner Beauty

The magnolia tree flower is amazing & absolutely beautiful.  Magnolia blooms are the texture & color of a wonderfully soft dream; the blooms have a thick perfume that is intoxicating and sexy.  The springtime beauty of this tree is like a deep sexual encounter that only lasts a little while, leaving you totally satisfied but wanting a little more.

Why can't they always be this way?  Why can’t life always be beautiful?  Why can’t we a people look inward to find another’s beauty without defining them by their outward appearance. 

Lastly, why is it so hard to find the perfect pair of jeans?

Blooms So Shiny

The trees in my neighborhood are a huge distraction while driving! Why did I almost hit a parked car today because I was staring at one of my neighbor’s ornamental cherry tree.

Spring is in the air & I love it!!!

Twilight World

My post title is inspired by Swing Out Sister's song "Twilight World” from their "It's Better to Travel" album 1987.

"Time out
World in a hurry
There's more love than money changing hands

Lights out
Thinking out loud
Turn your back on the world outside

Night thoughts
No one can share
As darkness breaks through another day

Secrets
Talking out loud
Silence waits just a dream away

Forget lonely crowds, unfriendly faces
They'll soon became familliar places
Before too long, before too long

Don't be fooled by love songs and lonely hearts
You're living in a twilight world.

Don't be fooled by love songs and lonely hearts
Don't give in to the twilight world."

Last night before dinner, I ran out to a cornfield near my home to take some photos of this lonely tree.  The real inspiration behind it was really the sky because it was so pretty with tones ranging from blue to pink to purple.

So I set my tripod up & get a few exposures so that I can process a HDR (High Dynamic Range) image.

30 minutes later, I’m at the table throwing down & 15 minutes after that I am working my magic & 25 minutes after that I have this:

I was so amazed at the twilight sky that I could not stop staring.  You know I use the term twilight a lot & especially referring to my preferred movie time (cheap tickets) but honestly never knew when twilight actually was.

So after some surfing, I discovered that twilight happens twice a day (before sunset & & after sunrise).  Can you say lesson for the day!

So while reading, I saw a link that said “Belt of Venus” & I was like, what the hell is that & how is it relevant.  Well it turns out that the Belt of Venus is an atmospheric occurrence that happens around twilight & it is the reason why we see pink & purple tones in the sky.

The reading further, I learned about the Blue Hour, which occurs between daylight and darkness.

The funny thing is that lately I've been taking images during these times & did not even know it. I just loved how the sky provided extra drama for my images.

I will not even get into the Golden Hour or Green Flash but I will tell you that I love Wikipedia!!!

If you too were in the dark about these natural phenomenons, now you know boo & we’s smart now.

That’s all!

Day Dreamer

Don't dream too long make all your dreams come true.
Things Happen when you move on the things you wanna do.

Day Dreamer it's in your eyes, you got that fire in you.
Make your dreams come alive, you've got to do it for you.

Keep aiming high.... high...... high. high. high.
Reach for the sky.... high...... high. high. high.

N'Dambi 2001

Some of My Best Friends Are Black

Not only are they black, they are also from Rotofugi.

This is a test shot using some new gear.  I recently copped a Sekonic L-358 light meter & a WhiBal card; so far I'm impressed with both!

We will see if these new thingys help me produce better quality images & sale some of my images in iStockphoto.

Stolen Moment

I don't take a lot of photos of my youngest daughter Amelia because she runs from the camera. Now I catching her whenever I can. When she sees this in a few years, I will be in trouble!