State & Lake

Lack Of Vitamin D Could Spell Heart Trouble - Vitamin D deficiency - which is traditionally associated with bone and muscle weakness - may also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). A growing body of evidence links low 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels to common CVD risk factors such as hypertension, obesity and diabetes, as well [...]

Kiki is a self-taught artist whose work is stunning, beautiful and sometimes alarming.  The alarming represents the internal pain only an artist can convey.  Kiki is also one of the moderators on the Sistahs With Lupus Yahoo Group and over the years she welcomed new members to the group and has always offered help and [...]

Since the passing of Prop 8 here in California, a few of my friends went from having the “itis” to now having the “osis”.  If you don’t know, in medical terminology, the suffix “itis” means “inflammation of” and “osis” means “condition of”.  A few of my friends went from experiencing extreme inflammation to having a [...]

Photo:  Deborah Johnson married her 11-year partner Valerie Joi Fiddmont a month ago, the night of Nov. 4 was bittersweet. An African American woman and founding minister of Inner Light Ministries, Johnson says she had never felt more proud of her country than when she watched Barack Obama take the stage in Chicago and deliver [...]

Geez, I almost forgot about this.  Well, honestly, after giving up FemmeNoir I have not been up on much lately so this easily escaped my radar, or should I say “gaydar.”
Anyway, today people will celebrate National Coming Out Day in many ways, and you can learn some of those ways — even participate — by [...]

I was so encouraged when I read this article. Not because I hope to live to be 108 — which is Mrs. Lassiter’s age — it was her experiences and her sage advice to “Trust in God.”

[ November 4, 2008 to November 6, 2008. ] If you are a videographer, cinematographer, director, producer, camera operator, editor, post supervisor, sound editor, motion graphics designer, web video producer, corporate video producer or documentary filmmaker … THIS IS YOUR EVENT!

DV Expo is your one stop for certification and training opportunities November 4-6, 2008 in Los Angeles. More than 45 conference sessions and top [...]

Gina Yashere was diagnosed with Lupus four years ago but her diagnosis has not hindered her career in comedy, in fact, she left the UK for the United States to further her career in comedy.  The move meant selling her four-bedroom home, Mercedes and beloved motorcycle, and starting over.  For those of us with living [...]

Joe Tex[/caption]
Last night I was listening to some oldies, really old oldies and Joe Tex hit my mind but this song was not the song I was thinking about at the time.  I was thinking “Skinny Legs and All”, “I Gotcha” and other similar songs.  Those were his more popular songs but there were others.  [...]

Last week was a busy one, almost too busy.  Between work and the little busy work I do at home, I barely had time to stop and think.  By Friday I was a complete wreck and wanted nothing more than spend time in bed sleeping.
Am I still anemic?  I don’t know and won’t know until [...]

Samuel L. Jackson as Abel Turner, in “Lakeview Terrace” [/caption]
The Pasadena Weekly has a great article on the “copping out” in the film Lakeview Terrace.  No, I have not seen it and I have no plans on seeing it.  As Hollyweird is wont to do, I feared the filmmakers would take liberties with the actual [...]

Some of my best friends are straight women and they are a diverse group too.  I have held the phone and listened to them talk of divorce, separation, hardships in their relationships, their new beaus and more.  Nothing stirs them more than their suspicion of the man they are dating possibly being gay or on [...]

I love this song for so many reasons, some unmentionable.  I have been thinking about this song for so long I decided to see if it was on YouTube and it is.
Funny, I did not like the song when it came out in 95/96, but for some reason it has grown on me — probably [...]

Only because I love this song and I’m waiting for Tracy Chapman’s new release due out in November entitled Our Bright Future.  According to About Tracy Chapman dot Net, the new album was recorded here in Los Angeles over the summer and is due out November 11, 2008.  The Our Bright Future Tour is currently [...]

I read the article “Survival instincts propel ‘difficult patient’ to insist on quality care” at esciencenews and had an “aha” moment.  The article brought back painful memories of an inept doctor and several more that seemed more interested in treating my symptoms instead of trying to find out what the underlying problem was.  I had to [...]

[ November 22, 2008; ] Macy’s is gearing up to reopen its Lake Avenue store in Pasadena with a newly revamped interior and significant seismic upgrades. The store closed down in late April as the work began and all 300 employees have been temporarily assigned to other nearby store locations during the construction period.

A grand reopening and community shopping day [...]

I’ve talked about this often and have heard many say “but we are all Americans.”  True, we are, but we all have a different view of our America and that view is brought to us by wealth, poverty, life itself, and sometimes the color of our skin, whether we are here legally or illegally, all [...]

I made a mess of things this weekend by causing a few near and dear to me to question my sanity.  Admittedly, I gave in to my insanity years ago but this weekend’s little play was not a giving in to my insanity, it was more about creativity.
So, what happened?  Last week I helped lay [...]

Michael Jackson Turns 50[/caption]
Yes, that’s right, a few of us turned 50 this year.  Prince, Madonna and Michael Jackson who turned 50 on August 28.  Jackson spoke with ABC’s Good Morning America in an exclusive interview and says he’s “having a wonderful time, just relaxing.”
How did he celebrate his birthday?  Well, while talking with [...]

[ September 12, 2008; 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. ] Successful Grant Writing 101- This seminar is for those interested in learning the basics of how to write a grant.  Location:  at Walker & Associates Offices, Pasadena, CA.  Friday, Sep 12 9:00a [...]

[ September 13, 2008; 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. ] Black College Summit set at Mt SAC - Mt. San Antonio College will hold its fourth annual Inland Valley Black College Summit from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 13 at the campus Performing Arts Center, 1100 N. Grand Ave., Walnut. Admission is free.

The event will feature a virtual tour of Historically Black Colleges & [...]

It’s time to gear up for the 2008 Paralympics which will take place beginning September 6, 2008.  The 2008 Paralympic Games will be held in Beijing.
You can view the full schedule on the official website at http://en.paralympic.beijing2008.cn/index.shtml.
Personally, I’m hoping to see Dennis Ogbe throw the discus and shotput.  I’ve not been able to determine if [...]

Natasha Kai came out publicly just before the start of the Olympics, when she revealed in an interview with NBCOlympics.com that she had “a hard time” when she initially joined in January. “I had missed the first camp in early-January because I had bronchitis, and I was going through a nasty break-up with my girlfriend,” [...]

The brother that played the mean sax with the Dave Matthews Band and a founding member, Leroi Moore, died today reportedly from sudden complications stemming from an ATV accident he had in June on his farm near Charlottesville, Virginia.   Moore recently relocated to his home in Los Angeles to undergo intensive physical rehabilitation.  He was [...]

There is a “leaked” release of a supposedly new song featuring Akon with Whitney Houston.  According to a spokesperson for Houston, the song is not “a finished song at all.”  However, getting to the bottom of when the song was actually recorded and a release date produces a deafening “no comment.”
“Yes, your girl is coming [...]

Looking at this weekend’s line up of events, I guess I could say being sick last weekend was better than being sick this weekend.  You see, there is always a silver lining.
First, I cannot wait to get together with friends for a “girls night out”.  We’re planning on oinking ourselves on delicious treats that are [...]

A lot has come out since Bernie Mac’s death this past weekend; specifically, I learned he had been in the hospital three weeks, not two and I learned he had been put into an induced coma with hopes this would cause him to heal better and perhaps faster.  eFluxMedia is reporting in an article Bernie [...]

You would think, in this day and time, someone would understand the necessity to dot all “i”s and cross all “t”s before letting anything drift into the public ether like the above photo.  You would think, hopefully, someone might see the implications of the photo and would look for ways to make the photo tell [...]

I’ve only been interested in the Summer Olympics and Track & Field.  This year I’m looking forward to seeing some talented athletes and I am waiting patiently for the men’s 100 meter run and Tyson Gay.
From the time I began running track many moons ago until today — when I can’t run my way out [...]