With much sadness...

I have been quietly mourning ... It seems so many wonderful people have passed away in the past few weeks:

• R&B singer Gerald LeVert
• TV journalist Ed Bradley
• blues singer Ruth Brown
• blues singer Robert Lockwood, Jr.
• author BeBe Moore Campbell

That is heavy, heavy. I feel connected to each of them in so many ways:

--with Gerald LeVert, it's the Cleveland connection. Also, I met him once after a concert in Cincinnati and have some pix; I also met his dad and the O'Jays. Gerald's passing strikes me because he was only 40 years old ...

--with Ed Bradley, it is an affiliation w/the National Assn. of Black Journalists and the annual convention, which Ed often attended. I, like thousands of others, often watched his stories on "60 minutes." Wonderful to watch - and easy on the eye too.

--Ruth Brown, was an unknown icon! She was ultra fabulous. I met her one year at a big Rock Hall event in Cleveland. Actually hung out w/her most of the evening. Just a good ole time. She reminded me of my grandmother on my Dad's side - fiesty. And wow, could she sing ... she did her thing!

--blues singer Robert Lockwood, Jr. is legendary. I say is because he IS! And I know that his legacy will always be remembered. Clevelanders loved him like he was their native son (Lockwood lived and died in Cleveland, but he is actually from Arkansas) and he loved Cleveland. I used to live in rough Hough, a neighborhood in Cleveland (notorious for riots in the 60s), and Lockwood lived in the same neighborhood. It was not unusual to drive down his street and see him sitting on his porch steps ... Sadly, I never did see him perform LIVE - I know, shame on me because there were countless opportunities.

--BeBe Moore Campbell's passing is really tough to digest. I am an avid reader and I've read all of Campbell's books including her latest "72-Hour Hold." A few years back, she has an appearance scheduled in Cleveland and my reading group and I were reading one of her books - I think it was "What You Owe Me" and I remember making arrangements for the group to meet w/her prior to the speaking engagement. I was unable to attend, but she was so accomodating in the planning and of course, my friends said that she was just as pleasant in person; she just had a kind spirit and disposition. She was 56.

I could go on and on and on about how I feel, but I think I will just take some time to reflect ...

Sooooo into the holiday spriit

I am really glad that it is NOT beginning to look a lot like Christmas. The weather has been quite mild in Ohio. Love that.

However, I am in the holiday spirit and not because of anyone's doorbuster deals on Black Friday. No, just feeling fine. Actually, I purchased a new Christmas tree after last year's holiday season - cute too! $5 ... love that too!

I've got my apple cider and bags of decorations to spruce it up. Trying to find the Charlie Brown Christmas music on the Internet - also so cute.

If I really get in the spirit, I will bake some of my favorite cookies - cookie press cookies! Uuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmm!

But first I need to make some holiday cards - to sell and send out.

I say all of this and I do not plan to purchase any gifts for anyone this season - the gift of life! ;-)

In honor of Mike Wilbon of the Washington Post and ESPN's PTI, happy holidays knuckleheads!

Christmas Jazz

Christmas Jazz
Originally uploaded by appaIoosa.

Just let that blog title roll off your tongue. Oooohhh, so pleasant. It's almost here you guys. And I relish the thought of holiday cheer - all aspects of it.

Can someone break out the Christmas karaoke?

Election Day, wooooo whoooo

Your Vote IS Your Voice
Originally uploaded by D.James.

WWhewww! I thought that November 7th would never arrive and I'd be stuck trying to view my favorite TV programs sandwiched between saucy politcal advertising.

The political ads were killing me ... the TV stations just had to loop 5-6 ads back-to-back. It was a grueling 60+ days.

And did you notice that the ads had no shame? Some call it mudslinging, but the campaigns seemed to be a bit 'dirtier' than that. And I did not even mention the yard signs ... let's see how long they remain shrewn across unclaimed territorties.

My predictions for the former swing state were not genius at all. It was my belief that if the polls had even the slightest bit of accuracy, a change would come for the buckeyes. My friends were not the least bit pleased with my interest in one former mayor if Cincy who was vying for the top spot in O-hi-ya. My friends conducted extensive research and crammed my inbox with the persuasive goodies.So I'm thinking, if I can be swayed then all of the other conservatives are ripe for the pickin. And oh, how right I was on that account.

Then there were the ballot issues. I don't like trickery. I think the verbage on more than one issue was a bit misleading. The Smoke-Less and the Smoke-Free were two different issues. But I think some people thought it was one or the other.

The game is shifting (as is the blame) ... Radiogirl